Sports briefs for November 18, 2003

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003 | 10:53 a.m.

The baseball commissioner's office has asked the American League champion New York Yankees to consider moving their 2004 season opener to Japan.

The series would be a homecoming showcase for Yankees outfielder outfielder Hideki Matsui, who won three Most Valuable Player awards with the Yomiuri Giants.

The Yankees received a letter Monday from Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, asking them to consider shifting games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to Japan, one of the officials said.

The letter said baseball also was considering other teams for the trip but did not elaborate, the official said.

The talks between the Yankees and the commissioner's officer were described as being in "their infancy." Both teams and the players' association would have to agree to the shift.

New York is scheduled to open at home against Tampa Bay on April 5 and 7, then play a four-game series at Tampa Bay April 12-15.

Lemieux still hurt

Mario Lemieux will miss at least three more games because of an injured right hip that already has kept him idle for more than two weeks.

Saint Joe's moves up

Saint Joseph's used its victory against Gonzaga to move from 17th to No. 13 in The Associated Press' Top 25 men's rankings. Connecticut held the No. 1 spot. In the women's poll, Texas replaced Duke at No. 2, its highest ranking in 16 years.

U.S. rallies past China

The U.S. men's team rallied past winless China today in Tokyo at the World Cup, a qualifying event for the Athens Olympics. The U.S. is 2-1 and the top three teams in the 12-nation volleyball tournament advance to the 2004 Olympics.

Sun leads women

China's Caiyan Sun won the overall title in the 128-pound class of the women's competition of the world championships at Vancouver, British Columbia.