PETTITTE VISITING BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: Combined wire services

Andy Pettitte talking with the Houston Astros was anticipated and barely registered on owner George Steinbrenner's angst radar screen.

Of course, the New York Yankees' free-agent left-hander would speak to his hometown team.

The Boston Red Sox, however, are another matter, and while talks with other teams are deemed exploratory, there's no mystery as to Steinbrenner's reaction should Pettitte leave for Fenway Park, where he'll be today or Friday to meet with the Yankees' greatest rival.

One of Pettitte's agents, Randy Hendricks, in an e-mail Wednesday, said he would not be fooling around in Boston.

``The Red Sox have expressed strong interest,'' Hendricks wrote, and Pettitte's interest is logical for no other reason than to force the Yankees to dig deeper, as they did in Bernie Williams' negotiations after the 1998 season.

Speculation that the 31-year-old Pettitte, with 149 career victories and 13 more wins in the postseason, will remain with the Yankees was enhanced after pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre announced last week he would return for another season.

Pettitte, who lives in Deer Park, Tex., and his agents met in Houston on Tuesday with Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Gerry Hunsicker.

Hunsicker said the discussions were for background with no dollar figures exchanged.

It's not hard to ascertain the Red Sox's interest in Pettitte exceeds tweaking the Yankees: They must improve their rotation after Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, especially with Martinez showing signs of wearing down.

The Red Sox, however, are saddled with $100 million remaining on Manny Ramirez's contract and with Nomar Garciaparra and Martinez scheduled to be free agents after 2004, it's questionable how much they can give Pettitte. Red Sox: Former Phillies manager Terry Francona was back in Boston for another round of interviews on Wednesday, a day after he met with Red Sox owner John Henry about the vacant managerial job.

``I was impressed with his knowledge of the game and his forthrightness,'' Henry said. ``He is a serious candidate, but no decisions have been made.''

Los Angeles Dodgers coach Glenn Hoffman and Anaheim Angels bench coach Joe Maddon also have been interviewed. Mets: Former Mets and Giants outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo will return to Japan and play for the Pacific League's Nippon Ham Fighters next season.

Shinjo, who spent most of the 2003 season with Triple-A Norfolk, batted .193 in 62 games with the Mets last season. Astros: Catcher Brad Ausmus agreed to a $4 million, two-year contract to stay in Houston. A two-time Gold Glove winner, he hit .229 with 47 RBI last season. Mariners: Free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez agreed to a $13.25 million, three-year contract. Ibanez, who came up in Seattle's system, blossomed over the past two years in Kansas City, where he hit .294 both years.

He drove in 103 runs in 2002 and 90 last season. Indians: Outfielder Milton Bradley agreed to a $1.73 million, one-year contract. He batted .321 with 10 homers and 56 RBI last season, but he missed the final six weeks with a lower back injury. Tigers: Former Detroit second baseman Lou Whitaker will join his old team at spring training next year as an instructor.

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Football: Hull 2 Boston 1.(Sport) - The People (London, England)

HULL CITY left it late against 10-man Boston as Stuart Green headed home a last-gasp winner from close range. It was a cruel blow for the visitors, who had done enough to earn a point.

Boston almost took the lead against the run of play when Mark Angel's shot drew a fine save from Paul Musselwhite.

Neil Thompson's side were caught cold when Stuart Elliott's looping header gave goalkeeper Paul Bastock no chance.

But Boston were rewarded when Neil Redfearn floated a free-kick to the far post for Paul Ellender to poke home.

Lucic, Welker, Youkilis, Garnett embody intensity in Boston sports - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

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SABERHAGEN WINS AGAIN FOR BOSTON.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Associated Press

BOSTON - Bret Saberhagen continued his comeback with a second consecutive victory and Mo Vaughn homered on Monday to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Oakland lost its fourth consecutive game and has yet to win a game on the road this season. Boston has not yet lost at home, having swept the Seattle Mariners in three games over the weekend.

Saberhagen (2-0) sat out all of 1996 after surgery on his right shoulder and spent most of last season in rehabilitation. In all, he went more than two years between his last win for Colorado on Sept. 26, 1995, and his next, on April 5 against Seattle.

The two-time Cy Young winner, struck out six and walked two.

Indians 6, Mariners 5

At Cleveland

Ken Griffey Jr. homered twice and became the second-youngest player with 300 homers, but Seattle's bullpen wasted another lead as Cleveland beat the Mariners.

Griffey, who had the 31st multihomer game of his career, hit two-run shots in the first against Dave Burba (2-1) and the seventh against Jose Mesa.

Griffey's first homer and a solo shot in the sixth by David Segui gave the Mariners a 3-0 lead. But the Indians scored six in the sixth, taking a 6-3 lead on Brian Giles' three-run homer off Bobby Ayala.

Ken Cloude (1-1) allowed four straight hits to start the inning, and Ayala failed to preserve a 3-3 tie. Seattle's bullpen blew two saves against Boston last weekend and the Mariners fired pitching coach Nardi Contreras on Monday, replacing him with Stan Williams.

Griffey's historic homer, estimated at 391 feet, was his sixth of the season and third in two days. Griffey is 28 years, 143 days old. Jimmie Foxx was 27 years, 328 days when he hit his 300th.

Devil Rays 13, Twins 12

At St. Petersburg, Fla.

Robert Smith homered in the 14th inning and Esteban Yan closed the game with five perfect innings as Tampa Bay overcame a six-run deficit to beat Minnesota.

At 7-4, Tampa Bay is off to the best start by an expansion team. The 1977 Toronto Blue Jays, 1969 Kansas City Royals and 1962 Houston Colt .45s began 6-5.

Smith, 4-for-7 in the game, connected off Mike Trombley (0-1) to end the longest game in the Devil Rays' young history at 4 hours, 54 minutes. Yan (2-0), Tampa Bay's seventh pitcher, was the winner.

Quinton McCracken drove in four runs and had three of Tampa Bay's 19 hits.

Royals 11, Blue Jays 1

At Kansas City, Mo.

Glendon Rusch got his first win at Kauffman Stadium and rookie Larry Sutton, Shane Mack and Mike Sweeney all homered off Pat Hentgen, leading Kansas City to victory over Toronto.

Rusch (1-2), who entered the game with a 12.54 ERA, allowed seven hits in eight innings. He struck out six and walked one in the longest outing by a Royals pitcher this season.

The left-hander was 0-7 in 15 previous starts at home.

Hentgen (1-1) allowed six hits and eight runs in three innings.

Mack went 3-for-4 with four RBI.

Rangers 10, Tigers 1

At Arlington, Texas

Lee Stevens hit three home runs and Bobby Witt got his 100th career victory with Texas as the Rangers defeated Detroit.

Stevens hit solo homers in the second and fifth, before connecting on a two-run shot in the seventh for his first three-homer game. Attempting to become the 13th player to homer four times in a game, he walked in the eighth.

Juan Gonzalez added a two-run homer for the Rangers, who have won four of five.

Witt (1-0) gave up six hits over 6 2/3 innings in getting his 125th career victory.

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ACC RIVALS BACK IN BOSTON.(Sports) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: Jimmy Golen Associated Press

BOSTON -- During Maryland's last visit to this city, for a regular-season game against Boston College, coach Brenda Frese took her team on a surprise bus trip.

The destination was un-disclosed.

The players were puzzled.

But when they unloaded at the new Boston Garden, the site of the NCAA women's Final Four, the message was clear.

'If you want to come back here, the next time will be for the Final Four,' Maryland guard Shay Doron recalled on Monday, a day before the Terrapins play Duke for the NCAA title. 'That feeling was unbelievable. You just want to get back here no matter what.'

Maryland (33-4) reached the title game by beating top-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals Sunday -- its second victory this year over the Tar Heels, a team no one else beat even once. But the groundwork was laid much earlier, when Frese took over the once-proud program in 2002.

