Trade deadline winners and losers

The non-waiver trade deadline passed at 4 p.m. ET with a handful of moves at the end, a number of teams that held tight for no good reason and an epic trade of Bud for Hoes and a Hader. Thanks to that deal, all of us were winners. In the spirit of objective analysis, however, we present as a complement 10 more winners and 10 losers, in no particular order, from the deals that were done and those that weren't.

WINNERS

Boston Red Sox: The best player on the move was Jake Peavy, and he went to the team that needed him most. Between Peavy joining the Red Sox's rotation and Matt Moore hitting the disabled list for American League East-leading Tampa Bay, it was a fruitful 24 hours for the Red Sox, especially since they didn't give up any of their best prospects.

San Diego Padres: Ian Kennedy is a classic buy-low candidate whose flyball tendencies – he's got the sixth-lowest groundball rate among starters this year – should play significantly better at Petco Park than he did in Phoenix. Considering all it cost for at least two years of Kennedy's services was situational lefty Joe Thatcher, relief prospect Matt Stites and a draft pick between the second and third rounds, Padres GM Josh Byrnes might have made the best trade ever for a pitcher with an ERA over 5.00.

Houston Astros: The dismantling continues, and because of it Houston may now have the deepest farm system in baseball. That's the point of Jeff Luhnow's destroy-to-rebuild plan, and shipping off starter Bud Norris to the Baltimore Orioles for L.J. Hoes, Josh Hader and a draft pick, along with dealing outfielder Justin Maxwell for promising A-ball pitcher Kyle Smith, played into that. Already the Astros had parlayed closer Jose Veras into two other prospects. That's how this is done. Don't get cute. Don't get fancy. Just bite down, swallow hard and hope your scouts are good.

Detroit Tigers: All along the Tigers understood Jhonny Peralta was likely to take a suspension for his involvement with Biogenesis, so turning an area of strength (outfield, with young Avisail Garcia) into a replacement shortstop for the present as well as the next five years in Jose Iglesias was shrewd as can be. Iglesias may not hit. He will win Gold Gloves, and with a staff of groundball mavens, that's all they need.

Avisail Garcia has a huge upside for the Chicago White Sox. (USAT Sports)

Chicago White Sox: Even if Peavy was the prize of the deadline, he was still a pitcher with a history of arm trouble due $20 million. To get a lottery ticket with the potential of Avisail Garcia as well as a 100-mph fireballer in Frank Montas, plus two other pieces, first-year GM Rick Hahn added much-needed bulk to an organization with next to no potential impact prospects. If they can get rid of Alex Rios and others in August, they're even bigger winners.

Tampa Bay Rays: Jesse Crain had been arguably the best reliever in baseball this season before he hit the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Other teams that talked with the White Sox about him weren't worried about him coming back. If he does and is able to pitch meaningful innings, a Rays bullpen that already has Alex Torres (0.29 ERA), Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney (two earned runs in the last six weeks) gets that much better.

Chicago Cubs: For two months of Matt Garza, Cubs executives believe they got a better return than the White Sox did for a year and a third of Peavy. C.J. Edwards looks like a No. 3 or 4 starter, Mike Olt was a top prospect before a concussion, Justin Grimm could turn into an innings eater and there's a player to be named on top of that. They finally dumped Alfonso Soriano's contract. That would constitute a great deadline by itself. Bonus points for holding on to David DeJesus, which brought us the delight of Kim DeJesus' deadline-day binge drinking.

Baltimore Orioles: No team did more than the Orioles in terms of volume. Among Scott Feldman, Francisco Rodriguez and Norris, they overhauled a quarter of a staff that already had run through 22 pitchers this season. Considering what they gave up – three of the best prospects in a relatively thin system – they can only hope it's enough to catch the Rays and Red Sox in the AL East or hold off Cleveland, Texas, New York and Kansas City for a wild-card spot.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers are playing so well these days it's almost as if they don't need anything. Whenever Matt Kemp returns it's going to be awkward, and the Dodgers knew that when they were listening on calls about Kemp (as well as Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier). Bolstering their rotation with Ricky Nolasco didn't cost much at all, and taking a flier on Brian Wilson coming off Tommy John surgery was a gamble with no downside. From May flop to National League favorite? It's looking more and more like it.

Atlanta Braves: Sure, there are concerns about Brandon Beachy playing a big role down the stretch coming off Tommy John surgery. And B.J. Upton looks like a $75-million mistake. But the Scott Downs-for-next-to-nothing deal was a nice bit of trickery to cover the overuse that led to their two best lefty relievers, Jonny Venters and Eric O'Flaherty, blowing out their elbows.

LOSERS

Pittsburgh Pirates: Rarely do you see a trade deadline go by with the best team in baseball sitting on its hands entirely. While the Pirates have reached that point where it's difficult to doubt their viability, the same criticisms as always remain: Namely, can they hit enough and how is their bullpen going to hold up? Already closer Jason Grilli is on the disabled list, and their efforts to add a bat fell short. There is August, though having the best record does have its disadvantages: So long as the Pirates are on top, every team can block them from claiming a player.

Seattle Mariners: Michael Morse: free agent. Raul Ibanez: free agent. Kendrys Morales: free agent. Seattle Mariners: six games under .500, 8½ back of the wild card, 12½ out of first place. We'll leave this one to Randolph and Mortimer.

The Mets failed to deal Marlon Byrd despite his pending free agency. (USAT Sports)

New York Mets: Similarly, a number of contenders needed right-handed bats, and the Mets have 35-year-old free-agent-to-be Marlon Byrd there for the picking. No, the offers for him weren't great, but what would they expect with a fourth outfielder. They did the same thing with Scott Hairston last season and missed an opportunity for one more lottery ticket in a system that could use everything it can get.

Texas Rangers: When the Rangers dealt for Garza, they looked like they were all-in. Then they started slumping, got cold feet on just how much this team was worth buying into and didn't bother getting a bat to replace the soon-to-be-suspended Nelson Cruz. They tried, calling around on everyone from Carlos Gonzalez to Jose Bautista to Kemp, offering Joe Nathan and Elvis Andrus and even Garza. Ultimately, they're left with this team and the hope that the returning Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz will make up for an atypically meek offense.

Philadelphia Phillies: There is a reason some teams refuse to offer no-trade clauses: exactly what happened to the Phillies this season. Not that they wanted to deal Chase Utley – they seem to love the idea of him as the player who will spend his whole career in their uniform – but he would have brought significant return if not for the 21-team no-trade clause. And Michael Young's refusal until late in the process to consider deals was laughable, seeing as the Phillies' acquisition of Young was something of a folly in the first place, compounded by guaranteeing a no-trade.

Michael Young: Enjoy that drive for .500!

