Roger Clemens has been asked to end his involvement with a charity golf tournament he has hosted for four years as the fallout from the Mitchell Report continues to haunt the seven-time Cy Young award winner, the Daily News reported in yesterday's edition.
Although Clemens helped raise millions of dollars for charities associated with the event, the Giff Nielsen Day of Golf for Kids was held Nov. 11 at Houston's Shadow Hawk Golf Club without him. "Roger Clemens is no longer affiliated with the tournament," said Giff Nielsen, a Houston broadcaster. "We decided we would go our separate ways until his off-field stuff is settled.
"I approached him, and as we talked, we reached a mutual agreement that we would put our relationship on hold. He was good about it. He said 'I agree with the decision.'"
Clemens has denied using performance-enhancing drugs since he was identified in George Mitchell's report on drug use in Baseball. He filed a defamation lawsuit in January against his former trainer, Brian McNamee, who claims he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone.
More pro Baseball
Kameron Loe was put on unconditional release waivers by the Texas Rangers, freeing him to sign with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of Japan's Pacific League. The 27-year-old right-hander was 1-0 with a 3.23 ERA in 14 relief appearances in five stints with the Rangers this year. In his final appearance of the season, he was hit on an elbow by a line drive against the Los Angeles Angels Sept. 19. Loe was taken by the Rangers in the 20th round of the 2002 amateur draft.
* Longtime front office executive Wayne Krivsky joined the Baltimore Orioles as special assistant to the president of Baseball operations. Krivsky, a former vice president and general manager for the Cincinnati Reds , will work under club president Andy MacPhail. His responsibilities will include scouting, contracts and other Baseball administration duties.
Tennis
Tennis great Jimmy Connors has been charged with a misdemeanor for an altercation last week before a basketball game between UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina. Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, was charged in Santa Barbara Superior Court with disrupting campus activities and refusing to leave a university facility. His business manager, Karen Scott, said a man tried to pick a fight with Connors and his son before Friday night's game and police asked him to leave. Scott said Connors was arrested after he said he wanted to wait for his son to finish watching the game.
* Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will open the 2009 ATP season by playing at the Qatar Open in Doha. Qatar tennis federation president Nasser AL-Kholiafi said Andy Murray and Andy Roddick will also take part in the tournament, which begins Jan. 5. The tournament is one of three to start the 2009 season.
Pro hockey
Luca Caputi scored the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' only goal in a 5-1 home loss to the rival Philadelphia Phantoms. Adam Berkhoel made 40 saves in the loss.
* Tommy Goebel scored the only goal for the Wheeling Nailers in a 3-1 home loss to the rival Johnstown Chiefs. Curtis Darling made 19 saves in the loss.
Pro soccer
Hours after losing suspended defender Jeff Parke to the Seattle Sounders FC in the MLS Expansion Draft, the New York Red Bulls reacquired their career games played leader when they picked up defender Mike Petke in the league's waiver draft. Parke started 23 games for the Red Bulls this season before being suspended by the league for 10 games Oct. 16 for violating the substance abuse and behavioral health policy. He tested positive for a banned substance after using an over-the-counter nutritional supplement. He will miss the Sounders' first four games next season.
