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Sports Briefs: Barkley taking leave of absence from job after arrest for drunken driving
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Published: January 10, 2009
Charles Barkley is taking a leave of absence from the broadcast booth.
The announcement by Turner Sports came yesterday, hours after police said that Barkley, the former NBA star, was legally drunk when he was arrested Dec. 31 on suspicion of drunken driving in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Test results show that Barkley, 45, had a blood-alcohol level at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona.
Barkley will be off the air for a minimum of several weeks, and no return date has been set, a source familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
Barkley was stopped by a Gilbert officer working a regional DUI task force shortly after he left a popular nightclub at about 1:30 a.m. He failed field-sobriety tests but was cooperative. He was booked and released at a field-command post, and he later issued a statement saying he was disappointed he put himself in that situation.
"When I spoke with Charles, he was apologetic for the events that transpired and it was obvious he understood the significance of this situation," David Levy, the president of Turner Sports, said in a statement. "This is an important time for Charles as he deals with the legal and personal issues that confront him. Charles is a valued part of the Turner Sports organization, and we are concerned for his well-being."
Baseball
■ Dave Roberts, a left-handed pitcher who played for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates during a 13-year career in the majors, died of lung cancer Friday at his home in Short Gap, W.Va., said his wife and stepdaughter. He was 64.
Stepdaughter Kristy Rogan said that Roberts developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as a young man. He worked as a boilermaker in his off seasons.
Roberts went 103-125 with a 3.78 ERA for eight teams, beginning in 1969 with the San Diego Padres and ending in 1981 with the New York Mets. He also played with Houston, Detroit, the Chicago Cubs and Seattle.
■ Shortstop Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies and pitcher Jake Peavy of the San Diego Padres, who won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award, are among the U.S. players eager to compete in the second World Baseball Classic this spring. USA Baseball yesterday released a list of 22 potential players who have expressed interest and are being considered for the American team that will be managed by Davey Johnson.
During the winter meetings last month, it was announced that Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees will play for the U.S. team. Others announced yesterday include: Milwaukee's Ryan Braun; Cleveland's Mark DeRosa; Detroit's Curtis Granderson; Atlanta's Chipper Jones and Brian McCann; Minnesota's Joe Nathan; Houston's Roy Oswalt; Boston's Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis; and the Mets David Wright and J.J. Putz.
■ The Yokohama BayStars of Japan's Central League have signed former major leaguer Dan Johnson to a one-year contract worth $1.2 million. Johnson, 29, made his major league debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2005, then was claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays last April. He hit .192 with two homers and four RBIs in 26 at-bats last season.
■ The New York Mets moved to add a pitcher while still negotiating with higher-profile free agents, nearing agreement with Tim Redding on a one-year contract worth about $2.25 million.
Redding's deal is expected to be finalized in several days, two people familiar with the negotiations said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.
Redding would be able to earn about $750,000 more in performance bonuses.
Redding was 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA last season for the Washington Nationals -- the only 10-game winner on the team.
Redding had a $1 million base salary and made $125,000 in performance bonuses.
■ The Boston Red Sox have finalized a one-year contract with pitcher Brad Penny, a deal worth about $5 million.
Penny, 30, is a two-time All-Star who struggled with injuries to his shoulder and side last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances.
Penny joins a rotation that includes Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Penny was teammates with Beckett and Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell in Florida, helping the Marlins win the 2003 World Series.
■ Utilityman Willie Bloomquist agreed yesterday to a $3.1 million, two-year contract.
Kansas City also agreed to a one-year contract with right-hander Kyle Davies, who had been eligible for salary arbitration.
Bloomquist, 31, spent all seven of his big league seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He has a .263 career batting average and has made at least 10 starts at every position except pitcher and catcher.
Davies went 9-7 last season with a 4.06 ERA for Kansas City.
Miscellaneous
■ NCAA president Myles Brand has an unspecified illness that could keep him from appearing at the organization's annual convention in Washington, D.C., next week. Bob Williams, an NCAA spokesman, released few details on the illness yesterday other than to say it was forcing Brand, 66, to restrict his travel and personal appearances.
"His schedule is going to be determined on a day-to-day basis. He's reduced his travel," Williams said.
■ Martinsville Speedway will offer several ticket package discounts for families, children and college students for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 on March 29.
These packages include: Four adult tickets for $159, two adult and two children's tickets (12 & under) for $99, half-price tickets in selected areas for children 12 to 18 and half-price tickets for college students with a college ID.
■ Jamie Green, a former three-time Atlantic 10 Conference coach of the years, was named the men's golf coach at Duke yesterday.
Green comes to Duke after coaching the team at UNC Charlotte for the past five and a half years.
Green led the 49ers to four NCAA Tournament appearances.
■ Denis Menchov, a two-time winner of the Spanish Vuelta, has joined the list of top cyclists planning to challenge Lance Armstrong at the Giro d'Italia, race organizers announced yesterday. Menchov, a Russian, is the leader of the Rabobank team.
Other top riders committed to the Giro include: Carlos Sastre (one Tour win), Gilberto Simoni (two Giro wins) and one-time Giro winners Ivan Basso, Damiano Cunego, Danilo Di Luca and Stefano Garzelli.
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