Los Angeles Angels: They whiffed on Kennedy. They didn't trade Howie Kendrick or Erick Aybar despite motivations to do as much – motivations in place, mind you, because they need pitching, which they need, of course, because they traded Ervin Santana for a guy who had Tommy John surgery before he threw one pitch for them. The deadline was a microcosm of the season for the Angels: a big, ugly mess.

New York Yankees: Look, Alfonso Soriano may hit some homers. He certainly has had his share over the last 6½ seasons with the Cubs. Still, when the average age of your outfield is AARP eligible, there is something decidedly wrong with the process of curating talent. The Yankees made this trade over the objection of GM Brian Cashman, and as long as that continues to happen – a neutered GM, an attraction toward past-their-prime players and, of course, a $100 million outlay for a guy who may never play again – the Yankees will have trouble digging themselves from this bad place they created and may stay there for longer than they have since the early 1990s.

San Francisco Giants: GM Brian Sabean said he was insulted by the offers. Perhaps that's because he was asking for a major league-ready starting pitcher for lefty specialist Javier Lopez, as insulting an ask as executives this week found. (Though, come to think of it, that's pretty much what San Diego got for Thatcher, so maybe not.) Holding onto Lopez, Tim Lincecum and Hunter Pence doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a team that's in last place. Oh, well. Sabean can reach into his stack of get-out-of-jail-free cards from two championships in three seasons.

Hunter Pence: Apparently staying on a last-place team and all but ensuring you receive a compensation tender that very well could destroy your free-agent value is worth pumping your fists over. To each his own.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 31ST

1919 - Curt Gowdy, Green River Wyo, sportscaster (ABC) is born.

1928 - First woman to win a track and field olympic 

gold medal, Halina Konopacka of Poland.

1934 - St Louis Cards defeat Cin Reds 8-6 in 18 innings, 

pitchers Dizzy Dean & Tony Freitos go the distant.

1949 - Lightning strikes a baseball field in Fla, kills SS & 3rd baseman.

1951 - Evonne Goolagong Cawley, NSW Aust, tennis player (Wimbledon 1971) is born.
1954 - Mil Braves' Joe Adcock sets record of 18 total bases (4 hrs, 1 double).

1978 - Pete Rose ties NL record hitting streak at 44.
1980 - Rangers snap Orioles pitcher Steve Stone's 14-game winning streak.
1981 - 42 day old, second major league baseball strike ends.

1987 - Oriole Eddie Murray hits his 299th & 300th career home runs.

1988 - Willie Stargell became 200th man inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
1990 - Nolan Ryan becomes 20th major league pitcher to win 300 games.

1997 - A's trade Mark McGwire to St Louis Cards.

Seattle's Percy Harvin tweets he'll need surgery on hip

Percy Harvin will have hip surgery on Thursday, sidelining the dynamic wide receiver for the start of his first season with the Seattle Seahawks. Harvin made the announcement on his Twitter account on Tuesday night, hours after getting a second opinion on the injury in New York. The Seahawks then said the operation was scheduled for Thursday, but no timetable for recovery was provided. Harvin was seeking more information about the hip soreness in the area of his labrum that popped up just before the Seahawks opened training camp. Harvin noted the discomfort when he reported for camp last Wednesday. ''When everything is goin good sometimes life throw u a curve ball... sorry to half to report that my injury will require surgery,'' Harvin wrote on his Twitter page. ''Nobody was more anxious and excited about season then....but I will be back strong as ever.'' Seattle coach Pete Carroll has not indicated which hip is bothering Harvin. He said earlier in the day that the team was still gathering information about Harvin's second opinion. Harvin started training camp on the physically unable to perform list and likely will remain there until the team has a better idea of his recovery time. If Harvin starts the season on the PUP list he must miss the first six weeks and would have to return to practice by the end of Week 11 to avoid missing the entire season. The loss of Harvin is significant, but not a huge setback for a team that relies on the legs of Marshawn Lynch and timely passing by Russell Wilson to drive its offense. Seattle invested significantly in Harvin, giving up draft picks to acquire him from Minnesota and signing him to a six-year deal reportedly worth up to $67 million. But Seattle's offense averaged 32.9 points over the final nine games of last season without Harvin. If the Seahawks need a timeline of how the recovery might go, they only need to look at fellow Seattle receiver Sidney Rice, who underwent hip surgery in August 2010, and then returned to action in Week 11 after missing the first 2 1/2 months of the season. While Harvin was in New York on Tuesday, Rice was in Europe undergoing a procedure to help his knee, Carroll said. The procedure is non-surgical and Rice was expected to return to practice once he arrived back in Seattle. Carroll seemed so unconcerned about Rice's procedure he jokingly asked reporters to guess where Rice was. Rice had been limited in practice the last few days before heading to Switzerland for the procedure. While Carroll didn't get into specifics, he said it's focused on addressing a muscle around Rice's knee and this was the only time available to have the procedure done. ''He was practicing fine when he was out here but this was a procedure that they've been waiting to do,'' Carroll said. ''When he comes back here he'll go right back on the field. He didn't get hurt. We're just trying to help him along and we think we have something going here that might really help him.'' Seattle also was without defensive end Cliff Avril, offensive tackle Michael Bowie and cornerback Ron Parker. All three players are dealing with hamstring issues that will keep them sidelined a few days.

