Trade deadline winners and losers: The Price of doing business

The craziest trade deadline day ever saw 12 deals, 37 players exchanged, two draft picks flipped, the reigning World Series champions completely overhaul their roster, the Red Sox and Yankees agree on a deal, the Tigers and A’s try to one-up each other, a fake Twitter account actually nailing the biggest trade of the day hours before its real-life version broke the news and the introduction of a mysterious man named Ralph.

Everyone who followed along with the chaos was a winner. As for the teams that did and didn’t do the dealing Thursday, here are the winners, losers and a special category for one particular team.

WINNERS

Detroit Tigers: Not only does Dave Dombrowski have the finest head of hair in any room he frequents, he may well have the largest set of stones, too. To swoop in among the rest of the teams with larger troves of assets than his and steal David Price out from under them was classic Dombrowski. As Tigers general manager, he now has traded for Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez and Price, among others. He saw what happened earlier in the day, knew he needed to get aggressive, gave up a low-cost starter, his starting center fielder and a high-end prospect, and got the best pitcher on the market. That’s why he’s one of the very best at what he does.

Oakland A’s: And you thought they were done with Jeff Samardzija. Like Dombrowski, A’s GM Billy Beane cares not about prospect rankings, about five-year plans, about little more than what’s happening between now and the end of October. So to go out and get Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes, at the cost of Yoenis Cespedes and a draft pick, was an absolute masterstroke, an all-in gamble that is so very worth it. These A’s can win the World Series. This was Beane’s attempt to change one word in that sentence: from “can” to “will.”   

Jon Lester:  From the 2014 Red Sox season to Oakland Coliseum, Lester goes from one of baseball’s worst festering dumps to its absolute finest. The A’s are the place to be, and a tremendous place for the free agent-to-be to ply his trade for perhaps three months before teams stumble all over themselves to pay him $150 million. Great defense. Humongous field. Excellent chance at a third ring. He couldn’t ask for much more.

Boston Red Sox: So, this is how you overhaul a team in one day. Give GM Ben Cherington and his lieutenants this much: they got creative Thursday. First was acquiring Cespedes, whom they’ve got for next season before he hits free agency, and then flipping John Lackey and his league-minimum deal for 2015 to St. Louis for a pair of players the Cardinals were down on, Allen Craig and Joe Kelly. They got a pitching prospect in Eduardo Rodriguez from Baltimore for Andrew Miller and finished the day by sending Stephen Drew to the Bronx in a salary dump. And they’re not done, not by a long shot, not with all their young arms and surplus of usable bats. Winter is coming. It won’t be quiet.

New York Yankees: This is not the sort of team worth giving up top prospects, and the Yankees avoided doing that while improving enough to give them a shot at the second wild card – or, if Masahiro Tanaka’s elbow turns out to be OK on Monday, an AL East that didn’t see much improvement. The Yankees’ was incremental, with Martin Prado providing outfield help and third-base insurance for A-Rod, and Stephen Drew fortifying second base. They sent Peter O’Brien and his massive power to Arizona, which is a nice chip but an ill fit, since he’s not a catcher and Paul Goldschmidt won’t give up first base anytime soon.

Atlanta Braves: They didn’t have much money to spend and didn’t want to give up a Jose Peraza or Lucas Sims, so Atlanta worked in the margins, like it does so well, fetching Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell from the Cubs. The Braves desperately have needed a lefty reliever, with rookie Chasen Shreve their only option there, and Bonifacio is the sort of super-utility/pinch runner every contender could use.

Washington Nationals: Asdrubal Cabrera isn’t the player he used to be, but he’s a better option at second base than Danny Espinosa, and the price of soon-to-be-25-year-old infielder Zach Walters wasn’t terribly prohibitive. Ryan Zimmerman’s torn hamstring could keep him out for the rest of the regular season, meaning the Nationals needed to make a move, and this was the right kind.

Houston Astros: Perhaps Jarred Cosart turns into the sort of groundballer who can live with middling control and negligible command, in which case the read on this deal is wrong. Until then, though, procuring prospect Colin Moran and outfielder Jake Marisnick is a big bet on upside for a team that needs some good news considering its recent travails.

Ralph: Forget the Tigers and A’s. Ralph was the true winner of the deadline.

TO BE DETERMINED

Tampa Bay Rays: They get their own category because it’s unfair to judge them now when their return for David Price – starter Drew Smyly, infielder Nick Franklin and prospect Willy Adames – is so dependent on the future. Just as was the case with the James Shields deal, the Rays mortgaged today for tomorrow, a business model they’ve practically perfected through the years. And while past performance does not buy them praise, it does buy them the benefit of the doubt, especially with Smyly a potential mid-rotation starter, Franklin a power-hitting middle infielder and Adames a wild card that could hit. Executives are criticizing the return, as they’re wont to do, and Tampa Bay’s ultimate fortunes – not a year or two down the road but five – more than anything will prove whether they got enough for a legitimate ace with another year of control.

LOSERS

Los Angeles Dodgers: These are the Dodgers, the money kings, the talent titans, the group that has done a remarkable job of developing talent around all the cash. So for the Dodgers – the best team in the National League – to hold on dearly to their prospects while other elites around the game went for it this season ran against what should be their mindset: win every year. This would not be mortgaging the future, not with a future bathed in money and by still hanging on two out of Joc Pederson, Julio Urias and Corey Seager. The Dodgers of Kershaw-Greinke-Price/Lester-Ryu would have been the sort of monster this team should endeavor to be annually.

Pittsburgh Pirates: The Dodgers, minus the money. Pittsburgh’s player-development system is a machine. At some point, it comes time to cash that in for a run, and considering the NL Central remains up for grabs, the Pirates were the anti-A’s and anti-Tigers, missing an opportunity that was theirs.

Philadelphia Phillies: Speaking of missed opportunities, the entire Ruben Amaro era has turned into one. As Cleveland showed in getting rid of Justin Masterson and Asdrubal Cabrera, here is what you do with impending free agents: trade them. And when you have players of value, and your team is in last place in great need of a talent infusion, here is what you do likewise: trade them. Today, the Phillies still have Marlon Byrd and Kyle Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins and Antonio Bastardo, all of whom fall into the previous categories, not to mention Cole Hamels, one of baseball’s best pitchers. To blame other GMs for not wanting to give up more was the very definition of cluelessness from Amaro, whose poor read on value is evident by the disastrous contracts handed out under his watch and the mess of a team he fields on a daily basis.

St. Louis Cardinals: “Crazy,” one Cardinals player said at the trade that brought in Lackey. Not the deal itself so much as the timing; that’s what happens when a team unloads two players thought to be future assets in the midst of a crack at the pennant. It’s a bold move by GM John Mozeliak, certainly, though one focused squarely on the short-term without a massive amount of upside. Yes, Lackey at $500,000 next year – thanks to a clause in his contract that gives him a minimum salary due to his Tommy John surgery – is the single best bargain in all of baseball. They’re trading Craig at his nadir, though, and even if it opens up a slot for Oscar Taveras, it’s atypical of the Cardinals. And Kelly, at his best, is a similarly effective pitcher to Lackey, and with plenty of control left.

Baltimore Orioles: Already the Orioles have left-handers Zach Britton, Brian Matusz and T.J. McFarland in their bullpen. Certainly Andrew Miller has been great, but to give up potential starter Eduardo Rodriguez to a division rival for maybe 20 innings from a reliever doesn’t exactly reek of a value buy. Baltimore could’ve used some catching help, too, though perhaps they’ll find that during August in a non-waiver deal.

Toronto Blue Jays: Every AL contender aside from the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels made deals, and the Angels are a far better team than Toronto. So goes life with payroll restrictions, though to be fair, the Blue Jays’ roster of nearly $140 million includes some stinkers ($15 million-plus in dead money to Brandon Morrow and Ricky Romero), so to blame ownership and not at least cast some aspersions on a front office that didn’t get depth to help with injury issues wouldn’t be fair.

