New York — Joe Gordon joined former teammates Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Bob Feller in the Hall of Fame.

For the likes of Joe Torre, Jim Kaat and Ron Santo, it was another shutout.

Gordon was elected Monday by a 12-member Veterans Committee composed of Hall members and historians that studied pre-1943 players. A nine-time All-Star, the late second baseman won five World Series titles with the New York Yankees and Cleveland.

But another panel made up of the living 64 Hall of Famers didn’t come close to picking anyone who started after World War II. Santo fell short, followed by Kaat, Tony Oliva, Gil Hodges and Torre.

This marked the fourth straight time that nobody was chosen from the newer group.

Rickey Henderson is the leading candidate in the upcoming Hall election by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Results will be announced Jan. 12.

Induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., are July 26.

baseball

Tigers trade for C Laird

Las Vegas — Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski wasted little time on the opening day of baseball’s winter meetings in taking care of one of the Tigers’ biggest needs.

The Tigers acquired catcher Gerald Laird from the Rangers on Monday in a trade that sent right-handed pitching prospects Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo to Texas, shoring up a position Dombrowski considered a key this winter.

Laird, who batted .276 with six home runs and 41 RBIs in 95 games for the Rangers in 2008, is expected to become the Tigers’ starter in spring training. Detroit dealt starting catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the New York Yankees in July.

Maddux officially retires

Las Vegas — Greg Maddux grew up with the same weekend ritual as so many other American kids.

Tagging along with his big brother, he would run down to the park to play ball against the older guys from the neighborhood in regular Sunday scrimmages.

He met a pitching coach who preached movement over velocity, and pretty soon Maddux was striking out those stronger teenagers. Nearly three decades later, he walked away from baseball Monday as one of the greatest pitchers to put on a uniform.

After 355 wins and 23 major-league seasons, Maddux held a 30-minute news conference to announce his retirement on the opening day of the winter meetings — just minutes from his Las Vegas home.

college football

K-State adds to staff

Manhattan — Vic Koenning never got to play for Bill Snyder during the glory era of Kansas State football.

But now he’ll be helping Snyder try to bring the Wildcats back to the top. The 1983 Kansas State grad and former Wildcat captain was named co-assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator on Monday as Snyder continued filling out his new staff.

Koenning, a native of the Tulsa suburb of Owasso, Okla., played on Kansas State’s 1982 bowl squad, the first in school history. The former defensive coordinator at Clemson also will coach the Kansas State secondary on the staff that Snyder is putting together for his second run as the Wildcats’ head coach.

McCoy says he’ll return

Austin, Texas — Texas quarterback Colt McCoy confirmed that he’ll return to the Longhorns for his senior season in 2009.

McCoy has led No. 3 Texas (11-1) to a Fiesta Bowl matchup against Ohio State with 3,445 yards passing and 32 touchdowns, both team records. He’s also the team’s leading rusher with 576 yards and is expected to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this week.

“I’m not going anywhere,” McCoy said in an interview published Monday on the Austin American-Statesman’s Web site.

OSU receiver gets boot

Stillwater, Okla. — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy kicked junior receiver Jeremy Broadway off the football team for breaking team rules. Broadway was formerly a starter for the Cowboys, but caught only two passes this season for 118 yards, including a 95-yard touchdown reception against Iowa State that was the longest pass play in school history.

Virginia shakes up staff

Charlottesville, Va. — Al Groh will be back for ninth season as the football coach at Virginia, but his son Mike, the offensive coordinator the past three seasons, will not. Al Groh said assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Steve Bernstein would retire, and defensive line coach Levern Belin intended to pursue other opportunities.

New Mexico hires Illini aide

Albuquerque, N.M. — Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was hired Monday as New Mexico’s football coach, becoming the fourth black coach at a major school.

Mom says Tuberville fired

Auburn, Ala. — Tommy Tuberville’s mother told a newspaper her son was fired as Auburn’s football coach, a claim that runs counter to public statements by the university that Tuberville left on his own. The Opelika-Auburn News quoted Olive Tuberville as saying her son told her he was dismissed after 10 seasons at Auburn.

“He didn’t resign,” the paper quoted her as saying. “He was fired.”

college basketball

OSU dismisses forward

Stillwater, Okla. — Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford has dismissed starting forward Ibrahima Thomas from the basketball team.

Ford says he had several conversations with the sophomore over the past week and determined that he lacked the commitment to make the program successful.

The 6-foot-11 Thomas had been averaging 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds while starting the first seven games for Oklahoma State (5-3).

UNC still unanimous No. 1

North Carolina’s 35-point romp over a ranked team kept the Tar Heels a unanimous No. 1 choice in the Associated Press’ college basketball poll Monday. Ohio State joined the Top 25 following a pair of five-point victories over ranked teams.

The Tar Heels (8-0) dismantled Michigan State 98-63 at Ford Field last week as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and again received all 72 first-place votes from the national media panel.

Connecticut and Pittsburgh held the second and third spots, while Gonzaga and Oklahoma both moved up one place to fourth and fifth. Texas, Duke, Tennessee, Louisville and Xavier rounded out the top 10.

Defending national champion Kansas (7-1) moved back into the poll at No. 25.

TCU women up to No. 19

For the second time this season, TCU beat a No. 3 team in the Associated Press poll when it surprised California, 82-73, on Sunday. TCU, which beat then-No. 3 Maryland in its season opener, moved up to No. 19 in this week’s poll. Meanwhile, Connecticut remained a unanimous choice as the top team Monday.

NFL

Culpepper has MRI

Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper had an MRI on his shoulder, leading to doubt he will play next Sunday at the Indianapolis Colts.

Packers lose RT

Veteran right tackle Mark Tauscher will miss Green Bay’s last three games of the season because of a serious left knee injury. Tauscher has a torn ACL.

Broncos’ Hillis finished

Rookie Peyton Hillis has a torn right hamstring and is done for the season. Coach Mike Shanahan said Hillis will need eight weeks to recover and might need surgery.

Saints put returner on IR

The Saints placed kick returner Courtney Roby on injured reserve and waived cornerback David Pittman, a necessary move following a federal judge’s decision to block the suspensions of Will Smith and Deuce McAllister.

nba

McHale to coach Wolves

Minneapolis — Kevin McHale is leaving Minnesota’s front office to coach the wayward team he assembled, returning to the sideline after Randy Wittman failed to turn around the rebuilding franchise.

McHale stepped down as Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Monday to become the coach after owner Glen Taylor fired Wittman.

obit

Ex-Jayhawk Houchin dies

Wichita — Services for former Kansas University basketball player Claude Houchin will be 11 a.m. today at Downing and Lahey Mortuary East in Wichita. Houchin, an independent oil operator who played for KU from 1947-50, died on Dec. 3. He was team captain and all Big Seven second team his senior year.