Baseball: The Boston Red Sox, family owned since 1933, are going corporate.
The Jean Yawkey Trust has announced that all partners have unanimously voted to sell 100 per cent of the team to a group of investors led by John Henry, who once owned the Florida Marlins.
"I am delighted to recommend the John Henry Group to Major League Baseball as the next owner of the Red Sox," Boston chief executive officer John Harrington said. "I am highly confident that, if approved by Major League Baseball, John Henry and his group will be outstanding owners who will carry on the Yawkey tradition of fielding a competitive team." The price offered for the franchise, rumoured to be 600 million dollars, will break all records for the sale of a baseball team. One of baseball's most stories franchises, the Red Sox have been in the Yawkey family since the Great Depression. The new ownership group is a mix and match of personalities, including Henry, Hollywood producer Tom Werner, former politician and Northern Ireland peace-maker George Mitchell and the New York Times.
The team's rich history includes Cy Young and Ted Williams but also includes no World Series titles since 1918 and the sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees two years later.
Boston have appeared in four World Series since 1918, losing each in a decisive seventh game.
"The process achieved all of our goals," said Justin Morreale, counsel to the Yawkey Trust.
"In a fair and deliberate way, it produced the highest qualified bid and an outstanding applicant to submit to Major League Baseball." In Henry and Werner, the Red Sox get a pair of experienced baseball people.
Henry underwent nearly everything during his tenure with the Marlins, while Werner should provide a unique perspective following his days as an owner in San Diego.
Fresh ideas are going to be essential for the new owners, who inherit one of the game's highest payrolls and the smallest ballpark.
The Jean R Yawkey Trust, which has owned the team since 1992, also has been seeking government financing for a new ballpark. The present stadium was built in 1912 and has the smallest capacity in the major leagues at 33,871.
Thomas Yawkey purchased the Red Sox in 1933 after the team had six different owners over the previous 32 years.
When Yawkey died in 1976, his wife took over. When Jean Yawkey died, she willed her holdings to her trust, giving Harrington the power to run the team.
The prospective group must receive approval from 75 per cent of the current owners.
Cross Country: The defending champion Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn from next Saturday's Great North cross-country event in Newcastle.
The world gold medallist has decided not to race as a precaution as she continues her recovery from a knee injury.
Radcliffe's manager and husband Gary Lough said: "Paula's very disappointed at not being able to compete.
"But if she ran she would want to be at her very best and feels at the moment, although training again, she is not fit enough. Paula doesn't want to let herself or her fans down." Two new names have been added to the field for the 6km race with European cross country senior and junior champions Yamna Belkacem and Elvan Abeylegesse both now competing.
Soccer: The Irish League leaders, Glentoran, have made a Christmas signing which could ensure the title lands at The Oval.
Manager Roy Coyle swooped this week to snap up Preston North End centre forward, Mark Wright, a readymade replacement for his leading goal-scorer, Garry Haylock.
Haylock, unable to agree terms for a contract extension, is now playing with Dundalk.
Wright, coming into Irish League football on a three-month loan contract, makes his debut against Glenavon at Mourneview Park this afternoon.
It is a match Glentoran are expected to win, setting up their St Stephen's Day battle with defending champions Linfield.
Soccer: Germany will face Wales in a warm-up match ahead of the World Cup. in which they meet Saudi Arabia, Ireland and Cameroon in Group E in Japan in June. Rudi Voller's men will take on the Welsh at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on May 14th.
Germany's first friendly in 2002 is at home to Israel on February 13th. They host the United States on March 27th and World Cup favourites Argentina in Stuttgart on April 17th.
The round of friendlies ends in May, when they have a provisional game at home to Kuwait and a match with neighbours Austria either side of the trip to Wales.
