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■ BASEBALL

Red Sox may sign Tazawa

Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa moved a step closer to signing with the Boston Red Sox after rejecting offers from three other major league teams. The 22-year-old right-hander contacted the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves on Friday to reject their offers, Kyodo News agency reported. Tazawa is expected to hold a news conference early next week to announce his decision. He reportedly received offers from the Rangers, Braves, Mariners and Red Sox. The hard-throwing Tazawa is a standout in Japan’s corporate leagues. He asked Japan’s professional teams not to select him in this month’s amateur draft so that he could pursue a career in the US major leagues.



■ FORMULA ONE

Hartley to test for Red Bull

New Zealander Brendon Hartley will test for the Red Bull Formula One team next month after regular Australian driver Mark Webber was ruled out with a broken leg. The team said on their Web site that the Formula Three driver would join Germany’s Sebastian Vettel and Switzerland’s Sebastien Buemi for the test at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on Dec. 15. Hartley, a Red Bull junior driver who has had brief “shakedown” runs in Red Bull cars this year, recently finished third in the Macau F3 Grand Prix after starting in 20th place. The 19-year-old also set a lap record in the process.



■ FOOTBALL

NFL fines Porter US$7,500

The National Football League fined Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter on Friday for unsportsmanlike conduct during his team’s 48-28 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. Porter was fined US$7,500 for verbally abusing the opponent after play was over. The 31-year-old Porter has 39 tackles and 14.5 sacks this season for the Dolphins, who bring a 6-5 record when they visit the 2-9 St. Louis Rams on today. The game had turned testy in the waning minutes, with Patriots left tackle Matt Light and Miami’s Channing Crowder both ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after a scuffle.



■ BASKETBALL

Knicks suspend Marbury

The New York Knicks fined and suspended point guard Stephon Marbury on Friday for refusing to play Wednesday in a National Basketball Association game against Detroit. “A player’s central obligation is to provide his professional services when called upon,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said. “Because he refused the coach’s request to play in the team’s last game, we had no choice but to impose disciplinary action.” Marbury, who reportedly has been told to stay away from the team through the weekend, is expected to file a grievance through the players’ union. The team’s move is the latest in a steadily deteriorating relationship with Marbury, who claimed in the New York Post published on Friday that Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni had manipulated the situation. “If you say I gotta play, I’m going to play,” Marbury told the newspaper on Thursday, before the team’s action was announced.”



■ SWIMMING

Smit breaks 400m record

Julia Smit of the US broke the short course world record in the women’s 400m individual medley on Friday with a time of 4min 25.87sec at the Canada Cup swimming meeting. Smit, winner of two relay medals — silver and bronze — at the Beijing Games, eclipsed the previous record of 4:26.52 set by Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe on April 9 of this year.


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