Damontre Moore helped recruit Polo Manukainiu to Texas A&M and remembered the day the two met. Manukainiu was still in high school, even then a fearsome figure at 6-foot-5 and some 275 pounds. Beneath that mammoth frame, though, was a young man with sweet and caring personality, a huge smile and kind words for everyone fortunate enough to know him. ''He was this huge kid,'' Moore told The Associated Press in a phone interview from New York Giants training camp. ''I'd been in college already for like two years and he was this huge monster who had at least two inches over me and he was so intimidating. And when he talked he was the kindest person in the world. He was like the gentle giant.'' Texas A&M said Tuesday that Manukainiu, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman for the Aggies, was among three people killed in a single-car rollover crash in the high desert of northern New Mexico, stunning both schools just days before fall practices begin. Also killed where 18-year-old Utah recruit Gaius ''Keio'' Vaenuku and 13-year-old Andrew ''Lolo'' Uhatafe. The wreck happened Monday evening on U.S. 550 near Cuba, N.M., about 85 miles north of Albuquerque, as the group of five was returning from Salt Lake City to suburban Dallas, where three of them had ties to prep football power Trinity High School in Euless. The southbound 2002 Toyota Sequoia drifted off the sagebrush-lined highway, New Mexico State Police spokesman Emmanuel T. Gutierrez said. The driver, 18-year-old Siaosi Salesi Uhatafe Jr. of Euless, over-corrected, causing the vehicle to lose control and roll several times. Alcohol wasn't involved and it appeared the driver was the only one wearing a seatbelt, investigators said. Manukainiu and Andrew Uhatafe died at the scene after they were ejected from the vehicle, Gutierrez said. Vaenuku was pronounced dead in an ambulance that responded to the accident. The driver and his father, Salesi Uhatafe, were taken to the San Juan Medical Center in Farmington, N.M., and suffered only minor injuries, authorities said. Siaosi Uhatafe was a stepbrother of Manukainiu and, like Vaenuku, also is a Utah recruit. Manukainiu had apparently traveled to Salt Lake City for some relaxation, tweeting Sunday: ''It's always good to get away from the Texas Heat for the weekend. Utah got that breezeeeeeee.'' On Monday, hours before the accident, he tweeted: ''22 hour drive back to Texas on no sleep. Oh my.'' Manukainiu played football at Trinity High and was part of the Aggies' 2012 signing class. He was a recreation, parks and tourism science major, the school said, and is survived by his mother, Lima Uhatafe of Euless. ''We lost a terrific young man,'' Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. ''Polo was loved by his teammates and coaches. Anyone who came in contact with him was struck by his sense of humor and smile. My heart aches for his mom and family members.'' He was very close to his family, even bringing them on his recruiting trip to College Station and constantly checking on them while on his official visit. He was proud to be an Aggie, and Moore said he never complained when he was redshirted last season and toiled through months on the scout team. ''He put the team before himself,'' Moore said. ''He was just overall, a good, gentle and loyal person. He was more than a teammate. He was like a brother to everybody. Everybody just loved being around him.'' Texas A&M finished last season ranked No. 5 after an 11-2 season, their first in the Southeastern Conference. They were led by quarterback Johnny Manziel, who became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, and are expected to be highly ranked again this year. ''Heart hurts waking up to news about Polo,'' Manziel tweeted on Tuesday. ''I think I speak for everyone on our team when I say we love you brother you will be missed.'' It is the second such tragedy for Texas A&M in less than two years: Senior offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio, 22, was killed in a December 2011 car accident after veering head-on into the path of an 18-wheeler 40 miles from College Station. He had spent part of that day delivering gifts to families at a local shelter. Manziel mentioned Villavisencio during his Heisman acceptance speech last year. ''It's mind-boggling that this has happened to this team twice in such a short time,'' Moore said. ''It's such a crucial time with all the expectations for the season and I hope this will bring the team closer together and make them cherish everybody around them and just realize that they've got to live every day like it's their last.'' Vaenuku was a defensive tackle who had planned to play one year at Utah before going on a two-year Mormon mission. ''Everyone who knew Gaius is heartbroken today,'' Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. ''He was the kind of young man who lit up a room and his future in football and life had no boundaries. Words cannot express our devastation over the loss of Gaius.'' Vaenuku was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and considered playing at church-owned Brigham Young but he said he felt more at home in Salt Lake City playing for the Utes. His mother, Cela Vaenuku, said the last time she spoke to him was on Sunday - a brief conversation on how he had spent his day. ''He was a wonderful son,'' she said. ''He was very social, very outgoing young man and a people person who always made people laugh.'' She said he was the third oldest among seven brothers and sisters, and ''they took it very hard'' when they heard the news of his death. She said her son had planned to be dormitory roommates with Siaosi Utahafe, the driver. The news stunned Trinity High in Euless, where Manukainiu, Vaenuku and Siaosi Utahafe all played football. The team has been one of the best in Texas in recent years, with three state titles in a span of five seasons from 2005-09 and a trip to the championship game in 2010. Principal Mike Harris said the deaths have affected a majority of the Euless community, where there is a tight-knit Polynesian community. ''They were students with bright smiles that everybody knew and everybody loved,'' the principal said. Texas A&M associate athletic director Alan Cannon said Manukainiu was known for his sense of humor and ''will be sorely missed as a person you enjoyed being around.'' He said the football staff was working Tuesday to notify teammates of his death. Players are scheduled to report to campus Sunday to begin practicing for the upcoming season. Cannon said Manukainiu was to wear jersey No. 90 and that it was too early to determine if players will affix the number to their uniforms as a tribute. The NCAA must approve any such recognition, Cannon said.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 30TH

1844 - First US yacht club organized, NY Yacht Club.
1874 - First baseball teams to play outside US, Boston-Philadelphia in British Isles.

1890 - Casey Stengel, baseball manager (Yankees (1949-60)/NY Met's 1st) is born.
1909 - John A Heyder becomes president of baseball's National League.

1932 - 10th modern Olympic games opens in Los Angeles.

1934 - Bud Selig, owner (Milwaukee Brewers)/acting baseball commissioner is born.

1954 - Bob Kennedy hits the first grand slam for the new Baltimore Orioles.

1958 - Daley Thompson, London, Decathalete (Olympic-gold-1980, 1984) is born.

1959 - In his major league debut, SF Giant Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4.

1973 - Texas Rangers Jim Bibby no-hits 1st-place Oakland, 6-0.

1978 - Expos crush Braves, 19-0, collecting 28 hits & NL-record-tying 8 HRs.

1982 - Atlanta Braves remove Chief Noc-A-Homa to make room for more seats.

1990 - George Steinbrenner is forced by Commissioner Fay Vincent 

to resign as prinicipal partner of NY Yankees.

1995 - Richie Ashburn and Mike Schmidt enter basaeball's Hall of Fame.

2007 - Bill Walsh, American football coach (b. 1931) dies.

