Foulke nears one-year deal with Indians

Free agent reliever Keith Foulke arrived in Cleveland yesterday to take his physical for the Indians, the final step before the club can complete a one-year deal with the former Red Sox closer. Foulke and his agent, Dan Horwits, have been in talks for several weeks with the club, which is believed to be offering a mutual option for 2008. If he passes his physical -- the team may not have complete results for a few days -- Foulke, 34, would give the Indians another option at closer. The club has already signed Joe Borowski to improve a bullpen that had a major league-low 24 saves in 2006. Borowski had 36 saves in 43 chances last season for the Florida Marlins . . . His recovery from a broken leg suffered in September going slowly, Washington Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson said there's a chance he could miss the first month of the 2007 season . . . The Red Sox completed the minor league managerial appointments by naming Jon Deeble to the Class A Lowell position. Deeble, the Red Sox' coordinator of Pacific Rim scouting, had last managed at Lowell in 2003, compiling a 39-34 record. The Double A Portland Sea Dogs also filled out its coaching staff, naming Mike Cather pitching coach and announcing Russ Morman will return for his fourth season as hitting coach . . . George Sisler Jr., a former president of the International League and executive of three minor league baseball teams, has died. He was 89. Sisler, the son of Hall of Famer George Sisler, had Alzheimer's disease and died Sunday at an assisted-living facility in Worthington, Ohio.

The United States beat Finland, 6-3, setting up a semifinal against two-time defending champion Canada at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in Mora, Sweden. Jack Skille deflected a shot from Erik Johnson on a power play 23 seconds into the third period to give the Americans a 3-2 lead, but Finland's Oskar Osala tied it a minute later. The United States then capitalized on three five-on-three power plays, starting with Peter Mueller's winner nearly eight minutes into the period. Trevor Lewis and Jack Johnson closed the scoring for the Americans. Sweden defeated the Czech Republic, 5-1, in another quarterfinal and will play Russia in the semifinals today . . . Vinny Saponari scored a power-play goal 2:02 into overtime to lift the United States past Sweden, 3-2, in the championship game of the Under-17 Four Nations Cup in Ann Arbor, Mich. . . . Petr Nedved rejoined the Edmonton Oilers when he was claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the third time this season the 35-year-old center, who played for the Oilers in 2003-04, was placed on waivers.

Mark Philippoussis will miss the Australian Open after he tore ligaments in his right knee and had to retire from a men's singles match at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. The Australian, playing Jerome Haehnel of France, injured his knee with Haehnel a point away from taking a 3-1 lead in the first set. After receiving treatment during an injury timeout, Philippoussis lost the next point without even attempting to return the Frenchman's serve. He retired with the knee injury trailing, 4-1, in the first set. In other Hopman Cup action, Russia beat the United States, 2-1, when Nadia Petrova and Dmitry Tursunov beat Ashley Harkleroad and Mardy Fish, 6-3, 7-5. Russia moved to 1-1 in Group A. The defending champion Americans are 0-2 . . . Top-seeded Rafael Nadal opened the year with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rainer Schuettler of Germany, and second-seeded David Nalbandian was upset by Kristian Pless, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, in the opening round of the Chennai Open in Madras, India . . . Nikolay Davydenko and Ivan Ljubicic advanced to the second round of the Qatar Open in Doha, while former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson lost to wild card Younes El Aynaoui.

Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown expects to be out several weeks because of a severely sprained left ankle. He was injured Sunday night and joins Chris Mihm and Lamar Odom on the sideline. Brown, averaging 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds, underwent a CT scan and MRI Monday, with both coming back negative for a fracture.

Michelle Wie should "pull the plug" on competing in men's golf tournaments and try again when she's older, PGA Tour player Stuart Appleby said. Wie, 17, has missed the cut in 11 of 12 men's events she has entered, including five on the US tour. Wie also hasn't won on the LPGA Tour. "She should just let it go for now and come back when she has a more accomplished game," said Appleby. "She's just not ready for it." . . . Running back Marshawn Lynch, the Pac-10's offensive player of the year after rushing for a conference-best 1,356 yards and 11 touchdowns, said he will skip his senior season at California to enter the NFL draft . . . American miler Alan Webb and Australian pole vaulter Steve Hooker, ranked No. 1 in the world by Track and Field News, will be competing at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games Jan. 27 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center . . . Barbaro's right hind leg keeps getting stronger and should eventually be healthy enough to allow the Kentucky Derby winner to live a comfortable, happy life, said Dean Richardson, chief surgeon at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa. . . . Jim Karvellas, a longtime broadcaster of NBA games and the Cosmos soccer team, died at 71 in Tampa. He died at his home on New Year's Day of complications from prostate cancer.