FanFare 6/27/03

Briefly

Baseball

Blue Jays third baseman Eric Hinske returned to the lineup Thursday after being sidelined since May 24 with a broken right hand. The Blue Jays activated last year's AL Rookie of the Year from the 15-day disabled list before their game against Baltimore.

All-Star first baseman Mike Sweeney was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday by the Royals. The move was made retroactive to June 19, one day after Sweeney left a game against Minnesota with tightness in his upper back.

Catcher Josh Paul, who was designated for assignment earlier this week by the White Sox, has refused a return to Triple-A Charlotte and will become a free agent. Paul appeared in 13 games with the White Sox this season, going 6-17 (.353) with four RBIs.

Cubs pitcher Kyle Farnsworth had his suspension reduced from three games to two for his brawl with Paul Wilson last week in Cincinnati. Farnsworth will begin serving his suspension Thursday against the Brewers. He also will miss today's game against the White Sox.

Basketball

Rather than test the free-agent market, Jerry Stackhouse agreed to a two-year contract extension worth about $18 million with the Wizards.

Grizzlies point guard Jason Williams underwent successful surgery to remove bone chips from his left ankle. The routine procedure was performed in New York by orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Hamilton. The surgery is aimed at addressing the chronic ankle problems from which Williams has suffered over the past few seasons. His recovery time is expected to be about 8-12 weeks.

Hawks guard Jason Terry, who finished seventh in the league in assists last season, was extended a qualifying offer by the team for the 2003-04 season. The 6-2 Terry was Atlanta's third-leading scorer last season at 17.2 points per game and posted a career-best 7.4 assists per game.

Roy Tarpley, a former Sixth Man of the Year who twice has been kicked out of the NBA for violating its substance-abuse policy, reportedly has applied to the league for reinstatement. The 38-year-old Tarpley told KRIV television in Houston on Wednesday that he has "unfinished business to do." The NBA is prohibited to comment on the subject due to the league's drug policy.

Colleges

Miami will consider counterproposals from the Big East Conference before deciding whether to accept an offer to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. After meeting for more than an hour with the university's 19-member executive committee of its board of trustees, school president Donna Shalala said an expected vote was not taken. She said a final decision will be announced Monday.

Football

Rams backup quarterback Marc Bulger has signed a one-year contract, a team spokesman said. Terms were not disclosed, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the deal was worth $375,000, the minimum for a third-year player.

Hockey

Former Devils coach Larry Robinson took himself out of the running for the Rangers' head coaching job. Robinson spoke with Rangers general manager Glen Sather and told him of his decision. Robinson said the job was never formally offered.

The Red Wings signed Pavel Datsyuk to a one-year contract with an option for another season. Datsyuk had 12 goals and 39 assists last season in 64 games.

The Predators acquired defenseman Curtis Murphy from the Wild in a three-way trade that sent defenseman Peter Smrek to the Senators. Murphy made his NHL debut last season, playing in one game with the Wild. The 27-year-old collected 23 goals and 31 assists in 80 games with the American Hockey League's Houston Aeros and added two goals and seven assists en route to the Calder Cup championship.

Soccer

Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed in the heat during the Confederations Cup semifinal against Colombia on Thursday and later died, FIFA said. The 28-year old player fell during the game, which was played in temperatures in the high 80s. He was unconscious when he was carried off the field on a stretcher to the sideline where he received treatment, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen.

The United States moved up one spot to ninth in June's FIFA rankings despite its first-round elimination in the Confederations Cup. In May's rankings, the Americans were tied for 10th with Denmark. The best-ever ranking for the U.S. team was eighth last September. Brazil remained first in the rankings, followed by France and Spain.

Verbatim

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: "NASCAR has dumped Winston as its major sponsor and signed with Nextel. Where's the world headed when the good ol' boys are trying to separate themselves from the tobacco industry? Next thing you know, NASCAR will ban Confederate flags, Busch beer and naked-lady mudflaps."