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The San Francisco Giants pursuit of free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson, previously considered casual, is apparently serious. Two industry sources said on Thursday that the Giants have reaffirmed their interest in Hudson, who is widely regarded as the leading free agent available at his position according to MLB.com.

No deal is imminent, as is the case with the other free agents atop the Giants shopping list, including left-hander CC Sabathia, shortstops Rafael Furcal and Edgar Renteria and, possibly, right-hander Juan Cruz. But the Giants signing on Monday of left-hander Jeremy Affeldt — the first free agent to come to terms — demonstrated the clubs intent to seek talent aggressively this offseason.

Hudson, who turns 31 on Dec. 12, is among the Majors most multidimensional infielders. The three-time Gold Glove winner hit a career-high .305 last season with eight home runs, 41 RBIs and a .367 on-base percentage for the Arizona Diamondbacks. A switch-hitter, Hudson owns a lifetime .282 average.

Hudson plays one of several positions where the Giants seek an offensive upgrade. Their second basemen ranked last in the National League with five home runs, 14th with 78 runs and 12th with a .707 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging).

Texas Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia — rumored to be a potential replacement for Jason Varitek with the Boston Red Sox — has impressed in his brief stint in the Dominican winter league, serving notice the right elbow injury that kept him out of the seasons final month is fully healed.

He went 2 for 3 as the designated hitter in his first game Sunday with a double and a home run, and 2 for 4 the next day while catching. Overall, hes 4 for 10 with two walks .

The Toronto Blue Jays arent going to have the ability to outspend their competitors in the race to sign free-agent A.J. Burnett, but there is a chance that the club might be willing to offer a five-year pact in an attempt to convince the pitcher to stay in Toronto.

Darek Braunecker, Burnetts representative, has let it be known that hes seeking a five-year contract for his coveted client. Considering Burnetts history of injury, thats something that could scare off some potential suitors. That detail has come up in discussions between the Blue Jays and Braunecker, and general manager J.P. Ricciardi told the Toronto Sun that hes open to the possibility. After all, Toronto initially signed Burnett to a five-year, $55 million deal prior to the 2006 season.

"They asked about the chances of a five-year deal and thats one of the things theyre looking for no matter where they go," Ricciardi was quoted as saying. "But I dont know at this point. I think wed be open to doing anything within the working framework that we think makes sense for us. Were open to doing some things that will enable us to keep him here. "But Ive said this all along and Ive said it to the player and the agent too — we will not be the highest-paid club. This cannot be all about money from a standpoint from our end because were not going to come in first."

In addition to hip surgery for Chase Utley that is scheduled next week, the hiladelphia Phillies announced that third baseman Pedro Feliz was scheduled to have lower-back surgery Thursday. Feliz procedure, a lumbar discectomy that will correct the intermittent symptoms that placed him on the disabled list for 26 days in July and August, requires an 8-to-12-week rehabilitation period, meaning he likely will be at full strength either at the start of spring training or soon thereafter.

Utleys injury, however, raises some pressing personnel questions. Even if he is ready to play on Opening Day, a scenario in which general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. expressed optimism yesterday, the Phillies will spend the bulk of spring training without their All-Star second baseman.

But that doesnt mean the Phillies are suddenly in the market for a veteran infielder.

While Amaro said the team would not close its eyes to the possibility of adding another infielder, he also said they were confident in the abilities of veteran Eric Bruntlett and top prospect Jason Donald to fill the void.

Bruntlett, acquired last offseason in the trade that brought closer Brad Lidge to the Phillies, started 48 games while shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Feliz were on the disabled list. He hit .220 with 19 runs scored and 14 RBI as a starter, but is a solid fielder who can play every infield position.

President-elect Barack Obama made a personal appeal Friday to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to his home city of Chicago. Obama appeared in a 90-second taped video message played by Chicago bid leaders to the general assembly of European Olympic Committees, the largest regional group in the Olympic movement.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens said hes frustrated with his offensive numbers and that the style of offense is the cause of it. Owens spoke to former Cowboys player Deion Sanders in a taped interview on the NFL Network. He said he wants to win a championship with the Cowboys, but he also wants the ball.

