Former Chiefs star killed in car crash
INDEPENDENCE, Mo., Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Former NFL linebacker Wayne Simmons, who won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, was killed early Friday in a one-car crash near Independence, Mo. He was 32.
Witnesses told police that Simmons' Mercedes Sedan was speeding on Interstate 70 eastbound at about 2:40 a.m. when it veered between traffic, left the roadway and overturned several times.
The vehicle caught fire and passing motorists were unable to extricate Simmons, according to Sgt. David Ison. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which was confined to the engine block, then removed him. Simmons, who later was pronounced dead at Independence Regional Hospital.
According to the Kansas City Star, police said his death did not appear to have been caused by the fire and that he was the only person in the car.
The cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner's office. Results of toxicology tests are not expected for a week, Ison said.
Simmons, a resident of nearby Lee's Summit was
drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round in 1993 out of Clemson. He won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in January 1997 before finishing his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills.
Ironically, Lee's Summit was also the most recent hometown of former Royals and St. Louis catcher Darrell Porter, who also died recently of what might have been a drug-related death. An examination done by the medical examiner's office showed traces of cocaine in Porter's blood system.
Phillies ink top draft pick
CHICAGO, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia Phillies Friday signed lefthander Cole Hamels, their first-round pick in the June draft.
Hamels received a $2 million signing bonus and a college scholarship. He will not be assigned to a minor league team but will report to the Florida Instructional League camp in Clearwater on Sept. 15.
"It took a while, but we're very happy that we reached an agreement," said Phillies Scouting Director Marti Wolever. "Cole has a chance to be a top-flight major league starter, someone who could fit in the No. 1-2 slots in the rotation. He has plus pitches and a very competitive makeup."
Hamels, 18, went 10-0 with an 0.39 ERA and 130
strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings as a senior at Rancho Bernardo High School in California. He was consistently clocked between 89-94 miles per hour by Phillies scouts.
Hamels played on the same high school team as outfielder Jake Blalock, who was selected by Philadelphia in the fifth round and is playing in the Gulf Coast League. Texas Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock, Jake's older brother, was selected in the first round in 1999 after playing at Rancho Bernardo.
Redskins get Stai from Detroit
ASHBURN, Va., Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The Washington Redskins have traded an undisclosed draft pick to Detroit for guard Brenden Stai.
He likely will compete for one of the starting guard positions on the Redskins' offensive line.
Redskins offensive line coach Kim Helton has said tackles Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen and center Larry Moore are expected to start the season at their respective positions. However, the guard position has been unsettled.
Washington has started Ross Tucker, Rod Jones and Kipp Vickers at guard during the team's first three preseason games. Jones filled in for Samuels at left tackle last Sunday against the Steelers and is expected to start there again Saturday night against Tampa Bay. Samuels is recovering from an ankle sprain.
"He's real excited bout it," said Stai's agent, Paul Sheehy. "You're always disappointed (about being traded). When he signed with Detroit last year, we expected it would be a long-term situation. But it seems like there's a lot of excitement [in Washington]. He's pumped."
Stai has started 74 straight games, and he hasn't missed a game since early in the 1997 season. He has started in all seven postseason games he's played in over his seven-year career, which included five years in Pittsburgh, one year in Jacksonville and one season in Detroit.
Stai, a 6-4, 318-pounder, entered the NFL as a third-round draft choice of the Steelers in 1995. He was an All-America and All-Big Eight selection as a senior at Nebraska, helping the Cornhuskers win the 1994 National Championship.
Jaguars DE Brackens has knee problems
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Tony Brackens, the linchpin of the defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars, could be sidelined for an extended period because of lingering knee problems.
Brackens, a 6-4, 265-pounder, missed practice time this week because of swelling in his ailing left knee, the one on which he had arthroscopic surgery last winter.
The seven-year veteran, who admits the knee may require more in-depth and possibly season-ending surgery, will not play in the Jags' preseason contest Friday night against the Chicago Bears in Champaign, Ill. Beyond that, his status is up in the air.
"There's always a possibility [of more surgery]," Brackens said. "I'm not sure what exactly has to be done, but something [other than rest] is obviously going to have to be done if we can't get my knee right."
He admitted arthroscopic surgery may not have been enough.
"My intentions were to get the knee cleaned out, and that's what the procedure was," Brackens said. "Obviously, there was something else in there that needed to be done, but we didn't do it at that particular time. I felt like, if I got it cleaned out, I could continue to play and be ready for the season."
Coach Tom Coughlin calls Brackens' latest problem a "minor setback," but is now battling a case of high anxiety because Brackens has taken part in only two practices the entire summer and his absence makes the defensive line a major question mark.
"Obviously, there are some big shoes to fill there," said Coughlin, who is holding out hope that Brackens will be able to play in the preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Miller stays with Magic
ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The Orlando Magic Friday exercised their option on the contract of swingman Mike Miller, keeping one of their best perimeter shooters through the 2003-04 season.
Miller averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest in 63 games last season as Orlando (44-38) finished fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Magic lost in four games to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the playoffs.
"We had until Oct. 31 to exercise our option on Mike, but it wasn't necessary to wait that long," said Magic General Manager John Gabriel. "We are very excited to have him signed through the 2003-04 season."
The 6-8 Miller was the fifth overall pick in the 2000 draft after spending two seasons at the University of Florida. He won Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The 22-year-old was the only rookie to play in all 82 games that season.
Last season, Miller shot 38 percent (116-of-303) from three-point range, but he averaged just 4.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in the playoffs.
Rangers activate Park
NEW YORK, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The Texas Rangers Friday activated disappointing righthander Chan Ho Park from the 15-day disabled list. He will start Friday night's opener of a four-game series against New York at Yankee Stadium.
Park has not pitched since Aug. 6, when he allowed three runs in as many innings in an 8-2 loss at Detroit. He went on the disabled list the following day with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
Park, 29, was pounded Sunday in a rehabilitation start for Triple-A Oklahoma in the Pacific Coast League, surrendering nine runs and nine hits in three innings with three walks and three strikeouts.
He was considered the top pitcher on the free agent market last offseason, and signed a five-year, $65 million contract with Texas. He spent the first five weeks of the season on the disabled list with a pulled right hamstring and never has gotten untracked.
Park is 4-6 with a 7.14 ERA in 17 starts, allowing 99 hits, including 14 home runs, in 92 innings.
Indians put Diaz on DL
CLEVELAND, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The Cleveland Indians Friday placed catcher Einar Diaz on the 15-day disabled list, one day after he suffered right elbow and triceps injuries in a collision with former teammate David Justice.
Diaz, who suffered a strained right elbow and a right triceps contusion in Thursday's 9-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics, begins his first career stint on the DL. He is hitting just .206 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 102 games, but has thrown out nearly 30 percent (34-of-115) of runners trying to steal.
The Indians purchased the contract of catcher Josh Bard, who was batting .297 with six homers and 53 RBI in 94 games with Triple-A Buffalo of the International League.
Bard, 24, a switch-hitter batted hit .400 in August for the Bisons.
To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Cleveland transferred infielder Ricky Gutierrez to the 60-day DL. Gutierrez has a neck ailment and has been bothered by the pain for most of the season. He was examined Monday morning.
