Sports Desk

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BASEBALL


BLUE JAYS SIGN BURNETT, KEEP GM RICCIARDI


A week after making B.J. Ryan the highest-paid reliever in history, the Toronto Blue Jays locked up 28-year-old right-hander A.J. Burnett with a $55 million, five-year deal yesterday. Burnett is 49-50 in his career, all with Florida. He had reconstructive elbow surgery and missed almost all of the 2003 season, then went 12-12 with a 3.44 ERA last year before being banished from the team in the final week after criticizing manager Jack McKeon and his coaching staff.


The Jays also extended their on-field spending spree to the front office yesterday, signing GM J.P. Ricciardi to a three-year contract extension that runs through 2010.


REDS TO TRADE CASEY TO PITTSBURGH


The Cincinnati Reds reached a preliminary agreement last night to trade first baseman Sean Casey to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left-hander Dave Williams, a deal that addresses each team’s biggest need.


Casey, a three-time All-Star and career .305 hitter who is among the most popular players on the Reds,batted .312 last year with nine homers and 58 RBI.Williams was 10-11 with a 4.41 ERA in 25 starts this year after not being assured of a spot in the rotation until the final week of spring training. He was drafted by the Pirates in 1998 and has a 17-26 record and 4.41 ERA in four major league seasons.


DODGERS NAME LITTLE MANAGER


Former Boston Red Sox manager Grady Little was hired yesterday to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had been without a field boss for more than two months. He succeeds Jim Tracy, who parted ways with the Dodgers on October 3.The Dodgers were 71-91 last season – one year after going 93-69 to win their first NL West championship since 1995. New Yorkers remember Little as the manager of the Red Sox from 2002-03, where he compiled a 188-136 record. He was second-guessed for leaving starting pitcher Pedro Martinez in too long in Game 7 of the 2003 AL championship series,which the Yankees won in 11 innings.


OLERUD ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT


First baseman John Olerud, a soft-spoken former batting champion and two-time All-Star, has retired after 16 seasons, the Boston Red Sox said yesterday. Olerud, 37, was an All-Star in 1993 and 2001 and a .295 career hitter with 255 home runs and 1,230 RBI in 2,234 games. He played for Toronto, the Mets, Seattle, and the Yankees. He won Gold Gloves in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Olerud won the AL batting title in 1993 with a .363 average and helped Toronto win its second consecutive World Series title.


GIANTS, ORIOLES SWAP RELIEVERS


Left-hander Steve Kline was acquired by the San Francisco Giants from the Baltimore Orioles yesterday for right-hander LaTroy Hawkins and cash. Kline, 33, was 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA last season. He has a 29-34 career record with 36 saves and a 3.40 ERA. Hawkins, 32, went a combined 2-8 with six saves and a 3.83 ERA.


GOLF


WOODS WINS SEVENTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD


Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour player of the year award yesterday for the seventh time in his nine full seasons, the final prize in a year that featured two major championships among his six tour titles. It was the fifth time Woods has swept the three major awards – the Jack Nicklaus Trophy as player of the year, the Arnold Palmer Award for leading the money list, and the Byron Nelson Award for having the lowest scoring average.


Woods previously won player of the year from the PGA of America,which is based on points. The tour’s award is a vote of the players, although tour officials have refused to release vote totals.Woods started this year with a victory in the Buick Invitational, outlasted Phil Mickelson in a tense duel at Doral, then captured his fourth green jacket with a playoff victory over Chris DiMarco in the Masters. He essentially clinched the award with a wire-to-wire victory in the British Open.


FOOTBALL


EAGLES’ WESTBROOK DONE FOR SEASON


Running back Brian Westbrook will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury, the fourth Pro Bowl player the Philadelphia Eagles have lost for the season in the last month.Westbrook hurt his foot in the first half of Monday night’s 42-0 loss to Seattle.An MRI yesterday confirmed he has a Lis Franc sprain, an injury more common in automobile accidents and equestrian sports. Westbrook signed a five-year contract extension worth almost $25 million last month. He leads the Eagles with 617 yards rushing and three touchdowns.


COLLEGE BASKETBALL


INDIANA STATE UPSETS STATE MATES


David Moss and Tyson Schnitker combined for 28 of Indiana State’s 42 second-half points and they led the Sycamores to a 72-67 comefrom-behind upset of no. 18 Indiana. Moss finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Schnitker scored a career-high 19 points to lead Indiana State (4-0) to its third victory in the last four meetings with Indiana. Indiana State is off to its best start in 20 years, and the students celebrated by storming the court and dancing.


– Associated Press


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