In brief

BASEBALL

Maddux withdraws his name
from Red Sox manager search

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux, citing a desire to keep his family together in Texas, withdrew from consideration for the manager's job with the Boston Red Sox.

He had been scheduled for an interview today, but Boston general manager Ben Cherington announced Monday that Maddux had withdrawn. The job opened when Terry Francona left following the team's epic collapse in September, when it went 7-20 and missed the playoffs.

Also: The Texas Rangers determined one of their employees made an audio recording of the profanity-filled clubhouse speech manager Ron Washington gave to his players before Game 7 of the World Series.

The team investigated after the JoeSportsFan.com website posted the six-minute recording and said it was made by a member of the clubhouse staff it did not identify.

Dale Sveum felt as though he was seeing the same pitch again when he interviewed for the Chicago Cubs' managing job.

The Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach said the process mirrored what he went through in Boston last week, with management firing similar questions his way and putting him through a game simulation.

The Minnesota Twins fired general manager Bill Smith and returned Terry Ryan to the role on an interim basis.

Smith was Ryan's top assistant when Ryan stepped down four years ago, citing burnout.

The Kansas City Royals traded outfielder Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for left-hander Jonathan Sanchez upgrading their rotation and clearing the way for hotshot prospect Lorenzo Cain to get a chance in center field.

The switch-hitting Cabrera rebounded from a disastrous season with Atlanta in 2010 by hitting .305 with 44 doubles, 18 home runs and 87 RBIs in his first season in Kansas City.

Sanchez struggled most of this season for San Francisco, partly due to a case of biceps tendinitis, going 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA before missing the final month with a left ankle sprain.

BASKETBALL

NBA's Stern urges players to do
'rational thing' and make deal

NBA players are facing a Wednesday afternoon deadline to accept the league's current proposal or face a harsher one that calls for rolling back their salaries, and commissioner David Stern said "the only rational thing to do is for us to make that deal."

"We think that there's a great offer on the table, and what we told the players is it's getting late, the only rational thing to do is for us to make that deal because given what's going on in our business and our industry, it'll get worse from there," Stern said during an interview on ESPN.

That proposal calls for players to receive between 49 and 51 percent of basketball-related income, though players argue it would be nearly impossible for them to get anywhere above 50.2.

MISCELLANEOUS

Woods accepts apology, says
ex-caddie Williams is not racist

Tiger Woods said he received an apology from former caddie Steve Williams over a racial slur, and the two met and shook hands early today at The Lakes Golf Club ahead of the Australian Open in Sydney.

Williams' disparaging comment came during a caddies' awards party Friday in Shanghai. Woods said the comment "was hurtful ... the wrong thing to say, and something that he has acknowledged. Stevie is not racist."

The PGA Tour and European PGA Tour, while condemning the comment, have said no action would be taken against Williams.

Also: For the 20th consecutive year, professional golfers will compete for $1 million in the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge at 9 a.m. today at Rio Secco Golf Club.

Brandt Snedeker, Boo Weekley and Gary Woodland will represent the PGA Tour, with Mark Calcavecchia, Jay Haas and Kenny Perry playing for the Champions Tour team. The LPGA Tour team consists of Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr.

The made-for-television event will air Dec. 13 on The Golf Channel.

Two days after finishing a disappointing 10th in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, the 3-year-old colt Uncle Mo was retired to Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky.

Mike Repole, who owns the 3-year-old colt, said blood tests Sunday revealed an elevated enzyme level. It's the same enzyme that was elevated in the spring, knocked Uncle Mo out of the Triple Crown races and led to the diagnosis of a life-threatening liver disease.

Henderson's Dave Wodka qualified for the finals at the Professional Bowlers Association Scorpion Championship at South Point Bowling Center. The finals are at 6 p.m. Friday at South Point and will air on ESPN.

Wodka qualified second, averaging 231 for 14 games. England's Dom Barrett led qualifying, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., was third and Patrick Allen of Baltimore fourth.