Williams Remains in Critical Condition

Doctors were closely monitoring the recovery of baseball great Ted Williams a day after he underwent a lengthy operation to repair failing heart valves.

The 82-year-old Hall of Famer, baseball’s last .400 hitter, was listed in critical condition and expected to remain in New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Weill Cornell Medical Center for the next 10 to 14 days, the Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

Williams had a pacemaker inserted in November, but continued to suffer from shortness of breath, caused by the leaky heart valve.

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Baseball owners gather today in Phoenix and will discuss competitive balance.

Commissioner Bud Selig’s staff has proposed a new competitive draft, in which the teams with the eight worst records over the previous three years would be able to choose one player left unprotected by the teams with the eight best winning percentages.

Each of the top teams could protect 25 players in their organizations.

Other changes Selig’s staff has proposed would make all players around the world subject to the June draft, rather than only those in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; eliminate the draft eligibility of college juniors; force all draft picks to sign by July 15; and allow teams to trade draft picks.

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The New York Yankees agreed to a $4.05-million, one-year contract with catcher Jorge Posada. The Yankees have two players remaining in arbitration, and they’re both all-stars: shortstop Derek Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera. . . . Catcher Scott Servais agreed to a minor league contract with Detroit and was invited to spring training. . . . Right-hander Frankie Rodriguez, who pitched for Seattle last year, agreed to a minor league contract with Cincinnati. . . . Florida agreed to a $1.6-million, two-year contract with infielder Kevin Millar and a $1,425,000, one-year deal with left-hander Jesus Sanchez. Also, the Marlins acquired outfielder Chad Mottola from Toronto for a player to be named or cash.