In Brief

BASEBALL

Mariners trade pitcher Pineda
to Yankees for catcher Montero

The Seattle Mariners agreed to trade right-hander Michael Pineda to the New York Yankees for catcher Jesus Montero on Friday, a swap involving two of baseball's top young talents.

The Yankees also are expected to send 24-year-old pitcher Hector Noesi to the Mariners for 19-year-old right-hander Jose Campos in the deal.

The trade addresses needs for both sides. The Yankees were looking for another starter, preferably young, to add to their rotation, and the Mariners were desperate for a slugger to add to an offense that was among the worst historically the past few seasons.

Montero, 22, hit four home runs, drove in 12 runs and batted .328 for New York in a September call-up that earned him a spot on the playoff roster. Pineda, who turns 23 on Jan. 18, went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in his rookie season that started fast, then endured typical rookie struggles as the season progressed.

The Yankees also signed free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a $10 million, one-year contract. The 36-year-old was 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Also: Free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder was in Texas on Friday to talk with the two-time American League champion Rangers. Fielder, 27, made $15.55 million last season with the Milwaukee Brewers after signing a record single-year deal for an arbitration-eligible player in January 2011. He hit .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBIs.

San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum headed 142 players filing for arbitration and is set to ask for a record salary when figures are exchanged next week. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner made $13.1 million last season, completing a two-year deal worth $23.2 million. The highest figure ever sought in arbitration is $22 million, submitted by Houston Astros pitcher Roger Clemens in 2005.

Others set to swap figures include NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Andre Ethier.

BOXING

WBA orders rematch between
champion Peterson, Khan

The WBA has mandated an immediate rematch between super lightweight champion Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan, whose handlers contended that their Dec. 10 unified title bout in Washington, D.C., featured improprieties in officiating and judging.

Khan lost his WBA and IBF belts to Peterson on a split decision after being docked two points for pushing. He also questioned the presence of a "mystery man" distracting judges at ringside.

Peterson spokesman Andre Johnson confirmed they "have received notice" of the rematch, but stressed an IBF hearing on the issue is still expected to take place next week. Khan's promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, said the fight will be staged again within 180 days, possibly on May 19 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

GOLF

Late birdie binge gives Every
two-stroke lead in Sony Open

Matt Every closed with three straight birdies for a 6-under-par 64 in the second round of the Sony Open in Honolulu, giving him a two-shot lead over Carl Pettersson and David Hearn. Every is at 10-under 130.

Every, 28, made news in the summer of 2010 when he was arrested and jailed on a misdemeanor drug possession charge after agents were called to a casino-hotel because of a strong odor of marijuana coming from the room he was in. Every confirmed he was suspended for three months by the PGA Tour.

The Floridian said he has put the incident behind him. He is married, and his wife is expecting their first baby in June. But it didn't keep him from talking about how the case was handled, how he is perceived and the company he keeps.

"I don't do drugs. It was a crappy deal, man," Every said. "Wrong place, wrong time, perfect storm. And, you know, I got three months out of it. It's over with. I'm not mad at the tour. They did what they had to do. I totally understand it. But it's over with."

First-round leader Graham DeLaet had consecutive double bogeys at the start of his round but rallied for a 72, putting him five shots out of the lead.

Also: Robert Rock shot 4-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Joburg Open at Johannesburg before thunderstorms interrupted play for a second straight day. He is at 11-under 132. Only 52 players finished the round.

MISCELLANEOUS

Court's anti-gay comments stir
controversy at Australian Open

Almost 40 years after she won the last of her 11 Australian Open singles titles, Margaret Court is back in the news at Melbourne Park for her opposition to gay marriage.

Her stance has spurred the creation of a Facebook group, "Rainbow Flags Over Margaret Court Arena," which is urging spectators to display rainbow-colored gay pride banners at the show court that bears her name during the Australian Open, which begins Monday.

"Politically correct education has masterfully escorted homosexuality out from behind closed doors, into the community openly and now is aggressively demanding marriage rights that are not theirs to take," Court, 69, said in a December interview with The West Australian in Perth, where she lives. "The fact that the homosexual cry is, 'We can't help it, as we were born this way,' as the cause behind their own personal choice is cause for concern," said Court, who became a Pentecostal minister in the 1990s.

Also: UNLV sophomore Lucia Batta upset 16th-ranked Lauren McHale of North Carolina 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 to reach today's flight one quarterfinals in the Freeman Memorial Tennis Championships at the Fertitta Tennis Complex. Batta opened with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Patricia Skowronski of Oregon before beating the third-seeded McHale.

Aleksandra Josifoska, the Rebels' other entry in the top flight, defeated Sianna Simmons of Arizona State 6-3, 6-2 before losing to 38th-ranked Hanna Mar of Duke, 6-1, 6-0. Batta and Josifoska beat Stacey Tan and Natalie Dillon of Stanford 9-7 in flight one doubles.

Bonanza High School senior Bree Hammel and two others signed national letters of intent with the UNLV volleyball team. Also signing were Kinsey Caldwell of Waverly-Shell Rock High in Waverly, Iowa, and Ceannia Kincade of Goose Creek Memorial High in Baytown, Texas.

Las Vegan B.J. Baldwin, a two-time SCORE Trophy Truck season points champion, won the pole position for today's first of two races in the Laughlin Desert Challenge. Baldwin drove his No. 97 Baldwin Motorsports Chevy Silverado to a time of 6 minutes, 23.99 seconds, averaging 58.59 mph.

An auction dedicated to the late Dan Wheldon raised $627,203 for his wife and two young sons. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in an accident in the Oct. 16 IndyCar season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby skated for the first time in more than a month as he continues to recover from a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms that kept him sidelined for almost a year. Crosby, who hasn't played since Dec. 5, said he doesn't know when he'll be cleared to practice, let alone play.

First-year Kansas coach Charlie Weis hired veteran NFL and college coach Dave Campo as the Jayhawks' defensive coordinator, less than a week after Campo left the Dallas Cowboys.

Defensive backs coach Willie Martinez resigned from Oklahoma's coaching staff -- making room for Mike Stoops, head coach Bob Stoops' younger brother -- to become the new co-defensive coordinator. Mike Stoops was fired as Arizona's head coach in October.

Wyoming running back Alvester Alexander is giving up his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. He rushed for 695 yards last season.

Connecticut benched freshman point guard Ryan Boatright for the second time this season as the NCAA investigates his eligibility. He is averaging 10 points and three assists in 10 games for the No. 17 Huskies.