Seattle Mariners: Leave it up to the Mariners to be in a trade for David Price and not get him. They’d long targeted him, and instead of landing Price, Seattle settled on a pair of outfielders. Austin Jackson’s OPS+ this season is 99. Chris Denorfia’s is 78. That’s not an upgrade. That’s settling for mediocrity.

Red Sox ace Jon Lester traded to Oakland A's in blockbuster

The Oakland A’s on Thursday morning acquired Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester, the playoff-tough left-hander who can be a free agent at season’s end, in an all-in effort to win the AL West and make a deep October run.

The addition of Lester comes 26 days after the A’s acquired ace right-hander Jeff Samardzija from the Chicago Cubs, and so they have remade the top of their rotation. They already had Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir.

The agreed-upon trade will send Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to the A’s. In return, the Red Sox, embarking on their second roster makeover in two years, receive outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and, critically, a competitive balance pick in the 2015 draft. Cespedes, 28, can become a free agent after the 2015 season. In his third major league season, Cespedes is batting .256 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI.

Gomes, 33, played in Oakland in 2012. He'll mix in with the platoon-heavy A's in the outfield.

The Red Sox acquired the second pick in what is known as "competitive balance round B," which will come after the second round of the draft.

Boston also is expected to attempt to move pitcher Andrew Miller by the deadline.

The A’s completed another trade Thursday, sending 27-year-old left-hander Tommy Milone to Minnesota for outfielder Sam Fuld. Fuld, 32, played seven games for the A's earlier this season before being placed on waivers.

A year ago Lester was pitching the Red Sox toward the postseason in what would become one of the unlikeliest World Series championships in history.

The Red Sox had finished last in the AL East in 2012, in part because Lester lost 14 games and posted a 4.82 ERA, both career worsts. The organization also had broken apart under manager Bobby Valentine, the symbolic worst being reports of in-game beer-and-chicken clubhouse gatherings during games. Lester had been part of that group, along with fellow veterans Josh Beckett and John Lackey. At season’s end, Valentine was fired and the Red Sox rebuilt for 2013. Lester, like the rest of the Red Sox, rebounded.

He was 15-8 and lowered his ERA by more than a run. He won four postseason games, including two in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. In those two World Series starts, Lester allowed one run in 15 1/3 innings. Six years before, Lester, then 23, started and won the deciding Game 4 of the 2007 World Series in Colorado.

While the enigmatic Red Sox have returned to last place in ’14, Lester is pitching as well as he ever has. Through 21 starts, he is 10-7 with a 2.52 ERA, fifth-best in the American League. In eight starts since early June, his ERA is 1.07 with 54 strikeouts and nine walks.

Lester is again among the best starting pitchers in the game. At 30, he also is due to become a free agent at the end of the season. The Red Sox attempted to low-ball Lester in the spring, offering him a four-year, $70 million contract extension. That was rejected. Subsequent negotiations went nowhere.

So, with the Red Sox having lost seven of eight games leading to the trading deadline and falling further into the AL East basement, they decided to add Lester – along with Lackey – to a trade market thirsty for pitching.

For what amounts to a rental of two months plus whatever comes in October, the Red Sox engaged most of the league’s contending teams, including the Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland A’s and, for a time, Milwaukee Brewers.

The market bore other available aces, potentially complicating those talks. The Tampa Bay Rays offered 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price, while 2008 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels were available from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lynch ends holdout, arrives at Seahawks camp

Marshawn Lynch's holdout is over, ending one distraction so far for the Super Bowl champions.

Lynch arrived at the Seattle Seahawks practice facility on Thursday afternoon following the team's morning practice. The team confirmed Lynch had reported for camp, ending a holdout that spanned a week.

Lynch was caught by television cameras talking on his phone out near the Seahawks practice fields wearing a hooded ''Beast Mode'' sweatshirt and knit cap on an 85 degree day. He was later hanging out in the lobby of the facility.

ESPN reported earlier Thursday that Lynch was expected to end his holdout. Seattle coach Pete Carroll said after practice that he did not know if Lynch was on the verge of reporting.

''Hopefully he's here,'' quarterback Russell Wilson said after practice. ''He's such a good football player we would love to have him here and he's done a tremendous job for us since I've been here. I know that. He's had some unbelievable runs for us.''

Lynch must still pass his physical and be added to the active roster. Seattle's roster is currently at the 90-man limit.

Lynch missed the first week of training camp unhappy with his contract status. Lynch is scheduled to make up to $5.5 million this season in base pay and roster bonuses. It's the third year of a four-year deal Lynch signed before the 2012 season.

Seattle made clear on the first day of training camp that it had a plan in place before Lynch signed his extension and it was not inclined to stray from those plans.

''We've had a substantial plan working for us for years now and Marshawn was a big part of this plan,'' Carroll said on the opening day of camp. ''Just a couple of years back we made a big statement and made a big effort for him and we wish that he was with us now.''

The dispute was building throughout the offseason with Lynch staying away from organized team activities and rumors that he would skip June's mandatory minicamp in protest of his contract structure.

Lynch showed up for the minicamp in June to avoid a hefty fine. But he finally decided to make a stand with the start of training camp. He could be fined by the team $30,000 per day for each day of camp missed, plus a percentage of his prorated signing bonus.

Lynch has been the workhorse for Seattle's offense since his arrival via trade during the 2010 season. Lynch has 1,066 carries for 4,624 yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season since joining the Seahawks.

With Lynch away, the Seahawks have let Robert Turbin and Christine Michael get the bulk of carries during camp. That was already going to be the case during the preseason with Seattle wanting to keep Lynch healthy for the regular season opener against Green Bay.

Both Turbin and Michael have been impressive thus far with Lynch gone.

''The more guys that we have the better,'' Wilson said. ''To have a guy like Marshawn Lynch ... is a good thing. We definitely want him on our team for sure.''

NOTES: The United States Marine Corps conducted a demonstration after practice on Thursday that featured helicopters flying over the facility and dropping Marines into Lake Washington before coming ashore on the practice field next to the water. There was large contingent of military from all branches in attendance at Thursday's practice. ... Carroll said DT Jesse Williams has a ''significant'' knee injury suffered in practice on Wednesday and may require surgery. ... Seattle placed TE Anthony McCoy (Achilles) on injured reserve and signed WR Ronald Johnson. ... Rookie DE Cassius Marsh sat out Thursday practice with a sore groin muscle. Carroll said they believe it's minor, but don't want it to get any worse.

Ravens' Rice: His actions 'totally inexcusable'

Ray Rice stepped to the microphone, took a deep breath and spoke for 17 minutes about what he called ''the biggest mistake of his life.''

His arrest for domestic violence against his then-fiancee last February is something Rice figures will haunt him long after NFL career has ended.

The Baltimore Ravens running back was arrested on assault charges following a Feb. 15 altercation in New Jersey in which he allegedly struck Janay Palmer. Rice has been accepted into a diversion program, which upon completion could lead to the charges being dropped.

''My actions that night were totally inexcusable,'' said Rice, who during Ravens training camp Thursday spoke publicly for the first time since receiving a two-game suspension from the NFL.

''My daughter is 2 years old now. One day she's going to know the power of Google. Me having to explain that to her, what happened that night, that's something I have to live with the rest of my life.''

Rice was referring to a grainy video in which he is shown dragging Palmer, now his wife, from an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. He did not address the incident at an impromptu news conference in May, and although he refused to divulge details on Thursday, he dismissed the notion that he was provoked.

''I don't want to keep re-living the incident. I'm trying to move forward,'' he said. ''What happened that night was a huge mistake, and that's what I'll keep it at. I don't condone any of my behavior. I take full responsibility for my actions. My wife can do no wrong.''

