Record earnings for South Korean league

(Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday.
Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported.
The league pocketed 35 billion won ($32.9 million) in 2012, bettering the 34 billion it earned a year earlier, the report said citing figures from the marketing wing of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
The league received 25 billion won from its television broadcasting contract and 8 billion from corporate sponsorship, while 2 billion came from merchandise sales.
Each of the eight KBO clubs, having collectively drawn 7.15 million fans, took home 3.8 billion won after the league broke its attendance record for the fourth straight year.
The KBO will welcome a ninth club this year in what would be the league's first expansion since 1991 while another team could be included in 2015.

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UPDATE 2-Baseball-Bonds, Clemens denied; no players make Hall

* Bonds received 36.2 percent of the vote, Clemens 37.6
* First year since 1996 that no players elected to Hall
* Former Astro Biggio comes closest, falls 39 votes shy (Adds quotes and details)
Jan 9 (Reuters) - No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, with all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens snubbed over suspicion they used performance enhancing drugs.
Craig Biggio, who stroked 3,060 hits in a 20-year career with the Houston Astros, came closest to winning election, named on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots to fall 39 votes shy of the 427 needed for election to the Cooperstown, New York, shrine.
Three more votes back was pitcher Jack Morris, who received 385 votes, followed by Jeff Bagwell at 339.
Bonds was named on 36.2 percent of the ballots, and Clemens 37.6, well short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
It marked the first year since 1996 that no player was elected into the Hall of Fame, in what was seen as a referendum on players that compiled outsized statistics during the so-called Steroids Era.
"I was a little shocked," Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins told MLB TV. "I thought probably Jack Morris or Craig Biggio would probably get the opportunity to be a Hall of Famer because they had such outstanding careers.
"But with the high profile situation of having too many other players under the microscope, the suspicion of taking performance enhancing drugs, I think it took away from their opportunity for getting votes."
Clemens and Bonds, appearing on the ballot for the first time after waiting five years following their retirement, would have been certain first-ballot winners but faced a backlash over links to what Major League Baseball's internal Mitchell Report of 2007 called widespread doping in the game.
Bonds has admitted to "unknowingly" using steroids, and been convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal case on PEDs. The longtime former trainer of Clemens has said the pitcher used steroids, though Clemens was found not guilty in a court case.
Hall of Fame voters pledge not only to look at a candidate's playing ability and performance but also to take into account "integrity, sportsmanship and character".
Mike Piazza, the all-time home run leader among catchers, was named on 329 ballots, 32 more than Tim Raines.
Former closer Lee Smith (272) and starting pitcher Curt Schilling (221) also finished above Clemens and Bonds in the voting, who stood eighth and ninth, respectively.
"It certainly is a start-studded ballot with a number of guys who set remarkable records," Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said before announcing the results.
"Then you put in what voters have gone through and the consternation they've had in trying to decide who to pick and it's made it one of the most talked about classes in history."
They will all return to the ballot next year, which will also feature strong first-time candidates in pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas.
Players can remain on the ballot for as long as 15 years, and six players from the 1996 vote eventually did win election into the Hall of Fame.
"Major League Baseball recognizes that election to the Hall of Fame is our game's most extraordinary individual honor," the commissioner's office said in a statement.
"While this year did not produce an electee, there are many worthy candidates who will merit consideration in the future."
There will still be an induction ceremony in Cooperstown on July 28.
Former New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, who bought Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, turn-of-the-20th-century umpire Hank O'Day and 19th-century catcher Deacon White, all deceased, were elected to the Hall last month by the Pre-Integration Committee and will be honored at the ceremony.

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Bonds, Clemens denied; no players make Hall