"For me to have the numbers that I have and not really being involved, it is discouraging," Owens said in the interview that aired Thursday night. "It is frustrating, but what can I do?"

Owens has 40 catches for 505 yards with six touchdowns. He has one touchdown in the last four games and hasnt had more than 40 receiving yards since an Oct. 5 victory over Cincinnati. Starting quarterback Tony Romo missed three of the last four games with a fractured right pinkie.

Owens has said if he complains about his role in the offense, he will be viewed as selfish, so hes tried to stay quiet.

Owens prefers a Super Bowl title over numbers, "but at the same time, you cant obtain that championship if Im not involved in the offense," he said. "Its going to come, and I think a lot of people, they see that when I get my hands on the ball things happen. I cant throw it and catch it. I can do only one thing. Its not that I cant play, its the system of which Im in."

It was the same offensive system that saw Owens earn a sixth Pro Bowl berth after catching 81 passes for 1,355 yards with 15 touchdowns last season.

What does the future hold for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco in Cincinnati? His agent isnt sure. But it appears his fate is completely in the hands of the owner.

Drew Rosenhaus, Ocho Cinos agent, told ESPN that Ocho Cincos fate is in Bengals owner Mike Browns hands.

"We know were not going to bully our way out of Cincinnati," Rosenhaus said. "Its going to be Mike Browns way or no way at all. Its going to be up to Mike Brown. Hes going to decide whether or not Chads going to be with the team in the future and were going to basically take a low-key approach to that."

Phil Jackson stood in a dim hallway amid a semi-circle of reporters, talking about how difficult it is to box out Shaquille ONeal, when the topic of discussion emerged from a nearby practice court, pushed his way through the media pack and gave Jackson a sweaty embrace.

ONeal whispered in Jacksons ear for a few seconds before walking away and saying, "You know I wouldnt do that to you."

Jackson smiled briefly, a hint of catharsis in what had been an odd week of revisiting the ONeal-Jackson-Kobe Bryant triangle leading up to Thursdays game between the Lakers and Phoenix Suns. ONeal asserted last week in a Sacramento Bee story that the tension between Bryant and ONeal earlier this decade was "all designed by Phil, because if you think about it, Phil never called us into the office and said, Both of you all, shut . . . up. "

ONeal distanced himself from the comments Wednesday, telling reporters that, "We won championships, and it would be idiotic of me to say something bad about him now."

(From time to time, however, ONeal has criticized Jackson, calling him "Benedict Arnold" after Jackson returned to coach the Lakers, and Bryant, in 2005.)

A few seconds after the embrace from ONeal, Jackson said he wanted to believe his former center.

"I had no doubt that [article] was something out of context, or whatever," Jackson said. "We had a great time. We had a great run for four years, five years."

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz was fined $20,000 by the NFL for comments critical of the officiating in the final seconds of the 49ers Nov. 10 loss against the Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz., according to ESPN.com.

Martz complained that the officials did not inform the 49ers about changing the spot of the ball after a replay review following a run by Frank Gore. The spot was originally the 1½-yard line but after the review the ball was moved back between the 2 and 3.

Speaking to a reporter the day after the game, Martz said, "We got screwed because of the spot. ... We got screwed every way possible."

Players, coaches and members of NFL teams are not permitted to publicly criticize officials.

Asked about the fine Wednesday, Martz said, "Well deal with it. Its not something I want to discuss. I wont discuss it."

According to a report in The Baltimore Sun, current free agent shortstop Cesar Izturis could be the one the Baltimore Orioles target this offseason. Of course, Baltimore is in desparate need of a shortstop this offseason, as six players were used at the position in 2008, and none of them are currently on the 40-man roster. In case youre wondering, those six guys hit just .218 last season.

The Sun, attributing an industry source, said the Orioles have contacted Izturis representative, Chris Leible. Izturis, 28, hit .263 with 24 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 135 games for the Cardinals in 2008. He also won a Gold Glove in 2004, with the Dodgers.

