BASEBALL

ORTIZ: RAMIREZ WON’T RETURN TO BOSTON

One of baseball’s most fearsome offensive duos – the Boston Red Sox’ David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez – appears to be history. According to Ortiz, “Manny is not returning to Boston.”

“Manny is living through a difficult situation [in Boston] that only he and his family know, and he no longer wants to play there,” Ortiz said after arriving early Monday in the Dominican Republic.

Ramirez has asked for a trade in each of his five seasons with the Red Sox, but apparently this one is definite. He has three years worth $160 million remaining on his contract with the Red Sox. Because of his status as a player with 10 seasons in the major leagues and five with the same team, he is allowed to approve any trade.The Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim have been named as a possible destination for Ramirez, as well as the Mets.

“I spoke with him last week before he left for Brazil, and he told me that he wants to go to a team in the West,” Ortiz said.

YANKEES PICK UP CONTRACT OPTION ON STURTZE

The Yankees exercised their 2006 contract option on right-handed reliever Tanyon Sturtze yesterday. Financial terms were not disclosed. Sturtze, 35, was a durable part of the Yankees’ staff last season, working as a starter and closer but mostly in short relief.

Sturtze was 5-3 with a 4.73 ERA in 64 appearance, allowing.76 hits and 27 walks in 78 innings, striking out 45, and holding left-handed hitters to a .233 average.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

SYRACUSE UPSET AT HOME BY BUCKNELL

Kevin Bettencourt scored 20 points and keyed a late 13-2 run as Bucknell rallied past no. 17 Syracuse 74-69 last night in Syracuse. It was the first win for the Bison (2-0) in nine meetings with Syracuse (3-2) and sent the Orange to their second straight loss.

Charles Lee had 18 points and Chris McNaughton had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bison. Demetris Nichols led Syracuse with 19 points, Gerry McNamara had 18, and Terrence Roberts had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The first meeting between the teams since the 1989 NCAA tournament was tight throughout.A steal and layup by Bucknell’s Abe Badmus tied it at 60-all with 4:19 to go. After the Orange missed three straight times down court, Lee stole the ball from Darryl Watkins in the lane and sent Bettencourt on a fast-break layup that put Bucknell up 62-60 with 2:38 left. McNaughton then hit a hook in the lane and Bettencourt went 5-for-6 from the free throw line to give the Bison an insurmountable 69-62 lead with 65 seconds left.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR O’BRIEN AWARD

Southern California’s Matt Leinart,Texas’s Vince Young, and Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn were announced yesterday as the three finalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, awarded each year to the nation’s best quarterback.

Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, has thrown for 3,217 yards and 24 touchdowns for top-ranked USC.The senior is fourth in the country in passing efficiency (161.9).Young, a junior, is sixth in the nation in total offense at 318 yards per game and second in passing efficiency with a 169.8 rating. Quinn, a junior, has had a breakout season under new head coach Charlie Weis, throwing for 3,201 yards with a school record 29 touchdown passes.The award will be handed out December 8.

HOCKEY

FISCHER DOING ‘VERY, VERY WELL’ FOLLOWING SEIZURE

Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer was “doing very, very well” yesterday, a day after he collapsed on the bench and his heart stopped during a game.

Detroit general manager Ken Holland and team physician Tony Colucci – who performed CPR to Fischer on the bench Monday night – said the player was “in good spirits.”

An auto defibrillator was used on Fischer before he was taken out of the arena by ambulance to Detroit Receiving Hospital. Fischer, 25, was hospitalized in good condition after he began having convulsions on the bench late in the first period of a game against the Nashville Predators. Fischer’s blood pressure and heart rate were stable by the time he got to the hospital.

“There’s no way to speculate on what triggered it,” Colucci said, and added that he didn’t know when Fischer could play again.

– Associated Press