Babe Dahlgren, Man Who Replaced Gehrig, Dead at 84

Babe Dahlgren, the slick-fielding first baseman who replaced Lou Gehrig with the New York Yankees on May 2, 1939, died Wednesday at his Arcadia home of natural causes. He was 84.

Dahlgren spent 12 years in the major leagues with eight teams and played four positions.

He is best remembered as the man who took over for Gehrig, when his consecutive games played streak ended at 2,130 in Detroit in 1939.

Dahlgren was a member of the 1939 World Series champion Yankees, and had a lifetime batting average of .261.

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Bill MacPhail, a member of one of baseball’s foremost families who went on to help change the way television presented sports, died Wednesday at 76.

MacPhail, who retired last year as CNN Sports senior vice president, died of complications after heart surgery last week at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta.

MacPhail initially set out to follow his father, Larry--who ran the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees--into baseball. He spent nine years in the sport before CBS hired him in 1956.

Survivors include his brother Lee, a former American League president, and three nephews, including Andy MacPhail, the Chicago Cubs’ general manager.

Basketball

Villanova guard Kerry Kittles, the eighth pick in the NBA draft, signed a $4.5-million, three-year contract with the New Jersey Nets. . . . The Portland Trail Blazers signed center Jermaine O’Neal, the 17th player selected in the draft, to a $2.38-million, three-year contract. O’Neal, 17, averaged 22.4 points, 12.6 rebounds and 5.2 blocked shots last season at Eau Claire High in Columbia, S.C. . . . The New York Knicks re-signed swingman Herb Williams; the Orlando Magic signed veteran forward LeRon Ellis, a former Clipper; and the Washington Bullets signed free-agent forward Ashraf Amaya.

Natalie Williams, an All-American in basketball and volleyball at UCLA, has signed with the Portland Power of the new American Basketball League.

Jurisprudence

Former NFL quarterback Art Schlichter, released from prison last month after serving two years on bank fraud charges, pleaded not guilty to two counts of forgery and one count of theft in an Indianapolis court.

A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Oct. 1. He faces up to 19 years in prison if convicted.

Schlichter allegedly forged two $25,000 checks stolen from his employer to pay off gambling debts.

Yankee pitcher Dwight Gooden and former Mets infielder Howard Johnson will pay back taxes for failing to report fees they got for signing autographs, Gooden’s attorney said. Neither athlete will face further charges.

New York Jet linebacker Marvin Jones was ordered to pay $250 in court costs, attend driving school and perform 25 hours of community service by a Miami judge after pleading no contest to reckless driving.

Motor Sports

Funeral services for drag racer Blaine Johnson, killed in a crash last Saturday at Clermont, Ind., will be held Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 200 W. Cook St., Santa Maria.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen of Germany will be Damon Hill’s replacement on the Williams-Renault team for next year’s Formula One racing season. Frentzen’s appointment was expected after Williams didn’t re-sign Hill, the Briton who leads the Grand Prix standings.

Names in the News

George Horton has been named baseball coach at Cal State Fullerton. Horton, an assistant at the school since 1991, succeeds Augie Garrido, who resigned to become coach at Texas. . . . Doug MacLean, who coached the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup finals in his first year, signed a three-year contract. . . . The New York Islanders traded defenseman Brent Severyn to the Colorado Avalanche for a third-round pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. . . . Los Angeles Blade Coach Mark Hardy, a former King defenseman, was named Roller Hockey International’s Western Conference coach of the year. . . . Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain of Spain is planning to retire from competitive cycling, a Spanish newspaper reported. . . . Dick Evans, head of the company that runs the Grand Ole Opry, has been named president and chief executive officer of Huizenga Sports and Entertainment Group, whose holdings include the Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers and Joe Robbie Stadium.