Rice wore a Ravens polo shirt and a pained expression throughout the session. More than a dozen TV cameras were in place, some telecasting the interview live, and several of his teammates stood behind the throng to show their support.

Rice, 27, is the team's career leader in total scrimmage yards and ranks behind only Jamal Lewis in total yards rushing. But this press conference wasn't about football.

This was about apologizing for actions that he insisted were one of a kind.

''It was the first time it ever happened,'' he said. ''I've never had a problem with domestic abuse. This was a one-time incident.''

In addition to the two-game suspension, Rice was fined three paychecks totaling more than $500,000. There have been reports that the fine was too light. Rice declined to weigh in on that subject except to say that he would have accepted whatever penalty the NFL deemed fit.

''No football games and no money was going to determine what I have to live with the rest of my life. That punishment I received from the NFL, it hurts that I can't play football,'' he said. ''I never planned to appeal any kind of punishment. So whether it was two games, four games, six games, eight games, I was going to own my actions and be a man about it and take whatever was given to me.''

Rice's reputation has likely taken a harder hit than he has ever absorbed on the field.

''In some people's eyes, Ray can do no wrong. That's something I take pride in,'' he said. ''I know a lot of people out there have lost respect, maybe not like me anymore. But that's my fault. I have to own that. That's my battle each day.''

Rice also pleaded with his fans to make smart decisions.

''I still have kids out there wearing 27 jerseys, and I just want to tell them that please don't make the mistake I did,'' he said. ''I always talk about one or two bad decisions and your dream can become a nightmare, and I was truly living a nightmare.''

Rice's teammates still support him.

''I've known Ray for a while. He's a great guy,'' linebacker Elvis Dumervil said. ''We're all human, we all make mistakes.''

Rice realizes how many people were hurt by his actions.

''That's not who I am as a man. That's not who my mom raised me to be,'' he said. ''I let her down, I let my wife down, I let my daughter down, I let my wife's parents down, I let the whole Baltimore community down, and I got my teammates here to support me, I let my teammates down. I let so many people down because of 30 seconds of my life that I know I can't take back.''

NFL will roll out new player-tracking system for real-time on-field stats

Seattle's Richard Sherman has long maintained that he's a better cornerback than Arizona's Patrick Peterson and a more dominant player than San Francisco's Michael Crabtree. Now, at last, he may have hard numbers to back him up.

The NFL is rolling out the initial phase of a tracking system that will allow fans to view a wide range of statistics about their favorite players, including speed, routing, distance traveled, and separation. As reported by USA Today, each player will wear two small sensors under the shoulder pads, and the sensors will track the players' movements throughout the game. (And ONLY the game, which should bring a sigh of relief to quite a few players.)

Zebra Technologies, which has implemented similar technologies in other industries, will roll out the system in 17 stadiums. Those include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Jacksonville, Miami, New England, New Orleans, Oakland, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington. (The players signed off on the use of the technology in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement.)

The data can be enhanced and used for television presentation. Down the line, it could be used as part of an app or second-screen experience (i.e. you're gonna pay more for it).

"For those of us that are coaches from our couches, we're like, 'Oh, come on! That guy was open!' Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't," Zebra's Jill Stelfox told USA Today. "If we know closing distance of a defender and an offensive guy, you can really know whether that hit would be made or whether he really could've made that play."

It doesn't take a big leap to see how this technology could be used in-game for coaches to gain an edge. Cornerback losing a step in the fourth quarter? Flood that zone, stat! Accordingly, the NFL will not let teams use the data gathered for competitive purposes in 2014. But information wants to be free, and coaches want information, and therefore there's a 12-year-old playing Madden right now who's going to make millions as Statistics Coordinator for the Patriots. 

Down the line, tech could be used to track players' heart rate in-game, and also could be implemented in the ball to determine whether it crossed the goal line. But Sherman-style trash talking? We're still 15 years from a computer being able to replicate that.

Lackey goes from Red Sox to Cards for Kelly, Craig

The Boston Red Sox traded right-hander John Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig before Thursday's deadline.

The deal leaves the Red Sox without their top two starters. Both teams announced the move a few hours after the struggling Red Sox said they sent their No. 1 starter, left-hander Jon Lester, to the Oakland Athletics with outfielder Jonny Gomes and cash for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and a 2015 draft pick.

The Red Sox also sent cash and minor league left-hander Cory Littrell to St. Louis.

Lackey is 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA in the fourth year of a five-year, $82.5 million deal.

Kelly is 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA in seven starts. He has made four starts since being activated from the disabled list on July 11. Craig is batting .237 with seven homers and 44 RBIs.

Lackey has had two strong seasons since being sidelined for all of 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

He was 10-13 with a 3.52 ERA last year when he pitched his second World Series-clinching game, allowing one run in 6 2-3 innings in a 6-1 win over the Cardinals in Game 6. In 2002, he won Game 7 for the Anaheim Angels over the San Francisco Giants, a 4-1 victory in which he gave up one run in five innings.

The Cardinals, in a tight race with the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central, had obtained right-hander Justin Masterson from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

''I felt good about our club before we did these deals,'' Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. ''When you look at adding a top of the rotation starter with Lackey, getting somebody like Masterson, who has a history of eating innings, when you look at our rotation prior to this deal, sometimes our third, fourth and fifth starters were having trouble going deep in games, putting a lot of pressure on our bullpen.

''I think this will help alleviate some of that.''

Kelly joins a Red Sox rotation with a much different look than the one that began the season.

Lester, Lackey, Jake Peavy and Felix Doubront all are gone. Peavy was traded to the San Francisco Giants last Saturday and Doubront was sent to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. Only Clay Buchholz, an inconsistent right-hander, remains from the original group.

The 26-year-old Kelly was 5-7 with a 3.53 ERA as a rookie in 2012 and 10-5 with a 2.69 ERA last season.

He's ''not a finished product but really talented,'' Boston general manager Ben Cherington said, ''someone our scouts have liked for a long time.''

He said Kelly would immediately go into the rotation.

Craig brings more power to a weak-hitting outfield that was bolstered by the acquisition of Cespedes. In the past two seasons, Craig totaled 35 homers and 189 RBIs, hitting .307 in 2012 and .315 in 2013.

The 30-year-old Craig has been in a season-long slump after batting a major league-best .454 with runners in scoring position in 2013. He's gotten days off to help emerge from his slide with little success. He hasn't been the same since missing the last month of regular season with a left mid-foot strain but came back for the World Series, playing some designated hitter and first base.

Kelly and Craig both were hurt running to first, Craig when he landed awkwardly rounding the base and Kelly injuring his hamstring sprinting to beat out a bunt.

''When you think about the success this organization has had over the last three years, Joe Kelly and Allen Craig have been a major part of that,'' Mozeliak said. ''Pulling away from that is never easy.''

While the Cardinals make their playoff push, the Red Sox are in last place in the AL East and looking ahead to next season. With the departure of four veteran starters, several of their top prospects should get a long look the rest of the season.

Yankees get Drew, Prado in deadline deals

The New York Yankees have acquired infielder Stephen Drew and infielder-outfielder Martin Prado in two deals meant to help boost a foundering offense for a playoff run.

Drew was acquired from the Boston Red Sox with $500,000 for Kelly Johnson on Thursday and Prado came from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league slugger Pete O'Brien and either cash or a player to be named.

''We're obviously trying to improve our offensive output and give Joe (Girardi) flexible options,'' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said of his manager. ''We're going to be asking some guys to move around.''

Cashman said Drew would start at second base, a position he's never played at the major league level. Struggling second baseman Brian Roberts will be designated for assignment to make room for Drew.

