Sports Briefs: Braves are close to bringing Furcal back to play short

ATLANTA -- Shortstop Rafael Furcal is close to accepting a $30 million, three-year offer to return to the Atlanta Braves.

Furcal, 31, began his major-league career with Atlanta, playing for the Braves from 2000-05. He spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His deal would contain an option for 2012 that could become guaranteed.

Furcal hit .357 last season with five homers and 16 RBIs but had back surgery July 3 and was limited to 36 games and 143 at-bats. He returned to the lineup Sept. 24 and played in four games during the final week of the season.

After hitting .300 with 15 homers, 63 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in his first year with the Dodgers, Furcal had ankle and back injuries the past two seasons.

General Manager Frank Wren of the Braves didn't immediately return telephone and e-mail messages.

More baseball

■ The Orioles filled their hole at shortstop, agreeing yesterday to a $5 million, two-year contract with free agent Cesar Izturis.

Izturis, 28, batted .263 in 135 games with the St. Louis Cardinals this year. He ranked third in the NL with a .980 fielding percentage.

Izturis won the 2004 Gold Glove for the Los Angeles Dodgers and was an NL All-Star the next year.

He fills the void at shortstop left by the trade in 2007 that sent Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros. The Orioles used six players at the position this year, including Freddie Bynum, Juan Castro and Alex Cintron.

Auto racing

■ Robby Gordon will switch to Toyota in 2009, his fourth manufacturer change in four years.

Gordon was with General Motors in 2006, switched to Ford the next year to receive greater support, then abruptly moved to Dodge at the start of this season in a technical alliance with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

That partnership was dissolved late this season, freeing Gordon to align with Toyota.

Toyota had a successful second season in the Sprint Cup Series, placing all three drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing in the Chase for the championship.

■ Bobby Labonte, a former NASCAR champion, said yesterday he's disappointed that equity firm Boston Ventures couldn't do more for Petty Enterprises.

Labonte, who voided his four-year contract extension last week, will explore the free-agent market instead of waiting to see if Petty can complete a merger with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. It wasn't the outcome he anticipated when Boston Ventures purchased controlling interest in the team in June.

Petty officials said last week they will field the famed No. 43 as a one-car team next season if the GEM merger doesn't happen.

Labonte said he's had some discussions about the No. 41 at newly formed Earnhardt Ganassi Racing -- the only available seat with full sponsorship.

Labonte was winless in the No. 43, finishing 21st, 18th and 21st in the standings.

Pro football

■ The Indianapolis Colts could get defensive back Bob Sanders and running back Joseph Addai back in the lineup on Thursday night.

Coach Tony Dungy told reporters yesterday he thought both would play against Jacksonville and both were listed as full participants in yesterday's practice.

■ Michael Vick, a former star for the Atlanta Falcons, could be out of federal prison and in a Virginia halfway house by Jan. 20, one of his attorneys told a federal bankruptcy judge yesterday.

Vick is serving a 23-month prison term in Leavenworth, Kan., for bankrolling a dog-fighting conspiracy and is scheduled to be released from federal custody around July 20.

Last month, Vick also pleaded guilty to a state dog-fighting charge, avoiding more prison time. The case's resolution also cleared the way for his early release from prison and possible transition into a halfway house.

Soccer

■ The United States will play its home World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, for the third straight time after victories in 2001 and 2005.

The Feb. 11 match will be the U.S. opener of the final round of World Cup qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.

In what some called the "Guerra Fria (Cold War)" because of a 29-degree game-time temperature, the United States defeated Mexico 2-0 on Feb. 28, 2001, on goals by Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart.

■ The new Women's Professional Soccer League will open its first season when the Washington Freedom play the Los Angeles Sol on March 29 at Carson, Calif.

The U.S. hasn't had a major professional women's league since the Women's United Soccer Association folded in September 2003 after its third season.

Three home openers in the seven-team league will be April 5, the league said yesterday, with the Boston Breakers at the FC Gold Pride in Santa Clara, Calif.; the Sol at Sky Blue FC in Bridgewater, N.J.; and the Chicago Red Stars at the Saint Louis Athletica in Edwardsville, Mo.

The remainder of the schedule will be announced in February.

Track & field

■ South Carolina's Curtis Frye has been named president of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The announcement came yesterday at the USTFCCCA meeting in Phoenix, Ariz.

Frye has also served as an assistant Olympics women's coach at the Athens Games in 2004.

CORRECTION

It was incorrectly reported yesterday that two of Winston-Salem State's wins in football were against future MEAC opponents Hampton and Florida A&M. The wins against future conference opponents were against Hampton and Delaware State.