DiMaggio Completes Comeback

Joe DiMaggio went home Monday after 99 days in a Hollywood, Fla., hospital, completing a stunning comeback from the lung cancer surgery and pneumonia that nearly killed him.

Now he’s getting ready for a return to Yankee Stadium, where he hopes to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener April 9.

The 84-year-old Yankee great spent his entire stay at Memorial Regional Hospital in the intensive care unit and even received last rites after he lapsed into a coma. But each time doctors said he probably wouldn’t survive, DiMaggio proved them wrong.

His lawyer, Morris Engelberg, said, “Mr. DiMaggio is looking forward to opening day in Yankee Stadium.”

DiMaggio, known for protecting his privacy, left the hospital with little fanfare at about 9:30 a.m. EST. Some hospital workers said they didn’t realize he had left.

DiMaggio, voted baseball’s greatest living player in 1969, entered the hospital Oct. 12 and had surgery two days later to remove a cancerous lung tumor. He had a series of setbacks after a serious infection set in.

On Dec. 10-11, DiMaggio was in a coma and near death. DiMaggio’s family came to his bedside, but the Hall of Famer awakened.

After he came out of the coma, DiMaggio ordered doctors to stop giving public updates on his condition.

Just 5 1/2 weeks ago, even some of DiMaggio’s closest friends had given up hope, and his family signed a “do not resuscitate” order.

College Football

Texas Christian, which finished off a 7-5 season with a 28-19 upset of USC in the Sun Bowl, rewarded first-year Coach Dennis Franchione with a new seven-year contract worth $700,000 to $900,000 a year. His old contract would have paid him about $450,000 a season over five years. TCU went 1-10 in 1997.

Former California coach Keith Gilbertson, a former Washington assistant who served as a Seattle Seahawk assistant the past three seasons, is returning to the Huskies. New Coach Rick Neuheisel said his role will be announced later. Gilbertson was at Washington from 1989-91 before taking the Cal job.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Mike Jacobs, charged with assaulting his former wife, was being held without bond in jail in Columbus, Ohio, pending a court appearance today. Jacobs, 49, turned himself in to authorities.

Baseball

Hideo Nomo, still struggling to regain the form that made him National League rookie of the year in 1995 as a Dodger, avoided a salary arbitration hearing when he agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Mets worth $2,925,000. Nomo, acquired from the Dodgers last June, was 4-5 with a 5.04 earned-run average for the Mets and 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA overall. He struck out 167 and walked 94 in 157 1/3 innings, allowing 130 hits.

Rick Helling, who won 20 games for the Texas Rangers last season, agreed to a $10.5-million, three-year contract with the Rangers. Helling (20-7) will make $2.25 million in 1999, $3.75 million in 2000, and $4.5 million in 2001. The 28-year-old right-hander made $216,500 last year. . . . Just a week after they lost catcher Brian Johnson, the San Francisco Giants signed free agent Scott Servais to a minor league contract. Servais, 31, hit .233 in 113 games with the Chicago Cubs last season. . . . The Toronto Blue Jays dipped into the free-agent market to shore up their infield, agreeing to one-year contracts with second baseman Joey Cora, who played for Seattle and Cleveland last season, and third baseman Willie Greene, who was with Cincinnati and Baltimore. . . . The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a $1.1 million, one-year contract with right-hander Bill Simas, avoiding arbitration. . . . The Houston Astros and pitcher Jose Lima avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $1.95-million, one-year contract.

Swimming

American swimmer Jenny Thompson, who won five events last week in Sydney, won the 50-meter butterfly in 58.0 seconds in a World Cup short-course meet at Hobart, Australia. She finished second to Germany’s Katrin Meissner in the 100 freestyle.

In men’s competition, Sweden’s Lars Frolander twice beat world champion Michael Klim of Australia, in the 100 freestyle and the 50 butterfly. American Brad Bridgewater won the 100 backstroke in 53.79.