Gregg Olson, Braves Agree on One-Year Deal

Free-agent reliever Gregg Olson, who was pursued by the Angels, agreed Tuesday to a $1.5-million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.

The deal includes the possibility of $2 million more in bonuses if he pitches in 60 games. Only $500,000 is guaranteed.

Olson, who had 160 saves in five seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, is the only major league reliever to record at least 20 saves in each of his first five seasons. But he tore a ligament in his right elbow midway through last season and pitched only eight innings after the All-Star break.

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The Angels weren’t provided any guarantees by Dr. Lewis Yocum, but they were cautiously optimistic after pitcher Joe Magrane’s elbow surgery, indicating that Magrane might be able to return to the starting rotation by May.

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Left fielder Greg Vaughn and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a $12-million, three-year contract that could be worth as much as $13.65 million. . . . Outfielder Dante Bichette and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a $2.8-million, one-year contract, nearly four times his $735,000 salary last season. . . . Outfielder Marquis Grissom and the Montreal Expos agreed on a $3.56-million, one-year contract.

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Former Dodger first baseman Steve Garvey was named executive director of Sport magazine.

Hockey

Bruce McNall, owner of the Kings, was sued Tuesday by his partners in a stamp and coin business who claim he used the company’s money to invest for his own profit.

Lawrence and Ira Goldberg alleged in their suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that McNall obtained a $3-million loan in the company’s name in 1991 to invest with another company that was recovering a sunken ship.

Mighty Duck forward Steven King underwent successful reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder and will be sidelined the rest of the season.

Basketball

UCLA center Rodney Zimmerman has a lumbar sprain of his back and will be sidelined for at least two weeks. X-rays of forward Charles O’Bannon’s left hand were negative.

Coaches Chuck Daly of the New Jersey Nets and Denny Crum of Louisville were among five players and coaches elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Also entering the Hall: Cesare Rubini, one of the founders of Italian basketball, who led his Milan team to 15 Italian championships, five as a player and 10 as a coach; Carol Blazejowski, the most prolific scorer in the history of women’s basketball, and Harry (Buddy) Jeannette, a standout guard in the 1930s and ‘40s.

Forward Charles Oakley of the New York Knicks was chosen to replace injured Alonzo Mourning of the Charlotte Hornets on the Eastern Conference team for Sunday’s NBA All-Star game at Minneapolis.

Former Nevada Las Vegas Coach Jerry Tarkanian won his latest battle with the school when a judge ruled that the university system must pay $250,000 of his legal fees. . . . Lorenzo Ewing, who was averaging a team-high 12.6 points for Louisiana Tech, quit the team.

Pro Football

Dallas owner Jerry Jones said that the new Jacksonville franchise could be severely penalized if it tries to hire away Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson. . . . Atlanta Falcon quarterback Bobby Hebert underwent elbow surgery. . . . The Houston Oilers hired Dick Coury, a former Cal State Fullerton coach and former Ram assistant, as offensive coordinator.

Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the Washington Redskins, declared his 3 1/2-year marriage to Marlena Ramallo Chalmers void because, he said, Chalmers’ divorce from her former husband was “falsely obtained” in the Dominican Republic in 1986.

Names in the News

Soccer star Diego Maradona, accused last week of participating in an air-rifle attack on five reporters, helped beat up a photographer in a bar, it was reported Tuesday. Jose Mateos of the newspaper Clarin was beaten by Maradona and six other people Monday in the resort of Marisol, 435 miles south of Buenos Aires, the daily reported.