AREA

AREA
Mangiarellireceives honor
HOWLAND -- Sarah Mangiarelli, a senior at Howland High School, has been named to the National Soccer Coaches of America All-Region team (central USA).
Mangiarelli was one of 20 forwards selected from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky.
This season, she led Howland to an undefeated and untied Metro Athletic Conference championship.
She was named first-team all-MAC, all-County, all-District, and all-State. She also was named Division I District Player of the Year.
Meenachanworked playoff
BOARDMAN -- Area football official Brian Meenachan was the umpire on the NCAA Division III playoff game between Christopher Newport College and Bridgewater, played in Newport News, Va.
Meenachan also worked as the television liaison official on the Wheaton at Mount Union College playoff game in Alliance.
REGION
Bucs inkStynes for 3B
PITTSBURGH -- Third baseman Chris Stynes, who left the Colorado Rockies so they could bring back free agent Vinny Castilla, signed a $975,000, one-year contract Tuesday with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The contract calls for a $750,000 salary next year and a $1,425,000 club option for 2005 with a $225,000 buyout.
Stynes, joining his sixth major league club and fifth in five seasons, made $950,000 last season while hitting .255 with 11 home runs and a career-high 73 RBIs in 138 games.
The right-handed hitting Stynes isn't a power hitter like former Pirates third baseman Aramis Ramirez -- he's never hit more than 12 homers -- but is a better fielder.
The 30-year-old Stynes was second to Florida's Mike Lowell in fielding percentage among NL third basemen and, with shortstop Jack Wilson, gives the Pirates an excellent left side of the infield defensively.
Stynes also costs the Pirates a lot less than Ramirez would have.
The Pirates dealt Ramirez and center fielder Kenny Lofton to the Cubs in July, mostly so they didn't have to pay Ramirez's $6 million salary in 2004.
The trade came about the time owner Kevin McClatchy said the Pirates have lost $30 million the last three seasons.
The deal was most of the most unpopular in recent Pirates history, mostly because their fans felt they got little in return. The Pirates have only one player left from the trade -- Bobby Hill, who failed a previous trial with the Cubs but will compete in spring training to be Pittsburgh's second baseman.
Infielder Jose Hernandez was released when the season ended and minor league pitcher Matt Bruback was claimed by the Padres after the Pirates left him unprotected.
Stynes has spent most of his career as a utility infielder and part-time starter, never getting more than 380 at-bats until getting 443 with Colorado last season. He also played for the Royals (1995-96), Reds (1997-2000), Red Sox (2001) and Cubs (2002), hitting .334 in 119 games with Cincinnati in 2000 and .348 in 49 games in 1997.
NATION
MNF ratings show increase
NEW YORK -- Ratings for "ABC's Monday Night Football" series ended an eight-year slide this season, with 17 telecasts averaging an 11.5 rating and 19 share.
That number is up from 11.4 and 19 last year and the first time since 1994 that the rating has not declined.
The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use.
"Monday Night Football" ended its season as the third-highest rated show on prime time television.
NATION
Two LSU players ineligible for bowl
BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU running back Shyrone Carey and long snapper Steve Damen were declared ineligible for the Sugar Bowl because of unspecified rules violations.
No. 2 LSU (12-1) will play No. 3 Oklahoma (12-1) for the Bowl Championship Series title on Jan. 4.
Carey began the season as one of the team's two main running backs, but his role diminished after he missed four games with a knee injury.
Center Ben Wilkerson has been long-snapping in practice and others, including backup Gant Petty, can handle the assignment, coach Nick Saban said.
Saban would not disclose what Carey and Damen did, but he said they must understand the consequences of their actions.
"They've been warned about these types of things in the past. I'm sure they feel worse about it than anybody," Saban said.
Lofton signswith Yankees
NEW YORK -- Kenny Lofton completed his $6.2 million, two-year contract with the New York Yankees.
Lofton hit .296 last season for Pittsburgh and the Chicago Cubs with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 30 steals.
Staff/wire reports