Briefs | Baseball: Yankees' Hideki Matsui files for free agency

Baseball

Matsui is among 31 players who filed for free agency Monday: Hideki Matsui, the World Series most valuable player, became a free agent Monday, along with New York Yankees teammates Johnny Damon, Eric Hinske, Jose Molina and Xavier Nady.

Matsui and Damon both said last week they would like to stay with the champion Yankees.

Philadelphia third baseman Pedro Feliz filed, as did Phillies teammates Matt Stairs, Chan Ho Park and Paul Bako. Also among the 31 players filing were Minnesota shortstop Orlando Cabrera, New York Mets outfielder Gary Sheffield and Colorado pitcher Jose Contreras.

There are 151 players who have filed since the end of the World Series, and 28 more potentially are eligible to file by the Nov. 19 deadline.

Boston prevented Victor Martinez from filing by exercising a $7.7 million option on the catcher-first baseman. The Red Sox declined a $6 million option on shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who gets a $500,000 buyout and immediately filed.

Boston declined a $5 million option on captain Jason Varitek, and the catcher must decide whether to exercise a $3 million player option. Rather than exercise its $4 million option on Tim Wakefield, 43, the Red Sox agreed to a $5 million, two-year contract with him.

Tampa Bay blocked Carl Crawford from becoming eligible for free agency by exercising a $10 million option on the All-Star outfielder.

Police search for kidnappers of Zambrano's mother: Assailants who kidnapped the mother of former major-league pitcher Victor Zambrano in Venezuela only decided to take her after they found little of value during a burglary, police said.

Rafael Romero, a federal police investigator, said seven armed men burst into the home of 56-year-old Elizabeth Mendez Zambrano at her son's farm near Maracay on Sunday morning and kidnapped her because they didn't find large amounts of cash and jewelry.

Zambrano, 34, hasn't appeared in the majors since 2007; he had a career record of 45-44.

Delay is possible in drug-list case: All 27 active judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals might take the unprecedented step of rehearing the drug-list case, which could delay a resolution until at least 2011.

The dispute involves records and samples of 104 players the government alleges tested positive in baseball's anonymous 2003 survey.

Cuban might be interested in buying Dodgers: Mark Cuban, the high-profile owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks, said he would consider adding the National League Dodgers to his portfolio.

NBA

Heisley says he hopes Iverson returns to Memphis: Memphis owner Michael Heisley said he is not sure of guard Allen Iverson's plans, though he hopes Iverson returns to the Grizzlies soon.

Heisley granted the 10-time All-Star permission Saturday for an indefinite leave to deal with a personal matter. The Commercial Appeal newspaper reported Iverson, 34, might retire.

"I'm not in Allen's head. I don't know what he's thinking," Heisley said.

NHL

Hall of Fame ring ceremony: Ex-players Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Luc Robitaille and executive Lou Lamoriello picked up Hall of Fame rings during a ceremony in Toronto.

All four players are entering the Hall in their first year of eligibility. They are the first players who played after the league's 2004-05 lockout to be enshrined.

League suspends Glencross: Calgary forward Curtis Glencross was suspended three games by the league because of a high hit on Chris Drury of the New York Rangers during a game Saturday.

Glencross will forfeit $18,652.86 in pay.

Golf

More proof of Woods' star power: Thousands of fans lined fairways and TV network helicopters circled overhead as top-ranked Tiger Woods played his first round in Australia in 11 years.

"No, it's not normal," the American said of the attention. "Thank God it's not normal."

Woods joined Australian veteran Craig Parry for a practice round at the Kingston Heath course near Melbourne, site of this week's Australian Masters. Woods is being paid almost $3 million in fees for playing in the event.

Soccer

Cristiano Ronaldo accepts libel damages: Real Madrid standout Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted libel damages from a tabloid newspaper that claimed he drank heavily and danced at a nightclub last year in Los Angeles while recovering from a foot injury.

Ronaldo, who says he does not drink alcohol, received an undisclosed amount of compensation and an apology from the Daily Mirror of London.

Pro wrestling

Angle, ex-girlfriend agree to no-contact order: Kurt Angle, who turned pro after winning a 1996 Olympic gold medal, and his former girlfriend have agreed to have no contact with one another, about three months after Angle was charged with assaulting her at his suburban Pittsburgh home.

Trenesha Biggers, also a wrestler, withdrew a protection-from-abuse complaint against Angle.

Figure skating

Cohen withdraws from Skate America: American Sasha Cohen, an Olympic silver medalist, withdrew from Skate America, which begins Friday in Lake Placid, N.Y. Cohen said she is still battling tendinitis in her right calf.

Cohen has a bye into the national championships, which start Jan. 15 in Spokane.

Seattle Times news services