Pettitte speaks of HGH 'embarrassment'
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Pitcher Andy Pettitte spoke Monday of the "embarrassment" he caused his baseball teams and his fans for using performance-enhancing substances.
Pettitte admitted he used human growth hormone but said it was to speed up recovery from injuries and not to get a competitive advantage.
"I never want a young person to do what I did," Pettitte told a news conference.
Pettitte apologized to the New York Yankees -- his current team -- and Houston Astros -- a former team -- "their fans, my teammates and all baseball fans for the embarrassment I have caused them."
"I also want to tell anyone who is an Andy Pettitte fan that I'm sorry," he said
Pettitte was one of the most high-profile players named in baseball's Mitchell report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball. He's admitted to using HGH in 2002 and 2004 while recovering from elbow injuries. He said he knew it was in violation of MLB rules.
He also said "there are no other surprises out there" and another other drug-use rumors "would just be false allegations."
Gagne apologizes for HGH 'distraction'
PHOENIX, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Eric Gagne apologized for the "distraction" of being named in the Mitchell report on performance-enhancing substance use in baseball.
Gagne signed a one-year contract with the Brewers a few days before former Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine, released a report naming about 90 players -- including Gagne -- as having used performance-enhancing substances.
A statement by Gagne was posted Monday on the Brewers' Web site in which the relief specialist talked about how he was "looking forward to pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers."
The Mitchell report linked Gagne, who won the 2003 Cy Young Award, to the use of human growth hormone.
Gagne's statement Monday made little reference to the allegations.
"I'm here to let you guys know that I feel bad for my family, what they had to go through, and all my friends and especially my teammates here in Milwaukee," Gagne said. "I think that's just a distraction that shouldn't be taking place. I'm just here to help the Milwaukee Brewers get to the World Series and get to the playoffs, and that's all I really care about."
ATP suspends Galimberti for gambling
LONDON, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Giorgio Galimberti was suspended for 100 days and fined $35,000 by the ATP for allegedly betting on tennis matches.
The ATP said an internal investigation showed that Galimberti bet on tennis during the period from June 2003 to January 2006.
Gayle David, an ATP official overseeing rules and competition, said the group's anti-corruption program "unambiguously states that gambling on any form of tennis matches will not be tolerated."
Galimberti is ranked 1,009th in the men's singles and hasn't played in a tournament since a first-round loss in a tournament in Italy on Sept. 10, 2007.
Legace is top NHL player of the week
NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- St. Louis goaltender Manny Legace, whose only loss in four games last week was in overtime, was selected the top NHL player of the week.
The NHL each Monday picks three players as its top stars of the week. Joining Legace this week were New York Islanders winger Ruslan Fedotenko and Montreal goaltender Carey Price. Games Feb. 11-18 were considered for this week's awards.
Legace allowed 1.49 goals a game, stopped more then 95 percent of the shots fired at him and allowed more than one goal in just one of the four games. That was in a 2-1 overtime loss Saturday to Nashville. His strong play helped the Blues pull within 3 points of a playoff spot. He is 22-15-6 this season.
Fedotenko had four goals and one assist on the week. Two of his goals were game-winners. He had goals in each of the three Islanders' wins on the week with game-winners against Philadelphia and Atlanta and two goals in a 5-4 win over Toronto.
Price was 3-0 on the week, stopping 103 of 107 shots. He had 34 saves in a 1-0 win over Philadelphia for his first NHL shutout.
Mauresmo, Peer advance in Qatar
DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Amelie Mauresmo and Shahar Peer each collected straight-set victories Monday in the first round of the $2.5 million Qatar Total Open tennis tournament.
Mauresmo, seeded 14th this week, had some problems in the first set before closing out a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 win over Sabine Lisicki and Peer, seeded 12th, took over Andreja Klepac 6-3, 6-4.
Other seeded players picking up wins Monday were No. 15 Sybille Bammer, who defeated Aiko Nakamura 6-1, 6-3, and 16th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Akiko Morigami 7-5, 6-0.
No. 10-seeded Nadia Petrova was eliminated when she withdrew due to gastritis, a decisions that allowed Anabel Medina Garrigues to advance.
Also winning first-round matches were: Dominika Cibulkova, Tamarine Tanasugarn, Maria Kirilenko, Vera Zvonareva, Virginie Razzano and Zi Yan.
The top eight seeds, including No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, were given first-round byes.
The 2008 Qatar Total Open winner will take home $414,000.