The original power in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a charter member of the NCAA Final Four, 25 years ago, Maryland won five of the ACC's first six tournaments but hadn't broken .500 in the conference in five years before Frese arrived.

'First, it is my job to keep reminding people of history, because we feel like it's pretty special at Maryland,' Frese said. 'I think people forget, since it was in the 1980s, that Maryland still owns the most ACC titles and has done some pretty special things.'

So Frese didn't talk about making baby steps back to greatness.

'From Day 1, it's always been about an ACC championship, the NCAA championship,' Doron said. 'I think it was just making us believe that we can be a part of something different that nobody in the country can say they've ever done ... going from a 10-18 team to three years later playing in the Final Four.'

Standing in Maryland's way is another No. 1 seed: Duke (31-3), which is trying to earn its first national championship in its fourth trip to the Final Four since 1999. The Blue Devils also visited Boston College's campus this season, but coach Gail Goestenkors opted not to make a special trip to see the championship site.

'I've done that in the past several years and I felt like that put more pressure on my kids, honestly,' she said.

Duke will rely on frontcourt stars Alison Bales -- a graduate of Beavercreek High School near Dayton, Ohio -- and Mistie Williams to take back whatever advantage Maryland has with its speed. The ACC rivals have played three times this year, and Maryland has improved each time -- losing by 18, losing by 10 and then winning by eight in the ACC tournament semifinals.

DAMON SIGNS CONTRACT WITH BOSTON.(SPORTS) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: Compiled from Post news services

Johnny Damon had his eye on the Red Sox after becoming a free agent. He sharpened his focus when Boston traded Carl Everett to Texas.

That left a gap in center field that Damon, wishing to be closer to his family in Florida, was eager to fill. So he left the Oakland Athletics and agreed Friday to a $31 million, four-year contract with Boston.

Damon gives the traditionally lead-footed Red Sox a speedy leadoff hitter who has scored more than 100 runs each of the last four seasons.

But the signing of Damon, 28, could cost the Red Sox another newly acquired speedster, former Reds second baseman Pokey Reese, who already has been with three teams this week.

Reese was among six players on the 40-man roster who weren't offered contracts by Thursday's deadline. Reese, traded Tuesday from Cincinnati to Colorado and dealt to Boston the following day, finds himself on the open market.

''Financially, we didn't have the capability to fit him in with our structure when we signed Johnny,'' said Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette.

Duquette said the Red Sox still want to sign Reese, but conceded the infielder probably will talk to other clubs.

Also not offered a contract by Boston was former Reds infielder Chris Stynes.

In 958 games in his seven seasons, Damon has a .286 average with 74 homers, 401 RBI, 612 runs and 183 stolen bases.

SADLER A FREE AGENT - Former Reds utility player Donnie Sadler became a free agent Friday when the Kansas City Royals didn't offer him a contract for next season.

Sadler, who hit .129 in 54 games last season, had been designated for assignment Wednesday to make room on the 40-man roster for former Red Michael Tucker, acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

Kansas City hopes to sign Sadler to a minor-league deal.

ASTROS SIGN PITCHING PAIR - Free-agent pitcher T.J. Mathews agreed Friday to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros, who also signed former Red C.J. Nitkowski to a minor-league deal.

Mathews, 31, has a career record of 32-26 with a 3.84 ERA and 16 saves,

pitching for Oakland and St. Louis. He was a combined 1-1 with a 4.30 ERA and one save in 30 relief appearances last season for the Athletics and Cardinals.

Nitkowski, 28, returns to the Astros after pitching for Detroit and the New York Mets. He has a career record of 16-30 with a 5.37 ERA in 270 games, including 44 starts.

PARK DEAL CLOSE - Chan Ho Park's agent was headed to Texas this weekend to try to finalize a $65 million, five-year contract with the Rangers.

''We're continuing to talk and we've had some breakthroughs as to what we're doing,'' agent Scott Boras said.

Boras and the Rangers have an understanding on the format of the deal, according to a lawyer familiar with the negotiations who spoke on the condition he not be identified. The sides were close to an agreement but had not yet agreed on all the details, the lawyer said.

Boras, who last year negotiated a record $252 million, 10-year deal between the Rangers and shortstop Alex Rodriguez, intended to travel to the Dallas area Friday or this morning.

Despite adding Rodriguez, the Rangers finished last in the American League West at 73-89 and had a 5.71 ERA, the highest in the major leagues.

New general manager John Hart has added pitchers John Rocker, Todd Van Poppel, Jay Powell and former Red Dave Burba since the season ended.

Park went 15-11 with a 3.50 ERA for the Dodgers last season.

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BULLPEN WOES PUZZLING BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: PETER SCHMUCK Baltimore Sun

Pedro Martinez looked perplexed, which probably is a pretty good way to look after you pitch great twice in a row and come away with nothing to show for it.

The Boston Red Sox ace has given up just one run in his first 15 innings, but the bullpen has come unraveled in each game -- giving up a total of six runs in two ugly ninth innings.

``There is nothing I can do after I go seven or eight innings,'' Martinez said last week. ``There is nothing you can do. You just have to hope someone comes after you. You just pray to God that they do the job.''

This does not register as a ringing endorsement of the new-look Red Sox relief corps or the front-office decision to go into the 2003 season without an established closer.

Martinez, who will face the Orioles today in the Red Sox's home opener at Fenway Park, was skeptical about the closer-by-committee arrangement from the start, but continues to express halfhearted confidence that it will work.

``I have to be confident,'' he said. ``There is no other way for me to go. I have to trust my teammates and my manager. There is nothing else to do.''

The fans and media in Boston also are getting a little uncomfortable as the club's quick 4-1 start has melted away and the bullpen continues to give up too many late-inning runs. Red Sox relievers entered Thursday night's series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 6.55 ERA.

There is some suspicion in Boston that the front office may have outsmarted itself. This is, after all, the team that turned convention on its ear by hiring 28-year-old GM Theo Epstein and adding new-age baseball statistics guru Bill James to the brain trust.

``We're not trying to reinvent the wheel or think outside the box,'' Epstein said. ``We just want to win. During the off-season, we were just looking at what was available. We couldn't alchemize a dominant reliever in the off-season.''

The Red Sox felt they could achieve an acceptable level of success in the late innings with a combination of pitchers that includes veteran right-handers Chad Fox, Mike Timlin, Ramiro Mendoza and Bobby Howry and left-hander Alan Embree. It has yet to work out as planned.

Embree and Fox gave up five runs in the ninth inning on opening day to spoil an outstanding performance by Martinez. Fox walked in the winning run in the ninth inning of the other Martinez start. Mendoza, who came over from the Yankees with much fanfare, has given up eight earned runs in his first six innings.

Timlin has been the most dependable veteran, allowing just a run in his first three appearances. ``We're a little bit concerned, and rightfully so,'' said manager Grady Little, ``but we also have confidence they'll get it straightened out very quickly.''

Epstein said it's a bit too early to panic, but he's not surprised Red Sox fans already are on alert.

A mark in Boston.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: DAN STEINBERG Washington Post

BOSTON - In a city famous for its athletic dynasties, one reign continued Monday at the 109th running of the Boston Marathon while another suffered what could prove to be a symbolic blow.

Kenya's Catherine Ndereba, a former world record holder dubbed 'Catherine the Great,' used a devastating charge in the hills west of the city to win at Boston for the fourth time this decade. She became the race's first four-time women's champion, winning in 2 hours 25 minutes 13 seconds.

Hailu Negussie, a rising Ethiopian talent, disrupted a different sort of dynasty on a clear and sunny day in which the mercury inched up to 70. Kenyan men had won here 13 times in 14 years until 25-year-old Negussie burst away from a pack of Kenyan challengers coming out of those same Newton hills to finish first in 2:11.45. Each winner earned $100,000.

