THURSDAY'S TRANSACTIONS

THURSDAY'S TRANSACTIONS
BASEBALL
American League
MINNESOTA TWINS--Signed C Greg Najac and assigned him to the Gulf Coast League Twins.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS--Recalled RHP Mike Smith and RHP Corey Thurman from Syracuse of the IL. Sent C Ken Huckaby and RHP Josh Towers outright to Syracuse. Assigned RHP Juan Pena to New Haven of the Eastern League.
National League
CINCINNATI REDS--Announced RHP Todd Van Poppel has accepted a non-guaranteed minor league contract.
COLORADO ROCKIES--Agreed to terms with 3B Ian Stewart.
HOUSTON ASTROS--Agreed to terms with RHP Michael Collar, INF Brock Koman, OF Beau Hearod, RHP Bo Edmiston, RHP Jamie Merchant, RHP Ryan Yurek, RHP Robert Ramsey, C Patrick O'Brien, C Mario Garza, INF Wade Robinson, INF Kevin Vital, INF Edwin Maysonet, INF Brian Skaug, INF Lance Koenig, INF Chad Prosser, INF Michael Walls, and OF Kerri Fair.
MONTREAL EXPOS--Agreed to terms with OF Jerry Owens, 2B Brad Ditter, 2B Larry York, RHP Brett Reid, LHP Gerald Plexico, RHP James Henderson, C Bret Pignatiello, 2B Oscar Bernazard, and RHP James Lehman on minor league contracts.
NEW YORK METS--Fired Steve Phillips, general manager. Named Jim Duquette interim general manager.
Atlantic League
ATLANTIC CITY SURF--Traded RHP Tighe Brown and INF Lucas Taylor to River City of the Frontier League for OF Brody Jackson.
Central League
AMARILLO DILLAS--Released RHP Enrique Ruaz.
COASTAL BEND AVIATORS--Released C Matt Lukas.
BASKETBALL
Women's National Basketball Association
PHOENIX MERCURY--Signed C Slobodanka Tuvic and placed her on the injured list. Released G Felicia Ragland.
National Basketball Development League
NBDL--Announced the Mobile and Greenville franchises will not participate in the league next season.
United States Basketball League
ADIRONDACK WILDCATS--Signed F Tunji Awojobi and G Prosper Karangwa. Released G Artemus McClary and G Tommy Adams.
BREVARD BLUE DUCKS--Signed F Darryl Hardy, G Willie Anderson, and G Marvin Augustin. Released F Mibinda Dongo and F Marvin Rogers.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
CLEVELAND BROWNS--Signed Carmen Policy, president, to a five-year contract extension.
GREEN BAY PACKERS--Signed T Brennan Curtin and WR-KR DeAndrew Rubin.
MIAMI DOLPHINS--Released QB Josh Blankenship.
NEW YORK GIANTS--Waived LB Brad Rice and DE Sean Guthrie.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS--Released LB John Fiala and RB Antwon McCray.
Arena Football League
BUFFALO DESTROYERS--Fired Ron Selesky, coach and director of football operations, and Ryan Gallo, wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator.
Canadian Football League
MONTREAL ALOUETTES--Released DT Jason Richards, QB Ben Sankey and WR Mace Freeman.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
ATLANTA THRASHERS--Announced G Byron Dafoe has exercised his 2003-04 contract option.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS--Re-signed C Don MacLean and D Pauli Levokari to one-year contracts.
East Coast Hockey League
GREENVILLE GRRROWL--Acquired C Fred Slukynsky and C Yann Joseph from Dayton to complete an earlier trade.
Atlantic Coast Hockey League
ACHL--Awarded a franchise to Huntsville, Ala., to begin play in 2003. The team nickname will be Channel Cats.
COLLEGE
BELMONT--Signed Rick Byrd, men's basketball coach, to a five-year contract extension.
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST--Named Eric Spencer women's basketball coach.
CLEMSON--Named Carrie Nixon assistant swimming and diving coach.
COLGATE--Named Janet Little interim athletic director.
DAVIDSON--Announced the resignation of Jim Conlon, swimming and diving coach.
FORDHAM--Named Ross Burns men's assistant basketball coach and Alex Groothuis director of men's basketball operations.
HARDIN-SIMMONS--Announced it's adding softball to its athletics program, effective in the spring of 2004. Named Rita Jordan softball coach.
MANHATTAN--Named Myndi Hill women's basketball coach.
PLATTSBURGH--Named Brett Willmott men's and women's track and field coach.
ST. BONAVENTURE--Named John Brannen men's assistant basketball coach.
WEST VIRGINIA--Named Chester Nichols women's assistant basketball coach.
WESTERN CAROLINA--Named Donnie Kirkpatrick wide receivers coach.