Embattled three-time Major League MVP Alex Rodriguez helped shift the focus off steroids Wednesday afternoon, slapping the rawhide clear out of the park in a 6-1 Yankees’ exhibition win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Back on the field, Alex Rodriguez was able to put aside the steroids scandal. The game was Rodriguez’s first since admitting he took performance-enhancing drugs between 2001-03, when he played for the Texas Rangers. “This is what I do. I know how to play baseball,” Rodriguez said. “I just hope that’s the start of something really special for this year. I feel really good about our team.”

Barkley’s Facing Jail Time
Charles Barkley will do some jail time in connection with his drunken driving arrest in Arizona on New Year’s Eve. The former NBA star and TV analyst, who pleaded guilty Monday to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence, will begin a five-day jail sentence on March 21. He must also pay more than $2,000 in fines and attend an alcohol treatment program. The 45-year-old outspoken ex-athlete was arrested after failing a field sobriety test shortly after leaving a Scottsdale nightclub. Arizona also requires him to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicles.

Ex-Dodgers’ Skipper Shocked About A-Rod
Longtime Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda lost a bit of respect for slugging star Alex Rodriguez following the third baseman’s acknowledgement three weeks ago that he had used performance-enhancing drugs. “I never thought about him ever taking steroids,” Lasorda said of A-Rod. “So when it did, that just shocked me. Shocked me. I didn’t think he would do that. …Sure, it changes my perception of him as a person and what he did, absolutely … and I feel so bad about that. The guy, he was always somebody special. We established that relationship. … I just had so much respect, so much really good feeling about him. I never thought that he would have done it.” Last month, Sports Illustrated reported that Rodriguez was among a list of 104 players who tested positive during an anonymous drug survey conducted by Major League Baseball in 2003.

A-Rod Can Steer Clear of the Hill, For Now
Congress doesn’t plan on forcing superstar steroid user Alex Rodriguez to come to Capital Hill to testify about his recent admission. Rep. Ed Towns, who heads a committee that oversees laws that govern professional sports, said that a protracted testimony from the highest-paid person in Major League Baseball would only distract from more pressing governmental issues. “The American people need leaders who will focus on stemming job losses and getting credit to flow in the marketplace before hearing from yet another person who cheated both himself and the game of baseball,” said Towns, a Democrat from New York who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Towns, who has previously asked Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro about steroids in baseball in recent years, said Tuesday he does not think lawmakers need to hear from Rodriguez following his admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003.

Two Men Are Charged With Shooting Track Star
Two California men with ties to gangs have been charged in the brutal shooting of one of the nation’s top sprinters. Prosecutors say that Travon Reed of Los Angeles and Horasio Kimbrough of Inglewood, Calif., both 21, were each charged with one count of attempted murder with gang and gun allegations. Deputy District Attorney Eric Harmon, of the Hardcore Gang Division, said Tuesday that the two men tried to kill Bryshon Nellum, a track star at the University of Southern California. Last fall, sprinter Bryshon Nellum was shot three times in the left thigh and hamstring after leaving a Halloween party at a restaurant near campus. Reed and Kimbrough were arrested Feb. 5 by Los Angeles police. The two defendants are due in court Feb. 23 for a preliminary hearing, the district attorney’s office said. Bail for Reed was set at $2 million and Kimbrough was being held without bail. If convicted, the men face a maximum of 50 years to life in state prison. Nellum had surgery and the sophomore has been working out with hope of resuming his career. He was considered a potential Olympian when he graduated in 2007 from Long Beach Poly High School. Nellum was the nation’s top high school sprinter in the 200- and 400-meter races in 2007 and the first athlete to win California state titles two straight years in both races.

Howard, Phillies Strike $54 Million Deal
Ryan Howard, the Philadelphia Phillies slugger who has made it clear that he wants a salary to match the giant bat he’s been swinging over the past few years, got his wish on Sunday. The 29-year-old team homerun leader signed a three-year, $54 million contract, avoiding a nasty arbitration hearing. Under the agreement, Howard will earn $15 million this season, $19 million next year and $20 million in 2011. “The things that have happened prior with Ryan, it was really nothing adversarial, although I know with some people it was depicted that way,” Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We just agreed to disagree. It didn’t make us love Ryan any less, and it didn’t make Ryan love us any less.” Last season, nobody got more homeruns than Howard’s 48 or more RBI than his 146. Although he batted just .251, had a humongous 199 strikeouts and made 19 errors at first base, he was still just a notch off the league MVP award, and he led his team to its first World Series since 1980.

