Sports briefs

Skiing

SKI TEAM MEMBER RETIRES: Matt Grosjean, a three-time Olympian and 10-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, has announced his retirement from the team.

Grosjean, 27, was ninth in America's Opening World Cup slalom at Park City in 1992 and was fourth in combined last January at Wengen, Switzerland. He earned three U.S. slalom championships.

Tennis

GRAF ENTERS U.S. OPEN: Steffi Graf will seek her sixth U.S. Open women's singles title this year.

The German right-hander has officially entered the year's final Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Tennis Association announced Thursday.

This will be Graf's first U.S. Open since she won the 1996 women's singles title over Monica Seles. She missed last year's tournament after undergoing knee surgery.

Baseball

DREW SIGNS WITH CARDS: J.D. Drew, who refused to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies last season but was picked again in the first round of this year's draft by St. Louis, has signed with the Cardinals.

Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow confirmed today that Drew has signed with the team. Terms were not disclosed but the deal is believed to be worth about $7 million over four years.

Drew, 22, had been seeking an $11 million contract, unprecedented for a player with no big league experience.

AUSTRALIANS EDGE U.S.: Australia's national baseball team scored early and held on for a 6-5 victory over Team USA, whose late rally fell short Thursday night.

VAUGHN, PALMER TO SIT OUT: Boston Red Sox first baseman Mo Vaughn will not attend next week's All-Star Game because of a strained right hamstring. He was replaced on the roster by Baltimore first baseman Rafael Pal-miero.

Palmeiro has appeared in two All-Star games, last in 1991 with Texas. The AL player of the month is hitting .300 with 26 homers and 72 RBIs.

Kansas City Royals third baseman Dean Palmer will miss his first All-Star game after being hit by a pitch in the left elbow by St. Louis' Juan Acevedo.

PLAYERS OF MONTH: Chicago's Sammy Sosa was NL player of the month, hitting a record 20 homers, 40 RBIs and an .842 slugging percentage.