Craig Monroe quickly found himself back in a pennant race Thursday when the Detroit Tigers traded the slumping outfielder and cash to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named. Despite hitting only .222 before Detroit designated him for assignment last Friday, Monroe was productive against left-handed pitching.
Jim Leyland doesn’t want the Detroit Tigers to stare at the standings. That’s probably a good idea because the slumping Tigers are slipping behind Cleveland in the AL Central and losing ground in the wild-card race. Pinch-hitter Kenny Lofton’s infield single off Joel Zumaya broke a scoreless tie with two outs in the 10th inning, and the Indians went on to beat Detroit 3-1 Thursday.
Chad Billingsley threw strikes, got important outs and put his team in position to win. For change, it was enough. Billingsley struck out seven in seven sharp innings to earn his first victory in a month and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Thursday. Billingsley (8-4) allowed one run and four hits, winning for the first time since he beat Houston on July 23.
Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison returned to practice Thursday after tending to personal matters Wednesday. Harrison, one of only four players in NFL history to catch 1,000 passes, rarely takes a break. Coach Tony Dungy said he had been excused for personal reasons. Six other players sat out practice Thursday, including No.
Tommie Harris had little to say as he walked off the field following Thursday’s practice, other than that he’s ready to play. That doesn’t necessarily meant the Chicago Bears will give the Pro Bowl defensive tackle a chance against the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Although he has been practicing and will be in uniform, his status for the third preseason game remains a question mark.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, two days after being released by the Philadelphia Eagles. The 30-year-old, four-time Pro Bowl selection was one of the leaders of the Eagles defense for much of the past decade. He was let go Tuesday in a move that opened a spot in the lineup for second-year pro Omar Gaither.
Dance Smartly, the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Breeders’ Cup in 1991, has died after sustaining an injury in her paddock. She was 19. Dance Smartly, who won the Eclipse Award as North America’s top 3-year-old in 1991, was euthanized over the weekend because of an irreparable injury related to an arthritic joint in her knee.
Butch van Breda Kolff, who coached the Los Angeles Lakers to two NBA finals appearances and won 482 games as a college coach, has died after a long illness. He was 84. Van Breda Kolff died Wednesday afternoon at a nursing home in Spokane, his daughter, Kristina van Breda Kolff, said. His son, Jan, also played professionally and coached at Cornell, Vanderbilt, Pepperdine and St.
Veteran guard Gary Payton is not expected to return to the Miami Heat next season. Heat coach Pat Riley said Thursday that while the 17-year veteran Payton is unlikely to return, the team has interest in signing free agent forward P.J. Brown and are hoping to re-sign forward James Posey. Payton averaged 6.6 points in two seasons with Miami, and helped the Heat win the 2006 NBA title.