Is A-Rod Just One of Many ’Roid Users?
As the sports world chews on the news that New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez allegedly tested positive for steroids a half-decade ago, former Boston Red Sox hurler Curt Schilling said Sunday that he’d like to see everybody outed who’s suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs. “I’d be all for the 104 positives being named, and the game moving on if that is at all possible,” former Boston ace Curt Schilling wrote on his blog Sunday of the list of players who failed drug tests. “In my opinion, if you don’t do that, then the other 600-700 players are going to be guilty by association, forever,” he wrote. “It appears that not only was it 104, but three of the greatest of our, or any, generation appear to be on top of this list.” The sports world was rocked late last week with news that perhaps the top player in the Majors once tested positive. Rodriguez’s agent Scott Boras, said, “Alex has been out of the country. I expect him back later today and want to confer with my client before saying anything.”

Rumored sex tape of baseball star reaches gossip mill

British tabloids are reporting that New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez was caught on hidden video camera in a Big Apple apartment where he and singer Madonna allegedly met for sexual encounters. An unidentified man is reported to have contacted Madonna’s lawyers claiming to have the footage. The singer’s reps say they’re aware of his claim, but have no comment. A-Rod has been linked to Madonna for weeks with many speculating that the top-salaried slugger’s marriage suffered because of it. Rodriguez’ wife recently filed for divorce from him, alleging infidelity.

Yankees slugger moves into 13th place on career home run list
Despite high-profile problems on the home front – in a week that began with his wife’s filing for divorce – Alex Rodriguez continues performing at home plate. As Toronto Blue Jays fans taunted the star on Saturday with photos of his rumored mistress, singer Madonna, A-Rod hit his 537th career home run against the Blue Jays’ Brian Tallet. Rodriguez’ 19th homer of the season pushed him past former Yankees great Mickey Mantle on the career homers list. A-Rod has the 13th largest career home run total of any Major League player.

Detroit leads large “TitleTown USA” contenders
A hometown to legends including boxers Joe Louis and Thomas Hearns and Super Bowl-winner Jerome “The Bus” Bettis is a finalist in an ESPN contest. Detroit has the highest Black percentage among 20 cities remaining in SportsCenter’s “TitleTown USA” competition to name the top sports town. The winning city will be announced at 11 p.m. July 27 on ESPN. “TitleTown USA is another great opportunity for SportsCenter to interact with sports fans,” says Mark Gross, a spokesman. “Along the way the series will raise some topical debate, refocus attention to the unique relationships fans have with their teams, and tell great stories that connect the heartstrings of well-known, and perhaps not-so-well-known, teams to their towns.” Detroit boasts 11 Stanley Cups, five NBA and WNBA championships and four World Series wins.

Cynthia Rodriguez says A-Rod’s a cheater
Amid persistent rumors of an affair between her husband and singer Madonna, the wife of New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez wants out. Cynthia Rodriguez has filed for divorce, saying A-Rod’s a cheat who “emotionally abandoned his wife and children.” “The marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken because of the husband’s extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct,” her petition, filed Monday in Florida, states. A former trainer to Rodriguez calls the slugger “brainwashed,” saying that A-Rod has been seduced by Hollywood’s glamour.

NBA teams’ new look for ’08 can be revealed tomorrow
A moratorium on roster changes in the NBA is officially lifted tomorrow when teams can announce their final trade moves and roster additions. Among other developments, Eldon Brand is expected to re-sign with the L.A.Clippers. Teams will know the player salary cap for the coming season as early as tonight.

Racy cover doesn’t equal magazine sales
The controversial April issue of Vogue magazine, with LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen, was a flop on newsstands; it sold only 350,000 copies, 100,00 less than normal. Why didn’t people buy it? Find out more at Playa Hater.