The arrival of two more infielders comes about a week after New York dealt for third baseman Chase Headley. The Yankees also obtained pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Chris Capuano in the past few weeks.

Drew hit .253 for the World Series champion Red Sox last year but did not accept a $14.1 million qualifying offer. He re-signed with Boston on May 22 and has hit .176 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 39 games.

''We believe in Stephen's abilities, and we certainly have a great deal of respect for his athleticism,'' Cashman said after making the Yankees' first trade with Boston since 1997. ''We are asking him to accept a new challenge.''

Prado was hitting .270 with five homers and 42 RBIs in 106 games with the Diamondbacks this season. He should share time in right field with Ichiro Suzuki as Carlos Beltran tries to return to the outfield from a bone spur in his elbow. Prado, who has two years left on a four-year, $40 million deal, has just two innings of experience in right field and has not seen time in the outfield this season.

''I think one of his value points is his ability to play multiple positions,'' Cashman said.

While neither player provides the Yankees with a big power bat to help the offense which is 11th in batting at .252, 10th in runs (429), and ninth in home runs (97), Cashman thinks the recent moves improve a club that trailed AL East-leading Baltimore by 5 1/2 games entering Thursday and was 3 games back in the wild card.

''I think we're going to compete. I think we're improved,'' Cashman said. ''We're going to find out if it's enough or not.''

NOTE: The Yankees claimed right-hander Esmil Rogers off waivers from the Blue Jays. Rogers had a 6.97 ERA in 16 games for Toronto. ... INF Scott Sizemore was given his unconditional release from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Dustin Johnson takes leave of absence from golf

Dustin Johnson is taking a leave of absence from golf to seek help for ''personal challenges,'' a swift end to his season that will keep him from playing the PGA Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup.

In a statement Thursday from Hambric Sports Management, the 30-year-old Johnson said his leave of absence was effective immediately. It did not indicate how long he would be out, though agent David Winkle told the PGA of America he would not be at the PGA Championship next week or the Ryder Cup at the end of September.

''I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,'' Johnson said. ''By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion.''

He asked for privacy ''as I embark upon this mission of self-improvement.''

Johnson, who tied for fourth in the U.S. Open and tied for 12th in the British Open, was No. 5 in the Ryder Cup standings and virtually certain to earn one of nine automatic spots when qualifying ends next week at the PGA Championship.

As long as he stays in the top nine, he will be replaced by the next player in the standings.

''We will certainly miss Dustin Johnson at Gleneagles, and we wish him the best,'' U.S. captain Tom Watson said. ''As one of the longest hitters in the game with an undefeated record of 3-0 at Medinah in 2012, he has clearly been an asset for the United States team. That said, the United States is a team with an abundance of talent.''

Players at the Bridgestone Invitational said they were surprised by the announcement.

''If anything, I just hope this is the start of something really, really positive,'' Zach Johnson said. ''And I don't know what happened. I don't know what the specifics are, nor should I know. That's none of my business. I feel for him.''

Justin Rose called it ''big blow for the tour.''

''He's always been a charismatic player and popular player out here,'' Rose said. ''He's not going to play in the Ryder Cup. That will be a blow for the American team. Just wish him well, whatever he's facing right now. Can't be easy for him.''

Johnson played poorly in his first Ryder Cup at Wales, not winning a match until the final day in singles. He was the only American to go undefeated last time in Medinah, winning both fourballs matches with Matt Kuchar and handily beating Nicolas Colsaerts in a singles match.

''I'll tell you what, you always want guys with that kind of power to play on any team,'' Tiger Woods said. ''I've been his partner in the Presidents Cup in Australia, and the firepower that he has, it's pretty cool to be around. It's not too often you see the guy carry the ball 320 (yards) without even trying, and then when he steps on it, he can hit it even further. When he gets it going, it's awfully impressive.''

Johnson was replaced in the PGA Championship by Jerry Kelly. Pat Perez is now the first alternate, and will get into the PGA provided the Bridgestone Invitational winner is already eligible.

Johnson won the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last October at the start of the PGA Tour's wraparound season. He has seven top 10s this year on the PGA Tour and was at No. 4 in the FedEx Cup standings. He will not be replaced in the 125-man field at The Barclays when the FedEx Cup playoffs begin Aug. 21.

It's the second time in two years that Johnson has missed a major under curious circumstances.

He pulled out of the Masters in 2012, saying that he tweaked his back while lifting a jet ski. He wound up missing three months, and won in his second tournament back.

Johnson played in the final group in the third round of the British Open with Rory McIlroy, fading with a 71-72 weekend and tying for 12th. He missed the cut the following week at the RBC Canadian Open, and then withdrew from the World Golf Championship at Firestone.

The PGA Tour, which does not comment on disciplinary action, offered little in a statement.

''We have nothing to add to Dustin's statement, but we wish him well and look forward to his return to the PGA Tour in the future,'' the tour said.

Johnson is No. 16 in the world ranking with eight PGA Tour victories. He is the first player since Tiger Woods to go from college to winning in each of his first seven seasons on the PGA Tour. He lost a three-shot lead in the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, closing with an 82. Later that year, he was assessed a two-shot penalty on the final hole of the PGA Championship for grounding his club in a patch of sand, not realizing it was a bunker at Whistling Straits.

Johnson last year got engaged to Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of NHL great Wayne Gretzky.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 31ST

1913 - Bryan Hextall, NHL hall of famer (NY Rangers) is born.

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 Cincinnati Reds 8-6 in 18 innings,

pitchers Dizzy Dean & Tony Freitos go the distant.

1949 - Lightning strikes a baseball field in Florida, kills Shortstop & 3rd baseman.

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

1958 - Mark Cuban, American businessman and basketball team owner is born.

1973 - ABA Virginia Squires trade Julius Erving to NY Nets.

1978 - Pete Rose ties NL record hitting streak at 44.
1980 - Rangers snap Orioles pitcher Steve Stone's 14-game winning streak.

1984 - US men's Gymnastics team won team gold medal at LA Summer Olympics.

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

1988 - Miami Dolphins beat SF 49ers 27-21 in London.
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.

1993 - A's trade Rickey Henderson to Blue Jays.

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

Indians trade Justin Masterson to Cardinals

The Indians had little choice but to give up Justin Masterson. The trade doesn't mean they're going to surrender the season.

''We will never raise the white flag,'' Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. ''That's not an option. Anybody who stands next to me in the dugout knows that will never happen.''

Protecting themselves in case the 29-year-old Masterson left as a free agent after the season, the Indians traded the right-hander on Wednesday to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The trade of Masterson could be followed by other moves by the Indians, who entered Wednesday 6 1-2 games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central and in a scramble with five other teams for the league's second wild-card spot.

The Indians could also trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera before the deadline. Like Masterson, Cabrera is in the final year of his contract and the Indians have shown little interest in re-signing him. Dealing the two-time All-Star could bring a prospect in return.

General manager Chris Antonetti said he's exploring deals to improve the team before Thursday's 4 p.m. trade deadline.

''Our focus is to continue to try to win as many games as we can,'' he said. ''We're currently in the midst of having conversations to bring players in to impact our team at the major league level. Whether or not that happens over the next 24 hours, there are a lot of factors in play and it's hard to handicap that.''

Masterson began the season as the Indians' ace. He'll end it with a different team in a different league after a disappointing four months.

''I was surprised,'' Masterson said. ''It's bittersweet. I'm sad to leave the fellas and the fight we're making here in Cleveland, but I'm excited to get to St. Louis and be a part of what they have going there.''

In exchange for Masterson, who was scheduled to come off the disabled list later this week, the Indians got outfielder James Ramsey. A first-round pick by the Cardinals (No. 23 overall) in 2012, Ramsey has spent this season at Double-A Springfield, where he batted .300 with 13 home runs and 36 RBIs.

