briefly 12/21/03

Baseball

The Cardinals agreed to a $450,000, one-year contract with outfielder Kerry Robinson on Saturday and declined to offer a 2004 contract to pitcher Gene Stechschulte. Robinson, a former Southeast Missouri State University star, had a career-high 208 at-bats last season for the Cardinals and led the team with 46 at-bats as a pinch hitter. He batted .250 with one homer and 16 RBIs. Stechschulte missed the season following surgery in March to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The 30-year-old right-hander, who becomes a free agent Sunday, has a career record of 8-7 with a 4.58 ERA and six saves in 116 games, all with the Cardinals.

The Rockies agreed to a one-year contract with outfielder Jeromy Burnitz on Saturday and cut ties with Jay Payton. Burnitz split time last year between the Mets and the Dodgers, hitting a combined .239 with 31 home runs and 77 RBI. Burnitz was an All-Star in 1999 for Milwaukee and has hit at least 30 homers in five of his last six seasons. The contract, which has a mutual option for 2005, will be signed after Burnitz passes a physical.

College

St. John's provided a perfect ending for coach John Gagliardi's record-breaking season, snapping Mount Union's NCAA-record 55-game winning streak with a 24-6 victory Saturday in the Division III championship game. Mount Union (13-1) had won three consecutive Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowls and 109 of its last 110 games overall before falling to Blake Elliott and the Johnnies (14-0). The Purple Raiders had won seven national titles in the previous 10 years. Gagliardi, the 77-year-old coach who passed Eddie Robinson as college football's career victories leader earlier this season, won his fourth national championship and first since the 1976 Division III title.

Tyler Emmert threw three touchdown passes to Mark Gallik to help Carroll College defeat Northwestern Oklahoma State 41-28 Saturday for its second straight NAIA championship. Emmert, who was named NAIA Player of the Year on Friday night, finished 26-of-37 for 344 yards as the game's offensive MVP, and Gallik caught 13 passes for 250 yards to extend the NAIA's longest current winning streak to 19 games. Carroll finished 15-0.

Former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh, in his second season as an assistant with the Raiders, has been named the new coach at San Diego. It will be the first head-coaching job for the 39-year-old Harbaugh. Harbaugh will complete his coaching duties with the Raiders before taking over at San Diego following the conclusion of the NFL season.

Hockey

Keith Magnuson, a former player and coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, was remembered at a memorial service Saturday as a fierce competitor whose blue-collar approach endeared him to hockey fans. Magnuson, 56, was killed in three-car accident in Toronto on Monday. He and retired defenseman Rob Ramage were returning from a funeral when their vehicle crossed into an oncoming lane and struck a sport utility vehicle, which then was hit by another vehicle.

Mike Comrie moved a step closer to getting back on the ice when he signed a one-year deal with the Flyers. Comrie was traded to the Flyers by the Oilers on Tuesday because of a bitter contract dispute that left the restricted free agent looking for a new place to play.

-- From wire reports