, April 29 (UPI) -- Baseball suspends 5 players, 2 managers
NEW YORK, April 29 (UPI) -- Five major league players and two managers received suspensions Friday as a result of a brawl and other incidents during two games.
Most of the suspensions resulted from a Tampa Bay-Boston game Sunday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The other case involved Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagne in San Francisco.
Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo was suspended six games for intentionally throwing at a batter. Tampa Bay pitcher Dewon Brazelton was suspended five games for his role in a bench-clearing fight, and teammate Lance Carter was suspended five games for throwing at hitters.
Boston outfielder Trot Nixon was suspended two games for his actions in the brawl.
Managers Terry Francona of Boston and Lou Piniella of Tampa Bay were suspended three games for "inappropriate actions" by their players.
Boston's David Ortiz and Tampa Bay's Chris Singleton were fined.
Arroyo, Brazelton, Carter, Nixon and the managers also drew fines.
Gagne got a two-game suspension and fine for arguing with an umpire from the dugout while on the disabled list in a game April 6. A baseball official said Gagne wasn't supposed to be in the dugout at the time.
Els leads Asian Open by four strokes
SHANGHAI, China, April 29 (UPI) -- Ernie Els shot a 10-under par 62 and took a four-stroke lead Friday at the halfway point of the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai.
Els, rated No. 3 in the world behind Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, was 15 under with a two-round total of 129.
Eddie Lee shot 66 and held second place at 133. Raphael Jacquelin was a stroke behind Lee, followed by Thomas Bjorn, Jean Van de Velde, Simon Wakefield and Jean-Francois Lucquin, all at 8-under 136.
"It was really good today," Els said. "I got fortunate here and there, but overall I felt like I kept it in play and made more putts. But I felt comfortable with my swing and it was just one of those nice days when you want to keep going."
The tournament is on the European Tour's international schedule.
Hunter named W. Carolina basketball coach
CULLOWHEE, N.C., April 29 (UPI) -- Former Ohio University Coach Larry Hunter was named basketball coach at Western Carolina Friday.
Hunter has been an assistant at North Carolina State the past four years.
He takes over a Western Carolina team, formerly coached by Steve Shurina, that was 8-22 this season. The Catamounts play in the Southern Conference.
Before joining the North Carolina staff, Hunter coached Ohio University's basketball team for 12 years.
Jason White gets tryout with Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 29 (UPI) -- Quarterback Jason White, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 but was not drafted into the NFL, is getting a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 24-year-old White was invited to participate in a rookie camp this weekend.
White led the Oklahoma Sooners to national championship games in 2003 and 2004 but he had surgery on both knees and some scouts said he did not have a strong enough throwing arm for the NFL.
"I just want to give it a shot," White told the Kansas City Star Thursday.
"We're excited that Jason has an opportunity to pursue his goals and know that he'll make the most of this opportunity," Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops said.
"He has proven time and again that he can succeed at the highest level."
Chiefs General Manager Carl Peterson said: "He's an extraordinary young man. You can't count him out. He's as tough-minded as anybody and he's had some great stats."
