YankeesGround.com | New York Yankees News, yankees Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Career stolen bases leader Rickey Henderson heads 10 first-time candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdover Jim Rice, who is eligible for the final time. </div>Other newcomers are Jay Bell, David Cone, Ron Gant, Mark Grace, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac, Greg Vaughn, Mo Vaughn and Matt Williams. Just 23 players are on the ballot, the smallest group ever. Holdovers include Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell. * Oft-injured left-hander Mike Hampton is set to return to the Houston Astros after reaching a preliminary agreement on a one-year, $2 million contract. He must pass a physical for the agreement to be finalized. * Free agents CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Brian Shouse were offered salary arbitration by the Brewers, ensuring Milwaukee will receive compensatory picks in next year's amateur draft if they sign elsewhere. All three players have until Sunday to accept the offers. * The Los Angeles Angels offered salary arbitration to free agents Mark Teixeira, Francisco Rodriguez, Jon Garland and Darren Oliver. The club declined to offer arbitration to longtime outfielder Garret Anderson. * The Los Angeles Dodgers offered salary arbitration to Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe and Casey Blake but declined offers to Rafael Furcal, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Nomar Garciaparra, Brad Penny, Joe Beimel, Gary Bennett, Jason Johnson, Pablo Ozuna, Chan Ho Park and Mark Sweeney. * The New York Yankees declined arbitration for all eight of their former players who became free agents, a group that includes pitcher Andy Pettitte and right fielder Bobby Abreu. Also declined arbitration were first baseman Jason Giambi, pitchers Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Mike Mussina and catchers Ivan Rodriguez and Chad Moeller. Mussina has announced his retirement. \ \ \ Cycling \ Race in Italy will make Tour that much tougher for Armstrong \ Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France, marking the first time he will compete in that race and the Giro d'Italia in the same year. "I'm committed to riding for the best guy," Armstrong said, acknowledging the schedule could leave him in a supporting role in France. "We'll abide by the same code that I do: cycling is team sport, while we'd all like to win." The Giro runs May 9-31 and the Tour begins July 4. With a quick turnaround between two grueling races, the seven-time Tour champion acknowledged his body might not perform at the same level it did when he won his last Tour in 2005. Armstrong's decision to ride gives the powerhouse Astana team a superstar lineup in France, including 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador. He missed last year's race because Astana was barred from riding for previous doping violations. Also riding with Astana, considered the strongest multistage team, is Germany's Andreas Kloeden, American veteran Levi Leipheimer and top support rider Yaroslav Popovych. \ Elsewhere \ Speed will drive full time for Red Bull in Sprint Cup \ Scott Speed will race full time next season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, a move expected since Red Bull Racing released AJ Allmendinger to make room for the ex-Formula One driver. The team will change the Toyota from the No. 84 to No. 82 to accommodate Speed, who has been training for NASCAR since his summer 2007 release from Red Bull's F1 team. Jimmy Elledge will be his crew chief. Speed ran the final five Cup races of the year, and his best finish was 16th in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway when he drove teammate Brian Vickers' car. Vickers will return to the No. 83 for a third season and will have a new crew chief. Ryan Pemberton left Michael Waltrip Racing to become Vickers' third crew chief in as many years * A judge in Frankfort, Ky., rejected a proposed sale of the minority interest in reigning Horse of the Year Curlin. Circuit Judge Roger Crittenden made his ruling during a hearing intended to sort out a complicated ownership dispute over the richest North American racehorse in history. Primary owner Jess Jackson had offered $4 million to buy out the 20 percent minority interest from two disbarred attorneys. They are under a court order to repay $42 million to former clients they represented in a settlement over the diet drug fen-phen. Angela Ford, who represents the fen-phen clients in their civil case against the disbarred attorneys, told the judge she doesn't believe $4 million is a fair price. That's when Crittenden ended the court proceeding, keeping the horse's ownership divided.

