BASEBALL

COX, SHOWALTER VOTED TOP MANAGERS

Bobby Cox was voted NL Manager of the Year yesterday for leading the rebuilt Atlanta Braves to a record 13th straight division title, and Buck Showalter won the AL honor after his Texas Rangers went from also-ran to contender.

Cox received 22 first-place votes and 10 seconds for 140 points to win easily. Tony La Russa of St. Louis, who has won four Manager of the Year awards, was second with 62 points, and Jim Tracy of Los Angeles was third with 52.

It was the third award for Cox, who won in the AL with Toronto in 1985 and in the NL with the Braves in 1991. Atlanta was expected to finish no better than third in the NL East after slashing its payroll and losing pitcher Greg Maddux and sluggers Gary Sheffield and Javy Lopez. But the Braves finished 10 games ahead of second-place Philadelphia before losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Showalter kept Texas in the chase for a playoff berth until the final week of the season after four straight last-place finishes. He received 14 first-place votes, nine seconds, and four thirds for 101 points, finishing ahead of Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire, who got 91 points. Despite trading AL MVP Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees, Texas went 89-73 and finished third in the AL West.

Showalter also won the award in 1994 with the Yankees. Gardenhire, who managed the Twins to their third straight AL Central title, finished second in the voting for the second straight season.

MAYOR BACKS PRIVATE FUNDING FOR D.C. BALLPARK

Washington Mayor Anthony A. Williams agreed yesterday to consider a plan by City Council Chair Linda W. Cropp that calls for the city to consider private financing for the proposed ballpark for the Expos.

Cropp postponed Tuesday’s scheduled vote on the mayor’s ballpark plan for two weeks. She claims that one financier has approached her offering $350 million, but she declined to identify the investor or the details of that proposal.

City officials said a private investor would not be able to profit from the revenue promised to the Expos, such as naming rights for the stadium or concession income. Rather, Cropp said the incentive would be profits through a “tax advantage.”

While the proposed move is on the preliminary agenda for the next meeting of baseball owners, on November 18 in Chicago, it’s unclear if the decision by the council to delay its vote on financing will cause baseball to put off approval of the move.

TRACK AND FIELD

SPRINTER BANNED FOR LIFE

Sprinter Jerome Young was banned for life by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency yesterday following his second positive test for an illegal steroid in a case that could affect a U.S. relay team’s gold medal from Sydney. Young, the world 400-meter champion in 2003, tested positive for the banned drug EPO at a Paris meet in July, Usada said.

Young tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in 1999, but was exonerated by a U.S. appeals panel in July 2000, avoiding a two-year ban. He ran in the opening and semifinal rounds of the 2000 Games, but not in the 1,600-meter final anchored by Michael Johnson. All six members of the relay squad received gold medals, but Young’s was stripped.

Track’s world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations, later recommended declaring the entire team ineligible. Last month, the U.S. Olympic Committee challenged the recommendation in a petition lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Young was not covered by the appeal.

If the International Olympic Committee follows the recommendation, Nigeria would be upgraded to gold, Jamaica to silver, and the Bahamas to bronze in the Sydney relay.

BASKETBALL

KNICKS WAIVE ANDERSON

Forward Shandon Anderson was waived yesterday by the Knicks, who tried repeatedly to trade him. The 6-foot-6-inch Anderson, starting his fourth year with the team, appeared in one game this season and went scoreless with one rebound in 20 minutes.

The eight-year veteran, acquired from Houston in 2001, never averaged more than 8.7 points with the Knicks. Anderson is owed $24 million over the next three seasons.

RODMAN SIGNS WITH ABA TEAM

Seven-time NBA rebounding champion Dennis Rodman signed a contract with the Orange County Crush of the American Basketball Association yesterday. Rodman, trying to launch a comeback for several years, played three games last season for the ABA champion Long Beach Jam.

Playing for the Jam was his first action since 2000, when his 29-day stay with the Dallas Mavericks ended when he was waived a day after he criticized owner-in-waiting Mark Cuban. Rodman worked out with the Denver Nuggets in September, but was not signed.

FOOTBALL

JETS PROMOTE RAY TO ACTIVE ROSTER

The Jets signed quarterback Ricky Ray to their active roster and safety Jarrell Weaver to the practice squad. Ray, who played in the Canadian Football League last year, will serve as the emergency no. 3 QB Sunday against Baltimore with Chad Pennington out.

AHANOTU REJOINS BUCCANEERS

Chidi Ahanotu, the defensive end who spent the first eight seasons of his 12-year career with the Bucs, rejoined his old team yesterday.

TENNIS

KUZNETSOVA BEATS ZVONAREVA AT WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS

U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova avoided a second set collapse and held on to defeat Russian countrywoman Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-4 in the WTA Championships last night. Kuznetsova blew most of a 5-1 lead in the second set when there were seven service breaks. Zvonareva won three straight games to trail 5-4.

Serena Williams played French Open champion Anastasia Myskina and Lindsay Davenport faced Elena Dementieva in matches later last night at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

– Associated Press