Baseball

Baseball to formulate instant replay proposal

A top baseball official will formulate a proposal for instant replay, and the technology could be tested in the Arizona Fall League this year.

Jimmie Lee Solomon, the sport’s executive vice president for baseball operations, wouldn’t put a timetable on a replay plan, which was recommended by general managers in November. The idea drew renewed attention following several blown home run calls by umpires in recent days.

“The times are such that our fans are used to seeing all the high technology and they’re used to seeing the other sports that use these systems to make determinations, and the fans are clamoring for all the sports to look at that,” Solomon said yesterday.

Baseball is developing tentative plans to experiment with replay during the Fall League and likely would continue testing, if it’s successful, during the 2009 World Baseball Classic, ESPN.com reported yesterday.

Yankees’ LaTroy Hawkins suspended 3 games

Yankees pitcher LaTroy Hawkins was suspended for three games and fined $2,000 yesterday by Major League Baseball, which said he intentionally threw at Baltimore’s Luke Scott.

Hawkins asked the players’ association to appeal, and the suspension will be delayed until the appeal is resolved or dropped. The penalty had been set to begin yesterday, when the Yankees hosted the Orioles.

Day after blown call, new net at Yankee Stadium

A day after a blown home run call, the House that Ruth Built became the ballpark that A-Rod remodeled.

Yankee Stadium workers put up netting yesterday on a staircase just beyond the right-center field wall, the spot that confused the umpires, cost Alex Rodriguez a home run and intensified baseball’s debate about instant replay.

Mets place Alou on DL

Moises Alou is back on the disabled list. The Mets placed the veteran outfielder on the 15-day DL with a strained right calf yesterday. Alou left Wednesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves with the calf injury, and had an MRI exam Thursday in New York.

Alcohol factored in fan’s fatal fall

Alcohol was a factor in the death of a 25-year-old man who fell down a stairwell at Turner Field during the game between the Atlanta Braves and Mets. Justin Hayes of Cumming, Ga., suffered head injuries Wednesday night and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. He fell about 150 feet from the club level to the landing on the field level during the eighth inning.

The investigation is “pointing toward drinking. Alcohol was a factor,” said Atlanta police department spokesman Ronald Campbell yesterday. Campbell said Hayes may have been sliding down the hand rails when he fell.

Basketball

Mayo Dropped by agent

Former USC basketball star O.J. Mayo has been dropped by his agent ahead of the June 26 NBA draft because of the “overwhelming intensity” of allegations that Mayo illegally received cash and gifts. Mayo had announced that Calvin Andrews of Bill Duffy Associates would represent him. But the Walnut Creek, Calif.-based sports management group issued a statement yesterday saying their association was over.

“Due to the overwhelming intensity of recent allegations regarding the recruitment of O.J. Mayo, we feel that our representation of him is a distraction for he and his family at this time,” the statement said.