Aids Complications Caused Wiggins' Death, Paper Says

-- BASEBALL

Alan Wiggins, whose baseball career was shortened because of drug use after he helped the San Diego Padres earn a World Series berth in 1984, died of complications from AIDS, a newspaper quoted doctors and family friends as saying.

Wiggins died Jan. 6 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 32. An unnamed doctor quoted in the Los Angeles Times said he suffered from AIDs for three years and his death from tuberculosis and pneumonia was caused by the disease.

Wiggins' family has not publicly acknowledged his cause of death, but the Times reported that one family member and several of the former player's friends said Wiggins had AIDS.

-- Four days after former pitcher Ferguson Jenkins was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame, his wife, Maryanne, 31, died in an Oklahoma City hospital from injuries suffered in a Dec. 9 automobile accident.

-- COURTS

Track star Ben Johnson was charged with assault in Toronto after Cheryl Thibedeau, a former teammate of Johnson's, complained she was attacked last month at York University. Police inspector Stephen Harris said Johnson surrendered to police yesterday and was released on his own recognizance. Johnson is to appear in court Jan. 24.

-- FOOTBALL

Willie Brown, 50, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member after 12 years with the Oakland Raiders, was named head coach at Long Beach State, succeeding the late George Allen. Brown was an assistant on Allen's staff last season.

-- Brendan Cook, a redshirt freshman reserve wide receiver for the Arkansas Razorbacks last season, was critically wounded this morning in Fayetteville, Ark., by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

-- BOXING

-- Gunshots have been fired into the Phoenix, Ariz., home of IBF junior-flyweight champion Michael Carbajal, who said he doesn't know why. The gunfire occurred Friday and yesterday. Carbajal was home both times but no one was injured.

Police took a 17-year-old into custody after yesterday's incident. Authorities said the youth was driving a stolen car. They also said they found a sawed-off shotgun and two expended cartridges in the car.

-- HONORS

Joe Montana, San Francisco 49er quarterback, was named male athlete of the year and pro golfer Beth Daniel was named female athlete of the year by Associated Press.

Montana won the men's award for the second straight year, edging Nolan Ryan, Texas Ranger pitcher, 259 points to 254 in the AP voting. Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings was third.

Daniel received 198 points, 14 more than Jennifer Capriati, teen-age tennis star, in the women's voting. Steffi Graf was third.

-- Three repeat finalists - speedskater Bonnie Blair, pentathlete Lori Norwood and wrestler John Smith - are among 10 candidates for the 1990 Sullivan Award presented to the nation's outstanding amateur athlete. The winner will be announced March 11.

Other finalists are swimmer Michael Barrowman, basketball player Theresa Edwards, boxer Eric Griffin, football player Raghib ``Rocket'' Ismail, distance runner Lynn Jennings, figure skater Jill Trenary and skier Donna Weinbrecht.

-- Arizona cornerback Darryl Lewis received the fifth annual Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football.

-- SKIING

Luxemborg's Marc Girardelli won a World Cup giant slalom today in Adelboden, Switzerland, by 1.56 seconds over Italy's Alberto Tomba to widen his lead in the men's overall standings. Austria's Rudolf Nierlich finished third.

-- Nancy Fiddler, of Crowley Lake, Calif., won the women's 10-kilometer national cross-country championship at Lake Placid, N.Y., in 15 minutes, 38 seconds. Leslie Thompson, Norwich, Vt., was second with Ingrid Butts third.

John Farra of Lake Placid took the men's 30-kilometer title in 27:39.3, four seconds ahead of John Bauer, Champlain, Minn. Norway's John Aalberg finished third.

-- BASKETBALL

A men's basketball game between Seattle University and Rocky Mountain College here Thursday night has been canceled because of scheduling conflict.