Sports Briefs February 21, 2012
Baseball
A day after trading A.J. Burnett, the New York Yankees used some of the salary they saved to add Raul Ibanez as their left-handed designated hitter.
Ibanez, a former Seattle Mariner, and the Yankees agreed to a $1.1 million, one-year contract, a person familiar the negotiations said Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical. It includes $2.9 million in performance bonuses.
Ibanez is a 39-year-old outfielder who played with Philadelphia the last three seasons and hit .245 last year with 20 homers and 84 RBIs.
With a swing that seems tailored to the short right-field at Yankee Stadium, Ibanez is expected to be the Yankees' primary designated hitter against right-handed starting pitchers. New York decided on him over Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, who also are free agents.
• Manny Ramirez and the Oakland Athletics reached agreement on a minor league contract.
Ramirez is expected to report to spring training by the end of the week.
The 12-time All-Star is due to serve a 50-game suspension for his second positive drug test before he can play for the A's. Barring rainouts, his first game could be May 30 - on his 40th birthday.
Ramirez ranks 14th on the career list with 555 home runs. This would be the 20th major league season for Ramirez, a career .312 hitter with 1,831 RBIs.
• Mariano Rivera hinted 2012 could be his final year in the major leagues, saying he won't announce his long-term plans until after the season.
The New York Yankees 42-year-old closer says he has reached a decision about whether he will retire or return in 2013 but said he won't reveal it until "maybe October."
"I know," Rivera said. "I'll tell you when I'm ready."
Rivera, the career saves leader with 603, is signed through this season. Following the retirements of Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, Rivera and 37-year-old Derek Jeter are the only remaining players from the core group that led the Yankees' resurgence.
Basketball
Kentucky and Syracuse are 1-2 in The Associated Press Top 25 for a fourth straight week.
The Wildcats, who have been No. 1 for five consecutive weeks and seven overall, were again a runaway choice Monday with 63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.
Missouri, Kansas and Duke stayed third through fifth and are followed by Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Georgetown and Marquette.
No. 18 New Mexico, winners of seven straight, and No. 22 Temple, which has won 10 in a row, are in the rankings for the first time this season. They replace West Coast Conference members Saint Mary's and Gonzaga.
• No. 13 Baylor 77, Texas 72: At Austin, Texas, Pierre Jackson led Baylor with 25 points, and the Bears (23-5, 10-5 Big 12) held off the Longhorns (17-11, 7-8).
• There appears to be no end in sight for Greg Oden and his troublesome knees.
The Portland Trail Blazers center was scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery to "remove debris" from his left knee. The team announced that the former No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft had surgery Monday in Vail, Colo. The often-injured 7-footer had the same procedure on his right knee earlier this month.
Auto racing
Suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has been indicted by a grand jury in North Carolina on charges of possession of stolen goods stemming from a Nov. 1 search of his property.
- The Associated Press