Baseball’s Executive Council Suspends Steinbrenner

New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner was suspended Tuesday from baseball’s executive council because of his recently filed lawsuit against other owners. In addition, the Yankees were suspended from participation on all committees.

The Yankees sued major league baseball last week, claiming that the sport’s officials were interfering with their 10-year contract with Adidas, a deal thought to be worth about $95 million.

The Major League Agreement, however, bars teams and owners from suing baseball.

“We consider the suit to be a blatant violation of the Major League Agreement, to which every club is a party,” acting Commissioner Bud Selig said after a council meeting. “We will vigorously defend against this claim.”

The council did not say whether it would start an investigation, which could lead to Steinbrenner’s third suspension from control of his team.

Auto Racing

Johnny O’Connell and Tyce Carlson found rides for the Indianapolis 500 as substitutes for drivers injured in practice.

O’Connell replaces Scott Sharp, who was knocked unconscious in a crash Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and still is being monitored for a brain bruise.

Carlson will fill in for John Paul Jr., who broke his lower right leg and left heel in another crash Friday.

Defending champion Buddy Lazier was fastest of the 17 drivers who made it onto the track. He turned his fast lap of the month at 217.040 mph.

Tennis

Steffi Graf, pleased with neither her shots nor her effort, played her first singles match since being sidelined because of a knee injury and needed three sets to beat Chanda Rubin in the German Open at Berlin.

Her strokes shaky all match, Graf lost eight of the first nine points before recovering for a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory that put her in the third round of the $927,000 tournament.

Mary Pierce also reached the third round, beating Elena Wagner, 6-2, 6-3.

College Basketball

Former Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps has expressed interest in the DePaul coaching job left open by the departure of Joey Meyer, according to a report published in the Chicago Tribune. . . . Delray Brooks, a four-year assistant under Rick Pitino at Kentucky, was named head coach at Texas Pan American. . . . Florida sophomore Kendrick Spruel, a highly regarded recruit who sat out half of last season because of injuries, plans to transfer. . . . Longtime Campbellsville College coach Lou Cunningham died at Louisville, Ky., of complications following emergency colon surgery last month. He was 60.

Miscellany

Sprinter Ben Johnson, banned because of drug use, has filed an application with a Canadian court, charging track’s world governing body and Athletics Canada with keeping him from making a living by imposing a lifetime suspension.

Grambling and Alabama State have agreed to play a football game in the Rose Bowl next Nov. 8, in what is expected to be long-time Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson’s final season. The Pasadena City Council has approved addition of the game.

Geoff Sanderson, Anson Carter and Mark Recchi scored the goals and Sean Burke made 28 saves as Canada beat Sweden, 3-1, to tie their title playoff in the World Hockey Championships at Helsinki, Finland, at one victory each.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Assn. Olympic trials will be held Dec. 30-Jan. 4 at Lake Placid, N.Y.

The center-ice offside rule will be scrapped after next year’s Nagano Winter Olympics, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced. That will leave more space in the neutral zone.

Lennox Lewis will defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title in Lake Tahoe, Nev., July 12 against Henry Akinwande, Lewis’ manager Frank Maloney said.

The fight was announced last month for Atlantic City, N.J., but that site was ruled out because of legal problems in New Jersey for Akinwande’s promoter, Don King.