BASEBALL

D-BACKS, GREEN REACH AGREEMENT

Arizona and Shawn Green reached an agreement in principle last night on a three-year, $30 million contract that would clear the way for the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger to waive his no-trade clause and be dealt to the Diamondbacks.

Green will come to Phoenix for a physical today, Diamondbacks general partner Ken Kendrick said. The deal will give Green $10.5 million this year, $8 million in 2006 and $9.5 million in 2007. The agreement includes a mutual option for a fourth year, with a $2 million buyout should the Diamondbacks decide not to retain Green, Kendrick said.

The deal was reached about four hours before the 48-hour window to negotiate granted by Major League Baseball was to end at 1 a.m. Green’s agreement to waive his no-trade clause would pave the way for a trade that would send him and $10 million from the Dodgers to the Diamondbacks for four minor league players, including catching prospect Dioner Navarro and pitcher William Juarez.

The Dodgers need to complete the trade to sign World Series hero Derek Lowe, who has agreed in principal to a four-year contract worth about $36 million. Navarro is to come to the Diamondbacks as part of the trade of Randy Johnson to the New York Yankees. That deal is expected to become official once the players involved pass physicals on Monday.

BATISTA SIGNS TO PLAY IN JAPAN

Third baseman Tony Batista will play in Japan next season after hitting 32 homers and knocking in 110 runs with the Montreal Expos last year.

The free agent said yesterday that the Fukuoka Hawks will pay him $15 million for two years – a $5 million signing bonus in addition to $5 million in each of the next two seasons. Fukuoka has not confirmed the deal, though it was announced by Batista and his agents. The 31-year-old Dominican said he will travel to Japan at the end of the month.

SOCCER

RIOTS INTERRUPT GAMES IN ATHENS

Ten police officers were injured when rival fans rioted in central Athens before a first-division soccer game that wound up being postponed yesterday. Police said the clashes grew violent when more than 600 fans of visiting Olympiakos Piraeus stormed the stadium, clashing with anti-riot police and fans of Panionios Athens. Greek television showed hundreds of people holding sticks and throwing stones, running on to the field, and ripping up stadium seats.

Also on Sunday, violence broke out outside Olympic Stadium involving fans of defending league champion Panathinaikos and AEK Athens. Police said a fan and a passer-by were injured and two motorcycles were burnt when Panathinaikos supporters were hit with firebombs thrown by rival fans.

NEWCASTLE SURVIVES SCARE FROM PART-TIMERS

A team of part-time players including painters, decorators, and a computer analyst managed to hold Premier League club Newcastle scoreless for a half before losing 2-0 in the FA Cup yesterday. The part-timers on Yeading needed six games to reach the third round of the famed FA Cup, which is open to all English soccer clubs. Yesterday’s game was played at the stadium of Queens Park Rangers because Yeading’s tiny park, the backdrop for the movie “Bend it Like Beckham,” wasn’t big enough.

When Yeading drew Newcastle, ranked six leagues higher, it was the biggest gap ever between teams in the FA Cup. Yeading, given odds of 20,000-1 of winning the tournament, plays in the Ryman League Premier Division – two levels below the top non-league conference division. Craig Bellamy scored in the 51st minute and Shola Ameobi added a leaping header 10 minutes later for Newcastle.

Also, Arsenal rallied to beat Stoke 2-1. On Saturday, Manchester United’s millionaires were held to a 0-0 tie by Exeter, a non-league club ranked 100 places below the Red Devils.

FOOTBALL

HASLETT WILL RETURN AS SAINTS COACH

Jim Haslett has been told by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson that he will return for a sixth season as coach.

Haslett’s five-year record of 42-38 is the second best in team history behind Jim Mora’s 93-78 mark. The Saints, however, have missed the playoffs four straight years. This season, New Orleans started 4-8 but won its final four games to finish 8-8.Haslett has two years remaining on a five-year contract that pays him an average of $3 million a season. He signed the five-year extension in August 2002.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NO. 2 KANSAS DOWNS NO. 8 KENTUCKY

The second ranked Kansas Jayhawks got 28 points from the frontline of C.J. Giles, Christian Moody, and Sasha Kaun yesterday in a 65-59 victory over no. 8 Kentucky. Playing its first game of the season on an opponent’s home court – and in front of 24,367 fans, the second-largest crowd in Rupp Arena history – Kansas (11-0) won for the fourth straight time without preseason All-America Wayne Simien, who could return as early as next week following surgery on his left thumb.

TENNIS

MOYA WINS CHENNAI OPEN, DONATES PURSE

Carlos Moya won his second straight Chennai Open title by rallying from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to beat Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) yesterday in a rematch of last year’s final. Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, donated his winner’s check of $52,000 to relief efforts for the tsunami-earthquake catastrophe that killed more than 150,000 in Asia.

The fifth-ranked Moya is the first player to win the hard-court tune-up for the Australian Open in consecutive years.

JOHANSSON WINS AUSTRALIAN HARDCOURT TITLE

Second-seeded Joachim Johansson won his second career title yesterday, beating American Taylor Dent 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Australian men’s hard-court championships.

GOLF

APPLEBY WINS MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

Stuart Appleby, 33, became the first back-to-back winner in 22 years at the Mercedes Championships, closing with a 6-under 67 and letting Vijay Singh and Ernie Els make all the mistakes yesterday.

Els needed a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff, but his tee shot sailed far to the right, bounced high off the cart path and disappeared into trees and rough for a two-shot penalty.

Singh, trying to become the first wire-to-wire winner at Kapalua, was tied for the lead until he hooked his tee shot into the weeds on no. 13 and took triple bogey.

The last opportunity belonged to Jonathan Kaye, who needed to get up-and-down on no. 18 to catch Appleby. He hit his chip way too soft, and failed to make a 30-footer for birdie. Appleby finished at 21-under 271 for a one-shot victory over Kaye.

– Associated Press