Rocker: Selig knew I was on steroids

John Rocker claims he flunked a drug test ordered by Major League Baseball in 2000 and that he, Alex Rodriguez, and other Texas Rangers were advised by management and union doctors following a spring training lecture on how to effectively use steroids. "Bud Selig knew in the year 2000 John Rocker was taking the juice," the former pitcher said of the baseball commissioner on Atlanta radio station 680. Rocker also said that doctors from management and the players' association, following a spring training talk with the Rangers about steroids and other topics, pulled himself, A-Rod, Rafael Palmeiro, and Ivan Rodriguez aside. Rocker was with the Rangers in 2002. "Look guys, if you take one kind of steroid, you don't triple stack them and take them 10 months out of the year like [former NFL star] Lyle Alzado did," Rocker said the doctors told them. "If you do it responsibly, it's not going to hurt you." Baseball did not have a drug-testing agreement between management and the players' union until September 2002 . . . Mike Sweeney agreed to a minor league deal with the A's. The 34-year-old Sweeney has spent all 13 of his big league seasons with the Royals. He has a .299 career average with 197 homers . . . Third baseman Garrett Atkins and the Rockies agreed to a one-year contract worth $4,387,500 . . . Former Red Sox first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz agreed to a minor league contract with the Pirates . . . Shortstop Khalil Greene and the Padres finalized an $11 million, two-year contract . . . Veteran righthander Steve Trachsel agreed to a minor league contract with the Orioles. . . . Entercom Boston announced the addition of WEEI midday host Dale Arnold and studio host Jon Rish to the Red Sox radio broadcasts this season. Arnold or Rish will join Joe Castiglione during the 25 to 30 games Dave O'Brien is expected to miss because of his ESPN duties.

In the Dolphins' first major player purge since Bill Parcells took charge of football operations, the team parted ways with quarterback Trent Green, wide receiver Marty Booker, and seven other players yesterday - ushering in the start of what's expected to be a massive offseason roster shakeup by the rebuilding franchise. Other notable cuts included tackle L.J. Shelton and defensive tackle Keith Traylor, both of whom were starters . . . The Panthers released injury-prone linebacker Dan Morgan and starting guard Mike Wahle.

Canadiens defenseman Ryan O'Byrne was arrested and accused of stealing a woman's purse outside a Tampa nightclub Sunday, and right wing Thomas Kostopoulos was charged with resisting an officer. O'Byrne, 23, has been charged with felony grand theft. He was released yesterday after posting $2,000 bail. Kostopoulos, 29, faces a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence and was freed after posting $500 bail . . . The Senators acquired forward Cory Stillman and defenseman Mike Commodore from the Hurricanes for forward Patrick Eaves and defenseman Joe Corvo . . . Flyers forward Simon Gagne is sidelined following his third concussion of the season, but the former All-Star said he hopes to return before the end of the season . . . Stars right wing Krys Barch agreed to a two-year, $1.15 million contract extension.

Raptors coach Sam Mitchell is taking a leave of absence so he can fly home to Atlanta following the death of his father-in-law. A team spokesman said Mitchell will not rejoin the Raptors until after the All-Star break. Toronto's first game after the break is at home against Orlando Feb. 20 . . . Shaquille O'Neal practiced with the Suns for the first time, showing no sign of the hip injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 21, but said he wasn't certain when he would play his first game since being traded from the Heat . . . Former star Latrell Sprewell's home is up for foreclosure and his yacht sold at auction to help pay off the $1.3 million he owes on the boat, according to court filings in Milwaukee. Sprewell, 37, who once turned down a three-year, $21 million contract extension saying, "I've got my family to feed," has not played since turning down that extension in the 2004-05 season.

Memphis (23-0), the lone unbeaten team in Division 1, was a unanimous choice at the top of the Associated Press's college basketball poll for the second straight week. Duke was second and Kansas was third . . . Tennessee (22-1) regained the top spot in the AP women's poll, aided by then-No. 1 UConn's loss to Rutgers last week . . . New Hampshire received two first-place votes and climbed one spot to No. 4 in the USCHO.com/CSTV Division 1 men's hockey poll after sweeping Maine Friday and Saturday. BC rose two spots to No. 7, Providence fell two spots to No. 14, and Northeastern fell a slot to No. 15. Michigan took over the No. 1 spot from Miami (Ohio) after defeating and tying the RedHawks over the weekend . . . Paul-Henri Mathieu edged Marc Gicquel, 7-6 (7-6), 7-6 (7-4), in an all-French matchup to reach the second round of Open 13 at Marseille, France . . . Petra Cetkovska upset third-seeded Emilie Loit, 6-2, 7-6 (7-6), at the Cachantun Cup at Vina del Mar, Chile . . . Yaroslava Shvedova upset fifth-seeded Sybille Bammer, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2, to advance to the second round of the Diamond Games at Antwerp, Belgium . . . LSU defensive end Kirston Pittman was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Pittman missed the 2005 and 2006 seasons with injuries.