(Reuters) - No one was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, with all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens snubbed over suspicion they used performance enhancing drugs.
Craig Biggio, who stroked 3,060 hits in a 20-year career with the Houston Astros, came closest to winning election, named on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots to fall 39 votes shy of the 427 needed for election to the Cooperstown, New York, shrine.
Three more votes back was pitcher Jack Morris, who received 385 votes, followed by Jeff Bagwell at 339.
Bonds was named on 36.2 percent of the ballots, and Clemens 37.6, well short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
It marked the first year since 1996 that no player was elected into the Hall of Fame, in what was seen as a referendum on players that compiled outsized statistics during the so-called Steroids Era.
"I was a little shocked," Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins told MLB TV. "I thought probably Jack Morris or Craig Biggio would probably get the opportunity to be a Hall of Famer because they had such outstanding careers.
"But with the high profile situation of having too many other players under the microscope, the suspicion of taking performance enhancing drugs, I think it took away from their opportunity for getting votes."
Clemens and Bonds, appearing on the ballot for the first time after waiting five years following their retirement, would have been certain first-ballot winners but faced a backlash over links to what Major League Baseball's internal Mitchell Report of 2007 called widespread doping in the game.
Bonds has admitted to "unknowingly" using steroids, and been convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal case on PEDs. The longtime former trainer of Clemens has said the pitcher used steroids, though Clemens was found not guilty in a court case.
Hall of Fame voters pledge not only to look at a candidate's playing ability and performance but also to take into account "integrity, sportsmanship and character".
Mike Piazza, the all-time home run leader among catchers, was named on 329 ballots, 32 more than Tim Raines.
Former closer Lee Smith (272) and starting pitcher Curt Schilling (221) also finished above Clemens and Bonds in the voting, who stood eighth and ninth, respectively.
"It certainly is a start-studded ballot with a number of guys who set remarkable records," Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson said before announcing the results.
"Then you put in what voters have gone through and the consternation they've had in trying to decide who to pick and it's made it one of the most talked about classes in history."
They will all return to the ballot next year, which will also feature strong first-time candidates in pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and slugger Frank Thomas.
Players can remain on the ballot for as long as 15 years, and six players from the 1996 vote eventually did win election into the Hall of Fame.
"Major League Baseball recognizes that election to the Hall of Fame is our game's most extraordinary individual honor," the commissioner's office said in a statement.
"While this year did not produce an electee, there are many worthy candidates who will merit consideration in the future."
There will still be an induction ceremony in Cooperstown on July 28.
Former New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, who bought Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, turn-of-the-20th-century umpire Hank O'Day and 19th-century catcher Deacon White, all deceased, were elected to the Hall last month by the Pre-Integration Committee and will be honored at the ceremony.

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Junior Seau had brain disease CTE

Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for nearly two decades, had a degenerative brain disease when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Results of an NIH study of Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., conducted a study of three unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's. It said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."
Seau's family requested the analysis of his brain, which was overseen by Dr. Russell Lonser.
Seau was a star linebacker for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and New England before retiring in 2009. He died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound.
He joins a list of several dozen football players who had CTE. Boston University's center for study of the disease reported last month that 34 former pro players and nine who played only college football suffered from CTE.
"I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's 23-year-old son Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didn't do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late.
"I don't think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma until he passed away. We didn't know his behavior was from head trauma."
That behavior, according to Tyler Seau and Junior's ex-wife Gina, included wild mood swings, irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.
"He emotionally detached himself and would kind of 'go away' for a little bit," Tyler Seau said. "And then the depression and things like that. It started to progressively get worse."
He hid it well in public, they said. But not when he was with family or close friends.
The NFL faces lawsuits by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects concussions can have on their health.
Seau is not the first former NFL player who killed himself, then was found to have CTE. Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling are others.
Duerson, a former Chicago Bears defensive back, left a note asking for his brain to be studied for signs of trauma before shooting himself. His family filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain.
Easterling played safety for the Falcons in the 1970s. After his career, he suffered from dementia, depression and insomnia, according to his wife, Mary Ann. He committed suicide last April.
Mary Ann Easterling is among the plaintiffs who have sued the NFL.
"It was important to us to get to the bottom of this, the truth," Gina Seau said, "and now that it has been conclusively determined from every expert that he had obviously had it, CTE, we just hope it is taken more seriously.
"You can't deny it exists, and it is hard to deny there is a link between head trauma and CTE. There's such strong evidence correlating head trauma and collisions and CTE."
Tyler Seau played football through high school and for two years in college. He says he has no symptoms of any brain trauma.
Gina Seau's son, Jake, now a high school junior, played football for two seasons, but has switched to lacrosse and has been recruited to play at Duke.
"Lacrosse is really his sport and what he is passionate about," she said. "He is a good football player and probably could continue. But especially now watching what his dad went through, he says, 'Why would I risk lacrosse for football?'
"I didn't have to have a discussion with him after we saw what Junior went through."
Her 12-year-old son, Hunter, has shown no interest in playing football.
"That's fine with me," she said.

