Former U.S. baseball player BILLY BEANE joined Dutch side AZ Alkmaar "as an official advisor." Beane, who has managed the MLB Oakland Athletics since '98, will, according to a statement on the club's official website, "give AZ advice in the areas of high performance and innovation." AZ Dir of Football EARNIE STEWART said, "We've had a lot of contact with Billy In the last few months. His knowledge and ideas are impressive" (London DAILY MIRROR, 3/18). ... EPL side Sunderland's ADAM JOHNSON "returned to training after the club lifted his suspension following his arrest." The 27-year-old England int'l "had been suspended by the club after he was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl." The club held talks with the Professional Footballers' Association and Johnson's representatives "after his police bail was extended." He "will be available to play" for new Manager DICK ADVOCAAT this weekend (BBC, 3/18). ... The Int'l Hockey Federation exec board decided to back President LEANDRO NEGRE to stand for election for another term as the organization's head in Nov. ‘16. Negre will "also try to secure a place" on the Association of Summer Olympic Int’l Federations Council during the next meeting of the General Assembly of ASIOF on April 22 (HOCKEY WRITERS’ CLUB, 3/16).
JETER IN JAPAN: Former MLB N.Y. Yankees teammates DEREK JETER and HIDEKI MATSUI will play a charity baseball game to support survivors of the '11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan -- and Jeter "hinted he may own a team someday." Participating in the game at Tokyo Dome on Sunday will be a group of student baseball players from the Tohoku region that was "devastated by the 2011 disaster" that killed more than 15,000 people. Profits will go toward helping children in the region. Jeter and Matsui will also put on a baseball clinic and take part in a home run derby. Jeter: "I need to get away from (baseball) for a little while, I've been doing it professionally for 23 years. At this moment, I'm not thinking about getting back in the game. My ultimate dream is to one day own a team, but that's in the future" (AP, 3/18).
