Sports Log

La Russa criticizes Brewers fans

August 4, 2011

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Baseball

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa says a fan told him he hoped he would get shingles again and that others took insults too far in St. Louis’s 8-7, 11-inning victory over the Brewers in Milwaukee Tuesday night. La Russa called the fans “idiots’’ in his comments after a game in which Albert Pujols was hit with a high pitch in the seventh inning and Brewers star Ryan Braun was plunked in Milwaukee’s next at-bat. La Russa, 66, struggled with shingles for more than a month earlier this season, missing six games because of the condition . . . Cincinnati third baseman Scott Rolen had surgery on his left shoulder and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Rolen, who has been on the disabled list since July 22, had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs and fragments . . . Padres righthander Dustin Moseley underwent season-ending surgery on his non-pitching shoulder, which he dislocated last month while hitting a single . . . White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko is hoping to return to the lineup today after being sidelined by a bruised left calf he suffered when he was hit by an Andrew Miller pitch during Chicago’s 5-3 loss to Boston Sunday . . . Yankees righthander Mark Prior suffered a bruised left forearm after being hit by a liner during batting practice at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa.

Hockey

Predators’ Weber awarded $7.5 million An arbitrator awarded Predators defenseman Shea Weber $7.5 million for the 2011-12 season. The Predators argued that the Norris Trophy finalist and team captain was due $4.75 million, while Weber’s agents countered with $8.5 million. Weber will be the fifth-highest paid defenseman in the NHL . . . The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Colin White, 33, a day after he was waived by the New Jersey Devils. White played 11 years with the Devils, winning two Stanley Cups . . . The Chicago Blackhawks and forward Patrick Sharp agreed to a five-year contract extension. Sharp, 29, is coming off a season in which he led the team in goals with 34 and tallied a career-high 71 points . . . Former Sabres and Islanders coach Ted Nolan, 53, was hired to lead Latvia’s national team. The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation said it expects to sign Nolan to a contract within a couple of days . . . The St. Louis Blues will be without winger David Perron for training camp and the start of the regular season. Perron has not played since suffering a concussion on Nov. 4 against the Sharks. He took a blindside hit from Joe Thornton near center ice and missed the final 72 games of the season . . . Boston University announced four newcomers to the men’s roster for the 2011-12 season - forwards Cason Hohmann and Evan Rodrigues, defenseman Alexx Privitera, and goaltender Anthony Moccia, who served as a practice goalie last year.

Colleges

Fighting Irish reinstate receiver Floyd Notre Dame reinstated wide receiver Michael Floyd to the football team four months after his arrest on drunk driving charges. Coach Brian Kelly lifted Floyd’s suspension, saying he was comfortable with Floyd’s return because the senior has shown personal growth. Floyd, 21, pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to a year of probation. He was arrested March 20 after running a stop sign a block from the school’s main entrance. Floyd holds the school record for touchdown catches (28) and ranks second in school history in catches (171) . . . Northwestern and athletic director Jim Phillips agreed on a new 10-year contract that runs through 2020.

Basketball

Celtics give a promotion to Longabardi The Celtics promoted Mike Longabardi to a bench assistant coach. Longabardi joined Celtics before the start of the 2007-08 season from Houston, where he had served as assistant coach/video coordinator, video coordinator, and assistant video coordinator. “He’s more than ready for the next step,’’ said coach Doc Rivers . . . Israeli champion Maccabi Tel Aviv signed New Jersey Nets guard Jordan Farmar. The Maccabi team said Farmar, who won two NBA titles with the Lakers, will play for Tel Aviv as long as the NBA lockout continues . . . Ray Patterson, who presided over one NBA title and four conference titles as president of the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets, died at 89 after a long battle with heart and lung diseases.

Miscellany

Racetrack in Nashville runs into trouble Dover Motorsports, Inc., owner of the Nashville Superspeedway in Gladeville, Tenn., has announced that no NASCAR races will be held at the concrete track in 2012 and that it may be put up for sale. The company has been trying unsuccessfully to secure a NASCAR Sprint Cup race since 2001 . . . In Major League Soccer, Roger Espinoza scored before getting red-carded, and host Sporting Kansas City beat Real Salt Lake, 2-0 . . . Midfielder Pavel Pardo scored in the 54th minute to lift the host Chicago Fire to a 1-1 tie with the Philadelphia Union . . . In Women’s Professional Soccer, Alex Scott scored the lone goal for the Boston Breakers in a 2-1 loss to the host Western New York Flash . . . Megan Rapinoe scored in the 86th minute to lift host magicJack over Sky Blue FC, 3-2 . . . In WNBA action, Tina Charles had 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Connecticut Sun edged the host Los Angeles Sparks, 79-70.