There were other signs of cracks in the Kenyan men's supremacy. Spurred on by crowds chanting his name and that of his country, Alan Culpepper, 32, became the first American to crack the top five since 1987. He took fourth, less than two minutes behind Negussie.

Kenyans had swept the top four spots in the men's marathon for three straight years. Runner-up Wilson Onsare - who was 36 seconds back - and Benson Cherono (third) were by themselves in the top four.

The Kenyans were book-ended by Negussie, the first Ethiopian winner since 1989, and Culpepper, part of an ever more impressive American marathon resurgence. Two more Americans - Peter Gilmore and Ryan Shay - were 10th and 11th, less than a year after Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor both medaled at the Olympic Marathon.

No American has won at Boston since 1983, but Culpepper, who was 12th in Athens, said, 'it could happen any year now. We have the ability, we have the talent.... I think it's in the works for sure.'

Ndereba's performance was the most striking on a day that began with a celebration of the late Johnny Kelley, the marathon's most vibrant personality for much of the past century.

Kelley, who died in October at the age of 97, had finished this race 58 times, winning twice and coming in second seven times. This year, his face was drawn onto the starting line in Hopkinton and his signature tune - 'Young at Heart' - serenaded the 20,453 entrants.

Ndereba's four wins here tied her with Gerard Cote and Bill Rodgers. Clarence H. DeMar holds the record of seven wins in the early 20th century.

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GAME DAY; TIMBERWOLVES VS. BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

WOLVES: 8-7

- Wolves update: This time, the Wolves were able to sit in the opponents' city and watch them play on the road. What Denver did Tuesday in Minneapolis, the Wolves did Thursday in Boston while the Celtics played at Milwaukee... . The Wolves have won four in a row against Boston, including a 103-85 laugher at Target Center on Jan. 13 and a 109-106 buzzer-beater on their last visit to Fleet Center. That night, Peeler's three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left won it. Garnett scored a career-high 40 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter... . Boston leads the series overall, 11-10... . Billups, picked third by the Celtics in the 1997 draft, leads the NBA in free-throw percentage (56-for-60, 93.3 percent).

CELTICS: 7-8

CABRERA ENJOYING NEW START IN BOSTON.(Sports) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: David Heuschkel Hartford Courant

BOSTON -- The transition could not have been more challenging.

Orlando Cabrera wasn't just switching teams when the Red Sox acquired him from the Expos. He was switching leagues.

One day he was playing in a city where baseball is on the brink of extinction. The next day he was playing for a team that was on the cusp of going to the World Series last year. His old team played in an echo chamber. His new team was played in front of sellout crowds.

Going from a team that was in last place to one that was in a pennant race afforded Cabrera no time to adjust to his new surroundings. Getting to know teammates would be a lot easier than becoming familiar with new opposing pitchers. Learning to play on grass every day after playing on artificial turf for seven years was a challenge in itself.

'And he's replacing a guy that was the next biggest thing to Ted Williams in this city,' Kevin Millar said.

It's certainly debatable that Nomar Garciaparra, traded to the Cubs in the July 31 deal that sent Cabrera to the Red Sox, was the second greatest player in Red Sox history.

What's not debatable is that Garciaparra was a five-time All-Star, two-time batting champion and one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

Think there was just a little bit of pressure on Cabrera?

'I was afraid of him putting too much pressure on himself because of you guys,' Pedro Martinez said. 'Nothing else. The media was the only thing. Not the fans.'

One thing that worked in Cabrera's favor is that Garciaparra was a lot more popular with the fans than he was with teammates.

To say Cabrera has smiled more in six weeks with the Red Sox than Garciaparra did in his last six years may be a stretch. But Cabrera has fit in so well because his personality differs greatly from his predecessor's.

'He's a fun guy,' Millar said. 'He's a joker. He's a crazy guy just like the rest of us. That's how he's fit in. He and I had a handshake within two days. He's got a handshake for everybody. He has a lot of fun on the field. He's a good player and a good clubhouse guy. I think this city is going to love him as soon as you get accustomed to knowing that it's Orlando Cabrera at short.'

Cabrera's teammates already love him. He loves to interact with them.

'He's a gamer,' Jason Varitek said. 'He goes out there every day. He's got a spunk about him. He's got a little fire in him. And he's a good player.'

As good a fielder as Garciaparra was, Cabrera has been better. He has made several outstanding plays, causing teammates to marvel. In 141 games this season, including 40 with Boston, he has 12 errors and a .980 fielding percentage.

Cabrera won a Gold Glove in 2001 with the Expos. He committed 11 errors in 162 games and had a .986 fielding percentage.

'Don't hit it to the shortstop,' Bill Mueller said, 'because he's going to make the play.'

For the first time in his career, Cabrera is playing for a contender. The Expos finished higher than fourth once in his seven seasons in Montreal.

'It's been really exciting to come out every day and play,' said Cabrera, who has hit .284 with Boston.

' Cabrera, who went 3-for-25 in his first six games with the Red Sox, has handled the pressure in Boston. He never considered himself Garciaparra's replacement.

'I never met Nomar,' Cabrera said. 'I met him at second base when he hit a double. I said, 'Nomar, what's happening?' He seems like a really cool guy, and I still think he's a really cool guy. How he was here in the clubhouse, I don't know and I don't care. I'd be stupid if I was trying to ask everybody how he was so I can act different.'

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RICK STEWART/Getty Images

IN FAST COMPANY MEN'S AND WOMEN'S RECORDS FALL IN BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: BERT ROSENTHAL Associated Press

BOSTON No one ever called the Boston Marathon course fast. Until Monday.

Under ideal weather conditions, Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya smashed the record in defending his men's title and Uta Pippig of Germany broke the women's record.

In addition, Bob Kempainen, a 27-year-old medical student at Minnesota, broke the American record in finishing seventh on a day in which temperatures reached the mid-50s and runners took advantage of a 19 mph tailwind.

``I was not aiming to get a fast first or second half. I was only concentrating on the pace other people were running,'' Ndeti said.

He covered the 26 miles, 385 yards in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 15 seconds 36 seconds better than Rob de Castella's Boston record set in 1986. Ndeti's time was the fifth fastest ever and the fastest in the world in six years. It was only 25 seconds off the world best of 2:06:50, set by Belayneh Densimo of Ethiopia at Rotterdam in 1988.

Pippig, crying for joy after finishing, won in 2:21:45. She broke the women's record of 2:22:43, set by Joan Benoit Samuelson in 1983, and moved into third place on the all-time list, 39 seconds behind the world best of 2:21:06 set by Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen at London in 1985.

``If I had not done well, I would have cried (in disappointment),'' said Pippig, who had the flu last week. ``I took it very seriously.

``I thought about the record with about three-four miles left. But I really tired at miles 25 and 26, and I just wanted to finish. I said, `C'mon, just win.' I trained for a 2:22. So this was a good run. I need maybe one or two good years to break the (world record).''

The Boston layout is considered difficult because of its undulating terrain and notorious Heartbreak Hill, which crests at 230 feet at mile 21. Monday, the perfect weather and strong men's and women's fields combined to get the better of the course.

In winning for the second consecutive year, Ndeti became the fourth straight Kenyan champion. Countryman Ibrahim Hussein won in 1991 and 1992.

On Monday, the course records fell, and so did the American record. Kempainen, the runner-up at New York last November, was timed in 2:08:47, breaking the mark of 2:08:52 set by Alberto Salazar at Boston in 1982.

Ndeti held off late-charging Andres Espinosa of Mexico, the 1993 New York City Marathon champion. The Kenyan won by four seconds, the fourth-closest finish in the race.

Ndeti ran an almost identical race to the one a year ago, biding his time over the first half before surging to the front. He seized the lead for good just before 22 miles, overtaking Boay Akonay of Tanzania.

