BASEBALL

GUILLEN, COX HONORED AS MANAGERS OF THE YEAR

Ozzie Guillen of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox was voted AL Manager of the Year, and Atlanta’s Bobby Cox became the first back-to-back winner in either league, taking NL honors yesterday after leading the rookie-laden Braves to yet another division title.

Guillen received 17 first-place votes, five seconds, and five thirds for 105 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Eric Wedge of the Cleveland Indians was the runner-up with six first-place votes and 71 points, while Joe Torre of the Yankees finished third with 43 points.

Cox was listed first on 28 ballots and second on the other four to win by a whopping 100 points. He beat out St. Louis’ Tony La Russa, who also finished second to Cox last year.

In his second year as manager, the outspoken, energetic, Guillen guided the White Sox to the best record in the AL (99-63).After nearly squandering a 15-game lead in the AL Central before holding off Cleveland, Chicago cruised through the playoffs and swept Houston in the World Series for its first title since 1917.

Cox, whose Braves have won a record 14 straight division titles, took home his fourth Manager of the Year award, tying La Russa for the most ever. Riddled with injuries, Atlanta was forced to use 18 rookies this year but still won 90 games to extend its streak of division titles. Cox also won the award with the Braves in 1991,when they began their incredible run, and took the AL prize in 1985 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

SELIG SUPPORTS REVISED STEROID LEGISLATION, OPPOSES REPLAY

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig supports revised congressional legislation that would suspend players for a half-season following a first failed steroids test. Selig said negotiators for owners and players have made progress in talks but still haven’t reached an agreement on a new drug deal. The length of the initial penalty appears to be the biggest obstacle.

Selig also maintained his opposition to using instant replay to review umpires’ calls, even while acknowledging that during the postseason there were “some incidents that certainly need to be looked at.”

“If you get into instant replay, you’re going to have games that just go on endlessly. And that isn’t in anybody’s best interest,” he said. “And where do you stop and where do you start it?”

FOOTBALL

CHIEFS’ HOLMES DONE FOR THE SEASON

Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes will miss the rest of the season because of head and neck trauma diagnosed by three experts on spinal injuries. A helmet-to-helmet blow he absorbed on October 30 against San Diego was the most recent problem for the 32-year-old running back. But coach Dick Vermeil said yesterday signs of trouble first showed up when Holmes developed tingling in his hands during training camp.

Holmes, 32, a three-time Pro Bowler whose 66 touchdowns between 2002-04 are an NFL record for any three-year span, was placed on injured reserve. Doctors recommended he avoid any contact at all for a minimum of 30 days. Holmes is not incapacitated and no surgery is planned, said general manager Carl Peterson.

A statement from Dr. Jon Browne, the Chiefs’ team physician, said no permanent damage had occurred either to the head or neck and that Holmes would be re-evaluated in 30 days. The team also denied speculation that the injury would force Holmes to retire.

UNION ASKS EAGLES TO REINSTATE OR CUT OWENS

The NFL Players Association wants the Philadelphia Eagles to cut Terrell Owens if they’re not going to reinstate him after his four-game suspension is over.

“We’re not asking them to play him. We can’t force them to do that,” Gene Upshaw, the NFLPA’s executive director, said yesterday. “But if they’re not going to let him come back to practice and do all the other things associated with that, then we want them to cut him, let him become a free agent now.”

The union already has appealed the four-game suspension levied on the wide receiver by the Eagles for what coach Andy Reid called “a large number of situations that accumulated over a long period of time.”

The appeal will be heard before arbitrator Richard Bloch on November 18. But Upshaw said that even if the suspension is upheld, the Eagles can’t just tell Owens to stay away from the team and its practice facility.

– Associated Press