Sports Briefs: Mercedes reveals its new F1 car

VALENCIA, Spain -- Formula One team Mercedes GP revealed its 2010 race car yesterday, with Michael Schumacher marking his return from a three-year absence with the third fastest time in testing.

The former Brawn GP team rolled out its W01 car at Valencia's Cheste Circuit, with Nico Rosberg kicking off three days of testing by being third quickest before the lunch break.

But Schumacher, a seven-time F1 champion who is back this year after a short retirement, needed 17 laps in the afternoon to beat his teammate's time before eventually clocking a best lap of 1 minute, 12.974 seconds from 39 laps. That was less than four-tenths of a second off the pace set by his former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.

While Schumacher, 41, was out driving for the first time since the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, fellow German driver Rosberg gave a positive impression of the car -- which last year helped Jenson Button to the championship and Brawn GP to the constructors' title.

"There are so many new circumstances that I cannot feel is it a winner or is it not a winner. It generally felt very good but impossible to be sure of how the performance is by now," Rosberg said, putting emphasis on how the ban on refueling will shape the new season. "In recent years you would have a better impression, but now with the fuel level you really don't know what other people are running either."

Baseball

■ The Reds sent center fielder Willy Taveras to the Oakland Athletics yesterday as part of a four-player deal, then agreed to a $3.02 million, one-year deal with Orlando Cabrera to become their starting shortstop. Both teams made a series of moves that changed the looks of their rosters.

Along with Taveras, the Reds sent infielder Adam Rosales to the A's for infielder Aaron Miles and a player to be named. Oakland was busy as well, agreeing with outfielder Gabe Gross on a $750,000, one-year contract and claiming infielder Steve Tolleson off waivers from Minnesota.

Once the A's got Taveras, they designated him for assignment, along with left-hander Dana Eveland, to create space on their 40-man roster for the newcomers.

■ Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane is apparently keeping his team.

McLane, who bought the team in November 1992 for about $117 million, had set a Jan. 31 deadline for an investment group to make an offer. Yesterday, McLane said that "nothing materialized" and he was looking ahead to the 2010 season.

"As I've said all along, my family and I are not actively attempting to sell the Astros," McLane said in a statement released by the team. "Over the years, I have been approached many times by groups interested in discussing the possible purchase of the team, and I've always been open to listening.

"This group was granted an exclusive negotiating window which expired yesterday," he said. "However, nothing materialized."

■ Jon Miller, who has spent nearly 50 years as the voice of five major-league teams, has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum made the announcement yesterday. The Frick Award is presented annually for major contributions to baseball broadcasting.

■ Melvin Mora has agreed to a $1.3 million, one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies, according to his agent. Eric Goldschmidt said that Mora's primary goal as a 38-year-old free agent was to sign with a playoff contender after spending the last nine seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Golf

■ Scott McCarron is not backing away from his opinion that Phil Mickelson or anyone else on the PGA Tour should not be using the Ping-Eye 2 wedges with square grooves.

McCarron said he will "not be silenced" as he works to get the grooves issues resolved.

He caused a flap last week at Torrey Pines when he said Mickelson was "cheating" by using the Ping wedge. Mickelson replied a day later that he had been "publicly slandered" and he would let others handle it. He stopped short of threatening a lawsuit.

Square grooves no longer conform to the Rules of Golf. However, the Ping wedges, if made before April 1, 1990, are approved for play under terms of a lawsuit Ping settled with the USGA and the PGA Tour some 20 years ago.

Miscellaneous

■ Cyclist Danilo Di Luca was hit with the second doping suspension of his career yesterday, a two-year ban for using a blood-boosting drug at last year's Giro d'Italia.

The Italian Olympics Committee's anti-doping court imposed the ban after Di Luca tested positive for CERA following two stages of the 2009 race. CONI's anti-doping prosecutor had sought a three-year ban.

"I've always said, and I repeat, that I have never taken that substance," Di Luca said.

Di Luca was also fined $400,000 and will have to pay an additional $3,000 to cover testing costs. The ban expires July 21, 2011.

Di Luca's lawyer Enrico De Toni said that Di Luca would again appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, adding that they have issues with the method and procedure of the tests.

Two years ago, Di Luca was cleared of another doping charge relating to the 2007 Giro, when his blood levels were called into question, although without any failed test.

■ Manny Pacquiao has been honored as the fighter of the decade by the Boxing Writer's Association of America, along with winning his third award as fighter of the year.

The awards were announced yesterday and will be presented at a dinner June 11 in New York.

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach was honored with a record-setting fourth Eddie Futch Award for trainer of the year. Futch once trained Roach and later became his mentor.

Juan Manuel Marquez's ninth-round knockout of Juan Diaz was picked as fight of the year, an award that was renamed this year for Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

■ Jaime Moreno, who is Major League Soccer's career goal leader, has re-signed with D.C. United.

Moreno broke the MLS goal mark in August 2007 and now has 131, along with 102 assists. He was the first player in league history with at least 100 goals and 100 assists.

Last season, he had nine goals and three assists in 24 MLS games, including 11 starts.

■ The International Olympics Committee is considering opening an investigation that could lead to another U.S. relay team being stripped of a gold medal for doping.

Crystal Cox, who ran in the preliminaries for the U.S. women's 4x400 relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, admitted to using anabolic steroids and accepted a four-year suspension and disqualification of her results from 2001 to 2004, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said last week.

The fate of Cox's gold medal and the medals held by the rest of the team is up to the International Olympics Committee.