Antonetti said Ramsey will be moved up to Triple-A Columbus.

Masterson went 14-10 last season and then turned down an offer of a contract extension in spring training.

''It's an extraordinarily difficult day for us,'' Antonetti said. ''It wasn't an easy decision, but it's one that made sense.''

Masterson is 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA in 19 starts this season and has had a noticeable loss in velocity. In five starts before being placed on the DL with right knee inflammation, he allowed 19 runs and 27 hits in 18 innings.

Masterson, who hasn't won since June 8, said the impending free agency didn't affect his performance.

''I guess I could try and blame that, but that would be a lie,'' he said.

The Cardinals are in the race for the NL Central crown, a season after going to the World Series.

Masterson was acquired by the Indians at the trading deadline in 2009 in the deal that sent catcher Victor Martinez to Boston. Before Tuesday's series opener against Seattle, Masterson said he wouldn't be surprised if the Indians made any moves before the trade deadline Thursday.

Masterson had said he was hoping to stay and help them make a playoff push.

Francona was Boston's manager when Masterson was dealt to Cleveland.

''The hug was a little longer than normal,'' Francona said. ''We may part teams, but my admiration for him isn't parting.''

Joked Masterson: ''Tito keeps trading me away. What's up with that?''

Masterson went 48-61 with Cleveland. He expects to join the Cardinals in the next day or two and said he might start a game this weekend.

Cowboys sign left tackle Tyron Smith to jaw-dropping contract extension

No matter how much salary-cap hell the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in year after year, they'll always find a way to sign a contract extension that makes you do a double take.

This time around, offensive tackle Tyron Smith backed up the armored truck to owner Jerry Jones' office. Smith signed an eight-year contract extension that will take him through the 2023 season and will be worth (deep breath) $97.6 million, bringing the total value of the next 10 years (including the two remaining on his rookie deal) to almost $110 million according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Charean Williams.

Yowsa. Only the Cowboys.

Smith, the ninth pick of the 2011 draft out of USC, is a heck of a player. He has already made a Pro Bowl and won't turn 24 until late this season. It's hard to argue with the Cowboys paying him. But through 2023? How are the Cowboys supposed to accurately evaluate what type of player Smith will be when he's 33?

Like all NFL contracts, the last few years probably include a lot of unrealistic and obviously non-guaranteed salaries that will never be paid out. So it likely doesn't really matter that the deal is through 2023 or that it could be $97.6 million because it'll fall way short of that. ESPNDallas.com reported it includes $40 million guaranteed with a $10 million signing bonus, so we'll see how much cash Smith actually sees.

But it just is another way for Jones and the Cowboys to make a big headline. They've handed out mega-deals like this before, only to see them not pan out (Miles Austin anyone?). One wonders what receiver Dez Bryant, who is on the last year of his rookie deal, is thinking after seeing this news.

Joe Gibbs Racing to appeal NASCAR penalties

Joe Gibbs Racing had three cars finish top-four at the Brickyard 400, but they couldn't celebrate as Denny Hamlin and his team were penalized after their car failed a post-race inspection. Under the new penalty system, Kyle Petty and Jeff Burton believe the punishments are fair.

The plates are meant to keep fluids, smoke, and fire from entering the driver’s compartment but if airflow is provided through the plates, it can help the car’s aerodynamics.

Two days later, NASCAR has dropped the hammer on the 11 crew for the post-race infraction, which goes under a P5 penalty in the 2014 NASCAR rule book. The P5 penalty covers:

"Approved parts that fail or are improperly installed to fail in their intended use of great importance (e.g.; rear wheel well panels that fail and allow air evacuation in the trunk area; oil box cover that fails and allows air evacuation in the driver compartment; shifter boot cover that fails and allows air evacuation through the floor pan)."

Per Section 12-4.5B of the rule book, the minimum P5 penalty includes: A loss of 50 driver and owner’s championship points; a fine of $75,000-$125,000; a six-race suspension; and probation through the end of the calendar year for all suspended members, or for a six-month period following the issuance of the penalty if the period goes across two consecutive seasons.

However, since the No. 11’s infraction was found in post-race inspection, the P5 penalty tacks on an additional docking of 25 driver and owner’s championship points and an additional $50,000 fine.

With all of that said, here’s the damage.

Hamlin’s crew chief, Darian Grubb, has been suspended for the next six Sprint Cup races as well as fined a total of $125,000 ($75,000 under the original P5 penalty plus an extra $50,000 post-race fine). In addition, Hamlin’s car chief, Wesley Sherrill, has also been suspended for the next six Cup races.

NASCAR has also docked both Hamlin and team owner J.D. Gibbs 75 driver and owner’s championship points respectively (50 under the original P5 penalty plus an additional 25 post-race points).

As a result of the 75-point docking, Hamlin now slips from 11th to 21st in the Sprint Cup standings. However, he is still in position to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup thanks to his spring win at Talladega.

In a statement released this afternoon, JGR said it would appeal the Brickyard penalties but that both Grubb and Sherrill will begin serving their suspensions starting with this weekend’s GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway.

Raiders owner confirms talks with San Antonio

Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed he has met with San Antonio officials but declined to disclose whether he has any interest in relocating the franchise to Texas.

''Former San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros is a friend, and Henry suggested I take the opportunity to meet with some city officials while I was in town,'' Davis said in a statement Tuesday night. ''I have nothing further to discuss on the topic.''

The San Antonio Express-News reported that Davis met on July 18 with Cisneros, then-Mayor Julian Castro, City Manager Sheryl Sculley and the president of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to discuss potentially moving the Raiders from Oakland to San Antonio.

The newspaper said Sculley issued a memo to the City Council on Tuesday elaborating on the meeting.

''I was asked to meet two weeks ago with the owner of the Oakland Raiders, Mark Davis, and members of his staff. Mr. Davis has expressed interest in a possible relocation of his NFL team to San Antonio and we are engaged in preliminary due diligence,'' she wrote, according to the Express-News. ''The agenda for this visit included a tour of the Alamodome and meetings with local business leaders.''

The newspaper reported that the Alamodome could serve as a temporary home until a new stadium is built for the Raiders.

The Raiders are in the final season of their lease in Oakland. Davis has said that his preference is to build a new stadium on the current Coliseum site, which has been further complicated by the recent 10-year lease agreement by the Athletics to remain in Oakland. But the A's agreement includes a provision to allow the Raiders to knock down the Coliseum for a new football stadium.

Davis told the Bay Area News Group by phone Tuesday night that he was in San Antonio with close friend and former Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch, who was being inducted into a local hall of fame.

The Raiders played in Oakland from 1960 to 1981 before moving to Los Angeles in 1982. Late owner Al Davis moved the Raiders back to Oakland in 1995.

Any move now would require approval from 24 of the 32 NFL owners.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters at the team's training camp in Oxnard, California, that he ''didn't make much'' of the meeting. Dallas is about a 275-mile drive from San Antonio.

''What I will say,'' Jones said, ''is San Antonio is very important to the Dallas Cowboys.''

Cop once drew gun on squirrel-hunting QB Winston

Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and Florida State teammate Chris Casher were held at gunpoint by campus police nearly two years ago while hunting squirrels with a pellet gun, police say.

Officer Anthony Gioannetti responded to a call and found the pair near a campus bike path with a long-barreled pistol. He drew his gun, pointed it at the players and shouted several times for them to get on the ground, police say.

One of the players dropped the gun and Gioannetti kept his weapon drawn until another officer handcuffed the players. The officers then determined the pistol was a pellet gun.

''They said they were shooting at squirrels along the bike trail,'' Gioannetti wrote in his report. The gun was confiscated and the players were released with no charges, the report said.

The November 2012 incident was reported by USA Today on Wednesday. Contacted after the report, Winston said, ''Sorry sir, I'm not talking about that.''

