HOCKEY

FRANCIS CALLS IT QUITS AFTER 23 YEARS

Four-time all-star Ron Francis announced his retirement yesterday, ending a 23-year career in which he won two Stanley Cups and ranked as one of the NHL’s career leaders in games played, goals, assists and points. Francis, 42, played for Hartford, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Toronto, and leaves the game with a resume few can rival. He is second to Wayne Gretzky with 1,249 assists, and ranks among the league’s all-time leaders with 1,731 games (third), 549 goals (19th), and 1,798 points (fourth).

He won a pair of Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in 1991 and 1992, and was a three time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy, awarded to the player exhibiting sportsmanship and gentlemanly play combined with playing ability.

FOOTBALL

RAVENS SIGN STEWART TO BACK UP WRIGHT

The Baltimore Ravens yesterday signed quarterback Kordell Stewart to play behind Anthony Wright, who will replace an injured Kyle Boller as the starter Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Stewart watched Boller get hurt last Sunday from his couch. The Ravens contacted him Monday afternoon, and Stewart worked out for the team Tuesday.

BASEBALL

ESPN, MLB SIGN NEW 8-YEAR DEAL

ESPN will start a series of Monday night baseball broadcasts and gain greater flexibility to move games to Sunday nights under a new eight-year contract worth $2.368 billion. The agreement announced yesterday, which runs through 2013, allows the network to have a team appear on its exclusive Sunday night games up to five times per season, up from 11 over a three-season span under the six-year contract that is expiring.

– Associated Press