BenMaller.com - Rumors & Notes

Big Ben's Tuesday Rumors & Notes

Baseball Rumors & Notes

Pete Rose's campaign for reinstatement is in jeopardy, as baseball officials investigate whether Rose is still gambling on sports, sources told the Daily News yesterday. Two high-ranking baseball officials said they are "quite concerned" about information they have received that Rose has continued to wager on sports since his 1989 lifetime ban for gambling, possibly as recently as last week in Las Vegas casinos.

Kevin Millar is not due to report to Japan until Saturday, when spring training begins. But even the Chunichi Dragons, the team that signed Millar to a three-year, $6.2 million contract after purchasing him from the Florida Marlins, yesterday expressed uncertainty about whether Millar will show up. Major league sources, meanwhile, said yesterday that Millar will not report, has informed the Dragons of his intentions, and is attempting to have his contract voided so he can play for the Red Sox. One source said Millar's agents plan to cite as precedent the case of Japanese third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, who earlier this month backed out of a two-year deal with the Mets to sign a $6.5 million contract with Kintetsu, becoming the highest-paid player in Japan.

Working toward a potential contract extension for Craig Biggio, Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Gerry Hunsicker had a one-hour conference call with Biggio's agent Monday in what appears to be the first step toward possibly reaching a deal this week.

The Red Sox paid Brian Daubach $2.3 million last season, and the veteran first baseman/outfielder put up solid numbers: 20 homers, 78 RBIs and a .266 average. But Boston declined to offer him a contract, and the White Sox signed him without having to offer any guaranteed money.

Still seeking to add offense and improve public relations, the Baltimore Orioles yesterday worked out former Oriole B.J. Surhoff, who is 38 and coming off knee surgery but is still well-loved in his adopted home town of Baltimore.

The pitching-rich Yankees will head into spring training with Jeff Weaver - not newcomer Jose Contreras - penciled in as the No. 5 starter, a source close to the team says.

Daryle Ward grew up in Riverside, Calif., a 45-minute drive from the home of the Dodgers. In a twist consistent with his nature, he was a fan of the Angels, the team a mouse built. "He could hit 30 homers for the Dodgers," a veteran National League scout said. "He's strong, and he's still young (27). But he was slow, and he didn't always run out ground balls, and I think that bugged people."

Reliever Pat Mahomes signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates, who have roughed out their pitching chart for spring training even as they seek another experienced starting pitcher before the competition begins in 18 days. One possible addition is free-agent right-hander Julian Tavarez, who was 10-12 with a 5.39 ERA in 27 starts and two relief appearances with the Marlins last season.

Cards skipper Tony La Russa ranks last season's NLCS loss to the San Francisco Giants as his most profound disappointment as a manager. Ahead of his 1988 A's losing to the Kirk Gibson Dodgers.

In the race to see who fills the innings eaten up last season by relievers Bob Wells and Mike Jackson, the Twins will have a full field. Mike Fetters is the latest entry into what promises to be a bullpen derby during spring training. Fetters, a 38-year-old right-hander, signed a minor league contract Monday with the Twins. Fetters split last season between Pittsburgh and Arizona, and posted a 3-3 record with a 4.09 earned-run average in 65 games. If Fetters makes the team, this would be his 13th season in the major leagues, and he would give the Twins a heavy dose of experience that includes the postseason.

The Yankees say they're not worried about Mariano Rivera's health, but they are concerned about the state of their bullpen overall. So yesterday, they added another hard-throwing right-hander. Juan Acevedo, the 32-year-old former Mets reliever who saved 28 games for the Detroit Tigers in 2002, signed a minor-league contract and will join the Yankees in spring training.

The road, however winding, always seems to lead back to Texas for Ruben Sierra. On Monday, Sierra re-upped for his third tour of duty with the Rangers, agreeing to a split contract that will pay him $600,000 if he makes the major league club. The outfield mix could grow even larger, as the Rangers continue to look at the likes of free agents Rickey Henderson and Kenny Lofton as possibilities to fill the team's need for a top-of-the-order hitter.

The faint outlines of a Major League Baseball team are beginning to appear in the Great Northwest. There are sketches of a 40,000-seat stadium, the beginnings of a $350 million financing plan and prospective sites featuring grandstand views of Mount Hood.

NFL Rumors & Notes

Even if Lions president Matt Millen intends to hire Steve Mariucci, who's from Iron Mountain, Millen must first pursue minority candidates or risk being sanctioned by the NFL. In December, the league said its owners "strongly agreed on the principle" that all teams must interview minority candidates for their head coaching positions unless they promoted one of their assistants.