When contacted by The Associated Press to comment, Casher originally hung up. But he called back and wanted to know why this was being reported now. He then used obscenities as he criticized USA Today for running the report.

Earlier this year, Winston was issued a civil citation after sheriff's deputies said he walked out of a supermarket without paying for $32 worth of crab legs and crawfish.

And last year, he was investigated for allegations that he had raped a woman in December 2012. A prosecutor declined to charge him, citing a lack of evidence and gaps in the accuser's story.

Riley speaks out, insists Heat will be competitive

One of the last things Miami Heat President Pat Riley told LeBron James before free agency began this summer was that he would be selling potential players on the notion of playing alongside a four-time NBA MVP.

And James never made him think otherwise, Riley said - until roughly the same moment that the entire world was made aware of his plan to go home.

Riley made that revelation Wednesday, shortly after the Heat completed the signing of Chris Bosh to a $118 million, five-year contract and essentially wrapped up their roster-rebuilding project for next season, the first of the post-LeBron era in Miami.

The Heat have 12 players locked in for next season, Bosh and Dwyane Wade foremost among them, and Riley expects the four-time defending Eastern Conference champions to compete once again this coming year. But much of his first session offering in-depth remarks about free agency revolved, predictably, about James - the MVP who got away.

''I went into it with the thought and the notion that he was coming back and I was selling that to players,'' Riley said. ''I believed that firmly so I was selling that to players. And that's the only way I went into it. I let him know that. . He never said to me, 'No, don't do that.'''

Riley, however, noted that he did not feel misled by James during free agency.

James is now back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that he left for Miami in 2010, four trips to the NBA Finals and two championships ago. The Heat scrambled quickly to move on to Plan B, locking up Bosh (whose signing was agreed to weeks ago) and Wade before long and avoiding what could have been an absolute disaster otherwise.

Riley said he's become energized by the task of building a champion again.

''We are up to the challenge,'' Riley said. ''We're going to be as competitive as anybody, I think, in the Eastern Conference. I feel great, right now, today, making sure that we got Chris signed, got him under contract, and got D-Wade back and Udonis (Haslem) and the core of our foundation and we'll go from here.''

Before he announced his decision, James and his inner circle summoned Riley and Heat general manager Andy Elisburg to Las Vegas for a meeting.

Riley and Elisburg left believing they had done well.

A day later, James was meeting with Sports Illustrated, collaborating on the first-person essay that would come out and announce his decision to return to Cleveland. The Heat were told of the contents of that essay moments before it was released publicly.

''I don't get hurt,'' Riley said. ''This is business. This is all business. As soon as something happens in this business, I had to react, we had to react as an organization, and we did.''

Riley said Wednesday that once the Heat learned that James was leaving, it was too late to get involved in the pursuit of Carmelo Anthony, who wound up re-signing with the New York Knicks.

Still, it was more than a salvage project. Wade and Bosh are both likely Hall of Fame players. The Heat wound up with some of their top free-agent targets in players like Luol Deng and Josh McRoberts, both of whom Riley raved about about.

Perhaps most importantly, the Heat not only figure to be good enough to compete now, but have the flexibility financially for Riley to go out in the already-anticipated free-agent summer of 2016 and try to build what he did when he got James, Wade and Bosh to team up.

And instead of blasting James - as Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert did when he left Cleveland in 2010 - the Heat have taken the high road, with managing general partner Micky Arison writing an open letter to fans this week reminding them that even without James, the franchise's goal of winning more titles hasn't changed.

''We're going to try to make it another generational team,'' Riley said.

UCLA's Pauley Pavilion drenched in hoops history

The House That Wooden Built is waterlogged.

Pauley Pavilion, UCLA's storied basketball arena where John Wooden coached teams that won eight of his 10 national championships, was drying out Wednesday after the court was deluged by 10 inches of water when a 93-year-old pipe burst near the campus in Westwood.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said workers were busy cleaning up and assessing damage.

''The Pauley floor, which many people all over the world have written to me about, is drying out and let's hope that we'll be able to repair that or replace it quickly,'' he said.

Athletic director Dan Guerrero said the men's and women's basketball teams will play in Pauley this fall, either on a refurbished or new court. The current court cost $500,000, he said.

The 49-year-old building containing precious artifacts from the Wooden era was renovated for $136 million less than two years ago. It has hosted some of college basketball's greatest players and moments, and Olympic history, too.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Reggie Miller, Ed O'Bannon, Kevin Love and Ann Meyers starred there during their college days. The school's record 11 national basketball championship banners hang in the rafters.

The 13,800-seat arena is also where the men's and women's volleyball and women's gymnastics teams compete. It is named for former UCLA regent and chief donor Edwin Pauley.

Here's a look at some of Pauley's history:

-Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, was part of the first game played in Pauley on Nov. 27, 1965. He led the freshmen team against the varsity, the two-time defending national champions and preseason No. 1. The freshmen - ineligible for the varsity in those days - won 75-60, signaling big things to come for Alcindor & Co. The following season, he scored a school-record 56 points in his first varsity game.

-UCLA became the first school to have three 30-0 seasons, with perfect records in 1967, 1972 and 1973. Wooden coached those teams and Walton starred on the last two. The big redhead helped the Bruins open the 1972 season with wins in their first seven games, when they scored over 100 points each time at Pauley.

-Wooden coached what would be his final game in Pauley on March 1, 1975, a 93-59 victory over Stanford. Four weeks later, he stunningly announced his retirement after UCLA's win against Louisville in the NCAA tournament semifinals. The Bruins went on to beat Kentucky for Wooden's 10th national title.

-The men's basketball team had a 149-2 record at Pauley from 1965-75, including portions of its NCAA-record 88-game winning streak.

-Nell and John Wooden Court was dedicated in 2003, with Wooden and several of his former players in attendance. He agreed to the honor only if his late wife's name was included. Wooden was a fixture at men's games in his seat behind the Bruins' bench until his death in 2010.

-Pauley was the site of the gymnastics competition during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, with American Mary Lou Retton flipping and tumbling her way to a gold medal in the women's all-around.

-In the last men's basketball game before Pauley closed for renovation in 2011, the Bruins beat Arizona 71-49 and Wooden's great-grandson Tyler Trapani scored the final basket.

-UCLA had its longest men's basketball winning streak of 98 games in Pauley from 1970-76. It ended with a 65-45 loss to Oregon on Feb. 21, 1976.

-The 1978 women's Final Four was at Pauley, with UCLA beating Maryland 90-74 to win its first women's national basketball title.

-Acts as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Luciano Pavarotti, Nirvana, Eric Clapton and the Grateful Dead performed in Pauley. The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and the 2001 ''Jeopardy!'' college championship were held there, too.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 30TH

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.

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

1954 - Bob Kennedy hits the 1st grand slam for the new Baltimore Orioles.

1959 - In his major league debut, SF Giant Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4.
1960 - 1st AFL preseason game Boston Patriots defeat Bills in Buffalo (28-7).

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

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, dies of leukemia at 75.

Manziel's college jersey up for auction

One of the jerseys Johnny Manziel wore during his Heisman Trophy-winning season at Texas A&M will be auctioned off this week.

The No. 2 jersey, with an estimated value of $100,000, was worn for six games in 2012 by Manziel, the dazzling quarterback who became the first freshman to win college football's most prestigious award. It will be up for auction online starting on Aug. 6 through the National Sports Collectors Convention.

Manziel is in his first NFL training camp with the Browns. He's battling Brian Hoyer to win Cleveland's starting job.

The Browns selected Manziel with the No. 22 overall pick in May's draft.

Manziel's arrival in Cleveland has heightened interest in the Browns, who have been drawing large crowds to their training camp.

