Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 28, 2006, edition 1 / Page 18
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2C SPORTS^^e Charlotte Thursday, December 28, 2006 Court OKs federal access to major leaguers’ drug test results Continued from page 1C convicted of steroids distrib- ution. Duilng 2004 raids on three labs involved in the MLB testing program, investiga tors seized computer files containing the 2003 test results. The unidentified samples had been collected as part of a MLB survey to gauge the prevalence of steroid use. BasebaU players and own ers agreed in their 2002 labor contract that the results would be confiden tial, and each player was assigned a code number to be matched with his name. Quest Diagnostics of Tfeterboro, N.J., one of the largest drug-testing firms in the nation, analyzed more than 1,400 urine samples fi'om players in the 2003 sea son. Comprehensive Drug Tbsting, of Long Beach, coor dinated the collection of specimens and compiled the data. Subpoenas were issued to both companies in late 2003, a day before the test results were to be destroyed, and in April 2004 Internal Revalue Service agents seized the test results and samples. It’s unclear whether the data seized includes test results or specimens fium Bonds. Bonds always has main tained he never tested posi tive, but federal investiga tors demanded to see the 2003 test results for Bonds, then Yankees players Gary Sheffield and Jason Giambi and seven other players. When they raided the test ing labs for those 10 results, investigators also seized computer files containing the test results of nearly 100 other players not named in the govemmenfs subpoena and warrants. The Major League Baseball Players Association protested the seizure as a violation of the players’ con stitutional rights. Bonds’ attorney didn’t immediately return calls for comment. Michael Weiner, general counsel for the players’ asso ciation, which sued to ke^ the government finm access ing the records, dedined to immediately comment, wanting first to review the decision. The government’s investi gation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, the Burlingame supple ments lab at ^e center of the • steroid scandal, already has resulted in guilty pleas fiom BALCO president Victor Conte, BALCO vice presi dent James Valente, chemist Patrick Arnold, track coach Remi Korchemny and Anderson. Bonds agreed this month to a $16 million deal to play for the Giants next season. Details are still being negoti ated, and the Giants haven’t announced the agreement. Sosa works out for return to major leagues Continued from page 1C Baltimore Orioles, when he hit .221 with 14 home runs and45RBIs. Sosa feels that baseball has turned its back on him, calling it a “blow” to not have received more oflfers to come back last season. Washington was the only team that publicly expressed interest in the Dominican’s services, offering him a non- guaranteed $500,000 con tract that Sosa rejected. ‘1 want the chance and I believe one is going to appear. This time I wiU accept an offer hke the one with the Nationals because I want to get back to the majors,” he said. Sosa, who won the National League’s most valuable player award, played 17 seasons with the Tfexas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Cubs, and Baltimore A year away finm the game wouldn’t shake him, he said. “Tfed WUliams went to war and lost a couple years. More recently, Barry Bonds stayed away for more than a year and came back, and the same happened with Frank Thomas because of injuries,” he said. Strawberry: Yanks’ Jeter must embrace A-Rod By Ronald Blum THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK - Darryl Strawberry thinks the Yankees’ clubhouse is beset by bad chemistry that can be cured only one way. Derek Jeter needs to "embrace” Alex Rodriguez. “They’ve got to' come together,” Strawberry said Tuesday "It’s time for them to mend their relationship and get back to, like, OK, lets have some fun. We’re here in. New York together. We’re on the greatest team that we possibly could play on. Letis tiy to win instead of going separate ways. Because I remember them when they were young and they went to dinner together and they did everything together.” Strawberry, a former Yankees and Mets star, spoke after a news confer ence to announce that Yankees special adviser Ray Negron’s book “The Boy of Steel” wUl be made into a movie. The book teUs the story of a cancer patient who became a Yankees bat boy for a day Strawberry was a player development instructor for the Yankees before resigning in February 2004. He shifted to the Mets as a spring train ing mstructor in 2005 and plans on being with them next year. His remarks about the Yankees’ chemistry were sparked by questions regard ing the return of Andy Pettitte, who played with Strawberry on three of the Yankees’ World Series cham pionship teams. Pettitte was in New Tbrk for a physical Tuesday and his contract could be finalized Wednesday “Hopefully, it