Cubs Strip Himes of General Manager Duties

Larry Himes was removed Monday as general manager of the Chicago Cubs and reassigned as director of Arizona operations and a special assignment scout.

Himes will relocate to Arizona to oversee the club’s new spring training site in Mesa, said the Cubs’ new president, Andy MacPhail. Himes also will scout spring training, the Arizona Fall League and the American League as part of a two-year contract extension.

Himes, 53, was hired as executive vice president of baseball operations in November of 1991 and assumed the general manager duties.

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The Cincinnati Reds say they want a player for manager Davey Johnson if the Baltimore Orioles hire him before his contract runs out Dec. 31, The (Baltimore) Sun reported. Oriole General Manager Roland Hemond will interview the Reds’ manager today. On Tuesday, St. Louis Cardinal hitting instructor Chris Chambliss became the seventh candidate to be interviewed by the four-man selection committee.

Pro Basketball

Brad Daugherty’s bad back has flared up again, and the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t sure the five-time All-Star will be ready for the start of their season next month at new Gund Arena.

Daugherty, 28, sat out the final 29 regular-season games and the playoffs last season because of a herniated lumbar disk. He spent the summer on a rehabilitation program that seemed to have cured the problem, but the pain returned three weeks ago.

Clipper guard Gary Grant had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week and will sit out the start of training camp Friday. The team signed center Bob Martin, guard Orlando Vega and forward Isaiah Morris.

The Denver Nuggets signed Dale Ellis, one of the NBA’s best shooters, to a contract that will pay him $1.3 million this season. . . . The Philadelphia 76ers reached agreement in principle with their top draft pick, Sharone Wright of Clemson, and point guard Dana Barros says he will accept a one-year contract. . . . The San Antonio Spurs waived guard Lloyd Daniels, who spent two seasons with the team. . . . Damon Bailey, the Indiana Pacers’ second second-round draft pick this year, is expected to be released from the hospital today after surgery on both knees.

Tennis

Martina Hingis, the 14-year-old Swiss schoolgirl hailed as the world’s brightest young tennis star, began her professional career with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Patty Fendick in the $750,000 Zurich Indoors in Switzerland.

Unseeded Richey Reneberg upset top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, in the opening round of the Australian Indoor championships in Sydney. American Aaron Krickstein defeated third-seeded Jaime Yzaga of Peru, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Carlos Costa, seeded second, was soundly beaten by fellow Spaniard Oscar Martinez, 6-4, 6-2, in the Athens International in Greece.

Miscellany

A retrial in Marvin Cobb’s racial discrimination suit against USC has been continued to Jan. 6, in part because defense attorney Johnnie Cochran is busy with the defense of O.J. Simpson. Cobb, formerly a USC assistant athletic director, filed suit four years ago, accusing the school of racial discrimination and breach of contract. Judge William Drake of Los Angeles County superior court overturned this summer’s $2.1-million jury award from the original trial, citing jury irregularities.

The Florida Panthers acquired defensemen Robert Svehla and Magnus Svensson from Calgary for a third-round draft choice in 1996 and future considerations.

China swept three sports and increased its gold-medal count to 20 on the second day of competition at the Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan. Included were two weightlifting world records.

The United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the 13th Volleyball Men’s World Championship, defeating Cuba, 15-6, 15-13, 15-12, in Athens.

Michael Williams, Massachusetts’ starting point guard the past two seasons, was suspended for this season’s first three games for academic reasons. The only regular-season game Williams will sit out is against defending NCAA champion Arkansas on Nov. 25.

Diego Maradona, thrown out of the World Cup for failing his drug test, began working as co-coach of the Argentine club team Deportivo Mandiyu.

Former three-time world boxing champion Wilfredo Gomez was arrested on charges of buying cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Gomez, 38, was already free on $30,000 bail on domestic violence charges.