News briefs: Padres' Young hopes to pitch again this year
CBSSports.com wire reports
SAN DIEGO -- Padres right-hander Chris Young threw another simulated game Thursday, and a rehab assignment might be next as he continues to work his way back from a shoulder injury.
Motivated by San Diego's run atop the NL West, the 6-foot-10 Young hopes to pitch again this season. He made one start before going on the disabled list April 12 with a strained shoulder. He underwent surgery on the shoulder a year ago.
"It's definitely my goal, not just to pitch, but to be successful and win," said Young, who's had a serious injury for three straight seasons. "Certainly I'm not trying to get ahead of myself. There's still some tests, but I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't my goal. It would be easy to shut it down and say I'll strengthen it and worry about pitching later, but that's not the case. I want to pitch, I want to win, I want to help this team make a strong run here. I feel if things keep going according to plan, I'm capable of that."
Young threw 55 pitches over three innings before the Padres hosted the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks in a series finale.
"It felt better as I went," he said. "It's nice to focus on how I feel and stuff versus what my arm's doing."
Young said he got a little distracted when a singer started rehearsing the national anthem. Full Story
Nats top pick Harper puts on BP show
WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper has made quite an entrance at Nationals Park.
The Washington Nationals No. 1 overall draft pick took several rounds of batting practice and hit one home run into the upper deck in right field. The left-handed Harper, who was sporting a mohawk, also hit at least a half-dozen other homers, including three in a row to left, center and right.
Harper was in Washington for his introductory news conference. He agreed to a $9.9 million, five-year deal with the Nationals last week.
Harper is only 17, so it'll be a while before he plays in the stadium for real. His next stop is Florida, where he will work out with the Nationals' Gulf Coast League affiliate.
Indians prospect Rondon has surgery
CLEVELAND -- Hector Rondon, one of the Cleveland Indians' top pitching prospects, has undergone reconstructive Tommy John elbow surgery.
The team announced that the hard-throwing right-hander had the operation on Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala., by Dr. James Andrews.
"Hector was one of the players that if the injury didn't happen and he had developed that we likely would have taken a look at in September," Indians manager Manny Acta said Thursday.
Rondon, a 22-year-old who was the organization's minor-league pitcher of the year in 2009, went 1-3 with a 8.53 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Columbus.
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs will honor the late broadcaster Harry Caray next month by rededicating his statue outside Wrigley Field.
The team said that a pregame ceremony is also planned for Sept. 1. Caray's wife, Dutchie Caray, and Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts are expected to be at the rededication.
Caray's statue will be rededicated at Sheffield and Waveland avenues. It previously was outside the field at Sheffield Avenue and Addison Street, where a new statue of Cubs outfielder Billy Williams will be placed.
Team officials say Dutchie Caray will throw a ceremonial first pitch before the game against Pittsburgh. She'll wear a No. 23 Caray jersey.
Lawyer: Gov. didn't lie about tix
ALBANY, N.Y. -- A special investigation has concluded that Gov. David Paterson's testimony about his plans to pay for World Series tickets last year was "inaccurate and misleading" and warrants consideration of criminal charges by a prosecutor.
In a report Thursday, former state Chief Judge Judith Kaye noted four of five tickets to the World Series opening game between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies were paid for shortly afterward, following a press inquiry from the New York Post newspaper. She said there's a question whether Paterson gave "intentionally false testimony" to the state Commission on Public Integrity about having written an $850 check in advance for two tickets.
Commission staff recommended last week that Paterson should be fined more than $90,000 in civil penalties for soliciting and accepting the tickets in violation of ethics law.
However, Kaye said the perjury issue was "clouded" by the way Paterson's testimony was given, with the entries read aloud to the legally blind governor. If Paterson had personally examined the check used to pay for two tickets, which was not in his handwriting, that "would have been obvious to the governor," she said.
Yanks, Jay-Z co-brand merchandise
NEW YORK -- Get your New York Yankees hats here - with a Jay-Z logo.
The hip-hop mogul is teaming up with his favorite baseball squad on co-branded clothes that will be sold exclusively at Yankee Stadium beginning next week. All the items, from baseball caps to T-shirts and hooded sweat shirts, will feature Yankees and Jay-Z logos.
In a news release Thursday, the Yankees said the attire was created to commemorate the first official concerts at the new Yankee Stadium on Sept. 13 and 14, when Jay-Z and Eminem will co-headline.
The shows mark the second half of their "Home and Home" tour, following joint performances at Detroit's Comerica Park on Sept. 3 and Sept. 4.
The new merchandise will be available at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 30 to Sept. 14.
