Hairston agrees to deal, will stay with Reds
baseball
Jerry Hairston Jr., a former Oriole, will remain with Cincinnati after agreeing to a one-year, $2 million contract yesterday. The infielder-outfielder, 32, played six positions in 80 games for the Reds last season, hitting .326 while mostly batting leadoff. Hairston signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati in March and was promoted to the major league roster just before the start of the season. His new deal allows him to earn an additional $2 million in performance bonuses. In 11 seasons with the Reds, Cubs, Orioles and Rangers, Hairston has appeared in 530 games at second base, 265 in the outfield, 40 at shortstop, 13 at third base and one at first base.
Mets:: Scott Boras took a tour of Citi Field and sat down for lunch with top executives from the team. Next, the Mets hope they can lure one of Boras' high-profile free agents to their new ballpark, too. Hoping to fill a hole in the rotation, New York is interested in a pair of free-agent pitchers represented by Boras: right-hander Derek Lowe and left-hander Oliver Perez. New York has offered Lowe a contract worth about $36 million over three years. The Mets have also talked with Boras about a potential deal for Perez, who spent the past two seasons in New York's starting rotation. The Mets are moving this year into $800 million Citi Field, adjacent to Shea Stadium.
Athletics:: Jason Giambi and the team finalized a one-year, $5.25 million contract with a club option, bringing the free-agent designated hitter and first baseman back to the place where he began his major league career. The sides reached a preliminary agreement this week, but Giambi, who turns 38 today, still needed to complete the obligatory physical for the deal to get done. To clear a roster spot, Oakland designated infielder Joe Dillon for assignment.
Et cetera:: Former Pirates managing general partner Kevin McClatchy has sold his remaining shares in the team, ending a 13-year relationship that began with the newspaper heir ensuring that the club remained in Pittsburgh. ... Relief pitcher Logan Kensing and the Marlins agreed on a one-year, $660,000 contract, avoiding arbitration.
Senators' Ruutu suspended for biting
nhl
Ottawa Senators forward Jarkko Ruutu was suspended by the NHL for two games without pay for biting Buffalo Sabres enforcer Andrew Peters. The NHL said Ruutu will lose $37,707 in pay and miss Ottawa's game at Boston tonight and a home game against the New York Rangers on Saturday. The ruling came a day after Ruutu bit down on Peters' glove during an altercation in front of the Senators' bench in the first period of the Sabres' 4-2 victory. The force of Ruutu's bite ripped Peters' glove off, broke the skin and drew blood on the player's right thumb.
All-Star Game:: Nicklas Lidstrom is headed to the game for the 10th straight season, but for the first time as captain of the Stanley Cup champion Red Wings. The six-time Norris Trophy winner, as the league's best defenseman, and teammate Pavel Datsyuk were among 15 players chosen by the NHL's hockey operations department, after consultation with general managers, to fill out the Western Conference roster for the game Jan. 25 in Montreal. The Eastern Conference team will be announced today.
Maple Leafs-Ducks:: Toronto acquired hard-hitting forward Brad May from Anaheim for a conditional 2010 sixth-round draft pick.
Avalanche:: Center Joe Sakic, already sidelined after a snow blower accident last month, underwent surgery for a herniated disk and will need about 10 weeks to recover. Last month, Sakic broke three fingers on his left hand trying to clear snow from a machine at his home.
Canadiens 6, Rangers 3:: Andrei Markov and Robert Lang, who had a hat trick, scored power-play goals 2:08 apart in the third period to lift Montreal over host New York, which lost for the fifth time in seven games (2-4-1).
Vaughan, track coach at Mervo, dies at 41
et cetera
Mervo track coach William Vaughan died Tuesday after complications from pneumonia. He was 41. Vaughan had been suffering from kidney failure in recent months and was awaiting a donor. Vaughan, a former Mervo runner, also worked with the cross country and girls badminton teams. In addition, he coached with the Ed Waters and Freddie Hendricks track clubs. A viewing and a memorial service are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in Mervo's auditorium.
Tennis:: Top-ranked Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Roger Federer won in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals of the ATP Qatar Open in Doha. Nadal beat Karol Beck, 6-1, 6-2, and Federer defeated Andreas Seppi, 6-3, 6-3. Nadal will next play fifth-seeded Gael Monfils today. Federer will face Philipp Kohlschreiber. Andy Roddick edged Arnaud Clement, 6-3, 7-5, and will play Victor Hanescu. Fourth-ranked Andy Murray defeated Philipp Petzschner, 6-2, 6-4, and will take on Sergiy Stakhovsky.
Horse racing: : Jockey brothers Luis and Geovany Garcia helped trainer Carlos Garcia, no relation, win twice on the nine-race card at Laurel Park. In the seventh race, Luis guided Clara's Song ($12.80) to a driving victory in a $32,000 allowance test. One race later, Geovany was aboard Sharp Lioness ($5.20) for a maiden-breaking win.
WNBA:: Candace Parker is expecting her first child in the spring, and the star will keep working out leading to the 2009 season. The announcement was made by the University of Tennessee, where Parker starred before going on to the Los Angeles Sparks. Her husband is forward Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings. ... The Seattle Storm re-signed guard Tanisha Wright.