Sports fanfare 8/20/02

Baseball

Former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher John Roseboro, forever remembered as the player Juan Marichal clubbed over the head with a bat during a game in 1965, has died at 69.

Roseboro died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said publicist Carole Wade. The cause of death was not specified. Wade said that Roseboro's reported medical problems recently included heart trouble, prostate cancer and strokes.

Roseboro, who succeeded Roy Campanella as the Dodgers' full-time catcher, played for Los Angeles from 1957-67 and was a four-time All-Star. He was the starting catcher in the 1959, 1963, 1965 and 1966 World Series, with the Dodgers winning the championship the first three times.

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was put on the 15-day disabled list for the third time this season after an MRI on Monday showed he had again strained his right shoulder.

The move was made retroactive to Aug. 16. Rivera will follow a program of rest and exercise -- but no throwing -- for now.

Rivera is 1-4 with 27 saves and a 2.85 ERA for the AL East leaders.

After a two-year hiatus, Steve Stone will rejoin the Chicago Cubs' television broadcast team next season, the team's flagship station announced Monday.

Stone, a former Cy Young Award winning pitcher, will return as analyst alongside play-by-play anchor Chip Caray -- the same job he held from 1983 until 2000 when he announced his retirement to enter private business, WGN-TV announced.

Basketball

Shaquille O'Neal missed an appearance at a youth basketball camp in Florida because he came down with a 103-degree fever, the Los Angeles Lakers said Monday.

O'Neal was in an Orlando hospital Thursday night and was released Friday, team spokesman Michael Ulenkamp said.

The Lakers center missed a clinic and charity game Sunday at the Shaquille O'Neal Tampa Celebrity Basketball Weekend, for which tickets cost up to $250.

Colleges

Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom decided Monday to give up his endorsement deals and play football for Colorado. He is a wide receiver.

Bloom, ninth in freestyle moguls at the Salt Lake City Games, had hoped to keep his skiing sponsorship deals while playing for Colorado, but NCAA rules prohibit endorsements by college athletes.

On Thursday, a judge denied Bloom's request to bar the NCAA from enforcing those rules.

Former Missouri defensive tackle Cedric Harden has transferred to Murray State.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound senior left the Tigers last week and is already practicing with the Racers. He is eligible to place this season.

Harden had eight sacks and blocked four kicks during his three seasons at Missouri.

Football

Lawrence Phillips, the Canadian Football League's leading rusher, was suspended Monday by the Montreal Alouettes after he left the team Sunday morning and skipped practice without explanation.

Phillips' only contact with the club came Monday morning, when he complained of knee pain in a brief phone call to an Alouettes trainer.

General manager Jim Popp suspended Phillips when he missed the team's 5 p.m. EDT flight Monday to British Columbia, where they play the Lions on Wednesday.

--From wire reports