AREA

AREA

Springfield wins, 11-5

NEW MIDDLETOWN — The Springfield Seniors Baseball team defeated East Palestine Oldtimers 11-5 on Sunday in Plus 50 Oldtimers Baseball action at Springfield High School.

John Donofrio, Tim Pitzer and Howard Merritt had two hits each while Gary Offerdahl doubled.

Merritt scattered seven hits and went the distance for the mound win.

REGION

Game 7 ratings tops in 36 years

NEW YORK — Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is the most-watched NHL game in 36 years.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ championship-clinching 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on NBC on Friday night averaged 8 million viewers.

The network said Monday that’s the most since Game 6 of the 1973 Stanley Cup finals between Montreal and Chicago.

Game 7 earned a 4.3 rating and 8 share. It was the highest rating for a series-ending game since Game 7 of the 2003 Anaheim-New Jersey series.

The rating is the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program, while the share is the percentage of all TVs in use at the time.

Zetterberg rips Crosby

DETROIT — Henrik Zetterberg called Sidney Crosby’s actions disrespectful. Nicklas Lidstrom said the Pittsburgh Penguins’ young captain would learn from his mistake.

Crosby failed to shake the hand of all the Detroit players, including Red Wings’ captain Lidstrom, after Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena on Friday night after a 2-1 win in Game 7 of the finals.

“I think that’s one thing you should do,” Zetterberg said as the Red Wings cleaned out their lockers for the summer on Monday. “I don’t know why he didn’t do it, it’s disrespectful.”

Crosby said he was celebrating with his teammates, but did not apologize for not upholding the NHL playoff tradition of the captain leading his team in a line to shake hands with the opposing team.

Lidstrom, along with a few other players — including Kris Draper — waited for Crosby, but finally left the ice after a period of time.

“You know you’re happy and celebrating with your teammates,” Lidstrom said. “But you know the losing team wants to get off the ice too. ... Sidney was probably caught up in the emotions and everything.”

Lidstrom added Crosby would learn from the situation.

The pair will likely cross paths again on Thursday at the NHL awards ceremonies in Las Vegas. Lidstrom is a finalist to win his seventh Norris Trophy.

Sizemore eyes lineup return

CLEVELAND — Grady Sizemore could off the disabled and back in the Cleveland Indians’ lineup in seven to 10 days.

An MRI exam Monday on the All-Star center fielder’s ailing left elbow revealed much of the inflammation that’s hampered him since spring training has subsided. Arthroscopic surgery was an option.

“You hate to put a timetable on anything,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “That would probably be a best-case scenario.

“There’s still something there. But it looks a lot better than the last MRI he took.”

Sizemore will test the elbow with more swings and throws today, and he will be evaluated daily. No more MRI exams have been scheduled.

“There’s a chance it could get worse, there’s a chance it could stay the same,” Sizemore said. “It’s not necessarily black and white.”

NATION

Favre considers playing again

NEW YORK — Brett Favre says he is considering coming out of retirement for a second time and the only team he has talked to about a return to the NFL is the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre appeared on the new HBO show “Joe Buck Live” in his first public appearance since retiring from the New York Jets in February.

The three-time NFL MVP said Monday night he had surgery 21‚Ñ2 weeks ago on his throwing arm. He says the doctor who performed the surgery on his biceps told him it would take four to five weeks.

Staff/wire reports