THE COURIER-JOURNAL | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2012 | C3SPORTS | courier-journal.com/sportsMT

Morning Briefing

GIL THORP | NEAL RUBIN AND ROD WHIGHAM

BASEBALLLatos, Reds fall to Mariners

PEORIA, Ariz. — Felix Hernandezstruck out four in three hitless inningsand the Seattle Mariners beat the Cin-cinnati Reds 8-6 on Tuesday.

Hernandez hit the first batter hefaced this spring, then retired nine in arow. The right-hander threw 26 of his 35pitches for strikes.

Seattle star Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

Mat Latos, expected to serve as Cin-cinnati’s No. 2 starter, allowed two hitsin two scoreless innings in his springdebut. The Reds acquired the right-han-der when they traded four players toSan Diego in December.

Veteran INF Guillen retiresPEORIA, Ariz. — Infielder Carlos

Guillen, a three-time All-Star and veter-an of 14 major league seasons, an-nounced his retirement Tuesday morn-ing.

The 36-year-old Guillen hit .285 dur-ing his career with Seattle (1998-2003)and the Detroit Tigers (2004-11).

Pirates sign OF McCutchento 6-year, $51.5M deal

BRADENTON, Fla. — The PittsburghPirates and All-Star centerfielder An-drew McCutchen agreed on Tuesday toa six-year, $51.5 million deal.

McCutchen, 25, is now under con-tract with the Pirates through the 2017season, and there’s a club option for2018.

Though he hit just .259 in 2011,McCutchen posted career highs inhome runs (23) and RBIs (89) while add-ing 23 stolen bases. He would have beeneligible to become a free agent follow-ing the 2015 season.

FOOTBALLWR Moss works out for Saints

METAIRIE, La. — The New OrleansSaints held a workout on Tuesday withveteran receiver Randy Moss, who istrying to make a comeback after spend-ing a year out of pro football.

General Manager Mickey Loomisconfirmed the workout took place, butthe club did not provide any details onhow the 35-year-old Moss performed.

New Orleans may be in the marketfor a receiver this offseason becausetwo of quarterback Drew Brees’ regu-lar targets, Marques Colston and Rob-ert Meachem, are entering free agency,and it remains to be seen whether theSaints can offer the type of contractsthat both of them want.

Colston’s agent is Joel Segal, whoalso represents Moss. The 6-foot-4Moss last played in the NFL in 2010, aturbulent season for him in which hebounced from New England to Minne-sota and then to Tennessee.

Other news» The San Francisco 49ers signed

free agent safety and special teamsstandout C.J. Spillman to a three-yearcontract extension Tuesday that takeshim through the 2014 season, anothermove to keep the secondary intact forthe reigning NFC West champions.

» Texans running back Arian Fosterhas signed a five-year, $43.5 milliondeal to stay in Houston.

An undrafted free agent in 2009, Fos-ter made $525,000 last season. He wasthe NFL’s leading rusher in 2010 with1,616 yards. He then ran for 1,224 yardsand 10 touchdowns last season. He wasdue to become a restricted free agentnext week, but his agent, Mike McCart-ney, said Monday that Foster was eagerto work out a deal with the Texans.

» The Kansas City Chiefs releasedveteran linebacker Demorrio Williamson Tuesday, saving the franchise about$2 million in salary cap space before thestart of free agency.

The 31-year-old Williams joined theChiefs in 2008 after four seasons withthe Atlanta Falcons, and eventually be-came the starter ahead of Derrick John-son. But he’s been used primarily onspecial teams the past few seasons asJohnson emerged as a Pro Bowl middlelinebacker.

Key players out for AlabamaTUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama heads

into spring practice without its most ex-perienced tailback Eddie Lacy and re-ceiver Duron Carter.

Coach Nick Saban said Tuesday thatLacy will miss the spring for the de-fending national champion CrimsonTide while recovering from surgery fora turf toe injury that plagued him sincethe Arkansas game last season. Carter,meanwhile, remains suspended afterbeing held out of practice leading up tothe BCS title game against LSU, and Sa-ban said he doesn’t have a timetable forhis return.

AUTO RACINGFilippi joins Rahal Letterman

SEBRING, Fla. — Italian driver LucaFilippi will race for Bobby Rahal’s teambeginning with the Indianapolis 500.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racingwill run a full season with Japanesedriver Takuma Sato, and field a secondcar for Filippi in 12 races. He’ll drivethe No. 30 Honda. Rahal is returning tothe IndyCar Series this season for thefirst time since 2008.

DIGESTFROM WIRE DISPATCHES

Louisville Kentucky Indiana Turfway

WED7

M-bkbBig EastTournamentSeton HallESPN, 7

LacrosseN’western, 5

BaseballMarshall4 p.m.

Baseballat IndianaState3 p.m.

THU8

M-bkbBig TenTournamentPenn St.1:55 p.m.Big Ten

FRI9

M-bkbSEC Tourn.Ark./LSU1 p.m.WAVE-3

BaseballCanisius, 4

SoftballAlabama, 6

W-tennisPurdue, 1:30

First race5:30 p.m.

