Bravesworld.com | Atlanta Braves News, braves Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Baseball </div>Sox Close On Tazawa? Japanese righthander Junichi Tazawa moved a step closer to signing with the Red Sox after rejecting offers from three other major league teams. Tazawa, 22, contacted the Texas Rangers , Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves on Friday to reject their offers, the Kyodo News agency reported. He is expected to hold a press conference early next week to announce his decision. The hard-throwing Tazawa, a standout in Japan's corporate leagues, asked his country's professional teams not to select him in November's amateur draft so that he can pursue a career in the major leagues. Several major league teams have been reluctant to pursue Tazawa for fear of upsetting relations between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. . . . The Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Wes Littleton from the Rangers on for two players to be named or cash considerations. Littleton was 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances for the Rangers this year. He spent most of the season with Triple A Oklahoma, where he was 7-1 with six saves and a 4.01 ERA. In his major league career, he has limited right-handed batters to a .236 average. . . . The new first base coach for the Red Sox is former Mets infielder Tim Bogar. He replaces Luis Alicea, the only member of the 2008 staff not offered a contract for next season. Bogar, 44, was an infield and base-running coach for the American League champion Rays this year. . . . Brian Fuentes' representatives told the Mets the free agent closer is seeking a three-year deal worth $10 million to $11 million annually, according to a source familiar with the discussion. That price tag is a bit high for the Mets, but they are still interested if they do not sign Francisco Rodriguez. . . . Nationals righthander Tim Redding had surgery to repair a bone in a joint on his left foot and is expected to be ready for spring training. . . . Red Murff, the Mets scout who discovered Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, died in Tyler, Texas. He was 87. Ryan, president of the Texas Rangers , mentioned Murff in his 1999 Hall of Fame induction speech. Murff played for the Milwaukee Braves in 1956-57, going 2-2 with three saves and a 4.65 ERA in 26 games. GOLF Clark Leads In Australia Tim Clark of South Africa shot a 2-under-par 70 and led by one stroke after the second round of the Australian Masters in Melbourne. Clark had a two-round total of 7-under 137. Aussies Anthony Summers (68) and Michael Sim (66) were tied for second. John Daly shot a 73 after an opening 76 and missed the cut at 5 over. . . . Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal shot a 9-under-par 63 in the foursomes (alternate-shot format) to give Spain a four-stroke lead over Australia and Germany at the World Cup of Golf in Shenzen, China. Spain is at 17-under 127 through 36 holes. The U.S. team of Ben Curtis and Brandt Snedeker is six shots back heading into today's four-ball play (best ball). . . . Two-time defending champion Stephen Ames faces Phil Mickelson, Rocco Mediate and K.J. Choi in the Skins Game this weekend on the Celebrity Course at the Indian Wells (Calif.) Golf Resort. The foursome will play nine holes today and another nine Sunday. The total purse is $1 million. . . . In Singapore, Jeong Jang and Candie Kung beat Annika Sorenstam and Angela Stanford 3 and 2 to help Asia split the six opening alternate-shot matches in the Lexus Cup - Sorenstam's final LPGA Tour-sanctioned event before she retires. Sorenstam, who will end her Hall of Fame career next week in the Ladies European Tour's Dubai Ladies Masters, is the International team's playing captain. The teams will play six best-ball matches today and 12 singles matches Sunday. COLLEGES UConn's White A Finalist O'Brian White of UConn, the 2007 winner, was named one of 15 finalists for the Hermann Trophy, given to the top player in Division I soccer. Wake Forest, the defending national champion, has three players who were nominated, including Marcus Tracy of Newtown. UConn faces Creighton today at 3 p.m. in a third-round NCAA tournament game in Omaha, Neb. . . . In women's hockey, Mandi Schwartz and Crysti Howser scored as Yale beat Quinnipiac 2-0 at the Nutmeg Classic in Storrs. Yale plays UConn in the championship game tonight at 7. The Huskies (8-6-2) defeated No. 10 Wayne State, 5-4. Dominique Thibault scored twice for UConn. MISCELLANEOUS Hyperbaric Wins Citation Hyperbaric led all the way in the Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif, beating Formal Decree by three-quarters of a length for his fourth straight victory. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Hyperbaric ran 1 1/16 on the turf in 1:41.29 and paid $13, $6.20 and $4. . . . Einstein stormed past heavy favorite Commentator at the top of the stretch and went on to a 1 1/2-length victory over Delightful Kiss in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Einstein, a 6-year-old ridden by Julien Leparoux, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.79 and returned $11.80, $5.20 and $2.60. It was the fifth winner of the day for Leparoux, raising his total for the five-week fall meet to a record 59. The previous record of 55 was set by Pat Day in 1985. The meet ends today. . . . Leah's Secret, owned by WinStar Farm, won the Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct so impressively that her retirement to the broodmare ranks might be delayed. A 5-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher, she rallied to beat Slewfoundmoney by three quarters of a length. "I might ask WinStar for one more race," Pletcher said. Leah's Secret ran a mile under Eibar Coa in 1:36.40, paying $7.60, $3.70 and $2.70. . . . Gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball are among five Olympic sports the World Anti-Doping Agency says failed to implement consistent out-of-competition testing programs. Handball and modern pentathlon were also described as falling short of complying with the World Anti-Doping Code, which was approved in 2003.