"Cesar has received a lot of interest since the market opened up," Leible was quoted as saying. " Certainly, Baltimores situation would be one that Cesar would be interested in."

Izturis would provide the Orioles — who are also targeting A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira — a cheaper free-agent option at shortstop compared to Edgar Renteria, Orlando Cabrera and Rafael Furcal.

Detroit Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski has said on multiple occasions that Detroit would make defense a priority in their search for a shortstop, and there has been speculation that they could at least consider a defense-first option at short given the batting talent elsewhere in their lineup and the positive effect it could have on their pitching staff.

FoxSports.coms Ken Rosenthal suggested former Astros and Twins shortstop Adam Everett as a low-cost option, given his time with Tigers third-base coach Gene Lamont in Houston. Everetts 2008 season in Minnesota fell apart with injuries to his shoulder and hand. When healthy, however, his fielding percentage and range factor as an everyday player have been well above average, and his zone rating — the percentage of balls caught in his defensive range — has been solid.

Like a lot of free-agent shortstops, the market on Everett hasnt really solidified and isnt expected to come together until top free agents Rafael Furcal and Orlando Cabrera sign. The Tigers have looked at some free agents and talked with a couple teams on possible trades, believed to be the Red Sox with Julio Lugo and the Padres on Khalil Greene, but supposedly nothing is close according to MLB.com.

Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty confirmed interest in free agent lefties Arthur Rhodes, Will Ohman, Darren Oliver, Dennys Reyes and Joe Beimel.

The Reds have held talks this week with three of their own free agents — right-handed relievers David Weathers and Mike Lincoln and infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston.

A right-handed power hitter also remains on the agenda, but Jocketty all but ruled out free agent Pat Burrell.

"Im looking to see what we can go after in trades first," Jocketty said. "He might be a little out of our price range."

The Cleveland Indians have asked to be kept in the loop with regard to Casey Blake, but no deal appears imminent for the free-agent third baseman with the Tribe or any other club. Blakes agent, Jim McDowell, said he spoke with Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti earlier this week, according to MLB.com.

"There is interest on the Indians part, and, obviously, Casey likes the organization," McDowell said, "so theres certainly interest going back the other way, too. Well just have to see."

McDowell said Blake, who batted a combined .274 with 21 home runs and 81 RBIs for the Indians and Dodgers this past season, is not close to signing with any team, though hes not ruling out the possibility of a deal getting done some time next week. Blake, who made $6.1 million in 2008, also is drawing interest from the Dodgers and the Twins.

"The market is still being established for Casey and a lot of people," McDowell said.

The Indians have a long history with Blake, going back to when they signed him as a Minor League free agent before the 2003 season. He blossomed to become a valuable, versatile member of their lineup and an asset as a clubhouse leader.

A year ago, Blake was in his final year of arbitration, and the Indians opted to offer him just a one-year deal because they believed Andy Marte could emerge as their starting third baseman of the future. Marte, who took over at third when Blake was shipped to the Dodgers on July 26, didnt pan out, and now the Indians find themselves looking for somebody to shore up their infield.

The Tribes first hope is to find a third baseman, but the team could seek out a second baseman to allow Asdrubal Cabrera to move to shortstop and Jhonny Peralta to go to the hot corner.

Curt Schilling doesnt sound so much like a man who has thrown his final Major League pitch. He has long made it clear that his days of pitching a full season are over, but the 42-year-old could be very open to pitching a half-season in 2009, similar to what Roger Clemens did for the final two seasons of his career according to MLB.com.

"Our plan right now is to raise our kids here [in Boston]," Schilling said. "Thats one of the reasons I think that the play a half-year decision was the only one that made any sense. The more Im home, the longer I think they could tolerate it, but I think we could tolerate a half-season somewhere. It would be a lot easier traveling, which pretty much opens up where I would go play to any team at that point."

In a way, Schilling feels liberated these days.

"I think the attraction right now is I can do it if I feel like doing it," he said. "Obviously, Ive got to answer a lot of physical questions, from playing catch and getting my arm healthy and throwing. Theres part of me wondering, What am I actually going to have? Could it be better than it was over the last two years? Or is it just going to be a 42-year-old arm? I did what I did for the longest time because of the way my arm was put together.

