Sports briefs 1/31/05

Baseball

* The trade sending Sammy Sosa from the Chicago Cubs to the Baltimore Orioles for Jerry Hairston and two prospects is expected to reach Commissioner Bud Selig's desk Monday for approval.

From there, Sosa would need to pass a physical, and the deal could be announced Wednesday or Thursday.

* Mets catcher Mike Piazza married former Playboy Playmate and "Baywatch" star Alicia Rickter in a candlelight church ceremony in Miami. With baseball superstars including former Mets pitcher Al Leiter and Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez in attendance, Piazza and Rickter took their vows at St. Jude's Catholic Church on Saturday before boarding a yacht to a lavish reception on nearby Fisher Island.

* Angela Ruggiero would be happy to put off her preparation for the next Olympics for another shot at playing in a men's professional hockey match.

The two-time Olympian became the first woman to make more than a token appearance at a position other than goalie in a U.S. men's professional hockey game, playing defense and getting an assist Friday night for the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League.

Basketball

* Ashley McElhiney, the first female coach of a men's pro basketball team, was fired Saturday night after an on-court dispute with the co-owner of the Nashville Rhythm of the ABA.

Co-owner and CEO Sally Anthony was unhappy that McElhiney was playing Matt Freije after Anthony instructed that he be benched.

The argument over the former Vanderbilt star's playing time began during the third quarter and apparently escalated when Anthony attempted to remove McElhiney as coach during the team's 110-109 win over the Kansas City Knights. Anthony was eventually restrained by security guards and taken off the floor.