NCAA settles head-injury suit, will change rules

The NCAA agreed Tuesday to settle a class-action head-injury lawsuit by creating a $70 million fund to diagnose thousands of current and former college athletes to determine if they suffered brain trauma playing football, hockey, soccer and other contact sports.

College sports' governing body also agreed to implement a single return-to-play policy spelling out how all teams must treat players who received head blows, according to a filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Critics have accused the NCAA of giving too much discretion to individual schools about when athletes can go back into games, putting them at risk.

Unlike a proposed settlement in a similar lawsuit against the NFL, this deal stops short of setting aside money to pay players who suffered brain trauma. Instead, athletes can sue individually for damages and the NCAA-funded tests to gauge the extent of neurological injuries could establish grounds for doing that.

The settlement applies to all men and women who participated in basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer, wrestling, field hockey and lacrosse. Those who've played at any time over the last half-century or more at one of the more than 1,000 NCAA member schools qualify for the medical exams.

Tuesday's filing serves as notice to the federal judge overseeing the case the parties struck a deal after nearly a year of negotiations, which Joseph Siprut, the lead plaintiffs' attorney who spearheaded talks with the NCAA, said were sometimes tough.

''I wouldn't say these changes solve the safety problems, but they do reduce the risks,'' the Chicago attorney said. ''It's changed college sports forever.''

The NCAA, which admits no wrongdoing in the settlement and has denied understating the dangers of concussions, hailed the settlement.

''This agreement's proactive measures will ensure student-athletes have access to high quality medical care by physicians with experience in the diagnosis, treatment and management of concussions,'' NCAA's chief medical officer Brian Hainline said.

Siprut added that stricter rules and oversight should help ensure the viability of football by allaying fears of parents currently inclined to not let their kids play.

''Changes were necessary to preserve the talent well of kids that feeds the game of football,'' he said. ''Absent these kinds of changes, the sport will die.''

To keep the NCAA from having to hold unwieldy talks with multiple plaintiffs, 10 lawsuits filed nationwide were consolidated into the one case in Chicago, where the first lawsuit was filed in 2011.

The lead plaintiff is Adrian Arrington, a former safety at Eastern Illinois. He said he endured five concussions while playing, some so severe he has said he couldn't recognize his parents afterward. Subsequent headaches, memory loss, seizures and depression made it difficult to work or even care for his children, filings said.

Another named plaintiff is former Central Arkansas wide receiver Derek K. Owens. After several concussions, he said he found he could no longer retain what he had just studied. His symptoms became so severe he dropped out of school in 2011, telling his mother: ''I feel like a 22-year-old with Alzheimer's.''

Among other settlement terms, all athletes will take baseline neurological tests to start each year to help doctors determine the severity of any concussion during the season; concussion education will be mandated for coaches and athletes; and a new, independent Medical Science Committee will oversee the medical testing.

Critics said the agreement lets the NCAA off too easy.

One former UCLA linebacker, Ramogi Huma, said the parties should have followed the lead of the NFL settlement by laying aside money for damages.

''The deal falls painfully short of what players need - comprehensive reform,'' said Huma, who is president of the College Athletes Players Association. ''I know there is some limit for what the NCAA can do. But zero dollars is unacceptable.''

The plaintiffs cited a 2010 internal NCAA survey that found almost half of college trainers put athletes with signs of a concussion back into the same game.

But the NCAA has cited recent changes in equipment, medical practices and playing rules, including ones prohibiting football players from targeting an opponent's head or neck.

It also announced in May a three-year, $30 million concussion study co-funded by the U.S. Defense Department. Plans call for initial data collection on about 7,200 athletes from 12 colleges, increasing to 37,000 athletes at 30 sites, with the aim of better understanding concussions and developing better prevention methods.

The settlement is still subject to approval by U.S. District Judge John Lee, in a process that could take months. He must grant preliminary approval and then, after affected athletes weigh in, give a final OK.

Plaintiffs' filings say the number of athletes who may require testing to learn if they suffered long-term damage runs into the tens of thousands. They cite NCAA figures that from 2004 to 2009 alone, 29,225 NCAA athletes suffered concussions.

Internal emails unsealed in the lawsuit illustrate how pressure mounted on the NCAA over the issue.

In a Feb. 23, 2010, email, the NCAA's director of government relations, Abe Frank, wondered whether debates about new safeguards for young children playing contact sports would crank up the pressure on the NCAA to do more.

David Klossner responded bluntly a few hours later. ''Well since we don't currently require anything all steps are higher than ours,'' he wrote.

Later that year, the NCAA did establish a new head-injury policy that requires each school to have a concussion management plan on hand and it states that athletes should be kept from play for at least a day after a concussion.

But plaintiffs blamed a tendency of some teams to hurry concussed players back into games, in part, on the NCAA's lax enforcement of the concussions policy.

In a 2012 deposition, asked if any schools had been disciplined for having subpar concussion plans, Klossner said, ''Not to my knowledge.''

NBA players union elects new executive director

The National Basketball Players Association has elected Michele Roberts as executive director, making her the first woman to lead a North American pro sports union.

Roberts received 32 of 36 votes in a process that was completed in the early morning hours of Tuesday. The Washington trial lawyer defeated tech industry CEO Dean Garfield and Dallas Mavericks CEO Terdema Ussery in the final vote.

''After all the hours and time (invested by) our executive committee, along with an amazing search committee that helped throughout this process, it's an unbelievable feeling to have the wonderful Michele Roberts now as a part of our team,'' NBPA president and Los Angeles Clippers star guard Chris Paul told reporters in Las Vegas.

The vote capped a long and arduous process to replace Billy Hunter, who was ousted in February of 2013. Roberts was one of the finalists initially offered to the rank-and-file during All-Star weekend in February, but the process was re-opened to broaden the search at the urging of some players and agents.

More than 100 players reconvened in Las Vegas this week, with the three finalists making presentations on Monday. In the end, Roberts emerged as the winner.

''They've got their union back, and I'm going to make sure that they are empowered to take their union exactly where they want their union to go,'' Roberts said.

Her appointment comes at a critical time for the players, who could face another round of collective bargaining talks in 2017 if either the union or the league opts out of the current agreement. The union has struggled for years with in-fighting and a lack of organization and the players took a significant drop in their guarantee of basketball-related income - 57 percent to about 50 percent - in the contentious lockout in 2011.

With league revenues on the rise, a new TV contract set to be negotiated in 2016 and skyrocketing franchise valuations, Roberts will also have to try to unite a still-fractured group before the big negotiations begin in earnest.

''I am a bad woman, but I'm not that bad,'' Roberts said. ''We are going to have a team, a very strong team, what I call a team of gladiators, that's going to help these men and women go in the direction they choose to go. It's a new day. It's not a one-person, Superman, 'I've got this.' It's going to be a team.''

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement after Roberts' selection.

''I would like to congratulate Michele Roberts on her appointment as the NBPA's new Executive Director and look forward to working with her and the NBPA Executive Committee to ensure the continued health and growth of our game,'' Silver said. ''The partnership between our players and teams is the backbone of the league, and we are eager to continue working with the Players Association to build this relationship.''

Man facing charges for urinating on Modell's grave

Maryland authorities said Tuesday they will charge a man with disorderly conduct in a cemetery for allegedly urinating on the grave of former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell.

The man, who so far has been identified only as a Cleveland Browns fan, could face up to two years in jail and a $500 fine. He posted a video of the incident to YouTube this month.

''Everyone who has buried a loved one has the right to believe that their final resting place will be treated with respect,'' Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said in a written statement. ''Bringing charges against this individual should act as a deterrent to others and assure the rest of us that no matter who you are, indecencies will not be committed against your final resting place.''

Shellenberger said the man will not be identified until charges are filed and served.