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Steelers cut RB Rainey after arrest in Florida

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie running back Chris Rainey has run out of chances with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers cut the troubled 24-year-old following his arrest on a battery charge in Gainesville, Fla., on Thursday, the latest in a series of off-the-field incidents that have threatened his career.
Gainesville police officers charged Rainey with a single count of misdemeanor simple battery after an altercation with his girlfriend. Police said in a news release the two were arguing over Rainey's cellphone. When his girlfriend got into a vehicle, the former Florida Gator tried to pull her out.
Witnesses told detectives that Rainey slapped his girlfriend across the face and then chased her when she ran away with his phone in her purse.
The Steelers, who selected Rainey in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, waived shortly after being made aware of his arrest.
"Chris Rainey's actions this morning were extremely disappointing," general manager Kevin Colbert said. "Under the circumstances and due to this conduct, Chris will no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers."
Rainey worked primarily on special teams during his rookie season. He averaged 26.5 yards on 39 kickoff returns. The Steelers used him occasionally as a change of pace in the backfield. Rainey finished with 102 yards rushing and two scores while also catching 14 passes for 60 yards.
Rainey's agent, Joel Segal, didn't return a phone call for comment.
Thursday's arrest wasn't Rainey's first brush with the law. He was arrested Sept. 14, 2010 and charged with aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony, for allegedly sending a former girlfriend a threatening text message that read, in part, "Time to die ...."
Rainey spent a night in jail and was dismissed from the team by coach Florida coach Urban Meyer the next day, after Meyer said Rainey violated the program's core value regarding violence against women. Rainey agreed to a plea deal two weeks later and eventually returned to the field.

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UPDATE 4-NFL's Junior Seau had brain disease from blows to head

(Adds statement from Seau family)
Jan 10 (Reuters) - Junior Seau, the 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker who killed himself last year, suffered from the same debilitating brain disease diagnosed in at least two other former NFL defensive players who also committed suicide, a study released on Thursday said.
Seau, 43, died in May after shooting himself in the chest at his beachfront house in his hometown of Oceanside, California. He played mostly for the San Diego Chargers and two other teams in a 20-year career in the National Football League.
A study of Seau's brain by a team of independent researchers found he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, likely brought on by two decades of blows to the head as a football player, the report said.
Increased awareness and knowledge about brain injuries have unsettled the National Football League, a $9 billion a year industry that rose to popularity largely from the speed and power of its athletes colliding with one another. The league has attempted to institute rule changes protecting player safety while still preserving the spectacle that fans enjoy.
CTE can be diagnosed only after death. Tissue from Seau's brain was sent to the National Institutes of Health for analysis in July, at the request of Seau's family, amid growing concern over the long-term effects of football-related head injuries.
"The final diagnosis was findings consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy," Dr. Russell Lonser, the lead researcher on the case, told Reuters. Lonser is chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Ohio State University and led the study of Seau's brain while he was at NIH.
Patients with CTE may display symptoms "such as impulsivity, forgetfulness, depression, (and) sometimes suicidal ideation," Lonser said in the report.
Five neuropathologists - two who work for the government and three who were independent and not informed they were examining Seau - came to a consensus on the diagnosis by studying the accumulation of a protein called tau in certain areas of the brain, Lonser said.
The distribution of tau discovered in Seau's brain "is unique to CTE and distinguishes it from other brain disorders," the NIH said in a statement about the study.
Several thousand former NFL players have sued the NFL in federal court in Philadelphia, accusing the league of fraudulently concealing from players the risk of brain injury in playing professional football.
The exchange of evidence was on hold pending the NFL's motion to dismiss the case.
"While the NIH's findings have provided a measure of comfort, we remain heartbroken that Junior is no longer with us, and are deeply saddened to receive confirmation that he suffered from such a debilitating condition," Seau's family said in a statement.
Just weeks before Seau shot himself, former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling committed suicide, and family members described a long descent into dementia following his retirement from the NFL. An autopsy revealed indications of CTE.
In February 2011, four-time Pro Bowl safety Dave Duerson, who played most of his career with the Chicago Bears, shot himself in the chest. In a suicide note, he donated his brain for study, and it was found to exhibit signs of CTE.
The NFL said the result of the examination of Seau's brain underscored "the recognized need for additional research to accelerate a fuller understanding of CTE." NFL clubs have already committed a $30 million research grant to the NIH.
CTE AN 'INVISIBLE INJURY'
CTE, once known as boxer's dementia, is caused by repeated impacts to the brain, and has been found in athletes who suffered head injuries as well as members of the armed forces with concussive injuries from blast waves.
Because the mild and moderate brain injuries do not show up on CT scans or other imaging, the condition can be definitively diagnosed only through an autopsy.
The so-called "invisible injury" causes dramatic behavioral and cognitive changes. It can cause depression, aggression, impulsivity and memory loss and has been linked to suicide.
Research led by scientists at Boston University and the Veterans Administration in 2012 showed, through microscopic analysis of the brains of military veterans and young athletes, exactly how repeated head injuries cause CTE and impair mental function.
The trauma strangles blood vessels, diminishing blood flow within the brain, the scientists reported last May. It also breaks components of brain neurons called axons. Axons carry signals between neurons, so when they are damaged, brain signals peter out and thinking is impaired. CTE litters the brain with the chewed-up remnants of neurons and other cells so extensively that the brain seems to be eating itself alive.
CTE also stretches neurons, scientists led by Boston University's Ann McKee found. That stretching damages them so severely that they resemble neurons in the brain of Alzheimer's patients and are no longer functional.