Career stolen bases leader Rickey Henderson heads 10 first-time candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdover Jim Rice, who is eligible for the final time.

Other newcomers are Jay Bell, David Cone, Ron Gant, Mark Grace, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac, Greg Vaughn, Mo Vaughn and Matt Williams.

Just 23 players are on the ballot, the smallest group ever. Holdovers include Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

* Oft-injured left-hander Mike Hampton is set to return to the Houston Astros after reaching a preliminary agreement on a one-year, $2 million contract. He must pass a physical for the agreement to be finalized.

* Free agents CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Brian Shouse were offered salary arbitration by the Brewers, ensuring Milwaukee will receive compensatory picks in next year's amateur draft if they sign elsewhere.

All three players have until Sunday to accept the offers.

* The Los Angeles Angels offered salary arbitration to free agents Mark Teixeira, Francisco Rodriguez, Jon Garland and Darren Oliver.

The club declined to offer arbitration to longtime outfielder Garret Anderson.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers offered salary arbitration to Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe and Casey Blake but declined offers to Rafael Furcal, Jeff Kent, Greg Maddux, Nomar Garciaparra, Brad Penny, Joe Beimel, Gary Bennett, Jason Johnson, Pablo Ozuna, Chan Ho Park and Mark Sweeney.

* The New York Yankees declined arbitration for all eight of their former players who became free agents, a group that includes pitcher Andy Pettitte and right fielder Bobby Abreu.

Also declined arbitration were first baseman Jason Giambi, pitchers Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Mike Mussina and catchers Ivan Rodriguez and Chad Moeller. Mussina has announced his retirement. \

\ \ Cycling

\ Race in Italy will make Tour that much tougher for Armstrong \

Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France, marking the first time he will compete in that race and the Giro d'Italia in the same year.

"I'm committed to riding for the best guy," Armstrong said, acknowledging the schedule could leave him in a supporting role in France. "We'll abide by the same code that I do: cycling is team sport, while we'd all like to win."

The Giro runs May 9-31 and the Tour begins July 4.

With a quick turnaround between two grueling races, the seven-time Tour champion acknowledged his body might not perform at the same level it did when he won his last Tour in 2005.

Armstrong's decision to ride gives the powerhouse Astana team a superstar lineup in France, including 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador. He missed last year's race because Astana was barred from riding for previous doping violations. Also riding with Astana, considered the strongest multistage team, is Germany's Andreas Kloeden, American veteran Levi Leipheimer and top support rider Yaroslav Popovych.

\ Elsewhere

\ Speed will drive full time for Red Bull in Sprint Cup \

Scott Speed will race full time next season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, a move expected since Red Bull Racing released AJ Allmendinger to make room for the ex-Formula One driver.

The team will change the Toyota from the No. 84 to No. 82 to accommodate Speed, who has been training for NASCAR since his summer 2007 release from Red Bull's F1 team. Jimmy Elledge will be his crew chief.

Speed ran the final five Cup races of the year, and his best finish was 16th in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway when he drove teammate Brian Vickers' car.

Vickers will return to the No. 83 for a third season and will have a new crew chief. Ryan Pemberton left Michael Waltrip Racing to become Vickers' third crew chief in as many years

* A judge in Frankfort, Ky., rejected a proposed sale of the minority interest in reigning Horse of the Year Curlin.

Circuit Judge Roger Crittenden made his ruling during a hearing intended to sort out a complicated ownership dispute over the richest North American racehorse in history.

Primary owner Jess Jackson had offered $4 million to buy out the 20 percent minority interest from two disbarred attorneys. They are under a court order to repay $42 million to former clients they represented in a settlement over the diet drug fen-phen.

Angela Ford, who represents the fen-phen clients in their civil case against the disbarred attorneys, told the judge she doesn't believe $4 million is a fair price. That's when Crittenden ended the court proceeding, keeping the horse's ownership divided.