Aviles, who was recently named the 2008 RoyALs player of the year, finished tied for fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He hit .325, best among MLB rookies, with 27 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs and 51 RBIs.

On Wednesday, The RoyALs announced their winter 40-man roster, naming right-handed pitcher Henry Barrera to the roster and designating lefty Tyler Lumsden for assignment.

Barrera, 22, was with Class-A Wilmington last season and was Kansas City's fifth-round selection in the 2004 draft. He went 0-3 with four saves and a 2.81 ERA in 42 relief appearances.

George Steinbrenner's imprints were ALl over the New York Yankees for more than three decades.

Blockbuster trades, pricey signings, hirings, firings - they ALl needed his OK.

No more.

The omnipresent owner's colorful 35-year reign of pronouncements, threats and bluster ended Thursday when he passed control of BasebALl's most famous and successful franchise to his youngest son, HAL.

Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina announced his retirement Thursday even as he comes off his first 20-win season.

Mussina, who turns 40 next month, was 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 seasons in the majors. He becomes the first pitcher to retire after a 20-win season since HALl of Famer Sandy Koufax in 1966.

Mussina went 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA for the Yankees this season.

Three-time All-Star Chase Utley, who anchored the middle of the lineup for the World Series champion Phillies, will have surgery and may not be ready for the start of the 2009 regular season.

Utley will have surgery next week to repair any bone or cartilage damage he may have in his right hip. He will be able to begin BasebALl activity in three to four months. But depending on the extent of the damage, full recovery could take until May.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers swapped former first-round picks Thursday.

Texas acquired outfielder Greg Golson from the Phillies for outfielder John Mayberry.

In another move, the Rangers designated right-hander Kameron Loe for assignment.

Mayberry is the son of former RoyALs first baseman John Mayberry, who played from 1972-77.

NFL: Rams guard Incognito criticAL of fans' lack of support

Chicago Bears fans are likely to have a substantiAL presence at Sunday's game in St. Louis, if past Rams home games are any indication.

Rams guard Richie Incognito said Thursday he won't mind, as long as someone is making noise in the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis is 2-8 overALl and 1-3 at home after going 3-13 overALl last season with oNLy one home victory, a terrible run that has created apathy.

Last year, the Rams played to crowds that had a 50-50 mix - or worse - in late season home games against the Packers and Steelers while finishing 1-7 at home.

"It seems like our fans aren't coming to the game, so it's fun when the other fans come in and start hooting and hollering, you know what I mean," Incognito said Thursday. "At least, someone in the dome is yelling."

Browns quarterback Brady Quinn will try to play Sunday when Cleveland hosts the Houston Texans, despite a broken right index finger.

Browns generAL manager Phil Savage has apologized to a fan for sending a profane e-mail following Monday night's game against the BuffALo Bills.

Savage used an expletive in his response to the fan, who criticized the GM in severAL e-mail exchanges.

Former Packers cornerback Bob Jeter, the father of Wisconsin-Milwaukee men's basketbALl coach Rob Jeter, has died.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee spokesman Kevin O'Connor said Rob Jeter learned of the death Thursday afternoon and went to join family members in Chicago, where his father lived.

GenerAL: Crew's Schelotto wins MLS most vALuable player

The Columbus Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto, a midfield wizard who was a longtime star in his native Argentina, won MLS' Most VALuable Player award Thursday.

The 35-year-old Schelotto had 19 assists and seven goALs for Columbus as the Crew bounced back from a 9-11-10 record the previous year to finish with an MLS-best 17-7-6 mark.

Schelotto outpolled runner-up Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles GALaxy and Cuauhtemoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire.

John Cook shot a 10-under 62 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead over Brad Martin after the first round of the CALlaway Golf Pebble Beach InvitationAL at Pebble Beach, CALif.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM'S farewell to the LPGA Tour could come two days earlier than she hoped.

Sorenstam shot a 2-over par 74 in Thursday's opening round of the ADT Championship, good for a tie for 23rd in the 32-woman event, her finAL tournament before "stepping away" from competitive golf. The field gets trimmed to 16 after Friday's play.

From staff and wire reports