CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Former drivers Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip are two of the 25 nominees for the first NASCAR Hall of Fame induction class. NASCAR released the two names Tuesday ahead of the announcement of all nominees Thursday night. The first class will consist of five members. They’ll be inducted in conjunction with […]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Veteran guard Michael Finley has told the Spurs he plans to return for another season. The 36-year-old Finley held the option on his contract for the 2009-10 season, which will be his fifth in San Antonio. The team announced Finley’s decision Tuesday. Finley finished his 14th season with averages of 9.7 […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Boston’s Kevin Youkilis has moved back in front of the Yankees’ Mark Teixeira with two days left in AL balloting for starters for the All-Star game in St. Louis on July 14. Youkilis had 1,915,303 votes in totals released Tuesday to Teixeira’s 1,875,256. Last week, Teixeira was ahead by 35,632 ballots. […]

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The birthplace of basketball is now home to the Armor, Springfield’s new NBA Development League team. The team unveiled its name and logo on Tuesday, chosen by fans in an online poll. The Armor, a reference to the historic Springfield Armory created in 1777, beat out contending names like the Colonials, […]

BALTIMORE (AP) — It’s about as close as it gets to a sure thing in baseball: Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon pitching for Boston against the Baltimore Orioles. Lester threw seven shutout innings, Papelbon earned a milestone save and the Red Sox extended their dominance of the Orioles with a 4-0 victory Monday night. Lester […]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR filed court documents Monday night that show an independent laboratory found an illegal substance in the urine sample that led to Jeremy Mayfield’s suspension for a failed drug test. The documents, part of NASCAR’s response to Mayfield’s lawsuit to have his indefinite suspension lifted, show that Medtox Laboratories in Minnesota […]

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — They played into the night on Centre Court, later than anyone ever had in Wimbledon’s long history, and they played indoors, the first match contested entirely under the new roof. And at 10:39 p.m. Monday, when No. 3-seeded Andy Murray of Britain finally finished off a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 […]

HOUSTON (AP) — Rockets center Yao Ming’s broken left foot could be a “career-threatening” injury. Dr. Tom Clanton, the Houston Rockets’ team physician, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that Yao’s injury “has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening.” Yahoo! Sports first reported the Rockets and Yao’s representatives were […]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers will not exercise their team option on guard Marquis Daniels. Daniels’ agent, Glenn Schwartzman, told The Associated Press in an e-mail on Monday that the Pacers have indicated that they will not pay the final year of the deal. Daniels would have made $7.3 million next season, but now […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mariano Rivera has seen all the histrionics by some closers. It’s fine, he said, because it’s part of their personalities. Rivera has his own way of celebrating a big save for the Yankees. “I go home,” he said. “Simple as that. As quick as I finish, I go home.” Rivera went […]