In brief

No surprise here: Yanks spent most

By wire services
Published January 7, 2006

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees finished last year with a record $207.2-million payroll, more than $90-million ahead of any other team, according to final figures compiled Friday by the commissioner's office.

Boston was second at $116.7-million, with the New York Mets third at $104-million.

At the other end, Tampa Bay had the lowest payroll at $26.6-million, with Pittsburgh at $30.1-million.

BRAVES: Pitcher Chris Reitsma avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.75-million, one-year contract with Atlanta.

DIAMONDBACKS: Justin Upton, the 18-year-old shortstop who was the top pick in the 2005 major league amateur draft and is the younger brother of Devil Rays prospect B.J. Upton, agreed to a minor-league contract with Arizona that includes a $6.1-million signing bonus payable over five years.

DODGERS: Second baseman Jeff Kent will undergo surgery on his right wrist Tuesday to remove scar tissue and should be recovered by early in spring training.

INDIANS: Free agent Eduardo Perez, a former Devil Ray, is close to signing a one-year contract with Cleveland.

MARLINS: Team representatives plan to meet next week with Portland, Ore., officials about a possible relocation to the city in the event it can't get a baseball-only stadium in South Florida.

RED SOX: Free-agent first baseman J.T. Snow, 37, and Boston reached an agreement on a $2-million, one-year contract.

ROCKIES: Pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim stayed with Colorado, agreeing to a one-year contract. He went 5-12 with a 4.86 ERA last season.

YANKEES: Al Leiter, 40, agreed to a minor-league contract, a deal he hopes will be a springboard to a spot on the U.S. team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

GOLD COAST, Australia - Martina Hingis' perfect record in her comeback tournament ended with a 1-6, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 loss to fourth-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the semifinals of the Australian women's hardcourt championships.

Hingis had won her first three matches since returning from retirement after three years away due to foot, ankle and heal injuries. Afterward, she announced she would pull out of her scheduled semifinal doubles match with partner Tatiana Golovin of Russia due to a hip flexor strain.

QATAR OPEN: Defending champion Roger Federer defeated Tommy Haas 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals in Doha. The top-ranked Federer will face Gael Monfils, who defeated Filippo Volandri 6-3, 6-4.

HOPMAN CUP: The U.S. won its fourth title, defeating the Netherlands 2-1 in the final of the mixed-team event in Perth, Australia. Taylor Dent and Lisa Raymond won a third set tie-break to beat Peter Wessels and Michaella Krajicek 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7).

CHENNAI OPEN: Kristof Vliegen upset fourth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan 6-1, 6-2 to reach the semifinals in Madras, India.

CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE: Top-ranked Lindsay Davenport beat an injured Venus Williams 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the finals of the exhibition tournament in Hong Kong. Venus' sister, Serena, pulled out of the tournament with a knee injury.

ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL: Xavier Malisse cruised past Andrea Seppi 6-0, 6-1 to advance to the semifinals in Adelaide, Australia.

BOXING: Thomas Hearns' pretrial hearing on a charge he struck his 13-year-old son was postponed so the former boxing champion's lawyer could gather more information.

LUGE: Germany's Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch beat compatriots Sebastian Schmidt and Andre Forker to win the World Cup men's doubles in Koenigsee, Germany.

MOTORSPORTS: Stephane Peterhansel won for the second time in the Dakar Rally, taking the seventh stage of the road race in Atar, Mauritania. Luc Alphand was second, 4 minutes, 23 seconds behind, and claimed the overall lead with a time of 22 hours, 32 minutes, 41 seconds.

NORDIC COMBINED: Hannu Manninen of Finland got his fifth World Cup victory of the season in Schonach, Germany.

[Last modified January 7, 2006, 01:15:51]