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.

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BASEBALL

Red Sox Brass Dine With Matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka dined with his would-be Boston bosses and took in a Los Angeles Lakers game during a trip to America, then headed back to Japan and left his agent to work out a deal with the Red Sox.

“We had some initial discussions yesterday,” Matsuzaka’s agent, Scott Boras, said yesterday in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. “We’re continuing to talk. We’ve started the process.”

Boston bid $51.1 million for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka, who was the MVP of last spring’s World Baseball Classic. Boston’s general manager, Theo Epstein, has until the end of December 14 to sign him.

Red Sox owner Tom Werner confirmed that the sides got together Saturday night for dinner at his Los Angeles-area home in Pacific Palisades.

Rockies, Francis Finalizing Four-Year Contract

Pitcher Jeff Francis and the Colorado Rockies are nearing completion on a four-year contract worth about $13 million, a deal that would include a team option for 2011.

Jeff Bridich, the team’s director of baseball operations, confirmed the talks but said negotiations are still under way. The amount of the deal was disclosed by a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the contract.

Catalanotto Returning To Texas

Frank Catalanotto always loved hitting in Texas, even though he was never sure where he might play on defense.

Back with the Rangers, Catalanotto now has a better idea which glove he’ll be using most of the time.

Instead of being the utility player who started at five positions for Texas from 2000–02, Catalanotto returned as a left fielder and potential leadoff hitter yesterday when he finalized a $13 million, three-year contract with the Rangers.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Badgers Accept Bid To Capital One Bowl

Wisconsin has accepted an invitation to play in the Capital One Bowl for the second straight year, the school announced yesterday.

The no.10 Badgers (11–1,7–1 Big Ten) will play a Southeastern Conference opponent in Orlando, Fla., on January 1.

First-year coach Bret Bielema, who was selected as the Big Ten coach of the year earlier yesterday, said Monday that he still held out hope that the Badgers would be included in the Bowl Championship Series.

But only two teams from any one conference can participate in the BCS, and Ohio State and Michigan already are in line to represent the Big Ten.

FOOTBALL

Packers Sign QB Bouman

The Green Bay Packers signed quarterback Todd Bouman yesterday and placed quarterback Aaron Rodgers on injured reserve.

Bouman, 34, has nine years of NFL experience, mostly with the Minnesota Vikings. Bouman spent the past three seasons in New Orleans, where the Packers coach, Mike McCarthy, was the offensive coordinator in 2003 and 2004.

Bouman started three games for the Saints last year, completing 68 of 122 passes for 722 yards with two touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Broncos’ Safety Ferguson Out for Season

Nick Ferguson usually bounded through the locker room, knocking objects —namely food — out of teammates’ hands, cracking jokes and making of fun of whoever stood in front of him.

The locker room seemed quieter yesterday without the strong safety. Ferguson had season-ending surgery yesterday to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee.

“He was really hoping he could play with it but the doctors said there’s no way,” coach Mike Shanahan said after yesterday’s practice. “It was almost completely torn.”

HOCKEY

Ortmeyer Cleared To Practice Without Contact

Rangers forward Jed Ortemeyer, out all season because of a pulmonary embolism, received clearance yesterday to start practicing without contact.

The 28-year-old right wing has been sidelined since the diagnosis on August 13 of the pulmonary embolism, a sudden blockage of an artery in the lung, usually caused by one or more blood clots.

Ortmeyer signed a one-year deal during the summer worth just more than $550,000 and was expected to resume his role as a key member of the Rangers’ checking line.

— Associated Press

NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

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.


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