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NFL-Jets sack offensive coordinator Sparano after losing season

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The New York Jets have fired offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, the National Football League team said on Tuesday in the latest shakeup to the franchise's coaching staff after a disappointing season.
Sparano, who was head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2011, spent just one season in charge of a Jets offense that ranked 30th in the league in total offense.
"At the end of the day, I wanted to move this team in a different direction offensively," head coach Rex Ryan told reporters at a news conference.
The Jets' (6-10) season was plagued by a quarterbacking controversy between ineffective incumbent Mark Sanchez and the hugely popular but unorthodox passer Tim Tebow.
A decision has yet been made on whether either quarterback will remain with the Jets.

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Jets sack offensive coordinator Sparano after losing season

(Reuters) - The New York Jets have fired offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, the National Football League team said on Tuesday in the latest shakeup to the franchise's coaching staff after a disappointing season.
Sparano, who was head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2011, spent just one season in charge of a Jets offense that ranked 30th in the league in total offense.
"At the end of the day, I wanted to move this team in a different direction offensively," head coach Rex0 Ryan told reporters at a news conference.
The Jets' (6-10) season was plagued by a quarterbacking controversy between ineffective incumbent Mark Sanchez and the hugely popular but unorthodox passer Tim Tebow.
A decision has yet been made on whether either quarterback will remain with the Jets.
The decision to release Sparano comes one day after the team parted ways with quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh and a week after General Manager Mike Tannenbaum was fired.

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AP Source: Browns interviewing CFL's Trestman

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the interview says the Browns are meeting with Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman.
Trestman interviewed with the Chicago Bears on Monday night and arrived at the Browns' facility in suburban Berea on Tuesday, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the search. Trestman is the fifth known candidate to interview with the Browns, who fired Pat Shurmur last week after two seasons.
Trestman was Cleveland's offensive coordinator in 1989. He has extensive background as an NFL assistant and has spent five seasons with Montreal, leading the Alouettes to two Grey Cup titles. The 56-year-old is under contract through 2016, but the club will allow him to leave for an NFL job if he's offered.
The Browns are not commenting on any of their interviews or candidates.
If the team was even thinking about contacting Nick Saban about their vacancy, Alabama's coach made it clear the NFL is in his past — not his future.
With their search in its second week, the Browns may have considered calling Saban, who coached the Miami Dolphins for two years before taking over the Crimson Tide's program. Fresh off winning his third national title in four years, the 61-year-old Saban reiterated that he's content at Alabama and outlined several reasons why he prefers to coach in college.
He said coaching in the NFL taught him that college "is where I belong, and I'm really happy and at peace with all that."
Saban worked as an assistant in Cleveland under Bill Belichick, and there has long been speculation he might one day return to the Browns.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have interviewed several coaching candidates and are expected to meet with more this week.
The Browns are expected to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who was released from a Baltimore hospital on Monday after he became ill before the Colts' 24-9 playoff loss to the Ravens.

