In brief
BASEBALL
Mariners reportedly pick
Wedge as new manager
The Seattle Mariners have reportedly chosen former Cleveland Indians skipper Eric Wedge as their new manager.
SI.com first reported Friday that the Mariners had selected Wedge to be their manager after their second 101-loss season in three years. Wedge becomes the team's sixth manager since the beginning of the 2007 season.
Wedge had the Indians within one game of the World Series in 2007 before falling to the eventual champion Boston Red Sox in seven games.
Also: A person with knowledge of the discussions said contract talks are going well between the St. Louis Cardinals and veteran manager Tony La Russa.
The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential, said La Russa, 66, is in daily discussions with the team about a new contract and a deal could be done soon.
Federal prosecutors submitted the lineup of witnesses they intend to call during the much-delayed Barry Bonds perjury trial, and it includes Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and the home run king's former personal trainer at the center of the case.
Bonds has pleaded not guilty to lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he denied knowingly taking steroids. The former Giants star's trial is scheduled to start March 21 in San Francisco.
PRO BASKETBALL
LeBron's new signature
sneaker to sell for $160
The inaugural version of LeBron James' latest Nike shoe is more of a nod to the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins than the Miami Heat.
Call it part of the way James is already embracing the Miami culture.
The "LeBron 8 South Beach" will be introduced today by James at a Miami event where the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player will talk about what went into designing his eighth signature sneaker.
The shoe will have a turquoise-and-black scheme, similar to Dolphins and Marlins colors -- a "pre-Heat" version, James said, noting that the design is based around Miami themes. James said "shoeheads will definitely love it."
It retails for $160.
Also: Dwyane Wade denied allegations in a Chicago courtroom that he abused and neglected his children and ex-wife, owned guns and used drugs.
The Miami Heat superstar responded for the first time to claims Siohvaughn Wade made in court papers. He said he was glad to "have an opportunity to have my voice heard."
Wade testified that his ex-wife attacked him and threw a marble object at him during an argument in the bathroom at the home they shared in Florida. He said he "sat her down aggressively" on an ottoman during that argument to subdue her, but that she kept swinging and hit herself, resulting in a bloody lip.
He also denied claims he abandoned her and the children, hit them and endangered the boys' lives.
MISCELLANEOUS
Liverpool soccer team
sold to Red Sox owners
Liverpool was sold to the owners of the Boston Red Sox after a bitter trans-Atlantic court fight over the storied English club with the previous American owners.
The 300 million pound ($476 million) deal with New England Sports Ventures ends the turbulent three-year ownership by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. The sale finally went through after Hicks and Gillett withdrew the temporary restraining order blocking the sale they had obtained in a Texas court.
Also: The United States pulled out of the bidding race for the 2018 World Cup, switching its focus to winning the hosting rights for 2022.
University of Nebraska regents approved a $9.25 million settlement that clears the way for the school to leave the Big 12 Conference next year for the Big Ten without going to court.
Mountain West Conference athletic directors have decided to ban employees or alumni of the host school from serving in the communicator position in the instant replay booth at football games.
The change came six days after a botched review of an apparent fumble by Brigham Young in a game against San Diego State. Officials ruled there was not enough evidence to rule it a fumble, and BYU scored five plays later en route to a 24-21 home win.
The city of Glendale, Ariz., said it has reached an agreement in principal with a group headed by Chicago investor Matthew Hulsizer on a new lease for the Phoenix Coyotes.
The agreement, announced on the city's website, is the long-awaited breakthrough that could pave the way for Hulsizer to purchase the team from the NHL, which bought the Coyotes out of bankruptcy more than a year ago.
Former 175-pound boxer Antonio Tarver outpointed Nagy Aguilera to win his heavyweight debut in Miami.
The 1996 Olympic bronze medalist had been working as an analyst for Showtime before returning to the ring.
Judges Duane Ford, Gary Ritter and David Sutherland scored the fight 98-92 in favor of Tarver (28-6).
UNLV freshman Lucia Batta won twice in singles to advance to today's semifinals of the USTA/ITA Mountain Region Championships at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
A trio of UNLV doubles teams -- Jana Albers and Adrien Hidvegi, Aleksandra Josifoska and Nives Pavlovic, and Batta and Anna Maskaljun -- also advanced to today's quarterfinals play.
The UNLV men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match to Air Force in Air Force Academy, Colo.
The Rebels (4-7-1, 1-2-1 MPSF) lost two players, Jaime Calvo and Drew Gleason, to red cards in the second half.
The UNLV men's swim team won four relays -- the 200-yard freestyle, the 200 butterfly, the 300 medley and the 3x150 breastroke -- at the nonscoring Arizona Relay Meet in Tucson, Ariz.
The UNLV women had one win, the 200 butterfly.