wiU rub off on the team, guys wiU get more supportive of each other,” Strawberry said. ‘T think the Yankees’ problem is that they just don’t support each other enou^ I mean, back when I played in those years we were winning, we all sup ported each other, we aU cared for each other. I think they need to get back to that, because the talent is there, but everybody seems like they’re going their separate ways.” Rodriguez was booed by fans at times last season, and Strawberry said A-Rod has been treated like “an outsider.” “He’s a sensitive guy,” Strawberry said. “He’s only played in Seattle and Tfexas. It’s not New York. It’s a big difference. You don’t get booed in Tfexas. You don’t get booed in Seattle when you play there.” Jeter, the Yankees’ captain, has been cool toward A-Rod since a 2001 Esquire article. “Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him,” Rodriguez was quoted as saying in the magazine. “He’s never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun. And he hits second - that’s totally different than third and fourth in a lineup. You go into New York, you wanna stop Bemie (Williams) and (Paul) O’NeiU. You never say Don’t let Derek beat you. He’s never your concern.” Rodriguez has struggled in the postseason with the Yankees. Heis4-for-41 (.098) without an RBI in his last 12 postseason games dating to 2004 and was dropped to eighth in the batting order for the first time in a decade as the Yankees were elimi nated in Game 4 of the first round against Detroit this year. At the World Series to accept an award, Jeter was asked whether there was anything he could do to make things easier for Rodriguez. ‘What would you Like me to do? I’m trying to think,” Jeter said. ‘Well, you’re there. You support him. Everyone supports all your teammates at aU times. I don’t really know if there’s anything else I can do. Maybe I’m not that smart.” Pandiersin unlikely spot for finale All but home for holidays a week ago, Carolina can reach playoffs with win, help Continued from page 1C prised we’re still in the running for the play offs,” linebacker Chris Draft said. The Panthers had to improvise to beat the Falcons. Playing their third straight game without quarterback Jake Delhomme (thumb), the Panthers decided to run the ball - even. though the had managed 88 yards rushing in the past two games. “Coach (John) Fox talked about it all week He said we were going to run the ball until we got a first down,” center (^ff Hangartna' said. “Lucidly that happened pretty early” Carolina started with 12 strai^t running plays. It led to Chris Weinke’s 1-yard pass to backup tight end Jeff King for the game’s only touchdown. DeShaun Foster rushed for 102 yards on 28 canies, while DeAngelo Williama added 82 yard on 21 carries while often taking direct snaps from center. The Panthers, who had the worst third-down conversion rate in the NFL, went 8-for-16 on third-down and seven conver sions came on direct snaps to Wi11iama ‘We needed a spark. We have not done too well over the last month,” said Fox on the deci sion to use Williams on third down. “These guys have hung in there. We have been a little inoperable on offense and we just needed a spark The key is that we needed to execute and we did execute and that was the key” The Panthers rushed for 183 yards on a team-record 52 attempts and held the ball for nearly 42 minutes! Weinke snapped a 17-game losing streak as a starter by having to throw only seven passes. * “This is the best Christmas present I could have, coming in here and getting a victory” Weinke said. “Coming down here and getting a victory in this hostile environment was really big.” The defense, much-maligned after giving up 37 points a week earlier against Rttsburgh, shut down the NFL’s top rushing offense. The Falcons, who had rushed for 252 yards in the first meeting against Carolina, had just 83 yards rush ing. Jidius Peppers had two sacks and Carolina intercepted Michael Vick twice. “Hey baby, they are good, but this time we came out and played a complete game,” defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said ‘We finally did that after a nice hiatus, you know. We needed this one.” For a team that lost 11 players to season-ending injvuies, the Panthers could still salvage a season that started with such high hopes. While the Panthers never ajpected to at best fin ish 8-8, it may be good enough to reach the playoffs in the mediocre NFC. The Pantile are also hoping that Delhomme will return against the Saints. He practiced Wednesday and is listed as questionable for Sunday but Fox is optimistic Delhomme will be ready to play ‘We’re not giving up. We have a lot of pride.” Draft said. Weinke Don’t Let Time Pass You By! tKlie Cljarlotte Subscribe Now and receive a years worth of NEWS! (704)376-0496 Name, Address, City - State, ,Zip, Phone, I I 1 year $40 I I 2 years $60 Senior Citizens I I 1 year $28 I I 2 years $45 I I 3 years $75 I I Student $25 I I Lifetime $400
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