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2B – Daily News – Wednesday, December 8, 2010 49ers turn to Alex Smith again for key game San Francisco 49ers SANTA CLARA (AP) — Alex Smith is the San Fran- cisco 49ers’ starting quarterback yet again. Coach Mike Singletary made the announcement on his regular KNBR radio show Tuesday morning and the team later tweeted a reference to it. The move comes a day after Singletary said he was contemplating the switch from Troy Smith back to the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick following a 34-16 loss at Green Bay on Sunday. The 49ers (4-8) face a key game at home against NFC West rival Seattle on Sunday. Later Tuesday, the 49ers announced that Johnnie Lynn the secondary coach and special assistant to Singletary has resigned for personal reasons. Alex Smith dislocated his non-throwing left shoulder Oct. 24 at Carolina and hasn’t played since, despite being medically cleared several weeks ago. Singletary has said he will pick a starting QB each week. ‘‘Our quarterback is going to be Alex Smith,’’ Single- tary told KNBR. ‘‘We felt at this time, Alex with his expe- rience and all of the other things, he would give us the best chance to win at this particular time, at this time of the year. Still very confident in what Troy has been able to do and would not rule out at any point in time him playing again. Right now it’s just a matter of looking where we are in the season and the opportunity we have before us.’’ Alex Smith has completed 143 of 242 passes for 1,554 yards and nine touchdowns with nine interceptions and 13 sacks this season. He has a subpar 75.0 quarterback rating. This very well could be his last hurrah and farewell sea- son in San Francisco. The 26-year-old Smith, who took over as the starter from the now-departed Shaun Hill at halftime on Oct. 25, 2009, at Houston, is in the final year of his contract with a team trying to end a seven-year playoff drought despite a surprising 0-5 start. Troy Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner with Ohio State, went 3-2 in five games as the starter after sign- ing with the 49ers in September following his release by Baltimore. His late timing joining the Niners put him behind in learning the playbook, but not so much that Sin- gletary didn’t have confidence he could do the job — picking the third-stringer over backup David Carr to replace the injured Alex Smith against the Panthers. Troy Smith is 66 for 126 and has passed for 1,023 yards and four touchdowns, including throwing for 356 yards in a 23-20 overtime victory over the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 14. ‘‘I think the most important thing is the guys under- stand I’m going to go with the guy I figure will give us the best opportunity to win. I think they know that about me,’’ Singletary told the radio station. ‘‘We’re trying to win games and that’s really the bottom line. ... ‘‘Because of the experience, obviously (Alex) knows the playbook. He’s been here, has been in the system, has gone through training camp, the whole nine yards. I just feel that right now he gives us the best chance to win.’’ Nationals talk to Lee at Winter Meetings Sanchez has surgery Winter Meetings LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Well, well, look who’s entered the Cliff Lee sweepstakes — those cash- slingin’ Washington Nationals. OK, general manager Mike Rizzo admits they probably won’t get him. But the fact the Nationals are even talking to Lee’s agent signals a shift at these winter meetings. As in, this ses- sion isn’t just for the Yankees, Red Sox and baseball’s other big spenders. The Arizona Diamondbacks kept busy Tuesday, giving free agent reliev- er J.J. Putz a $10 million, two-year deal. Colorado filled a need by getting 2010 All-Star infielder Ty Wigginton and Pittsburgh added pitcher Kevin Correia, both with $8 million, two- year contracts. Also, pitcher Dustin Moseley wound up with San Diego and outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Carl Crawford and Lee still topped the free-agent market. Carlos Pena could make a decision Wednesday and possibly choose the Chicago Cubs while Hideki Matsui attracted interest from Oakland. Former AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke was said to be available for any team willing to meet Kansas City’s steep price. ‘‘It’s kind of like the offseason becomes fantasy baseball for players, too,’’ Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ‘‘You always look at who is out there and who might be in your lineup. I think we all did it when we played the game. You’d say, ’Man, if we had this guy or this guy, we could be better.’’’ Rockies manager Jim Tracy gave the meetings a jolt when he collapsed around 1 a.m. Tuesday near a bank of elevators. Carried out of the hotel on a stretcher, he was hospitalized because of mild arrhythmia. The 2009 NL Manager of the Year was released and headed back to his Florida home with his family. Two days after the Nationals gave free agent Jayson Werth a $126 mil- lion, seven-year contract, they nosed around Lee. Rizzo said he’d talked to the ace lefty’s agent, but told Washing- ton-area reporters, ‘‘I still think we’re a real long shot to acquire the player.’’ At least they’re trying. The Orioles, Pirates and Diamondbacks, all last- place teams like the Nationals, also have made moves inside this Disney resort. ‘‘I think there are a couple of things going on this year,’’ New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson said. ‘‘One is there are some agents and some play- ers who are still smarting from the fact that they passed on deals early and waited until January in previous years and got stung in the process. ‘‘At the same time, there is some flow that results from the big contracts getting signed,’’ he said. New Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke, meanwhile, looking for- ward to writing slugger Prince Field- er’s name on his first lineup card. There has been speculation the Brew- ers might try to trade their star first baseman, who can be a free agent at this time next year. ‘‘I think somebody as a high-quali- ty player that he is, I don’t think those guys move as often as you think they will,’’ Roenicke said. Or hoped, per- haps. No need to wonder where Derek Jeter will play. Yankees GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi made the hour-long drive to the team’s Meetings LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Commissioner Bud Selig’s special commit- tee for on-field matters dis- cussed both expanded play- offs and increased use of video review by umpires without making any recom- mendations. The committee of man- agers and executives met Tuesday on the second day of the winter meetings. The group will meet again in conjunction with owners’ meetings scheduled for Jan. 12-13 in Paradise Valley, Ariz. There appears to be strong sentiment for adding two wild-card teams to cre- ate a 10-club postseason, most likely for 2012. But the details have to be worked out, and the players’ association said last week that it preferred that man- agement bargain over the matter before formulating a detailed proposal of how an extra tier of playoffs would work. ‘‘I don’t think anybody’s in favor of having a setup where you have 16 teams make the playoffs or 14 teams make the playoffs,’’ said Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, a member of the committee. ‘‘But there seems to be bal- ance there that hopefully would be explored.’’ Former Dodgers and Yankees manager Joe Torre, another member of the committee, wants to make certain division winners get rewarded for first-place fin- ishes. ‘‘I felt that winning a division didn’t have as much clout as it probably should have,’’ Torre said at a news conference with Lou Piniella and Cito Gaston, two other longtime man- agers who retired along with him in 2010. ‘‘Three games in one spring training complex in Tampa for the formal announcement of Jeter’s three-year, $51 million deal. Jeter admitted he was miffed when the Yankees publicly suggested his older age and diminished numbers should result in a pay cut. When the negotiations bogged down, Cashman said the 36-year-old shortstop should explore other options if he didn’t like New York’s offer. ‘‘To hear the organization telling me to go shopping and I just told you I wasn’t going to, oh yeah, if I’m going to be honest with you, I was angry about it,’’ Jeter said. The Rockies and Wigginton reached agreement on a two-year con- tract worth $8 million, a person famil- iar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced. The 