Taiwan Pulls Out of Little League Baseball

Taiwan, faced with accusations of rule violations, has withdrawn from Little League baseball.

Officials in Williamsport, Pa., home of the Little League World Series, said Taiwan had drawn players from an area with too large a population. There have been discussions of other alleged violations, but the population area seems to be the main one.

Taiwan, winner of 12 of the last 23 Little League World Series, is the defending champion.

College Basketball

Fourteen types of items are listed in subpoenas issued by a federal grand jury probing allegations that Fresno State players shaved points, the Fresno Bee reported. The grand jury also has subpoenaed at least five people in the investigation of rumors focusing on guards Dominick Young and Chris Herren.

The Bee also reported the Internal Revenue Service has joined the investigation because of the 90 tickets a game Coach Jerry Tarkanian received last season.

Meanwhile, the NCAA urged the Nevada Supreme Court to move a trial of Tarkanian’s lawsuit against the organization away from Las Vegas because the city still loves him.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported freshman forward Tim Thomas will leave Villanova to make himself eligible for the NBA draft in June. . . . Jon Carlisle, a high school star in Salt Lake City, reportedly has decided to play for Utah instead of Brigham Young. He was also being recruited by UCLA, Arizona and Stanford. . . . Former Army coach Dino Gaudio was named coach of Loyola of Maryland.

Pro Football

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed quarterback Steve Walsh to a two-year, $1-million contract. Walsh was with the St. Louis Rams last season. . . . The deal that would send quarterback Heath Shuler to the New Orleans Saints has hit a snag because the Washington Redskins are demanding a third-round draft choice. . . . The Cincinnati Bengals signed free-agent running back Scottie Graham to a two-year contract. Graham was with the Minnesota Vikings last season. . . . The Vikings re-signed unrestricted free agent running back Robert Smith to a one-year contract. . . . Kentucky basketball standout Anthony Epps had a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver. Epps was an all-state receiver in high school.

College Football

Washington quarterback Shane Fortney said Coach Jim Lambright last season accused him him of being disloyal to the Huskies to have knee surgery before the season ended.

“I was in pain and wanted to have the surgery,” Fortney said.

Lambright confirmed the story. “I think it should have been a pretty simple decision for him. [Redshirt freshman Jon] Minter was not ready, so the team needed Fortney to back up [Brock] Huard,” he said.

Tennis

Second-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and No. 5 Marcelo Rios of Chile were eliminated from the Open Seat Godo clay-court tournament at Barcelona. Magnus Larsson of Sweden defeated Kafelnikov, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the second round. Spain’s Albert Portas beat Rios, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). . . . Richard Krajicek, undeterred by tricky winds and finishing with a 135-mph ace, defeated Neville Godwin of South Africa, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round of the Japan Open at Tokyo.

Jurisprudence

New York police officer Thomas Fursa, who was involved in the arrest of basketball player Anthony Mason last July, faces departmental charges that he tried to get $100,000 to change his testimony. Mason, a former Knick who is now with the Charlotte Hornets, scuffled with about 10 police officers after getting a parking ticket in the Times Square area.

Florida defensive back Elijah Williams is facing a misdemeanor charge of obstruction for lying to police during a sexual battery investigation, the Florida state attorney’s office said, but he will not be charged with sexual battery.

Atlanta Falcon safety Patrick Bates was arrested after his ex-girlfriend accused him of breaking into her home and beating her while she was feeding their 3-week-old baby.

Wide receiver Andre Rison, recently released by the Green Bay Packers, was charged with disorderly conduct in Lawrenceville, Ga., Wednesday night after refusing to get out of his car when ordered by police.

Clem Haskins knew of domestic abuse allegations against starter Courtney James before James was arrested during the weekend, but the Minnesota basketball coach did not know James also had been accused of making harassing phone calls.

James, a 20-year-old sophomore, was accused of hitting his girlfriend during the weekend. He pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of fifth-degree domestic abuse.

Miscellany

ABC Sports and the U.S. Figure Skating Assn. have reached an agreement that will keep USFGA-sanctioned events on ABC through 2007. ABC’s relationship with the association dates to 1964, when the network first telecast the U.S. championships.

An insurance claim of $25 million will be paid May 3 to the owners of Cigar because of his infertility. None of the 34 mares bred to Cigar is with foal.

Names in the News

Former USC women’s basketball coach Linda Sharp was hired as the first coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Assn. . . . Sprinter Ben Johnson, 35, who lost his 1988 Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters for testing positive for performance-enhancing steroids, is in training and said his goal is to challenge 1996 100-meter champion Donovan Bailey. . . . Craig Peterson, 26, a former Australian heavyweight boxing champion, was found dead in his home in Santa Tereza, N.M., and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of foul play. . . . Right wing Joe Murphy of the St. Louis Blues was charged with drunk driving after being stopped for speeding through a St. Louis suburb. . . . U.S. national soccer team goalie Kasey Keller lead Leicester to a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the League Cup final replay at Sheffield, England. . . . The Galaxy put midfielder Andrew Shue on injured reserve.