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World Series Goes to Game 7 After an Epic Win by St. Louis

After being one strike away from elimination in back-to-back innings, the St. Louis Cardinals twice rallied from two runs down towin an 11-inning classic and force Game 7 of the World Series. RELATED: The Texas Rangers' Campaign Against 'The Wave' The Cards trailed Texas by two runs in both the ninth and tenth innings, but got multiple clutch hits from the likes of Albert Pujolsand Lance Berkman to the tie the game both times. Then David Freese — who tied the game with a triple in the ninth — led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a monster home run to center field,leaving baseball fans giddy at the prospect of a seventh game, the first in the World Series since 2002. RELATED: Red Sox-Yankees Games Are Unbearably Long The epic, four-hour-plus contest was a sloppy affair (the teams combined for five errors), but is already being compared to some of the best games in Series history. Particularly other great Game Sixes, like the ones in 1975, 1986, 1991, and 1993. RELATED: Tebow Booed in New York; Yachtsmen Mourned in San Francisco The game featured 15 pitchers (not counting one who had to pinch hit in the 10th), 5 home runs and 5 errors. One of the home runs came from St. Louis' Allen Craig, who was only in the game because outfielder Matt Holiday hurt his finger getting picked off first by Texas catcher Mike Napoli. RELATED: An Embarrassing Ending: Manny Ramirez Retires Game 7 will be tomorrow night at 8 p.m., in St. Louis. The starting pitchers are expected to be Matt Harrison, who lost Game 4 for Texas and Chris Carpenter, who (thanks to yesterday's rain delay) will start his third game of the series on just three days rest.

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Baseball Had A Really Good Night on Friday

So much for the risk of major media-market teams missing the World Series. Twenty-five million people watched Game Seven between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.
RELATED: A Wet World Series Forecast; NBA Players Plot World Tour
It's a truism of sports journalism — at least of the shouty AM radio call-in show variety — that no one's really going to care about the World Series if a marquee team doesn't make it to October. Think of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, or (somehow?) the Chicago Cubs.
RELATED: The Genius of Tony La Russa; NFL Concussion Lawsuits Move Ahead
That myth was demolished Friday night by Game 7 of the Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, which was watched by 25 million people, the largest audience for a baseball game since 2004, the year of the historic Red Sox comeback against the Yankees and their first Series win since Russia had a tsar.
RELATED: Ratings for World Series Beats the NFL; NCAA Players May Get a Raise
The ratings were big, Sports Illustrated reports, and the game was the best-watched Friday TV event since the 2010 Olympics.
RELATED: World Series Gets Rained Out; NFL's Smartest Quarterback Has a Good Arm
Some caveats: St. Louis has long thought of itself as a preeminent baseball town, and the Rangers' local fan base, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan sprawl-plex, isn't exactly a small market. But the results would seem to suggest that the best way to get a lot of people watching a World Series is to make it a really great series. And to go a full seven games.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers Are for Sale

After a months-long battle over the fate of one of baseball's iconic franchises, beleaguered owner Frank McCourt has finally agreed to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers. Major League Baseball announced the deal late last night, ending a bitter dispute that sent the team into bankruptcy and caused loyal fans to revolt.
RELATED: L.A. Dodgers Set Record with $2 Billion Sale
According to the Los Angeles Times, the sale will supervised by the bankruptcy court and will include the team, Dodger Stadium, the surrounding parking lots, and all the other assets owned by McCourt. The league had seized control of the team's operations earlier this season, accusing McCourt of siphoning millions of dollars away from the Dodgers for his own personal use, including paying for his ongoing legal battle with ex-wife, Jamie.
RELATED: NBA Players Reject Latest Owners' Latest Offer
The sale will likely set a record for the highest price ever paid for an MLB franchise. Forbes estimates the team to be worth about $800 million, but McCourt was offered $1.2 billion for them earlier this year and if a bidding war develops (there are several suitors that have expressed interest) the price could go even higher. Before MLB attempted to take over the team, McCourt had negotiated a local TV rights deal with Fox worth $3 billion over 20 years, proving that the Dodgers are still one of the hottest commodities in sports.
RELATED: Debt-Ridden Dodgers Now Major League Baseball's Problem
McCourt and his wife paid $421 million for the franchise in 2004, but is unlikely to realize much profit due to his massive  legal bills and tax debts. He and his wife recently agreed to a divorce settlement that requires him to pay her $130 million for her share of the team (among other things.)
RELATED: ESPN Stands by Its Creepy Picture of White Michael Vick
None of that matters any more to Dodger fans, however, who are simply glad to be rid of their hated owner. Attendance plummeted this year as fans protested McCourt's decimation of the team by staying away in droves.