Just as Tom Izzo was about to talk with reporters Monday evening about his best friend, Steve Mariucci, his cell phone rang. On the other end was Mariucci, the former San Francisco 49ers coach and No. 1 candidate to replace Marty Mornhinweg as Lions coach. Mariucci and Izzo, the Michigan State basketball coach, grew up together in Iron Mountain. Izzo told reporters that Mariucci assured him that he had not been in contact with the Lions or accepted a four-year, $12-million contract, as had been reported earlier in the day.

Jon Gruden's success in Super Bowl XXXVII may help Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress' chances to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Like Gruden, Childress is an offensive coach steeped in knowledge of Mike Holmgren's West Coast system and overall organizational program. Childress' exposure to the Holmgren approach came via Eagles head coach Andy Reid, who replicated Holmgren's Green Bay program in Philadelphia.

If Lions president Matt Millen does not hire Steve Mariucci he might consider Dennis Green, Monte Kiffin, Jim Mora Jr., Tedd Cottrell, Mike Mularkey or Nick Saban as a replacement for Marty Mornhinweg, who was fired

Do the Bucs let Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson who's an unrestricted free agent get away? Along with Jackson, the Bucs' unrestricted free agents include quarterbacks Shaun King and Rob Johnson and tackles Roman Oben and Lomas Brown.

Barret Robbins, the Oakland Raiders' All-Pro center, was on suicide watch yesterday in a San Diego hospital, a family member said. Robbins, who has received long-term treatment for depression, suffers from a bipolar disorder. "We are very worried about Barret," the family member said. "That is all I can say right now."

Jerry Porter limped yesterday into the Raiders' team breakfast, his right knee the size of a softball. That wasn't the only thing that was sore. The outspoken wide receiver, still not convinced that the Bucs' defense is one for the ages, blasted the secondary, cornerback Ronde Barber and safety Dexter Jackson in particular.

The Bears' interior defense probably won't look the same for 2003. Either Keith Traylor or Ted Washington is likely to be released and a defensive lineman selected in the April draft. Jerry Angelo has favored players from sound college programs with a history of developing players and has spoken highly of Penn State's Jimmy Kennedy and Kentucky's Dewayne Robertson as defensive tackle prospects. Robertson, at 6 feet 2 inches and 315 pounds, has been nicknamed "Baby Sapp" for his similarities to Tampa Bay All-Pro Warren Sapp.

Jets' defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell left New York yesterday to interview for the vacant 49ers' head coaching position. Cottrell, who's been with the Jets for the last two years, both playoff seasons with improving defenses, is scheduled to meet for much of today with 49ers' GM Terry Donahue at an undisclosed location in Los Angeles.

The Lions fired coach Marty Mornhinweg on Monday, 27 days after declaring he would be back next season. Mornhinweg lost 27 of 32 games in two seasons with the Lions, so based on his record the firing wasn't a surprise. But in the 27 days since the Lions announced he would return, Mornhinweg's only public act was coaching a group of college players at the Senior Bowl, where his South team lost, 17-0.

Richard Dent has interviewed with the Bears for a job as an assistant coach. Dent, 42, would fill the vacancy left when defensive line coach Rex Norris resigned. The opening caused a stir last week when Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary said he had been rebuffed in his attempt to get a job with his old team and instead took an assistant's job with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Seahawks want Anthony Simmons back, and it appears Simmons wants to remain in Seattle. However, there has been no progress of note regarding contract talks between Simmons' agent, Gary Uberstine, and the Seahawks, Uberstine said yesterday.

Face it: Jon Gruden is everything the Jets had hoped Pete Carroll would be in 1994. He is everything Bill Parcells was in 1986, when he was 45. Gruden is only 39. I hereby anoint him The Next Parcells. Boy Tuna, as long as Monte Kiffin stays to play the part of Bill Belichick.

Dallas Cowboys player Dwayne Goodrich was released Monday afternoon after he was arrested in connection with three charges of failure to stop and render aid in a fatal Jan. 14 hit-and-run crash. He was arrested about 9:10 a.m. and booked into Lew Sterrett Justice Center shortly before 10 a.m., authorities said. He was released on bail about 3 p.m. after posting $15,000 in cash.

Little-known fact about former Chiefs linebacker Jack Del Rio, now head coach of the Jacksonville Jags: Del Rio got his political-science degree from the University of Kansas in 1990. Del Rio played collegiately at USC but got his degree in Lawrence after his brief stint with the Chiefs.

Tampa Bay Bucs free safety and Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson was asked Monday if he was disappointed he wasn't able to do the annual Super Bowl commercial for Disney. The commercial is reserved for the quarterback of the winning team. However, Jackson, a former Florida State player, did get a new Cadillac for his award. ``I'm a little disappointed. I always wanted to hang out with Mickey Mouse and the guys. But I wasn't selected. That's fine. I can ride by Disneyland in my new Cadillac on my own. So it will be great

Charlie Anderson was hard at work Monday designing what he hopes will become the most precious jewelry in Tampa Bay: the Bucs' Super Bowl rings. The official designer for Jostens, which has produced 24 of 36 Super Bowl rings, Anderson will sketch up to 12 designs, which the company will present to the team as early as next week. Jostens, other national ring manufacturers such as Tiffany and Co., and perhaps some bay area jewelers will then bid on the contract. The NFL will pay up to $5,000 each for 150 rings for the Bucs. The Green Bay Packers' rings in 1967 cost $750 apiece.

