Sports briefs 7/20/06

Baseball

• An official scoring change eight weeks after the original ruling lowered Chicago Cubs right-hander Greg Maddux's ERA by more than a third of a point.

Scorer Ron Jernick said he made the change this week after the Cubs appealed the May 24 ruling to Major League Baseball, which asked him to review the decision.

Because of the change, Maddux was charged with one earned run instead of six in the game against the Florida Marlins, lowering his ERA to 4.60 from 4.99.

The ruling involved a play in the fifth inning. With two out and none on, Florida's Hanley Ramirez beat shortstop Ronny Cedeno's one-hop throw from the hole.

Ramirez was credited with a single, and the Marlins went on to score five runs off Maddux. With the ruling change, Jernick took away the hit and gave Cedeno an error, making the runs unearned.

* Chicago Cubs third base coach Chris Speier was arrested for drunken driving early Wednesday after he ran a stop sign on a city street, police said.

Before Wednesday night's game against Houston, the Cubs announced that Speier would leave the club for several days to handle personal business. The team did not say how long he would be away.

Speier, 56, was pulled over on his motorcycle around 1:40 a.m. on North Dearborn Street and charged with driving under the influence and failure to stop at a stop sign, officer Laura Kubiak said.

Motorsports

• Legendary stuntman Evel Knievel's son, Robbie Knievel, says his father is in failing health and he wants to perform a motorcycle jump for him at Evel Knievel Days later this month.

Evel Knievel is suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, making it harder and harder for him to breathe, and this may be his last Evel Knievel Days celebration.

"I don't think he's gonna make it 'til next year," Robbie said in a telephone interview with The Montana Standard Tuesday, "so I called my sister Alicia and told her I wanted to come home and jump."

Evel has not watched Robbie jump since 1997.

Soccer

• Bob Gansler, the longest-tenured coach in Major League Soccer history, has been fired by the slumping Kansas City Wizards.

General manager Curt Johnson said Wednesday that he asked for Gansler's resignation after a 30-minute conversation Tuesday night. Gansler, 65, will be paid through the remainder of the season, Johnson said.

Gansler was 86-85-51 with the Wizards.

* His reputation already dented, Zinedine Zidane faces possible sanctions for head-butting Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final.

Zidane, who retired after thg July 9 final, will appear before a FIFA disciplinary panel today in Zurich.

The former France captain could be fined, receive a symbolic ban and be stripped of his "Golden Ball" award as the best player in the tournament.

Zidane, who had a stellar 18-year career, said he attacked Materazzi because the Italian defender insulted his mother and sister.

Materazzi denied insulting Zidane's mother, and appeared last week before the FIFA committee. The Inter Milan player also faces a possible fine and match ban.

-- The Associated Press