BASEBALL

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE HANDS OUT SUBPOENAS

Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Frank Thomas were all subpoenaed yesterday to testify before a congressional committee investigating the sport’s steroids policy.

Also subpoenaed were players’ union head Donald Fehr, baseball executive vice presidents Rob Manfred and Sandy Alderson, and San Diego General Manager Kevin Towers.

The committee also demanded a variety of documents and records of baseball’s drug tests.

Stanley Brand, a lawyer for the baseball commissioner’s office, said the committee had no jurisdiction and was interfering with the federal grand jury by trying to force testimony from Giambi and others. He said the committee wanted to violate baseball’s first amendment privacy rights and was attempting to “satisfy their prurient interest into who may and may not have engaged in this activity.”

CAMERON ASKS METS NOT TO TRADE HIM

Mike Cameron’s agent told the Mets they should stop entertaining trade offers for the outfielder, who is recovering from wrist surgery.

With Carlos Beltran taking over in center field, the Mets plan to start Cameron in right field. His agent, Mike Nicotera, telephoned general manager Omar Minaya on Tuesday night in an effort to end trade rumors.

“I’m sure there are going to be trade speculations, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” Cameron said. “I just felt it was best for me to let Omar know to let me be for now.”

ANKIEL GIVES UP PITCHING, LOOKS TO PLAY OUTFIELD

Rick Ankiel is ending a pitching career derailed by injuries and record wildness and will try to make the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster as an outfielder. Ankiel, 25, is a career .207 hitter in the major leagues, going 18-for-87 with two homers, a double, a triple, and nine RBI.

Ankiel missed most of the 2003 and 2004 seasons after elbow surgery. The left-hander was 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA in 2000 but developed amazing wildness in the playoffs.In the postseason opener against Atlanta, he became the first major league pitcher since 1890 to throw five wild pitches in one inning and had nine wild pitches in four innings during the postseason.

FOOTBALL

GIANTS SIGN QB MILLER

The Giants signed veteran quarterback Jim Miller to serve as Eli Manning’s backup. The team announced the deal yesterday on its Web site, but details of the contract were not disclosed. The 34-year-old Miller has played in the NFL for 11 years and spent last season as Tom Brady’s backup with the New England Patriots.

VIKINGS RE-SIGN TIGHT END WIGGINS

Tight end Jermaine Wiggins agreed yesterday to a $7.3 million, five-year deal to stay with the Vikings. Wiggins had a career-high 71 catches for 705 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games last season.

Also yesterday, the San Diego Chargers signed wide receiver Keenan McCardell to a two-year extension. Terms were not disclosed, but ESPN.com is reporting the deal to be worth $7.65 million, including a $4.1 million signing bonus.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MARCHALL COACH PRUETT RETIRES

Marshall football coach Bob Pruett retired yesterday after nine years, saying it was time to move on. The 61-year-old Pruett is the most successful coach in Marshall history, going 94-23 with five MAC championships and five postseason bowl victories.

CYCLING

ARMSTRONG BACKS PARIS’S BID FOR OLYMPICS

Lance Armstrong threw his support behind Paris’s bid for the 2012 Olympics yesterday. In an interview with the Associated Press before the third stage of the Paris-Nice race, the six-time Tour de France winner acknowledged he is torn between the competing Paris and New York bids, but said the French capital deserves to be picked.

Later, Armstrong dropped out of the Paris-Nice race after the event’s third stage citing a sore throat. Armstrong finished 99th in the 73-mile stage, which was won by Spain’s Vicente Reynes for his first professional victory. Reynes completed the stage from Thiers to Craponne-Sur-Arzon in 2 hours, 40 minutes, 51 seconds.

Belgium’s Tom Boonen retained the overall lead, three seconds ahead of Dutch rider Erik Dekker and four seconds ahead of Reynes. American riders Guido Trenti and Fred Rodriguez were second and third, respectively, in the same time. The leg was shortened because of bad weather for the second straight day, with nearly 35 miles cut.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BUCKEYES GIVE MATTA EIGHT-YEAR EXTENSION

Ohio State has signed men’s basketball coach Thad Matta to an eight-year contract. The Columbus Dispatch confirmed that Matta signed the pact worth more than $11 million in guaranteed income if he serves the length of it.

SOCCER

FOUR SIDES ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTERS

Juventus, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and PSV Eindhoven all advanced yesterday to the Champions League quarterfinals.

Juventus and Real Madrid played the game of the day. The match was scoreless until Juventus substitute David Trezeguet scored in the 75th minute to even the tie at 1-1. Marcelo Zalayeta then scored in the 116h minute to send Juve through to the final eight.

Bayern Munich was able to advance despite losing to Arsenal, 1-0, in London. Thierry Henry’s goal proved useless as Bayern advanced 3-2 on aggregate thanks to a 3-1 win in the first leg.

Liverpool surprisingly became the second English team to advance (along with Chelsea) when it won easily, 3-1, in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen. Luis Garcia scored twice and Milan Baros added a strike for the Reds, who also won the first game, 3-1, in England.

PSV moved into the quarterfinals for the first time in its history with a 2-0 win against last year’s runner-up Monaco. Jan Vennegoor and American DaMarcus Beasley scored in the victory for the Dutch side, which won 3-0 on aggregate.

The Champions League quarterfinals are April 5-6 and April 12-13. The semifinals are April 26-27 and May 3-4, and the final is set for May 25 in Istanbul, Turkey.

– Assocoiated Press