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E-mailPirates waive Cruz
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pirates placed infielder Luis Cruz on waivers, an indication they intend to use their second overall pick in the Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings.
Dropping Cruz creates an empty spot on the 40-man roster, which could be filled Thursday when the Rule 5 draft is held. Players acquired via the Rule 5 draft must remain on the major league roster for the entire season or be offered back to their original team for half of the $50,000 claim fee.
Last season, Cruz hit .214 in 27 games as a utility infielder. The Pirates signed him in December 2007 as a free agent.
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Horse racing
• Espoir City won the $4.7 million Japan Cup Dirt by 3 1/2 lengths over Silk Mobius at Hanshim Racecourse.
Tennis
• Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep.
Track & field
• USA Track and Field passed rules that creates a more merit-based way of selecting coaches for Olympic and other international teams.
Winter sports
• American star Shani Davis set the track record in winning the men's 1,000 meters at the World Cup, finishing in 1 minute, 6.91 seconds.
• World champion luger Erin Hamlin officially clinched her spot Sunday for the Vancouver Games, finishing fifth behind four Germans in a World Cup race.
• Lindsey Vonn's bid for three World Cup wins in three days came up just short yesterday when she was edged by Elisabeth Goergl of Austria in the super-G.
