Strawberry OKs $260,000, Avoids Trial

One day after signing with the New York Yankees, Darryl Strawberry agreed Friday to hand over his $260,000 signing bonus as partial payment for child support owed his ex-wife.

Strawberry was not in Los Angeles Municipal Court but his attorney, Milton Grimes, said Strawberry will give the money to a court trustee by Monday.

Grimes said Strawberry’s one-year deal with the Yankees was key to the settlement, which allowed Strawberry to avoid trial.

Grimes confirmed that the $260,000 was Strawberry’s signing bonus.

“Without this type of employment, he was making $2,000 a month with the employment where he was,” Grimes said, referring to Strawberry’s salary in the minor leagues.

Strawberry faced two years in jail and $4,000 in fines for non-payment of child support and contempt of court. He was charged after missing a June 24 deadline to pay $300,000 in child support to his ex-wife Lisa and their children, Darryl Jr., 10, and Diamond Nicole, 7.

Deputy District Attorney Mark Goldman said Strawberry will pay the remainder of the child support at the rate of $10,000 a month for 24 months. He also owes an additional $34,000 in court-ordered child and spousal support payments.

Under terms of the settlement Strawberry also agreed to enter a two-year diversion program, perform 100 hours of community service at an orphanage and maintain his current support payments.

Strawberry, 34, an eight-time National League All-Star, who has played for the Yankees, Dodgers, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, has been plagued by cocaine, alcohol, tax and domestic troubles.

He hasn’t played a complete season since 1990. He spent a month in a Los Angeles rehabilitation center in 1994 and served time in home confinement for tax evasion for unreported earnings from baseball card shows.

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A federal appeals court in Denver stayed an order that all 305 Division I schools submit coaching salary and athletic department financial statements to attorneys for a group of entry level coaches who have challenged the NCAA’s coaching salary limits.

In issuing its temporary stay, the appeals court asked both sides to present briefs within 20 days.

Football

The Indianapolis Colts became the first NFL team to open training camp with 32 rookies reporting.

No other NFL team opens its camp until next week, including the New Orleans Saints, who will meet the Colts in the Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio, on July 27.

Auto Racing

Defending champion Jeff Gordon won the pole for today’s NASCAR 400 at Dayton International Speedway with a qualifying speed of 188.869.

Mike Bliss edged Mike Skinner to win the pole position for today’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in West Allis, Wis.

Bliss drove his Ford to an average speed of 118.265 mph. His time was less than nine-hundredths of a second quicker than Skinner, whose Chevrolet had held the provisional pole at 117.925.

Boxing

Marcelo Dominguez of Argentina retained his WBC cruiserweight title when Patrice Aouissi of France failed to answer the bell for the 10th round in a fight at Hyeres, France.

Dominguez is 20-1-1, while Aouissi fell to 16-2.

Joe Bugner scored a fifth-round knockout over New Zealand heavyweight champion Young Haumono in a bout in Gold Coast, Australia.

Soccer

Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona says he’ll sign with an undisclosed Japanese club if they’ll raise their offer by $5 million and Japanese authorities will issue him a visa.

Guillermo Coppola, Maradona’s manager said the 35-year-old midfielder would sign a $20 million, two-year contract if he was allowed into the country.

Japanese club Tosu Futures, which admitted it was in negotiating with Maradona, was skeptical the visa request would be granted.

Japan denied him a visa to play in an exhibition before the 1994 World Cup finals, from which he was expelled after failing a doping test, because he was convicted in drug cases in Italy and Argentina.