Witness: Paterno said Penn St. erred on Sandusky

Longtime Penn State head coach Joe Paterno said that the university mishandled its response to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, a former assistant coach testified Monday during a hearing for three top school officials accused of a cover-up. Star witness Mike McQueary appeared in a courtroom for the third time since Sandusky's November 2011 arrest and told the court that top school officials knew that he had seen Sandusky molesting a boy in a locker room shower. But the former Penn State assistant coach and quarterback also delivered some unexpected testimony: that the late Hall of Fame coach had told him over the years that ''Old Main screwed up'' - referring to university administrators - in how it responded to McQueary's allegation against Sandusky. Pressed by defense lawyers on his discussions of the subject, McQueary brought up a specific exchange at football practice in the hours before Paterno's firing on Nov. 9, 2011 - four days after Sandusky's arrest. He recalled the head coach saying the school would come down hard on McQueary and try to make him a scapegoat. Paterno also advised McQueary not to trust the administration or then-university counsel Cynthia Baldwin, the former assistant testified. Former Penn State president Graham Spanier, retired university vice president Gary Schultz and ex-athletic director Tim Curley are accused of failing to tell police about a sexual abuse allegation involving Sandusky and then trying to cover up what they knew. The men say they are innocent. Paterno died in January 2012. He has never been charged, though former FBI Director Louis Freeh said in a university-sanctioned report that Paterno conspired with the three school officials to conceal accusations against Sandusky. Paterno's family has vehemently denied those allegations. The former coach was ''respectful of the process ... and wanted to know the truth from the beginning,'' and the latest testimony raised more questions about the credibility of Freeh's report, Paterno family spokesman Dan McGinn said. ''Joe Paterno believed the issue would be and should be handled properly,'' McGinn said. ''That's been true since the beginning here.'' The judge must determine whether there's enough evidence against the ex-officials to send the case to trial. They face charges including perjury, conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children. The core of McQueary's testimony is that he saw Sandusky and a boy engaged in a sex act in the locker room shower in 2001 and within days reported it to Paterno, Curley and Schultz. Curley and Schultz ''definitely knew it was a sexual act, a molestation act between Jerry Sandusky and a boy in the showers,'' McQueary testified. Curley and Schultz have said McQueary never reported that the encounter was sexual in nature, while Spanier has said Curley and Schultz never told him about any sort of sex abuse. They said they believed that Sandusky and the boy were engaged in nothing more than horseplay. Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence after being convicted last year of sexually abusing 10 boys. He maintains his innocence. The hearing adjourned after about five hours of testimony and is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning in a Harrisburg courtroom with testimony from two more witnesses. Much of the testimony Monday revolved around prosecutors trying to show that Penn State officials should have known to report Sandusky to police in 2001 after complaints in 1998 that he had been showering with boys in university locker rooms. Lawyers for the defendants tried to show they never tried to hide evidence, never destroyed evidence or asked school employees to hide evidence. McQueary last year sued the university, claiming defamation and misrepresentation and seeking millions of dollars in damages. His contract with the school wasn't renewed after the 2011 season.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 29TH

1844 - NY Yacht Club forms.
1874 - Major Walter Copton Wingfield patents a portable tennis court.

1899 - Southern California Golf Association forms.
1911 - Boston Red Sox Joe Wood no-hits St Louis Browns, 5-0.
1915 - Pirate Honus Wagner at 41, hits a grand slam HR.
1921 - Cleveland's 125th anniversary celebration: Cy Young, 54, pitches 2 innings.

1925 - Ted Lindsay, Canadian hockey player is born.

1928 - Cleveland Indians score 17 runs in first 2 innings to beat Yanks 24-6 at

Dunn Field they also set a record with 24 singles in one game.

1953 - Ken Burns [Kenneth Lauren], Brooklyn, New York, American director 

and documentary film producer (The Civil War, Baseball) is born.

1968 - Cincinnati Red George Culver no hits Phillies, 6-1.

1978 - On Old Timer's Day, NY Yankees announce that Billy Martin will return 

as NY Yankee manager in 1980 & Bob Lemon will become GM.

1989 - Phillies retire Steve Carlton's # 32.
1989 - White Sox trade Harold Baines to Rangers for Scott Fletcher & Sam Sosa.

1990 - Boston Red Sox set major league record with 12 doubles in a game.
1991 - 1st Sunday Night game at Shea Stadium (Mets beat Cubs 6-0).
1995 - Monica Seles beats Martina Naratilova in her return to tennis.
1995 - Carolina Panthers beat Jacksonville Jaguars in their first NFL exhibition game 20-14.

Los Angeles Angels' Pujols goes on DL, could miss rest of year

Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols was put on the disabled list Sunday with a tear in his left foot that could end his season. Manager Mike Scioscia said the star will be sidelined for ''a significant amount of time.'' Pujols has a partially torn plantar fascia, an injury that has bothered him most of the season. He aggravated it while running out a single in the ninth inning of Friday's 6-4 loss to Oakland. ''This is something that, talking to Albert, has been going on for six or seven years,'' Scioscia said before the Angels' game against Athletics. ''It's been going on for a long time and he's managed it. This is a big blow to our team right now.'' Although surgery seems unlikely, Scioscia didn't rule out the possibility that Pujols could be sidelined for the rest of the year. Pujols left the team and returned to Los Angeles on Saturday morning for additional testing. That's when the injury was diagnosed. ''We'll just take it one step at a time and see how it goes,'' Scioscia said. ''But this is not something that's going to heal in a week or two. After that we'll just wait and get direction from our medical department and how Albert feels. It's a significant amount of time, that's what it's going to take.'' The three-time NL MVP, who signed a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Angels as a free agent in December 2011, has served as the club's designated hitter most of the season. Pujols was hitting .258 with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs before re-injuring his foot. The Angels went into the season with hopes of winning the AL West. They began the day with a 48-54 record, 12 games behind the first-place A's. Outfielder Kole Calhoun was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Hunter Mahan's wife gives birth after he exits tournament

Hunter Mahan has made the happy jump from tournament leader to proud father. He announced the birth of his daughter Sunday, a day after he withdrew from the Canadian Open while in front after his wife went into labor. He tweeted: ''What a whirlwind of a day.'' He says Zoe Olivia Mahan was born at 3:26 a.m. in Texas. Mahan was leading the tournament in Oakville, Ontario, after two rounds Saturday. He flew home to Dallas when his wife went into labor a month before her due date. He says in another tweet his wife and daughter are ''doing great.'' He thanked his sponsors for appreciating ''what's important in life'' and saluted his fans for ''being Awesome!'' Mahan would have been on the course at Glen Abbey Golf Club for the third round when his wife began having labor pains, but his tee time was delayed 80 minutes by a thunderstorm.

Derek Jeter HRs on 1st pitch in return to Yankees

Derek Jeter returned to the New York Yankees' lineup - again - with customary flair, making an immediate impact on a team desperate for power. Jeter homered on the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay's Matt Moore, connecting Sunday soon after being activated from the disabled list for the second time this month. ''Hopefully I can help in any way, but we need contributions from a lot of people,'' said Jeter, who made his season debut at shortstop. ''It's not like I'm some savior coming in here all of a sudden we're just going to start winning.'' The captain's drive ended the Yankees' nine-game homerless drought. It was New York's first long ball by a right-hander since June 25. Jeter received a loud ovation and came out for a very quick curtain call, waving his cap from the next-to-top step of the Yankees dugout. To make room for Jeter, the Yankees placed designated hitter Travis Hafner on the disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain. Hafner has slumped to a .205 average. He hit the last of his 12 homers on June 25, a span of 67 at-bats. Jeter, a 13-time All-Star, had his much-anticipated return July 11 - as the designated hitter - after missing the Yankees' first 91 games because of a twice broken ankle. He was first injured during the opener of the AL championship series in October. But he sustained a Grade 1 strained of his right quadriceps running out a groundball against Kansas City and went right back on the DL. Fourth in the AL East, the Yankees have gone 4-8 during his second absence and are 54-50. New York has scored fewer runs than all but three teams in the American League this season. Manager Joe Girardi hopes he'll be penciling the Yankees' career hits leader in the batting order nearly every day from now on. ''It changes our lineup. There's no doubt about that,'' he said. ''And just his presence is important to this club. It's been important for such a long time.'' A favorable schedule should help keep Jeter playing every day at the start. The Yankees have off-days Monday and Thursday next week, then only play six games before their next open day. Girardi said he's been preaching a cautious approach for Jeter when he runs the bases, at least in the first few games of his comeback, to protect the leg. But the always-all-out Jeter had difficulty embracing the concept while dressing in the Yankees clubhouse before Sunday's game. ''I'll try it,'' Jeter said. ''It's kind of hard because I've never really done it. It's not like I'm going to be jogging to first base. I can't do it. I don't think I can do that. We'll see, I'll try.'' A career .313 hitter, Jeter was eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday but the Yankees instead had him participate in a simulated game that was shrouded in secrecy. The location of the workout was not disclosed until after the Yankees' 1-0 loss to the Rays. ''I don't know, it wasn't my idea. They needed to see some things,'' Jeter said. ''Evidently they saw what they needed to see.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 28TH

