Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at Mariners, 10:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Tigers at Rays, 7 p.m. (MLB)
NBA: Draft, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Soccer: European Championship semifinals, Germany vs. Italy, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Track: Olympic trials, 9 p.m. (MBCSN)
Tennis: Wimbledon, 7 a.m. (ESPN)
AROUND THE WEB:
‘¦ During Tuesday’s Indians-Yankees game in New York, Yankees outfielder Dewayne Wise reached into the stands in an attempt to catch a foul ball hit by Jack Hannahan. The ball bounced off Wise’s glove and into the stands, but the umpire on the scene, Mike DiMuro, thought it was a catch and called the batter out without checking to see if Wise still had the ball.
The fan who retrieved the ball, Vinnie Pellegrino, held it up but then quickly realized what was happening, so he and his friend, Sal Azzariti, quietly handed off the ball to a 7-year-old seated nearby.
“I thought I was in a dream,” the kid, Ben Pikor, told the New York Post. “I like that the Yankees won. But I think the umpire made a bad call.”
The fans asked Wise to sign the ball later in the game.
“I don’t think he wanted to come over,” Assariti said. “He gave us a little wave with his glove — and a wink.”
The Indians didn’t find the situation so amusing, especially after Hannahan was ejected for arguing the call after watching the replay between innings.
“Mike’s a good umpire. I can live with the human part of it, not seeing the fan or not seeing the ball,” Indians manager Manny Acta said, adding: “[But] this was the case of a guy just not doing his job, and that I can’t live with.”
‘¦ Roger Clemens may have been acquitted in his federal perjury trial this month, but his troubles are not over. Former trainer Brian McNamee plans to depose Clemens and Andy Pettitte this year as part of his civil case against Clemens.
Said U.S. District Court Judge Sterling Johnson during a hearing Wednesday morning: “It’s going to be a credibility case.”
‘¦ On a day when the agent for Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley told the Detroit Free Press that the player will plead not guilty at a Thursday arraignment in Alabama on charges of DUI and attempting to elude police, Lions defensive end Cliff Avril tried to defend his team, which has been stung by six arrests this offseason.
“You can’t label us by a few young guys getting in trouble,” Avril said on ESPN’s “NFL 32″ show. “You can’t put that on the other 53 guys on the roster. That makes no sense. Obviously they are part of the team, nut I don’t think it’s correct to put that on the other 53 guys who are on the roster.”
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On June 28, 2003, the Red Sox made a trade with the Rockies to acquire which player, who debuted for Boston by going 4-for-5 with three RBIs in that night’s game against the Marlins (a 10-9 loss)?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “[There’s] no secret. Just see the ball and hit it, man. Keep it simple.” – David Ortiz, after hitting his 21st home run of the season in Wednesday’s 10-4 victory over the Blue Jays
STAT OF THE DAY: 5 – Games over .500 for the Red Sox, their best mark this season
‘NET RESULTS: Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony got a wax replica at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in New York, and to celebrate the honor he appeared there pretending to be his statue before scaring patrons.
A lacrosse goalie makes a save with his face mask, only to have the ball lodge there.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Gabe Kapler
SOOTHING SOUNDS: Chayanne turns 44 Thursday.