33-year-old Wigginton played first base, second base and third base for Baltimore last season. His deal came a day after Melvin Mora, who filled mostly the same role with Col- orado last season, signed with Arizona. The Diamondbacks and Putz agreed on a two-year contract worth $10 million, a person with knowledge of that deal told the AP, also speaking on condition of anonymity because that pact had not been formally announced. The 33-year-old Putz went 7-5 with three saves and a 2.83 ERA in 60 games for the Chicago White Sox last season. The former All-Star closer with Seattle made the move a day after the Diamondbacks, who came to the meetings looking for bullpen help, got right-handed relievers David Hernan- dez and Kam Mickolio from Balti- more for third baseman Mark Reynolds. Sentiment for expanded playoffs, but no plan yet Winter place, two games in another, I don’t think that’s enough of a detriment,’’ Torre said, referring to the current best- of-five division series for- mat. ‘‘I’d like to make win- ning the division, because it is tough to do, I’d like to see them have a little more of an advantage.’’ Piniella backed expand- ed playoffs, as did Gaston. ‘‘It will cause more inter- est at the end of the season,’’ the former Blue Jays man- ager said. ‘‘Teams that are not in it could be in it.’’ Retired Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox also was scheduled to be at the news conference but left the winter meetings because of a family illness. Braves president John Schuerholz, like Torre a member of Selig’s committee, took Cox’s chair, A new wild-card round likely would be best-of- three or single-game elimi- nation. ‘‘We’ll make what we think is the really best deci- sion for baseball,’’ Schuer- holz said. ‘‘There’s a lot of issues to contemplate.’’ When they met last month, more general man- agers appeared to favor NCAABASKETBALL Tuesday’s Top 25 results No. 4 Kansas 81, No.13 Memphis 68 No.7 Michigan State, No.8 Syracuse, late No. 19 Purdue 76, Valparaiso 58 Today’s Top 25 games No. 1 Duke vs.Bradley, 6 p.m., ESPN2 No.3 Pittsburgh vs.Delaware State, 4 p.m. No.6 UConn vs.Farleigh Dickinson, 4:30 p.m. No. 12 Villanova at Pennsylvania, 4 p.m. No.14 San Diego St.at Cal, 7:30 p.m., CSNC+ No. 15 Missouri vs.Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. No. 16 Illinois vs. Oakland, Mich., 5 p.m. No.17 Ky.vs.No.23 N.D.6:30 p.m., ESPN No.18 BYU vs.Vermont, 4 p.m. No.20 UNLVvs. Boise State, 7 p.m. No. 24 Louisville vs.San Francisco, 4 p.m. Today’s other televised games Seton Hall vs.Arkansas, 4 p.m., ESPN2 Gonzaga at Washington St., 8 p.m., CSNB best-of-three over a winner- take-all round. ‘‘In baseball there has to be a balance of having 162 games mean more than just seeding, like it does in some other sports,’’ Scioscia said. ‘‘I would think a longer series obviously favors a deeper team. But logistical- ly, there has to be some bal- ance to how many games you’re going to be able to get in.’’ As for replay, it hasn’t been determined whether to NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Dallas WL OT Pts GF GA 16 8 2 34 76 69 Phoenix 13 7 6 32 74 72 Kings Central Division Detroit SHARKS 13 9 4 30 78 73 Ducks 15 10 0 30 69 61 13 13 3 29 71 87 WL OT Pts GF GA 17 5 3 37 86 67 Chicago 15 12 2 32 90 84 Columbus 15 10 1 31 70 71 St. Louis 13 9 4 30 67 72 Nashville 12 8 6 30 65 68 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Vancouver 14 8 3 31 80 64 Colorado 13 10 4 30 94 86 Minnesota 11 11 4 26 63 76 Edmonton 10 12 4 24 70 93 Calgary 11 14 2 24 74 82 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA Pittsburgh 19 8 2 40 91 67 Philadelphia 17 7 4 38 95 69 N.Y. Rangers16 12 1 33 83 77 New Jersey 8 17 2 18 50 81 N.Y. Islanders5 15 5 15 53 83 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Montreal 18 8 2 38 75 54 Boston 15 8 3 33 75 52 Buffalo 11 13 4 26 70 76 Ottawa 12 15 2 26 62 85 Toronto 10 12 4 24 59 76 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Washington 18 8 3 39 96 79 Tampa Bay 15 9 3 33 84 94 Atlanta 15 10 3 33 88 80 Carolina 11 12 3 25 75 84 Florida 12 14 0 24 68 69 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. ————————————————— Tuesday’s results Boston 3, Buffalo 2, OT Florida 4, Colorado 3, OT Montreal 4, Ottawa 1 Anaheim at Edmonton, late Tampa Bay at Calgary, late Today’s games San Jose at Philadelphia,4 p.m.,VERSUS Toronto at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m. Nashville at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at Chicago, 5:30 p.m. Anaheim at Vancouver, 7 p.m. increase its use. It began in 2008, limited to reviewing whether potential home runs crossed fences or were fair. ‘‘The sentiment is pretty much the full spectrum,’’ Scioscia said. ‘‘It’s about what degree. There’s a lot of stuff to talk about.’’ NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Lakers WL Pct GB 14 6 .700 — Phoenix 11 9 .550 3 WARRIORS 813 .381 6.5 Clippers 5 17 .227 10 KINGS 415 .211 9.5 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 17 3 .850 — Dallas 17 4 .810 .5 New Orleans13 7 .650 4 Houston 8 13 .381 9.5 Memphis 8 14 .364 10 Northwest Division WL Pct GB 16 6 .727 — Utah Denver 13 7 .650 2 Okla. City 14 8 .636 2 Portland 9 11 .450 6 Minnesota 5 16 .238 10.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL Pct GB Boston 16 4 .800 — New York 13 9 .591 4 Toronto 8 13 .381 8.5 Philadelphia 7 14 .333 9.5 New Jersey 6 16 .273 11 Southeast Division WL Pct GB Orlando 15 6 .714 — Atlanta 15 8 .652 1 Miami Charlotte 8 13 .381 7 Washington 6 13 .316 8 Central Division WL Pct GB Chicago 11 8 .579 — Indiana 10 9 .526 1 Milwaukee 7 13 .350 4.5 Cleveland 7 14 .333 5 Detroit 14 8 .636 1.5 San Francisco Giants SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Tuesday, his second such procedure on his non- throwing shoulder in a year. Team athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said Sanchez had the surgery in Scottsdale, Ariz. The World Series champion Giants made the announcement at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Sanchez is expected to be in San Francisco’s starting lineup come opening day 2011. The shoulder bothered Sanchez late in the regular season and during the playoffs, when the Giants made an improba- ble run to the franchise’s first title since moving West in 1958 from New York — beating the Texas Rangers in five games in the World Series. ‘‘We tried to rehab for three to four weeks to avoid this but after several different opinions we decided, especially with the calendar, to go ahead and scope the shoulder,’’ Groeschner told reporters in Florida. The 32-year-old Sanchez also had surgery on the same shoulder last December and began the season on the dis- abled list. This time, he received three opinions before going forward with the surgery, which Groeschner said was essen- tially to cut the biceps tendon and clean up the back of his shoulder. ‘‘He had no repairs or anything. We’re probably looking at an eight-week recovery,’’ Groeschner said. ‘‘I think he’ll be behind in spring training because he’ll be rehabbing, but I think all the doctors he saw agreed that he should be back pretty quickly from there and he’ll be able to play baseball games in March, for sure.’’ Sanchez batted .292 with seven homers and 47 RBIs in 111 games this season, then proved reliable at the plate and with his glove in his first postseason after nine major league seasons. He hit .270 with four RBIs during the postseason for the NL West champions, who clinched the division on the season’s final day to end a six-year playoff drought. Sanchez has had his share of hard luck with injuries since joining the Giants on July 29, 2009, from Pittsburgh, walk- ing from the visiting clubhouse to the home side since the Pirates were playing at AT&T Park. The 2006 NL batting champion had left knee surgery after the 2009 season. NFL AFC West WL T Pct PF PA Kansas City 8 4 0 .667 295 237 RAIDERS 66 0 .500 283 269 Chargers 6 6 0 .500 323 253 Denver East 3 9 0 .250 256 333 WL T Pct PF PA New England 10 2 0 .833 379 269 N.Y. Jets 9 3 0 .750 267 232 Miami Buffalo South 6 6 0 .500 215 238 2 10 0 .167 243 333 WL T Pct PF PA Jacksonville 7 5 0 .583 257 300 Indianapolis 6 6 0 .500 317 290 Houston 5 7 0 .417 288 321 Tennessee 5 7 0 .417 263 235 North WL T Pct PF PA Pittsburgh 9 3 0 .750 267 191 Baltimore 8 4 0 .667 260 201 Cleveland 5 7 0 .417 229 239 Cincinnati 2 10 0 .167 255 322 NFC West Seattle WL T Pct PF PA 6 6 0 .500 240 289 St. Louis 6 6 0 .500 232 237 49ERS 48 0 .333 203 259 Arizona 3 9 0 .250 200 338 East WL T Pct PF PA N.Y. Giants 8 4 0 .667 308 247 