FanFare 4/18/03

Briefly

Baseball

The Cardinals said Thursday they have fired the Washington-based group hired to corral $275 million in private financing for a new Cardinals' downtown stadium, citing unspecified "concerns about some of the investors." The Cardinals now have tapped Bank of America Securities to take the lead among financial advisers and consultants in the private-financing initiative. Despite the move, the $402 million effort to replace 37-year-old Busch Stadium remained on track, with the team still planning to close the deal in June, break ground the next month and open the new ballpark by the 2006 season, Cardinals president Mark Lamping said.

A judge set bond at $250,000 for a man who attacked an umpire during a White Sox game. Eric Dybas of Bolingbrook was charged with one count of felony aggravated battery and one count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Jose Canseco plans to profit while under house arrest for his part in a 2001 nightclub brawl. Canseco's Web site is accepting bids to spend an afternoon with the 1988 American League MVP. The opening price is $2,500. Www.josecanseco.com received 268 bids as of Thursday afternoon.

Basektball

Lenny Wilkens is out as coach of the Raptors, leaving by "mutual agreement" after the worst season of his 30-year NBA career. Wilkens, who owns the league's career coaching records for most victories (1,292) and losses (1,114), went 24-58 this season.

Antonio McDyess will have another knee operation next week, putting his availability for the start of training camp next fall in doubt.

Colleges

Andy Blackston, who turned a perennial losing program at Alabama-Huntsville into a winner in two years, was hired as Austin Peay's women's basketball coach. He succeeds Susie Gardner, who left for Arkansas on April 9.

St. Bonaventure fired basketball coach Jan van Breda Kolff and accepted athletic director Gothard Lane's resignation, six weeks after the team boycotted games over an ineligible player.

Heavily recruited quarterback John David Booty will finish high school early and enroll in the University of Southern California next fall. Booty, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound two-time all-state player from Evangel Christian Academy, made the decision five days after the school fired his father, John Booty, as quarterbacks coach.

Arkansas lost two football scholarships and its entire sports program was placed on three years' probation after the NCAA determined a university booster overpaid athletes for work at his trucking company.

Texas point guard T.J. Ford played down the severity of his injury in a pickup basketball game, saying he "took a spill" and was taken to the hospital only as a precaution.

Kentucky's Marquis Estill has decided to forego his senior year and enter the NBA Draft.

Golf

Laura Diaz might think about wearing a brace on her ankle every time she plays golf. With the brace helping get her through a pain-free round, Diaz shot a 6-under 66 to tie Catriona Matthew for the lead after one round of the Takefuji Classic.

Tennis

With the help of 14 aces, including two in the final game, 12th-seeded Lisa Raymond flustered fifth-seeded Jelena Dokic for a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 victory in the third round of the Bausch & Lomb Championships. Jennifer Capriati overcame a 3-0 deficit in the third set to defeat 15th-seeded Paola Suarez 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.

On the air

BoxingHeavyweights, Michael Grant (37-2-0) vs. Gilbert Martinez (15-4-1), 11 p.m., ESPN2

College baseballEastern Illinois at Southeast (2), 12:45 p.m., KGIR-1220

Golf

Algarve Open de Portugal, 9 a.m., TGC

Emerald Coast Classic, 12:30 p.m., TGC

The Heritage Classic, 3 p.m., USA

Takefuji Classic, 3:30 p.m., TGC

MLB

Arizona at St. Louis, 6:33 p.m., Fox-Midwest, KZIM-960, KBXB-97.9

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m., TBS

Motorsports

Qualifying for San Marino Grand Prix, 7 a.m., SPEED

NHL playoffsWashington at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m., ESPN

St. Louis at Vancouver, 8 p.m., ESPN2, KGIR-1220

Tennis

Women's, Bausch & Lomb Championships, noon, ESPN

CHARTER CABLE KEY:CNBC (ch. 53), ESPN (42), ESPN2 (43), Lifetime (49)Fox-Midwest (45), Fox-Central (352), Fox-Pacific (353), Fox-Sunshine (351), Fox-World (350), FX(50), Golf Channel (46), KBSI (9), KFVS (7), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TNT (48), WDKA (17), WPSD (6), WQWQ (33), WSIL (3). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area events

College baseballEastern Illinois at Southeast (2), 1 p.m.

College softballMorehead State at Southeast (2), 1 p.m.

College track & fieldSoutheast at Kansas Relays

High school baseballCentral at Trojan Classic, Chattanooga, Tenn.

High school boys' tennisCentral at Columbia Rock Bridge Tournament, 11 a.m.

High school girls' soccerPerryville, St. Vincent at Fralish Cup Tournament, Carbondale, Ill.

OMISSION

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY TRACK ATHLETE COURTNEY HAMAN HAS QUALIFIED FOR THE NCAA REGIONALS IN THE JAVELIN. SHE WAS OMITTED FROM A STORY IN THURSDAY'S EDITION.