SAT10

SoftballSaint Louis,11 a.m.Michigan, 1

BaseballCanisius, 1

SoftballAlabama, 1

DivingNCAA ZoneMeet

First race1:10 p.m.

SUN11

SoftballSaint Louis3 p.m.

BaseballCanisius, 1

SoftballAlabama, 1

GymnasticsGWU/Ball St.2 p.m.

First race1:10 p.m.

MON12

SoftballIllinois StateNoon (DH)

TUE13

BaseballOle Miss6 p.m.

BaseballWright State4 p.m.

Baseballat San Diego5 p.m.

TODAY ON TVMen’s college basketballNoon Big East: Connecticut vs. West

VirginiaESPN

2 p.m. Big East: Pitt vs. Georgetown ESPN3 p.m. Pac-12: Washington St.-Oregon St. Fox Ohio/South5:30 p.m. Pac-12: UCLA-Southern Cal Fox Ohio/South7 p.m. Big East: Seton Hall-Louisville ESPN7 p.m. Northeast final: R. Morris-Long Isl. ESPN27 p.m. Patriot final: Lehigh at Bucknell CBS SN9 p.m. Big East: Villanova/Rutgers-USF ESPNU9 p.m. Big Sky championship ESPN29 p.m. Pac-12: Stanford-Arizona St. Fox Ohio/South11:30 p.m. Pac-12: Colorado-Utah Fox Ohio/South

Soccer2:30 p.m. Bayer Leverkusen at Barcelona Fox Soccer8 p.m. Los Angeles at Toronto Fox Soccer10 p.m. Santos at Seattle Fox Soccer

Women’s college lacrosse5 p.m. Towson at Johns Hopkins ESPNU

Pro hockey7:30 p.m. Toronto at Pittsburgh NBC SN

TODAY ON RADIOMen’s college basketball7 p.m. Big East: Louisville-Seton Hall WHAS-840

THURSDAY ON TVMen’s college basketballNoon Big Ten: Iowa-Illinois Big TenNoon Big East: Syracuse-WVa/UConn ESPNNoon Big 12: Baylor-Kansas St. ESPN2Noon ACC: Maryland-Wake Forest ESPNU1 p.m. SEC: LSU-Arkansas WAVE-31 p.m. C-USA: So. Miss-Rice/ECU CBS SN2 p.m. Big East: Cincinnati-G’twn/Pitt ESPN2 p.m. ACC: N.C. State-Boston College ESPNU2 p.m. Big Ten: Indiana-Penn State Big Ten2:30 p.m. Big 12: Kansas-Okla./Tx.A&M ESPN23 p.m. Pac-12: Washington-WSU/OSU Fox Ohio/South3:30 p.m. SEC: Alabama-South Carolina WAVE-33:30 p.m. C-USA: Tulsa-Marshall/SMU CBS SN5:30 p.m. Big Ten: Northwestern-Minnesota ESPN25:30 p.m. Pac-12: Arizona-UCLA/USC Fox South5:30 p.m. Mountain West: Colorado St.-TCU CBS SN7 p.m. Big East: Marquette-UofL/S.Hall ESPN7 p.m. ACC: Clemson-Va. Tech ESPNU7:30 p.m. SEC: Mississippi-Auburn WAVE-37:30 p.m. Big Ten: Purdue-Nebraska ESPN27:30 p.m. C-USA: Memphis-UTEP/Houston CBS SN9 p.m. Big East: Notre

Dame-USF/Rutg./Vill.ESPN

9 p.m. ACC: Miami-Georgia Tech ESPNU10 p.m. SEC: Mississippi St.-Georgia WAVE-310 p.m. Pac-12: Calif.-Stanford/ASU (in

progress)Fox Ohio

10 p.m. C-USA: UCF-UAB/Tulane CBS SN11:30 p.m. Pac-12: Oregon-Colorado/Utah Fox Ohio/South12 a.m. Mountain West: UNLV-Wyoming

(in progress)CBS SN

Women’s college basketballNoon Big 12: Iowa St.-Kansas St. Fox Ohio

Golf1 p.m. PGA: WGC-Cadillac Championship Golf6:30 p.m. PGA: Puerto Rico Open Golf

Pro hockey7 p.m. Los Angeles at Columbus Fox Ohio8 p.m. Colorado at Nashville Fox South

Pro basketball8 p.m. Orlando at Chicago TNT10:30 p.m. Dallas at Phoenix TNT

SEVEN-DAY PLANNER

BaseballSpalding sophomore shortstop

Derek Ferch (St. Xavier) wasnamed the St. Louis IntercollegiateAthletic Conference DiamondSports Hitter of the Week after go-ing 6 for 7 with three doubles andtwo RBIs as Spalding won a pair ofgames.

Softball

Campbellsville junior outfield-er Kacie Vincent (Beth Haven)was named Mid-South ConferencePlayer of the Week after going5 for 6 with three runs and twoRBIs in a pair of victories.

