Baseball to tighten playoff schedule

Baseball plans to cut down on off days during the postseason next year.

Commissioner Bud Selig said he's working on tightening up the 2010 playoff schedule so there will be fewer gaps between games.

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia criticized the current format after the Yankees and Angels played only eight times in 20 days going into Game 6 of the AL championship series.

"We're going to change it," Selig said. "I don't disagree with Mike Scioscia. I think he was right, so we're going to try and tighten that up."

Selig also said he would continue to discuss instant replay, but it's not expected to be a major topic when owners have a full meeting this morning even though there were several missed calls by umpires during the postseason.

Pro football: Jets' Sanchez says he goofed by reading statement

Mark Sanchez might keep his notes to himself from now on.

The New York Jets rookie quarterback was criticized by some members of the media after opening his postgame news conference Sunday by reading from a statement he prepared after losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"I just changed things up a little bit," Sanchez said. "I thought I had everything figured out, of course, as a 23-year-old rookie would, but probably not the best way to go about it. It didn't go over very well, so, trial and error and hopefully a one-time mistake." ... Rex Ryan stepped to the podium and motioned for a staffer to hand him something.

It was a blue box of tissues, and the Jets coach set it down in front of him.

"I've got a new sponsor," Ryan said, fighting a grin. "The Jets have Toyota and I've got Kleenex, for obvious reasons."

Never afraid to show his emotions, Ryan cried in front of his players during a team meeting Monday morning following New York's 24-22 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday. The story, first reported by the New York Post, has since generated both criticism and praise by fans and members of the media.

More pro football: Dolphins' Brown out for year

Ronnie Brown's season has ended with an injury — again.

The Miami Dolphins' leading rusher was placed on injured reserve because of a right foot injury suffered in Sunday's victory over Tampa Bay.

A fifth-year pro, Brown missed the final nine games of the 2007 season with a right knee injury.

The Dolphins had hoped Brown might be able to return this year but made the roster move after he was examined by a specialist. It's a big blow for a team that ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing and 30th in passing.

The move was announced shortly after the Dolphins (4-5) departed for tonight's game against Carolina. Ricky Williams, the 2002 NFL rushing champion, will replace Brown in the starting lineup.

More pro football: Browns would give LeBron a shot

If LeBron James truly believes he can help the Cleveland Browns, coach Eric Mangini has an orange helmet waiting for him.

"I think he should come on down," Mangini said, smiling. "I know he's pretty busy right now, but if he wants to give it a shot, the guy is gifted. He's competitive and tough. I'm sure whatever he applied himself to, he'd probably be good in baseball or soccer or swimming."

The NBA superstar, who was an All-State wide receiver in high school, said Tuesday night that if he put the time and commitment into it, he could be a good football player. Mangini agreed, calling James "a freak athletically" and said the 6-foot-8, 260-pounder could be dangerous at tight end, wide receiver or even outside linebacker.

More pro football: Seahawks CBs Trufant, Wilson have concussions

The Seattle Seahawks' two starting cornerbacks have been diagnosed with concussions.

Marcus Trufant and Josh Wilson didn't practice, and Seahawks coach Jim Mora didn't specifically address their playing status for Sunday's game against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.

"We'll have a couple guys that might be limited (in practice), but nothing serious," Mora said.

Trufant, a Pro Bowl selection in 2007, was injured against Arizona last weekend. He returned to the game.

Pro basketball: Magic would go along with plan to retire No. 23

Magic Johnson would go along with LeBron James' plan to have NBA players stop wearing No. 23.

James said last week he would change jersey numbers next season in honor of Michael Jordan, and said no other players should wear it, either.

Critics of his plan said other players before Jordan deserved the honor at least as much, with some using Johnson and Larry Bird as examples. But Johnson praised James for showing respect to those before him, and said he and Bird would be supportive.

"We care about the game," Johnson said. "We care about what's important and so if everybody votes in terms of nobody should wear 23, we're going to be the first ones to say it should happen."

College football: Cal's Best hopes to return to field this season

Star tailback Jahvid Best is eager to return to the football field after being sidelined by a frightening fall and concussion and has targeted California's season finale as a possible return date.

Best gave his first extensive comments following the injury that knocked him out and put a scare into his Golden Bears teammates. He said that the symptoms from the concussion have cleared but he still has a sore back.

"I'm just trying to take it day by day and hoping for the best," he said. "Every day I'm feeling a little better. I'm hoping it keeps progressing that way and hopefully I'll be out here pretty soon."

College basketball: Memphis won't release NCAA vacated win response

The University of Memphis refused to release the NCAA's response to its appeal of a ruling that vacated the 2007-08 men's basketball season.

Memphis's legal counsel Sheryl Lipman said they can't produce the document because they didn't receive a copy, and instead read a version of it through the NCAA's Web site. The university says NCAA rules prohibit the university from printing the document for the media off the association's Web site.

Pro soccer: US loses to Denmark in final match of 2009

The United States finished its 2009 schedule with a 3-1 loss to Denmark, losing its second straight match on a quick tour that was the last time Europe-based players will gather before March.

Jeff Cunningham gave the United States the lead with a 26th-minute goal, but substitutes Johan Absalonsen, Soren Rieks and Martin Bernburg beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan during the first 10 minutes of the second half.

The United States finished the year with 13 wins, eight losses and three ties, qualifying for its sixth straight World Cup and losing in the finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup. ... France qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup when officials missed an obvious hand ball by Thierry Henry that led to William Gallas' overtime goal in a 1-1 tie against Ireland. With help from Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who failed to call the hand ball, France avoided a penalty-kicks shootout and won the home-and-home, total-goals playoff 2-1. The French had come away with a 1-0 victory in Dublin last Saturday.

Track: Ramzi stripped of Olympic 1,500-meter gold medal

Fifteen months after the Beijing Olympics, Bahraini middle-distance runner Rashid Ramzi was stripped of his 1,500-meter gold medal and four other athletes were disqualified because of doping at the games. The International Olympic Committee took action against the five athletes who tested positive in April in retroactive tests for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The Moroccan-born Ramzi was the only gold medalist from Beijing caught using performance-enhancing drugs.

Minor league hockey: Devils fall in stunner

The Springfield Falcons scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation to come from behind and defeat the Lowell Devils, 4-3, at the MassMutual Center. Chad Wiseman and Ryan MacMurchy scored 33 seconds apart to help Springfield rally and halt Lowell's five-game winning streak. ... The Manchester Monarchs came away with one point in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Norfolk Admirals at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Manchester (11-4-1-2) leads the Atlantic Division with 25 points. Norfolk (10-8-1-0) is in second place in the East Division with 21 points.

Crosby's hometown of Cole Harbour lies across the harbor from Halifax.

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