Sports briefs 12/17/03

Baseball

The New York Yankees made plans to introduce Gary Sheffield at a Yankee Stadium news conference today. Sheffield's $39 million, three-year contract, which includes $13.5 million in deferred money, was being finalized for lawyers for the team and the outfielder Tuesday. New York also has a two-year deal with Kenny Lofton that hasn't been completed.

The Red Sox acquired infielder Mark Bellhorn from the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday for a player to be named. Bellhorn, 29, is a career .230 hitter with 36 homers and 106 RBIs in 371 games. He hit a career-best 27 homers with 56 RBIs in 146 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2002.

The Oakland Athletics traded catcher Michael Barrett to the Cubs, a day after acquiring him from Montreal. The A's will receive a player to be named from Chicago. Barrett was acquired from the Expos on Monday for a player to be named. He hit .208 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs in 70 games with Montreal last year.

Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel failed a physical in Seattle, putting in jeopardy a trade that would have sent him to the Mariners for Carlos Guillen. The teams had agreed on a deal to swap the shortstops contingent on Vizquel passing medical tests. The 36-year-old, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, had two surgeries on his right knee last season.

Basketball

Allen Iverson could be sidelined until January with a swollen right knee. The NBA's leading scorer has missed two of the team's last three games and said Tuesday he thinks he'll miss the 76ers' West Coast road trip that starts Dec. 26 at the Los Angeles Clippers. He's averaging 28.9 points, 6.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds for the Atlantic Division-leading 76ers (12-12).

Chicago Bulls center Eddy Curry will miss two to four weeks with a bone bruise on his left knee. He has appeared in all 22 games this season and is the team's second leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points and nearly seven rebounds a game.

College

Danny Wimprine threw for 254 yards and accounted for two touchdowns as Memphis won its first bowl game in 32 years, a 27-17 victory over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. Wimprine completed his first 10 passes, two at least 50 yards, and the Tigers (9-4) took a 17-3 lead.Wimprine was 17-of-23 and was selected MVP of the game, the first of 28 college bowls this season. North Texas' Patrick Cobbs, the nation's leader in rushing yards per game with 157, gained 110 yards and scored two touchdowns.

A game-winning shot against Purdue helped Oklahoma's Drew Lavender become the first freshman to ever win Big 12 player of the week honors. Lavender averaged 13.5 points, three rebounds, and 4.5 assists last week in the Sooners' 47-45 win against No. 16 Purdue and 83-56 win against Prairie View A&M. Kansas' J.R. Giddens was named Big 12 rookie of the week after averaging 15 points and 8.5 rebounds in the Jayhawks' 80-40 win against Fort Hays State and 77-67 victory against Oregon.

Baylor guard Ellis Kidd Jr. has been dismissed from the team for violating team policy. Kidd, a junior, transferred to Baylor from Seminole State College in Oklahoma, where he played as a freshman in 2001-02. He had started all seven games this season, averaging 13.4 points and four rebounds. Kidd's dismissal leaves the team with six scholarship players and five walk-ons.

Hockey

Former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman and coach Keith Magnuson, 56, was killed in an auto accident in suburban Toronto on Monday. Magnuson played for Chicago from 1969-80 and coached the team for 1 1/2 seasons. He was riding with Rob Ramage, a former St. Louis Blues star and Toronto Maple Leafs captain, who was charged with impaired driving causing death, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, police said. Police said they were awaiting results from blood tests before deciding whether to upgrade the charges to drunk driving. Ramage had surgery Monday night at William Osler Health Center, but his injuries were not considered life threatening.

Miscellaneous

Lance Armstrong is the kids' choice. The cycling great was chosen by readers of Sports Illustrated For Kids as the athlete of the year, edging Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals. Armstrong, who won his fifth straight Tour de France title last summer, received 8,599 votes of more than 43,000 cast. Pujols was second with 8,514 votes, followed by LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Michael Vick and Roger Clemens. Last year's winner was Shaquille ONeal.

-- From wire reports