"The Cubs appear poised to sign veteran center fielder Jim Edmonds soon after he clears waivers Wednesday. That would mean a demotion to the minors for touted prospect Felix Pie, who entered Monday with a .222 average and strikeouts in one-third of his plate appearances. The lefty-hitting Edmonds and right-handed Reed Johnson would share center-field duties."

"One day after manager Ned Yost said he was removing Eric Gagné from the closer's role to allow him to regroup mentally, the embattled reliever said he was ready to start saving games for the Milwaukee Brewers again. "I know I belong in the ninth inning," Gagné said Monday afternoon. Perhaps, but it was not exactly smooth sailing for Gagné that evening, when he was summoned into a game before the eighth inning for the first time since April 2, 2002."

"When Alex Rodriguez hurt his right quadriceps on April 20, the Yankees let him come back after four days of rest. They are being much more conservative now, and on Monday, Manager Joe Girardi said Rodriguez would most likely be out through the weekend."

"It's been quite a ride lately for Berkman and the Astros, especially because the four-time All-Star is providing more than just his amazing offense these days. Berkman, who picked up his second National League Player of the Week honor Monday for the period ending May 11, is leading in the clubhouse, on the field, and at times on the bases...After going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs Monday night, Berkman is tied for first in the National League in homers and leads in RBIs, runs, total bases, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, doubles and home batting average. He is second in batting average, hits and on-base percentage."

" James nailed a key 3-pointer after missing six straight shots, and sealed the game with an emphatic dunk to help propel the Cavs to an 88-77 victory over the Boston Celtics at The Q in the Eastern Conference semi- finals. "The win is, of course, big," James said. "We took care of home court and that's what we needed to do - to turn this into a three-game series." "

"Utah's back. Kobe Bryant says he will be, too. A series is now a series, which meant all eyes turned to the newest MVP as he took it easy Monday, resting his back in lieu of risking further flare-ups of the kind that floored him a couple of times in Game 4. Bryant, listed as day-to-day because of lower back spasms, says he'll be ready Wednesday for Game 5, though it's unclear if he'll be fully healthy, partially healthy, somewhere in between or somewhere the Lakers don't even want to think about."

"Calmly yet meticulously in a Monday night phone interview, Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf detailed the sequence of events that led to Mike D'Antoni spurning the Bulls for the Knicks. Befitting his law background, Reinsdorf pegged matters to the minute, saying he's still waiting for D'Antoni to return his call placed at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on Saturday. "I'm disappointed in him," Reinsdorf said. "I don't know what else we could've done. He chose to go to New York knowing there was a good chance we would make him an offer. If he had really wanted to be in Chicago, he would've waited. Instead, he misled us. It's not the end of the world, but it is somewhat rude.""

"A River Hills house belonging to former NBA star Latrell Sprewell was foreclosed on Monday after he failed to show up in court to contest the action brought by a bank that held his mortgage. The holder of the mortgage, RBS Citizens Bank, told Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Hansher that Sprewell owed $320,284. According to River Hills records, the house is assessed at $610,000 and has an estimated fair market value of $667,980. Sprewell bought the house in 1994 for $405,000."

"Matt Walsh, a former video assistant for the New England Patriots, turned over eight videotapes to the N.F.L. last week, the result of the Patriots’ spying against five teams. On Tuesday morning, Walsh will meet with Commissioner Roger Goodell, then fly to Washington to meet with Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, who has been critical of the league’s handling of the case."

"Robbie Gould figured his big payday was coming, it was just a matter of when. The Bears made Gould the highest-paid kicker in NFL history Monday by signing him to a five-year, $15.5 million extension through 2013. The $15.5 million includes performance incentives and a $4.25 million signing bonus."

"Tight end Kevin Everett, who suffered a career-ending cervical spinal cord injury last season, will be placed on the waived/failed physical list by the Buffalo Bills today. The move is not surprising because the Bills can’t carry Everett on the active roster because of his injury. However, the decision wasn’t done just for football reasons. By being released, Everett can now pursue benefits that will ensure his financial stability. "

"The four men charged with murder in the death of Washington Redskins star safety Sean Taylor will not face the death penalty, although prosecutors will seek life sentences without parole, according to Richard Sharpstein, a Florida lawyer who is spokesperson for Taylor's family. Sharpstein said the move by prosecutors, reported yesterday by the Fort Myers News Press and Naples Daily News, came as no surprise to the Taylors"

"Datsyuk scored his first career playoff hat trick Monday night -- all eight of his goals this postseason have come away from home -- as the Wings beat the Stars, 5-2, in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. With its franchise-record ninth consecutive playoff win, Detroit now owns commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series."

"The Sharks' failure to advance any closer to a Stanley Cup title this season than in their previous two cost Coach Ron Wilson his job Monday. "Sometimes the class needs a new professor and sometimes the professor needs a new class," General Manager Doug Wilson said after declaring his dissatisfaction with the team's third straight second-round exit. An active search for the team's eighth head coach will begin immediately, the general manager said, and won't be limited to candidates with NHL experience."

"Captain Sidney Crosby remained skeptical of the decision not to overturn a "no-goal" call at 16:41 of the first period of Game 2 because a video review, according to an NHL-released statement, proved inconclusive. "I'm glad we won, put it that way," Crosby said. "That would be a tough one to take if we had lost." Crosby wouldn't say the wrong call was made on the play, but he suspects the puck completely had crossed the goal line before being snatched out of the net by Flyers goaltender Martin Biron. "Looks like it was in, but I don't know," Crosby said."

"The Predators added another piece of the puzzle to their long-term future Monday, signing forward Martin Erat to a seven-year, $31.5 million contract. Erat could have become a restricted free agent at the end of June but now will be under contract to the Predators at an average salary of $4.5 million through the 2014-15 season. The deal is the longest given to a Nashville player and is the latest in a series of multi-year contracts for the Predators."