Devils fire John MacLean, bring back Jacques Lemaire

Facing the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1997, the New Jersey Devils fired rookie coach John MacLean on Thursday and brought back the firm hand of Jacques Lemaire to try to salvage the season.

The Devils have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL this season. New Jersey has the fewest points in the league with 20 in 33 games (9-23-2) and is last in the NHL in goals with 60 goals.

The 65-year-old Lemaire received a loud ovation from the crowd at the Prudential Center when he introduced before Thursday night’s game against the Islanders. The Devils went on to lose, 5-1.

“It’s a decision that certainly is not one that’s pleasant or we feel good about,” Devils president and General Manager Lou Lamoriello said. “But it’s a decision that, in my opinion, had to be made.”

Lamoriello made the decision two days after the Devils dropped a 5-1 decision to Washington for their third straight loss and eighth in nine games this month. The Devils were outscored 15-3 in their last three games under MacLean.

A perennial contender in the Eastern Conference, the Devils were expected to be among the leaders again this season after re-signing All-Star forward Ilya Kovalchuk to a 15-year, $100-million contract.

Kovalchuk, however, has been a major disappointment with eight goals in 32 games. He was even benched a game by MacLean for undisclosed reasons.

Rockies acquire reliever Lindstrom

The Colorado Rockies, seeking to bolster their bullpen, acquired right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom from the Houston Astros. In exchange, the Rockies sent minor league pitchers Wes Musick and Jonnathan Aristil to Houston in a deal that was announced Thursday.

Lindstrom has made at least 50 appearances in all four of his seasons in the majors. He had a team-high 23 saves for the Astros in 2010, finishing 2-5 with a 4.39 ERA.

Left-handed reliever Sean Burnett and the Washington Nationals agreed on a $3.95 million, two-year contract with a mutual option for 2013, avoiding salary arbitration.

Burnett went 1-7 with three saves and a 2.14 ERA in 73 appearances in 2010, part of a wholly rebuilt bullpen that morphed from one of Washington’s biggest weaknesses to a strength last season.

A person familiar with the negotiations says left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes has agreed to a contract with the AL champion Texas Rangers.

The 41-year-old Rhodes was 4-4 with a 2.29 ERA in 69 relief appearances for the Cincinnati Reds last season, when he became a first-time All-Star.

Entering his 20th major league season, Rhodes also has played for Baltimore, Seattle, Oakland, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Florida.

Watergate prosecutor had ‘extreme interest’ in Steinbrenner

Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox expressed “extreme interest” in a 1970s criminal investigation of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for illegal campaign contributions, according to documents released Thursday.

Then- FBI Director Clarence M. Kelley relayed Cox’s concern in a memo on Aug. 16, 1973, to the bureau’s Cleveland office, saying agents needed to make sure the probe received “the same, immediate and preferred handling” as other criminal cases then growing from the Watergate scandal.

The memos were included in a 400-page release of Steinbrenner’s FBI file Thursday. Most of the material focused on the Watergate-era federal probe that led to the shipbuilding magnate’s 1974 conviction for illegal contributions to disgraced President Richard M. Nixon.

There are scant references to Steinbrenner’s later pardon by President Ronald Reagan and nothing on his turbulent career as the Yankees’ “Boss.” The FBI said it was an interim release and that more documents would be forthcoming at a later date.

The Associated Press and other news organizations requested the file under the Freedom of Information Act following Steinbrenner’s death in July.

Mayo’s father charged with attempted murder

The father of Memphis Grizzlies player O.J. Mayo was charged with attempted murder Thursday after he hit a police officer with his car and dragged him for several feet, police said.

Two officers were searching for someone else at about 3:30 a.m. when they saw 39-year-old Kenneth Maurice Ziegler of Huntington in a vehicle trying to hide, police said. When they confronted him, he put the vehicle into gear, drove into one of the officers and dragged him, they said.

Police chased the vehicle for several miles through a Huntington neighborhood before disabling it with spike strips. Ziegler was captured after a short foot chase and charged with attempted murder, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, obstructing, fleeing in a vehicle and fleeing on foot, police said.

According to police, about 85 grams of marijuana and several chunks of crack cocaine were found in the vehicle.

Ziegler was being held Thursday at the Western Regional Jail. Police say there also are outstanding warrants charging him with fleeing, driving on a suspended license and burglary.

Huntington attorney Jason Goad, who is representing Ziegler, declined to comment.

Mayo was aware of the incident, but he declined to comment through a team spokesman Thursday after the Grizzlies’ practice in Memphis. Mayo didn’t live with his father growing up. But Ziegler did help Mayo’s mother, Alisha Mayo, hand out turkeys and hams in Huntington, W. Va., last month on behalf of their son.

P&G drops Woods

Procter & Gamble Co. will not renew its endorsement deal with Tiger Woods after this year, adding another name to the list of companies that cut ties with the golfer following revelations of marital infidelities.

The company used Woods, Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and dozens of other athletes as part of its three-year “Gillette Champions” marketing campaign. Gillette said on Thursday it was phasing out that program and not renewing the contract with Woods and other athletes. It stopped using Woods months ago.

Donovan divorcing actress wife Kajilich

Court records show soccer star Landon Donovan has filed for divorce from his actress wife Bianca Kajlich in Los Angeles.

Donovan, who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy, cited irreconcilable differences for the split with Kajlich after nearly three years of marriage.

Kajlich currently stars in the CBS comedy “Rules of Engagement.”

Benitez out as Inter Milan coach

Rafa Benitez’s spell as Inter Milan coach has ended after just six months.

The European and Italian champion announced that it had reached a “mutually satisfactory agreement” with Benitez to terminate his contract, which ran until the end of next season.

Benitez, who took charge in June after Jose Mourinho joined Real Madrid, guided Inter to the Club World Cup title last weekend.

But the European champion is languishing in seventh place in Serie A, 13 points behind city rival AC Milan.

Cazares beats Hisataka to retain super flyweight title

Mexico’s Hugo Cazares defeated Japan’s Hiroyuki Hisataka by unanimous decision to retain his WBA super flyweight title.

The 32-year-old Cazares dominated the 12-round bout at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in the third defense of the title he won in May.

Cazares improved to 34-6-2 with 24 knockouts while the 25-year-old Hisataka dropped to 19-9-1 with 8 KOs.