Major League Baseball

CUBS' LILLY HAS SHOULDER SURGERY: Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly, who's been one of the team's most consistent starters the last three seasons, had surgery on his left shoulder and no timetable has been set for his return.

The Cubs said the arthroscopy and debridement procedure performed Tuesday by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles revealed no major damage to Lilly's shoulder. Yocum performed a washout and clean-up of the shoulder during the one-hour surgery.

Lilly, who was 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 27 starts this season, said he was told initially he might not be able to start throwing for four months, depending on how well his rehab progresses.

"That could change one way or the other. My intention is to try to get back as fast as I can without setting myself back," Lilly said Wednesday during a conference call.

The Cubs are hoping he can join the rotation sometime in April.

Lilly, who went on the disabled list in July with inflammation in the shoulder before returning to the rotation, said he hoped rest after the season ended would help. But after a month off, surgery became the best option.

"Initially I wanted to try and avoid it," Lilly said. "I figured it would get better and it did not."

Lilly, who signed a four-year $40 million deal with the Cubs on Dec. 12, 2006, was 15-8 in 2007 and 17-9 a year ago, making 34 starts each season.

Pro basketball

PACERS HONOR LATE OWNER: The Pacers will honor their late co-owner Mel Simon with a jersey-retirement ceremony before Friday's game against the Washington Wizards.

The Pacers said Wednesday the banner will bear Mel Simon's name, but not a number. It will hang alongside the retired jerseys of former players Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown and George McGinnis, and ex-coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard.

Simon, who died in September the age of 82, bought the woebegone franchise with his brother, Herb, in 1983.

Herb Simon told The Associated Press by telephone from Paris that he will return to Indianapolis in time for what he said would be a small, dignified ceremony.

"It's going to be something to respect a guy who helped save the Pacers for Indianapolis, and who did his job well for 25 years and who was my partner," Herb Simon said. "We just need to honor him."

College football

HAWKEYES DRAW SKEPTICS: All Iowa's done is knock off Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State on the road. Oh, and the Hawkeyes are the nation's only 9-0 team and are ranked No. 4 in the BCS.

So why are so many so unimpressed with Iowa?

Lucky, ugly and bound to fall -- the Hawkeyes have heard it all. Questioning Iowa (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) has become common in the national media, and after seeing the Hawkeyes drop a spot to No. 8 despite an 18-point win over Indiana last week, its sports information office took action.

Iowa spokesman Phil Haddy sent out an e-mail on Monday asking the media to "get the correct facts on Iowa football." It compared the Hawkeyes to fellow unbeatens Cincinnati, Boise State, TCU and one-loss Oregon -- all teams ranked ahead of them in this week's Top 25.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who Haddy says wasn't aware of he e-mail until after it was sent, isn't ready to hit the campaign trail yet. He's more worried about Northwestern (5-4, 2-3), which visits Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, than changing public perception.

Besides, he's got a theory on squawking about the polls.

"Usually the first team to complain is the first team to get beat," Ferentz said.

Prep sports

LAKE STATION FALL SPORTS AWARDS: The Lake Station athletic department is having the Fall Sports Awards night on Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the school's auditorium. Those attending should enter the building at Entrance "A".

Around the horn

IndyCar officials are expected to announce today that clothing maker Izod will become the series' title sponsor next season. A person with knowledge of the deal confirmed the move Wednesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. The league has scheduled a news conference for this afternoon. ... Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was a free man Wednesday after serving most of a 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal. Pat Berdan, a consultant working with Donaghy, said he was released from Hernando County Jail in Florida. Donaghy had been jailed there since August after officials said he violated travel restrictions while living at a halfway house in the Tampa area. ... Calumet College of St. Joseph's men's basketball team lost 94-84 to St. Francis on Wednesday.