IN BRIEF (Page 23)

Baseball

Mets deal reigning Cy Young winner

The New York Mets traded R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, just one month after the knuckleballer won Major League Baseball's Cy Young Award as the top pitcher in the National League. Dickey, who published an autobiography in March, was unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Mets. After signing with the Blue Jays, he thanked his fans for their support.

Alpine skiing

'Tired' Vonn to give events a miss

American ski great Lindsey Vonn is to miss the next four European meets the American team announced on Monday. The 28-year-old four-time World Cup overall champion has had an up-and-down season, being hospitalized with a painful intestinal ailment and then bouncing back to win all three races at the Lake Louise meeting in Canada to become the first skier to win three World Cup races at the same venue in two different seasons.

Soccer

Drogba, Anelka futures in doubt

The China careers of former Chelsea strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are in doubt amid reports of unpaid wages at the end of a tumultuous year at Shanghai Shenhua. Local media have reported Frenchman Anelka's management is in talks with the Chinese Super League club to forgo the final year of his contract, while Cote d'Ivoire striker Drogba has been linked with a move back to Europe. Drogba signed a 2 1/2 year deal reportedly worth about $300,000 per week in June.

Sampdoria sacks head coach Ferrara

Sampdoria has sacked coach Ciro Ferrara and replaced him with Delio Rossi, the Serie A side said on Monday following a weekend loss to Catania which left the Genoan just three points off the drop zone. Ferrara had briefly looked to have saved himself after ending a recent run of seven straight losses with two wins - including a derby meeting with Genoa. But one point from the past three games sealed his fate.

Bianchi returns for third stint at Boca

Argentinian coaching great Carlos Bianchi agreed to come out of retirement and return for a third spell as coach of Boca Juniors on Monday. The 63-year-old, the only coach to win four Copa Libertadores, came back as general manager four years ago and will take the reins again as the club tries to improve on sixth place after the initial league tournament of the season or Torneo Inicial, well adrift of table-toppers Velez Sarsfield.

AFP - Reuters

(China Daily 12/19/2012 page23)