Sports Log
BASEBALL
Any hopes the New York Yankees had of Chien-Ming Wang returning to the rotation this season were dashed yesterday with the news the righthander will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his injured right shoulder today. “It’s a tough loss for us,’’ said manager Joe Girardi. “Hopefully this will be the end of the surgeries for him and he’ll have the rest of his career be real healthy. We’ll get him back pitching as soon as we can.’’ Wang won 19 games in both 2006 and 2007, but missed the final 3 1/2 months last season and went 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA before going on the disabled list this year . . . “Ownership is not happy with the direction of the team,’’ New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said in criticizing Omar Minaya for singling out a reporter during a bizarre news conference Monday, but he gave the GM of the faltering club (48-51) a vote of confidence by asserting, “Omar is going to be our general manager.’’ . . . Righthander Junichi Tazawa was impressive in his Triple A debut, allowing just three hits and no walks in six innings for Pawtucket in a 2-1 loss at Buffalo . . . Former California Angels relief pitcher Luis Quintana, 57, was found dead of natural causes after his car crashed in West Palm Beach, Fla.HOCKEY
New Englanders highlight Hall class
This year’s US Hockey Hall of Fame class will have a distinct New England flavor. Selected for induction were former NHL stars Tony Amonte (Thayer Academy, Boston University), Tom Barrasso (Acton-Boxboro High), and John LeClair (Bellows Free Academy, University of Vermont), ice resurfacing machine inventor Frank Zamboni, and the 1998 US women’s Olympic team, which included coach Ben Smith of Gloucester and 19 eventual local collegians. The 1998 gold-medal squad included Sandra Whyte, A.J. Mleczko, and Angela Ruggiero of Harvard; Karen Bye, Colleen Coyne, Tricia Dunn, and Sue Merz of New Hampshire; Sara DeCosta, Laurie Baker, Vicki Movsessian, Lisa Brown-Miller, Alana Blahoski, and Cammi Granato of Providence; Tara Mounsey and Katie King of Brown; Gretchen Ulion, Sarah Tueting, and Chris Bailey of Dartmouth; and Shelley Looney of Northeastern . . . The Carolina Hurricanes bought out the remaining year on the contract of 35-year-old defenseman Frantisek Kaberle, who scored the decisive goal in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup.BASKETBALL
Chandler, Okafor exchange uniforms
The New Orleans Hornets finally unloaded Tyson Chandler, swapping the injury-plagued center to the Charlotte Bobcats for center Emeka Okafor. The Hornets have been trying to deal the 7-foot-1-inch Chandler since last season, when they sent him to Oklahoma City, only to have the deal rescinded after Chandler failed a physical because of a lingering toe ailment. Charlotte coach Larry Brown said he was willing to gamble on Chandler because he can play power forward and the 6-10 Okafor has had trouble guarding the NBA’s top big men . . . In free agent signings, forward Tim Thomas joined the Dallas Mavericks, while the Indiana Pacers landed guard Earl Watson . . . Cappie Pondexter scored 29 points and Diana Taurasi added 17 as the Phoenix Mercury routed the Connecticut Sun, 95-80, at Uncasville, Conn. . . . Katie Douglas’s career-high 34 points rallied the Indiana Fever to an 85-81 win over the visiting Washington Mystics . . . Tina Thompson scored a season-high 30 points, helping the Los Angeles Sparks snap a three-game losing streak with a 76-70 victory over the host Minnesota Lynx . . . Sophia Young’s 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted the host San Antonio Silver Stars over the Seattle Storm, 74-71.GOLF
Mickelson returning to Tour next week
After missing nearly two months while his wife Amy underwent treatment for breast cancer, Phil Mickelson will return to the PGA Tour at the Bridgestone Invitational next week, his first tournament since he tied for second at the US Open in June . . . Fifteen-year-old Nick McLaughlin of Far Corner GC birdied the 18th hole for a par 72 and the overall lead at 2-over 146 in the Massachusetts Junior Amateur Championship at Framingham CC. McLaughlin, a sophomore at St. John’s Prep, leads the Pre-Junior division by four strokes and has a one-stroke advantage over Junior pacesetter Brandon Medeiros (71 -147) of the Harmon Club entering today’s final round.MISCELLANY
Rachel Alexandra to skip Breeders’ Cup
Owner Jess Jackson said filly Rachel Alexandra, winner of seven straight races, is in top shape for Sunday’s $1.25 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, but reiterated that he’s “firm’’ in his decision to keep the Preakness winner out of this fall’s Breeders’ Cup because of his concerns about the synthetic surface at Santa Anita. Belmont winner Summer Bird also is in the Haskell field . . . Saratoga Race Course begins a 36-day meeting today, marking its 141st summer session . . . Responding to Monday’s comments by teammate Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong wrote on the Twitter website that the Tour de France winner should “drop this drivel and start thanking his team. Without them, he doesn’t win.’’
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