Sports FanFare 8/6/02

Briefly

Baseball

Ted Williams' oldest daughter, Bobby-Jo Williams Farrell, on Monday asked for the public to donate to a new "Ted Williams' Last Wish Fund" to help cover her legal expenses, which her attorney said could eclipse $100,000, as she fights her siblings in a Florida court. Ferrell wants her father's body cremated, as the Hall of Famer directed in his 1996 will. John Henry Williams and Claudia Williams say their father authorized them, in a note handwritten on stained scrap paper, to preserve his body cryonically.

Rangers pitcher John Rocker issued a written apology for anti-gay remarks he made toward patrons of a popular eatery in Dallas. Rocker said customers began badgering him during his meal Sunday, then followed him out of the restaurant and made obscene gestures. The remarks Rocker made outside the restaurant, a Rangers spokesman said, were anti-gay in nature, but specific comments were unknown.

Left-handed pitcher Mark Hendrickson, a former NBA player, was brought up Monday by the Blue Jays to replace left-hander Scott Eyre, who was designated for assignment.

Basketball

An injured Jason Kidd was dropped from the U.S. roster for the World Basketball Championship, replaced by Hornets guard Baron Davis. Kidd, who led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals last season, was taken off the 12-man team because of an injured groin. The FIBA World Championship is Aug. 28 to Sept. 8 in Indianapolis.

Colleges

Pittsburg State, which in 2001 won the MIAA title, was the choice of conference coaches to win the conference crown again this year. Central Missouri State and Northwest Missouri State each earned a first-place vote and 69 points to tie for second in the poll.

Cycling

Raimondas Rumsas will not go to France to face questioning about why his wife was discovered with a cache of suspicious medications during the Tour de France. Rumsas, who finished third in the Tour and tested negative for performance enhancers, "is ready to explain himself before the French justice system," his lawyer, Alexandre Varaut, told LCI television.

Tennis

Martina Hingis asked for a wild-card entry into the U.S. Open and has entered tuneup tournaments in the next two weeks as she recovers from ankle surgery. Hingis is entered in next week's Rogers AT&T Cup in Montreal and the Aug. 19-25 Pilot Pen tournament at New Haven, Conn.

Verbatim

Terence Moore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the Falcons' outlook:

"The Falcons are resurrecting Dirty Bird fever, with a charismatic new owner, his expansive wallet and a slew of public relations moves along the lines of Barnum & Bailey, Bill Veeck or maybe just Home Depot. But Falcon players aren't doing the talking, and neither are Falcon coaches. It's just ownership, through the use of those gimmicks. Gimmicks are entertaining, but they also are temporary. Gimmicks work until the opening faceoff, tip, pitch or kickoff, and then it's about winning."

Cael Sanderson, the four-time NCAA wrestling champ with a 159-0 record, after receiving the key to the city in his hometown of Heber City, Utah:

"It's the first key I've had here in Heber. My parents didn't ever let me have a key. In fact, every time I'd leave the house I'd have to fight to get back in."

-- From wire reports