Athletes Band Together to Aid Terrorist Victims

Major league baseball and its players association each contributed $5 million Wednesday to establish a relief fund to aid victims of last week’s terrorism.

The MLB-MLBPA Disaster Relief Fund will distribute money after consulting with governmental and charitable relief organizations.

Said Don Fehr, executive director of the union: “Baseball and America have always gone together, and now, as the country moves forward to relieve the suffering and heal the wounds, everyone in the baseball community wants to go along.”

The New York Mets said Manager Bobby Valentine, his coaching staff and the 34 players on the active roster would contribute their salaries from Friday’s game against the Atlanta Braves to the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. The donation will be about $450,000.

Cincinnati players and coaches are donating $250,000--about one day’s pay--to the Heroes’ Fund, established to help families of the New York firefighters, police officers and Port Authority employees killed in the attacks. The Colorado Rockies donated nearly $60,000, which, with matching funds, is expected to total about $144,000.

The NBA is contributing more than $1 million, along with supplies and office space. The NFL is about to make a “major financial contribution,” league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

NHL teams have raised more than $1.3 million for disaster relief funds and the NHL Players Assn. donated $500,000 to help families of New York City firefighters and police officers.

NASCAR is pledging its help through a variety of paint schemes and donations. 37 Winston Cup and Busch series drivers informed NASCAR of special patriotic paint schemes they will have on their cars this weekend in Dover, Del.

In addition, 12 drivers have joined Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield’s call to donate money for every lap they complete this weekend. The pledges range from $20 to $25 per lap.

The U.S. Tennis Assn. announced a $1-million donation to the World Trade Center relief effort.

Track and Field

Patrick Jarrett of Jamaica, the only man to defeat Maurice Greene in the 100 meters in 2001, was banned for two years for failing a drug test.

The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Assn. had suspended the sprinter in July, after he tested positive for the steroid stanozolol. Officials had promised to review the decision.

Pro Basketball

The Houston Rockets signed forward Eddie Griffin, 19, the seventh overall pick in the draft from Seton Hall.

The Rockets didn’t disclose terms of the contract. Under the NBA’s salary guidelines, Griffin is eligible for a three-year contract worth about $6.4 million.

Tennis

Justin Gimelstob, the only American remaining in the field, advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Open with a 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-4 victory over Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan.

Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario breezed past Evie Dominikovic, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the $565,000 Toyota Princess Cup at Tokyo.

Third-seeded Anne Kremer of Luxembourg advanced to the second round of the WTA Tour’s Bell Challenge, defeating Canada’s Diana Srebovic, 6-2, 6-0, at Quebec.

The draw for the 2002 Davis Cup was postponed until Oct. 18 because of the delay in the series between the United States and India.

Soccer

Brandi Chastain expects her broken right foot to heal in time for training camp with the WUSA champion Bay Area CyberRays in November.

Chastain, who made the winning penalty kick for the U.S. in the 1999 World Cup, suffered two stress fractures in her right foot in a WUSA game July 15. She played the rest of the league’s inaugural season, which ended with the CyberRays winning the title.

The United States lost its third consecutive game at the FIFA Under-17 World Championship, 2-0 to Nigeria at Bacolet, Tobago.

Miscellany

Mo Nunn Racing, owners of the No. 66 car that Alex Zanardi was driving when it was demolished in an accident Saturday in Germany, announced that no driver would replace Zanardi when CART runs the Rockingham 500 on Saturday in Corby, England. The team plans to have a backup driver in the car for the Oct. 7 race in Houston, Nunn said.

Left wing Craig Berube rejoined the Calgary Flames after spending last season with Washington and the New York Islanders.

The 35-year-old free agent played with the Flames from 1991-93.

Spaniard Jose Maria Jimenez won the 11th stage of the Tour of Spain, and Levi Leipheimer moved up to fourth place behind overall leader Oscar Sevilla of Spain.

Leipheimer, who rides for Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team, has a chance to become the first American to finish in the top three at the Tour of Spain.

The race ends in Madrid on Sept. 30.