Last year, after winning, Ndeti gave his 2-day-old son the middle name of ``Boston.''

``Last year was a miracle to me,'' he said Monday.

At the halfway point, Ndeti was ninth, with Keith Brantly of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., leading in 1:04:52. Ndeti ran the second half close to 1:02:00.

Kempainen had mixed emotions about his race.

``If somebody had told me what I ran today, I think I would have won the race or been close,'' he said. ``But I was seventh. I feel baffled because I don't know what to make of my race, how much was it was the wind or the great field.''

Espinosa's runner-up time was 2:07:19, also under the previous course record and the sixth fastest ever. He was followed by Jackson Kipngok of Kenya at 2:08:08, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Hwang Young-Jo of South Korea at 2:08:09 and former 10,000-meter world record-holder Arturo Barrios of Mexico at 2:08:28.

Brantly wound up 20th at 2:13:00 and first-time marathoner Mark Coogan of Boulder, Colo., placed 22nd at 2:13:24.

In the final mile, Espinosa closed within 10 yards of Ndeti, but the Kenyan had enough left.

The women's race was settled earlier as Pippig, the 1993 New York City winner, broke away from first-time marathoner Elana Meyer of South Africa between 18 and 19 miles.

Meyer wound up third in 2:25:15, with 1992 Olympic champion Valentina Yegerova of Russia the runner-up in 2:23:33.

Kim Jones of Spokane, Wash., a two-time Boston runner-up, was the first American finisher, taking eighth in 2:31:44.

Russia's Olga Markova, the two-time defending champion, dropped out near the 21-mile mark.

Ndeti and Pippig each earned $70,000 from the purse of $455,000, the biggest ever for a marathon, and $25,000 bonuses apiece for breaking the course record.

While the Open division men and women were close to the world-best times, the wheelchair winners produced the best times ever.

Heinz Frei of Switzerland took the men's division in 1:21:23, nearly a minute faster than the previous best of 1:22:17, by Jim Knaub of Long Beach, Calif., at last year's Boston Marathon.

Jean Driscoll of Champaign, Ill., won the women's race for the fifth consecutive year and for the fifth year set a world best. Her time of 1:34:21 was 29 seconds faster than her winning clocking of a year ago.

U.S. RUNNERS CHASING WORLD ELITE AT BOSTON.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

There's a $1 million payoff waiting for an American marathoner to claim. Nobody, however, appears capable of taking it.

Before the start of the year, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., offered the whopping bonus to the man or woman who breaks the U.S. record by the largest margin in the marathon between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31.

So far, no one has come close to the men's mark of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 47 seconds, by Bob Kempainen at Boston in 1994 or the women's record of 2:21:21 by Joan Benoit Samuelson at Chicago in 1985.

Americans get another crack at the money in today's 101st Boston Marathon, and neither the men's nor women's record is expected to fall. That, despite the presence of some of the nation's elite runners.

The men's field includes 1996 Olympian Keith Brantly and 1993 world champion Mark Plaatjes, and the women's entries include 1996 Twin Cities Marathon champion Olga Appell, 1991 and 1993 Boston runner-up Kim Jones and 1994 Chicago Marathon champion Kristy Johnston.

``I have to get to 2:10 before I can get to 2:08,'' said Brantly, whose best marathon time is 2:12:48.

``If I have a great day, if the wind is favorable, if the weather is correct, and if I can go through the half-marathon in 1:04, then it (the record) will be on my mind. But I probably will go through in 1:05:00 or 1:05:30.

``Running 2:10 would be a momentous day for me. If I run 2:08, I could run for president.''

Jones and Johnston agree that Samuelson's record - the second-fastest women's marathon time ever - is hardly attainable.

``The bonus is on everyone's mind,'' Jones said, ``but Joanie made it very difficult for all of us - and I told her that. Everything has to be just perfect for that runner, including a tailwind at Boston.''

``I'm not fit to do that now,'' Johnston said. ``I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that. If one day I can, it will be in steps.

``I ran 2:31 in October, so there's no reason to think I can take 10 minutes off my time in seven months.

``Olga Appell is very talented and so is Anne Marie Lauck (the 10th-place finisher at last year's Olympics). They're the two most likely candidates to break the record. But I don't think they can do it yet.''

No American has won at Boston since Greg Meyer ran 2:09:00 in 1983, and no American woman has finished first since Lisa Weidenbach's pedestrian 2:34:06 in 1985, one year before the race became a big prize-money event.

The race's total purse this year is $500,000, with $75,000 each to the first-place man and woman.

Both fields are exceptionally strong. The men's includes the first five finishers from last year - defending champion Moses Tanui, Ezekiel Bitok, three-time winner Cosmas Ndeti, Lameck Aguta and Sammy Lelei, all Kenyans - plus a trio of talented Mexicans - three-time London Marathon winner Dionicio Ceron, two-time New York City Marathon champion German Silva and 1993 New York winner Andres Espinosa.

Three-time defending champion Uta Pippig of Germany tops the women's field, which also includes Olympic gold medalist Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia, two-time world cross country champion and 1992 Olympic 10,000-meter gold medalist Derartu Tula of Ethiopia, world half-marathon record-holder Elana Meyer of South Africa, 1993 world champion Junko Asari of Japan, 1996 Berlin Marathon winner Colleen De Reuck of South Africa and 1995 road racer of the year Delillah Asiago of Kenya.

Tulu and Asiago are making their marathon debuts.

Lackey impresses in debut for Boston.(SPORTS) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

Byline: JOE CHRISTENSEN; STAFF WRITER

FORT MYERS, FLA. - One day after the Twins feasted on Red Sox lefthander Jon Lester, the newest addition to Boston's starting rotation shut them down completely.

John Lackey retired all six batters he faced Saturday, and the Red Sox went on to a 9-3 victory over the Twins at City of Palms Park.

Lackey made his first Boston appearance since signing a five-year, $82.5 million contract.

The victory gave Boston a 2-1 edge in the annual battle for the Fort Myers Mayor's Cup, with four games remaining.

After Glen Perkins gave up two runs in the fourth inning, the Twins came back to take a 3-2 lead. Rookie catcher Wilson Ramos hit an RBI double off Brian Shouse in the sixth inning, and rookie third baseman Danny Valencia added an RBI single off Joe Nelson in the seventh.

But Boston regained the lead in the seventh, when Tug Hullet drilled a three-run homer off Jeff Manship.

Manship pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning but gave up four runs on six hits in the seventh.

'They weren't actually killing the ball, but they were feathering it because everything was up [in the strike zone],' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Manship's performance.

JOE CHRISTENSEN

BOSTON 9, TWINS 3

Up next: split squad games

Today vs. N.Y. Yankees, 12:05 p.m., 1500-AM

REGION SENDS 163 RUNNERS TO BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: BUZZ GRAY Staff writer

Just because it's staged in Boston, THE marathon hasn't been sole property of the folks who live along the 26 miles and eight towns from tiny Hopkinton to historic Copley Square. For a century, runners have come all the way from Ireland and Texas, Oregon and Kenya, even Germany and Japan.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the legendary race enjoys a rich tradition right here in the Capital Region. In fact, you could even say the country's oldest marathon has become somewhat of an annual crusade among some area runners.

There will be 163 of them sprinkled among the 38,000 or so lemming-like enthusiasts who earned the privilege to stampede with the herd Monday.

``Obviously, this year is unprecedented,'' said Steve Basanait, former president of the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club and a veteran of 13 Boston Marathons. ``Usually this area is represented by about 20 or 30 runners.''

However, milestones that come in ``100th'' gift wrap attract attention beyond their importance.

``I'm not running it this year because it will be such a zoo,'' Basanait said. ``I think too many people are doing it because of the notoriety.''

