Alomar dealt to Mets
BOSTON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The New York Mets, looking to jump start one of the worst offenses in baseball, today pulled off the biggest deal of the winter meetings, acquiring All-Star second baseman Roberto Alomar from the Cleveland Indians in an eight-player deal.
The Mets received Alomar, first baseman Danny Peoples and Class AAA lefthander Mike Bacsik in exchange for outfielders Matt Lawton and Alex Escobar, righthanded pitcher Jerrod Riggan and two players to be named. One of the players to be named is expected to be former first-round pick lefthander Billy Traber.
In Alomar, the Mets get one of the best all-around players in the game. The 33-year-old second baseman is coming off a season in which he batted .336 with 20 homers, 100 RBI, scored 100 runs, stole 30 bases and finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player voting.
"It is not often that you get a chance to acquire a 12-time All-Star," said Mets general manager Steve Phillips. "We came to these meetings trying to improve our offense and we came away with one of the top players in the game."
"As difficult as it is to trade a Hall of Fame-caliber player like Roberto Alomar, we feel the players we have received back from the Mets will help the Cleveland Indians sustain a championship-caliber team for this season and for years to come," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said.
Cleveland accomplished two tasks with the trade. The Indians slashed nearly $2 million off their payroll with the move and in one deal retooled an outfield that is almost certain to be without 2001 starters Kenny Lofton, Juan Gonzalez and Marty Cordova, who has signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
In other deals made today at the winter meetings:
* The Cincinnati Reds sent Dmitri Young to the Detroit Tigers for underachieving outfielder Juan Encarnacion and 23-year-old minor league righthander Luis Pineda.
* The Seattle Mariners acquired catcher Ben Davis from the San Diego Padres in a six-player deal. Seattle sent pitcher Brett Tomko, backup catcher Tom Lampkin and promising 25-year-old shortstop Ramon Vazquez to the Padres for Davis, backup infielder Alex Arias and righthanded pitcher Wascar Serrano.
* Florida traded lefthander Jesus Sanchez to the Chicago Cubs for minor league lefthander Nate Teut.
In addition, the Chicago White Sox announced closer Keith Foulke had agreed to a two-year contract. Foulke was third in the American League in saves with 42.
Maryland extends coach's contract
COLLEGE PARK, Md., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Ralph Friedgen, who led Maryland to its first Atlantic Coast Conference title in 16 years, will have plenty of job security as he tries to build the Terrapins into a perennial power.
Friedgen was rewarded today with a new 10-year contract that could keep him at the school through the 2012 season. He had signed a six-year deal when he was hired on Nov. 30, 2000.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In his first year as a head coach, Friedgen, 54, guided his alma mater to a 10-1 record and a berth in the Orange Bowl against Florida. The sixth-ranked Terrapins reached 10 wins for only the fifth time in school history and the first since 1976.
A 1969 graduate of Maryland, Friedgen last week was recognized as the national Coach of the Year.
"Coach Friedgen has made extraordinary progress and is fully committed to continue to build Maryland football into a perennial top-20 program," athletic director Deborah Yow said. "There could be no better fit for our institution. He shares our values related to graduation rates and embraces the concept of student-athletes."
Friedgen waited 29 years to get his first head-coaching job, having spent the previous four years as the offensive coordinator under George O'Leary at Georgia Tech.
Boeheim to return Dec. 29
SYRACUSE, N.Y., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim, who recently had surgery to remove an enlarged prostate, will return to the sidelines Dec. 29.
Boeheim has missed the last two games, including Syracuse's first loss of the season. They were the first games he had not coached in his 25-plus years at the school.
The 57-year-old Boeheim has said he does not have cancer and that his problem is 100 percent treatable. The school did not disclose when he had the surgery.
The 12th-ranked Orangemen play two more games before hosting Buffalo on Dec. 29. They visit Georgia Tech on Sunday and entertain South Florida on Dec. 20.
Long-time assistant Bernie Fine coached the Orangemen (9-1) in Boeheim's absence. Syracuse lost for the first time on Saturday, 82-68 to North Carolina State.
In its 26th season, the Boeheim-Fine tandem is second in longevity only to coach Dave Bliss and assistant Doug Ash at Baylor, who have been paired for 27 years.
Boeheim is one of 11 active coaches with 600 wins, sporting a 608-208 record at Syracuse. He has led the Orangemen to 21 NCAA Tournament berths, 11 Sweet 16 appearances and two trips to the national championship game.
Patriots sign Andruzzi for three years
FOXBORO, Mass., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The New England Patriots today rewarded starting right guard Joe Andruzzi with a three-year contract extension.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but according to the MetroWest Daily News, the extension is worth $3.55 million and includes a $550,000 signing bonus.
The 6-3, 315-pound Andruzzi made the switch from left to right guard this season and has started all 13 games for the Patriots (8-5), who are in the thick of the AFC playoff race and just 1 1/2 games behind first-place Miami in the East.
Andruzzi, 26, spent the first two years of his career with Green Bay before signing with the Patriots as a free agent prior to the 1999 season.
Andruzzi's father is a retired New York policeman and his three brothers are New York firemen who have been working at the World Trade Center site. They served as honorary captains for a game at Foxboro on Sept. 23.
Prior wins Golden Spikes Award
TUCSON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Southern California righthander Mark Prior, the second overall pick in the 2001 draft, was named today the winner of the Golden Spikes Award, amateur baseball's most prestigious honor.
Prior went 15-1 with a 1.69 ERA in his junior year at USC and helped the Trojans reach the College World Series. The Chicago Cubs selected Prior with the second overall pick in last June's draft.
Prior earned six other player of the year honors and was also named as the top amateur player in the nation by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and the American Baseball Coaches' Association.
The Golden Spikes Award is sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association and is presented to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. Past winners include Robin Ventura, Phil Nevin, Jason Varitek and Mark Kotsay.
Little League tightens eligibility rules
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Officials of the Little League World Series announced today more stringent measures will be taken to ensure players taking part in the event are how old they say they are.
Until now, an original statement or certificate issued by a government authority was acceptable, regardless of the date of issue. Starting in 2002, the date of issue of the orginal birth document must be within 30 days of date of birth.
For parents not able to produce such a document, several other supporting documents will be required for their child to become eligible, including statements from several persons with knowledge of the child's actual birth date such as doctors, hospital administrators and clergy.
Regarding residence, a new tournament rule has been added which requires a participant to be a citizen of the country in which they wish to play for.
The changes stem from 14-year-old Danny Almonte's dominating pitching performances for the Rolando Paulino All-Stars of the Bronx, N.Y.. during the 2001 Little League World Series.
