Sports Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
BASEBALL
REPORT: RED SOX ACQUIRE BECKETT, LOWELL FROM MARLINS
The Red Sox and Marlins have come to a tentative agreement on a trade that would send Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston for shortstop Hanley Ramirez, right-handed prospect Anibal Sanchez, and a minor-league pitcher, according to a report last night onESPN.com.
The deal is contingent on all players passing physicals. An official announcement is not expected for a day or two, which leaves open the possibility that it could still fall apart. The Red Sox have agreed to take on all $18 million of the money owed to Lowell over the next two seasons, a baseball official with knowledge of the discussions told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
Beckett, the second overall pick in the 1999 draft, pitched a five-hit shutout against the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series. The 25-year-old has gone 24-17 with a 3.57 ERA in two seasons since then but has suffered from chronic blister problems. Lowell endured a disastrous 2005 season. The 31-year-old batted just .236 with eight homers and 58 RBI this past season despite entering the campaign as a career .277 hitter with an average of nearly 25 homers and 95 RBI over the previous five years with the Marlins.
ROSE LEFT OFF HALL OF FAME BALLOT
The Hall of Fame’s doors will remain shut to Pete Rose, who won’t appear on the baseball writers’ ballot in his final year of eligibility. Commissioner Bud Selig will not rule on Rose’s application for reinstatement before the 2006 ballot is released November 29, according to Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer.
Rose, who last year admitted he did bet on the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team in the late 1980s, agreed to a lifetime ban in August 1989 following an investigation of his gambling, and the Hall’s board of directors decided unanimously in February 2001 that anyone on the permanently ineligible list couldn’t appear on the BBWAA ballot.
MARINERS AGREE TO DEAL WITH JAPANESE CATCHER
Catcher Kenji Jojima and the Seattle Mariners agreed yesterday to a $16.5 million, three-year contract. Jojima will be the first Japanese catcher to play in the major leagues.
Jojima’s deal allows him to earn an additional $2.5 million in performance bonuses over the three seasons. An All-Star for the Fukoka Softbank Hawks, Jojima became a free agent on November 8 after hitting .309 with 24 homers and 57 RBI in 116 games in a season cut short by a broken left leg. He’s won seven straight Gold Gloves.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
PENN STATE VAULTS TO NO. 3 IN BCS
Penn State moved into third place in the Bowl Championship Series standings, putting Joe Paterno’s team behind unbeaten USC and Texas in the national title race. The Nittany Lions became the first team to lock up a spot in the BCS by winning the Big Ten’s automatic bid. They defeated Michigan State 31-22 to earn their second conference title.
The Trojans are on top, as they have been for four out of the previous five weeks, but their lead on Texas is tiny. USC has a BCS average of .9807 and Texas is at .9791.The top two teams in the final BCS standings, which come out December 4, will play in the Rose Bowl for the national championship.
The Trojans have been no. 1 in the AP, coaches’, and Harris polls all season. The coaches’ and Harris poll each count for a third of a team’s BCS average. Texas is first in the computer rankings, which account for the final third of a BCS average.
Texas gained ground on USC in the polls Sunday after the Trojans’ wild 50-42 victory over Fresno State. The Longhorns were idle last week and finish their regular season at Texas A &M on Friday before playing in the Big 12 title game.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
MICHIGAN STATE, GONZAGA WIN IN MAUI
Maurice Ager scored 23 points to lead the 12th-ranked Spartans to an 89-67 victory over Chaminade yesterday in the opening round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The win came just two days after the then-no.4 Spartans lost 84-62 at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. The Spartans (1-1) weren’t bothered by leg cramps against Chaminade (0-1) like they were against Hawaii when four starters were forced from the game.
Elsewhere in the top 25, Gonzaga’s “Big Three” took care of the offense as the eighth-ranked Bulldogs’ zone took care of the defense in their 88-76 victory over Maryland in Maui. Preseason All-America Adam Morrison scored 25 points, Derek Raivio had 24, and J.P. Batista added 21 for Gonzaga (2-0).The Bulldogs advanced to today’s semifinals where they will play 12 Michigan State.
In Bloomington, Marshall Strickland scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half and Roderick Wilmont added 17 to help no. 20 Indiana (2-0) rout Florida A&M 100-63.
– Associated Press