1929 - Chicago Cardinals become first NFL team to train out of state (Mich).

1940 - Yankee Charlie Keller hits 3 HRs to beat White Sox 10-9.
1952 - Rogers Hornsby replaces Luke Sewell, as Cincinnati Reds manager.

1976 - White Sox John Odom (5 inn) & Francisco Barrios (4 inn) no-hits A's.

1983 - George Brett's 2 run HR against Yanks on July 24 (pine tar game).

1987 - Angel Cordero Jr becomes 4th jockey to win 6,000 races.

1989 - Braves Dale Murphy, hits 2 3-run HRs in an inning, 14th man to 

hit 2 HRs in an inning. Also ties record of 6 RBIs in an inning.
1991 - 12th US Seniors Golf Open: Jack Nicklaus.

1991 - Dennis Martinez pitches the 13th perfect game in baseball history.

1994 - Baseball Players decide to strike on Aug 12, 1994.
1994 - Texas Ranger Kenny Rogers pitches baseball's 14th perfect game.

1996 - NY Yankee Darryl Strawberry hits his 300th HR.

1997 - NY Ranger center Mark Messier signs with Vancouver for $20M for 3 years.

Philadelphia Eagles WR Maclin tears ACL, could miss season

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, right,
and Jeremy Maclin take a break between drills at NFL
football training camp in Philadelphia, Friday, July 26, 2013.

Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin tore the ACL in his right knee during practice Saturday and could miss the season. Maclin went down at the end of a non-contact drill and appeared to be in pain while he was on the ground for several minutes. He was helped onto the cart and needed assistance getting off it and going into the team's practice facility. ''Appreciate all the love and support twitter fam....sad day but I have setbacks my entire life. Minor setback for a MAJOR comeback! (hash)birdgang,'' he wrote on Twitter. Philadelphia is in its second full practice under new coach Chip Kelly. The first practice with pads is Sunday. The Eagles signed wide receiver David Ball to the 90-man roster. The 29-year-old Ball played for Kelly at New Hampshire, and broke Jerry Rice's Division I-AA record for touchdown receptions. Ball spent time in training camp with Chicago and the New York Jets in 2007-08. Maclin is headed into his fifth season with the Eagles. He led the team with 69 catches for 857 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and the former first-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract. Two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson is Philadelphia's other starter. The team has veterans Jason Avant and Riley Cooper, along with several younger wideouts in camp. Maclin has averaged 64 catches, 863 yards and six TDs in his first four seasons. His best year was in 2011 when he had 70 receptions for 964 yards and 10 TDs.

Rangers’ Tanner Scheppers cleared for action after being assaulted in Cleveland

Life on the road can be dangerous for professional athletes. Unfortunately for Texas Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers, he found that out the hard way after the team arrived in Cleveland on Thursday night for their weekend series against the Indians. According to Drew Davison of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Scheppers was attacked by a group of young males in downtown Cleveland after going out for a food run. The assault took place about two blocks away from the team's hotel, and as a result Scheppers was unavailable to pitch on Friday night after suffering a laceration near his left eye and experiencing headaches. He was, however, cleared for action on Saturday, so it appears the attack won't have any lasting effects. That's good news for everybody, but especially for the Rangers. In 46 appearances this season, Scheppers has posted a 1.74 ERA and a 1.88 K/BB ratio. Those outstanding numbers helped earn him a spot in the American League's Final Vote for the All-Star game.

Here's more from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram report:

"One of those freak things," Scheppers said. "I was just getting food and was blindsided. ... It's something you don't want to be talking about. You want to be talking about baseball things." Scheppers said he was fortunate that he didn't suffer more serious injuries. He passed all concussion tests, but was shaken up by the incident and had a headache which kept him out of Friday's game. Scheppers said he did not retaliate, saying: "I dropped like a sack of potatoes." The men then scattered, Scheppers said.

Sports Day DFW adds that a police report has been filed, but Scheppers was told by police that it was unlikely anybody would be apprehended. "They said it happens a lot, actually,” Scheppers added. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for downtown Cleveland, but I think there's a bigger lesson here for everyone and not just professional athletes. If you're not familiar with your surroundings, make an effort to travel in groups. I know a two block walk seems innocent enough, but trouble lurks everywhere and it doesn't take long to strike.

Hunter Mahan, leading RBC Canadian Open, withdraws when wife goes into labor

So here's a story of priorities. Hunter Mahan, one of the best golfers on the planet and a guy one week removed from a fine showing in the British Open, was in the lead at the RBC Canadian Open when he got word that his wife Kandi had gone into labor with their first child. And just like that, Mahan left the tournament to be at his wife's side. Mahan, the overnight leader, hadn't yet teed off, so it's not like he was pulled in off the course. Still, a man's got to do the right thing, yes? The baby wasn't due for another few weeks, which is probably why Mahan wasn't at their Dallas home in the first place. Mahan's agent indicated that Kandi's water had broken and that she was being taken to the hospital; Mahan had hit exactly two balls on the driving range when he got the news. He immediately withdrew from the tournament and headed to an airport to catch a plane back to Texas. Back in 1999, Phil Mickelson famously wore a beeper during the U.S. Open. His daughter was born the day after Mickelson lost to Payne Stewart. More recently, Ross Fisher vowed to walk off the course at the 2009 British Open no matter what if he heard his wife was going into labor; he was just one stroke behind leader Tom Watson at the time. The Mahans already know that the baby will be a girl with the planned name of Zoe. And her daddy's already got a ready-made "here's what I sacrificed for you!" story when she becomes a mouthy teenager.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 27TH

1880 - Joseph Tinker, baseball Hall of Famer, 1/3 of fame double play combo is born.

