BASEBALL

ROSE ABSENT FROM FINAL HALL OF FAME BALLOT

Pete Rose’s eligibility for the baseball writers’ Hall of Fame ballot expired yesterday when the 2006 candidates were announced, a group that includes Cy Young Award winners Orel Hershiser and Dwight Gooden. Albert Belle, Will Clark, and Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen were among 14 first-time candidates on the 29-man ballot. Bruce Sutter is the holdover who came closest to election, falling 43 votes shy last year.

First-year candidates include pitchers Rick Aguilera, Alex Fernandez, Doug Jones, and John Wetteland and infielders Gary DiSarcina, Gary Gaetti, Gregg Jefferies, Hal Morris, and Walt Weiss.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

RUTGERS GOES BOWLING FOR FIRST TIME IN 27 YEARS

Rutgers is bowl bound for the first time since the Carter administration. A spokesman for the Insight Bowl said yesterday that Rutgers accepted an invitation to play in the December 27 game in Phoenix, Ariz. The Scarlet Knights will face Arizona State, the same opponent they faced in the 1978 Garden State Bowl, which they lost, 34-18. One of the laughingstocks of college football in recent years – they lost 25 straight Big East games from 1999-2003 – Rutgers capped a 7-4 season with a 44-9 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.

SOCCER

RONALDINHO NAMED EUROPE’S TOP PLAYER

Ronaldinho won the Golden Ball yesterday as European player of the year, another honor for the Brazilian following his FIFA player of the year award last year. Ronaldinho, a midfielder who won the Spanish league title with Barcelona, is the third player from his country to win the Golden Ball following Rivaldo (1999) and Ronaldo (1997, 2002).

Ronaldinho finished ahead of Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard. AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko, last year’s winner, placed fifth behind Thierry Henry of Arsenal. Ronaldinho, 25, joined Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003 and has scored 33 league goals in 79 games, including nine this season. He also has scored 13 times in 19 Champions League games for Barcelona.

– Associated Press