Henderson breaks Cobb's run record
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- San Diego's Rickey Henderson became the all-time leading run scorer in baseball history today, eclipsing Ty Cobb's mark by hitting a home run in the third inning of the Padres meeting with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 42-year-old outfielder belted a 1-0 pitch from Luke Prokopec over the left-field fence to set the record.
The ball bounced back onto the field and was retrieved by left fielder Gary Sheffield. Henderson trotted around the bases, but then slid into home, where he was congratulated by his teammates.
It was the 2,246th career run for Henderson, who was presented with a plaque in the shape of home plate by teammate Tony Gwynn.
On Wednesday night, Henderson tied Cobb's record -- which had stood since 1928 -- in much more characteristic fashion, racing home from first on a double by Ryan Klesko.
In Milwaukee, meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals clinched at least a tie for a playoff spot as Matt Morris recorded his 22nd win and Mark McGwire drove in five runs in a 10-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cardinals won for the 16th time in their last 19 games, assuring themselves no worse than a tie with the San Francisco Giants for the National League wild card.
St. Louis also began the day tied with Houston in the Central Division. The Astros entertain the San Francisco Giants tonight.
In other daytime baseball action, it was Minnesota 5, Detroit 4; Kansas City 8, Cleveland 4; Florida 6, Montreal 2; and the Chicago Cubs 2, Cincinnati 0 in a game halted in the eighth inning by rain.
David Toms leads on PGA Tour
WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Recently crowned PGA champion David Toms put together a 7-under 64 today that gave him a one-shot lead after one round of the Michelob Championship, an event he is trying to win for the second straight year.
Toms holed four putts of 30 feet or more at the Kingsmill Golf Club to continue a breakout season that has seen him climb to No. 5 on the money list with two victories and his first major title.
Those tied for second at 6-under 65 were Shigeki Maruyama, Neal Lancaster, Jimmy Green and J.J. Henry, who leaped into the top 60 on the money list last week with a second-place finish at the Texas Open.
Rookie Bryce Molder was among those at 66 while two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen was in the large group at 67. Justin Leonard, won won last week in Texas for the sixth victory of his PGA Tour career, had a 1-over 72.
Berard signs with Rangers
NEW YORK, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Defenseman Bryan Berard, who nearly lost his right eye 18 months ago, completed his comeback today by signing a one-year contract with the New York Rangers.
While the team would not disclose details, the New York Daily News reported it is a one-year pact for a guaranteed $2 million. It follows a pair of impressive preseason appearances, during which the 24-year-old had a plus-2 rating.
Berard will be added to the Rangers' active roster and could be in the lineup Friday night for the season opener against the Carolina Hurricnaes. According to the Daily News, he will be paired with two-time Norris Trophy winner Brian Leetch.
The newspaper also reported that the Rangers are putting together a four-year deal that will give them the option of picking up the final three years for $9.75 million.
Warren fined $35,000
NEW YORK, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- The NFL today fined Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Gerard Warren $35,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell in last Sunday's game.
The incident occurred when Browns defensive lineman Orpheus Roye intercepted a shovel pass on Jacksonville's first play from scrimmage. Warren turned to block, took several steps to Brunell and leveled him with a high hit as the players' helmets collided.
Brunell suffered a concussion on the play and did not return. Afterwards, Brunell called it "a dirty hit."
Warren, the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, was not penalized on the play and denied any intent to injure Brunell.
NFL Director of Football Operations Gene Washington, who administers discipline for player-against-player violations, said in a letter to Warren that his hit on Brunell was a, "violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 11 (7) which states that a passer 'must not be unnecessarily contacted by the defense...in the event of a change of possession on the play, until the passer assumes a distinctly defensive position.'"
Duran injured in car wreck
BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Former boxing champion Roberto Duran suffered internal injuries after the car in which he was a passenger crashed on a Buenos Aires highway Wednesday night.
The Argentine news agency Telam reported Duran's injuries include a collapsed lung and several broken ribs. He was in stable condition after undergoing surgery today.
The 50-year-old Panamanian boxer was riding with his son, Roberto, and two reporters when the car crashed into another before both vehicles hit a retaining wall.
Duran's son suffered minor injuries, but the reporters -- Ruiz Diaz, a journalist working for Telam, and Luis Gimenez -- were more seriously hurt. Diaz was in a coma and Gimenez broke several ribs.
A winner of four world titles, Duran has refused to retire and lost to Hector Camacho in a fight three months ago.
Rod Carew resigns from Brewers
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Hitting coach Rod Carew, who could not get the Milwaukee Brewers to stop swinging and missing, resigned today, three days before the end of the season.
A Hall of Famer and seven-time batting champion, Carew had been Milwaukee's hitting coach for the last two years. His contract was due to expire at the end of the season.
Under the tutelage of Carew, the Brewers last year established club records with 177 homers and 499 extra-base hits, becoming one of the more powerful lineups in the National League.
They eclipsed those marks this season as they entered Thursday's game against St. Louis with 207 homers and 503 extra-base hits.
But Milwaukee is tied for 14th in the NL with a .251 team average -- 77 points lower than Carew's career mark -- and has set a major league team record with 1,366 strikeouts.
The Brewers do not have a .300 hitter and have four batters with at least 116 strikeouts.
China nears World Cup berth
China virtually wrapped up its first trip ever to the World Cup Thursday when Qatar, which had been its chief rival in Asian qualifying, lost to the United Arab Emirates.
UAE won in Doha, Qatar, 2-1.
China now has a three-point lead over UAE in Asian Group B with the winner of the group earning a berth in the World Cup.
UAE has just one qualifying match remaining and the best it can do is earn 13 points. China already has 13 points and has two matches remaining, needing only a tie in one of them to clinch the group.
Even if China should lose its final two matches against Qatar and Uzbekistan, the Chinese would likely still win the group because it currently has a large goal differential advantage over UAE.
China is coached by Bora Milutinovic, who guided the United States team when the Americans hosted the World Cup in 1994.
A series of key qualifying matches are scheduled aruond the globe this weekend with World Cup berths on the line in Europe, South America and North America.
The United States faces a must-win situation when it hosts Jamaica in Boston on Sunday.