AROUND KENTUCKIANA

Former University of Kentuckymen’s basketball coach Joe B. Halland Host Communications founderJim Host, a former UK baseballplayer, will be among 10 inducteesto the National Collegiate Basket-ball Hall of Fame in Kansas City,Mo.

Also to be honored in the Nov.12ceremony are Patrick Ewing, JoeDean, Phil Ford, Clyde Lovellette,Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, DaveRobbins and Kenny Sailors.

Hall, who succeeded AdolphRupp in1972, coached the Wildcatsfor13 years and won 397 games, in-cluding the 1978 NCAA champion-ship and two other Final Four ap-pearances.

Host created a basketballbroadcast empire and is recog-nized as one of college athletics’most influential people.

Baseball» No. 23 Kentucky 10, Tennes-

seeTech6: Junior Zac Zellers had acareer-high four hits and scoredthree runs, and freshmen CameronFlynn and A.J. Reed each addedtwo hits as the host Wildcats (12-0)rallied past the Golden Eagles

(4-8), who twice led by three.UK and Gonzaga (10-0) are the

only remaining unbeaten teams inNCAA Division I.

Men’s golfJustin Dorward of the Univer-

sity of Louisville closed with a 2-over-par 74 to tie Arkansas State’sChris Pledger for the individual ti-tle at the USF Invitational inSt. Leo, Fla.

The Cardinals finished seventhas a team. UK was third behindwinner Central Florida and Geor-gia in the 17-team field. The Wild-cats’ Chase Parker was fourth indi-vidually at 213, two strokes behindDorward and Pledger.

Lacrosse» Bellarmine men 12, Dart-

mouth 10: The visiting Knights(2-2) scored three goals in 14 sec-onds early in the fourth quarter totake a10-7 lead and held off the BigGreen (2-1). Michael Ward led Bel-larmine with three goals.

» The U of L women’s team (1-2)will host top-ranked Northwestern(4-0) at 5 p.m. today. The Wildcatshave won six of the past seven na-tional titles.

Admission is free.

AROUND KENTUCKIANA

Joe B. Hall, Host to be honoredFrom special dispatches

It began April 18, 1998 when theIndianapolis Colts used the first pickin the NFL draft on an All-Americaquarterback out of the University ofTennessee.

It ends today when owner Jim Ir-say,barringanunexpected11th-hourchange of heart, announces the re-lease of quarterback Peyton Man-ning. The face of a franchise and theNFL immediately becomes the high-est-profilefreeagent in leaguehisto-ry.

The separation is the result of:» Irsay choosing not to pay a $28

million option bonus due Thursdaythat triggers the final four years ofthe five-year, $90 million contractManning signed in July.

» Irsay and his much decoratedQBbeingunable toreachagreementon a restructured, incentive-ladencontractthattakesintoaccountMan-ning’s neck/arm issues in the after-math of his Sept. 8 spinal fusion sur-gery.

Discussions aimed at keepingManning in Indianapolis have beenlong and exhaustive. Manning, whohas been working out in Miami, andIrsay, in Sarasota for an NFL com-mittee meeting, returned to Indian-apolis Tuesday night on Irsay’s pri-vate jet.

Theywereexpectedtotalkontheflight home, after they landed andpick things up again this morning.But no last-minute resolution is an-ticipated.

Cooper Manning told USA Todayhe had a “good chat” with his young-erbrotherTuesdayandmadeitclearadecisionfor theColtsandPeytontopart ways had been reached.

“Until it was over,” Cooper said,“he was a Colt through and through.Nowhe’llhavetore-evaluateandseewhat this next chapter reads like.

“Circumstances lined up for theColts to go in a whole new direction.It’s hard to believe he won’t be backthere in Indianapolis. It’s hard to

imagine.”Hard to imagine after14 seasons,

the last of which saw Manningmissedentirelyafterundergoingthesingle-level, anterior fusion surgeryin September. It was the fourth pro-cedure on Manning’s neck in 19months.

Hard to imagine after 11 playoffappearances, two Super Bowl ap-pearances and an NFL champion-ship after the 2006 season for thefranchise.

HardtoimagineafterfourleagueMVP awards for Manning, the mostin NFL history, 11 Pro Bowl appear-ances and a bushel of club passingrecords. At the league level, Man-ning ranks third all-time with 399touchdown passes, 54,828 yards and4,682 completions.

In the end, too many issues con-spired to end the relationship.

“Even though it was speculatedfor some time now that this wouldhappen, there is still a shock factor,”Colts linebacker Gary Brackett toldtheNFLNetwork.“IknowwhatPey-ton has meant to the organization,hasmeanttomeasateammate.Ijustdefinitely wish him the best in what-ever happens.”

NFL

Split appears nearfor Colts, ManningBy Mike ChappellIndianapolis Star

Reports indicate the IndianapolisColts will release longtime QBPeyton Manning and not pay a $28million option bonus. GETTY IMAGES

Time: 03-07-2012 00:21 User: jpatterson PubDate: 03-07-2012 Zone: MT Edition: 1 Page Name: C 3 Color: CyanMagentaYellowBlack