ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Beltran and the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a two-year contract pending results of a physical, a move that would fortify the team’s lineup following the departure of Albert Pujols. The team disclosed the agreement Thursday night and said it expects to make a formal announcement shortly after the holidays. KMOX, the Cardinals’ flagship radio station, reported the deal is for $26 million over two years — the same figure cited by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial details of the agreement were not announced by the team. The 34-year-old Beltran batted .300 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .385 on-base percentage for the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants this year. He likely will be the opening-day right fielder for the Cardinals next season. Lance Berkman is expected to move to first base, taking Pujols’ spot.

Beltran and Berkman are switch-hitters, giving new manager Mike Matheny lineup flexibility. Earlier this month, St. Louis re-signed shortstop Rafael Furcal to a two-year, $14 million contract and added left-handed reliever J.C. Romero with a one-year, $750,000 deal. The Cardinals appear to need only a few spare parts to finalize the roster. After Pujols signed a $254 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said he expected his team’s payroll to perhaps exceed this year’s total of $110 million.

Allen Craig, coming off an impressive postseason, gives the Cardinals another strong option in the outfield but will miss at least the first month of the season while recovering from knee surgery. A six-time All-Star, Beltran began his career with the cross-state Royals in 1998, three years after Kansas City drafted him in the second round. The switch-hitter has a .283 career batting average with 302 home runs and 1,146 RBIs. Beltran faced the Cardinals in a pair of NL championship series, in 2004 with Houston and 2006 with the Mets. St. Louis won both series despite several big hits by Beltran. With a chance to put the Mets in the World Series, however, he struck out looking to end Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa flew through the first six weeks of the season without a tight game. The Hawkeyes finally got a late-game test — and passed — less than a week before the start of Big Ten play. None of Iowa’s first 12 games were closer than 10 points, but the Hawkeyes needed some big plays in the final minutes to beat Boise State 81-72 Thursday night. Devyn Marble and Aaron White each scored 18 points to lead Iowa. Melsahn Basabe had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawkeyes (8-5), who ended their nonconference slate with three straight wins. Kenny Buckner led the Broncos (9-4) with 18 points on 9 of 12 shooting. Earlier this week, McCaffery said playing Boise State would be like going up against a Big Ten team. He’ll find out soon how that will really look. The Hawkeyes open Big Ten play against Purdue at home on Wednesday.

• Sioux City East 67, Abraham Lincoln 23

• Abraham Lincoln 51, Sioux City East 37

Class 1-A Record     Pts.
1.  Nashus-Plainfield                 11-4       902
2.  Don Bosco                               15-5       818
3.  Alburnett                                13-1      791
4.  Underwood                         9-0       786
5.  Woodbury Central               11-0      736
6.  Lisbon                                       11-2       604
7.  Logan-Magnolia              11-1      507
8.  Martensdale-St. Mary         3-0      480
9.  North-Linn                              8-1      360
10. Eddyville-Blakesburg        7-1      343
11. Tri-Center                           7-2      315
12. Clarion-Goldfield                 4-0     287
13. Guthrie Center                16-4     213
14. Northwest Webster             6-0     200
15. Audubon                             14-3   168
16. Interstate 35                          8-3   132

Class 2-A Record   Pts.
1.  Assumption                              15-0     836
2.  West Delaware                         14-4     795
3.  Denver-Tripoli                         11-2      724
4.  Creston/O-M                         6-0      585
5.  New Hampton                          10-4      533
6.  Osage                                           14-2     433
7.  Atlantic                                       5-1     418
8.  Spirit Lake Park                          3-0     361
9.  Mediapolis                                  11-0    324
10. Charles City                                9-5    299
11. Union                                            4-0    266
12. Perry                                             9-4    249
13. Dallas Center-Grimes             10-1    235
14. Williamsburg                             15-2    231
15. Grinnell                                        7-0    195
16. South Central Calhoun          23-3   159

Class 3-A Record     Pts.
1.  Bettendorf                                     7-0         622
2.  Southeast Polk                            14-0        614
3.  Iowa City                                      13-1        569
4.  Valley West Des Moines            8-1       508
5.  Waverly-Shell Rock                  17-4       418
6.  Prairie Cedar Rapids                 11-5       400
7.  Mason City                                   11-3      388
8.  Ankeny                                          6-0      382
9.  Linn-Mar                                      12-4      368
10.  Urbandale                                  4-2      246
11.  North Scott                               14-5     159
12. Pleasant Valley                       10-4      139
13. Western Dubuque                  14-2      136
14. Spencer                                      6-0      113
15. Indianola                                   5-4       96
16. Lewis Central                      4-3       94

w/ Jim Field

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says freshman running back Mika’il McCall will remain on suspension for the Dec. 30 Insight Bowl against Oklahoma. Ferentz said Wednesday during a weekly radio show that McCall’s suspension wouldn’t be lifted for the bowl game. McCall was suspended prior to the Nov. 25 against Nebraska for an undetermined violation. The Hawkeyes will also be without leading rusher Marcus Coker against the Sooners. Coker, who rushed for 1,384 yards this season, was suspended Tuesday for a violation of the university’s student code of conduct. None of Iowa’s remaining backs have gained more than 79 yards rushing this season.

The Iowa basketball team will close out the non-conference portion of its schedule tonight (Thursday) by hosting Boise State. The Hawkeyes are 7-5 after a 105-64 win over Central Arkansas on Monday night and take on a Boise State team that is 9-3. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery says this will be a tough test heading into the start of the Big Ten race. McCaffrey told his team immediately after the Central Arkansas game that they better play well against the Broncos. McCaffrey says he doesn’t know if his guys fully understood they would be playing a team that is 9-3, that has “really good players,” and is one of the most impressive teams he’s watched on film. He says after his talk with the players, he thinks they understand the Broncos are one of the better teams on the schedule right now. Tonight’s mens’ game will be the second half of a doubleheader in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. In the opener the Iowa women play Mississippi Valley State.