Fast Break

NBA

Grizzlies send Gasol to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers bolstered their banged-up frontline Friday with a key acquisition – 7-footer Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers gave up Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two first-round draft picks for Gasol. The Spaniard is certain to help a Lakers team reeling from recent injuries to inside players, including blossoming center Andrew Bynum.

Gasol, averaging 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 39 games this season, can fill in at center until Bynum returns in mid-March and then move to power forward.

The Grizzlies will get the Lakers’ first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010; guard Aaron McKie, signed earlier in the day for salary-cap purposes; and the rights to Gasol’s brother Marc, a 2007 second-round pick of Los Angeles. The Lakers also receive the Grizzlies’ second-round pick in 2010.

Gasol, the NBA rookie of the year in 2002 and an All-Star four years later, has averaged 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 476 career games.

Horse racing

Baze rides 10,000th winner

Russell Baze extended his dominance as North America’s winningest thoroughbred jockey, riding his 10,000th winner at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, Calif.

The Hall of Famer survived a photo finish in a three-horse duel to the wire, with Two Step Cat winning by a head bob in the mile race for claiming horses.

Baze has been North America’s career leader since December 2006, when he surpassed Laffit Pincay Jr.’s record of 9,530 at Bay Meadows.

Baze hit double-digits in winners with his 44,006th career starter. His mounts have earned nearly $153 million during his 34-year career.

Baze has no plans for retirement. He turns 50 in August and wants to continue riding as long as his health and desire remain strong.

But his superiority is confined to North America.

A challenger unknown to Baze before 2006 has emerged in the form of Brazilian jockey Jorge Ricardo. He passed Baze on the career victory list last February and hit 10,000 on Jan. 9. Ricardo had won 10,036 races through Wednesday.

Golf

Hole-in-one the hard way

Hitting a hole-in-one is hard enough. Now consider that Leo Fiyalko is 92 years old and blind.

“I was just trying to put the ball on the green,” he said.

Fiyalko, who has macular degeneration and has been golfing for 60 years, scored the ace with a 5-iron on the 110-yard fifth hole at Cove Cay Country Club on Jan. 10.

Fiyalko tees off every Thursday with a group of golfers ranging in age from 70 to more than 90. He used to have a 7 handicap, but needs help lining up shots and finding golf balls because he has peripheral vision only in his right eye.