Blue Jays' Glaus mum on steroid report

Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus declined yesterday to address accusations that he received performance-enhancing drugs from a Florida pharmacy under investigation for illegally distributing prescription medications. Glaus, a four-time All-Star, received multiple shipments of nandrolone and testosterone between September 2003 and May 2004, SI.com reported Friday. "I am not going to comment on the story," Glaus told reporters before last night's game at Tampa Bay . . . The Devil Rays picked up manager Joe Maddon's two-year option for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Diamondbacks All-Star second baseman Orlando Hudson will have season-ending surgery tomorrow to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb . . . Frank Coonelly, Major League Baseball's chief labor counsel, has emerged as the top candidate to become the Pittsburgh Pirates' president. Coonelly would oversee the Pirates' day-to-day operations - the job held by Kevin McClatchy since 1996. McClatchy is leaving at the end of the season . . . Chicago Cubs minor league pitcher Scott Taylor was suspended for 50 games following a positive test for a drug of abuse under the minor league program. The suspension will start next season. There have been 26 suspensions this year under the minor league program and four under the major league drug plan . . . Jeff Marquez hurled seven shutout innings and the Trenton Thunder beat the Sea Dogs, 4-0, in Portland, Maine, winning the best-of-five Eastern League playoff series in four games.

Dario Franchitti will become the latest open-wheel star to make the jump to NASCAR. A source close to the negotiations said Franchitti will sign with Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the No. 40 Dodge beginning in 2008. David Stremme, the current driver of the No. 40, has already been told he will not have the ride next year. The source, who asked not to be identified because details of the agreement have not been finalized, said Ganassi and Franchitti decided to make the announcement after the IndyCar Series schedule, which ends with today's PEAK Antifreeze 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. Franchitti, who currently drives for Andretti Green Racing, goes into today's race with a three-point lead over Ganassi driver Scott Dixon in the battle for the series title . . . Fernando Alonso isn't letting his team's involvement in an ongoing spy scandal get in the way of his quest to win a third straight Formula One title. The McLaren driver stayed focused, clinching the pole position in qualifying for today's Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The two-time defending F1 champion circled the 3.6-mile circuit in 1 minute 21.997 seconds for his second pole of the season - on the same day that Italian media reported that he submitted evidence relating to the Ferrari spy scandal to Formula One's governing body. Alonso's rookie teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who leads the Spaniard by five points atop the drivers' standings, was second, giving McLaren the top two starting spots for the fifth time in 13 races.

Chicago Sky guard Armintie Price was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year, and Dan Hughes of the San Antonio Silver Stars was honored as the league's top coach. Price, who was drafted third overall out of Mississippi, finished third among first-year players in scoring (7.9 points per game) and assists (2.9). Hughes becomes the second coach in league history to win the award more than once, joining former Houston Comets coach Van Chancellor, who won from 1997-99 . . . Tony Parker scored 23 points and France defeated Germany, 78-66, moving closer to a berth in the quarterfinals of the European Championships in Madrid. Dirk Nowitzki led Germany with 28 points. The loss leaves Germany needing wins in its final two Group F matches to guarantee a place in the elimination round. Unbeaten Lithuania got a hard-fought 79-74 win over Olympic runner-up Italy, while Slovenia stayed perfect with a 66-51 victory over Turkey.

In soccer, Italy made its bid to qualify for next year's European Championships a lot more difficult, and England made it much more likely. The World Cup champions, playing France for the second time since beating Les Bleus on penalties last year in Germany, were held to a 0-0 draw, dropping them into third place in Group B with four matches to go. England, however, successfully completed the first step of its six-point plan by beating Israel, 3-0. The other three points in the plan could come Wednesday, when England hosts Russia in a key Group E match that is likely to leave one of the two teams facing elimination. In the day's biggest surprises, Iceland held Spain to a 1-1 draw, and Malta drew with 2002 World Cup semifinalist Turkey, 2-2 . . . Doctor Dino concluded a two-race visit to the United States with a head victory over Sunriver in the $500,000 Man o' War, the richest of three Grade 1 stakes at Belmont Park. Alexander Tango from Ireland captured the $219,800 Garden City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf, while Ginger Punch won the $285,000 Ruffian Handicap for fillies and mares . . . T-Mobile rider Bert Grabsch won the first individual time trial of the Spanish Vuelta and Stijn Devolder took the overall lead after the eighth stage in Zaragoza.