Spain Is Next America’s Cup Site

Valencia, Spain, will play host to the 2007 America’s Cup, the first time since the initial race in 1851 that yachting’s showcase event will be held in Europe.

Valencia beat out three other European candidates Wednesday: Lisbon; Marseille, France; and Naples, Italy.

The country of the defending champion traditionally hosts the next America’s Cup. But Switzerland is landlocked, forcing a search for another venue.

The Swiss boat Alinghi, owned by billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, won the America’s Cup in March in New Zealand.

About 60 cities initially expressed interest in being the host, and the list was cut to four before the announcement by AC Management, the company set up by Alinghi to select the host and organize the tournament.

“The combination of all the other criteria and the sailing conditions are the reason we chose Valencia,” said Michel Bonnefous, the company’s chief executive.

Organizers plan to build team compounds and an America’s Cup village in the basin of the port of Valencia, a few miles from downtown.

Because Valencia’s bay deepens close to the shore, races can be held within viewing distance of the city’s beaches and waterfront promenade.

Baseball

All-Star catcher Ramon Hernandez and outfielder Terrence Long were traded from the Oakland Athletics to San Diego for outfielder Mark Kotsay more than a week after the teams tentatively agreed to the deal.

The teams thought they’d finish the trade Nov. 18, but the A’s wanted to see medical information on Kotsay, who had a herniated disk in his lower back that hampered him last season.

Oakland asked for scans from an MRI exam on Kotsay, then requested that he have a physical exam.

The Padres in turn requested physical exams on Hernandez and Long.

“The medical reports were probably as good as you can get,” A’s General Manager Billy Beane said.

The Kansas City Royals’ unexpected success last season paid off when third baseman Joe Randa and pitchers Brian Anderson and Curtis Leskanic agreed to return next year.

The Royals won 83 games in 2003, staying in the AL Central race after losing a franchise-record 100 in 2002.

Anderson, Leskanic and Randa all said the fun the team had under Manager Tony Pena and the prospect that the success will continue were factors in their decisions.

Leskanic, 35, agreed to a one-year deal that guarantees him $1,375,000. Anderson, 31, agreed to a two-year contract. Randa, 33, agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2005.

Veteran catcher Sandy Alomar and the Chicago White Sox agreed to a $750,000, one-year contract with a club option for 2005. Alomar, 37, batted .268 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 75 games with the White Sox in 2003.

Left-hander Bruce Chen agreed to a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Chen, 26, went 0-1 with a 5.55 ERA in 16 games for Houston and Boston last season.

Miscellany

The Big East Conference has requested a stay, or even dismissal, of the lawsuit filed by the University of Miami last month claiming that the school lost money by staying in the league.

The request for the stay was filed Tuesday with U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages.

The conference asked that the Miami suit be put off until the conclusion of a Big East lawsuit filed earlier against Miami in Connecticut.

The top-seeded UCLA men’s soccer team began the defense of its NCAA title with a 3-2 victory over Tulsa at Drake Stadium. In other second-round play, 13th-seeded Loyola Marymount lost, 1-0, in overtime to sixth-seeded Santa Clara at Sullivan Field.

The Southern California chapter of the NFL Alumni Assn., has chosen former UCLA Bruin player and Raider assistant coach Sam Boghosian to receive its Man of the Years award.

The award will be presented Dec. 4 at the Long Beach Airport Marriott Hotel.