Antonio Spurs

BASEBALL American League * OAKLAND ATHLETICS -- Placed Jose Canseco, outfielder, on day disabled list. Recalled Troy Neel, outfielder, from Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. Added Kelly Downs, pitcher, to their major league roster. Optioned Johnny Guzman, pitcher, to Tacoma. Signed Benji Grigsby, pitcher, to a minor-league contract.* SEATTLE MARINERS -- Agreed to terms with Brian Doughty, pitcher, on a minor-league contract.National League * ST. LOUIS CARDINALS -- Activated Ozzie Smith, shortstop, from the 15-day disabled list.

Jerry Tarkanian, 61 years old and ready for another challenge, left 32 years of college basketball behind for the NBA yesterday, when he became coach of the San Antonio Spurs.Tarkanian, best known for a 19-year stint at Nevada-Las Vegas that resulted in the best winning percentage in college basketball and numerous brushes with the NCAA, will take over at the end of the season. That means Bob Bass, the Spurs' vice president of basketball operations, will continue as interim coach through the playoffs, though Tarkanian is expected to help out."

SAN ANTONIO -- Larry Brown, supposedly fired and then rehired as coach of the San Antonio Spurs within hours Monday, was fired for good yesterday.Sort of.Brown, given the option of quitting, said he would not resign. But after skipping a scheduled morning meeting with Spurs management, including owner Red McCombs, he asked to be fired.So the Spurs say. Brown and his agent, Joe Glass, maintain that Brown was canned, plain and simple.Even for Brown, who had seemingly brought instability to an art form during his 20 seasons as coach of six college and pro teams, this scenario was bizarre.

LANDOVER -- The injury-depleted Washington Bullets turned in their guttiest performance of the season last night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 94-84, before a crowd of 16,430 that gave them a standing ovation as they left the Capital Centre floor.An hour before the game, the Bullets learned that center Pervis Ellison, their leading rebounder and second-best scorer, was involved in an auto accident. The injuries were minor and Ellison was expected to be released from Southeast Washington Hospital later in the evening.

BASEBALL (NL) * Chicago Cubs -- Agreed to terms with Chico Walker (outfielder) a one-year contract.* St. Louis Cardinals -- Failed to tender 1992 contracts to Willie Fraser and Scott Terry (pitchers)BASKETBALL (NBA) * San Antonio Spurs -- Waived Morlon Wiley (guard).FOOTBALL (NFL) * San Diego Chargers -- Fired Dan Henning (coach) and Chuck Claussen, Alex Gibbs, Mike Haluchak, Bobby Jackson, Charlie Joiner, Rod Lynn, LeCharls McDaniel, Jim Mora, Larry Pasquale, Jack Reilly and Ed White (assistant coaches)

SAN ANTONIO -- The streak ended last night, thanks to Michael Adams' hands and Harvey Grant's fists.Adams scored 35 points, as the Washington Bullets broke an eight-game skid with a 96-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.Grant's role came at the 5-minute, 59-second mark of the fourth quarter when he fought with Spurs center David Robinson, who was trying to establish position in the lane. After the jockeying for position led to a flurry of punches, both players were ejected."The only thing I've got to say is two guys kind of got frustrated," Grant said.

BaseballNational Association of Professional Baseball Leagues -- Elected Peter Kirk, chairman of the board of the Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership, to a 3-year term on the executive committee.Cincinnati Reds -- Purchased the contract of C Troy Afenir from Class AAA Nashville. Placed OF Chris Jones (.292, 2 HRs, 6 RBI) on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release. Named Cal Emery scout.Colorado Rockies -- Named Jorge Luis de Posada scouting supervisor in Puerto Rico.

Former Georgetown University basketball star David Wingate, whose career with the San Antonio Spurs was marred by rape charges in different states, was waived yesterday by the team.It was a basketball decision and not personal, said Bob Bass, Spurs vice president of basketball operations."We just have to improve our outside shooting," Bass said. "We lost in the playoffs [three games to one to the Golden State Warriors], and we just have to get that outside shot."In a statement released by his agent, James W. Myart Jr., Wingate said: "I want to express my appreciation to [Spurs owner]

Baseball New York Yankees -- Traded 3B Mike Blowers to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named and money. Optioned IF-OF Jim Leyritz to Class AAA Columbus. Recalled 3B Torey Lovullo and P Alan Mills from Columbus.Texas Rangers -- Activated IF Gary Green from the 15-day DL and sent him to Class AAA Oklahoma City.Toronto Blue Jays -- Activated P Tom Henke; sent P Denis Boucher (0-3, 4.58) to Class AAA Syracuse.BasketballSan Antonio Spurs -- Acquired G Kevin Pritchard from the Golden State Warriors for a 1993 second-round draft choice.

SAN ANTONIO -- David Wingate formally returned to the San && Antonio Spurs yesterday, saying at a morning news conference that he plans to perform extensive community service in the wake of his recent legal problems.A Howard County rape charge against Wingate, a former Dunbar star, was placed on a "stet" docket last week, meaning the case will be dropped if he has no other trouble with the law in the next year. That allows him to resume his professional career.Another rape charge, in San Antonio, also has been dropped, and a civil suit filed by the alleged victim has been settled out of court.