Sports briefs for December 1, 2004

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2004 | 10 a.m.

Cecil Fielder sues Detroit newspapers

Former major leaguer and UNLV player Cecil Fielder has sued the publisher of Detroit's two daily newspapers for libel and slander over a series of articles that said he lost $47 million through bad investments and gambling.

Fielder, who played 13 seasons with the Detroit, New York Yankees, Anaheim, Toronto and Cleveland, also sued his real estate agent and a reporter for the Detroit News who wrote the stories.

Fielder says in the suit that he suffered more than $25 million in damages. The Detroit Newspaper Agency, which operates Gannett Co.'s Detroit News, and its competitor, Knight-Ridder Inc.'s Detroit Free Press, are named as defendants.

The first story, which ran Oct. 17 under the headline, "Gambling Shatters Ex-Tiger's Dream Life," cited New Jersey Superior Court records that showed Fielder lost $580,000 at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City during one 40-hour period in 1999.

Wranglers lose

Damian Surma scored with 1:08 to play to lift the Florida Everblades to a 5-4 victory against the Wranglers in their ECHL game at Estero, Fla. It was the 10th consecutive one-goal game for the Wranglers (9-7-1), who fell to 4-2 on their 10-game road trip. Jeff Attard, Jason Spence, Doug Wright and Dan Tudin scored for the Wranglers, who play Friday and Saturday at Anchorage against the Alaska Aces.

U.S. draws Trinidad

The U.S. soccer team drew Trinidad and Tobago as its first opponent for the final round of World Cup qualifying. The match is schedule for Feb. 9 -- Ash Wednesday, the day after the island caps its Carnival celebration. The first U.S. home match in the 10-match final round will be March 30 against Guatamala.

Hingis plans return

No. 1-ranked player Martina Hingis plans to compete in a tournament in Thailand in January, the first WTA Tour event for Hingis since 2002. She retired in 2002 after operations on both ankles, six years after becoming the youngest player to reach the No. 1 ranking.