The Broncos, Cardinals, Ravens and Bills are the latest NFL teams to raise ticket prices. Guess that's some teams' idea of good offseason moves.

NBA Rumors & Notes

While Jason Kidd clarified his statement about "behind the scenes" talks with his agent regarding his impending free agency, Nets' team president Rod Thorn stressed that he has no evidence any team is guilty of tampering with his All-Star guard. The Spurs, Nuggets, Jazz and Clippers are the teams that figure to have money to try to lure Kidd.

The Heat and LaPhonso Ellis' agent are trying to find a way to keep the forward on the team for the rest of the season without it counting against the salary cap next season. A possibility remains that Ellis, who has a clause in his contract that guarantees him $3.6 million next season if he's on the roster for a total of 120 games in his first two seasons with the team, will be cut before he reaches that mark Feb. 14.

Washington Wizards Coach Doug Collins said guard Michael Jordan definitely should be named a reserve for the Feb. 9 All-Star Game when voting results are announced today and that swingman Jerry Stackhouse has played well enough to be named to the team. Coaches from each conference voted for the reserves but were unable to vote for players on their own teams.

Don Chaney often talks about how good the Knicks would be if Antonio McDyess had not gotten hurt. But Chaney yesterday admitted the Knicks could be sitting in the eighth seed if Latrell Sprewell did not spend the season's first eight games on the injured list with a broken right hand. The Knicks, 1-7 without Sprewell, are 17-17 with him. "We dug a hole for ourselves and we've been playing catch-up," Chaney said. "If he started the season [playing], it would be a different season altogether."

Allen Iverson traveled to Connecticut yesterday to be with his ailing mother and was to join the team in Milwaukee last night. He did not practice yesterday, and Brown did not have much information about Ann Iverson, a fixture at Sixers games over the years, although she has not been attending as frequently this season.''

Minnesota sports collectibles have finally gone quackers. The first 7,500 fans who showed up at Target Center for the Timberwolves' game Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs received a Kevin Garnett Celebriduck — a rubber ducky with the face, tattoos and torso of the Wolves forward. Although, Garnett said, "I don't think my (butt) is that high." Garnett's duck is distinctive because it features his nose instead of the "normal" Celebriduck beak.

Pacers radio analyst and former coach Bob "Slick" Leonard will have replacement surgery on his right hip Wednesday and will be out for about a month. Leonard will be replaced by a number of analysts who will work with play-by-play announcer Mark Boyle.

College Rumors & Notes

Coach Tommy Amaker wants to look at the big picture: Bringing Michigan back to one of the nation's elite basketball programs. But it's extremely difficult not to look at the present. After going 0-6 for their worst start ever, the Wolverines (13-6) have won 13 straight games and Monday received 41 votes, good for a No. 31 ranking, in the Associated Press poll.

The Bush administration's Title IX commission appears set to recommend that the 30-year-old gender equity law in sports be made less rigid, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Odd Notes & Stuff

Alexei Kovalev will be at the Coliseum this evening. What is unfortunate for the Islanders is that he'll be playing for Pittsburgh, despite rumors of the slick-shooting forward being very much on the trade block, with the Isles as one of few teams mentioned to be in the running for his services.

Terry Murray is back in the coaching fraternity - with the Flyers. In a surprising move yesterday, general manager Bob Clarke added the former Flyers head coach to Ken Hitchcock's staff as an assistant coach. Murray will work primarily in the press box for the remainder of the season.

Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins finally will realize his dream of defending his title in his hometown of Philadelphia. Although not all the contracts have been signed, two highly placed sources confirmed to the Daily News that an agreement has been reached for Hopkins (41-2-1, 30 KOs) to defend his WBC, WBA and IBF crowns against the WBC's No. 1 contender, France's Morrade Hakkar (29-3, 18 KOs), March 29 at the First Union Spectrum. The scheduled 12-rounder will be televised by HBO.

Ticket sales have topped 7,000 for the Feb. 22 Mike Tyson-Clifford Etienne heavyweight fight at The Pyramid, promoter Brian Young said Monday. Tonya Harding, who will make her boxing debut on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Clifford Etienne bout next month, will take part in a weigh-in on Feb. 21.

No sport anywhere has anything on Italian soccer when it comes to referees. The season is only half over and owners, fans and players are up in arms over a series of suspiciously inept calls that have altered the standings. Some commentators suggested that the entire "A Series," as Italy's top-rung league is known, is rigged.

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