Orioles taking longer look at Trembley

June 28, 2007

Baseball
Dave Trembley will get at least another month to prove he's the right man to manage the Baltimore Orioles. Andy MacPhail, who took over as president of baseball operations last week, said yesterday that he won't resume interviewing candidates for the managerial job "until at least the trading deadline," which is July 31. Trembley was made the interim manager June 18 after the Orioles fired Sam Perlozzo. Before the end of the week, the manager's job was offered to Joe Girardi, who turned it down. "We tried our preemptive strike with Girardi. It didn't work. What I would like to do now is, let's watch Dave manage for a while," MacPhail said. The Orioles are 5-3 under Trembley after last night's 4-0 victory over the New York Yankees . . . Mets manager Willie Randolph will have surgery on his right shoulder next month, preventing him from serving as a National League coach at the All-Star Game.

Shea Hillenbrand wants out and the Los Angeles Angels are granting his wish. The team told Hillenbrand after a 1-0 loss to Kansas City that he will be designated for assignment tomorrow, meaning the Angels have 10 days to trade, release, or demote him to the minors. "I'm not a bench player or someone that doesn't have an opportunity to help a team on a daily basis because I've proven that I'm very capable of doing that," he said. Hillenbrand's .254 average and 22 RBIs relegated him to a bit role with the Angels . . . Scott Spiezio of the St. Louis Cardinals was hospitalized with an infected left index finger, making him unavailable to play against the Mets. Spiezio was receiving antibiotics and was to be evaluated today . . . Barry Bonds's son, a bat boy for the San Francisco Giants, is on the disabled list for his dad's home run chase. Nikolai Bonds tore two ligaments in his left ankle last week when he dunked during a pickup basketball game and came down on someone's foot. That means the 17-year-old might not be in a Giants uniform working as a bat boy when his father breaks Hank Aaron's home run record, as the younger Bonds has been for many of his dad's other milestones in recent years . . . Jim Wells is returning to the job as Alabama's coach, saying that his earlier decision to retire "just didn't feel right." Wells was welcomed back six days after announcing he was stepping down after 13 seasons. Wells has a 553-272 record with the Crimson Tide.

Football

Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller signed a two-year contract extension that will take him through the summer of 2010. Mueller's initial contract was three years for $2.1 million and ran through June 2008. Salary details of the new deal were not disclosed. Mueller, who joined the Dolphins as general manager in June 2005, has seen the team slide in recent years. Miami went 6-10 last season and missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

NHL

The Buffalo Sabres have finally begun negotiations with co-captain Daniel Briere, WGRZ-TV in Buffalo reported. It's not clear what the offer is for a player seeking a minimum four-year deal and expecting to command a $6 million-a-year salary. Briere finished 10th in the NHL with a career-high 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists). His agent, Pat Brisson, declined comment, and Sabres general manager Darcy Regier has declined interview requests.

Soccer

Carlos Villaneuva bent a free kick over a defensive wall and into the upper corner of the net for a tiebreaking goal in the 87th minute, giving Chile a 3-2 victory over Ecuador in the first round of the Copa America in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela. Chile rallied from deficits twice, with Humberto Suazo scoring in the 21st and 80th minutes. Ecuador, knocked out of last year's World Cup in the second round by England, got goals from Antonio Valencia in the 16th minute and Segundo Castillo in the 23d. In the second game of the doubleheader, Brazil played Mexico . . . American midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, who helped the United States beat Mexico Sunday in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final in Chicago, transferred to Scotland's Glasgow Rangers. He had been on loan to Manchester City from PSV Eindhoven.

Miscellany

Haile Gebrselassie set a world record in the rarely run men's one-hour race, running 21,285 kilometers (12.77 miles) at the IAAF Grand Prix Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic. He also set a world record in the 20,000 meters en route . . . Natasha Hastings and Shalonda Solomon, both three-time NCAA track champions at South Carolina, are giving up their senior seasons to turn professional . . . Serena and Venus Williams were picked to play for the United States in the Fed Cup semifinals against Russia July 14-15 in Stowe, Vt. Doubles specialist Lisa Raymond and teenager Vania King complete the US squad announced by captain Zina Garrison. The US Tennis Association said tickets for the match are sold out . . . Ted Musgrave was suspended one race for retaliating after a wreck against rookie Kelly Bires during the NASCAR Truck Series race Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile . . . William Barrack, 68, and his son, Keith, 43, accused of trying to fix races by injecting harness horses with substances designed to deaden pain or improve performance, pleaded guilty in Ballston Spa, N.Y., to felony charges.