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Show - -- - ---- - ~----- -- - -~~ SPO TS DIGEST Changes abound in MLB camps MASTERS HAS WILD FIRST DAY: olf' pa t and futur cro sed paths on the oggy fairways f Augusta National yesterday in a brilliant tim trip through th first round of the Master . Phil Mickelson, the 24-year-old lefthand r with Nicklau -like promi e, £logg d th flag all day, raining iron shots all around the cup in a sen ational 6-underpar 66. Meanwhile, there was 55-year-old Jack Nicklaus him elf, the six-time Masters champion, throwing a 67 on the Jeaderboard and once again thrilling the throngs. And just to carry the generational thing one step further, there was 19year-old U.S. Amateur champion Tiger Woods hooting a solid ..---:c..-sr--:----, even-par 72 in his very first Masters. The rain came overnight to Augusta and this was not the same hard, fast, fear ome cour e the players tried to tame in the practice row1ds. The greens softened, and Augusta National was there to be had. And it was. Playing in steady rain that varied from a drizzle to hard shower, player after player battered par. Joining Mickel on atop the Jeaderboard at 66 were defending champion Jose Maria --.-- .::;......::. Olazabal of Spain and David Frost. fose Maria Olazabal Tied with Nicklau at 67 were Corey Pavin and David Gilford of England. Knotted at 4-under were Mar.k O'Meara and Chip Beck. Seven players were at 69, eight more at 70 and IO at 71 on a soggy day in which par became a meaningless standard. McCALL TO DEFEND TITLE TOMORROW AGAINST OLD MAN HOLMES: Oliver McCall laughed when asked how he felt when people aid or wrote that his .sccond-rour\-cl knockout of Lennox Lewis was a fluke. "I hope my opponents think it's a fluke, too," the WBC heavyweight champion said yesterday. "Then they'll underestimate me, and I'll perf rm another fluke." Mike Ty on's former sparring partner is preparing for the fir t defen e of the title he won £rom Lewis last Sept. 24 in London. McCall fights Larry Holmes tomorr w night at Caesars Palace. "If I lose this fight, I'll quit right away," said Holmes, a sparring partner for Muhammad Ali before becoming the world's premier heavyweight a WBC and IBF champion from 1978 to 1985. "There's no sense in going on."The Oliver McCall 29-year-old McCall i favored to retain the title on the pay-per-view show of four championship fights. MICHAELANDRETTIANXIOUSABOUTLONG BEACH GRAND PRIX: The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an imp rtant mile tone in the Indy-car career of Michael Andretti. His victory on the downtown street circuit in 1986 - in his 36th career start - was the first of the 29 he brings into the 2 I st edition of the event on Sunday. That firs t win ended a lot of £ru tration for the 32-year-old son of nowretired Mario Andretti, a four-time winner of the race. But the younger Andretti is frustrated again going into the opening of practice and qualifying today. In the first three races of 1995, Andretti has led more laps than anyone. But all he has to show for it are two failures to finish, a disappointing second last Sunday a t Phoenix and sixth place behind first-year NewmanHaas teammate Paul Tracy in the PPG Cup standings. NICHOLLS SlllNING AS CffiCAGO GOALIE: Bernie Nicholls is a good example that life begins at 30 in the NHL. Nicholls, who will be 34 this summer, is having one of his best seasons in his 14th year in the league. There's an explanation £or it, Nicholls says. "I think you're finding players who are playing longer because conditioning is a little better. l think we're working a lot more in the off-season. It's become a 12-month-a-year job. "I think guy arc in a lot b tter hape than in the pa t. That's what I'm attributing my season to. I think I'm in good hape. l've work d hard with a lot of I Royals deal strike activist Cone to Blue [ays for three minor leaguers Blu Jay and c llected a S9 million igning bonu . He wa to draw 5 million from the Sl million package thi year. While the Florida Marlins and Los Angele In the hortened I 94 eason, the right-hander Dodger were changing opening day, the Montreal wa 16-5 with a 2.94 ERA. Expos changed the nucleus of their team. There were everal signings, mo t notable Lo Angel will play at Florida at 7:35 p.m . among them pitcher Fernando Valenzuela joining EDT in an early opener on April 2 , baseball the San Dieg Padres for $200,000 and reliever officials announced Wednesday after an John Franco returning to the New York Mets for agreement with ESPN and $5 