Hurley Greatly Improved

Bobby Hurley of the Sacramento Kings, recovering more quickly than anticipated from automobile crash injuries, should be released from intensive care soon and could be playing basketball again within a year, doctors said Thursday.

Specialists at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento said Hurley, 22, a former two-time All-American from Duke and the Kings’ No. 1 draft pick this year, was mending quickly, in part because of his peak physical condition before last Sunday’s accident.

“There’s no question that we were really impressed with this young man’s recuperative powers,” Dr. F. William Blaisdell said at a hospital news conference attended by Hurley’s parents and hospital officials.

Baseball

Angel reliever Steve Frey must reach a two-year contract agreement with the team by Monday or the left-hander will be looking for a new team, according to General Manager Whitey Herzog. Frey, who led the Angels with 13 saves last season, will not be offered a contract that assures him arbitration rights, Herzog said. Monday is the last day players must be tendered contracts or be declared free agents.

Gary Gaetti, who was released by the Angels and joined the Kansas City Royals last season, becoming their third baseman, re-signed with the Royals. He is guaranteed $3 million in 1994, $109,000 from Kansas City and the remaining $2,891,000 by the Angels.

Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Players Assn., said he doesn’t know if his group will approve the proposed extra round of playoffs in time for next season.

Owners in September approved the plan to double the playoffs to eight teams and split each league into three divisions, but players must agree to any changes in the postseason setup. Currently, they receive 60% of the ticket receipts for the first four games of each league championship series and the World Series.

Owners want to use the same formula for the additional round, but players want money from each game of each series.

Baseball owners and officials discounted a report that Paul Kirk, former Democratic National Committee chairman, had emerged as a front-runner in the 15-month search to find a commissioner.

Two owners and two officials, both speaking on the condition they not be identified, said they had not heard Kirk’s name circulated recently among baseball’s top executives as a possible successor to Fay Vincent, who resigned under pressure Sept. 7, 1992.

Names in the News

A Baltimore woman has filed a paternity suit against Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets and a judge has ruled that the case should be public, according to court records. . . . Twins Peter and Chris Ferraro each scored a goal to lead Team USA to a 6-2 victory over Finland in the Izvestia Cup hockey tournament at Moscow. . . . Ernie Els shot a five-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Johnnie Walker World Championship golf tournament at Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The Hartford Whalers traded defenseman Jim McKenzie to the expansion Florida Panthers for defenseman Alexander Godynyuk. The Panthers then traded McKenzie to the Dallas Stars for a fourth-round draft pick. . . . Duke ended a 1 1/2-month search for a football coach by hiring Fred Goldsmith, who was 23-31-1 in five seasons at Rice. . . . Olympic officials said they would replace two gold medals won by runner Quincy Watts that were stolen from his family. . . . Chris Mullin, sidelined because of hand and leg injuries since the beginning of the season, was activated by the Golden State Warriors and is expected to play tonight at Sacramento.

The Nevada state Supreme Court was urged to cancel a lower court order that UNLV pay former basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian nearly $151,000 in legal fees plus interest. . . . William (Smitty) Smitheran, former football coach and athletic director at Downey High, died in Long Beach. Smitheran, whose 1945 team won the Southern Section championship, was 86. . . . Brent Moss, a junior tailback at Wisconsin who was the Big Ten Conference offensive player of the year, will return to the school to play his senior season, Coach Barry Alvarez said.