In Brief

BASEBALL

Darvish's first spring training
outing for Rangers impressive

Yu Darvish struck out three in two scoreless innings and made a run-saving play in his spring training debut during the Texas Rangers' 6-2 win over a split squad of San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz., on Wednesday.

The Rangers spent more than $107 million this winter to land the 6-foot-5-inch right-hander who was a dominant pitcher for seven years in Japan. Darvish's stated goal is to become the world's best pitcher.

Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Darvish threw 36 pitches, 26 for strikes. He allowed two hits, both doubles.

He struck out his first batter, Cameron Maybin, looking, and his last, John Baker, swinging. He also made two nice defensive plays, one of which prevented a run in the second inning.

Also: The Oakland Athletics said their attempt to relocate some 40 miles away to San Jose is not "a move that seeks to alter or in any manner disturb MLB territorial rights."

The A's released a statement saying they hope commissioner Bud Selig, his committee on the Bay Area issue and a vote of baseball's owners will allow the club to leave its current venue in the aging Oakland Coliseum and build a new ballpark in technology-rich Silicon Valley -- even though the San Francisco Giants hold territorial rights to the area.

The A's said being allowed to move "will enable us to join the fine array of modern and fun baseball parks that are now commonplace in Major League Baseball."

Baseball's Hall of Fame will honor three generations of St. Louis Cardinals' World Series champions on July 21, the day before this year's induction ceremonies.

The Hall said there will be a special recognition for the living managers who led the Cardinals to Series titles: Red Schoendienst (1967), Whitey Herzog (1982) and Tony La Russa (2006, 2011).

FOOTBALL

NFLPA to conduct investigation
into Saints' bounty system

The NFL Players Association will do its own investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty system and asked the league to help set up interviews with the team's coaches and front-office staff.

In a statement, the union vowed to "vigorously protect the rights of all players."

"If the facts prove that players voluntarily and willingly participated in conduct that jeopardized health and safety, we will work with them and the league to put in place additional safeguards to prevent this in the future," the statement said. "Dangerous play and acts on the field by players intended to injure have no place in football. We must do better to ensure that this activity is not a part of our game."

There was no mention of possible punishment for players involved.

Also: Marcus Trufant, who was saddled with back problems the past few years, was released by Seattle after nine seasons as a constant in the Seahawks' secondary.

Drafted by Seattle with the 11th overall pick in 2003, Trufant started all but one of the 124 regular-season games he played with the Seahawks. He also started all nine postseason games he played with the team. He finished his career with Seattle with 21 interceptions -- returning two for touchdowns.

The Atlanta Falcons re-signed backup defensive end Kroy Biermann.

Biermann has started 17 of 64 games over his four years with the Falcons. In his career, he has 12.5 sacks and two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

The Buffalo Bills re-signed receiver Ruvell Martin before he was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next week.

Martin had seven catches for 82 yards and also played a key role on special teams coverage last season.

The Carolina Panthers signed free-agent kicker Justin Medlock, who played last season for the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He replaces first-year player Adi Kunalic, who was released.

Medlock converted 49 of 55 field-goal attempts as a CFL All-Star last season.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook became so jealous when he discovered his girlfriend was talking to another man that he squeezed her throat until she couldn't breathe, a prosecutor said during opening statements in Cook's domestic assault trial in Minneapolis.

But a defense attorney said the woman lied about being choked in October. David Valentini told jurors that Chantel Baker was angry and drunk when she punched Cook multiple times, and the 6-foot-2-inch, 212-pound football player reflexively struck her after she hit him in the back of the head.

"Just because he's bigger doesn't make him the aggressor," Valentini said. "He has a right to protect himself."

Cook, 25, is on trial in Hennepin County on felony charges of domestic assault by strangulation and third-degree assault.

Toxicology reports show the son of former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin was drunk and had marijuana in his system when he fell into Wisconsin's Fox River and drowned.

The Oshkosh Police Department issued a statement saying 21-year-old Michael Philbin had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system to drive and also had marijuana at some point before he fell through the ice. His Jan. 8 death was classified as an accidental drowning.

MISCELLANEOUS

Pac-12 commissioner: Vegas in
mix to host basketball tourney

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said the league will announce the future site of its conference basketball tournaments after a weekend meeting of university presidents and chancellors.

Scott confirmed during the tournament at Staples Center that the MGM Grand Garden was in the running to serve as host starting in 2013. Los Angeles and Seattle also are bidding.

The combined men's and women's event is wrapping up its 11-year run in Los Angeles on Saturday, coinciding with the end of its current TV contracts.

Scott said the future of the women's tournament is under discussion.

Also: Arizona point guard Josiah Turner was suspended indefinitely for violating team rules, the second time this season the freshman has been suspended.

Arizona coach Sean Miller issued a statement saying while it was a bad time for a suspension, the standards of the program will not be compromised under any circumstances. Turner, who averaged 6.8 points in 29 games, did not accompany the team to the tournament.

The Wildcats open the Pac-12 tournament today after having a bye in the first round.

Temple will join the Big East for football next season, with all its other sports moving to the conference in 2013.

Temple has played in the Mid-American Conference in football and the Atlantic 10 for other sports.

Adding the Owls allows the Big East to replace West Virginia, which is leaving for the Big 12, on its football schedule next season.

Delvy Lewis, the starting guard for the Kansas team that lost to Texas Western in the 1966 NCAA Tournament, died Monday in Lawrence after a nine-year fight with cancer. He was 68.

UNLV's Charlie Alvarado was named Mountain West Conference Men's Tennis Co-Player of the Week after rallying from five games down in the third set to win his No. 5 singles match against host Air Force and provide the winning point in a 4-3 team victory last Saturday.

The late Dan Wheldon was honored in his adopted hometown with a street named after him along the St. Petersburg, Fla., race course.

The corner of Bayshore Drive and Albert Whitted Park now is known as Dan Wheldon Way. It's in Turn 10 on the course and is the place where Wheldon passed Ryan Briscoe in 2005 to win the inaugural Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in an accident in last October's season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.