BASEBALL

METS SIGN JAPANESE PITCHER TO ONE-YEAR DEAL The Mets and Japanese right-hander Yusaku Iriki agreed to a $750,000, one-year contract yesterday as New York attempts to add pitching before spring training. The 33-year-old Iriki was 6-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 20 starts and eight relief appearances last season with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan’s Pacific League, He finished 10th in the league with 122 strikeouts. GM Omar Minaya said Iriki has a fastball that tops out at 90-93 mph, and also throws a curveball, slider, changeup, and shuto – a two-seam pitch that breaks outside and down to right-handed batters. Iriki went 35-35 with three saves and a 3.73 ERA during eight seasons with the Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham.

FOOTBALL

ALEXANDER WILL PLAY IN NFC TITLE GAME Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren removed all doubt yesterday: NFL MVP Shaun Alexander will play in Sunday’s conference championship game against Carolina.

Alexander sustained a concussion last Saturday in the first quarter of Seattle’s win over Washington. The league rushing champion later said he was unconscious initially and then “out” of it for about 20 minutes. But Holmgren said yesterday the All-Pro back is “full go,” adding, “he passed some tests we gave him yesterday. He participated in our walkthrough this morning. He’s going to be fine.”

In the afternoon non-contact practice, Alexander split time with backup Maurice Morris. Morris rushed 18 times for 49 yards in place of Alexander on Saturday.

SOURCE: MARINELLI TO BECOME LIONS’ HEAD COACH Rod Marinelli was nearing an agreement with the Detroit Lions last night to become their new head coach, a team source told the AP on the condition of anonymity. Marinelli spent the past 10 seasons in Tampa Bay as defensive line coach. His unit helped establish an NFL record with 69 straight games with at least one sack from 1999-2003.

Palffy had 329 goals and 384 assists in 684 games in 12 NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, the Kings, and Penguins, scoring 40 or more goals three times with New York.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

DOCKERY LEADS DUKE PAST NORTH CAROLINA ST. Sean Dockery saved Duke again. This time, he didn’t wait until the final buzzer. With the top-ranked Blue Devils’ unbeaten record on the line, Dockery made a go-ahead 3-pointer and set up another an instant later by Lee Melchionni to help them beat no. 14 North Carolina State 81-68 last night. N.C. State fell to 14-3 and 3-2 in the ACC.

– Associated Press