million over two year . :--- - - - - - , - -- -- , Dave Winfield, traded t the players association. The American League Cleveland during th strike schedule, barring rainouts, on Aug. 31, sign d with the would ee Cal Ripken tie Lou Indians, reportedly for Gehrig's consecutive-games $600,000. record on Sept. 5 at home And BaJtimore owner P ter against California. He would Angelos showed n hurt from break it the following day at the trike, agreeing on a home against the Angels. $17.25 milLion, 5-year deal When Ripken would reach with catcher C hris Hoiles. the record was calculated Montreal, meanwhile, with help from a source who ...., ........._~. began it alary purge, has Baltimore's schedule. dealing closer John The fuU schedule will be Detroit manager Sparky Ander: onllis~m~il::r:es~ Wetteland to the New York released this week when all Yankees and No. 1 starter as he is ad;usted wi.th a microphone Ken Hill to the St. Louis teams have finalized their before an interview yesterday. adjustments. - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - Cardinals. The Ex.po already In deals yesterday, Cy have lost outfielder Larry Young Award winner David Cone, an activist in Walker to free agency. in the recent strike, was traded by Kansas City to "This is not a fire sale," Expo general manager Toronto. Kevin Malone said. " A fire sale is when you're On Wednesday, in another move to cut salaries, giving guys away." the Royals sent star center fielder Brian McRae to The Expos didn't give 'em away for free, but the Chicago Cubs for two minor league pitchers. they didn't exactly break the banks of the In return for Cone, a three-time National Yankees and Cardinals. For Wetteland, who had League strikeout champion with the New York 25 saves in 52 appearances last season, the Expos Mets, the R yal got three minor league got Fernando Segui.gnol, a 20-year-old outfielder; a prospects: infielders Chris Stynes and Tony player t be named later and cash . Medrano and relief pitcher David Sinnes. For HiU, 16-5 with a 3.32 ERA la t year, the Cone signed as a free agent two seasons ago Expos got outfielder Darond Stovall and pitchers Bryan Eversgerd and Kirk Bullinger. after finishing the 1992 season with the Toronto By TI-IE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tark will try to revitalize Bulldog bark Alleged rules violations involving Tarkanian date back to 1977, when the NCAA u pended him for two years and placed UNLV on two Jerry Tarkanian, back in coaching after a 3-year years probation. Tarkanian continued coaching and appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, absence, insists he has no hard feelings toward the NCAA. claiming the probation violated hi right to due Investigations into his program shadowed process. much of his 24-year career with Long Beach But the nation's highest court ruled against State and UNLV, where he won a national title him in 1988, aying the NCAA wa a private in 1990. agency and did not have to provide du process. With his hiring at Fresno State on Wednesday, Tarkanian, who has the highest winning Tarkanian said his percentage in NCAA trouble with the NCAA basketbaU hi tory, over recruiting and replaces Gary Colson, who resigned March 15 eligibility are in the past. "Everybody knows they after five easoos. He was were picking on me," he the only candidate for the said. "But that's over with. job. It shouldn't have any "I know that the effect on what I'm doing support her is here." unmatched," Tarkanian Just to be sure, the 3aid. " I've alway said the year contract he signed Red Wave is maybe the with Fresno State includes best fans in the entire the requirement that country. Tarkanian obey NCAA N ew Fresno State basketball coach ferry " Hopefully, we can get Tarkanian meets the media along with FSU a program going to the regulations. University president President fohn Welty. level to bring a lot of John Welty, who had the - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - e x c i t e m e n t and a lot of final word on hiring Tarkanian, said the contract pride to the people of the San Joaquin Valley." "establishes the respon ibility of the coach to Tarkanian will try to revitalize a team that has adhere to NCAA regulations." had only two winning seasons in the pa t 10 In addition, Welty said the athletic department year . T he Build g were 13-15 la t eason, will hire a c mpliance officer to guide coaches in finishing seventh in the We tern Athletic all sports in foll wing NCAA rules. Conference. By TI-IE ASSOCIATED PRESS |