Miller Disqualified for Straddling Gate

Bode Miller was disqualified Tuesday after straddling a gate during the first run of a World Cup slalom event, won by Finland’s Kalle Palander at Schladming, Austria.

American Ted Ligety, who had the leading time in the first run, and Olympic champion Jean-Pierre Vidal also were disqualified for running over a gate.

Palander put together two near-perfect runs to win his first World Cup race of the season, finishing in a combined time of 1 minute 42.34 seconds.

Miller, a winner here in 2002, is expected to skip next week’s races in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, to rest before entering the Olympics. He has not missed a World Cup start since March 2002, a streak of 136 races.

Japan’s Akira Sasaki was second, 0.79 behind, and overall World Cup leader Benjamin Raich was third, 0.81 seconds back.

BASEBALL

Epstein Is Back as Boston General Manager

Theo Epstein will resume his duties as general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Epstein left on Halloween after an internal squabble, and the team conducted a halfhearted search to replace him. The team announced on Dec. 12 that Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington, two of Epstein’s former lieutenants, would serve as co-GMs. Last week, the team said Epstein would return to baseball operations full time, in a capacity to be determined.

Epstein’s return as GM -- his other title is being moved up a notch from senior vice president to executive vice president -- was first reported by the Boston Herald.

Former All-Stars Mike Easler and Lance Parrish and former major leaguers Danny Darwin and Bill Robinson are among those who have been added to the Dodgers’ minor league coaching staff for the 2006 season, the team announced.

Easler will be the hitting coach and Darwin the pitching coach at double-A Jacksonville. Parrish will take over as manager at rookie-level Ogden. Robinson will serve as minor-league hitting coordinator.

Among other changes in the farm system: Former Dodger catcher Steve Yeager was promoted to coach at triple-A Las Vegas from Jacksonville; former Dodger pitcher Ken Howell will become pitching coach at Las Vegas; and former major league pitcher Richie Lewis will be the pitching coach at Class-A Columbus.

Outfielder Jay Gibbons agreed to a $21.1-million, four-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Gibbons would have become eligible for free agency after the season.

New York Yankee pitcher Aaron Small was rewarded with a $1.2-million, one-year contract after he went 10-0 with a 3.20 earned-run average following a midseason call-up from the minor leagues.

Jeff Bagwell is planning to show up at spring training, despite the Houston Astros’ contention that he’s too hurt to play, according to his agent, Barry Axelrod. Bagwell, 37, had surgery on his arthritic right throwing shoulder in June.

The Minnesota Twins and infielder Nick Punto agreed to a one-year contract worth $690,000.

Right-hander James Baldwin and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a minor league contract that would pay him $450,000 if he were added to the major league roster.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC to Play Arkansas on Sept. 2 in Fayetteville

USC announced that its 2006 opener at Arkansas has been moved from Sept. 9 to Sept. 2 and will be televised by ESPN.

The Trojans also added a 2007 season-opening home game against Idaho and 2009 season-opening home game against San Jose State.

The Times reported this month that USC Coach Pete Carroll welcomed the switch of the Arkansas game at Fayetteville because it allows the Trojans to have an open date after the road opener. USC plays Nebraska at the Coliseum on Sept. 16.

Arkansas was scheduled to play Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 2, but that game at Little Rock has been moved to Oct. 28, a Louisiana Monroe spokesman said.

-- Gary Klein

Fox Sports is expected to announce today that Thom Brennaman will be its lead play-by-play announcer when it begins televising bowl championship series games next season.

-- Larry Stewart

Auburn cornerback David Irons was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

MISCELLANY

Laurel Park Horse Tests Positive for Equine Herpes

A horse at Laurel Park has tested positive for the equine herpes virus that has already claimed two horses at nearby Pimlico Race Course and prompted a state quarantine at the home of the Preakness Stakes.

However, the Laurel horse has not shown any symptoms of the disease and it is not clear whether the horse is contagious, or merely has been exposed to the virus in the past like many other horses, said Guy Hohenhaus, state veterinarian for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Chivas USA acquired midfielder Jesse Marsch from the Chicago Fire in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2007 Major League Soccer supplemental draft.

The 2007 Tour de France will start in London. Mayor Ken Livingstone said that Tour organizers had accepted a $2.68-million bid from London to play host to the start of cycling’s showcase race.

Officials at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., will spend $3 million to repave the track. The track has come under criticism for an unsafe surface.