Rockies sign Giambi to minor league deal
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies signed former AL MVP Jason Giambi to a minor league contract Monday.
The 38-year-old Giambi will report to Triple-A Colorado Springs, hoping for a September call-up to help the Rockies with their pennant push. Colorado went into Monday's game against San Francisco with a three-game lead in the NL wild-card race.
"He's a veteran guy that understands this point and time of the season, that's been there and done that," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "To add him to your clubhouse with the character and makeup he brings, that's a tremendous plus for us."
Tracy said Giambi could also fill in at first base if Todd Helton, who was limited to a career-low 83 games last year with a back injury, needs a breather.
Court rules against Delaware betting
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that sports betting in Delaware would violate a 1992 federal ban on such wagering, essentially halting the state's plans to start taking bets next month.
The plan was opposed by the professional sports leagues and the NCAA, which claimed it violated the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, would harm their reputations and expose young people to gambling.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell had pushed for sports betting as a way to help resolve an unprecedented shortfall in state tax revenues and balance the state budget. Attorneys who argued the case for the state appeared stunned by the ruling.
Markell told The Associated Press that his administration was reviewing its legal options but still preparing to offer betting on a limited basis.
—Deseret News staff and wire reports