"My arm isnt put together the same way anymore. Thats the attraction to me, is if I want to, I think I can; if I dont want to, I wont. I dont feel any pressure, which is good. I dont have to come back."

Schilling said that hell make a decision in the near future, for the obvious reason that hed have to start training if hes going to get back on the mound.

Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and Vladimir Radmanovic made all five of his 3-pointers to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Phoenix Suns, 105-92 on Thursday night. Bryant shot only 8-of-23, but the Lakers overwhelmed Phoenix with their depth. Six players reached double figures as Los Angeles improved its record to a league-best 9-1.

Showing poise down the stretch and playing stellar defense, Michigan pulled off its first win over a top-five team in 11 years. DeShawn Sims scored 18 points, including an emphatic dunk on a backdoor cut with time running down, and Manny Harris added 15 for the Wolverines in a 55-52 upset of No. 4 UCLA on Thursday night in the 2K Sports Classic. - [Read more]

The Steelers honored defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau with a pregame ceremony for his 50 years as an NFL coach and player. His league-best defense found the best possible way to pay tribute to him. The Steelers limited the depleted Bengals to six first downs following an early touchdown drive and found just enough offense themselves amid the snow flurries to control the clock behind Ben...

This is the way they draw up the triple option. Ruining Miamis return to national prominence, Georgia Tech ran for a staggering 472 yards -- the second-most ever allowed by the Hurricanes -- and romped to a 41-23 victory Thursday night that gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to pull out an Atlantic Coast Conference divisional title that no one seems eager to win. - [Read more]

The Allen Iverson trade looked good for the Pistons when they handed the Lakers their first loss of the season and snapped Clevelands eight-game winning streak. It hasnt helped them against the team they need to beat most. Rajon Rondo had 18 points and eight assists, outplaying the recent Pistons acquisition and leading the Boston Celtics to a 98-80 victory over Detroit on Thursday night in a...

Matt Kenseth signed a multiyear contract extension Thursday with Roush Fenway Racing to continue driving the No. 17 Ford. - [Read more]

Gerald Henderson scored all 20 of his points in the second half, finally helping No. 10 Duke find some offensive rhythm in an 83-58 victory over Southern Illinois on Thursday night in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic. Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler each added 13 points for the Blue Devils (4-0), who advanced to play either No. - [Read more]

Doneal Mack scored 19 points and Shawn Taggart notched a double-double for Memphis in an 83-71 win against Chattanooga in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Thursday night. Mack was 5-for-9 from 3-point range, and Taggart scored 16 points and 11 rebounds for the No. 13 Tigers (3-0) in the win. Mack and Taggart also added two blocks and three steals each. - [Read more]

Mike Mussina took a secret to the ballpark every day this season. Maybe thats why he was so successful on the mound, so jovial in the clubhouse. From Day One of spring training, he knew this was his final year -- even if it meant giving up bids for 300 wins, a World Series ring and a better shot at the Hall of Fame. - [Read more]

Utah Jazz All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer is underwent an MRI on his strained quad muscle this morning according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Boozers status for Friday nights game at San Antonio wont be known until the team gets the tests results later Thursday.

Boozer was injured with 3:55 left in the Jazzs 105-94 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena. He scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds before hobbling off the court after a scramble for a loose ball.

Boozers injury is the latest in an epidemic that has hit the Jazz since point guard Deron Williams suffered a sprained ankle in the next-to-last exhibition game Oct. 18 at Chicago.

Miami Heat forward James Jones is shooting for a return in about four weeks from surgery on his right wrist after his cast was removed Tuesday according to the Miami Herald.

Im taking a huge step, Jones said Wednesday.

Jones participated in noncontact drills Wednesday and said he should be back in eight weeks.

Im pain-free, Jones said. ``This is the first time Ive been pain-free shooting in like three months. For me its a weight off my shoulders.

Jones said he is shooting mostly from midrange and is wearing tape and a brace on his wrist as he works his way back.

Was he hitting shots?

Of course! he said. ``Thats what I do.