Off the wire

— BASEBALL

Girardi finalizes 3-year deal

Joe Girardi has completed a new three-year contract with the New York Yankees less than a week afterthe team was thoroughly outplayed by the Texas Rangers in the American League Championships Series. The Yankees made the announcement Friday, a day off in the World Series schedule. A person familiar with the contracttold The Associated Press on Thursday that the deal is worth $9 million. Girardi would be able to earn about $500,000 more each year in bonuses based on the team’s performance. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the terms publicly.

New Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez rounded out his coaching staff Friday, hiring Larry Parrish as the hitting coach. The 56-year-old Parrish had been manager of Detroit’s Class AAA team in Toledo since 2003. He also worked as a coach, scout and hitting instructor in the Tigers’ organization, beginning in 1992.

The Minnesota Twins have exercised Jason Kubel’s $5.25 million club option for 2011 and declined the $5 million club option for infielder Nick Punto. Kubel hit .249 with 21 home runs and 92 RBI for the Twins this season, primarily playing in right field.

BASKETBALL

NBA suspends Magic guard

Orlando Magic guard Jason Williams was suspended for one game without pay for grabbing referee Tony Brothers’ arm following an ejection, sidelining him for Friday night’s anticipated matchup with the Miami Heat. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson announced the punishment Friday, a few hours before Orlando’s first road game. Williams was ejected with 58 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the Magic’s 112-83 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night. He was upset with an offensive foul called against him and, while arguing, appeared to tug lightly on Brothers’ arm.

Boston Celtics backup guards Delonte West and Von Wafer scuffled after practice Friday. Coach Doc Rivers confirmed that the two fought. He would not say what the cause was or whether either faced disciplinary action.

The Houston Rockets bolstered their front court Friday when Erick Dampier agreed to a one-year deal. The 6-11 Dampier, who will enter his 15th season, played the past six years with Dallas. The Mavericks traded the 35-year-old Dampier to Charlotte in July, and the Bobcats voided his contract, making him a free agent.

The Indiana Pacers have picked up the fourth-year option on the contract of swingman Brandon Rush despite his recent suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Rush will make about $2.9 million next season.

The Charlotte Bobcats have picked up the fourth-year option on point guard D.J. Augustin’s contract and the third-year option on shooting guard Gerald Henderson’s deal. Augustin will make about $3.2 million next season in the final year of his rookie contract.

FOOTBALL

Saints’ Bush, Thomas out

Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas have been ruled out for Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bush said Friday that the plan was for him to return against Pittsburgh when the week began, but after testing the recovery of his lower right leg from a fractured bone, he and trainers agreed he was not quite ready. Bush said he might play at Carolina on Nov. 7.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel has missed practice for a third consecutive day because of a sore left hamstring and is doubtful for Sunday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Pittsburgh might be without both of the starting ends in its 3-4 defense, since Aaron Smith (torn left triceps) is out indefinitely. Keisel was injured early in the Steelers’ 28-10 victory against Cleveland on Oct. 17.

Houston Texans owner Bob Mc-Nair ordered the team’s staff to go through the locker room to make sure no players are using banned substances. USA Today first reported the Texans had staff members remove any products from lockers that are not approved by the NFL.Two of Houston’s players - left tackle Duane Brown and linebacker Brian Cushing - served four-game suspensions for different violations of the league’s policy on banned substances. McNair said Friday he wanted to take a step to prevent future occurrences. He says the Texans have the right to control players while they’re in the team’s facilities.

GOLF

Turning Stone off Tour

The Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y., is off the PGA Tour schedule after a fouryear run. The tournament, staged at Atunyote Golf Club since 2007, will not return to the PGA Tour in 2011. Turning Stone, which is owned by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, was seeking an unencumbered date during the PGA Tour regular season, but a mutually acceptable date did not become available. Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter said the resort wanted a stand-alone date in either June, July or August, two weeks before or after a major.

Colt Knost shot a 3-under-par 69 Friday for a share of the secondround lead with Joe Affrunti and Brendan Steele in the Nationwide Tour Championship, the last chance for all three to earn 2011 PGA Tour cards through the developmental circuit money list. Affrunti and Steele shot 71s to match Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur champion, at 7-under 137 on the Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek course in Charleston, S.C. The top 25 on the money list after the tournament will earn PGA Tour cards. Steele is 30th on the money list, Affrunti 34th and Knost 36th. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 72 and is tied for 10th place with a two-day score of 141. His round included two bogeys and two birdies. Scott Gardiner (Farmington) fell from sixth place to 21st after his 30-over 75 Friday, a round that included two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.

American Vicky Hurst and South Korea’s Song-Hee Kim shot 4-under-par 68s in chilly conditions Friday to share the first-round lead in the LPGA Hana Bank Championship. Hurst and Kim, both winless on the LPGA Tour, each had five birdies and a bogey on Sky 72 Golf Club’s Ocean Course in the second of three consecutive events in Asia. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) is at1 under and only three shots back. Her round included four birdies and three bogeys. Conway’s Stacy Prammanasudh shot an even-par round of 72 with three birdies and three bogeys.

Hale Irwin shot his age for the first time on the Champions Tour, finishing with a 6-under-par 65 for a share of the first-round lead in the AT&T Championship with John Cook, Larry Nelson, Chien Soon Lu and Mark Wiebe. Cook won the 2007 and 2008 tournaments. Mark Calcavecchia, Russ Cochran, Gene Jones, Chip Beck, Keith Fergus, Dan Forsman, Steve Lowery, Rod Spittle, Javier Sanchez and Kirk Hanefeld opened with 66s at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.

Thai golfer Pariya Junhasavasdikul had five birdies over the last seven holes Friday for a 6-under-par 65 and a share of the lead after the second round of the inaugural Asia Pacific Classic. Pariya, a business management graduate of Purdue and licensed pilot, is at 11-under 131 overall. Ben Crane, a three-time PGA Tour winner, is tied for first after a 64 at the first PGA Tour-sanctioned event in Southeast Asia.

TENNIS

Clijsters upset at WTA

Vera Zvonareva ended Kim Clijsters’ nine-match winning streak Friday, securing the yearend No. 2 ranking by beating the U.S. Open champion 6-4, 7-5 at the WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar. Zvonareva has yet to drop a set after three group matches in the event for the top eight players and ensured that she will take on No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in one semifinal today. Clijsters will face Sam Stosur in the other. Earlier, Elena Dementieva surprisingly announced her retirement after bowing out to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2.

Top-seeded Mikhail Youzhny saved a match point and beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (6) Friday to reach the St. Petersburg (Russia) Open semifinals. Youzhny, the 2004 champion and 2002 finalist, will next play Russian compatriot Dmitry Tursunov. Tursunov defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-4, 6-2, making his first semifinals in 16 months.

Sports, Pages 24 on 10/30/2010

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