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Major League Baseball Catcher Is Kidnapped in Venezuela

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has reportedly been kidnapped in his home country of Venezuela. Four gunman took him from his house on Wednesday, but no demands have been made yet.
RELATED: Pakistani Cricket Players Receive Jail Time for Fixing Matches
This is the not the first time that a Major League Baseball player has been targeted for kidnapping, although usually it is family members of stars who are the victims. The brother of Arizona catcher Henry Blanco was killed in 2008, and the infant son of Yorvit Torreabla (another Venezuelan catcher) was ransomed and returned unhurt in 2009. Venezuela reportedly has the highest kidnapping rate in the world, and athletes are obviously among the country's wealthiest and most high-profile citizens, even (or especially) if they stay in the United States while leaving family behind.
RELATED: Alleged Thief Dies After Fight with Walmart Workers in Parking Lot
Ramos played 113 games for the Nationals this year and had just returned south to play winter ball in his home town. Details of the kidnapping are still sketchy at this point, but obviously the hope is that the kidnappers simply want money and will return him unharmed.

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Warriors beat Hornets at home to stay hot

(Reuters) - The Golden State Warriors staved off a late fourth-quarter challenge to beat New Orleans Hornets 103-96 for a successful home return on Tuesday.
David Lee had 26 points and nine rebounds while Klay Thompson added 19 points as the Warriors triumphed in their first game at Oracle Arena since a recent seven-game road trip that saw them finish 6-1.
Despite the Golden State controlling the Hornets for most of the night, New Orleans made a furious run in the fourth to tie the game 92-92 with about four minutes remaining.
Jarrett Jack responded with six free throws during a game-deciding 9-2 stretch to help Golden State (17-8) continue their sparkling start to the season.
"We had a lot of confidence tonight, a lot more confidence than in the past," Lee told reporters after The Warriors were off to their best start since the 1991-1992 season when they started 21-8.
"It's no fun when a team's catching up on you like that, but I think we had confidence we could make plays down the stretch."
One of the younger teams in the league, few expected the Warriors to open the campaign this successfully and they are now just 1 1/2 games behind the Pacific Division lead.
The Hornets (5-19) have lost eight straight, despite getting 28 points off the bench from Ryan Anderson in their latest defeat.
Also a youthful group, New Orleans have endured a tough start and have now dropped 18 of their last 20 games.
Number one overall draft pick Anthony Davis recorded 15 points and 16 rebounds in his fifth game back since missing extensive time with a ankle injury. Greivis Vasquez added 20 and 11 assists.
Golden State grabbed a 10-point lead after the first quarter and were up 90-78 midway through the fourth before the visitors fought back by outscoring the Warriors 14-2 over a three-minute stint.

"It's just a tough loss for us, especially when you tie it up, you have a chance to win," said Hornets coach Monty Williams. "We just haven't found that closing mentality."

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WRAPUP 1-Basketball-Milan, Partizan face early Euroleague exits