Art Modell died in 2012 at the age of 87. He spent 43 years as an NFL owner, overseeing the Browns from 1961 until he moved the team to Baltimore in 1996 to become the Ravens. Modell served as league president from 1967-69, helped finalize the first collective bargaining agreement with the players in 1968 and was the point man for the NFL's lucrative contracts with television networks.

Modell and his wife, Patricia, are buried at Druid Ridge Cemetery in Baltimore.

David Modell, Art Modell's son, said the family is thankful for the efforts of Baltimore County police and the decision by the state's attorney to file charges.

''We also agree with the state's attorney's office that everyone who has buried a loved one has the right to know that the final resting place will not be defiled,'' said Modell, who served as president and chief operating officer of the Ravens while Art ran the team. ''We are a country of laws. Just because you're angry, that doesn't mean the laws no longer apply to you.''

ESPN suspends Stephen A. Smith over Ray Rice domestic abuse commentary

ESPN has suspended Stephen A. Smith from its TV and radio airwaves for a week following his controversial comments about Baltimore running back Ray Rice's wife, according to Sports Illustrated.

The NFL's two-game suspension of Rice was already a hotly debated topic and Smith threw gasoline on the fire, suggesting on "First Take" that Rice's then-fiancée Janay Palmer could have done something to prevent last year's alleged domestic violence incident in an Atlantic City elevator.

"What I’ve tried to employ the female members of my family — some of who you all met and talked to and what have you — is that ... let’s make sure we don’t do anything to provoke wrong actions, because if I come — or somebody else come, whether it’s law enforcement officials, your brother or the fellas that you know — if we come after somebody has put their hands on you, it doesn’t negate the fact that they already put their hands on you."

Soon afterward, Smith unleashed another ill-conceived rant on Twitter during his first attempt at an apology, reiterating in response to Beadle on Friday, "But what about addressing women on how they can help prevent the obvious wrong being done upon them? In no way was I accusing women of being wrong. I was simply saying what that preventive measures always need to be addressed because there's only but so much that can be done after the fact ... once the damage is already done."

Given the weekend for a Third Take, Smith reformed his apology on the air Monday.

“On Friday, speaking right here on ‘First Take’ on the subject of domestic violence, I made what can only amount to the most egregious error of my career,” Smith said. “My words came across that it is somehow a woman’s fault. This was not my intent. It is not what I was trying to say.”

That apology wasn't enough to avoid suspension from his employer. ESPN president John Skipper issued a memorandum to the company's employees obtained by SI's Richard Deitsch.

"As many of you know, there has been substantial news coverage in the past few days related to comments Stephen A. made last Friday in the wake of the NFL's decision to suspend Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for two games following charges of assaulting his then fiancée, now wife, a few months ago.

"We've said publicly and in this space that those remarks did not reflect our company's point of view, or our values. They certainly don't reflect my personal beliefs."

Skipper further explained the decision to suspend Smith until Aug. 6 came as the result of discussions with ESPN's women's employee resource group.

ESPN currently broadcasts Monday Night Football, and for those counting at home Smith's suspension is just one week shy of Rice's.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JULY 29TH

1844 - NY Yacht Club forms.

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 inn.

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.

1986 - NY jury rules NFL violated antitrust laws, awards USFL $1 in damages.

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

1991 - First 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 1st NFL exhibition game 20-14.

Judge OKs record-setting $2B sale of Clippers

Embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling lost his attempt to block the $2 billion sale of the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

In allowing the deal to go forward, Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas sided Monday with Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly Sterling, who negotiated the record sale after the NBA banned the 80-year-old billionaire for making offensive remarks about blacks.

Shelly Sterling sought the probate judge's approval to ink the deal after taking over the family trust that owns the team because doctors found Donald Sterling had signs of Alzheimer's disease and couldn't manage his affairs.

The judge said Shelly Sterling had negotiated a good deal and the removal of her husband as a co-trustee was in good faith and not part of a secret plan to seize the team.

Shelly Sterling hugged her lawyer and wept after the judge explained his ruling from the bench.

''I can't believe it's over,'' she said. ''This is the best thing.''

An unusual provision of the ruling bars Donald Sterling from seeking a court-ordered delay of the sale as he appeals. His lawyers plan to seek permission from an appellate court to file an appeal.

Sterling was not in court for the ruling. Bobby Samini, one of his lawyers, said Sterling reacted calmly to the news and told his lawyers they had to keep battling on other fronts. Sterling testified during the case that he would fight the NBA until his death.

With lawsuits pending in state and federal courts, the ruling in Los Angeles County Superior Court is unlikely to put an end to the bizarre saga that began in April when a recording surfaced of Sterling scolding his young girlfriend for bringing black men to Clippers games.

The NBA moved quickly to ban Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million.

Sterling was apologetic after the audio recording went viral, but his mea culpa backfired when he criticized Lakers great Magic Johnson, who had been photographed with Sterling's girlfriend, as a bad role model for kids because he had HIV. Sterling was roundly condemned from locker rooms to the Oval Office, where President Barack Obama called Sterling's remarks ''incredibly offensive racist statements.''

With the NBA threatening to seize the team and auction it, Sterling initially gave his wife of 58 years permission to negotiate a sale but then refused to sign the $2 billion Ballmer deal, which would be a record price for an NBA team. He said he would sue the league instead and then revoked the trust, which his lawyers said effectively killed the deal.

The nonjury trial held over several weeks focused mainly on whether Shelly Sterling properly removed her husband as a trustee and whether her actions carried any weight after he revoked the trust.

Donald Sterling claimed his wife had deceived him about the medical exams. His lawyers argued Monday that Shelly Sterling's lawyers were in cahoots with the doctors who examined him and that his wife conspired with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to remove him from the trust.

''There's no evidence, I'll repeat that as loudly as you allow,'' attorney Maxwell Blecher said during closing argument, his voice rising. ''There's no evidence that Mr. Sterling was incapable of carrying out his duties as a co-trustee.''

Levanas said there was no credible evidence that Sterling was defrauded.

Blecher said he was deeply disappointed in the judge's legal analysis.

The ruling Monday was tentative until the judge files it in writing.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the league was pleased and looked forward to the transaction closing as soon as possible.

At the conclusion of his lengthy ruling, Levanas envisioned what might happen if Donald Sterling remained the owner.

Citing testimony of Clippers interim CEO Richard Parsons, he said the team would go into a ''death spiral.'' Sponsors would withdraw, players would quit and coach Doc Rivers would leave.

''The Clippers would suffer a massive loss of value if the team survived at all,'' Levanas said.

The judge was adamant that a team owned by Donald Sterling would not draw a price anywhere near the ''stunning'' $2 billion pledged by Ballmer. Sterling, a lawyer who made a fortune as a landlord, bought the team in 1981 for $12 million.

''Ballmer paid an amazing price that can't be explained by the market,'' he said.

On the witness stand, Shelly Sterling was more credible than her husband, who was more evasive, gave inconsistent answers and presented wild fluctuations of damage estimates, Levanas said.

He noted that the couple presented genuine professions of love for each other despite Donald Sterling's outburst calling his wife a ''pig'' after she testified.

Outside of court, his wife said she thought her husband would be happy with the ruling. She said she thinks he will ultimately drop his antitrust suit in federal court against the NBA and the lawsuit he filed in state court against her, Silver and the league.

Her lawyer wasn't so sure. Asked what might stop the deal, Pierce O'Donnell said: ''Donald.''

''He never met a lawsuit he didn't like,'' he quipped.

Bruce Givner, a Los Angeles tax attorney who handles celebrity cases, said he thinks Sterling's lawsuits will fail and an appeals court won't care about the probate case.

''I think the sale is going to go through,'' Givner said. ''I suspect the NBA is ready to move very quickly. They want to get rid of Sterling like a canker sore. Nobody wants him around except the people that are charging legal fees to continue this charade.''