BASEBALL

METS RELEASE VETERAN MCEWING

The Mets released veteran utility man Joe McEwing yesterday. McEwing was given the option of staying and working out with the team or being released outright, and he opted to be released.

After four years with the team, McEwing, 32, was competing with a host of newcomers for a reserve spot this year. He was hitting just .133 this spring after batting .254 with one home run and 16 RBI in 75 games last season.

BONDS UNDERGOES SECOND KNEE SURGERY

Barry Bonds underwent a second operation to repair tears in his right knee yesterday morning, a setback that could complicate his hopes of being ready for opening day. While the San Francisco Giants offered no timetable for the slugger’s return, it took the seven-time NL MVP more time than expected to recover from the original surgery on the knee January 31. “Neither rest nor his current rehabilitation program has helped alleviate periodic swelling,” the Giants said in a release. Bonds hasn’t worked out on the field since taking batting practice Sunday and hasn’t played in any exhibition games.

HOCKEY

NHL OFFERS TWO PROPOSALS TO UNION

During a 2 1/2-hour bargaining session yesterday in New York, the NHL proposed two six-year proposals to the players’ union: one with a tie between league revenues and player costs and one without. So far, the union isn’t interested in either.

A source close to the negotiations told the Associated Press that the “de-linked” offer contained a hard cap of $37.5 million per team, $5 million less than commissioner Gary Bettman’s final, non-negotiable proposal before he canceled the season.

There is no question that the league would like to have an agreement with linkage to ensure “cost certainty” for its 30 clubs. That was the basis of the second offer yesterday in which players would be guaranteed 54% of league revenues.

The NHL, however, did make some concessions. The new offer included a minimum payroll number of $22.5 and provided a mechanism to negotiate the cap upward if there was certain revenue success, the source said.

BASKETBALL

MAGIC FIRE COACH DAVIS

The Orlando Magic fired coach Johnny Davis yesterday, shortly after the Magic lost their sixth straight game and moved closer to falling out of playoff contention. Assistant Chris Jent was named interim coach.

Davis was dismissed along with assistant Ron Ekker hours after Wednesday night’s 110-102 road loss to the L.A. Clippers, dropping the Magic to 31-33 and leaving them tied with Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Davis, a low-key coach, seemed to lose control of his players. In Sunday’s 98-82 home loss to the Nets, the Magic received several technical fouls and scuffled with the Nets. Davis’s told the Orlando Sentinel he was “surprised and disappointed” by being fired with just 18 games left in the season and the club still trying to make the playoffs. His overall record with the Magic was 51-84.

– Associated Press