On the other hand, there's something to be said for participating in the oldest continuous road race in the western hemisphere. In 1897, 15 men cautiously stepped across a line drawn in the dirt and a tradition was born. In those days, you ran for a laurel wreath and bowl of beef stew.

This year, the first man and woman to cross the finish line will each receive a check worth at least $100,000. They'll most likely hail from some far-away land, speak broken English and have the advantage of actually hearing the starter's gun.

``For most of us, it will take a half hour before we even reach the starting line,'' said Jim Bowles of Latham. ``Picture those narrow roads in Washington Park (Albany). That's what it's like in Hopkinton. Just a little two-lane country road.''

Bowles remains something of a running guru in these parts. Besides being coach of the nationally ranked cross-country team at Hudson Valley Community College, the 46-year-old still competes on a high level.

And the layout in Boston beckons. He knows it well, having first run it illegally three decades ago.

``They didn't let high school kids enter officially. So I just ran on my own and then pulled out just before the finish,'' Bowles confessed.

That was 1966. By the mid-1970s, Bowles was not only eligible for a legitimate bib number, he was primed to push the leaders. His clockings of 2:19 in 1975 and 1978 placed him in the Top 20.

``To my knowledge, no other runner from this area has ever run so fast at Boston,'' said Ed Neiles, president of the HMRRC. ``Jim Bowles' times remain the ones to beat.''

Don't expect anyone from the Capital Region to challenge his benchmarks on Monday. Vince O'Brien of Troy was the top area finisher last April when he cracked 2:30. Even if he somehow survives the mass fire drill this year, coming in, say, 3,000th would be an achievement.

``Nobody is looking at this year's race for (fast) times,'' Neiles said. ``It would be foolish. In all that traffic, the test will be just to find some breathing room.''

In an effort to make it fair for those not assigned to begin at the front of the throng, race officials have issued laser discs that attach to runner's sneakers. The discs will activate once the pariticipant reaches the starting line and then automatically record the overall time when he or she eventually finds the finish line, assuming it isn't worn out by then.

``Let's face it, this year won't be a race for most of us,'' said Bowles, who is still among the elite nationally in his age group. ``But I figure I won't be around for the 200th anniversary so I'd better take advantage of this opportunity.''

Bowles, a mere butterfly at 5-foot-6 and 107 pounds, ran seven marathons last year alone. He still puts in 80 miles of training runs in an average week.

``Last month, I ran 263 miles in one week,'' he said. ``Of course, 96 of those miles were in one 24-hour period.''

So his old friend ``Boston,'' even with a mid-sized city sharing the course, doesn't exactly intimidate Bowles. He'll bring along Zach Yannone, one of his HVCC athletes, to keep him company (as if he needed any more). Bowles is still capable of churning out 26 miles in under 2:40.

``There'll only be a handful of runners from the Capital Region who will be able to turn in sub-three hours,'' Neiles said.

Lance Denning of Albany will probably be one of them and could easily be the top finisher from the area. He's run marathons in the 2:20 range. Bethlehem's Dale Keenan, who won last fall's HMRRC Marathon and still owns the course record he set almost a decade earlier, should easily crack the three-hour mark and be among the Capital Region's top finishers.

Rick Bennett of Rensselaer was another one of the local favorites until he broke a bone in his ankle last week and is now sidelined.

Of course, one can't rule out Mike ``Mr. Boston'' Brinkman of Troy. This 41-year-old has been making a habit of the Massachusetts marathon since he was 18. Back surgery, even a collision with a car, hasn't discouraged Brinkman from making the yearly trek where he routinely makes a strong showing.

Another Boston ``regular'' is Marty Kittell of Troy. However, the 40-year-old veteran missed qualifying by an eyelash this year and, in a cruel twist of fate, will be forced to become a spectator for this century race.

``A lot of people went to bat for Marty in an attempt to talk the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) into making an exception,'' Neiles said. ``They wouldn't budge. So, Marty will miss his first Boston in I don't know how many years. It's a shame.''

He could always become a bandit, the term given runners who are not officially registered or who buy others' bib numbers.

``I suspect they'll be thousands of bandits on the course this year,'' Basanait said. ``After all, how many people were turned down? It was over 40,000. I think you can safely say some of them will be out there running anyway.''

While some regulars were shut out, others, like the Remmers family, will send a delegation of three. John Remmers of Warner Lake, and his two sisters, both nurses, Patricia Remmers Rapoli of Slingerlands and Barb Remmers Turi of Feura Bush, will at least start off together.

``I don't know if we'll be able to see each other once the race gets going,'' John Remmers said.

Patricia is usually the fastest of the three.

``She does the most homework,'' John said. ``She puts in 60 or 80 miles per week.''

All three have competed in ultra-marathons where 50 miles is often the distance. They may need that kind of endurance to withstand the pack pressure Monday.

Look for Amy Herold-Russom of Clifton Park to be the top female finisher from the Capital Region. She won the women's portion of the HMRRC Marathon last fall and has been training regularly to improve her times.

Along with her 38,000 competitors, Herold-Russom and the other area runners will also likely have to contend with more than one million spectators.

``Actually, I think they'll help,'' Basanait said. ``You can feed off them. A mile before you get to Wellesley College, for instance, you can hear the screaming. By the time you reach Commonwealth Avenue, the crowds are 200 to 300 deep on both sides of the road. And they're all urging you on.

``Why, you can have two steps in the grave and be resurrected. You go through such an adrenalin rush. I get goose bumps just thinking about it.''

Undoubtedly, there will be many such memories carried back by Capital Region runners.

After all, this is Boston. And this is the 100th.

FACTS:Marathon on-line http://www.bostonmarathon.org is the official Boston Marathon World Wide Web site. Menu items include news, events, watching the race, runner information and race history.

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TRADE OF A LEGEND IS PANNED IN BOSTON.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Rick Sadowski News Staff Writer

Try to envision the reaction in Denver if the Broncos had ever traded John Elway, and you have an inkling of what is going on in Boston in the wake of Ray Bourque's move to the Colorado Avalanche.

The howls of protest and finger pointing began to spread through the city like a brushfire about 5 seconds after news leaked that the 39-year-old defenseman would be leaving the Bruins after nearly 21 full seasons with the team.

Already angry over a season that went sour long ago, Bruins fans blame the tight-fisted ways of owner Jeremy Jacobs and president / -general manager Harry Sinden for Bourque's request to be moved to a Stanley Cup contender.

Bourque has been well compensated for his services - his salary for this year is $6 million - but Jacobs and Sinden have been accused of paying more attention to saving nickels and dimes than to surrounding the five-time Norris Trophy winner with players capable of winning a championship.

``We know how Harry runs his business,'' Bourque said. ``He's consistent, you've got to give him that. It's no surprise to anybody. He's done a pretty good job over his whole career, in terms of putting a competitive team out there. Of late, three years ago, we didn't make the playoffs and it was a horrible team, but he turned it around and made it pretty competitive over the last couple of years.

``This year, for different reasons, it hasn't worked out, but they have a pretty good base of young talent. They've got to make some good additions. If they do that, they'll be back in business.''

Pat Burns also has gotten plenty of flak, most of it from Jacobs, who may very well use the fiery head coach as a scapegoat for the Bruins' troubles and show him the door.

Burns' reaction: ``I just told everybody to shut up,'' he told The Boston Globe, ``to forget talking about it and the mudslinging. Everybody's just got to be quiet and do their job and get through this thing.''

It's been a disaster from the start. Goalie Byron Dafoe, a Vezina Trophy finalist a year ago, was involved in an ugly contract dispute; the Bruins began the season looking like they might never win a game; forward Joe Murphy, signed as a free agent, was dismissed from the team for insubordination and eventually traded; Dafoe went down with a season-ending knee injury; defenseman Marty McSorley was suspended by the NHL for smashing Donald Brashear in the head with a stick and has since been charged with assault by the Vancouver authorities.

