RENO, Nev. (AP) – The Reno City Council approved plans Friday to build a downtown stadium for a Triple-A minor league baseball team, with ground-breaking near the Truckee River scheduled to begin Jan. 1.

“Play ball!” Councilman Dave Aiazzi said after the 5-0 vote to approve final agreements for the $42 million project, which includes plans for a nearby entertainment zone with shopping, restaurants and bars.

The agreements are between the city, its redevelopment agency, Herbert Simon, the nation’s largest mall developer, and Jerry and Stuart Katzoff, who own a famous chain of Italian restaurants on the East Coast.

SK Baseball and Nevada Land LLCs, controlled by the Katzoffs and Simon, purchased the Pacific Coast League’s Tucson Sidewinders team last week for $15 million.

Officials hope the stadium, which will hold 10,000 people, is ready for the 2009 season. It’s to be built just east of the downtown casino district on the north side of the Truckee River.

“As wonderful as the stadium is, even more important is the retail aspect. That’s what downtown really needs. It needs a catalyst to drive this and we believe this (stadium) is the project to do it,” Geoffry Wilson of the Downtown Improvement Association told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Bobby Thomson, Kirk Gibson or Derek Jeter – which one survives Jeff Probst’s online tribal council?

In a parody of his role as host of “Survivor,” Probst has created a spot for actober.com, which is produced by Major League Baseball.

Probst’s video, filmed in his Los Angeles backyard, uses some of the elements from the long-running hit series. In Probst’s reenactment, look-alikes for baseball greats Thomson, Jeter and Gibson are called to tribal council where each must make a case as to why his postseason moment is the best.

Thomson hit “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to win the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants. Jeter, the New York Yankees’ shortstop, made a spectacular shovel throw to home plate while backing up a play in the 2001 division series against the Oakland A’s. Gibson hit a dramatic home run to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“There’s nothing better than October baseball, so it was fun to take some of my favorite playoff moments and have fun with them Survivor-style,” said Probst, whose latest version of the reality series is “Survivor: China.” “I hope Derek Jeter, Kirk Gibson and Bobby Thomson have a sense of humor!”

Actober.com has more than 60 clips of historical postseason baseball footage. Fans can use the vintage footage to create their own actober moments and win World Series tickets.

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WESTWOOD, Mass. (AP) – Tony DiCicco is returning to the coaching sideline.

He’ll coach the Boston Breakers when the team plays in the new women’s professional soccer league set to launch in the spring of 2009.

Currently doing commentary on ESPN for the Women’s World Cup in China, DiCicco guided the U.S. to victory over China at the 1999 World Cup. He coached the women’s national team for six years, building a 103-8-8 record.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Breakers and returning to coaching,” DiCicco said. “The opportunity to help establish a permanent women’s professional soccer league in the United States is very important to me.”

The Boston Breakers are part of the new league that will have teams based in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) – The St. Louis Cardinals will honor broadcaster Mike Shannon in pre-game ceremonies before Sunday night’s home finale, recognizing his 50th year with the organization.

Shannon, a St. Louis native, signed with the Cardinals in 1958. He made his major league debut in 1962 and played on World Series-winning teams in 1964 and 1967 and the NL pennant winner in 1968. He joined the team’s front-office staff in 1971 and began his broadcasting career a year later.

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LISBON, Portugal (AP) – Jose Mourinho said he’s happy to leave Chelsea and proud of his record at the London club.

“From a professional and personal point of view, I’m feeling great,” he said Friday in an interview with Portuguese state broadcaster RTP. “I’m glad to have left. I’m glad to have left.”

The Portuguese coach was replaced as Chelsea manager Thursday after a breakdown of his relationship with billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

During Mourinho’s three-year stint at Stamford Bridge, the Blues won two Premier League championships, two League Cups and one FA Cup.

“I’m proud of what I did at Chelsea, not only in terms of results but the mark I left on the country, the city, the fans, my opponents, English soccer,” Mourinho said in the interview in London. “My mark is here.”

Chelsea said Mourinho left the team “by mutual consent” a day after the disappointing 1-1 draw with Rosenborg in the Champions League.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) – Former U.S. pairs champions Rena Inoue and John Baldwin withdrew from figure skating’s Grand Prix series Friday, saying they want to focus on the national and world championships.

Inoue and Baldwin were supposed to compete at the Cup of China, as well as the NHK Trophy. Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker will represent the United States at both events.

“Our long-term goals have not changed, and the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver is where we plan to be,” Baldwin said. “But the last few seasons have been incredibly demanding. This will allow us the time we need to defend our position in competition and continue our quest for an Olympic medal.”

Inoue and Baldwin are the second top U.S. pairs team to drop out of the Grand Prix series. Naomi Nari Nam and Theo Leftheris, bronze medalists at last year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships, withdrew earlier this month after Nam had hip surgery.

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