Portland stadium financing unveiled

Portland, Ore. — Portland officials forged ahead Thursday with a detailed plan to finance a $350 million ballpark, even though the city’s chances of landing the Montreal Expos appear to be remote.

Baseball officials met this week with groups from Washington and Northern Virginia, the leading candidates in the bidding for the Expos. Baseball also intends to meet with groups from Las Vegas and Norfolk, Va.

Under Portland’s plan, the bulk of the stadium financing would come from Oregon legislation enacted last year, which allows $115 million in income taxes paid by the future baseball players and other team personnel to be used to offset the cost of the stadium.

White Sox scratch Garcia from start

Cleveland — Right-hander Freddy Garcia has been scratched from his scheduled start for the Chicago White Sox tonight because of tightness in his right forearm.

Manager Ozzie Guillen made the announcement Thursday night shortly after the White Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians, 14-9, in the opener of a four-game series.

“It’s not a big deal,” Guillen said. “We’ll skip him for a start. I think that is all he will have to miss. We don’t want to take a chance and make it worse.”

Garcia was acquired from the Seattle Mariners with catcher Ben Davis and cash on June 27 for catcher Miguel Olivo and minor leaguers Jeremy Reed and Michael Morse.

He is 10-10 with a 3.84 earned-run average this season and did not get a decision in his last start at Boston, when he allowed five runs in seven innings.

Announcer rehired at McGreevey’s urging

Trenton, N.J. — An announcer fired by a minor-league team for making a joke about Gov. James McGreevey’s sexual orientation was rehired Thursday at the governor’s urging.

Greg Maiuro lost his job with the Atlantic City Surf after dedicating the 1970s song “YMCA” to McGreevey during a game Aug. 17. The Village People hit is widely considered a gay anthem.