FanFare 8/18/03

Briefly

Baseball

Runelvys Hernandez, who opened the season 4-0 and keyed Kansas City's surprising surge into first place, was sent down to Double-A Wichita on Sunday. Hernandez (7-5) was roughed up for nine runs on nine hits in just 3 1-3 innings of a 14-5 loss to Minnesota on Saturday.

Todd Zeile was released by the Yankees, a move that came as no surprise to the veteran third baseman. Zeile, signed as a free agent in December, hit .210 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 66 games with New York.

Oakland pitcher Tim Hudson is cautiously optimistic he will make his next start Thursday in Boston. Hudson was hit on the right hand Saturday by Dave Berg's line drive in the seventh inning. He fielded the ball and, after discarding his glove, threw left-handed to record the out.

Kerry Wood said he expects to make his scheduled start this week in Houston a day after he left the Cubs loss to the Dodgers with a sore back. Wood gave up five runs on five hits and four walks in just 2 2-3 innings Saturday in his shortest outing since Sept. 22, 2000. He left without talking to reporters but the Cubs later said he had a sore lower back.

The widow of Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler spread her husband's ashes on the mound and in the bullpen at Camden Yards on Sunday. Steve Bechler died of heatstroke one day after collapsing during a spring training workout on Feb. 18 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 23. Bechler appeared in three games with the Orioles last year and was vying to earn a spot in the Baltimore bullpen this season.

Basketball

Jason Kidd graded the U.S. team with a "B," which seemed about right after a performance that was very good -- but not great. Tim Duncan had 21 points and 15 rebounds and the United States broke open a semi-close game with a 10-0 fourth-quarter run to defeat Puerto Rico 101-74 in an exhibition game Sunday. It was the only tuneup for the Americans before beginning play Wednesday at the Olympic qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tracy McGrady scored 15 points and Ray Allen 14 for the Americans, who outscored Puerto Rico 26-8 in the final quarter and 47-16 in the second half.

Colleges

Baylor University's former basketball coach apologized to one of the players he tried to enlist in a scheme to cover up alleged NCAA violations by accusing a slain player of dealing drugs, the player's father said Sunday. Former coach Dave Bliss met with R.T. Guinn on Saturday, Richard Guinn said. The meeting at the player's home came the day after secretly recorded audiotapes revealed Bliss had tried to use players and an assistant coach in an attempt to portray Patrick Dennehy as a drug dealer.

Football

Free-agent defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson signed with the Lions Sunday. Wilkinson, selected first overall by Cincinnati in the 1994 draft, attended team meetings and was at Detroit's practice. The Redskins cut Wilkinson on the second day of training camp after he refused to accept a pay cut.

Defensive tackle Brandon Noble is out for the season with a major knee injury, leaving the Redskins scrambling to fill a position that was already very thin. Noble tore three ligaments in his left knee and dislocated the kneecap when three players fell on him during a running play in the first quarter of Saturday night's 20-13 loss to the Patriots.

Panthers linebacker Mark Fields has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and will miss the entire season, the team said. Fields, 30, was hospitalized last week when a cut on his thumb became infected and didn't heal. Further tests detected Hodgkin's disease Thursday and he began chemotherapy Saturday.

Horse racing

Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens remained hospitalized Sunday, recovering from a collapsed lung suffered when he was thrown to the turf and nearly trampled in the Arlington Million. A spokesman at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights said Stevens, whose left shoulder was stepped on, was in fair condition. But he declined to release the results of X-rays.

Tennis

Seventh-seeded Andy Roddick rallied after losing the first set to beat Mardy Fish 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) and win the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday. Roddick had not lost a set all week. After dropping the first set against Fish, Roddick survived two tiebreakers to win the $400,000 first prize. It was the longest final in terms of games in a Cincinnati-based pro event since 1960.

Area digest

Louisiana team wins softball championship

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Plantation Athletic Club of Louisiana won the Babe Ruth National Invitational 14-and-under tournament by beating Shelby Co., Ky., 2-1 in Sunday's championship game.

Plantation Athletic scored runs in the bottom of the first and second innings and held Shelby Co. to two hits.