McCain Demands Action by Baseball

Sen. John McCain demands that major league baseball’s players and owners tighten the sport’s drug-testing policy to “restore the integrity” of the game.

“I warned them a long time ago that we needed to fix this problem,” McCain told reporters Saturday in Washington.

“It’s time for them to sit down together and act. And that’s what they should do. If not, clearly, we have to act legislatively, which we don’t want to do.”

He demanded quick action by Commissioner Bud Selig and Players Assn. head Donald Fehr to solve the problem.

Expressing dismay over recurring reports of steroid abuse by some of baseball’s biggest stars, the Arizona Republican repeated a threat he made before last season to legislate stricter rules if the sport fails to police itself.

“I’ll introduce legislation in January, but I hope I don’t have to do that,” he said.

Michael Weiner, the union’s general counsel, said the status of steroids would be discussed at the union’s annual executive board meeting, which starts Monday in Phoenix.

The long-simmering steroid allegations hit the headlines last week with reports of grand jury testimony in San Francisco that linked to steroid abuse such stars as Barry Bonds of the Giants, and New York Yankee slugger Jason Giambi.

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The Dodgers appear close to signing Ricky Ledee, a free agent who made $1.225 million last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Giants.

Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta wants a reserve outfielder good enough defensively to play center field and strong enough offensively to merit more than 200 at-bats.

Ledee has a career average of .242 with 53 home runs. He batted .285 in 123 at-bats with the Phillies, but only .113 in 53 at-bats after being traded to the Giants in July.

Olympics

Any U.S. athlete who resorts to doping to win an Olympic medal ought to give that medal back, senior U.S. Olympic Committee officials said in concluding a meeting of the USOC’s board of directors in Dallas.

The meeting came in the wake of allegations leveled by BALCO founder Victor Conte that track and field star Marion Jones had used an array of banned performance-enhancing substances before and after the 2000 Sydney Olympics, at which she won five medals, three gold. Jones has denied doping and called Conte’s allegations untrue.

Asked whether Jones should return the medals she won at the Sydney Games, Jim Scherr, the USOC’s chief executive, said, “I would not personalize this to any particular athlete. I do believe the Olympic ideals and the basic tenets of fair play. If a person has won by cheating, circumventing the rules, that person in accordance with the Olympic ideals should return those medals.”

Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the USOC board and a former baseball commissioner, said, “That goes beyond the Olympics.”

Ueberroth declined to comment on a report that Bonds had acknowledged using a clear liquid and a cream supplied by BALCO but never believed the substances were steroids. But, Ueberroth said, stressing that he was speaking in general terms, “I believe baseball does have the responsibility to protect its history and to reach out for integrity. That includes players, the union, the owners, the commissioner’s office.”

Winter Sports

Lasse Kjus of Norway posted his first World Cup giant slalom victory since 1996, winning in 2 minutes 29.82 seconds to beat Hermann Maier of Austria by nearly half a second at Beaver Creek, Colo. Maier, the defending World Cup champion, was second in 2:30.27.

World Cup Alpine points leader Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H., looking to become the first American overall champion since Phil Mahre in 1983, crashed in his first run. Miller had won four of the first five races, including a downhill Friday.

Hilde Gerg of Germany won a World Cup downhill in heavy snow and fog at Lake Louise, Canada, with a time of 1 minute 36.01 seconds. Renate Goetschl of Austria, last year’s downhill champion, was second in 1:36.16.

Janne Ahonen of Finland won his third consecutive World Cup ski jumping competition of the season, earning 281.5 points on two jumps at Trondheim, Norway. He jumped 132 meters in the first round and 135.5 meters in the second round. Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic finished second with 277.3 points on jumps of 130.5 and 133 meters.

Ronny Ackermann of Germany won a World Cup Nordic combined event, edging Finland’s Hannu Manninen at Trondheim. Ackermann, who tied for first in the ski jumping portion, finished the 15-kilometer freestyle cross-country race in 34 minutes 47.4 seconds to win by 20.6 seconds. Manninen, 18th in ski jumping, started the race 1:49 behind Ackermann and Bieler. He nearly made up the gap. Bieler was fourth, 42.9 seconds behind.

Boxing

Jose Luis Castillo retained his World Boxing Council lightweight title by rallying in the late rounds for a split decision over Joel Casamayor at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Judges Dr. James Jen Kin, Carol Castellano and Dave Moretti all gave Castillo (51-6-1) the last three rounds.

Jeff Lacy successfully defended his International Boxing Federation super-middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Omar Sheika. Lacy improved to 18-0.

Golf

Jeff Brehaut shot an even-par 72 to take a one-stroke lead after the fourth round of the PGA Tour’s 108-hole qualifying tournament at La Quinta.

Brehaut , who finished 149th on the PGA Tour money list this year, had a 16-under 272 on PGA West’s TPC Stadium and Jack Nicklaus Tournament courses. He played the Stadium Course on Saturday.

Rob Rashell and Brian Davis were tied for second. Rashell shot a 67 and Davis had a 69.

The top 30 and ties and will receive 2005 PGA Tour cards. The next 50 will get Nationwide Tour cards, and the remaining players will receive conditional Nationwide Tour status.

High school senior Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif., shot a one-under 71 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the 90-hole LPGA Tour qualifying tournament at Daytona Beach, Fla. The top 30 will receive 2005 LPGA Tour cards. Creamer is at nine-under 279.

Soccer

Thierry Henry scored two goals to help Arsenal beat Birmingham, 3-0, for its first victory in five English Premier League matches.