By Zoran Milosavljevic BELGRADE, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Defeats in the penultimate round of the Euroleague's preliminary group stage on Friday left the competition's former winners Emporio Armani Milan and Partizan Belgrade staring at early elimination. Fenerbahce, who spent heavily last summer hoping to assemble a side capable of slugging it out with Europe's best, are also skating on thin ice after a 69-55 defeat at six-time winners Panathinaikos Athens. Milan were in the driving seat for three quarters of their home match against Zalgiris Kaunas but a poor final period cost them as they slipped to a 67-65 loss to the Lithuanian champions. "Once again we lost a game because of stupid little mistakes and it shows that we are not in control in clutch moments," Milan coach Sergio Scariolo told the competition's official website (www.euroleague.net). "We're damned by our crucial mistakes which we made because of the big pressure, although we played against a big team with big players," added Scariolo, who stepped down as Spain coach last week after winning two successive European titles and the 2012 Olympic silver medal with them. Milan need to beat holders Olympiakos Piraeus away next week and hope that Spaniards Caja Laboral slip to an unlikely home defeat by Croatia's Euroleague debutants Cedevita Zagreb to advance into the second group stage of the competition. Roared on by their fervent fans, Partizan came close to upsetting Barcelona but plaudits from the visiting team's coach Xavi Pasqual was all they got from a rip-roaring contest in which the lead changed hands time and again in the cauldron of Belgrade's Pionir Arena. "Congratulations to Partizan fans for an excellent show and it is a kind of atmosphere that can't be seen anywhere else," Pasqual said after Barca ground out a 68-67 overtime victory thanks to a block by Partizan's former centre Nathan Jawai on the buzzer. "I think we were very good in the final period and overtime and this is a very important win for us." Partizan must beat German side Bamberg to keep alive any hopes of progressing but even that may not be enough if Lithuanians Lietuvos Rytas beat Besiktas Istanbul away in their final game. Fenerbahce were also dragged into a complicated three-way battle for one of the last three remaining berths in the top 16 after they were soundly beaten 69-55 at Panathinaikos Athens, one of the 13 teams who had already booked their spots with games to spare. An excellent individual performance by former Panathinaikos forward Romain Sato, the game's top scorer with 20 points, was merely a flash in the pan for the Turkish side who must beat Italians Mapooro Cantu in their dogfight and hope that Olimpija Ljubljana lose at Real Madrid. "My players are feeling the pressure of having to qualify for the top 16 and I hope the possibility of being eliminated will help us to play with heart and improve our game against Cantu," Fenerbahce's Italian coach Simone Pianigiani said. Forward Mike Batiste, another former Panathinaikos stalwart who moved to Fenerbahce during the close-season break, endured an emotional night in the Greek capital. "It was an unforgettable night for me," he said. "I came back home with lots of great memories and strong emotions I experienced in the last nine years; I was welcomed by the fans and that is something I will never forget, hence I am full of happiness and pride although we lost the game."

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Lakers' Gasol sidelined for third straight game

(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers will once again be without injured forward Pau Gasol when they try to climb back to the .500 mark against the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The Spaniard will miss his third straight game due to tendinitis in both knees and Antawn Jamison is expected to start in his absence, having scored 15 points as Gasol's replacement in each of the previous two games. "Tonight we're playing the Thunder of @sergeibaka9! My knees are improving but I still won't be able to be out there with my team," Gasol tweeted after the Lakers shoot around on Friday. The Lakers certainly face an uphill task in Oklahoma City where they take on the Western Conference-leading Thunder (15-4)who are seeking their seventh consecutive win. Gasol is averaging a National Basketball Association career low in points with 12.6 per game while the Lakers have slipped to 9-10 for the season after starting out with lofty expectations. Despite adding six-time All-Star Dwight Howard and twice former Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in the off-season to a strong line-up headed by five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have failed to fire consistently. Former head coach Mike Brown and his Princeton offense have been replaced by Mike D'Antoni and his promise of "Showtime-type basketball" but the injury-hit team has not yet gelled under its new structure. Nash played just two games this season before being sidelined indefinitely with a small fracture in his right leg and fellow guard Steve Blake is out for six-to-eight weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. The ever-inspirational Bryant is averaging a league-best 28 points per game for Los Angeles and he become the youngest player to score 30,000 career points during his team's 103-87 road win against the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday. But the Lakers could certainly do with four-time All-Star Gasol regaining both form and fitness if they are to turn what has been a surprisingly disappointing season, so far, around.

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NBA-Lakers' Gasol sidelined for third straight game

Dec 7 (Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers will once again be without injured forward Pau Gasol when they try to climb back to the .500 mark against the streaking Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The Spaniard will miss his third straight game due to tendinitis in both knees and Antawn Jamison is expected to start in his absence, having scored 15 points as Gasol's replacement in each of the previous two games. "Tonight we're playing the Thunder of @sergeibaka9! My knees are improving but I still won't be able to be out there with my team," Gasol tweeted after the Lakers shootaround on Friday. The Lakers certainly face an uphill task in Oklahoma City where they take on the Western Conference-leading Thunder (15-4)who are seeking their seventh consecutive win. Gasol is averaging a National Basketball Association career low in points with 12.6 per game while the Lakers have slipped to 9-10 for the season after starting out with lofty expectations. Despite adding six-time All-Star Dwight Howard and twice former Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in the off-season to a strong line-up headed by five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have failed to fire consistently. Former head coach Mike Brown and his Princeton offense have been replaced by Mike D'Antoni and his promise of "Showtime-type basketball" but the injury-hit team has not yet gelled under its new structure. Nash played just two games this season before being sidelined indefinitely with a small fracture in his right leg and fellow guard Steve Blake is out for six-to-eight weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. The ever-inspirational Bryant is averaging a league-best 28 points per game for Los Angeles and he become the youngest player to score 30,000 career points during his team's 103-87 road win against the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday.

