Sports in Brief | Brewers and Gagne agree to 1-year deal

The Milwaukee Brewers reached a preliminary agreement last night on a $10 million, one-year contract with free-agent reliever

Eric Gagne

, giving the team another option at closer after losing

Francisco Cordero

to free agency.

Gagne's deal is subject to his passing a physical, the Associate Press said. The agreement was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on its Web site.

Japanese free agent

Kosuke Fukudome

has decided to sign with a major-league team instead, the Nikkansports newspaper in Nagoya, Japan, reported today.

Fukudome has drawn interest from the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. The 30-year-old is regarded as one of the best outfielders in Japanese professional baseball. He was a key member of the Japan team that won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March 2006.

As expected, free-agent centerfielder

Aaron Rowand

declined salary arbitration with the Phillies. The team can continue to talk with Rowand's agent,

Craig Landis

, but general manager

Pat Gillick

and Landis have said that Rowand's return is a "long shot" because they are too far apart in contract terms.

Elsewhere:

The New York Yankees designated outfielder

Bronson Sardinha

for assignment, clearing room on the 40-man roster for lefthander

Andy Pettitte

. . . . The Colorado Rockies traded infielder

Jamey Carroll

to the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named.

Assistant

Ken Niumatalolo

was promoted to the head coaching job at Navy, replacing

Paul Johnson

, who left for Georgia Tech.

Niumatalolo, 42, played a major role in installing the triple-option attack, which enabled Navy to set the school's single-season scoring record this year. He will coach the Midshipmen against Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20.

A 1989 graduate of Hawaii, where he lettered for three seasons at quarterback, Niumatalolo is believed to be the first coach of Samoan descent in NCAA history.

While four Baltimore Ravens were fined a total of $70,000 for their actions and comments during and after Monday night's loss to New England, the Patriots'

Rodney Harrison

was fined $5,000, ESPN.com noted.

The 14-year veteran was cited by the NFL for taunting the Ravens after a fourth-quarter interception by Patriots free safety

James Sanders

on a deep pass by

Kyle Boller

.

When the play ended, Harrison was near the Ravens' sideline. Television cameras did not show him saying anything, but they did catch Ravens coach

Brian Billick

sarcastically blowing three kisses in Harrison's direction.

"He said a few things about me, Kyle and my team, and I just want him to know first, we love you Rodney, and secondly, you can kiss my backside," Billick said. "But I don't take offense to what Rodney did, and I hope he doesn't misinterpret my gestures, because he's not that good-looking a guy."

Running back

Reggie Bush

will not play for New Orleans tomorrow night in Atlanta because of a knee injury.

An MRI exam last week indicated a partially torn left knee ligament. The Saints did not comment about Bush's prospects for the rest of the season.

Elsewhere:

Wide receiver

Marvin Harrison

will be out for the eighth time in nine games when Indianapolis plays at Baltimore today. . . . The Denver Broncos signed wide receiver

Brandon Stokley

to a three-year contract extension.

Woody Austin

and

Mark Calcavecchia

shot a 12-under-par 60 in best-ball play to take a 2-stroke lead over

Greg Norman

and

Bubba Watson

after the second round of the Merrill Lynch Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

Ernie Els

moved into position for his fourth victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa, shooting a bogey-free, 8-under 64 to take a 2-stroke lead at 13-under 203 on the Leopard Creek course.

Munich received unanimous support from Germany's Olympics Sports Federation for a 2018 Olympic bid. Munich could become the first city to hold both the Winter and Summer Games. It hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, which were scarred by the attack on Israeli athletes.

Elsewhere:

Canadian

Britt Janyk

raced to her first World Cup victory, winning a downhill in Aspen, Colo.

Lindsey Vonn

of the United States was fourth. . . .

Massimiliano Blardone

led Italy's 1-2 finish in a World Cup giant slalom in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, while

Ted Ligety

of the United States finished third. . . .

Bill Demong

of the United States captured a World Cup Nordic combined event in Trondheim, Norway.