Saturday FanFare 8/23/03

Briefly

Baseball

Oakland Athletics pitcher Mark Mulder has a stress fracture in his right hip, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. Mulder had an MRI exam Thursday, and the team was surprised to see it showed a fracture. The Athletics weren't sure how he hurt himself. Mulder is 15-9 with a 3.13 ERA in 26 starts this season.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner set aside his rivalry with the Red Sox on Friday to make a $10,000 donation to the Jimmy Fund, the longtime Boston charity that works with children with cancer.

"I certainly like the Jimmy Fund and all it stands for," Steinbrenner said in a phone call to WEEI-AM, which held an all-day radiothon that had raised $556,243 by late afternoon.

Basketball

The defending WNBA champion Sparks received yet another jolt when center Rhonda Mapp was dismissed from the league for violating its anti-drug program Friday. Mapp, who was in her sixth season, cannot apply for reinstatement for at least two years, according to league rules.

Forward Tony Massenburg signed with the Sacramento Kings on Friday, tying Chucky Brown's NBA record by joining his 12th franchise.

Massenburg also tied the unofficial pro sports record for impermanence held by Brown and baseball pitcher Mike Morgan, who also played for 12 teams.

Massenburg, a 12-year veteran, spent most of last season with the Utah Jazz, averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Colleges

Suspended Nebraska offensive lineman Junior Tagoa'i will be behind bars for the Huskers' home opener next week.

Tagoa'i was sentenced Friday to 21 days in jail, beginning Tuesday, and fined $500 for hitting his girlfriend while she was holding their infant child in April.

He also was fined $350 after being found in contempt of court for making an obscene gesture in court at an earlier hearing. Tagoa'i's fate with the football team remained up in the air.

Head coach Frank Solich said he will announce Tagoa'i's status with the team after he talks with him, which he expected to do Friday night.

Tagoa'i, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound Hauula, Hawaii, native was listed No. 1 at right guard on the Cornhuskers' depth chart following spring practice.

Horse racing

So much for the great rematch between Funny Cide and Empire Maker.

Funny Cide was declared out of $1 million Travers Stakes on Friday by trainer Barclay Tagg, who said his popular New York-bred gelding was not healthy enough to run.

Empire Maker was pulled by Bobby Frankel, who said his colt was on medication for a cough. However, the trainer has a pinch runner in Peace Rules, who will go against five other colts in the 1 1/4-mile Midsummer Derby.

Motorsports

Jeff Gordon won the pole for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday. Gordon turned a lap in 15.038 seconds around Bristol to break the event qualifying record of 15.292 seconds set by Rusty Wallace in 2000.

Mark Martin, one of the last cars to qualify, ran a lap at 15.039 seconds to just miss bumping Gordon off the pole. They will start first and second in tonight's race.

Tennis

Venus Williams withdrew from the U.S. Open on Friday because of a stomach muscle injury, leaving the year's final Grand Slam tournament without both Williams sisters.

The tournament begins Monday in New York, where Williams has been practicing.

Serena withdrew after having left knee surgery Aug. 1 and will be out six-to-eight weeks.