MLB

Rockies skipper for life? Tracy signs “indefinite” deal

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rockies manager Jim Tracy could become a Colorado lifer. He would love that, and general manager Dan O’Dowd would love that, too.

Tracy has received what O’Dowd called an “indefinite” contract extension. The new deal at the very least adds the 2013 season and then what both parties hope are many more years beyond that.

O’Dowd said all they needed was a handshake – no formal paperwork or press release. Tracy’s previous three-year, $4.4 million contract took him through this season, so he eventually must sign a new deal formally to make this move official.

Tracy was called into a meeting last week with front office members at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Tracy is 230-210 since taking over as manager from Clint Hurdle in late May 2009, when he took over a team that was 10 games under .500 (18-28) with the second-worst record in baseball. He wound up winning NL Manager of the Year honors after leading Colorado to a 74-42 record and the NL wild card.

College Basketball

Kentucky, Syracuse, Missouri remain atop AP Top 25 poll

Kentucky and Syracuse are 1-2 in The Associated Press Top 25 for a fourth consecutive week.

The Wildcats, who have been No. 1 for five consecutive weeks and seven overall, againwere a runaway choice Monday with 63 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Syracuse, which spent six weeks at No. 1, got the other first-place votes.

Missouri, Kansas and Duke stayed third through fifth and are followed by Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Georgetown and Marquette.

No. 18 New Mexico, winners of seven in a row, and No. 22 Temple, which has won 10 in a row, are in the rankings for the first time this season. They replace West Coast Conference members Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga.

Baylor remains unanimous No. 1 in women’s AP poll

Baylor remains the unanimous No. 1 choice in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll while St. John’s rejoins the rankings.

The Lady Bears received all the first-place votes Monday for the 12th straight week after beating Oklahoma State and Texas Tech to clinch the Big 12 regular-season title. Baylor is the lone remaining unbeaten team and plays Texas and Kansas this week.

St. John’s is No. 20 after ending Connecticut’s 99-game home winning streak Saturday. The Red Storm were ranked in the preseason poll but lost to St. Bonaventure the first week.

Stanford and Notre Dame move up a spot while the Huskies fall to fourth. Miami advances to fifth, followed by ACC rivals Maryland and Duke. Ohio State, Delaware and Tennessee round out the first 10.

Gonzaga re-enters the rankings at No. 25 while South Carolina and BYU fall out.

College Football

Griffin III picks up O’Brien Award, looks toward combine

FORT WORTH, Texas – Robert Griffin III looks forward to sitting down and talking with NFL executives and coaches during the NFL combine.

While Griffin set plenty of records with big numbers while becoming Baylor’s first Heisman Trophy winner, he says he’s excited about explaining the offense to pro teams. He says it’s not as simple as many people made the potent high-scoring spread offense to be and is based on many pro principles.

Griffin, who accepted the Davey O’Brien Award on Monday, says he will run the 40-yard dash and do some of the drills at the combine.

He likely won’t throw in Indianapolis this week, and instead save that for his pro day March 21, which he moved up a day to avoid going the same day as Andrew Luck’s pro day.

Associated Press