1906 - Leo Durocher, Mass, baseball player and manager 
(Brooklyn Dodgers, NY Giants) is born.

1946 - Boston Red Sox Rudy York hits 2 grand slams in 1 game, gets 10 RBIs.

1948 - Peggy Fleming Jenkins, San Jose California, figure skater (Olym-gold-1968) is born.

1958 - Christopher Dean, Olympics skater (Torvill & Dean/Olympic-gold-1984) is born.

1959 - William Shea announces he plans to have a baseball team in NYC in 1961.

1972 - NHL star Maurice "Rocket" Richard signs with WHL Quebec Nordiques.

1975 - Alex Rodriguez, NYC, shortstop (Seattle Mariners) is born.

1983 - Gaylord Perry joins Nolan Ryan & Steve Carlton to reach 3,500 

career strikeouts this season, he also wins his 1st game as a Royal.
1984 - Reds' Pete Rose collects record 3,053rd career single (vs Philadelphia).

1985 - Joseph "Smoky Joe" Wood, pitcher (Boston Red Sox), dies at 95.

1986 - Greg Lemond is 1st American to win Tour de France.

1987 - Travis Jackson, baseball player (NY Giants), dies at 83.
1988 - Tommy John commits rec 3 errors on 1 play as Yanks rout Brewers 16-3.

1992 - Astros begins 26-game road trip to make room for Rep Natl Convention.
1993 - NBC TV awarded 1996 Olympic coverage for $456 million.
1993 - NY Met Anthony Young wins ending his losing streak at 27 games.

1993 - Reggie Lewis, NBA star (Boston Celtics), dies of heart failure at 27.
1996 - Bomb explodes at Atlanta Olympic Park, 1 killed, 110 injured.

1997 - Detroit Tigers retire pitching great Hal Newhouser's #16.

Rodgers says he was 'lied to' by Braun

In this Feb. 29, 2012, photo, Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan 

Braun, right, and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron

Rodgers chat during a spring training baseball workout 

in Phoenix. One NFL fan is having a little fun with Rodgers 

over his vociferous support of Braun. It all started when 

Todd Sutton tweeted last year that Rodgers was delusional 

over his insistence that Braun had not used performance-

enhancing drugs. Rodgers then responded that he would

 bet a year's salary that his friend was clean, including the 

hashtags ponyup and exonerated. Now that Braun has 

accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension rather than 

fight Major League Baseball over evidence he used PEDs, 

Sutton tells USA Today he would settle for a game check.

Ryan Braun apparently has some work to do to repair his friendship with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Describing himself as shocked and disappointed, Rodgers said Friday after the Packers' first training camp practice that Braun ''looked at me in the eye on multiple occasions and repeatedly denied the allegations'' that the Milwaukee Brewers slugger was using performance-enhancing drugs. Braun this week accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension after admitting to violating baseball's rules against using PEDs. Rodgers felt duped by his buddy and business associate, a sentiment being expressed by many others in Wisconsin. A Milwaukee restaurant is named for two of the state's most well-known athletes, and Rodgers last year defended his friend on Twitter, going so far as to betting his multimillion-dollar salary that Braun was clean. ''It's disappointing, not only for myself as a friend but for obviously Wisconsin sports fans, Brewer fans, Major League Baseball fans,'' Rodgers said before a throng of media surrounding his locker. ''It doesn't feel great being lied to like that, and I'm disappointed about the way it all went down.'' Rodgers and Braun have spoken since the slugger's suspension. Asked if he considered themselves friends, Rodgers didn't answer directly but said in part, ''I trusted him, and that's the thing that probably hurts the most.'' The future of their business relationship - they're involved in a licensing agreement for the 8-twelve MVP Bar and Grill - was yet to be determined, Rodgers said. With the benefit of hindsight, Rodgers plans to take a more measured approach next time if faced a similar situation in the future. ''People make mistakes. I definitely believe in forgiveness and moving forward,'' Rodgers said. ''Obviously, (Braun) has a tough task in front of him moving forward with his career, on and off the field.'' All the attention at the first practice was atypical even for Rodgers, a former Super Bowl and NFL MVP who leads one of most dangerous passing attacks in the league. He was smiling and laughing on the field Friday, running through drills like the rest of his teammates on an overcast, breezy morning. In the locker room, however, the off-the-field questions didn't stop at Braun. Earlier this week, former Packers receiver Greg Jennings - now with the archrival Minnesota Vikings - criticized of his ex-quarterback. In an interview with the Star Tribune, Jennings questioned Rodgers' leadership and implied the quarterback had become bigger than the team. ''Don't get me wrong, '12' is a great person,'' Jennings was quoted as saying, referring to Rodgers. ''But when you hear all positives, all positives, all positives all the time, it's hard for you to sit down when one of your teammates says, 'Man, come on, you've got to hold yourself accountable for this.' It's hard for someone to see that now because all they've heard is I'm doing it the right way, I'm perfect. In actuality, we all have flaws.'' Rodgers said he wasn't spending time or energy on Jennings' comments. ''To me, I'm concerned with the opinions of the guys in this locker room and the guys we have here,'' Rodgers said. ''It's exciting to be able to be one of the leaders of this football team, and I'm very confident in my style.'' Not surprisingly, the current Packers had the quarterback's back. ''It is what it is,'' receiver Randall Cobb said about Jennings' remarks. ''Aaron is a great leader. He puts us in some great situations on and off the field. He makes it easier for us to have someone to look up to for support and leadership.'' Rodgers had one of the best offseasons of his nine-year career, according to coach Mike McCarthy. ''He's in good shape. He's ready to go. He really understands his role as far as the leader and one of the veteran leaders on our football team,'' McCarthy said. ''I think Aaron's off to a great start coming off a very good offseason.'' As for practice itself, McCarthy liked what he saw. It's just the first day, so he and the coaching staff plan to take a closer look at tape for a better evaluation. The tempo has picked up a little from previous years, in part because music is being played on loudspeakers during what are being called ''TV timeouts.'' It's designed to give players a breather and, in part, to mimic the routines during games. Rodgers' favorite tune in the rotation? Darius Rucker's version of ''Wagon Wheel.''

