SOCCER

REPORT: BECKHAM HAS OPTION TO BUY MLS FRANCHISE

David Beckham has an option to buy an MLS franchise when his five-year Los Angeles Galaxy contract expires after the 2011 season, according to a CBS “60 Minutes” profile scheduled to air Sunday. The program was to report the option was granted to the 32-year-old midfielder and his manager, Simon Fuller.

“We don’t comment on rumor or speculation,” Simon Oliveira, Beckham’s spokesman, said Thursday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “David’s focus at present is on playing for the Galaxy and his country.”

Beckham, who joined the Galaxy last season, could make his 100th international appearance for England in next week’s friendly at France. The Galaxy opens the MLS season March 29 at Colorado.

BASEBALL

CHAMBERLAIN STRONG OUT OF BULLPEN IN YANKEES’ WIN

Joba Chamberlain was told Wednesday he would start the season in the bullpen. One day later the right-hander showed why he was dominant as a rookie setup man last season.

Chamberlain struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 7–2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday. “It felt great,” said Chamberlain, who threw nine of 11 pitches for strikes. “Just getting going, it’s like riding a bike. It didn’t take me very long to get going. My arm actually warmed up quicker than I thought it would. My arm reacted really well.”

Chamberlain went 2–0 with an 0.38 ERA in 19 games last year. The 22-year old had been working in a starter’s role this spring, which is what the Yankees have said he will become in the future.

VALENTINE UPSET WITH MLB GAMES IN JAPAN

Bobby Valentine has nothing against the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics opening Major League Baseball’s 2008 season in Japan. It’s just the timing of it he can’t understand.

The former Texas Rangers and Mets manager will be on the bench as his Chiba Lotte Marines take on Sadaharu Oh’s Softbank Hawks in Fukuoka just as the Red Sox and A’s meet at Tokyo Dome next week in their MLB season opener. Few people are better qualified to comment on the merits of Japanese and American baseball than Valentine, who believes Japan is selling itself short by hosting MLB games while launching its own season.

“I hope the Red Sox and A’s have a great time here and I’m sure everyone will enjoy it but it’s ludicrous that our games will be going on at the same time,” Valentine said. “The timing is a mistake and I guess that’s something that slipped through the cracks when they were planning the schedules.”

NATIONALS RELEASE RIGHT-HANDER PATTERSON

John Patterson surprisingly was cut by the Washington Nationals yesterday, a little more than a week before the season begins.

“I thought things were going well,” the right-hander said in a telephone interview from Florida. Patterson was Washington’s opening day starter in 2007. But he missed much of the last two seasons because of right forearm problems, limiting him to 15 starts in 2006 and 2007 combined.

DODGERS’ GARCIAPARRA LIKELY TO MISS SEASON OPENER

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Nomar Garciaparra will likely miss the season opener because of a broken bone in his right hand. Although Garciaparra would not put a timetable on his return, manager Joe Torre said he “does not anticipate” him being ready for opening day and added the two-time AL batting champion could start the season on the disabled list.