Sports briefs 11/29/04

Baseball

• A month after winning their first World Series title since 1918, the Boston Red Sox were honored as Sports Illustrated's Sportsmen of the Year -- the first major pro sports team to receive the award.

The Red Sox made an unprecedented rally from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees in the AL championship series. They then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series to put an end to the supposed "Curse of the Bambino."

Golf

Mr. Skins Fred Couples prevailed in four playoff holes over Tiger Woods to claim the final three skins worth $340,000 and win his record fifth Skins Game with a total of $640,000.

Couples won all his money on Sunday, starting with a birdie putt worth $300,000 and eight skins on the first hole. He finally won after Woods' tee shot went into the water on the last playoff hole, the par-3, 204-yard 17th at Trilogy Golf Club on a cold, windy day in the desert.

Woods finished second with five skins and $310,000, more money than he won in his previous four Skins Games combined.

Tennis

• In a fitting end to a season dominated by Russian women, the country won its first Fed Cup title Sunday by edging defending champion France 3-2 when Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva beat Marion Bartoli and Emilie Loit 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the deciding doubles match.

Russia had lost its four previous Fed Cup finals but was led this time by French Open champion Myskina, who had a hand in each of the host's three points in the best-of-five final.

-- From wire reports