Tuesday's Sports In Brief

Here's a look at Tuesday's sports in brief around the country.

NEW YORK (AP) — Boston little man Dustin Pedroia won the AL MVP award, becoming the first second baseman to earn the honor in nearly a half-century.

Pedroia easily beat out Minnesota slugger Justin Morneau and added to his ever-expanding trophy case. Generously listed at 5-foot-9, the Red Sox star was the top AL rookie last year while winning a World Series ring.

Nellie Fox was the previous second baseman to become AL MVP, in 1959 with the White Sox. No position has produced fewer MVPs overall — just 10 since the AL and NL awards were first presented in 1931.

Pedroia drew 16 of the 28 first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and finished with 317 points.

Pedroia led the AL in hits, runs and doubles in helping the Red Sox win the AL wild-card berth. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and also stole 20 bases. Earlier this month, he also won his first Gold Glove.

Pedroia quickly became a fan favorite at Fenway Park with his meaty swings and scrappy approach. In a lineup depleted by injuries to David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew, and the midseason trade of Manny Ramirez, Pedroia took his hearty hacks wherever needed — while he usually batted second, he also hit leadoff and cleanup.

The 25-year-old was the fourth second baseman to win the AL MVP award, along with Fox, Joe Gordon (1942) and Charlie Gehringer (1937). Six second basemen have won the NL honor, with Jeff Kent, Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan doing it most recently.

Pedroia became the 10th Red Sox player to take the award and first since Mo Vaughn in 1995. He also is just the third player to become MVP the season after earning the Rookie of the Year award, joining Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Suspended Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones has completed the inpatient portion of his NFL-ordered alcohol treatment and has returned to Texas, where he is hopeful of soon being able to rejoin the team.

Jones’ attorney, Worrick Robinson, said the player is handing personal matters while waiting for commissioner Roger Goodell to determine if Jones will be reinstated and be able to play again this season or in the future.

Jones was suspended indefinitely last month for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The commissioner said then that the suspension would be a minimum of four games and that he would evaluate the situation after that time.

Only six weeks after being reinstated from a 17-month suspension because of repeated legal problems, the cornerback was involved in an alcohol-related scuffle Oct. 7 with one of his bodyguards at a private party at an upscale Dallas hotel.

The Cowboys had employed the bodyguards to try to keep Jones out of trouble.

CHICAGO (AP) — Pitcher Ryan Dempster and the Chicago Cubs agreed on a $52 million, four-year contract that includes a player option for 2012.

He gets a $4 million signing bonus, $8 million next year, $12.5 million in 2010 and $13.5 million in 2011. Dempster’s 2012 option is for $14 million.

Dempster was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs last season, then became a free agent after making the switch from the closer to starter.

As the Cubs’ closer from 2005-07, he saved 87 games in 102 chances. But after earning a spot in the rotation during spring training, Dempster returned to the starter’s role he held with the Marlins and Reds from 1998-2003.

Dempster was 14-3 at Wrigley Field during the regular season after starting 10-0 on the Cubs’ home field.

He struggled in the playoff opener against the Dodgers, throwing 109 pitches in 4 2-3 innings, giving up four runs and four hits while matching a career high with seven walks. He gave up a grand slam to James Loney in the Cubs’ 7-2 loss.

Chicago — which had the NL’s best record — was swept out of the playoffs in the first round for the second straight season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Hall of Fame Racing, the NASCAR team owned by Arizona Diamondbacks executives, will cut its staff even if it secures sponsorship to run a full 2009 season.

Other teams aren’t waiting.

Petty Enterprises, The Wood Brothers, Bill Davis Racing and Ernie Elliott’s engine shop all reduced their staffs in the two days since Sunday’s season finale.

Although exact numbers are hard to pin down, Petty chief marketing officer Mike Bartelli said the company released 30 employees.

The Wood Brothers are believed to have let go more than 20 employees.

BDR, which has no sponsorship lined up for its Sprint Cup program, has cut its staff to all but a handful of employees. Elliott, who built engines for Chip Ganassi Racing, did the same since it’s unlikely Ganassi will use his motors once he completes a merger with DEI.

The layoffs come as team owners adjust to the economic crisis, which slowly trickled into NASCAR but is now wreaking havoc on the industry. Just last week, 100-plus employees were released from DEI so the team can move forward with its merger.

Ganassi let go of 71 people in July, starting a wave that has hit all teams regardless of their level of funding.

Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing all had small staff reductions over the past month, and Roush let additional employees go this week as the organization adjusts to running fewer entries in the Truck Series next season.

But it’s the smallest teams — like Hall of Fame — that are being squeezed the hardest.