Off the wire

BASEBALL Medlen strains forearm

Braves pitcher Kris Medlen left in the fourth inning with a strained forearm and the New York Mets went on to beat Atlanta 8-2 on Sunday. The Mets scored seven unearned runs in the eighth inning to break open a tie game. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was in attendance with his family while on vacation. Facing New York first baseman Matt Clark with two outs, Medlen threw a pitch, grabbed his right elbow and turned his back to home plate. He then removed himself from the game. Medlen was examined by Mets’ physician Dr. Struan Coleman and was diagnosed with a right forearm strain pending an evaluation back today.

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Cuban free agent shortstop Aledmys Diaz to a major league contract and he’ll report to spring training today. The Cardinals were among a number of teams who held private workouts for the right-handed hitting Diaz. Diaz, 23, batted .315 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 270 at-bats in 2012 for Los Naranjas de Villa Clara, Cuba’s highest professional league, which has produced Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes, the Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig and Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman. The Cardinals anticipate the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Diaz will start the year at a high minor league level.

Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu will be the Dodgers’ starting pitchers in their two-game season-opening series in Australia against the Arizona Diamondbacks.The games will be played March 22-23 at Sydney Cricket Ground. Kershaw will be making his fourth consecutive season-opening start for Los Angeles. Manager Don Mattingly made the announcement Sunday after weeks of speculation about who would start in Australia. Ryu got the start in Game 2 because of an injury to Zack Greinke, who strained his right calf while throwing four pitches in his only spring appearance on Feb. 27 against Arizona. Before getting hurt, Greinke said there was “zero interest” in making the long trip. He is not expected to travel. Greinke is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today.

FOOTBALL Mendenhall to retire

Running back Rashard Mendenhall is retiring from the NFL at the age of 26. Agent Mike McCartney confirmed via Twitter on Sunday that Mendenhall had decided to end his playing career after six NFL seasons, all but one of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mendenhall, the Steelers’ first-round draft pick and 23rd overall selection from Illinois in 2008, gained 4,326 career yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. After signing a free-agent contract with Arizona, he was hampered by a toe injury much of last season and was most effective down the stretch. Mendenhall finished with a team-high 687 yards in 217 carries. Mendenhall had consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Steelers in 2009 and 2010. A knee injury limited him to six games with Pittsburgh in 2012.

The New York Jets have released cornerback Antonio Cromartie, a decision that saves the team millions of dollars under its salary cap. Cromartie was entering the final year of his four-year deal and was scheduled to cost the Jets’ cap $14.98 million this season - including a $5 million roster bonus that would kick in later this month. There’s a chance the Jets could bring back Cromartie at a lesser salary, unless the two-time Pro Bowl selection chooses to explore free agency. Cromartie, 29, is coming off perhaps his worst season as he struggled with a hip ailment for most of the year while continuing to play as the Jets’ No. 1 cornerback.

Sam Shields has agreed to resign with the Packers, keeping one of the top free-agent cornerbacks this offseason off the market. Shields’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, confirmed the four-year NFL veteran agreed to a four-year, $39 million deal with a $12.5 million signing bonus. Shields on his Twitter account Saturday posted that “he was happy to be back with my family.” Undrafted out of Miami in 2010, Shields has emerged to combine with Tramon Williams to provide a solid corner tandem in Green Bay. He had 61 tackles with 4 interceptions and 16 passes defended last season. Pro Football Talk first reported the deal. This could be a busy offseason for the Packers, who are looking to add playmakers to a defense that slipped in the second half.

Two people with direct knowledge of the deal tell told The Associated Press that Minnesota defensive end Everson Griffen has agreed to terms on a five-year contract to stay with the team. The people spoke to the AP on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the Vikings haven’t announced the deal. The NFL free agent signing period starts on Tuesday. Griffen’s contract is worth up to $42.5 million and he’s guaranteed $20 million, the people with knowledge of the deal said. The Vikings also agreed on a one-year contract with middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, according to another person with direct knowledge of that deal. That person also spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Vikings haven’t confirmed the agreement. Brinkley played for the Arizona Cardinals last season.

TRACK AND FIELD U.S. sets 4x400 world record

The United States set a world record in the 4x400 meters relay at the world indoor championships in Sopot, Poland. In the last event of the three-day championship, Kyle Clemons, David Verburg, Kind Butler III, and Calvin Smith Jr. got the baton around in a time of 3 minutes, 2.13 seconds, slashing .70 off the 15-year-old mark set by another U.S. relay team at the 1999 world indoors. The U.S. team beat Britain into silver and Jamaica took bronze. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce kept the 60 meter world indoor title in Jamaica. Fraser-Pryce led from the start to finish in 6.98 seconds.

BOXING Alvarez wins in 10th

Canelo Alvarez battered a game but outclassed Alfredo Angulo on Saturday night in Las Vegas before stopping him with an uppercut that prompted referee Tony Weeks to move in at 47 seconds of the 10th round. Alvarez never was able to put Angulo down, but hit him throughout the fight with hard combinations that almost always found their mark. By the middle rounds, the only suspense left in the fight was whether Angulo could go the distance.

FOOTBALL Lions owner Ford dies of pneumonia

DETROIT - William Clay Ford, the owner of the Detroit Lions and last surviving grandchild of automotive pioneer Henry Ford died Sunday at the age of 88.

Ford Motor Co. said in a statement Sunday that Ford died of pneumonia at his home. Ford help steer the family business for more than five decades. He bought one of his own, the NFL franchise in the Motor City, a half-century ago.

He served as an employee and board member of the automaker for more than half of its 100-year history.

“My father was a great business leader and humanitarian who dedicated his life to the company and the community,” William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. and Lions vice chairman, said in a statement. “He also was a wonderful family man, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him, yet he will continue to inspire us all.”

To the masses in Detroit, Ford was simply the owner of the Lions who struggled to achieve success on the field despite showing his passion for winning by spending money on free agents, coaches, executives and facilities.

Ford’s first full season leading the Lions was in 1964, seven years after the franchise won the NFL title. The only playoff victory he enjoyed was in 1992. The Lions are the only team to go 0-16 in a season, hitting rock bottom in 2008. After an 11-year postseason drought, the Lions improved enough to make the playoffs in 2011 only to lose a combined 21games over the next two seasons.

“No owner loved his team more than Mr. Ford loved the Lions,” Lions President Tom Lewand said in a statement released by the team. “Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit. His leadership, integrity, kindness, humility and good humor were matched only by his desire to bring a Super Bowl championship to the Lions and to our community. Each of us in the organization will continue to relentlessly pursue that goal in his honor.”

Sports, Pages 14 on 03/10/2014

Upcoming Events