ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 28, 1995 TAG: 9512280077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN SPORTS
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
Ron Gant is guaranteed $25 million over five years by the St.Louis Cardinals, according to terms of his contract obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Gant, who had a $3.5 million salary in 1995, will get $5 million in each of the next five seasons.
St.Louis, going on a spending spree in anticipation of new ownership, also has agreed to an $8.1 million, two-year contract with pitcher Andy Benes. He gets $4 million in 1996, $4.1 million in 1997 and has a $3.4 million player option for 1998.
In other deals over the weekend, Toronto gave pitcher Erik Hanson $10.4 million for three years. Hanson gets a $1 million signing bonus, $3 million in 1996, $3.2 million in 1997 and $3.2 million in 1998.
In a Christmas Eve signing, Texas guaranteed pitcher Bobby Witt $1.5 million. He gets $1.35 million next season, and Texas has a $2 million option for 1996 with a $150,000 buyout.
Infielder Billy Ripken got a minor-league contract from Baltimore that guarantees him $250,000 if he makes the major-league team. Pitcher Jamie Moyer got a $600,000, one-year contract from Boston that gives him the chance to earn $300,000 more in performance bonuses.
Third baseman Dave Magadan got a $500,000, one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs and can make $150,000 more in bonuses.
Among players eligible for arbitration, Colorado and pitcher Armando Reynoso agreed at $315,000, a $65,000 raise. Eighty-one players remain eligible to file from Jan.5-15.
Boston outfielder Dwayne Hosey, not yet eligible for arbitration, got a $675,000, two-year contract. Hosey, who was being courted by a Japanese team, gets $225,000 next season and $450,000 in 1997.
In other baseball:
Hall of Fame umpire Al Barlick, known for the loudest ball-and-strike call in baseball, died at his home in Springfield, Ill. He was 80.
Barlick, who was born in Springfield, retired in 1972 after 33 years as a National League umpire. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989, and last May, his uniform No.3 was retired at Wrigley Field in Chicago, along with other former umpires Jocko Conlan and Bill Klem.
Globetrotters sign non-black player
Former University of Pittsburgh player Orlando Antigua joined the Harlem Globetrotters on Wednesday, the first non-black on the team in 52 years.
Antigua, 22, played at Pittsburgh from 1991-1995, scoring more than 900 points. He also collected 192 assists, 400 rebounds and 74 steals in 113 career games for the Panthers.
Antigua was presented the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's ``Most Courageous'' award during the 1994 Final Four. He recovered from a Halloween 1988 incident in which he was shot in the head.
He becomes the first non-black on the Globetrotters' roster since Bob Karstens played with the squad in 1942-43.
Antigua made his debut Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
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