Young MVP for Second Time in 3 Years

Steve Young, who led the San Francisco 49ers to an NFL-best 13-3 record, won a record fourth consecutive passing title, eclipsed Joe Montana’s team record for touchdown passes in a season and set league marks for passing efficiency and completion percentage, was named the Associated Press’ most valuable player Wednesday for the second time in three years.

He was selected by 98 sportswriters and broadcasters.

“When we’re talking about MVP in the league, that’s supposed to be once in a lifetime,” said Young, who joined Montana, his predecessor in San Francisco, as a two-time winner of the award. “Twice in a lifetime, whew! They’re both very special to me.”

Young also won the award in 1992. Montana was named MVP in 1989 and 1990.

Young was a decisive winner, receiving 74 votes to 22 for runner-up Barry Sanders, who last week was named offensive player of the year. San Francisco teammates Jerry Rice and cornerback Deion Sanders received one vote each.

College Football

All-American defensive end Derrick Alexander, called “one of our greatest players” by Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, said he will skip his senior season and make himself available for the NFL draft.

Texas offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer also said he will give up his final season of eligibility to turn pro.

Rick Rasnick, offensive coordinator at Utah the last four years, was hired to replace Ron Cooper as coach at Eastern Michigan. Cooper left to become coach at Louisville. . . . Texas offensive line coach Pat Watson has accepted the offensive coordinator’s job at Georgia Tech.

Hockey

The San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League will announce at a news conference today that they will move to Los Angeles and play in the Sports Arena next season.

The Gulls, whose attendance ranks 16th in the 17-team league, have said they expect to find an audience in Los Angeles among fans who can’t afford tickets to NHL games or can’t get tickets to sold-out King and Mighty Duck games.

Ticket prices in the IHL generally top at $11. The IHL is a developmental league for the NHL, but many of its teams are independent and are not affiliated with NHL clubs.

College Basketball

Kirk Goehring, a starter until he quit the Pepperdine basketball team this week, indicated Wednesday from his home in Jackson, Tenn., that he had not enjoyed playing for first-year Coach Tony Fuller.

“It just didn’t work out,” said Goehring, a sophomore forward who transferred to Pepperdine after playing as a freshman at Louisiana State. “I came there to play for Coach (Tom) Asbury and then, obviously, coach Asbury left (for Kansas State). New coaches come in and personalities sometimes don’t match up.”

Goehring averaged 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11 games.

Carlos Williams, leading scorer and rebounder for Alabama Birmingham, will be sidelined indefinitely because of a knee injury suffered Tuesday night in a 102-95 triple-overtime victory over Alabama State.

Baseball

Outfielder Shane Mack, who played the last five seasons for the Minnesota Twins, agreed to a two-year contract with the Tokyo Giants. Mack will earn $8.1 million in by far the biggest contract in the history of Japanese baseball.

Managing partner Marge Schott has rejected the latest idea for building a new stadium for the Cincinnati Reds.

The Angels fired Ray Poitevint, director of international scouting, and will assign his duties to Bob Fontaine Jr., assistant vice president.

Tennis

Singles victories by Boris Becker and Anke Huber led Germany to a 2-1 victory over Austria and into the semifinals of the Hopman Cup tournament at Perth, Australia.

Unseeded German teen-ager Hendrik Dreekmann advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Hardcourt championship at Adelaide, defeating countryman Carl-Uwe Steeb, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-2.

Top-seeded Sabine Hack defeated fellow German Maja Zivec-Skulj, 6-4, 6-3, in the third round of the Indonesian Open at Jakarta.

Goran Ivanisevic, the world’s fifth-ranked player, was cleared to resume preparations for this month’s Australian Open after a scan of his right knee.

Miscellany

Twelve officials charged in the collapse of a soccer stadium grandstand went on trial in Bastia, Corsica, protected by bulletproof glass installed after one defendant was murdered last month.

Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton has been temporarily suspended as manager of second-division Plymouth over a tax debt.

Nol de Rauter, the Dutch coach of Egypt’s soccer team, resigned rather than travel to Algeria for Friday’s African Cup qualifier.

Muslim militants have been targeting foreigners in Algeria in recent months. Last week, they were blamed for killing four Catholic priests, raising to 75 the number of foreigners killed during the insurgency.

Former Olympians Bethany Calcaterra-McMahon and Robert Pipkins won the U.S. National Luge Championships at Lake Placid, N.Y.

Controversial Chinese track coach Ma Junren has lost 16 of his top women long-distance runners in disputes over prize money, an official newspaper in Beijing reported.

The Pacific Coast Polo Center in La Quinta will open its premier high-goal season Friday.