Sports briefs 12/14/05

Baseball

• The Los Angeles Dodgers unloaded Milton Bradley on Tuesday, sending the switch-hitting outfielder to the Oakland Athletics along with infielder Antonio Perez for minor league outfielder Andre Ethier, the Texas League player of the year.

Bradley, acquired by the Dodgers shortly before the start of the 2004 season after a run-in with Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge, feuded with teammate Jeff Kent last season.

Bradley didn't play after accusing Kent of a lack of leadership and an inability to deal with African-American players on Aug. 23. The following day, Bradley learned he had sustained serious injuries to his left knee that required surgery.

The 27-year-old Bradley hit .290 with 13 homers and 38 RBIs in 283 at-bats. He was limited to 75 games, also missing extensive playing time because of a torn ligament in his right ring finger.

Basketball

• After spending all season on the bench with an abdominal injury, star forward Grant Hill is expected play for the Orlando Magic for the first time this season tonight against the New York Knicks.

Hill had surgery for a sports hernia Oct. 31 and was expected to miss three to six weeks. He started practicing full-speed last week, but was held out of Saturday's win over Denver to allow more practice time.

Colleges

• Missouri Southern has hired Bart Tatum, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Northwest Missouri State, to replace the late John Ware as head coach of the football team, the university announced Tuesday.

Ware died of a heart attack in September. The Division II Lions went on to play five games, losing four, under assistant coach Keeth Matheny. Missouri Southern ended the season 3-7.

Tatum was at Northwest Missouri State for 12 years, the last two of them as offensive coordinator and assistant coach.

Football

• The Chicago Bears waived punt returner/wide receiver Bobby Wade on Tuesday, cutting ties with the third-year pro after deciding he fumbled too much on special teams.

Wade averaged 9.7 yards on 33 punt returns but committed nine fumbles on special teams and 10 in all, losing four. He also caught 10 passes for 80 yards.

Tennis

n A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in a lawsuit by promoters claiming that Venus and Serena Williams reneged on a deal to play in a proposed 2001 "Battle of the Sexes" event against male players

Palm Beach Circuit Judge Jeffrey A. Winicoff granted a motion for a mistrial made by John Romano, attorney for promoters Carol Clarke and Keith Rhodes, after almost three weeks of testimony in the lawsuit. It was not immediately clear when or if the case would return to court.

Track

• Tim Montgomery, the former 100-meter world record holder, was suspended for two years Tuesday for doping.

Another U.S. sprinter, two-time Olympic relay medalist Chrystye Gaines, also received a two-year ban from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Both runners were implicated in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative scandal. Neither sprinter tested positive for drugs. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency sought the bans based on evidence gathered in the BALCO criminal investigation.

-- From wire reports