BASEBALL

RAINES, JUSTICE HEAD NEW HALL OF FAME CANDIDATES

Tim Raines and David Justice head 11 first-time candidates on the baseball writers’ 2008 Hall of Fame ballot, joining Mark McGwire, Rich Gossage, Jim Rice, and 11 other holdovers.

McGwire, his candidacy hurt by suspicions of steroids use, was selected on just 23.5% of ballots when he was eligible for the first time in 2007.

When Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn were elected in January, Gossage fell 21 votes shy of the necessary 75% and Rice was 63 votes short.

Rice is on the ballot for the 14th time and Gossage for the ninth. Players can be on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot for up to 15 years.

Gossage’s percentage increased from 64.6 in 2006 to 71.2 in 2007, while Rice’s declined from 64.6 to 63.5. The highest percentage for a player who wasn’t elected in a later year was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.

CUBS, KERRY WOOD AGREE TO $4.2 MILLION, 1-YEAR DEAL

Given his history of arm problems, even Kerry Wood was surprised at all the interest he drew from other teams in free agency. While Wood was tempted to leave, he couldn’t be lured from the team he has pitched for his entire career.

After making the switch to the bullpen last season after a swift recovery from shoulder problems, Wood agreed yesterday to a $4.2 million, one-year deal to return to the Cubs, spurning what general manager Jim Hendry said were numerous multiyear offers elsewhere.

FOOTBALL

CEDRIC BENSON TO HAVE SEASON-ENDING SURGERY

Cedric Benson’s season is over. The Chicago Bears’ running back needs surgery after injuring his left ankle Sunday — another setback for the team’s first-round draft choice in 2005.

Benson, who took over this season as the Bears’ starter after the trade of Thomas Jones to the Jets, broke free for a 21-yard run in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

But he was hurt as he landed while being tackled by Denver safety Hamza Abdullah and later had to be carted off the field following the second-quarter play. “It’s tough when you lose your starting tailback. Cedric went down with a season-ending injury, which is a tough break,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said yesterday, the day after the Bears beat the Broncos 37-34 in overtime.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

GEORGIA TECH FIRES GAILEY AFTER DISAPPOINTING SEASON

Chan Gailey never had a losing season in six years at Georgia Tech. Then again, he never produced the sort of team that really got the fans excited. Citing business considerations as much as wins and losses, athletic director Dan Radakovich fired Gailey yesterday, two days after his sixth straight loss to rival Georgia ended a season that failed to meet expectations. The 55-year-old Gailey had lost support among the fan base, which made fundraising more difficult, and he wasn’t the sort of dynamic personality who could help the Yellow Jackets make a name in the crowded Atlanta sports scene.

TEXAS A&M HIRES SHERMAN TO REPLACE FRANCHIONE

Texas A&M turned to a former assistant to lead the program back to prominence. Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman was hired at A&M yesterday, three days after Dennis Franchione resigned. Sherman, an assistant head coach with the Houston Texans for two seasons, will return to the school where he was the offensive line coach from 1989-93 and in 1995-96 under R.C. Slocum.

NUTT OUT AS ARKANSAS COACH, LEAVES TEAM TO HERRING

Embattled Arkansas coach Houston Nutt resigned yesterday, giving up his job three days after directing the Razorbacks to a victory over top-ranked LSU. Defensive coordinator Reggie Herring will coach the team in its bowl. Nutt told Chancellor John A. White that he wanted to close a chapter in his life. “Houston’s decision to resign was neither forced, or encouraged, or requested,” White said. Nutt said he was hopeful that his departure would unify the state, which had been torn with turmoil surrounding the football program.