Brewers' Hall gets $24 million

Bill Hall and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed yesterday to a $24 million, four year contract.

Hall, who is slated to play center field for the Brewers, gets a $500,000 signing bonus, $3 million this year, $4.8 million in 2008, $6.8 million in 2009 and $8.4 million in 2010. The Brewers have a $9.25 million option for 2011 with a $500,000 buyout.

Hall made $418,000 last year. He took over at shortstop last season when starter J.J. Hardy injured an ankle. Hall finished with a .270 batting average in a career-high 148 games. He compiled 78 extra-base hits and 297 total bases, also club highs.

More baseball

Closer Eddie Guardado, 36, accepted a minor-league contract from the Cincinnati Reds, who are giving him a chance to work his way back from reconstructive elbow surgery. The left-hander has been playing catch for about two weeks. If all goes well, he could be pitching by the middle of the season.

Rick Helling is retiring after pitching in the major leagues for 12 years, highlighted by a 20-win season. Helling, 36, a right-hander, was 93-81 with a 4.68 ERA for Milwaukee, Florida, Texas, Arizona and Baltimore. His best season was 1998, when he went 20-7 for the Rangers.

Steve Barber, the first 20-game winner in modern Baltimore Orioles history and the losing pitcher in one of baseball's wildest no-hitters, died from complications of pneumonia Sunday in Henderson, Nev. He was 67.

Max Lanier, who pitched in three consecutive World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals during World War II, died in Florida. He was 91.

College hockey

John Curry made 27 saves and Dan McGoff scored twice to help Boston University advance to its 13th consecutive Beanpot tournament title game with a 4-0 win against Northeastern in Boston.

Benn Ferriero had a goal and an assist as Boston College advanced to the final Monday with a 3-1 win against Harvard in the second game.

College football

Southern California kicker Mario Danelo was drunk when he plunged over a cliff to his death, but the coroner's office was unable to say why he fell. A toxicological report accompanying Danelo's autopsy report found he had 0.23 blood-alcohol level, nearly three times the legal limit in California. No drugs were detected in his body. The autopsy report said the cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, but "because of the unanswered questions, we are stating the manner of death as undetermined."

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti has agreed to a five-year contract extension. Bellotti, 56, gets a salary of $150,000 a year, with a guaranteed base of $650,000 in compensation that includes such things as car, country club membership and TV contract.

Tennis

Xavier Malisse of Belgium rallied past top-seeded James Blake, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, completing the rain-delayed final for his second Delray Beach International title in Florida. The third-seeded Malisse trailed, 7-5, 3-3, when play ended Sunday night. Malisse captured his third title and 200th career win.

Auto racing

Casey Mears got a new crew chief, just four days before NASCAR begins preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500. Fortunately for Mears, he's teaming with last year's race-winning crew chief. Darian Grubb, who led Jimmie Johnson to the Daytona 500 victory, will lead Mears' No. 25 team at Hendrick Motorsports. Grubb, an engineer on Johnson's crew, filled in for Chad Knaus during his four-race suspension last season. Grubb led Johnson to two wins during his stint.

Soccer

Fans won't be allowed into stadiums in Italy unless security measures are met, a decision that comes days after rioting at a game in Sicily in which a police officer was killed. Interior Minister Giuliano Amato also said that clubs will not be able to sell blocks of tickets to visiting fans.

Horse racing

Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, W.Va., cancelled racing last night and tonight because of the weather.