FanFare 9/25/02

Baseball

Left fielder Luis Gonzalez, the Diamondbacks' top power hitter, will miss the rest of the season and the playoffs because of a shoulder injury. Gonzalez, hurt Monday night in a collision with shortstop Tony Womack, was examined Tuesday by a team physician, who said Gonzalez might need surgery.

The teenager who ran on the field with his father during a game and attacked Royals coach Tom Gamboa will spend at least two more weeks in custody. The 15-year-old boy's lawyer was granted a request for more time to gather evidence. A trial date has not been set.

Actress Tawny Kitaen has filed a $12 million lawsuit against her estranged husband, Cardinals pitcher Chuck Finley. In the lawsuit, Kitaen accuses her husband of breach of contract, saying Finley broke his promise to financially support her for the rest of her life. Finley filed for divorce in April, just three days after Kitaen, 41, was arrested for spousal abuse.

A six-game suspension and $1,000 fine imposed on Montreal pitcher Tomo Ohka were upheld by Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. Ohka was penalized Sept. 13 by Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, after the pitcher hit Atlanta's Andruw Jones on the helmet six days earlier.

Basketball

Lisa Leslie had 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the defending champion United States past Australia 71-56 and into the finals of the Women's World Basketball Championship. Shannon Johnson scored 15 of her 17 points in the second quarter, and Sheryl Swoopes added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Americans, who will face Russia in the title game today. The Russians advanced with a 70-53 victory over South Korea.

Nets point guard Jason Kidd, runner-up in the MVP voting last season, said he wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career. Kidd will be a free agent after next season and cannot sign a contract until then. But he said Tuesday that the Nets remain his No. 1 choice.

Colleges

Cincinnati sophomore quarterback Gino Guidugli, 19, was cited for underage drinking while attending a fraternity rush on the school campus.

Hockey

Blackhawks All-Star forward Eric Daze is scheduled to undergo back surgery for a herniated disk today and will be out at least six weeks, the team said.

Motorsports

Tony Stewart won't face criminal assault charges stemming from an accusation by a fan that the NASCAR driver shoved her at an August race in Bristol. The Sullivan County grand jury declined to indict Stewart after hearing a report on the sheriff's investigation following the Sharpie 500 Winston Cup race Aug. 24, District Attorney Greeley Wells said.

Obituaries

Mike Webster, the Hall of Fame center who helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls and whose life spiraled into drug use and homelessness after he retired, died at age 50. Webster died in the coronary care unit at Allegheny General Hospital, but the hospital did not announce a cause of death. Known as "Iron Mike" for his toughness and durability, Webster widely was considered one of the game's greatest centers and he was voted in 2000 to the All-Time NFL Team.

Leon Hart, who won the 1949 Heisman Trophy and helped Notre Dame win three national titles, died at age 73. He also was a member of three NFL championship teams in his eight seasons with the Detroit Lions. Hart died at the St. Joseph Medical Center, Notre Dame associate athletic director John Heisler said. A hospital spokeswoman said she did not know the cause of death.

-- From wire reports