Baseball Commissioner

PHILADELPHIA -- The latest edition of Penthouse magazine alleges that Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra illegally bet $5,000 on a college basketball game on March 29, 1990 -- a bet handled by a man described as "the biggest bookmaker in Florida."Dykstra denied yesterday that he had bet on the game. He said baseball commissioner Fay Vincent had investigated the charge and had cleared him of any wrongdoing. Vincent also had assured him that this incident did not represent a violation of the one-year gambling probation imposed upon him in March, Dykstra said.

BASEBALL * Commissioner's Office -- Placed Philadelphia outfielder Lenny Dykstra on probation for one year for gambling activity.BASKETBALL National Basketball Association * New Jersey Nets -- Placed Chris Dudley, center, on the injured list. Activated Kurk Lee, forward, from the injured list.World Basketball League * Florida Jades -- Acquired the rights to James Blackmon and Haywoode Workman, guards, and Winston Morgan and Rick Calloway, forwards.* Youngstown Pride -- Traded the rights to Willie Bland, forward, and Keith Smart, guard, to the Halifax Windjammers for the rights to Darryl Johnson, guard.

COVESVILLE, Va. -- On a recent drizzly Saturday, players smacked baseballs in batting cages and spectators sat under colorful awnings, watching children play game after game of baseball on fields worthy of the pros. Here, in the jagged foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains southwest of Charlottesville, a 45-year-old multimillionaire novelist has built his field of dreams: a $3.8 million, seven diamond ballpark for kids. John Grisham, author of such best sellers as "The Firm" and "The Client," completed Cove Creek Park to accolades in 1996 and the park keeps growing.

The Orioles have approached Major League Baseball about the potential of hosting the 2016 All-Star Game at Camden Yards, a club spokesman confirmed. There is no formal application process, but club owner Peter Angelos did send a letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig requesting that Baltimore host the 2016 event. Although teams can present their interest to the league office at any time, MLB usually officially awards its next All-Star Game roughly a year before the event. And, traditionally - although not always - the Midsummer Classic alternates between American League and National League hosts, meaning the game would likely come to Baltimore only in an even-numbered year.

Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Lenny Dykstra doesn't know what baseball commissioner Fay Vincent has in store for him, but the probation for illegal gambling reported by a newspaper sounded fine."

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent presided over a meeting of major-league owners yesterday, briefing them on a list of issues facing the sport.Among them:* The AIDS epidemic and how it can be addressed by professional sports leagues. Vincent said he would be meeting soon with NBA commissioner David Stern and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.* The Mariners crisis. Vincent told the media that Mariners owner Jeff Smulyan has not asked for permission to relocate the team.* New playoffs.

Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent said he expects Leonard Kleinman's lawsuit against him to be dropped today, a key step in George Steinbrenner's campaign to regain control of the New York Yankees.Kleinman, former chief operating officer of the Yankees, sued Vincent for $22 million after the commissioner blocked him from succeeding Steinbrenner as managing general partner in August 1990. Steinbrenner paid for the suit at first, then asked Kleinman to drop it when it became an obstacle to Steinbrenner's discussing a return to the Yankees.

Possible successors to Fay Vincent as baseball commissioner:Lee MacPhail: The former president of the American League and former director of management's Player Relations Committee. He has said he doesn't want the job, but would feel obligated to take it if offered.Ron Brown: Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He is said to be the choice of Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. "Ron hasn't talked to anybody," DNC spokeswoman Ginny Terzano said.James A. Baker III: Recently left the State Department to run President Bush's re-election campaign.

Maryland Stadium Authority chairman John Moag has weighed in on the side of the Orioles on the issue of whether Major League Baseball should place an expansion team or move an existing team to Northern Virginia.Moag sent a letter to baseball commissioner Bud Selig on Tuesday, expressing concern about reports that the Montreal Expos or another team might be relocated to the Washington area.A team in the Washington area, Moag's letter said, "could result in two marginally successful franchises instead of one strong team."