Marlins Dump Another Salary, Trade Leiter

Continuing to dismantle their team, the Florida Marlins traded pitcher Al Leiter to the New York Mets on Friday.

The Marlins, who have gotten rid of 12 players from the 25-man World Series championship roster in a salary purge, acquired three minor league prospects for Leiter and infielder Ralph Milliard.

Leiter, 32, was 11-9 with a 4.34 earned-run average in 27 starts last season.

Since beating the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, Florida has shed $29.34 million in salaries of the Marlins’ $53.54 million payroll last season.

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As expected, the Minnesota Twins finally completed the trade sending all-star second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees for $3 million and four minor league players. . . . Right-hander Hector Carrasco, acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the expansion draft, agreed to a $685,000, one-year contract. . . . Pitchers Darren Oliver and Aaron Sele of the Texas Rangers agreed to one-year contracts, avoiding arbitration. Oliver agreed to $3.05 million and could earn $150,000 in bonuses if he makes 32 starts and pitches 185 innings. Sele agreed to $2,815,000.

Outfielder Shawn Green and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $4.5-million, two-year contract and avoided salary arbitration. Green, who made $500,000 last season, gets a $400,000 signing bonus, $1,275,000 this season and $2,825,000 in 1999. . . . Outfielder Troy O’Leary and the Boston Red Sox agreed to a $14.8-million, four-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing. O’Leary, who made $1.1 million last year, gets $2.4 million this season, $3.5 million in 1999, $4 million in 2000 and $4.6 million in 2001. . . . Outfielders Curtis Pride and George Lombard agreed to one-year contracts with the Atlanta Braves.

Tennis

Steffi Graf’s manager said she will make her comeback from a knee injury at next week’s tournament in Paris. Graf, 28, has not played in a tournament since losing to Amanda Coetzer in the quarterfinals of the French Open in June. Her left knee was operated upon shortly after that defeat.

An angered Goran Ivanisevic broke his racket before beating Czech Jiri Novak, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (11-9), in the quarterfinals of the Croatian Indoors at Split. The second-seeded Ivanisevic was joined in today’s semifinals by top-seeded Greg Rusedski of Britain, who defeated Martin Damm of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4. In the other quarterfinals, fifth-seeded Marc Rosset of Switzerland defeated Rainer Schuttler of Germany, 6-2, 6-2, and Martin Sinner of Germany defeated Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-0).

Top-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland and No. 2 Lindsay Davenport will meet in the final of the Pan Pacific Open at Tokyo. Hingis beat Italy’s Rita Grande, 6-2, 7-5, and Davenport defeated Romania’s Irina Spirlea, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), in the quarterfinals, then Hingis routed Croatia’s Iva Majoli, 6-0, 6-2, and Davenport defeated Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, 6-2, 6-1.

Top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia reached the semifinals of the Marseille Indoors tennis tournament in France by defeating unseeded Arnaud Clement of France, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Miscellany

Daniel Komen of Kenya set a world indoor record of 7 minutes 24.90 seconds in the 3,000 meters at a meet in Budapest, Hungary. He broke the 7:26.14 mark set by Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie at Stuttgart, Germany, on Sunday.

A Columbia University economics major was among 16 people in a $10-million sports gambling ring, according to New York prosecutors. Joseph Della Pietra, 20, was accused of being one of the network’s runners--a person who collects bets and distributes winnings. He allegedly worked out of his fraternity house room, taking bets from as many as 30 students at the Ivy League school.

Washington State football Coach Mike Price has signed an eight-year contract worth an estimated $470,000 a year in salary and outside income.

Former Miami Dolphin defensive end Doug Betters underwent surgery and is in serious condition after hitting his head in a ski accident at the Big Mountain resort in Kalispell, Mont. A hospital spokesperson said Betters’ injuries were not life-threatening.

UCLA, the defending NCAA women’s gymnastics champion, will hold an invitational at Pauley Pavilion tonight at 7. The other three schools are Stanford, Michigan and Cornell.

Chuck Bell has been named athletic director at San Jose State. Bell, 53, currently athletic director at Utah State, will begin his new job on March 1.