BASEBALL

GIAMBI EXCUSED FROM CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS

Jason Giambi was excused from testifying at tomorrow’s congressional hearing into steroid use in baseball, but attempts by Rafael Palmeiro and Frank Thomas to avoid appearing were rejected. Giambi does not have to go to Washington because of the ongoing federal investigation into illegal steroid distribution, House Government Reform committee chairman Tom Davis and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman said. The Yankee slugger testified before a grand jury in the case in 2003.

“From the outset, we have said that we in no way wanted our inquiry to impede or complicate any ongoing investigations by law enforcement,” Davis and Waxman said in a statement. “Upon hearing today from the Justice Department that Mr. Giambi’s appearance could do just that, we have decided to excuse him from testifying.”

Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield, who also testified before the grand jury, were not among the seven current and former players subpoenaed by the committee last week.

“I appeared in front of the federal grand jury a year ago. I answered every question, told the truth and cooperated fully,” Giambi said in a statement released by his agent. “I appreciate that the members of the committee evaluated my situation, and I will now continue to focus on playing the best baseball I possibly can.”

In a letter sent to the committee accompanying more than 400 pages of documents Monday, baseball executive vice president Rob Manfred said just 12 of 1,133 tests last year were positive, and that positive tests from nandrolone dropped from 73 in 2003 to one last year.

BONDS’S TRAINER LOOKS TO CUT PLEA DEAL

A federal court hearing scheduled for today in which Barry Bonds’s trainer would seek to dismiss the steroid distribution charges against him has been postponed for weeks. Greg Anderson’s lawyer said the delay was an effort to try to work out a plea deal.

“We’re trying to resolve the case,” Anderson’s attorney, Anna Ling, said. “We do not want to take this to trial. And we don’t want to bring in baseball players to testify.”

The delay of a hearing, one that had been set months ago, is among the clearest signals that a deal between the authorities and Anderson might be worked out. Just last week, a similar suppression hearing for Victor Conte, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative founder who is also on trial, was in definitely delayed because Conte fired his lawyers. That postponement fueled speculation that perhaps he and Balco vice president James Valente were looking for a deal, which Conte has said he has been seeking.

YANKEES WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT SPRING GAME

Derek Jeter had three hits and four RBI, leading the Yankees past a Marlins split squad 11-5 yesterday. Tony Womack had two hits in three at-bats and drove in three runs as the Yankees won their fourth straight game. Starter Mike Mussina allowed three runs – one earned – and six hits in four innings. He struck out one, throwing 37 of 48 pitches for strikes.

Manager Joe Torre said Jason Giambi, who has been strictly used as designated hitter this spring, might get his first action at first base Thursday or Friday.

PETIT IMPRESSES IN METS DEBUT

Carlos Beltran hit his third home run of the spring, and the Mets got their first look at one of their most highly-touted minor league pitchers yesterday in a 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Yusmeiro Petit, 20, pitched the first two innings for the Mets in his first game appearance, allowing a run on consecutive hits by Casey Blake and Jeff Liefer in the second.

Petit has never pitched above Double-A. He had a 12-6 record and 2.80 ERA in 26 minor league starts last season, striking out 200 in 141 1/3 innings. Matt Ginter tossed three scoreless innings in relief of Petit.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

TEMPLE, NOTRE DAME GO DOWN IN NIT

Virginia Tech spoiled John Chaney’s return to the Temple bench last night, using an 8-0 run in the second half to pull away and beat the Owls 60-50 in the first round of the NIT.

In other first -round action, Kevin Hamilton scored a career-high 26 points, including 11 during a 23-5 run, as Holy Cross downed Notre Dame.

Josh Gonner’s driving basket with 2.1 seconds remaining lifted South Carolina to a 69-67 win over Miami.

And Drake Diener scored a career-high 30 points and tied his career best with seven 3-pointers, leading DePaul to a 75-70 victory over Missouri.

FOOTBALL

NFL HOPES TO STAGE GAME IN MEXICO

The first NFL regular-season game outside the United States is expected to take place October 2, when the Arizona Cardinals face San Francisco in Mexico City. The game is expected to be a Sunday night contest televised by ESPN. It would be a home game for the Cardinals, who rarely sell out their stadium but could draw 100,000 or more in Mexico City. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said at his annual pre-Super Bowl news conference that a regular-season game outside the U.S. was likely this year.

CYCLING

ARMSTRONG AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR NYC BID

Lance Armstrong, in Paris to collect a Sports Academy Trophy at the foreign ministry in recognition of his sixth straight Tour win last summer, asserted that contrary to reports, he supports New York’s bid for the 2012 summer Olympics.

Armstrong drew criticism at home when he told a French newspaper last week that he supported Paris’s bid for the games, and that New York would be a suitable choice for the 2016 or 2020 games. Yesterday, he cleared the air.

“As an American my heart has to be with New York City, and I have to support the bid for New York City,” he said. “But you also have to be fair and say Paris has a good bid. Are they deserving cities for the Olympic Games? Absolutely. Perhaps I wasn’t strong enough when I said my vote was for New York City. Since it wasn’t strong enough they said ‘He’s a traitor. He’s a weasel.'”

HOCKEY

RED WINGS OWNERS APOLOGIZE TO FANS

The owners of the Detroit Red Wings apologized in full-page newspaper ads for the loss of the NHL season. In a letter published yesterday in the sports sections of the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News, Mike and Marian Ilitch said they were “extremely sorry” the Red Wings did not play because of the lockout.

“The decision by the league to cancel the season until a new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) was agreed upon was an extremely difficult one, but necessary for the long-term success of the NHL,” the Ilitches wrote.

– Associated Press