Boston fans might have been able to accept all of that, but how could the Bruins trade No. 77? It was yet another blow to their fragile psyche, no less damaging than Bucky Dent's pop fly over the Green Monster in 1978.

To Bourque's credit, he has stayed away from the fray despite attempts by some to goad him into painting Jacobs and especially Sinden as villains in this little play.

``They're trying to have me say certain things, but I'm not going to go there,'' Bourque said. ``I've conducted myself a certain way through my whole career and that isn't going to change. (The Bruins) gave me the opportunity and I had a great time in Boston. I had some great years and I had a lot of fun and it's a great town. I have no problem. I asked to be moved and they accommodated me, so everything is fine and dandy my way.''

It isn't in Boston, where the fallout has reached Sinden's desk. Sinden, who has been the Bruins' general manager since 1972, told the Boston Herald he is considering handing over the reins to assistant Mike O'Connell.

``I'll tell you what I've gotten away from,'' Sinden, 67, said. ``If you're going to be a good GM, you have to have a little more communication with the players than I've had, especially since Burns has been here. I've kind of left that totally up to him. He's a kind of dominant-type coach, and so I feel myself getting further and further away from the locker room every year. To do a real good job at this position, you can't do it that way. The players count on you for help, for advice and to vent.''

Boston's hockey fans are doing most of the venting now. They might be happy that Bourque finally has a chance to put his arms around a Stanley Cup, but their anger toward the Bruins isn't going to subside anytime soon.

Flyers upset

The Philadelphia Flyers were certain they would get Bourque, whose first choice was to play for an Eastern Conference team, and some Flyers players have bashed Sinden for dealing the perennial All-Star to Colorado.

``He didn't care about Raymond, where he wanted to go or anything like that,'' defenseman Eric Desjardins said. ``He even said it. I don't think it's right. It would have been great to play on the same team with a guy like that.''

Said forward Mark Recchi: ``All the things (Bourque) has done for (the Bruins) . . . we believe he wanted to come here. Philly was his first choice, but that's Harry for you. What are you going to do?''

The general consensus around the league is that Bourque, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, will retire after the season or sign with an East Coast team like the Flyers.

Red-faced Wings

Think the Detroit Red Wings were happy when Bourque and left wing Dave Andreychuk were shipped to their archrivals?

``We made a pitch for him,'' Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said, referring to Bourque. ``It wasn't enough. The list of names Boston was interested in, we felt the price was too steep.''

Now the Red Wings are scrambling to acquire a veteran defenseman and reportedly looked into the New York Islanders' Kenny Jonsson and Vancouver's Ed Jovanovski but were told neither is available.

Travelin' man

It might not be a good idea for Brian Rolston to buy another house for a while. He's purchased two homes in the past four months and has been traded twice.

The Avalanche acquired Rolston from New Jersey for Claude Lemieux in November two weeks after his first purchase, and his trade to the Bruins in the Bourque transaction last week came about a month after he bought in Colorado.

``It's been a rough year to get settled any place,'' said Rolston, who is getting married this summer. ``But I'm excited to be (in Boston). We'll see what happens here. I'm coming back to the East where I feel more comfortable.

``Bourque is an icon in Boston and he's going to be in the Hall of Fame. Those are some big shoes to fill and I'm not going to fill them. I'm just hoping to bring a little something of my game to the organization.''

Rolston didn't get off to a great start with the Bruins. He inadvertently deflected a shot by Buffalo's Jason Woolley into his own net in his first game, a 2-1 overtime loss.

Unhappy Gilmour

Doug Gilmour, traded with J.P. Dupont from Chicago to Buffalo on Friday for Michal Grosek, didn't want to leave the Blackhawks. But the 36-year-old center didn't help his cause by criticizing management three days earlier.

Gilmour missed four games with bruised ribs before the trade, and he told the Chicago Tribune he wouldn't play and risk further injury until after Tuesday's trading deadline if he wasn't moved before then.

Gilmour was upset with Mike Smith, the team's director of hockey operations, since being told last month the Hawks would entertain offers for him.

``He's making me feel like I'm not part of the team, that's the hardest thing,'' Gilmour said. ``This team can afford me, so let's make this better. Let's go out and get what we need here. You can't tell me they can't suck up my contract and sign other guys.''

Gilmour plans to retire after next season. He has one year left on his contract, valued at $6 million.

NUMBERS . . .

13 goals allowed on 47 shots for Calgary Flames goalie Fred Brathwaite in two starts last week against the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs.

18-5-4 record for the Washington Capitals in the past 27 games. The Capitals have gone 9-0-1 in their past 10 games against Southeastern Division opponents.

-9 plus / minus rating in the past 10 games for Florida Panthers star Pavel Bure.

1 sellout for the Carolina Hurricanes at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena. It came Oct. 29 in the Hurricanes' first game in the building.

NOTES . . .

* Goalie Ed Belfour won't be suspended by the NHL or the Dallas Stars, but he also won't be permitted to play until after an evaluation by officials from the league's substance abuse program. Belfour was arrested Wednesday on misdemeanor charges after he assaulted a security guard at a Dallas hotel and resisted police officers. He was released on a $500 bond. The police said Belfour was intoxicated, and the NHL requires any player arrested when alcohol or drugs are involved to undergo an evaluation. ``Our team rules have a minimal form of punishment, and that gets overshadowed by a bigger issue,'' Stars general manager Bob Gainey said.

* Former University of Denver star Paul Comrie might not be able to play hockey again. Comrie, 23, suffered a concussion in a Jan. 7 game while playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs, a minor league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. Comrie was elbowed in the head and has been told by a neurologist to retire. ``It's way to soon to determine that,'' said Comrie, who is experiencing headaches. Comrie will visit with Chicago-based neurologist James Kelly, one of whose patients was Pat LaFontaine, who retired last season after a series of concussions.

AND QUOTES

* Vancouver general manager Brian Burke, on trade rumors out of New York involving Canucks captain Mark Messier: ``They should all get hobbies or buy hot dogs or something so they have something meaningful to spend their time on.''

* Mighty Ducks of Anaheim coach Craig Hartsburg, on the return of left wing Paul Kariya, who had been out because of a bruised foot: ``Everybody in the league is trying to make trades for star players. We get one without having to make any moves.''

* Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Lyle Odelein, on his former coach, New Jersey's Robbie Ftorek: ``He thinks he's doing everything right and he doesn't listen to anyone. The guys are just playing for one another.''

* San Jose Sharks coach Darryl Sutter, on his team's battle to get into the playoffs: ``You know those guys looking at the scoreboard? Usually they're looking for somebody else to do their work for them. I don't buy into that.''

INFOBOX

MEASURING STICK

* New Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ray Bourque recorded a career-high 31 goals in 1983-84 for the Boston Bruins and has reached the 20-goal mark eight times. He registered a career-high 96 points in 1983-84 and hit the 90-point plateau three other times. How previous Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques defensemen stack up:

Player, year.................Gm......Gl......Ast.....Pts

Steve Duchesne, 1992-93......82......20......62......82

Sandis Ozolinsh, 1996-97.....80......23......45......68

Jeff Brown, 1988-89..........78......21......47......68

Mario Marois, 1983-84........80......13......36......49

Jamie Hislop, 1980-81........50......19......22......41

Michel Petit, 1989-90........63......12......24......36

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AMBITION, VISION SET MCCOURT APART NEW DODGERS OWNER ADMIRED IN BOSTON.(Sports) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Frank McCourt was a twenty-something Boston businessman when he bought a piece of land across from the South Boston Seaport waterfront. It wasn't worth much.

That 25-acre property, used today for commuter parking, is now worth millions and became his ticket to realize a longtime dream to become a major- league baseball owner.