New York Yankees get Soriano from Cubs, put him in lineup

Alfonso Soriano took one look around Yankee Stadium and broke into a big, familiar smile. ''This is my house, this is my home,'' he said. ''I'm happy I have the opportunity to come back to New York - 10 years.'' The New York Yankees reacquired Soriano in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on Friday, hoping the seven-time All-Star can provide a power boost to a team that desperately needs pop. Soriano immediately went into the starting lineup, batting cleanup and playing left field against Tampa Bay. The Cubs got minor league pitcher Corey Black and will send almost $17.7 million to the Yankees to cover the rest of Soriano's rich contract. ''We've obviously been trying to improve our offense, to no avail, throughout this season,'' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. ''By far, he is the best available bat to date.'' Soriano outhomered the Yankees all by himself (10-8) in the four weeks prior to the deal. Overall, the 37-year-old was hitting .254 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs with the Cubs. The Bronx Bombers led the majors with 245 home runs last year, but have become the Bronx burn-outs this season, ranking next-to-last in the AL with only 88. Banged up, they've played most of the year without Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Their slump from the right side - Soriano hits righty - is even more acute. It's been a month since a right-hander homered for the Yankees, with Jayson Nix the last to do it on June 25. Soriano got a big ovation when the public-address announcer read the lineups and welcomed him with ''and once again a Yankee.'' Soriano saluted the stadium's Bleacher Creatures during their roll call, and was cheered again when his past Yankees highlights were shown on the video board. Wearing his socks high, Soriano got an assist when his throw led to an inning-ending out in the top of the second. He led off the bottom half and flied out. Soriano made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1999 and quickly blossomed into a rare package of speed and power. In 2002, he hit 39 homers and 51 doubles while batting .300, stealing 41 bases, scoring 128 runs and driving in 102. ''He's not the same player he used to be,'' Cashman said, ''but he certainly provides some thunder from the right side that we've been lacking.'' Cashman hinted, too, that more deals might be in the works. The Yankees began the day with a 54-48 record and in fourth place in the AL East, 6 1/2 games behind division-leading Boston. Soriano got his old No. 12, with Vernon Wells shifting to No. 22. The Yankees optioned outfielder Thomas Neal to Triple-A to make room for Soriano. Soriano waived his no-trade clause to rejoin his old team. He was popular with teammates and fans for five seasons before New York traded him to Texas in a deal for Rodriguez. ''He's played there before,'' Granderson said earlier in the day at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla. ''That's one thing that is a difficult thing to adjust to.'' ''You've got to come to New York and can you handle it, can you not? Obviously he had in the past,'' he said. Soriano has never played a regular-season game at the new Yankee Stadium. He did, however, hit a home run in his lone game at the ballpark - in April 2009, the Cubs played a pair of exhibition games at Yankee Stadium before the official opener. Soriano has hit 389 career home runs while playing for the Yankees, Texas, Washington and the Cubs. In the 2001 World Series, Soriano hit a home run that almost became part of the Yankees' lore. His go-ahead shot in the eighth inning off Curt Schilling in Game 7 put New York close to another championship, but Arizona rallied in the ninth to win it. A free swinger, Soriano is known more for power than getting on base. He's drawn just 15 walks in 93 games this season. The deal was the latest move for the Cubs before the July 31 deadline for trades without waivers. This month, they traded pitcher Matt Garza to Texas and pitcher Scott Feldman to Baltimore. Chicago was fourth in the NL Central at 45-55. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Soriano impressed him, on and off the field. ''I think when I came here, for some reason I was under the impression that he would be a negative in the clubhouse and someone that was out for himself, someone who didn't play the game hard all the time. I was quickly disavowed of that notion,'' Epstein said. ''The first time we met with him, we asked him to work on his defense. We asked him to run the bases hard. We asked him to run balls out. We asked him to be a good example for the younger players, and we asked him to always play the game hard and to try to win the fans back over and be a leader in the clubhouse. He said, OK, and he went out and did it.'' Epstein called Soriano ''an ultimate pro'' and said it was good to trade him now, rather than someday when he wasn't an everyday guy. ''That's always a really difficult transition for an elite player, a superstar player, in the final innings of his career. That's a difficult transition to make and it can often kind of muddy the waters a little bit,'' Epstein said. ''He really leaves at the right time with his head held high. And we can all be proud of the career he had as a Cub,'' he said. The 21-year-old Black was 3-8 with a 4.25 ERA in 19 starts for Class A Tampa. The right-hander is averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his first full pro season. Chicago will pay $17,688,524 of the $24,491,803 remaining on Soriano's $136 million, eight-year contract. The Yankees will pay a total of $6,803,279: a prorated rate of $5 million for this year's $18 million salary and $5 million of Soriano's $18 million salary in 2014, the final season of the deal. ''I think he's a great addition. One of my favorite teammates of all-time,'' said Teixeira, who played with Soriano in Texas in 2004-05. ''I love the move. We need a right-handed bat, obviously. We need that thump. We need to score a few more runs, and he's one of those guys that can beat you with one swing,'' he said. Soriano needs 11 hits to reach 2,000 lifetime. His career leadoff home runs are second most in history to Rickey Henderson's 81.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 26TH

1923 - [James] Hoyt Wilhelm, knuckleball pitcher (Orioles).

1928 - Gene Tunney TKOs Tom Heeney in 11 for Heavyweight boxing title.
1933 - Joe DiMaggio ends 61 game hitting streak in Pacific Coast League.
1950 - Dodgers' Jim Russell is 1st to switch-hits HRs twice in a game.
1952 - Mickey Mantle hits his 1st grand-slammer.

1954 - Vitas Gerulaitis, Brooklyn NY, tennis star (Australia 1987) is born.
1956 - Dorothy Hamill, Riverside Ct, figure skater (Olympic-gold-1976) is born.

1957 - Mickey Mantle hits career HR # 200.

1970 - Reds Johnny Bench hits 3 consecutive HRs of Phillies Steve Carlton.
1978 - Johnny Bench hits his 300th career home run.

1984 - Expos Pete Rose ties Ty Cobb with his 3,052nd single.
1987 - Catfish Hunter Billy Williams & Ray Dandridge inducted in Baseball Hall of Fame.

1988 - Mike Schmidt sets NL record appearing in 2,155 games at 3rd base,

as Phillies & NY Mets end that game at 2:13 AM.
1990 - US beats Soviet Union 17-0 in baseball at Goodwill Games.

1992 - Nolan Ryan strikes out his 100th batter for 23rd consecutive seasons.

