Indictments Expected in Point-Shaving Case

Indictments are expected as early as next month against players and gamblers in a federal grand jury investigation of point-shaving allegations involving the 1993-94 Arizona State basketball team, according to broadcast reports Monday.

ABC News and CNN/SI reported that Stevin Smith, who is second on the school’s career scoring list, and one other player are expected to be indicted.

CNN/SI identified the second player as Isaac Burton.

ABC did not identify the second player but said he and Smith had received tens of thousands of dollars from Joseph Gagliano Jr., a Phoenix-based investment advisor who allegedly won more than $1 million betting against Arizona State.

Baseball

The Toronto Blue Jays hired the other Johnson as their manager.

Tim Johnson, a minor league manager and former Toronto shortstop, was given a two-year contract Monday to succeed Cito Gaston.

“The key here is that he’s going to connect and communicate with his players,” said Toronto General Manager Gord Ash, who had former Baltimore Oriole manager Davey Johnson on his short list.

Tim Johnson managed the Iowa Cubs to a first-place finish in the West Division of the triple-A American Assn. last season, losing to Buffalo in the league championship series. He has spent the last 17 years as a scout, minor league manager and major league coach.

Outfielder Dave Clark, who led National League pinch-hitters with 22 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs last season, agreed to a $1.4-million, two-year contract with the Houston Astros. . . . First baseman John Olerud agreed to return to the New York Mets for an $8-million, two-year contract. . . . Dodger backup catcher Tom Prince, who had been eligible for salary arbitration, accepted a $350,000, one-year contract. Prince, 33, hit .220 in 47 games with three homers and 14 RBIs. . . . The Detroit Tigers sold minor league outfielder Jimmy Hurst to the Boston Red Sox. . . . The Orioles will bring uniform No. 33 out of retirement next season after signing Eddie Murray as a coach. The Orioles also re-signed free-agent catcher Lenny Webster to a one-year contract that guarantees him $740,000.

Soccer

Police fired tear gas to break up a crowd of gun-firing soccer fans infuriated by a referee’s decision at Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The disturbance lasted half an hour and 50 people were treated for inhalation of tear gas.

Four soccer fans were ordered to stand trial for involvement in a postgame melee that left seven people injured at Athens.

Miscellany

Jonathan Stark will replace injured Alex O’Brien on the U.S. Davis Cup team that will play Sweden for the tennis trophy beginning Friday.

Sami Helenius, a Finnish defenseman, has been suspended for three games by the American Hockey League for making an ethnic slur against Swedish opponent Fredrik Oduya. Helenius apologized to Oduya immediately after the game.

Lynn Sherrod, a municipal judge in Huntsville, Ala., dismissed charges of resisting arrest and trespassing against Coach John Paris Jr. of the Macon (Ga.) Whoopees. The first black coach in professional hockey was arrested Oct. 23 after a scuffle on the ice among players and a confrontation between Paris and the Von Braun Civic Center’s security director, Dale Baxter.

Dozens of basketball fans, including Belgrade’s acting mayor, were injured in a riot which erupted during a game between Yugoslavia’s two leading teams at Belgrade.

NBC will get a record $1.3 million per 30-second spot for Super Bowl commercials in January and has already sold them out.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, once home only to the Indianapolis 500, will host one of four International Race of Champions events in 1998.