McKeon, Marlins Reach Agreement

Jack McKeon agreed to a one-year extension and will return to manage the Florida Marlins next season, owner Jeffrey Loria announced Tuesday during the team’s World Series celebration.

The sides agreed on the deal Monday night, McKeon said.

“I always had no doubt I was coming back,” said McKeon, who refused to announce his intentions during the season.

McKeon, 72, took over when Jeff Torborg was fired in May and engineered the Marlins’ turnaround from last place to World Series champions.

Under McKeon, the Marlins posted the best record in baseball during the final four months of the season.

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The Marlins and Miami-Dade County announced a plan to spend $210 million toward a ballpark that would open in 2007.

The 38,000-seat stadium, which would have a retractable roof, is projected to cost $325 million, not including land. The Marlins will commit $137 million and the county $73 million.

“Obviously, that leaves a gap,” County Mayor Alex Penelas said. “We don’t have answers on how to fill that gap today.”

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Outfielder Frank Catalanotto and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $2.3-million, one-year contract.... The Minnesota Twins declined their $1-million option on infielder Chris Gomez.... As expected, Jim Duquette was hired as general manager of the New York Mets.... The Dodgers were rated by Baseball America as having the strongest draft in the major leagues this year.... Ten players with major league experience, including Texas infielder Mike Lamb and Oakland pitcher Justin Duchscherer, are among the 24 selected to the United States team that will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament Thursday through Nov. 10 at Panama City.

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Jurisprudence

Boxing heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis is asking a bankruptcy judge in New York to liquidate former champion Mike Tyson’s assets so he can recoup $20 million.

Last year, Tyson received about $17.5 million for a championship fight against Lewis, who retained his title with an eighth-round knockout.

In June, Lewis filed a $20-million lawsuit against Tyson, accusing him of breaching a contract for a rematch.

Tyson, who has earned more than $200 million, owes creditors more than $27 million, including $61,000 to a Ferrari dealer and $174,000 to a Las Vegas jeweler. He filed for bankruptcy in August along with Mike Tyson Enterprises Inc.

Former Baylor basketball player Carlton Dotson was extradited to Waco, Texas, three months after being arrested in Maryland in the shooting death of former teammate Patrick Dennehy.

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Tennis

U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, seeded second, defeated Victor Hanescu of Romania, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), and top-ranked Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain defeated qualifier Nicolas Mahut of France, 7-6 (7), 6-4, in the second round of the Paris Masters.

Alexandra Stevenson rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the third set and defeated Silvija Talaja of Croatia, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, in the first round of the Advanta Championships at Villanova, Pa.

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Miscellany

Aaron Johnson, Penn State’s leading rebounder last season, is out indefinitely after surgery for a detached retina.

Jury selection started in Salt Lake City in the Olympic bribery trial, which will determine whether two bid leaders broke the law to bring the 2002 Winter Games to Utah.

Tom Welch, 59, the bid leader, and Dave Johnson, 44, his deputy, are accused of handing out $1 million in cash, gifts and favors to win the Winter Games for Salt Lake City.

A tournament-record $1,165,230 was awarded for a 565-pound blue marlin caught by Brady Bunte of Laguna Niguel last weekend at the AutoExotica-Bisbee Black & Blue Marlin Jackpot tournament off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Bunte was accompanied by teammates David Kohler of Laguna Niguel and David Finkelstein of Houston.

Beijing was selected to play host to the women’s softball world championships in 2006.

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Passings

Johnny Boyd, who finished third in the Indianapolis 500 in 1958, died of cancer Sunday in his Fresno home. He was 77.