NEW YORK — Jorge Posada and the New York Yankees finalized their $52.4 million, four-year contract Thursday, more than two weeks after the All-Star catcher and the team reached a preliminary agreement on the deal.

Posada gets $13.1 million in each of the four seasons, the highest average salary for a catcher.

While Posada will turn 40 in the final season of the contract, the Yankees have said they are not concerned about his age, saying the switch-hitter could be shifted eventually to designated hitter or first base. He hit a team-high .338 last season with 20 homers and 90 RBIs.

DENVER — Catcher Yorvit Torrealba is staying with the Colorado Rockies, agreeing Thursday to a two-year deal worth about $7 million with a mutual option for 2010.Torrealba, who filed for free agency after helping the Rockies reach the World Series, was set to sign a three-year contract for about twice the money with the New York Mets this month. The Rockies got back into the mix when that deal fell apart and the Mets traded for Johnny Estrada instead.

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — A jury awarded $5 million Thursday to a former University of Alabama football booster who claimed the NCAA defamed him when it imposed penalties on the Crimson Tide in 2002.The state court jury awarded Ray Keller $3 million in punitive damages, $1 million for mental anguish, $500,000 for economic loss and $500,000 for damage to reputation.Keller, a timber dealer and fan whom the university severed ties with because of the probe, argued that the NCAA slandered and libeled him during the announcement of penalties by referring to him and others as "rogue boosters," "parasites" and "pariahs."

LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Thursday he has agreed to terms of a two-year contract extension believed to be worth about $24 million, putting him under contract through the 2009-10 season.The Basketball Hall of Fame coach announced his decision and discussed his contract situation before the Lakers' game against the Denver Nuggets.The 62-year-old Jackson signed a five-year, $30 million contract with the Lakers in June 1999, and coached them to three championships before they lost to San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals in 2003 and were beaten by Detroit in the NBA finals in 2004.

SUN CITY, South Africa — Trevor Immelman and Adam Scott shot 5-under 67s Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.Ernie Els was two shots back in the 12-man event at the Gary Player Country Club.Els, the 1999, 2000 and 2002 winner, is trying to surpass other three-time winners Nick Price and David Frost.Immelman birdied the first four holes on the course softened by rain over the past week. The South African topped that with an eagle 3 on the ninth to make the turn in 6-under 30. But he couldn't maintain the momentum and dropped shots on 11 and 12.