Expos Still Headed for D.C. Home

District of Columbia leaders announced an agreement Monday night that they said would bring the deal to move the Montreal Expos to Washington back from the brink of collapse.

The District of Columbia Council was to move today on the measure, which was agreed to after negotiations involving Mayor Anthony A. Williams, D.C. Council Chair Linda W. Cropp and baseball officials.

The compromise plan for the 41,000-seat ballpark along the Anacostia River, south of the Capitol, allows private financing and splitting the liability for cost overruns and missed construction deadlines evenly between the city and Major League Baseball, Williams spokesman Chris Bender said.

Williams’ office will keep the council informed on all private funding proposals it receives. In return, Cropp agreed to drop a provision she inserted last week that would void the deal if the city couldn’t find a private donor to pay at least half of the construction costs.

Baseball officials were optimistic that the plan would meet their expectations. If a financing law is in place by Dec. 31 and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig declares that arrangements are satisfactory to have the team play at RFK Stadium in 2005, the franchise would move to Washington and be renamed the Nationals.

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Former Dodger outfielder Dave Roberts was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Jay Payton and infielder Ramon Vazquez. Boston also received minor-league right-hander David Pauley and $2.65 million in cash for Roberts.... Right fielder Jacque Jones agreed to a $5-million, one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins that avoided salary arbitration.... Second baseman Ronnie Belliard agreed to a $3-million, one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians that avoided salary arbitration.... Free-agent reliever Steve Kline and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $5.5-million, two-year contract, and right fielder Jay Gibbons agreed to a $2.6 million, one-year deal.... Left-hander Kent Mercker agreed to a $2.6-million, two-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds.... Left-handed reliever Joey Eischen agreed to a $1.04 million, one-year contract with the Expos.... Right-handed reliever Justin Speier signed a $4.15-million, two-year deal to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays.... The Houston Astros cut injured pitcher Wade Miller when they did not offer him a 2005 contract by Monday’s deadline.... New York Met center fielder Mike Cameron will sit out the start of the season and possibly all of April after surgery to remove damaged cartilage in his left wrist.

Soccer

Brazilian striker Ronaldinho won FIFA’s world-player-of-the-year award, beating out France’s Thierry Henry and Ukraine’s Andrei Shevchenko.

Germany’s Birgit Prinz won the women’s award, ahead of Mia Hamm and Brazilian youngster Marta. Prinz was a repeat winner.

Ronaldinho, who plays for FC Barcelona in the Spanish league, won the poll of national soccer associations with 620 votes, ahead of Henry at 552 and Shevchenko with 253.

Jorge Vergara, owner of Chivas of Guadalajara and Chivas USA in Major League Soccer, said he plans to launch a women’s league in Mexico in 2006. “The possibilities are very good in all respects, including clubs interested in entering,” said Vergara, without offering more details.... The United States will open the home portion of the final round of World Cup qualifying on March 30 in Birmingham, Ala., at Legion Field against Guatemala.... Manchester United is planning to allow American defender Jonathan Spector to leave the club on loan so he can gain more first-team experience elsewhere. The team gave no indication as to where Spector might play.... Columbus Crew Coach Greg Andrulis has agreed to a new contract that will bring him back for at least another season.

High Schools

UCLA-bound Darren Collison scored 21 points and Arizona State-bound Jeff Pendergraph had 15 points and 14 rebounds to help Etiwanda (9-0), ranked No. 1 by the Times, to a 77-64 victory over Fremont in the championship game of the L.A. City Classic at L.A. Adventist Academy.

Etiwanda had five players score in double figures. Fremont (4-1), ranked No. 10 by the Times, received 14 points each from Mark Hill and Danny Williams.

Josh Portis, an All-City quarterback from Woodland Hills Taft who had committed to Utah, has decided to follow Coach Urban Meyer, who has left Utah for Florida. Portis will enroll next month.

Mike Maio, who guided Woodland Hills El Camino Real to four City Section baseball championships in the 1990s, will take over the program at Westlake Village Oaks Christian. He last coached baseball in 1998, when El Camino Real won its last City title. He has been an assistant football coach at Oaks Christian.

Jurisprudence

Former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Paul Spadafora pleaded guilty in Pittsburgh to aggravated assault and a weapons charge for shooting his girlfriend last year.

Spadafora’s attorney said he expected a sentence of no more than two years, not counting time served. A sentencing date will be set after a pre-sentencing hearing.