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Sports briefs

By JOHN C. COTEY, Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001

Astros' Hidalgo gets raise

Centerfielder Richard Hidalgo, who had a breakthrough season with the Houston Astros last year, agreed Friday to a $32-million, four-year contract. Hidalgo's contract is the third-highest in franchise history, trailing only Jeff Bagwell's $85-million, five-year extension, which starts in 2002, and Craig Biggio's $33-million, four-year contract, which runs through 2003.

MORE BASEBALL: Sammy Sosa met with the Cubs front office and this much was resolved in negotiations for a contract extension: They will keep talking. ... Right-hander Jeff Brantley and the Rangers agreed to a minor-league contract with Triple-A Oklahoma. ... Right-handed reliever Heathcliff Slocumb was released by the Padres, his eighth team in 10 big-league seasons. ... Bob Gebhard was promoted by the Cardinals to vice president, special assistant to general manager Walt Jocketty. ... Outfielder Roberto Kelly agreed to a minor-league contract with the Rockies. ... Atlanta signed right-handers Marc Valdes and Joe Slusarski to minor-league deals.

ARENA FOOTBALL: The Tampa Bay Storm debuted its Storm WeeklyOnline radio show Friday. The 20-minute show can be heard 24 hours a day on the team's Web page at www.tampastorm.com. Jason Dixon, the Ice Palace director of broadcasting and programming, hosts the show with Storm coach Tim Marcum. The first guest is quarterback John Kaleo.

BIATHLON: Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjoerndalen beat points leader Raphael Poiree in a 10-kilometer World Cup event in Ruhpolding, Germany.

BOXING: Oscar De La Hoya has been ruled a winner over Bob Arum. Judge Matt Byrne ruled in favor of De La Hoya in his legal battle with the former promoter, granting the request for a summary judgment making the former welterweight champion's contract with Arum null and void. De La Hoya will return with new promoter Jerry Perenchio.

COLLEGES: When its men's basketball and baseball schedules end this spring, Aquinas in Nashville, Tenn., will discontinue athletics for financial reasons. ... Greichaly Cepero, a sophomore at Nebraska, won the Honda Award for volleyball, honoring the nation's top player. ... South Florida students can register to win a Humvee at men's home basketball games. Jan. 31 is the last day to register.

CYCLING: Richard Virenque has appealed his nine-month ban for taking performance-enhancing drugs during the 1998 Tour de France.

HOCKEY: Boston College's Jerry York and Thayer Academy's Jack Foley were picked as USA Hockey's national coach of the year and developmental coach of the year.

PAN AM GAMES: The Dominican Republic might lose the 2003 Games because of disorganization in the country's preparation efforts.

SKIING: Kari Traa won the women's moguls event in a World Cup freestyle meet in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.

SOCCER: Wing Marc Keller said he left English Premiership club West Ham to join Blackburn Rovers of the First Division on a six-month contract. ... Aston Villa has overcome FIFA objections and is set to complete a club-record $14.1-million transfer of Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel from River Plate. ... The San Jose Earthquakes fired coach Lothar Osiander, two days after Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment took over operations of the MLS team. ... Colorado Rapids forward Jorge Dely Valdes has left the team and will not return this season. Dely Valdes reportedly has signed with Omiya Ardija FC of Tokyo. ... Michelle Akers will receive the Women's Committee Award of Excellence next week during the National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention in Indianapolis.

SPEED SKATING: Jennifer Rodriguez, the first Cuban-American on the national team, won the 500 and 3,000 against Canada's best on the first of three days of regional qualifying for the World Allround Championships in West Allis, Wis.

TENNIS: Defending titlist Amelie Mauresmo withdrew from her semifinal against Lindsay Davenport, giving the No. 2 seed a walkover into today's adidas International final against top-ranked Martina Hingis in Sydney, Australia. On the men's side, top-seeded Magnus Norman beat Jonas Bjorkman 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-Swedish semifinal and played defending titlist Lleyton Hewitt. ... Fourth-seeded Sandrine Testud upset top-seeded Mary Pierce 6-2, 6-2 to earn a date in the Canberra International final against teenager Justine Henin. ... Unseeded players Rita Grande and Jennifer Hopkins meet in the final of the Tasmanian International in Hobart, Australia, after semifinal wins. ... Dominik Hrbaty and Francisco Clavet advanced to the final of the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand. ... Yevgeny Kafelnikov advanced to the Colonial Classic final against Andre Agassi today in Melbourne, Australia.

TRACK AND FIELD: Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, who held the world record for the triple jump and became Brazil's most successful Olympian, died of a heart attack at age 73. ... Defending champion Wilson Kibet led Kenya to four of the top five spots in the Dubai Marathon. Ramiliya Burungulova won the women's event for the second straight year, clocking 2:37:07, 2.53 seconds better than her last year's record.

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