Arbitrator Rules Against Drew

Arbitrator Dana Eischen invalidated changes teams made to the major league rules last September to close draft loopholes, but declined to make J.D. Drew a free agent.

The rights to Drew, a former Florida State outfielder who was the second choice in the 1997 draft, still belong to the Philadelphia Phillies, Eischen ruled Tuesday.

Phillie General Manager Ed Wade said that the team’s offer of a record $2.6-million signing bonus and a contract that could have paid him up to $6 million for four years stands, even with the ruling.

Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, has said that other teams have told him they would pay $11 million for Drew and has held out for that much from Philadelphia, asking for Drew’s free agency.

After hearing of the decision, Boras said he would talk with Wade. “We’ve always said we would listen to anything they had to say,” Boras said.

The Phillies retain Drew’s negotiating rights through Monday. If he doesn’t sign by 12:01 a.m. EDT next Tuesday, he can be selected by any team in the 1998 amateur draft, which starts June 2.

Philadelphia has the top pick in this year’s draft.

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Two days after his perfect game for the Yankees, David Wells was presented with a gold-plated key to New York by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who proclaimed Tuesday “David Wells Day.”

Wells received his key outside City Hall amid fluttering red, white and blue bunting and the thumping sounds of the police department’s marching band.

Opera singer Robert Merrill, whose tape-recorded rendition of the national anthem is played at Yankee Stadium, performed “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

Wells appeared surprised when asked to speak to a crowd of several hundred.

“It’s something that I thought would never, never happen, and it did,” Wells said. “I give a lot of credit to my teammates, because if it wasn’t for them, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Yankee Manager Joe Torre thanked Wells for making his job easy.

“If you don’t have to make any decisions, it’s a wonderful game to manage,” Torre said.

The Yankees defeated the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, Sunday with Wells retiring 27 consecutive batters. He joined Don Larsen as the only Yankee pitchers to turn in perfect games. Larsen’s gem was in the 1956 World Series.

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Wilfredo Cordero got a largely icy reception in his return to Boston for the first time since pleading guilty to beating his wife.

Cordero, a member of the Chicago White Sox, was hugged by the Red Sox’s Mo Vaughn, and shunned most of more than 30 reporters who gathered to question him.

He had been released by Boston at the end of last season after being arrested last summer after an early-morning fight with his wife that left her bloodied and bruised. Cordero pleaded guilty in November to beating and threatening to kill his wife. He received a 90-day suspended sentence and was ordered to attend regular counseling sessions.

Cordero did speak at length in Spanish with a reporter from a local Spanish-language newspaper.

“He said he wanted to say a few words to his community and the people who supported him,” said Alberto Vasalo, who writes for El Mundo.

Cordero was booed halfheartedly by the sparse crowd that was in its seats when the lineups were announced 15 minutes before game time. The crowd cheered on each of his four consecutive outs.

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The New York Mets activated Edgardo Alfonzo from the 15-day disabled list before Tuesday’s game against Cincinnati and optioned outfielder Preston Wilson to triple-A Norfolk.