Japan’s Owners Balk at World Cup

Japan’s baseball owners rejected a plan to hold the sport’s first World Cup tournament in the United States next year.

The owners do not want Major League Baseball in charge of the event and would prefer the International Baseball Federation, an official in the Japanese commissioner’s office told Associated Press on Thursday.

That could leave major league All-Stars such as Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees and Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners without a chance to play for their country in the World Cup.

However, another official in the Japanese commissioner’s office said Japan might still be interested in participating if the event was structured differently.

“We, obviously, want to talk with them and address whatever their concerns might be,” Gene Orza, the general counsel of the Major League Baseball Players Assn., said.

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News Corp.’s Fox cable networks said it was buying a minority stake in the Colorado Rockies, whose games it has broadcast since 1997.

Fox joins seven partners as an owner of the team, the company said in a news release.

The Rocky Mountain News reported the stake was worth $20 million.

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New York Yankee pitcher Javier Vazquez was added to the American League All-Star team as a replacement for injured right-hander Tim Hudson of the Oakland Athletics. Yankee Manager Joe Torre, who will manage the AL All-Stars, said the roster opening was offered first to Boston ace Pedro Martinez, who declined the invitation.... Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants and Hank Blalock of the Texas Rangers were added to next week’s All-Star Home Run Derby, filling out the field of eight competitors.