BASEBALL

UNION WILLING TO DISCUSS STEROIDS PROPOSAL

The baseball players’ union told Commissioner Bud Selig yesterday that it was willing to talk to him about his call for harsher steroids penalties. Last week, Selig wrote to union head Donald Fehr, asking players to agree to even tougher penalties than the ones that took effect at the start of the season. Selig now wants a 50-game suspension for first-time steroid offenders, a 100-game ban for a second offense, and a lifetime suspension for a third. Along with stiffening the penalties under his “three strikes and you are out approach,” Selig also wants to ban amphetamines, increase random tests, and pick an independent person to handle the drug-testing program.

Earlier in the day, Twins reliever Juan Rincon was suspended for 10 days after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He was the fifth player banned under the new policy, and the best-known. Under current rules, the first offense draws a 10-day suspension, the second draws a 30-day suspension, the third brings a 60-day suspension, and the fourth gets a year. The penalty for a fifth failure is at the commissioner’s discretion.

BASKETBALL

WALLACE NAMED DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR

Pistons center Ben Wallace won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award for the third time in four years yesterday. Wallace joins Dikembe Mutombo as the only two players to win the award three or more times. Wallace also won it in 2002 and 2003. Mutombo won in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001.

During the regular season, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Wallace ranked fifth with 2.38 blocks per game and second with 12.2 rebounds a game. San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen finished second in the voting, followed by Denver’s Marcus Camby.

TENNIS

RODDICK, AGASSI ADVANCE AT ITALIAN OPEN

Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi were among the advancers yesterday in the first round of the Italian Open, a key tuneup for the upcoming French Open.

Roddick, who became the tournament’s top-seeded player after Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt withdrew, beat Greg Rusedski 6-4, 6-2 and improved to 24-4 this season.

Sixth-seeded Andre Agassi beat Italian wild card Alessio Di Mauro 7-5, 6-2. Agassi, who turned 35 on Friday, has not won on tour since capturing his lone title of 2004 at the Cincinnati Masters in August. Fourth-seeded Tim Henman of Britain eliminated three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil 6-3, 6-3. Albert Costa, the 2002 French Open champion, and French qualifier Richard Gasquet won as well. In a night match, Italian wild-card Andreas Seppi upset 10th-seeded Joachim Johansson of Sweden, 6-1, 6-2.

HORSE RACING

DERBY CONTENDER RETIRED DUE TO INJURY

Kentucky Derby contender Consolidator was retired yesterday because of a fractured bone in his right front ankle. The San Felipe Stakes winner galloped Sunday and took some bad steps coming off the Churchill Downs track, where the Derby will be run this Saturday.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the colt would not require surgery; he will be treated with stall rest. Consolidator had three wins in 10 career stars and earnings of $661,760. He won the Grade 1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity as a 2-year-old and the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 19. The withdrawal of Consolidator opens a spot in the anticipated 20-horse field for Illinois Derby winner Greeley’s Galaxy.

– Associated Press