Tiger Woods is AP’s athlete of the decade

As sports go, it wasn’t close: Tiger Woods was famous for his golf long before he became infamous for his personal life.

For 10 incomparable years, no one ruled a sport like Woods. He won 64 tournaments, including 12 major championships. He hoisted a trophy on every continent where golf is played. And those 56 titles in one decade on the PGA Tour? Consider that only four of golf’s greatest players won more in their entire careers.

Even as a shocking sex scandal changed the way people look at Woods, his performance could not be ignored.

Woods was selected Wednesday as the athlete of the decade by members of the Associated Press in a vote that was more about what he did on the course than the self-described transgressions as a person.

“The only reason I wouldn’t vote for Tiger Woods is because of the events of the last three weeks,” said Mike Strain, sports editor of the Tulsa (Okla.) World. “And I didn’t think that was enough to change my vote. I thought he was a transcendent sports figure.”

He received 56 of the 142 votes cast since last month by editors at U.S. newspapers that are members of the AP. More than half the ballots were returned after the Nov. 27 car accident outside his Florida home that set off sensational tales of infidelity.

Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won the Tour de France six times this decade, finished second with 33 votes. He was followed by Roger Federer, who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man, with 25 votes.

A doctor who has treated Woods and many other professional athletes was charged by Canadian authorities with selling an unapproved drug known as Actovegin.

Dr. Anthony Galea, 51, also was charged with conspiracy to import an unapproved drug, conspiracy to export a drug and smuggling goods into Canada by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

BASEBALL

Halladay trade is finally done

All it took was four teams, $60 million and a swap of Cy Young Award winners to finish off Roy Halladay’s long and winding trade saga.

He landed right where he wanted to pitch, with the two-time National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.

In one of baseball’s biggest trades involving top pitchers, the Phillies sent postseason ace Cliff Lee to Seattle and acquired Halladay from Toronto as part of a complicated, four-team deal.

Oakland also was included in the nine-player swap, marking the first time in history that two Cy Young winners were dealt on the same day.

Money was a key factor too. The Blue Jays sent $6 million to Philadelphia with Halladay, who then agreed to a $60-million, three-year contract extension through 2013.

Pitcher John Lackey finalized an $82.5-million, five-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.

The top pitcher in the free-agent market joins a strong rotation that includes right-hander Josh Beckett and lefty Jon Lester.

Lackey has a 102-71 regular-season record with a 3.81 earned-run average in eight seasons, all with the Angels.

The Milwaukee Brewers have finalized their $7.5-million, two-year contract with reliever LaTroy Hawkins, a deal agreed to at the winter meetings last week. . . . The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a $2.5-million, two-year contract with infielder Ramon Santiago that avoided arbitration. . . . The Washington Nationals are freezing or cutting prices on all single-game tickets for the second consecutive year -- and after a second straight 100-loss season.

ETC.

Dudley running for governor

Former NBA center Chris Dudley has formally announced he is running for governor of Oregon.

The 6-foot-11 Yale graduate told supporters he wants to slow the growth of the state budget and considers his lack of political experience a plus.

Dudley, 44, played 16 years in the NBA, including two stints with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He will compete for the Republican nomination against three others.

Golden State Warriors center Mikki Moore will be sidelined indefinitely because of bone spurs in his right heel.

The team said Moore will have surgery this week. Moore is averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this season.

After months of negotiations with four potential promoters for the financially troubled Milwaukee Mile racetrack failed to reach the finish line, the Wisconsin State Fair Park board of directors announced that the track will not host any major racing events in 2010.