Falcons, Matt Ryan agree on 5-year contract extension

Now that he's wearing a $100 million smile, quarterback Matt Ryan is ready to get back to work for the Atlanta Falcons. ''I've always not worried about the busines entering the sixth and final season of his original rookie contract and will earn a $10 million salary. The NFL's No. 3 overall draft pick of 2008, last season Ryan was invited to the Pro Bowl for the seconds side of it,'' Ryan said. ''I really think as a player, if you're hung up or worried about that or thinking about all those things, you're taking away from what you should be doing.''  Ryan and the Falcons agreed to a five-year contract extension on Thursday that was being finalized as he led the offense through practice on the first day of training camp. A person familiar with the situation says Ryan's extension is for $103.75 million deal, with $59 million guaranteed. The person said Ryan will average $20.75 million during the first three years of the extension. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms of the deal had not been announced. Ryan, 28, is time. He completed 68.6 percent of his passes, tops in the NFL. ''I'd say right now that we're glad that we didn't go defensive tackle with the third pick back in 2008,'' general manager Thomas Dimitroff. ''I'm excited to have Matt on board for many years to come. Matt provides us with all the requisite traits, on the field as we know, and we feel we does that off the field. He's a quality person.'' Ryan rallied Atlanta to victory six times last season, giving him 22 career game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime - most in the league since he was named the league's offensive rookie of the year in 2008. The quarterback is 56-22 in his NFL career, but dropped to 1-4 in the playoffs after the Falcons lost the NFC title game at home to San Francisco six months ago. Coach Mike Smith believes that losing those big games has only made Ryan more committed to his work ethic of being one of the first to arrive each day and one of the last to leave. ''Matt is the type of the leader that you want to have on your team,'' Smith said. ''I say it all the time - you win in the locker room first - and you've got to have guys like Matt Ryan that have the drive and the passion to be the best that they can be. That's probably the best trait that Matt has.'' Ryan's agent, Tom Condon, also represents Drew Brees and Peyton Manning - veteran NFL quarterbacks who signed big contracts last year. The New Orleans Saints guaranteed Brees $60.5 million and the Denver Broncos guaranteed Manning $58 million. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, who led the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in February, signed the richest contract in league history, a six-year deal worth $120.6 million that guarantees $52 million. Flacco had leverage for a better contract because he was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, the NFL's No. 2 career leading receiver, credited Ryan for being a big reason he wanted to come to Atlanta in 2009 and to be lured out of retirement in March.  ''He had a big smile on his face today, I'll tell you that - and for a good reason, too,'' Gonzalez said with a grin. ''But I couldn't be happier for him. He deserves it. The franchise deserves him. I know everybody's happy that it got done, and he doesn't have to worry about it now.''

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 25TH

1913 - Pirates Max Carey goes hitless, but scores 5 runs against Phillies.

1920 - Red Sox turn triple-play, but Ruth's 35th HR leads Yanks to 8-2 win.
1939 - NY Yankee Atley Donald sets AL rookie record with 12 consecutive win.
1941 - Red Sox Lefty Grove becomes 12th to win 300 games (his last victory).

1952 - "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin, [Williams], NWA/WCW/AWA wrestler is born.

1954 - Walter Payton, Columbia Mississippi, NFL running back

(Chicago Bears), (d. 1999) is born.

1978 - Cin Red Pete Rose sets NL record hitting in 38 consecutive games.

1986 - Theodore H "Ted" Lyons, pitcher (Chicago White Sox), dies at 85.

1990 - Roseanne Barr sings National Anthem at Cincinnati Reds-San Diego Padres game.
1991 - Pittsburgh Steelers guard Terry Long treated for an apparent

suicide attempt after he learned he tested positive for steroid use.

1997 - QB Brett Favre, re-signs with Green Bay Packers for $50M for 7 years.

1997 - Ben Hogan, golfer (Masters, Brit Open, US Open-1953), dies at 84.

Bill Belichick says Patriots will learn from Aaron Hernandez case

A grim-faced coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday the New England Patriots will learn from the ''terrible   experience'' of Aaron Hernandez's arrest on a murder charge and work to improve their player evaluation process. Speaking publicly for the first time since the tight end was arrested four weeks earlier, Belichick said he was ''shocked and disappointed'' to learn of the criminal investigation while he was out of the United States. He also sought to minimize future attention on the case. ''My comments are certainly not in proportion to the unfortunate and sad situation that we have here, but I've been advised to address the subject once, and it's time for the New England Patriots to move forward,'' Belichick said. ''Moving forward consists of what it's always been here - to build a winning football team, to be a strong pillar in the community and be a team that our fans can be proud of. ''I'm not trying to make this story disappear, but I respect the judicial process and have been advised not to comment on ongoing legal proceedings. I'm advising our players to do the same things.'' The Patriots cut Hernandez after he was arrested the morning of June 26 and before he was charged that afternoon. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. Players are scheduled to report to training camp on Thursday when quarterback Tom Brady and the five other captains from last season will be available to reporters. The first practice is scheduled for Friday. Belichick opened his 22-minute news conference by speaking from prepared notes. He expressed sympathy for the family of shooting victim Odin Lloyd, said the team's in-depth process of studying a player's background is ''far from perfect'' but wouldn't be overhauled, and took responsibility for bringing people to the team. ''The hundreds of players we've had through this program in the last 14 years, there's been a lot of good ones, a lot of real good ones,'' said Belichick, who became coach in 2000. ''We'll try to do a good job in bringing people into this organization in the future and try to learn from the mistakes that we've made along the way, of which there have been plenty.'' At about the same time as Belichick was speaking, Hernandez was in court for a probable cause hearing in which prosecutors asked for more time to present evidence to a grand jury. The hearing was rescheduled for Aug. 22. ''Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim and I extend my sympathy really to everyone who has been impacted,'' Belichick said. ''A young man lost his life. His family has suffered a tragic loss and there's no way to understate that.'' Belichick was unusually expansive in his answers. He declined to answer some questions about Hernandez, saying he had been advised not to answer those about people involved in the legal case. ''This case involves an individual who happened to be a New England Patriot, and we certainly do not condone unacceptable behavior and this does not in any way represent the way that the New England Patriots want to do things,'' he said. ''As the coach of the team, I'm primarily responsible for the people that we bring into the football operation.'' He didn't say, in response to a question, if he had talked with Hernandez since the player's name was linked to it. Belichick said ''the fundamentals'' of the Patriots' player evaluation process will stay the same as they've been since he became coach in 2000, but the team will work hard to do it better. Hernandez dropped to the fourth round in the 2010 NFL draft because of character issues. Several teams took him off their draft board. ''We look at every player's history from the moment we start discussing it,'' Belichick said, ''going back to his family, where he grew up, what his lifestyle was like, high school, college experiences. We evaluate his performance, his intelligence, his work ethic, his motivation, his maturity, his improvement and we try to project that into our organization on a going-forward basis.'' Belichick wouldn't answer a question about starting cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, who was charged with first-offense drunken driving after being pulled over in his car on July 11 in Lincoln, Neb., while on probation. He remains on the team. Players are evaluated on ''a case-by-case basis,'' Belichick said. ''Whatever the circumstances are on any one individual, you'll have to make the decision based on an individual basis.'' With Hernandez, he said, the team ''acted swiftly and decisively'' to cut him. ''Having someone in your organization that's involved in a murder investigation is a terrible thing.'' Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said he was ''duped'' by Hernandez. When Belichick was asked if he also had been ''duped,'' he said he couldn't comment. ''We stress high character and we stress making good decisions,'' Belichick said. ''We'll learn from this terrible experience that we've had. ''We'll become a better team from the lessons that we've learned.''