Prior's season finished after surgery

Baseball
Cubs pitcher Mark Prior will miss the entire season after surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday, but the oft-injured righthander's latest setback isn't expected to finish his once-promising career. Prior, who also had work done on his rotator cuff, has already started his rehabilitation. "He felt optimistic that he would be able to pitch next year," said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry yesterday . . . The Blue Jays placed catcher Gregg Zaun (hand) on the 15-day disabled list and purchased catcher Sal Fasano's contract from Triple A Syracuse . . . Minor league outfielder Cedrick Brooks, who was released by the Rockies in spring training, was suspended 50 games by the commissioner's office after testing positive for a drug of abuse. The penalty will take effect immediately if he signs with a major league organization . . . Brewers manager Ned Yost is recovering from a broken collarbone, a day after he tripped while jogging.

Pedro Martínez is encouraged by his recovery from rotator cuff surgery and confident he'll return to the Mets for the second half of this season. "I am super excited with how things are progressing. I feel as good as I did in 1996 and 1997," the 35-year-old ace said from a charity event in his native Domincan Republic. Martínez expects to return to the Mets' training facility in Florida Sunday. "The rehabilitation isn't going to extend my career, but it is going to make things much more comfortable," he said.

Basketball

Rick Carlisle was fired after four tumultuous years as coach of the Pacers, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Carlisle said he understood it was time for the Pacers to hear a "new voice." Team president Larry Bird said Carlisle has an option to return to the team in another capacity. Carlisle was appointed vice president in October and has until June 15 to decide if he wants to keep that title . . . Larry Brown received permission from the 76ers to interview for the Grizzlies' coaching vacancy . . . Clemson junior forward James Mays, Georgia Tech freshman point guard Javaris Crittenton, Illinois junior center Shaun Pruitt, and Eastern Washington sophomore guard Rodney Stuckey made themselves eligible for the NBA draft but did not hire an agent. UCLA sophomores Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute said they will return for their junior years . . . Rutgers formally announced the seven-year contract extension given to women's coach C. Vivian Stringer, which includes a base pay of $450,000. The new deal makes her one of the five highest-paid women's coaches in the country . . . In light of the discovery that Syracuse junior guard Fantasia Goodwin played in 28 games this season while pregnant -- she delivered the baby last week -- the school said it doesn't even know if it has a policy preventing pregnant student-athletes from playing sports.

Football

The Rams' long search for a return man ended when the team acquired two-time Pro Bowler Dante Hall from Kansas City in exchange for a fifth-round pick in this weekend's draft. The teams also swapped positions in the third round -- the Chiefs moving up to 82d overall, the Rams down to 84th . . . The Patriots signed long snapper Tony Case, who originally signed with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent in 2004 out of Adams State in Colorado but has not played in the NFL . . . Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones's trial in Georgia on a felony charge of obstruction has been delayed until at least September. Jones was arrested in Fayetteville, Ga., in February 2006 after getting into a physical argument with a police officer . . . The Raiders released defensive end Lance Johnstone and offensive lineman Brad Badger . . . Wide receivers Marcus Robinson and Cliff Russell signed with the Lions, who also re-signed cornerback Keith Smith . . . Bowl Championship Series officials concluded three days of meetings in New Orleans with no major changes being made to the system used to crown a college champion.

Miscellany

Tony Stewart accused NASCAR of using bogus caution flags to shape races in biting comments made on his weekly radio show Tuesday night. Stewart dominated Saturday night's race outside of Phoenix but lost after a late exchange of leads with winner Jeff Gordon. Stewart said he refused postrace interviews to avoid bashing NASCAR after officials threw four cautions for debris on the track. "It's like playing God," Stewart said. "They can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it . . . I don't know that they've run a fair race all year." Said NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter, "The safety of our drivers is our first priority." . . . Juan Pablo Montoya was fined $10,000 by NASCAR for making an obscene gesture on live television last week . . . Floyd Landis said he's lost almost $10 million in potential earnings and might need to declare bankruptcy since being accused of using drugs to help win the Tour de France last year . . . Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists to help the US beat Sweden, 5-3, in Stockholm in a warmup for the world championships . . . Eddie Johnson, Kerry Zavagnin, and Yura Movsisyan scored to help the Kansas City Wizards beat Toronto FC, 3-0, in their home opener . . . Joe Cole scored in the 29th minute to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals in London . . . Six Austrian cross-country skiers and biathletes received lifetime bans from the Olympics for involvement in an organized blood-doping scheme at the 2006 Turin Games -- the harshest sanctions given to athletes by the International Olympic Committee . . . BMW Oracle Racing won for the sixth time in six races at the Louis Vuitton Cup off the coast of Valencia, Spain.