Baseball stars have new Major League homes.

Two of baseball’s biggest names have found new Major League homes. Ken Griffey Jr. has left the Reds for the White Sox, while Manny Ramirez trades his Red Sox jersey for a Dodgers uniform. A Ramirez trade was both speculated and doubted as unlikely for much of the week as Thursday’s deadline for swaps approached. The slugger stated publicly that he was “tired” of Boston. Griffey’s move to Chicago was approved by the player hours after word of the deal reached fans and media. The Cincinnatian hit his 600th home run for the Reds this year. Get the lastest on the last-minute trades at Playa Hater.

LeBron James hits 20 in 114-82 win.

LeBron “King” James led all scorers in the first U.S. men’s basketball team exhibition versus Turkey Thursday. Hitting 20 in the 114-82 win, he drew praise from several teammates, including Dwight Howard, who says James played “excellently.” James had sprained an ankle last week when he landed on a player’s foot during a scrimmage, but appears to have fully recovered from the injury. “Obviously, he’s healthy,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski says. The coach jokingly added that he “voted twice” for James as player of the game. Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points.

Chris Henry suspended first four NFL games. Even if he’s given a contract, a legally troubled NFL player won’t be able to play the first four games of the coming season. The league suspended former Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry Thursday, leaving him eligible to suit up 12 times if he’s picked up by a squad. He was suspended eight games last year for player misconduct off the field. Cincinnati released Henry in April after his fifth arrest. His most recent legal snag occurred when he allegedly punched a college student and broke the student’s car window with a bottle. The criminal case against him was eventually dismissed.

Boston deliberates star player’s fate as trade deadline looms

With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline arriving tomorrow, Boston ’s management is reportedly pondering what to do with its star player. Manny Ramirez’ unpredictable behavior has been the subject of debate about whether the slugger is worth keeping in a Red Sox jersey. “I’m tired of them; they’re tired of me,” Ramirez says. But whether it would be wise to deal the player is a question management will determine as the clock ticks toward deadline. The Phillies, Mets, Dodgers and Diamondbacks are among teams that could benefit from Ramirez’ presence.

The Kings trade forward Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets.
The Sacramento Kings have trades forward Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets for guard Bobby Jackson and a first-round draft pick in 2009. Does this give Houston one of the top trios in the NBA? Read more at Playa Hater.

Ladies’ hoops gets positive marks from diversity researcher.
Florida ’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport has awarded the WNBA an A+ for it numbers of players and managers who represent women and people of color. The Institute’s study shows that women own three WNBA teams with five female head coaches and four Black head coaches. The Institute reports a slight decrease in the presence of women and people of color as assistant coaches. “They started at the same time the (NBA) began its diversity initiative, so the WNBA was able to include a good pool of candidates from the very beginning,” says Institute spokesman Richard Lapchick.