Kuhn heads 2008 hall-of-fame class
At last, Bowie Kuhn beat Marvin Miller at something.
The late commissioner was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday while Miller was rejected by a revamped Veterans Committee stacked with those he regularly opposed – and beat – in arbitration and bargaining sessions that altered the history of the game.
“Bowie was a close friend and a respected leader who served as commissioner during an important period in history, amid a time of change,” commissioner Bud Selig said, adding: “I was surprised that Marvin Miller did not receive the required support given his important impact on the game.”
Former Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, managers Dick Williams and Billy Southworth and ex-Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss also were elected.
Manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey each missed induction by a single vote.
•The New York Yankees finalized their two-year, $4 million deal with catcher Jose Molina and designated infielder Andy Phillips for assignment.
•Andy Pettitte decided to pitch for the New York Yankees in 2008 and put off retirement.
The decision came as the Yankees set a Monday deadline for the Minnesota Twins to decide whether they will trade them two-time A.L. Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana for pitcher Phil Hughes, center fielder Melky Cabrera and a midlevel prospect.
•The Chicago White Sox added depth to their inexperienced outfield acquiring Carlos Quentin from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league first baseman Chris Carter.
•The Tampa Bay Rays traded troubled outfielder Elijah Dukes to the Washington Nationals for minor league pitcher Glenn Gibson.
•The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed infielder Josh Wilson from Tampa Bay and pitcher Ty Taubenheim from Toronto, adding both to their 40-man roster.
Football
McNair placed on IR
The Baltimore Ravens put quarterback Steve McNair on injured reserve, ending a season in which the 34-year-old struggled to stay healthy.
He will have surgery on his non-throwing (left) shoulder today, the team announced.
•Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season because of a sprained knee.
•Derrick Ward, the New York Giants’ leading rusher, suffered a broken leg Sunday against the Chicago Bears and will be out indefinitely.
Miscellany
Demsey on way back
After a 10-year absence and two surgeries to remove a brain tumor the size of a golf ball, Todd Demsey finally made it back to the PGA Tour with perhaps the most significant round of his career.
Demsey, a former NCAA champion, closed with an 8-under 64 in the sixth and final round of Q-school to earn one of 26 full-exempt cards next year in the big leagues of golf.
Frank Lickliter completed a wire-to-wire week at Orange County National in Winter Garden, Fla., and finished as the medalist at 29-under 403. He won by four shots over Brett Rumford of Australia.
Alex Prugh (Ferris, University of Washington) finished with a 7-under 425, failing to earn his PGA Tour card.
•Sam Vasquez, a mixed martial arts fighter, died in a Houston hospice about six weeks after he was injured in a sanctioned bout, a rare fatality for a combat sport growing in popularity.
•Italian Olympic Committee anti-doping prosecutors recommended that cyclist Luca Ascani should be banned for the maximum two years after testing positive for EPO.
•In Beaver Creek, Colo., Austria earned a sweep of the World Cup super-G in which they took five of the top six places.
Hannes Reichelt led the Austrians, followed by teammates Mario Scheiber and Christoph Gruber.
Ted Ligety was the top American in 23rd place.