LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — George Kell, the Hall of Fame third baseman who edged Ted Williams for the 1949 American League batting title and became a Detroit Tigers broadcaster for nearly 40 years, died Tuesday. He was 86.

Kell outlasted Williams for the 1949 batting crown, hitting .34291 while the Boston Red Sox great finished at .34276. Kell played 15 seasons, hitting more than .300 nine times and compiling a career average of .306. He was a 10-time All-Star.

Kell played from 1943-1957 with the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. He topped .300 each year from 1946-53.

After he retired, Kell broadcast Tigers games from 1959 to 1996 — every year except 1964.

STATE COLLEGE — It's time for spring practice at Penn State.The Nittany Lions take the field today for the first drills of the spring. It will be their first steps toward trying to defend the Big Ten title in 2009.The biggest returnee might be 82-year-old coach Joe Paterno, who has a new three-year deal. He's planning a return to the sidelines this fall following hip surgery last year.Spring practice ends April 25 with the Blue-White scrimmage.

AUSTIN, Texas — Lance Armstrong is planning to ride in the Giro d'Italia in May even though his broken collarbone is a bit more serious than first thought.Although initial indications were it was a clean break, the 37-year-old American cyclist said new tests in Austin showed "multiple pieces" of broken bone.Although the recovery typically takes four to six weeks, Armstrong hopes his will be faster.