Mourners pay tribute to Lidle

Three small planes flew over mourners at a memorial Tuesday in Covina, Calif., for New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, a comforting reminder to his family, friends and teammates that he died doing something he loved.

Following Lidle’s funeral, hundreds of mourners did something else he loved – sat down to a luncheon of In-N-Out burgers, his favorite fast food.

The 34-year-old pitcher and his flight instructor, Tyler Stanger, were killed last Wednesday when Lidle’s plane crashed into a Manhattan high-rise during an aerial tour of the city.

“Everybody was doing fine until the planes went over,” Randy Wolf, Lidle’s former teammate on the Philadelphia Phillies, said after the funeral.

Emotions ran high among hundreds of mourners during a 45-minute outdoor service. Men wiped away tears from behind dark glasses, and knots of family members shared long embraces near Lidle’s gray casket, which was flanked by large color photos of the pitcher. Several people wore buttons with a photo of Lidle pitching and the words, “Forever in our hearts.”

Among those at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Lidle’s hometown were Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and a contingent of Yankees: captain Derek Jeter, former high school teammate Jason Giambi, Jaret Wright, manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman.

Uribe remains suspect

Chicago White Sox shortstop Juan Uribe was questioned and released, but he remains a suspect in the shooting of two men in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.

Uribe spent more than two hours at the San Cristobal courthouse being questioned by District Attorney Robert Lugo before he was released around 12:15 p.m. with his brother, Elpidio, and a friend, Jose Manuel Encarnacion, who were arrested Sunday, Lugo said.

As Uribe was leaving, he pushed away a Univision camera and shoved an ESPN cameraman in the face. He did not speak to reporters.

The men are suspected of shooting and wounding a Dominican farmer and a captain in the Italian Navy with a pistol and a shotgun when the pair walked too close to Uribe’s jeep around midnight Friday.

Uribe and his lawyers told prosecutors he was not in Juan Baron, a coastal city about 40 miles southwest of Santo Domingo, when the shooting took place, Lugo said.

But Antonio Gonzalez Perez, who was at the courthouse, said he clearly saw Uribe and got into an argument with him before seeing the player pull out a gun and fire.

“Uribe was the one who shot me. He was very angry without anyone having done anything,” said Gonzalez, a 44-year-old San Cristobal farmer who suffered an elbow injury and filed a civil suit against the ballplayer.

The navy captain, Dondolin Alessandro, was treated for injuries to his stomach and hands.

Giants add Black to list

The San Francisco Giants received permission to speak to Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Bud Black about their managerial opening.

General manager Brian Sabean has said his list of candidates to replace Felipe Alou will be short, and that experience as a manager either in the majors or minors would be preferable. But Sabean also said someone with considerable experience in a big league coaching position might be considered – such as Black.

The Giants cut ties with Alou on Oct. 2, a day after the team finished its second straight losing season.

Johnson needs surgery

Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson will have surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back that hampered him during the final weeks of the season.

General manager Brian Cashman said last week that surgery was probable, but that Johnson would first be examined by Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles.

“He’s consulted with Watkins. He’s going to need surgery,” Johnson’s agent, Barry Meister, said. “I need to talk to Brian about scheduling, but it most likely will be during next week.”

TBS, MLB agree to deal

TBS will alternate showing the N.L. and A.L. Championship Series for seven years starting next season under a television deal with Major League Baseball.

Turner Broadcasting System paid about $310 million for the package. The network will televise the NLCS in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, and the ALCS in the 2008, 2010 and 2012.