After painful year, Griffey has surgery

White Sox outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee this week to repair partially torn cartilage and meniscus, said his agent, Brian Goldberg. Recovery time is generally 4-8 weeks. Griffey, who hit 18 homers this season - 15 with the Reds and three with the White Sox - had the knee drained three times during the season. "It was bothering him from early in the season, and he made a decision to play through it as long as he was able to," Goldberg said yesterday. "Not making excuses, but there is no doubt he was having trouble planting that left leg as far as generating power and bat speed and stopping and starting." . . . The New York Yankees will sort through their offseason plans when organizational meetings begin today at the team's spring training complex in Tampa. "It's to set our offseason priorities, certainly, and what we need to try and do," co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner said. "We know what we have to do, and it's going to take a lot of work and a lot of effort."

Bob Knight, the winningest coach in Division 1 history, left the door ajar to a return to college coaching during a wide-ranging television interview. "I got nothing else to do. It would just depend on the circumstances," the former Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech coach told host Mickey Maurer on "Mickey's Corner" on Indianapolis public TV station WFYI. When asked about recruiting and cheating in the NCAA, the 67-year-old Knight didn't mince words. "In college basketball, if you get caught cheating, they should shoot you because you're too dumb to be alive," he said . . . Four Holy Cross greats will be honored at halftime of the Nov. 16 game against Saint Joseph's. George Kaftan (Class of '49), Bob Cousy ('50), Togo Palazzi ('54), and Tom Heinsohn ('56) will have their jerseys lifted to the rafters.

After balking at the chance to join Indiana following last week's trade with Dallas, Eddie Jones, 36, said he didn't want to play this season. Team officials and Jones's agent agreed to free Jones from coming to Indiana in exchange for additional room under the NBA's salary cap. "Eddie Jones will not join the Pacers, but the franchise will recoup the ability to sign another player as a result of an agreement reached today," the team said . . . Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash left an exhibition game against the host Atlanta Hawks after spraining his right ankle. Nash limped and grimaced as he left the court . . . The Charlotte Bobcats retained former first-round pick Jared Dudley. The former Boston College standout will make about $1.1 million in the 2009-10 season, the first of two option years the Bobcats hold for the 22d pick in the 2007 draft . . . Oklahoma City Thunder rookie D.J. White will be sidelined six months while his jaw heals from surgery to remove a benign growth.

Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Ryan Hollweg received an automatic three-game suspension by the NHL following his fourth game misconduct in 41 games. Hollweg was tagged for a boarding penalty in Monday's 5-4 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues. If he gets another game misconduct over the next 41 games, he will automatically get a four-game suspension. Hollweg, who is eligible to return Oct. 23 against the Bruins, will forfeit $18,750.

Third-seeded Venus Williams defeated Alona Bondarenko, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the quarterfinals of the Zurich Open. "When the points became important, I was winning those, especially on my serve," said Williams, who will play Francesca Schiavone. Also advancing were Flavia Pennetta, qualifier Sofia Arvidsson, and Katarina Srebrotnik . . . Roger Federer returned from a five-week layoff to beat Radek Stepanek, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), in the second round of the Madrid Masters. "Happy to be back on tour," Federer said. Federer will face Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Also advancing were Novak Djokovic, American qualifier Robby Ginepri, and Andy Roddick.

Holy Cross senior quarterback Dominic Randolph and Saint Anselm junior back Luke St. Marie received this week's Gold Helmet Awards from the New England Football Writers. In a 41-34 win over Brown, the 6-foot-3-inch, 223-pound Randolph went 41 of 54 (matching a career high for completions) and threw for a season-high 430 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-foot, 240-pound St. Marie rushed for a school-record 241 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries as the Hawks halted a 34-game losing streak, the longest in the nation, with a 48-42 win over Merrimack in Northeast-10 action . . . Clemson president Jim Barker sent an e-mail to the school's faculty assuring them the money to buy out coach Tommy Bowden's contract won't come from state money or student fees, according to the Greenville News. The $3.5 million paid to Bowden over six years will come from athletic department funds the school had in reserve when Bowden was signed to a contract extension last season, he said . . . Southeastern Louisiana coach Mike Lucas will miss the rest of the season because of a heart condition. Lucas, in his second year with the Lions, will undergo a heart valve procedure . . . American International College is ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in program history. The Division 2 school based in Springfield is ranked No. 24 . . . Notre Dame tight end Will Yeatman, 20, was suspended from the team for the rest of the season but remains enrolled at school after being arrested on a charge of underage drinking at an off-campus party Sept. 21 after the Irish lost to Michigan State.