McCourt reached an agreement Friday to buy the Dodgers from News Corp. And McCourt, 49, is no longer known just as a Boston land developer.

``Of course, he's thrilled,'' said Drew McCourt, Frank's 22-year-old son. ``He's been working on different deals over the past couple years, and he loves baseball.''

McCourt tried to buy the Boston Red Sox in 2001, but the deal fell through. McCourt, a lifelong Red Sox fan who has season tickets, coupled his ownership proposal with plans for a new stadium on his waterfront property. Some scoffed that McCourt's bid was too low. Some said it had more to do with him being an unknown in the baseball world.

This year, McCourt took a tour of Edison Field in Anaheim in an attempt to buy the Angels, but that never came close to materializing, either.

After News Corp.'s talks with Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer died, McCourt finally became the major player and steadfastly worked out a deal to buy the Dodgers for an estimated $430 million, according to sources.

McCourt and his family are well-known in Boston's business circles. His family has been in business for the last century and owns the McCourt Construction Co.

McCourt owns his own land development firm - McCourt Co. - and his wife, Jamie, is the executive vice president.

McCourt has had his share of public battles with the city of Boston over proposed construction on his land. He's had many developments nixed. But he's also admired by many for his attempt to build a new baseball stadium for the Red Sox.

``He's viewed as a person who has a lot of ambition and was credited, and rightly so, with a vision of how to put the Red Sox in a new home that would be the gem of the state of baseball being near downtown,'' said Ted Bunker, the business editor for the Boston Herald. ``It would've been near enough to the water that it would be very similar to Pac Bell (Park in San Francisco).

``The vision to create that plan and to show it to people deserved a lot of credit, even though ultimately it was unsuccessful. (The idea) of putting a ballpark there caught the attention of a lot of people. To this day, it might have some legs if it's pursued by the new owners.''

McCourt is following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who was a part- owner of the Boston Braves.

The McCourts now have ties to the Red Sox, Braves and Dodgers. The McCourts have been diehard Boston fans, and Red Sox mania is at an all-time high with Boston's first-round playoff series victory over Oakland.

It might seem a little foreign to wear Dodger blue for a while.

``There's an element of (weirdness in) that, but when you talk about baseball and franchises with great history, I think he's very happy to be part of the Dodgers,'' Drew McCourt said.

Jill Painter, (818) 713-3615

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

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CURT SHILLING HIMSELF TO BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: NAOMI AOKI Boston Globe

Is he the pitcher or the pitchman?

Two months into his first season in Boston, Curt Schilling is already the most public face of the Red Sox. He's in a series of ads for New England Ford Dealers, including one starring his wife, Shonda, and their four children. He's on a Reebok billboard near Fenway Park that will soon also appear in other parts of the city. And in an ad for Dunkin' Donuts, he practiced his Boston accent between bites of the chain's maple cheddar breakfast sandwich.

He's on the radio each week, and as if all that weren't enough, he was all over the television news two weeks ago after he called police to report a suspected drunk driver.

The 37-year-old right-handed ace seemed so ubiquitous that actor and former Cambridge resident Ben Affleck roasted him about his burst of advertising at an April luncheon for the Boston Red Sox Foundation.

``Curt, I think there are one or two things you're not currently promoting yet in town,'' Affleck said. ``Are there?''

Schilling takes the ribbing in stride. He said he even got sick of seeing himself on television. The irony is that right now he's only shilling (pun intended) for two companies since the Dunkin' ad went off the air in April.

``I really made a conscious effort not to overdo the ads,'' he said. ``But the ads were on the air so much that it left people with the impression I've done a lot of different things.''

That's because, at least as far as the Red Sox go, Schilling is unusually public. Other top Sox players lack Schilling's ``it'' factor. Nomar Garciaparra, known as one of baseball's hardest-working players, so zealously guards his privacy that it's difficult for fans to relate to him, while fellow superstars Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez a no better.

``Schilling is a proven winner, a workhorse who wears his passion on his sleeve,'' said Daniel Ladik, assistant professor of marketing at Suffolk University in Boston. ``There's no question; he wants to be here, and he wants to win. He's an extrovert to the nth degree. I can't name another Red Sox player like that.''

The Red Sox are paying Schilling $12 million this year, and though neither he nor the companies will disclose how much he earns as a pitchman, it seems unlikely that he needs the extra money.

Schilling has embraced public life wherever he's played. He engages fans in chat rooms, and e-mails them. He doesn't shy away from the press.

He shares the limelight with his family, too. In fact, Shonda and their four children steal the show in a spot for the Ford F-150 truck, ordering him to do pushups and gently casting him aside when it's time for cool, tall glasses of lemonade for the children.

His public persona -- that of a devoted husband and father, a hard-working pitcher, a generous donor to charities, and an all-around good guy -- is what advertisers love about Schilling. He's no bad boy of baseball who might sully a brand's reputation. He also doesn't take himself too seriously. As one Dunkin' Donuts executive noted, not every player would trot out a bad Boston accent for all the world to hear.

Schilling argues that his on-field performance is what matters to fans. And though that may be true, ad professionals say that performance alone doesn't sell products.

Oddly enough, Schilling said, the more public he and his family are, the easier it is for them to lead a normal life. ``I'm not different from everybody else, except for my ability to throw a baseball and my paycheck,'' Schilling said. ``By letting people see you and your family, they see that, and they become more comfortable around you.''

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LOWELL LOWERS BOOM IN BOSTON.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: JIMMY GOLEN Associated Press

Marlins 10 Red Sox 9 BOSTON -- The Florida Marlins didn't just go back to their hotel and stew about Boston's record-setting blowout. They did something about it.

Mike Lowell hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday night as Florida rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat Boston 10-9. It was the biggest comeback victory in franchise history, and it came one day after the Red Sox scored 14 in the first inning -- and kept scoring from there, much to the Marlins' disgust.

``We were embarrassed last night,'' said Florida manager Jack McKeon, who complained that Boston showed the Marlins up in Friday's 25-8 win. ``This takes a little of the taste out of our mouth. They were very jubilant last night. They woke us up.''

Boston had another big inning Saturday, scoring seven in the sixth to take a 9-2 lead. But Juan Encarnacion hit a three-run homer as the Marlins scored four in the eighth, then they scored four more in the ninth.

``We set a lot of records the last two nights, didn't we,'' McKeon said with a chuckle. ``You can pop off all you want. You've got to back it up.''

Nate Bump earned the win in his major-league debut after being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque earlier in the day. He allowed two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings as the Marlins crossed the halfway point of the season by improving to .500.

Bump didn't really retire a batter in the sixth -- the third out came on the basepaths -- but he followed it with two scoreless innings.

Braden Looper pitched the ninth for his 14th save. Pinch-hitter Jason Varitek doubled with one out, but he was doubled up for the game's final out when Juan Pierre made a diving catch of Johnny Damon's liner and threw it to second.

``I just screwed up,'' Varitek said. ``My instincts were that I had to go right away in order to score on the ball. I was wrong.''

Brandon Lyon (3-4) blew his first save in 10 opportunities, giving up three singles -- including an RBI hit by Ivan Rodriguez -- before Lowell hit an 0-2 pitch into the Boston bullpen with two outs in the ninth.

It was Rodriguez's fifth consecutive multihit game.

Gabe Kapler was 4-for-5 in his Boston debut, driving in three runs in the sixth as Boston scored at least seven runs in an inning for the third time in four days.

Nomar Garciaparra hit a two-run homer in the fourth and added a two-run double in the sixth to make it 6-2 and chase Tommy Phelps.

Pierre had four hits, a walk and two stolen bases for Florida.

Kapler, released by Colorado on June 19, signed with the Red Sox on Tuesday and went to the minors to play himself into shape. He went 3-for-6 in two minor-league games and showed no rust when he arrived at Fenway on Saturday, either.

