FanFare 5/13/03

Briefly

Baseball

Eli Marrero, who provides Cardinals manager Tony La Russa with necessary flexibility in the outfield and behind the plate, will undergo right ankle surgery today and is sidelined indefinitely. Marrero suffered the injury in the fourth inning of St. Louis' game with the Cubs on Sunday.

Mike Piazza began learning to play a new position, taking grounders at first base for about 10 minutes before the Mets played the Rockies. The All-Star catcher came out early before batting practice to work at first base for the first time since Mets manager Art Howe and GM Steve Phillips spoke with him about the idea last week.

Basketball

Police interviewed 76ers star Allen Iverson about a shooting that left one of his friends wounded outside a nightclub last month. Police said Iverson was candid during the interview, and that he told them he had no idea what led to the shooting. The interview will be forwarded to the district attorney's office to determine whether there will be any changes made to the charges filed against the suspect, Carlos Perez.

Colleges

One of St. Bonaventure's top basketball players received permission to transfer after a season in which the school was shaken by scandal. Forward Mike Gansey, the team's No. 2 scorer, was granted his release, coach Anthony Solomon said. Also, forward Patrick Tathum will be released from letter of intent he signed last fall.

Wyoming coach Steve McClain is no longer a candidate for the opening at Iowa State. Several reports indicated Chattanooga coach Jeff Lebo had emerged as front-runner to replace Larry Eustachy, who resigned from the Big 12 Conference school under a cloud on May 5.

Morehead State University's Ricky Minard, the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2002-03, will make himself available for the 2003 NBA Draft. Minard will not, however, sign with an agent and will therefore preserve his eligibility to return for his senior season with the Eagles. The 6-foot-4 Minard averaged 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 83.7 percent from the free-throw line. An underclassman who declares early can pull his name from the draft one week prior to the draft if he does not sign with an agent.

Alabama assistant football coaches Eric and Aaron Price, sons of fired head coach Mike Price, have been reassigned within the athletic department. Athletic director Mal Moore announced the moves on the athletic department's Web site.

Football

The Eagles signed veteran punter Kyle Richardson to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Richardson, who will be entering his seventh NFL season in 2003, played the majority of his career with the Ravens.

Golf

Tiger Woods is skipping the Colonial, and will likely go to the U.S. Open having played only two tournaments since the Masters. Woods has always played at least three times between the Masters and the U.S. Open. But he said he's trying to stick to a lighter schedule after having knee surgery in December.

Hockey

Flyers goaltender Roman Cechmanek probably will not return to the team following a disappointing finish in the playoffs. "I think it'll be very difficult to bring Roman back," general manager Bob Clarke said. "I don't think he wants to come back. I think he feels it's not a good place for him."

Tennis

Gustavo Kuerten took a step in reviving his clay-court game, beating Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Hamburg Masters.

Conchita Martinez upset ninth-seeded Jelena Dokic 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 at the Italian Open, giving the Spaniard another victory at a tournament she once won four years in a row.

Verbatim

Laker Kobe Bryant, to the Los Angeles Times, after front-row fan Jack Nicholson went postal on referee Mark Wunderlich during Friday's playoff game: "I just saw 'Anger Management.' I thought I was watching it again."

Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on the prerequisites to be a college coach: "All we want is a winner, a leader, a statesman, an educator, a tactician, a stand-up comedian, a father figure, a fund-raiser, a psychologist and a saint. Then why is that combination so hard to find?"

On the air

High school baseball

Notre Dame at Clearwater, 3:45 p.m., KGIR-1220

Oran at Bell City, 4 p.m., KRHW-1520

East Prairie at Chaffee, 4:15 p.m., KAPE-1550

MLB

Cincinnati at St. Louis, 7:10 p.m., Fox-Midwest, KZIM-960, KBXB-97.9

Atlanta at Los Angeles, 9:10 p.m., TBS

NBA playoffs

Sacramento at Dallas, 6 p.m., TNT

L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m., TNT

NHL playoffs

New Jersey at Ottawa, 7 p.m., ESPN

Soccer

Internazionale FC vs. Milan AC, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2

Area events

High school baseball

Notre Dame at Clearwater, 4 p.m.

Kelly at Scott City, 4 p.m.

Ste. Genevieve Valle at St. Vincent, 4 p.m.

Advance at Twin Rivers, 4 p.m.

Oran at Bell City, 4 p.m.

Delta at Meadow Heights, 4 p.m.

Woodland at Oak Ridge, 4 p.m.

East Prairie at Chaffee, 4:30 p.m.

High school softball

Oran at Bell City, 4 p.m.

Delta at Meadow Heights, 4 p.m.

East Prairie at Chaffee, 4:30 p.m.

High school girls' soccer

Central at Sikeston, 4 p.m.

Notre Dame at Marion, Ill., 4 p.m.

High school golf

SEMO Conference Meet, Dalhousie Golf Club

High school girls' swimming

SEMO Conference Meet, Central Pool, 4 p.m.

High school tennis

Central at Class 2, District 1 tournament at Forest Park