Sports briefs 11/25/05

Baseball

• Carlos Delgado was traded to the New York Mets by the cost-cutting Florida Marlins on Thursday for first baseman Mike Jacobs and two minor leaguers.

The Mets will also receive $7 million from the Marlins to help cover the $48 million Delgado is owed over the next three seasons. The minor leaguers going to Florida are pitcher Yusmeiro Petit and infielder Grant Psomas.

The teams reached a preliminary agreement on the deal Wednesday, but it needed to be approved by the commissioner's office because more than $1 million is changing hands.

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record. The baseball draft, that is.

For nearly four decades, Richardson, a prominent Democrat frequently mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted as a pitcher in 1966 by the Kansas City Athletics.

But an Albuquerque Journal investigation found no record of Richardson being drafted by the A's, who have since moved to Oakland, or any other team. Informed by the newspaper of its findings, the governor acknowledged the error in a story published Thursday by the paper.

"After being notified of the situation [by Journal reporter Toby Smith] and after researching the matter ... I came to the conclusion that I was not drafted by the A's," Richardson said.

Richardson included the fact in a brief biography released when he successfully ran for Congress in 1982.

Gymnastics

• Forget Russia and China, the United States has a new rival in men's gymnastics -- Japan.

Hiroyuki Tomita became the first Japanese in 31 years to win an all-around title at the world championships Thursday. Hisashi Mizutori of Japan took the silver and Denis Savenkov of Belarus was the surprising bronze medalist.

The top American was U.S. national champion Todd Thornton in 20th place.

Tomita finished with 56.698 points while Mitzutori was at 55.349 and Savenkov at 55.112.

Thornton's total was 50.984.

Golf

• Nervous at the start but encouraged by a couple of late birdies, Michelle Wie was five strokes off the lead in a men's tournament Thursday and optimistic about making the cut.

The 16-year-old Hawaiian was followed by huge galleries during her opening round of 1-over 73 at the Casio World Open on the Japanese tour.

Two Japanese players, Toshimitsu Izawa and Yoshiaki Kimura, shared the lead at 68.

-- From wire reports