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Heat look for answers after mauling by rival Knicks

Heat look for answers after mauling by rival KnicksMIAMI (Reuters) - Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra does not want any "drama" but his team's second 20-point loss to the rival New York Knicks in five weeks has certainly focused the minds of his team. The Heat, who entered Thursday's home game against New York still stinging from Tuesday's humbling road loss to the last-place Washington Wizards, were dominated by a Knicks team that enjoyed 18 three-pointers in a 112-92 win. Spoelstra said issues raised by Miami's lackluster effort, which led to their first two-game losing skid of the season despite playing a Knicks team that was without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, needed to be addressed. "We have to be honest with ourselves and really own it," Spoelstra said. "We are not going to over-dramatize this or make it bigger than it is. We are simply going to own it and the quicker we do, the quicker we can fix it." Spoelstra, who captured his first National Basketball Association title as a head coach last season, is certain his experienced roster has the qualities needed to resolve their current problems. "We have guys that are very familiar with our system. It's just going to take another level, another level of commitment, of effort, of communications, all those things that we are capable of but it's time," he said. All-Star forward Chris Bosh, who had 12 points in the loss, believes his team, which beat New York in all three meetings last season, are playing at too high a tempo. "We should really slow down some and really put pressure on teams. I think sometimes we get into this place where we try to force things by trying to play too fast. Sometimes it is good but there has to be a balance," he said. "We had a lot of success when we were just taking our time. We don't have to put it in our heads to just 'go.' We're a good team, we can pick you apart, whatever way you want it." LeBron James, who put up a game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a losing effort, disagreed that excessive speed was behind the loss. "Pace has nothing to do with us getting smashed. If we play fast we have to get back and communicate defensively. Slow the pace up? I don't know, we will play whatever type of game, we'll be fine," he said. For James, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, Miami's main problem is a lack of on-court communication. "We communicate sometimes and that is not a good thing, we have to do it all the time. We have to communicate more and now have as many breakdowns," said James. "They pretty much kicked our ass. We can't just throw this under the rug and move on to the next game. We have some work to do."

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NBA-Heat look for answers after mauling by rival Knicks

MIAMI, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra does not want any "drama" but his team's second 20-point loss to the rival New York Knicks in five weeks has certainly focused the minds of his team. The Heat, who entered Thursday's home game against New York still stinging from Tuesday's humbling road loss to the last-place Washington Wizards, were dominated by a Knicks team that enjoyed 18 three-pointers in a 112-92 win. Spoelstra said issues raised by Miami's lackluster effort, which led to their first two-game losing skid of the season despite playing a Knicks team that was without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, needed to be addressed. "We have to be honest with ourselves and really own it," Spoelstra said. "We are not going to over-dramatize this or make it bigger than it is. We are simply going to own it and the quicker we do, the quicker we can fix it." Spoelstra, who captured his first National Basketball Association title as a head coach last season, is certain his experienced roster has the qualities needed to resolve their current problems. "We have guys that are very familiar with our system. It's just going to take another level, another level of commitment, of effort, of communications, all those things that we are capable of but it's time," he said. All-Star forward Chris Bosh, who had 12 points in the loss, believes his team, which beat New York in all three meetings last season, are playing at too high a tempo. "We should really slow down some and really put pressure on teams. I think sometimes we get into this place where we try to force things by trying to play too fast. Sometimes it is good but there has to be a balance," he said. "We had a lot of success when we were just taking our time. We don't have to put it in our heads to just 'go.' We're a good team, we can pick you apart, whatever way you want it." LeBron James, who put up a game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in a losing effort, disagreed that excessive speed was behind the loss. "Pace has nothing to do with us getting smashed. If we play fast we have to get back and communicate defensively. Slow the pace up? I don't know, we will play whatever type of game, we'll be fine," he said. For James, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, Miami's main problem is a lack of on-court communication. "We communicate sometimes and that is not a good thing, we have to do it all the time. We have to communicate more and now have as many breakdowns," said James.

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