Pirates Sign Hayes to Play Third Base

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed third baseman Charlie Hayes to a one-year contract Thursday with an option for the 1997 season.

No other terms of the deal were disclosed.

Hayes, 30, spent the 1995 season with the Philadelphia Phillies and batted .276 with 11 home runs and 85 runs batted in. He ranked third among National League third basemen with a .963 fielding percentage.

Hayes had his best season in 1993, batting .305 for the Colorado Rockies with 25 home runs, 98 RBIs and a league-leading 45 doubles.

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As expected, the New York Yankees acquired outfielder Tim Raines from the Chicago White Sox for future considerations.

The Yankees stole only 50 bases last season, last in the American League. Raines has 777 steals, fourth on the all-time list.

“He knows what he’s doing on the bases,” said Manager Joe Torre. “He’ll have a green light 99.9% of the time.”

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The Chicago Cubs signed free-agent reliever Doug Jones. Jones, 38, saved 22 games in 25 opportunities for Baltimore last season. He lost his spot there when the Orioles signed ex-Cub closer Randy Myers. Jones, a five-time all-star, has 239 saves. . . . Right-hander Willie Blair agreed to a one-year contract with San Diego, a week after the Padres had allowed him to become a free agent. Blair signed for $550,000, up from the $325,000 he made last year.

Hockey

With the end of the NHL’s holiday moratorium on trades, there was a flurry of deals.

The St. Louis Blues continued to add members of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers, acquiring left winger Stephane Matteau for center Ian Laperriere. Matteau joins Brian Noonan, Jay Wells and Greg Gilbert, who were all part of the 1994 Ranger team. Mike Keenan, the Blues’ general manager, was formerly with the Rangers.

The Winnipeg Jets got some power-play help, picking up defenseman Norm Maciver from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Neil Wilkinson.

The Hartford Whalers reacquired Kevin Dineen from the Philadelphia Flyers for future considerations.

The Buffalo Sabres signed goaltender John Blue for the remainder of the season and recalled forward Jason Dawe from their American Hockey League affiliate. Blue had been playing the International Hockey League this season.

Scott Bowman of Detroit and Doug MacLean of Florida will be the coaches in the NHL All-Star game Jan. 20 in Boston.

Miscellany

Civil lawsuits were filed in Beverly Hills on behalf of Compton Centennial High football players Vincent Brooks and Kumasi Simmons, who were involved in altercations during a game against Beverly Hills on Oct. 20. Brooks’ suit is against the Compton Unified School District, the California Interscholastic Federation and referee Ken Smotrys. Simmons’ suit is against the city of Beverly Hills. During the Oct. 20 game, Simmons punched Smotrys after he claims the referee uttered a racial epithet at him. Brooks alleges Smotrys pushed him down and also used a racial epithet. Smotrys denies the allegations and was cleared in a CIF investigation.

World Cup leader Lasse Kjus of Norway, bidding for his first downhill victory, led the final practice run for today’s World Cup downhill race at Bormio, Italy. . . . The Beverly Hills Gilbert Table Tennis tournament, drawing 16 of the world’s best players, will be held Jan. 6-7 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. . . . International Boxing Federation flyweight champion Danny Romero of Albuquerque will defend his title against Mark Johnson of Washington Feb. 2 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. . . . Boxing trainer Joey Fariello, who earlier this month sent Buster Mathis Jr. in against Mike Tyson, died after suffering a stroke on Christmas Eve. Fariello was 58. . . . A freshman guard, Cesar Ibarra, died shortly after a collision with another player during a high school basketball game in San Antonio, but an initial autopsy indicated the collision was not to blame.