Sports briefs 1/28/05

Baseball

* Carlos Delgado and the Florida Marlins finalized their $52 million, four-year contract Thursday. Delgado, who hit at least 30 home runs each of the past eight seasons with Toronto, passed his physical Wednesday and was introduced at a news conference.

* Outfielder Magglio Ordonez told agent Scott Boras to make the counterproposal to Detroit. The outfielder met Monday with team officials.

* Shortstop Barry Larkin said he is considering retirement after turning down offers to start for several other teams because he can't envision himself playing for anyone but the Cincinnati Reds.

"I'm big on loyalty,"said Larkin, 40. "I couldn't come to grips with making a 100-percent commitment [to another team]."

* Houston outfielder Lance Berkman was among five players in salary arbitration who settled, agreeing to a $10.5 million, one-year contract. Houston will continue to work for a multiyear deal with the All-Star, expected to miss the start of the season after injuring his knee playing flag football.

College basketball

* Injured Illinois guard Brian Randle said Thursday he likely will sit out the rest of the season after recovering from a broken left hand. If he does not play for the rest of the season, Randle can ask the NCAA for a medical exemption to preserve his three remaining years of eligibility. Randle, a sophomore from Peoria, Ill., broke his hand when he punched a wall in frustration during a preseason practice.

* A former Baylor basketball player accused of killing a teammate has regained his competence to stand trial and is ready to be returned from a state hospital, a psychologist says. Carlton Dotson, 22, had been taken to North Texas State Hospital after a defense psychologist, state psychiatrist and court-appointed independent psychiatrist all found that Dotson was incompetent to stand trial in the 2003 death of Patrick Dennehy. In a report to District Judge George Allen, hospital psychologist Thomas Gray said Dotson is ready to be returned to the McLennan County Jail. Gray said Dotson must continue to receive psychriatic care, take prescribed medication and not use alcohol.

Skating

* Evgeni Plushenko of Russia captured the men's title for the fourth time Thursday at the European Figure Skating Championships, rallying to defeat defending champion Brian Joubert of France.

Soccer

* Soccer star Ronaldo has appealed to kidnappers for the release of Brazilian engineer Joao Jose de Vasconcellos, who was taken hostage in Iraq. The videotaped message was to be delivered Thursday to Al-Jazeera Television. Family members hoped Ronaldo's appeal would succeed. "Ronaldo is well known to the Iraqi people," said Vasconcellos' brother, Luiz Henrique. "He's really admired there."