Sports Log
Baseball
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball attacked each other in court over competing $150 million loan proposals, with commissioner Bud Selig accusing team owner Frank McCourt of trying to break the rules that keep the league together. The team wants US Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross to approve the loan even though it would cost about $6.5 million more in interest and fees than a proposal by MLB, Dodgers lawyer Bruce Bennett said. McCourt has rejected baseball’s proposal, saying Selig’s hostility to him and the Dodgers makes it inappropriate for MLB to provide the loan. Attorney Tom Lauria argued that the McCourt proposal violates MLB’s rules and is inferior to its proposal . . . The Tigers acquired veteran infielder Wilson Betemit from the Royals for Single A prospects Antonio Cruz, a lefthanded pitcher, and catcher Julio Rodriguez. Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said Betemit will join the team today and will replace Brandon Inge as Detroit’s third baseman . . . The Diamondbacks called up top reliever prospect Ryan Cook, 24, from Double A Mobile . . . The Pacific Coast League nullified a no-hitter thrown by Omaha pitcher Luis Mendoza after changing a ninth-inning error to a double. The Triple A league said the Memphis Redbirds requested a review of an at-bat by Tyler Greene in the bottom of the ninth of Monday’s game in Memphis. Greene smacked a ball to deep left field that was misplayed by Omaha’s David Lough. Lough was given an error, but the official scorer changed it to a hit shortly after the game. The ruling wiped out what would have been Mendoza’s second no-hitter in PCL play . . . Celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman won a default judgment against former slugger Jose Canseco for breach of contract after Canseco sent his twin brother to fight instead. Canseco failed to show for his district court appearance. Feldman’s attorney, Bob Bush, said the award was for a little more than $7,600.Basketball
Yao, 30, officially calls it a career Chinese star Yao Ming, who helped pro basketball gain a foothold in the world’s most populous market, announced his retirement at age 30 because of a series of foot and leg injuries. The 7-foot-6-inch center played eight seasons in the NBA, but missed 250 regular-season games over the past six years . . . Former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning is being sued over a weekend traffic crash in Florida that raised questions about whether he improperly left the scene. The lawsuit seeking unspecified damages was filed on behalf of William Candelario, 21, who suffered head injuries in the rollover crash early Sunday near Miami Beach. Mourning, currently the Heat’s vice president for player programs and development, acknowledged leaving the scene. Investigators said he returned about 40 minutes later, in another car driven by his wife, Tracy . . . Patrick Heckmann, a 6-5 guard from Germany, accepted a scholarship to play at Boston College for the 2011-12 season . . . In WNBA action, Angel McCoughtry scored a season-high 33 points to lead the Atlanta Dream to an 86-79 victory over the host Washington Mystics. The Dream won their first road game since June 14, when they beat the New York Liberty before going on a three-game skid away from home . . . Seimone Augustus scored a season-high-tying 25 points as the Minnesota Lynx earned a 106-98 victory in Phoenix, snapping the Mercury’s six-game win streak.NHL
Lightning lock in Purcell for two years The Lightning re-signed forward Teddy Purcell to a two-year contract. In 81 games for Tampa Bay, Purcell posted career highs in goals (17), assists (34), and points (51). He had six goals and 17 points in 18 playoff games, helping the Lightning to the Eastern Conference finals against the Bruins . . . The Red Wings signed goaltender Ty Conklin to a one-year contract, filling the void left by Chris Osgood’s retirement. Conklin, 35, started 20 games for the Blues last season, going 8-8-4 with a 3.22 goals-against average. He has started at least 20 games in each of the last four seasons, although his save percentage of .881 last year was by far his worst in that span . . . Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik, 30, had hernia surgery and is expected to be back for the start of the upcoming season. He had similar surgery on his left side last year . . . Forward Mark Bell is attempting a comeback with the Ducks, who signed him to a one-year deal. The former No. 8 overall pick played for Chicago, San Jose, and Toronto, but has been out of the NHL since 2008 . . . The Coyotes re-signed forward Lauri Korpikoski to a two-year contract.Miscellany
Serena in US Open via special ranking Serena Williams will use her special injury-protected No. 1 tennis ranking to get into the US Open, which begins in New York Aug. 29. She is ranked 172d, and only the top 105 players have been granted direct entry into the field. But because Williams was sidelined more than six months by a series of health issues, she has the right to use her special ranking to enter up to eight tournaments, including one Grand Slam . . . Former Harvard standout Alex Meyer became the first US swimmer to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London with a fourth-place finish in the 10-kilometer race in the 2011 Open Water World Championships in Shanghai. The top-10 finish made him an automatic qualifier.© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.