He doubled in the third, singled in the fourth and tripled in the first run in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie. Kapler doubled in two more when he came up for a second time in the sixth, then struck out in his last at-bat, in the eighth.

BELOVED IN BOSTON.(SPORTS) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: Todd Archer Post staff reporter

BOSTON -- Tim Naehring loves Boston and playing for the Red Sox. To him, Fenway Park symbolizes baseball. He loves that fans live and die with the Olde Towne Team whether they are in a pennant race or not.

Naehring also loves Cincinnati, his hometown. He can walk around Hyde Park and go virtually unnoticed. He dearly misses Montgomery Inn's ribs and Skyline's chili during the season.

''I have the best of both worlds,'' said the third baseman and La Salle High School graduate. ''In Boston, people know me for the uniform and the athletic achievements. In Cincinnati, people know me for the person I am. I enjoy that separation.''

He thought, however briefly, about losing that separation over the winter when some friends mentioned the possibility of signing as a free agent with the Reds. But the more he thought about it, the less it made sense.

''One of the things that helps me deal with the ups and downs is that separation,'' Naehring said. ''This is what I do. People at home don't see every at-bat. They talk about the good things, but don't see the bad things.

''Maybe things'll be different at the end of my career when I'm an established major leaguer and I can go home. I don't have a family right now. Maybe if I do, one day I can go back and have the best of both worlds again.''

Naehring almost returned to Ohio this season when the Cleveland Indians offered him a three-year, $10-million deal. The Red Sox countered with a two-year, $5.5 million contract with a team option for a third year. In a move that surprised some, but not those close to Naehring, he chose to stay in Boston.

''It was the toughest decision I had to make in the game,'' Naehring said. ''When you're talking about $10 million on the table, that's a crazy number to me.

''There were a number of different things that came into the decision: loyalty to the Red Sox, because they were loyal to me when I was hurt; (Cleveland) wanted me to move to second base, so that's a different position; and it was a big change, moving away from good friends that I've made in New England.'' Since coming to Boston in 1990, Naehring has become one of the city's favorite athletes because of his on-field and off-field work. First baseman Mo Vaughn is the most popular member of the Red Sox, but Naehring is not a distant second.

''My talents aren't eye-opening,'' Naehring said. ''I'm not the fastest guy. There's people that play the game that have a lot of flash. I'm not that type of player. I play hard, and I think people in New England appreciate that.

''Secondly, and maybe most important, they've seen what I've been through with the back surgery. They've seen how I've tried to handle the low times and how I handle the best of times.''

These are the best of times for Naehring, but he came close to retiring five years ago. Naehring made a meteoric rise through the Red Sox farm system, moving from Class A Lynchburg in 1989 to Boston a year later as a shortstop. But after 24 games he was put on the disabled list for the first of six times in his career with a lower back problem.

In 1991, Naehring became the first rookie to start at shortstop for the Red Sox in 26 years, but played only 29 games and was in the midst of an 0-for-39 slide before going on the disabled list again. He had season-ending back surgery July 3 and contemplated retirement.

''At 22, I couldn't even bend over,'' Naehring said. ''I thought I couldn't do it anymore.''

He continued to battle injury the next three seasons, including shoulder surgery in 1993, but was healthy by the end of 1994 and earned the starting third baseman's spot in 1995.

He posted career highs in games (126), hits (133), runs (61), home runs (10), runs batted in (57) and walks (77) while hitting .307 two years ago. Last year he hit .288 in 116 games, belted 17 homers and knocked in 65 runs.

''I didn't know very much about him,'' said first-year Red Sox manager Jimy Williams. ''I'd heard a lot about him, and the bottom line is that he is everything you want a major leaguer to be.''

Naehring, 30, has been with the Red Sox longer than any current player. When he arrived from the minors, the Red Sox had third baseman Wade Boggs, pitcher Roger Clemens and left fielder Mike Greenwell around, and outfielder Jose Canseco was added to the mix in 1995.

But those players are gone from Boston and now the Red Sox are the embodiment of Naehring. His uniform always is the dirtiest. He always is taking extra ground balls or batting practice. He is the same player he was at La Salle and Miami University, just a little richer.

''If he's not out there early,'' Williams said, ''I'm worried, because he's always out there. He's going to give you everything that he can give you for the team to win. He's a professional is what he is.''

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Rivalry touches them all; A chilly forecast for Damon in Boston.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: MIKE FITZPATRICK Associateed Press

NEW YORK - Signs were posted in the New York Yankees' clubhouse Sunday reminding players to pack a coat or jacket for the chilly weather in Boston this week.

Johnny Damon could get an especially cold reception from the fans at Fenway Park.

The speedy center fielder is the first big star to switch sides in baseball's most bitter rivalry since Roger Clemens in 1999 - and he at least made a two-year stop in Toronto first.

Damon, on the other hand, jumped right from the Red Sox to New York for a $52 million, four-year contract. He returns to Boston with his new team for the first time tonight, and folks in Beantown are gearing up with T-shirts that read:

'Looked Like Jesus.'

'Throws Like Mary.'

'LOYAL Like Judas.'

'Johnny B GONE!'

'I expect them to cheer what our team accomplished back then. Winning the World Series was pretty awesome,' Damon said. 'I expect them to boo the fact that I'm here. That I went over and that I'm playing with a team that truly needed me, truly wanted me.'

A fan favorite all over New England from 2002-05, Damon sparked Boston's high-powered offense from the leadoff spot and helped lead its band of 'idiots' to a World Series championship two years ago - the first for the Red Sox since 1918.

With his long hair, quick smile and colorful quotes, he became one of the most famous people in a baseball-crazy city. Adoring girls and grateful fans followed him like a rock star.

But the love-fest likely ended the minute he left town to join the hated Yankees. George Steinbrenner's $200 million team is still the Evil Empire as far as Boston fans (and one or two Red Sox executives) are concerned, and the rivalry has been around a lot longer than Damon was.

'Everybody is different on how they feel,' Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. 'Some don't care. Some care a lot. He spent a long time in Boston. You can't throw that away. I'm sure it will be mixed ... who knows?'

Or, as Boston slugger David Ortiz put it: 'It's going to be a little crazy out there (tonight).'

Despite some occasional struggles, Damon is off to a strong start in the Big Apple, and he's coming off a huge weekend against Toronto. He had three hits Sunday in a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays, making him 6-for-9 in the past two games with two homers and six runs scored.

Batting leadoff in another power-packed lineup, Damon is hitting .312 overall with nine doubles, 22 runs, seven stolen bases and 13 RBI.

Is he eager to prove the Red Sox made a mistake by letting him get away as a free agent?

'I'm not bitter at them at all. They made a decision. It was a business decision. I commend them for holding their ground and for believing what they believe in,' Damon said. 'I would just like to thank the fans. They were awesome. They don't deserve to have players keep leaving, but it's been a trend that's happened in Boston.'

The Yankees lead the AL East by percentage points over Boston heading into the two-game series, the first of 19 meetings between the teams this season. They play eight times in the next 24 days.

'We've been there so many times. It never gets boring,' New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. 'We don't know them very well. They have a new cast of characters up there except for three or four guys.'

Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson, New York's two best starters, are not scheduled to pitch in the series. Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (1-1, 4.80 ERA) takes the mound tonight against Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (1-4, 3.90). Shawn Chacon (3-1, 4.56) goes Tuesday night against Red Sox newcomer Josh Beckett (3-1, 4.50).

Boston just finished a 3-6 trip.

'Nobody's happy around here right now,' Ortiz said Sunday after a 5-4 loss to Tampa Bay.

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Wire Images NOT EVEN Heisman Trophy winners are immune to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. The 1997 winner, Charles Woodson, got heated with the Buckeyes' David Boston.

Associated Press ArchiveMUTUAL respect between perennial winners Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams has kept the Duke-North Carolina rivalry strong.