At Hall of Fame, Sutter goes in a winner

Baseball

Bruce Sutter didn't leave baseball the way he wanted, booed relentlessly when injuries sapped his talent. That doesn't matter anymore. Eighteen years after he hung up his spikes for good, Sutter was inducted yesterday into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. ``I am in awe," said Sutter, who joined Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, and Dennis Eckersley as the only relief pitchers in the Hall. ``When I got the call in January, it brought closure to a baseball career that did not end how I hoped it would," said Sutter, whose last four years in Atlanta were filled with taunts as rotator cuff problems eventually forced him to retire with 300 saves after only 12 years in the major leagues. ``It answered the question: `Do you belong?' The thought of having my name in is truly an honor and humbling experience." Although Sutter was the lone player selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America, he was part of the largest class of inductees in Hall of Fame history. Seventeen players and executives from baseball's segregated past, all of them deceased, also were inducted. ``It's a wonderful day," said Rachel Robinson, the wife of Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier 59 years ago. ``We're very, very proud of the Negro Leaguers."

After suffering a four-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals improved their infield, acquiring Ronnie Belliard from Cleveland for Hector Luna in a trade of second basemen. Belliard, an All-Star in 2004, gives the NL Central-leading Cardinals a steady, everyday second baseman for the stretch run. St. Louis has used Aaron Miles and Luna at second this season, but neither has been particularly productive at the plate. Belliard was batting .291 with eight homers and 44 RBIs in 93 games. He can become a free agent after the season . . . All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada, the subject of trade rumors as today's non-waiver trading deadline draws near, said he has no desire to leave the Baltimore Orioles . . . The Tampa Bay Devil Rays placed All-Star pitcher Scott Kazmir and infielder Ty Wigginton on the 15-day disabled list. Kazmir went on the DL, retroactive to July 24, with soreness in his left shoulder. Wigginton has a broken bone in his left hand. J.P. Howell, recalled from Triple A Durham, will start tomorrow against Detroit in Kazmir's place . . . The Los Angeles Dodgers placed first baseman Nomar Garciaparra on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained ligament in his right knee. The move was made retroactive to July 25, one day after he was injured . . . The Atlanta Braves placed third baseman Chipper Jones back on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle . . . Ryan Franklin was designated for assignment by the Philadelphia Phillies. Franklin was 1-5 with a 4.58 ERA and had allowed 10 home runs in 53 innings . . . Jason Dubois hit a pair of solo home runs in the Buffalo Bisons' 9-5 win over the host Pawtucket Red Sox . . . Jose Vaquedano allowed seven runs in the third inning as the visiting Portland Sea Dogs fell to the Reading Phillies, 8-3.

Track

Reigning Olympic and world 100-meter champion Justin Gatlin unwittingly had testosterone cream massaged into his legs by a massage therapist who carried a grudge against him before the April race at which he tested positive for testosterone or other steroids, Gatlin's coach, Trevor Graham, told the Washington Post. Graham said Gatlin, who faces a lifetime ban from track and field for the positive test, thought the cream was a harmless lotion. Graham said when he walked in on the massage session, the massage therapist hurriedly stuffed a white jar of the substance in his pocket. Graham declined to name the massage therapist, saying he did not want to jeopardize the case. Gatlin's connection with Graham, however, is viewed as problematic. Gatlin has long positioned himself as a champion of drug-free competition, while Graham has coached several athletes who have tested positive for steroids. Gatlin's attorney, Cameron Myler, said she and the sprinter had ideas about how his drug tests came up positive, but she would not get into details and said she did not condone Graham's allegations.

Tennis

Kim Clijsters won her fourth Bank of the West Classic title in six years, effortlessly beating Patty Schnyder, 6-4, 6-2, in Stanford, Calif. Clijsters overwhelmed her Swiss opponent with sharp serves, then ran her ragged with back-and-forth ground strokes to win her 32d career title and her second this season . . . Anna Smashnova became the first player to defend her Budapest Grand Prix title, defeating Lourdes Dominguez Lino, 6-1, 6-3 . . . Tommy Haas won his third ATP title of the season, rallying to beat Dmitry Tursunov, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the final of the Los Angeles Open . . . Agustin Calleri claimed his second career title by beating Juan Ignacio Chela, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2, 6-3, in an all-Argentine final at the Generali Open in Kitzbuehel, Austria . . . Stanislas Wawrinka won his first ATP title when Novak Djokovic retired with breathing problems during the first set of the Croatian Open final in Umag.

Miscellany

Paul Gaustad and the Buffalo Sabres avoided salary arbitration when the rugged center signed a two-year, $1.425 million contract. Gaustad, who will make $675,000 next season, received $450,000 as an NHL rookie last season. Splitting time on the Sabres' third and fourth lines last season, Gaustad finished with nine goals and 15 assists in 78 games . . . The Anaheim Ducks accepted the arbitration award for defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski, who was awarded a one-year contract worth $1.55 million Friday. He made $1.14 million last season . . . Abby Wambach and Natasha Kai scored to lead the United States soccer team to a 2-0 victory over Canada in an exhibition game in Cary, N.C., that gave the Americans a sweep of three matches in July . . . Pat McQuaid, the president of cycling's international governing body, said police may be used to help crack down on doping in the sport. McQuaid promised a full audit of the sport after Tour de France winner Floyd Landis tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone . . . Saying it lacked faith in the present management to deal with the scandals rocking cycling, T-Mobile announced it will replace manager Olaf Ludwig with American Bob Stapleton in November. T-Mobile recently fired star Jan Ullrich, the 1997 Tour de France winner, after he was linked to a Spanish doctor charged with doping.