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Major League Baseball

Prior voids final year of contract

Cubs pitcher Mark Prior voided the final year of his contract, making him eligible for salary arbitration.

The right-hander's agent, John Boggs, said Wednesday that Prior notified the team of his decision on Nov. 29.

Prior's deal, agreed to in 2001 after he was drafted, allowed him to void the contract after 2004 or 2005, but only if he had accumulated enough service time to be eligible for arbitration. He just missed having enough service time after 2004.

- The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-hander Jae Seo and left-handed reliever Tim Hamulack from the New York Mets for right-handed relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll.

- The Atlanta Braves' pitchers and catchers will report for spring training Feb. 16, followed by the first workout on Feb. 17, the team announced Wednesday.

The Braves' first spring game is a March 1 exhibition against the University of Georgia at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

- In New York, the Mets agreed to a minor-league contract with Bret Boone, a move that shows how tenuous Kaz Matsui's hold on second base is.

Boone batted .221 with seven homers and 37 RBI in 326 plate appearances. with Seattle and Minnesota.

- In Pittsburgh, Jeromy Burnitz finalized his $6.7 million, one-year contract with the Pirates after taking a physical, but only after the unhappy Baltimore Orioles said the outfielder's agent backed out of a two-year deal.

- In Chicago, the World Series champion Chicago White Sox agreed with Rob Mackowiak on a $5.3 million, two-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.

College Football

Spurrier, Rice get FWAA team honors

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and wide receiver Sidney Rice have both received freshman honors.

Spurrier and Rice were both selected to the Football Writers Association of America Scripps Freshman All-Amerca team.

Rice set numerous school records this year including receiving yards (1,143), touchdowns catches (13) and 100-yard games (6).

Spurrier led the Gamecocks to a 7-5 record.

Tennis

Federer on pace to repeat as champion

In Doha, Qatar, top-ranked Roger Federer needed two tiebreakers to beat Fabrice Santoro 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) to reach the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

Federer, the reigning Qatar champion, will face Marcos Baghdatis who defeated eighth-seeded Feliciano Lopez, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.

Second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko and seventh-seeded Gael Monfils also advanced, while No. 8 Feliciano Lopez and 2002 champion Younes El Aynaoui lost.

Horse Racing

Leading horseman dies in Australia

Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and one of the world's most prominent owners and breeders of thoroughbred horses, died during a visit to Australia. He was 62.

Sheik Maktoum died at the exclusive Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast, a resort in eastern Queensland state, Queensland police spokeswoman Chelsea Roffey said. Authorities in Dubai would not give a cause of death.

Olympics

U.S. skeleton coach won't go with team

The suspended U.S. skeleton coach will not be allowed to travel with the team for World Cup races in Germany while sexual harassment allegations against him are investigated.

Tim Nardiello's lawyer said that his client's quest to be immediately reinstated is headed to court.

The U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation's board of directors met by telephone and voted against a motion - brought by the federation's president, Jim Shea Sr. - that would have allowed Nardiello to travel with the team.

The motion was overwhelmingly defeated by the board.