Owners to Vote by Phone on Sale of Baseball Teams

Commissioner Bud Selig called off an owners’ meeting convened to approve the sales of the Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos and instead scheduled a telephone conference call for today’s vote.

John Henry, whose group received approval last month to buy the Boston Red Sox for $660 million from the Jean R. Yawkey Trust, is selling the Marlins to Jeffrey Loria for $158.5 million.

Loria is selling the Montreal Expos to Baseball Expos LP--a Delaware limited partnership owned by the other 29 teams--for $120 million, with baseball loaning him the difference between the prices.

The sales were expected to gain overwhelming approval, and baseball intended to announce a new management team for the Expos after the call.

Tony Tavares, who resigned last month as Angel president, will become president and chief executive officer of the Expos and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Selig’s vice president in charge of on-field discipline, will become manager.

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Selig will not testify at Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the sport’s antitrust exemption and instead will send his chief lawyer, Bob DuPuy.

Sen. Paul D. Wellstone (D-Minn.) and Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) proposed legislation Nov. 14 to strip baseball of its antitrust exemption as it applies to franchise moves and folding.

Pro Football

The Baltimore Ravens appointed Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator, replacing Marvin Lewis, who was hired Sunday by the Washington Redskins.

In a meeting Monday night, the Pasadena City Council approved a three-year plan by the Rose Bowl operating company that would allow the Rose Bowl to explore the possibility of brining in an NFL team to the stadium.

College Football

Arizona State running back Hakim Hill, who had been charged with raping a 15-year-old girl at the school, avoided jail time by entering an Alford plea at Iowa City, Iowa, to a charge of assault causing injury, a serious misdemeanor.

In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him at trial.

Louisville hired John Pettas as offensive coordinator.... Jim Gladden has resigned after 27 years as an assistant at Florida State.

Soccer

Santa Clara defender Danielle Slaton was selected by Carolina with the first pick of the Women’s United Soccer Assn. draft. Philadelphia selected Azusa Pacific midfielder Andrea Alfiler in the second round.... U.S. national team defender Sara Whalen broke a rib in a collision with Shannon MacMillan during the WUSA’s All-Star game Sunday. She is expected to sit out three to six weeks

Miscellany

Police are investigating a claim that Mike Tyson assaulted a women while in Hawaii attending the Pro Bowl.

A 38-year-old woman, whose identity was not released, reported she was struck Saturday as she was forced aside by Tyson when she “ran up to talk to him”, Honolulu police said.

A misdemeanor third-degree assault case was opened, but none of the woman’s claims have been substantiated.

Germany’s Axel Pretzsch rallied past American Michael Chang, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the Copenhagen Open tennis tournament.... Kim Sword has been named strength and conditioning coach at UCLA.

Passings

Former Denver Bronco general manager Fred Gehrke, 83, died Saturday in Palm Springs.