William C. Rhoden discusses how the retired Tony La Russa has had a lot of fun managing the National League All-Star team with no one to answer to. Produced by Jim Luttrell Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=3fd5b638474546c7ea10e4598838a4f0

No way Scott Diamond is hitting triple digits with his fastball, Mauer thought. No chance that Brian Duensing is ramping it up to Aroldis Chapman-like numbers. Turns out that Mauer was seeing readings for a different kind of heat — the temperature. A crippling heat wave that settled over the continental United States contributed to the hottest...

Each player was given a blood test for HGH during spring training as part of the labor contract that was agreed to in November, which allows blood testing during the offseason and spring training, and if there is reasonable cause. Union head Michael Weiner, speaking to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America before Tuesday night’s All-Star...

In 1980, I missed the game with a pulled muscle. And in 1989, I was voted to the team as a starter after I had retired. In each case the replacement was a player deserving and capable of carrying out the assignment in my place. His first-half body of work that season was rewarded. Back then, the fans picked the game’s starters. That’s all, the...

BASTAD, Sweden (AP) — Fifth-seeded Michail Kukushkin of Kazhakhstan was upset in the first round of the Swedish Open on Tuesday, while No. 7 Fillipo Volandri of Italy advanced in straight sets. Kukushkin lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver, while Volandri beat Swedish wild card Michael Ryderstedt 6-4, 6-2. Ryderstedt’s...

UMAG, Croatia (AP) — Former finalist Potito Starace of Italy beat qualifier Ivo Klec of Slovakia 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the Croatia Open on Tuesday. Also joining the 2010 runner-up in the next round were countryman Fabio Fognini, Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia and Marco Trungelliti of Argentina. Fognini, a semifinalist in 2008 and 2011,...

The 19-year-old Pavic saved all four break points he faced and converted four out of the six he earned. “My coach told me to play my game and not pay attention to the fact that is a former No. 1,” Pavic said. “This win means so much.” Ferrero won at Umag in 2010, defeating Potito Starace of Italy in the final for one of his...

And it has only just begun. Three days removed from winning Wimbledon and less than three weeks away from returning to London to go for Olympic gold, a jet-lagged Williams was back on the court Tuesday — more than 5,000 miles and eight time zones away from the All England Club — in the serene setting at Stanford. “I don’t know...