Maxvill Fired by New Cardinal President

St. Louis Cardinal General Manager Dal Maxvill, who failed to lead the team into postseason play his last seven seasons, was fired Wednesday by team President Mark Lamping, who has been on the job about three weeks.

Lamping gave no specific reasons for the move, other than the fact Maxvill couldn’t produce a winner.

“I don’t think any of us were satisfied that we haven’t had postseason play here since 1987,” Lamping said.

Maxvill, who is signed through next season, will remain with the club until Oct. 5. The move left uncertain the status of Manager Joe Torre, hired in August of 1990. Lamping said the new general manager would have input in deciding Torre’s future. Torre is also signed through 1995.

Pro Basketball

The Chicago Bulls, having lost Horace Grant to the Orlando Magic, signed free agent Larry Krystkowiak, a 6-foot-9 forward who played with the Magic last season after stops in San Antonio, Milwaukee and Utah.

Jeff Weltman, the Clippers’ assistant director of scouting, has been promoted to director of scouting. He succeeds Barry Hecker, who was recently named an assistant coach. . . . The Clippers also announced that trainer Keith Jones has signed a multiyear contract extension.

Roy Tarpley could be close to returning to the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks. Tarpley flew to a league-sanctioned drug treatment center in Van Nuys for a drug test and his next, and possibly final, step toward reinstatement would be a meeting with NBA Commissioner David Stern.

College Basketball

Ken Turner, Ohio State assistant coach, suffered a heart attack while jogging and was in critical condition at Grant Medical Center in Columbus. He was stricken while running near his home in suburban Westerville. . . . Shareef Abdur-Rahim of Atlanta, one of the nation’s top college prospects, said he will attend California.

Hockey

No progress was reported in a five-hour bargaining session between the NHL and its players association, the fourth meeting in six days. Significant differences would have to be resolved in order to reach agreement by Oct. 1, the scheduled start of the season. Representatives of each side will continue to talk before the next formal meeting, scheduled for Monday in Toronto.

Pittsburgh Penguin center Shawn McEachern will be suspended without pay for three games for slashing Washington Capital defenseman Calle Johansson in the Eastern Conference playoffs last April. McEachern was also fined $500, the maximum allowed under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.

The New York Rangers are “getting closer” to a new contract with Mark Messier, General Manager Neil Smith said.

Smith refuted reports that the negotiations were held up by a change in team ownership.

Miscellany

A poll of 134 coaches of women’s sports revealed that participation in sports can help stop drug use, smoking and unplanned pregnancies for girls. According to the survey, 97% said female athletes are less likely to smoke than those not involved, 88% said that athletes are less likely to drink and use drugs and more than 90% said athletes are less likely to have unplanned pregnancies.

The North Carolina women’s soccer team won its 89th consecutive game, 5-1 over North Carolina State, setting an unofficial record for the longest winning streak in college sports. It broke the mark of 88 set by the UCLA men’s basketball team in the early 1970s.

Top Rank Inc. is suing rival promoter Don King over rights to heavyweight Lionel Butler.