Rivera Begins to Throw Again

New York Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, sidelined because of a right shoulder strain, started a throwing program on Friday.

Rivera said he felt “fine” after playing catch with Yankees’ roving pitching coordinator Rick Tomlin. It was the first time the reliever has thrown in three weeks.

On Aug. 19, the All-Star was put on the disabled list for the third time this season. Before this season, Rivera had been on the disabled list only once.

After being sidelined from June 10-25 because of a strained right groin, his shoulder began hurting. Rivera went back on the disabled list on July 26.

He is 1-4 with 27 saves and a 2.85 earned run average this season.

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With a new labor agreement in place, Texas Rangers star Alex Rodriguez said baseball should have some new marketing ideas.

“It’s time for the owners and players to come together like the NBA does and start promoting their players,” Rodriguez said before the Rangers played at Tampa Bay on Friday. “Nobody ever said anything about Michael [Jordan] making $40 million. All you talk about is [NBA commissioner] David Stern marketing the game.”

The NBA is not alone, either. The PGA Tour promotes Tiger Woods extensively.

Rodriguez said the strained relationship between owners and players has had a negative effect on the game.

“We’ve been enemies so long that we’re losing all wars,” Rodriguez said.

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Major League Baseball’s labor peace didn’t win News Corp.’s Fox network more viewers the day after the sport and its players’ union reached an agreement on a new contract.

Fox’s broadcast last Saturday drew 1.9% of the 105.5 million U.S. homes with TVs, down 39% from 3.1% who tuned in to its comparable broadcast last season.

The decline--which Fox spokesman Lou D’Ermilio blamed on a weak schedule of games--came as the network is posting a 3.4% average ratings increase for its 14 broadcasts of Saturday baseball this summer.

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Judge James J. McBride heard arguments Friday about who owns the ball that Barry Bonds hit for his 73rd home run last season.

McBride didn’t rule who owns the ball: Alex Popov, the man who gloved it but lost it in a scrum, or Patrick Hayashi, the man who emerged from the tussling tangle with the big grin.

Though Hayashi initially took it home, the ball has since been placed under lock and key.

The judge has 90 days to rule, but probably won’t take that long.