Baseball
TO ROCKIES: Mike Hampton, the most coveted left-hander on the free-agent market, reached a preliminary agreement Friday on a $121 million, eight-year deal with the Colorado Rockies, the largest contract in baseball history.
The deal is contingent on Hampton's passing a physical and other minor details, according to two baseball officials who spoke on the condition they not be identified.
GRACE TO ARIZONA: Mark Grace quickly put his career with the Chicago Cubs behind him and agreed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a $6 million, two-year contract Friday.
SPRAGUE TO PADRES: The San Diego Padres signed free-agent infielder Ed Sprague to a minor-league contract and invited him to spring training.
CUBS FIND HELP: The Chicago Cubs got some much-needed help for their shaky bullpen Friday, reaching a tentative agreement with closer Tom Gordon and agreeing to terms with Jeff Fassero.
ANGELS SIGN SHORTSTOP: The Anaheim Angels re-signed shortstop Gary DiSarcina to a major league contract on Friday, two days after circumventing the 40-man roster by inking him to a minor league pact.
GIANTS SIGN DUNSTON: The San Francisco Giants have signed veteran utilityman Shawon Dunston to a one-year deal.
The contract includes a player option for 2002.
Dunston, 37, will be making his third tour with the team — he played for the Giants in 1996 and 1998. He spent last year with the St. Louis Cardinals, where in 98 games he batted .250 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs. He played all three outfield positions, as well as every infield position but second base.
Golf
WORLD CUP: A rejuvenated Tiger Woods and partner David Duval used four straight birdies Friday to climb into third place at the World Cup of Golf, two strokes behind leaders Argentina and New Zealand.
The U.S. duo started the day trailing the co-leaders by five strokes, but finished with a 7-under-par 65 on the day to reach 18-under 126 for the tournament at the Buenos Aires Golf Club.
Football
BUTKUS AWARD: Dan Morgan, the Miami Hurricanes' all-time leading tackler, won the Butkus Award on Friday night as the nation's top collegiate linebacker.
Morgan, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior, was chosen over juniors Rocky Calmus of Oklahoma and Keith Adams of Clemson for the award named for former University of Illinois and Chicago Bears star Dick Butkus.