Newsmakers
Agreed Hoping they found their setup man on the other side of the globe, the New York Mets agreed with Japanese right-handed reliever Ryota Igarashi on a $3 million, two-year contract. Igarashi, 30, went 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA and three saves in 56 games last season in Japan. He struck out 44 and walked 20 in 532/3 innings.
Fined New York Giants center Shaun O’Hara and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Trent Cole have been fined $15,000 by the NFL for a scuffle at the end of Sunday’s game at Giants Stadium. O’Haraappeared to stiff-arm Cole in the facemask in the closing seconds of the Eagles’ win. Cole retaliated by throwing some punches.
Named The Washington Redskins hired Bruce Allen, son of late Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen, as the team’s new general manager. He becomes the first person hired by owner Dan Snyder to hold the GM title, a notable milestone after a decade of various front office arrangements that usually centered around Snyder and good friend Vinny Cerrato.
Elected The Golf Writers Association of America voted Tiger Woods the male player of the year by an overwhelming margin over Steve Stricker, with most ballots returned after Woods’ became embroiled in a sex scandal. It was the 10th time Woods has won the award in his 13 years as a pro. LPGA Tour rookie Jiyai Shin was voted female player of the year over Lorena Ochoa, while Loren Roberts won the senior player award.
Returned Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware was back at practice, though the team was unclear about his status for Saturday night’s game at New Orleans that will be less than a week after he strained his neck in a scary headfirst collision. The team also did not indicate his status for the Saints game since the NFL doesn’t require that until today.
Sentenced A judge has handed down a life sentence for Tyrone Hartsfield, the man convicted of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier.
Cleared French tennis player Richard Gasquet was cleared of any wrongdoing when the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted his claim that he tested positive for cocaine by kissing a woman in a nightclub.