Rookie Bell to Manage Tigers

Buddy Bell, a coach with the Cleveland Indians the last two seasons, was hired by the Detroit Tigers on Thursday to succeed Sparky Anderson as manager.

Bell, 44, who spent 18 years in the majors as a third baseman, signed a two-year contract for his first managing assignment.

“Buddy is a young man who brings a lifetime of pro baseball experience,” General Manager Randy Smith said. “He is the kind of leader that players will respond to.”

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Kirby Puckett will return to the Minnesota Twins for a 13th consecutive season, his agent said. Puckett, 34, could have gotten out of the last two years of his contract, which guarantees him $13 million over the next two seasons, by notifying the Twins next week but will not exercise that option, according to Ron Shapiro.

Golf

Six players were at 71, among them defending champion Ray Floyd, Isao Aoki and Tony Jacklin, the last qualifier in the 31-man field.

Boxing

Don King’s defense lawyer asked for a mistrial, saying prosecutors called the boxing promoter a liar at his insurance fraud trial. . . . The World Boxing Council reaffirmed its decision to have Frank Bruno fight Mike Tyson for the WBC heavyweight title in March.

Miscellany

The U.S. Olympic Committee awarded $1.12 million in grass-roots sports grants, its latest effort to counter criticism that it spends too much on medal winners and too little on development.

The grants will pay for projects ranging from finding sailing coaches in Boy Scout troops to special training for the nation’s best wheelchair archers.