Baseball

Sox Close On Tazawa?

Japanese righthander Junichi Tazawa moved a step closer to signing with the Red Sox after rejecting offers from three other major league teams.

Tazawa, 22, contacted the Texas Rangers , Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves on Friday to reject their offers, the Kyodo News agency reported. He is expected to hold a press conference early next week to announce his decision.

The hard-throwing Tazawa, a standout in Japan's corporate leagues, asked his country's professional teams not to select him in November's amateur draft so that he can pursue a career in the major leagues. Several major league teams have been reluctant to pursue Tazawa for fear of upsetting relations between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. . . . The Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Wes Littleton from the Rangers on for two players to be named or cash considerations. Littleton was 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances for the Rangers this year. He spent most of the season with Triple A Oklahoma, where he was 7-1 with six saves and a 4.01 ERA. In his major league career, he has limited right-handed batters to a .236 average. . . . The new first base coach for the Red Sox is former Mets infielder Tim Bogar. He replaces Luis Alicea, the only member of the 2008 staff not offered a contract for next season. Bogar, 44, was an infield and base-running coach for the American League champion Rays this year. . . . Brian Fuentes' representatives told the Mets the free agent closer is seeking a three-year deal worth $10 million to $11 million annually, according to a source familiar with the discussion. That price tag is a bit high for the Mets, but they are still interested if they do not sign Francisco Rodriguez. . . . Nationals righthander Tim Redding had surgery to repair a bone in a joint on his left foot and is expected to be ready for spring training. . . . Red Murff, the Mets scout who discovered Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, died in Tyler, Texas. He was 87. Ryan, president of the Texas Rangers , mentioned Murff in his 1999 Hall of Fame induction speech. Murff played for the Milwaukee Braves in 1956-57, going 2-2 with three saves and a 4.65 ERA in 26 games.

GOLF

Clark Leads In Australia

Tim Clark of South Africa shot a 2-under-par 70 and led by one stroke after the second round of the Australian Masters in Melbourne. Clark had a two-round total of 7-under 137. Aussies Anthony Summers (68) and Michael Sim (66) were tied for second. John Daly shot a 73 after an opening 76 and missed the cut at 5 over. . . . Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal shot a 9-under-par 63 in the foursomes (alternate-shot format) to give Spain a four-stroke lead over Australia and Germany at the World Cup of Golf in Shenzen, China. Spain is at 17-under 127 through 36 holes. The U.S. team of Ben Curtis and Brandt Snedeker is six shots back heading into today's four-ball play (best ball). . . . Two-time defending champion Stephen Ames faces Phil Mickelson, Rocco Mediate and K.J. Choi in the Skins Game this weekend on the Celebrity Course at the Indian Wells (Calif.) Golf Resort. The foursome will play nine holes today and another nine Sunday. The total purse is $1 million. . . . In Singapore, Jeong Jang and Candie Kung beat Annika Sorenstam and Angela Stanford 3 and 2 to help Asia split the six opening alternate-shot matches in the Lexus Cup - Sorenstam's final LPGA Tour-sanctioned event before she retires. Sorenstam, who will end her Hall of Fame career next week in the Ladies European Tour's Dubai Ladies Masters, is the International team's playing captain. The teams will play six best-ball matches today and 12 singles matches Sunday.

COLLEGES

UConn's White A Finalist

O'Brian White of UConn, the 2007 winner, was named one of 15 finalists for the Hermann Trophy, given to the top player in Division I soccer. Wake Forest, the defending national champion, has three players who were nominated, including Marcus Tracy of Newtown. UConn faces Creighton today at 3 p.m. in a third-round NCAA tournament game in Omaha, Neb. . . . In women's hockey, Mandi Schwartz and Crysti Howser scored as Yale beat Quinnipiac 2-0 at the Nutmeg Classic in Storrs. Yale plays UConn in the championship game tonight at 7. The Huskies (8-6-2) defeated No. 10 Wayne State, 5-4. Dominique Thibault scored twice for UConn.

MISCELLANEOUS

Hyperbaric Wins Citation

Hyperbaric led all the way in the Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif, beating Formal Decree by three-quarters of a length for his fourth straight victory. Ridden by Tyler Baze, Hyperbaric ran 1 1/16 on the turf in 1:41.29 and paid $13, $6.20 and $4. . . . Einstein stormed past heavy favorite Commentator at the top of the stretch and went on to a 1 1/2-length victory over Delightful Kiss in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Einstein, a 6-year-old ridden by Julien Leparoux, ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.79 and returned $11.80, $5.20 and $2.60. It was the fifth winner of the day for Leparoux, raising his total for the five-week fall meet to a record 59. The previous record of 55 was set by Pat Day in 1985. The meet ends today. . . . Leah's Secret, owned by WinStar Farm, won the Top Flight Handicap at Aqueduct so impressively that her retirement to the broodmare ranks might be delayed. A 5-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher, she rallied to beat Slewfoundmoney by three quarters of a length. "I might ask WinStar for one more race," Pletcher said. Leah's Secret ran a mile under Eibar Coa in 1:36.40, paying $7.60, $3.70 and $2.70. . . . Gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball are among five Olympic sports the World Anti-Doping Agency says failed to implement consistent out-of-competition testing programs. Handball and modern pentathlon were also described as falling short of complying with the World Anti-Doping Code, which was approved in 2003.