Sasaki, Mariners Nullify Contract

Kazuhiro Sasaki choked back tears when he stopped by the Seattle Mariner clubhouse and said goodbye to Edgar Martinez, Bret Boone and other former teammates.

Sasaki signed papers Tuesday to terminate his contract, leaving behind a guaranteed $8.5 million next season because he wants to remain in Japan with his wife and two young children.

“I’m not really sure what people are thinking, but most importantly my children are very happy,” Sasaki said through an interpreter.

The Mariners put their former closer on waivers, with other teams notified that Sasaki will not pitch if he is claimed. Seattle plans to give Sasaki his unconditional release when he clears waivers later this week.

He plans to pitch in Japan next season.

“Nothing has been decided,” Sasaki said. “I’m going to go back to Japan and see what happens. I want to continue pitching.”

Sasaki, who turns 36 next month, is Seattle’s career leader with 129 saves over four years.

He spent much of last season on the disabled list and had a 1-2 record with a 4.05 earned-run average and 10 saves.

College Football

Former Kansas City Chief assistant Greg Robinson and former Arizona and Hawaii coach Dick Tomey were hired as defensive assistants by Texas.

Robinson resigned this month after three seasons as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator. Tomey spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Louisiana State Coach Nick Saban hired Bobby Williams, who replaced him as coach at Michigan State in 1999, as an assistant.

Williams, fired by Michigan State during the 2002 season, was wide receivers coach with the Detroit Lions last year.

Golf

Michelle Wie accepted an invitation to play in the LPGA’s Evian Masters in July in France.

Wie, a 14-year-old amateur, missed the cut by one stroke this month in the PGA’s Sony Open in her home state of Hawaii.

Laura Davies will play in the men’s ANZ Championship in February at Sydney, Australia.

Davies played in her first men’s tournament in October, missing the cut by four strokes in the Korean Open.

Miscellany

Benjamin Raich of Austria rallied from third place to win a World Cup slalom at Schladming, Austria, in 1 minute 41.67 seconds and Bode Miller finished fourth in 1:42.37 after holding the first-leg lead.

Kim Un Yong, a suspended International Olympic Committee vice president, was arrested in Seoul amid investigations into possible embezzlement of funds from taekwondo organizations.

The Yonhap news agency, quoting unidentified prosecution sources, reported that Kim is accused of embezzling $3.34 million from the World Taekwondo Federation and the Seoul-based World Taekwondo Headquarters that issues taekwondo credentials.

The U.S. Taekwondo Union agreed to a restructuring plan, sparing it from being stripped of its powers as the sport’s national governing body by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Under the agreement, President Sang Lee and the rest of the USTU’s officers resigned.

Passings

James Pursell, who was USC’s oldest living football letterman, died Sunday in Laguna Woods, Calif. He was 103.

Pursell, a three-year letterman (1921-23), played guard for USC’s first Rose Bowl team. He later taught physical education and coached football and track and field in Los Angeles for 35 years at Jefferson, Beverly Hills and University highs.

Funeral services will be private. Pursell is survived by a daughter, Helen Wilson, and son, James Pursell Jr., four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Fred Haas, whose five PGA Tour victories included one that stopped Byron Nelson’s record winning streak, died Monday in Louisiana. He was 88.

As an amateur, Haas won the 1945 Memphis Open to end Nelson’s winning streak at 11 tournaments.