Philadelphia 8 4 0 .667 344 281 Washington 5 7 0 .417 222 293 Dallas South 4 8 0 .333 294 336 WL T Pct PF PA Atlanta 10 2 0 .833 304 233 New Orleans 9 3 0 .750 299 227 Tampa Bay 7 5 0 .583 243 251 Carolina 1 11 0 .083 154 307 North WL T Pct PF PA Chicago 9 3 0 .750 246 192 Green Bay 8 4 0 .667 303 182 Minnesota 5 7 0 .417 227 253 Detroit ————————————————— Week 13 results 7 15 .318 5.5 ————————————————— Tuesday’s results Dallas 105, Golden State 100 Atlanta 116, New Jersey 101 Charlotte 100, Denver 98 Houston 97, Detroit 83 Philadelphia 117, Cleveland 97 Phoenix at Portland, late Washington at L.A. Lakers, late Today’s games Golden State at S.A.,5:30 p.m.,CSNB Washington at Sacramento,7 p.m.,CSNC Chicago at Cleveland, 4 p.m. Denver at Boston, 4 p.m. Toronto at New York, 4:30 p.m. Detroit at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Indiana at Milwaukee, 5 p.m. Oklahoma City at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Memphis at Phoenix, 6 p.m. Miami at Utah, 6 p.m. L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. Monday’s late result L.A. Clippers 98, Sacramento 91 Green Bay 34, San Francisco 16 Oakland 28, San Diego 13 Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 24 Chicago 24, Detroit 20 Cleveland 13, Miami 10 Dallas 38, Indianapolis 35, OT Jacksonville 17, Tennessee 6 Kansas City 10, Denver 6 Minnesota 38, Buffalo 14 New England 45, N.Y. Jets 3 New Orleans 34, Cincinnati 30 N.Y. Giants 31, Washington 7 Philadelphia 34, Houston 24 Pittsburgh 13, Baltimore 10 Seattle 31, Carolina 14 St. Louis 19, Arizona 6 Thursday’s game Indianapolis at Tennessee, 5:20 p.m. Sunday’s games Oakland at Jacksonville, 10 a.m. Seattle at San Francisco, 1:05 p.m. Atlanta at Carolina, 10 a.m. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 10 a.m. Cleveland at Buffalo, 10 a.m. Green Bay at Detroit, 10 a.m. N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 10 a.m. Tampa Bay at Washington, 10 a.m. Denver at Arizona, 1:15 p.m. Kansas City at San Diego, 1:15 p.m. Miami at N.Y. Jets, 1:15 p.m. New England at Chicago, 1:15 p.m. St. Louis at New Orleans, 1:05 p.m. Philadelphia at Dallas, 5:20 p.m. Monday’s game Baltimore at Houston, 5:30 p.m. 2 10 0 .167 278 306 Indianapolis ODDS Glantz-Culver Line For Dec.8 NFL Thursday 2.5 (46.5) at Tennessee Sunday at Jacksonville 4.5 (43) at Pittsburgh 9 (39.5) New England 3 (41) at Buffalo 7.5 (42) Tampa Bay at Minnesota OFF (OFF) N.Y. Giants Green Bay Atlanta 1.5 (40.5) 7 (47) at New Orleans 9 (47) at San Francisco 4.5 (41.5) at N.Y.Jets 5.5 (41) Baltimore Off Key Monday 3 (45.5) Minnesota QB questionable Arizona QB questionable NCAABasketball Today at Northeastern 1 Seton Hall-x at Boston College 6.5 Villanova 4.5 16 North Carolina 7 Minnesota at Louisville at Wright St. W.Kentucky at Illinois St. at George Washington 9 Detroit 8.5 1.5 22 8 at E.Michigan 2.5 at Texas Tech 4.5 at Indiana St. 7 Duquesne 26 7 Rhode Island Arkansas Providence at Penn at Evansville at Saint Joseph’s Towson at W.Michigan San Francisco Air Force 5.5 at Bowling Green 5 Ohio Drake TCU DePaul at Wisconsin 20.5 at Arizona Tulsa-y at Duke at Missouri Kentucky-x 2.5 4 San Diego St. 3 at Colorado at Saint Mary’s 19 at UNLV-z at George Mason 13 at Buffalo at Maryland at S. Illinois Ball St. at IPFW at Illinois 16 at Washington St. 2.5 at Fordham 3.5 13 2.5 13.5 13.5 x-at Louisville, Ky. y-at BOK Center z-at Orleans Arena NBA Today Chicago at Boston at New York 6 5.5 7 at New Orleans 8.5 at Milwaukee 2.5 Oklahoma City 4.5 at San Antonio 11 at Utah at Phoenix 1.5 5.5 10 NHL Today at Pittsburgh -250 at Philadelphia-140 at Detroit -220 at Chicago -150 at Vancouver -230 Toronto +210 San Jose +120 Nashville +180 Dallas +130 Anaheim+190 at Cleveland Denver Toronto Detroit Indiana at Minnesota Golden State Miami Memphis at Sacramento 3.5 Washington L.A.Lakers at L.A.Clippers 24.5 1 2.5 at Wis.-Green Bay Wis.-Milwaukee Cal St.-Fullerton Oklahoma St. Bradley Vanderbilt Notre Dame at California Colorado St. Denver Boise St. Gonzaga Manhattan Loyola, Md. Niagara 27 UNC Greensboro 19 Oakland SE Missouri at E.Illinois Toledo Oakland Cincinnati at Chicago Cleveland at Detroit at Carolina 2.5 (41) at Washington St.Louis Seattle Miami at Arizona OFF(OFF) 3.5 (50.5) Denver at San Diego 7 (46.5) Kansas City Philadelphia at Dallas at Houston