Baseball Earns Its Best Diversity Grade

Major League Baseball received its best grade for racial diversity in hiring, even as the percentage of black players dropped again last year.

MLB received its first A- for race yesterday from Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Its grade was B+ in last year's study.

Among major leaguers, though, just 8.2 percent were black players, down from 8.4 percent in 2006 and the lowest level in at least two decades.

· SUIT SETTLED: ESPN says a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit filed by former baseball analyst Harold Reynolds over his dismissal.

Reynolds sued the sports network for at least $5 million in October 2006, three months after he was fired. He alleged he was wrongly fired after a female intern complained about what he called a "brief and innocuous" hug.

Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. An ESPN spokesman says the suit was settled last week in Hartford Superior Court.

· PITCHERS BAT EIGHTH: The Cardinals prevailed in a unique game that featured both pitchers batting eighth, for different reasons. Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa anchors his lineup with singles hitters, giving him a pair of leadoff types after the first time through the lineup to give Albert Pujols more RBI opportunities.

Brewers Manager Ned Yost does it with C Jason Kendall to cut down on double plays at the bottom of the order.

· OUT: A lfonso Soriano underwent an MRI exam after hurting his right calf while catching a ball at the top of the first inning. Test results will be available today.

-- From News Services