Baseball

Athletics: Optioned P Juan Perez and C Danny Ardoin to Triple-A Vancouver. Optioned P Luis Vizcaino to Double-A Midland. Assigned IF Jeff Ball and OF Brian Lesher and OF Mike Neill to minor-league camp.

Blue Jays: Optioned 3B Casey Blake to Triple-A Syracuse.

Cubs: Optioned IF Jason Maxwell and P Phil Norton to Triple-A Iowa. Assigned P Scott Watkins to minor-league camp.

Indians: Reassigned P Paul Wagner to minor-league camp.

Red Sox: Optioned P Brian Barkley and P Jin Ho Cho to Triple-A Pawtucket. Reassigned OF Pedro Valdes to minor-league camp.

Twins: Sold contract of OF Melvin Nieves to Daiei of Japanese Pacific League.

Basketball

Celtics: Placed F Popeye Jones on injured list.

Grizzlies: Activated C Tony Massenburg (Maryland). Placed G Lee Mayberry (tendinitis in both knees) on injured list.

College

Centennial Conference: Named Western Maryland sophomore basketball F Jill Ibex (Westminster), a second-team all-league pick, to academic honor roll; she has 3.5 grade-point average as double major in biology and exercise science/physical education.

Hockey

Flames: Recalled D Eric Charron from AHL St. John.

Islanders: Traded LW Ted Donato to Senators for fourth-round pick in 1999 draft. Traded C Robert Reichel and 1999 third- and fourth-round draft picks to Coyotes for LW Brad Isbister and 1999 third-round draft picks.

Lightning: Traded LW Mikael Andersson and RW Sandy McCarthy to Flyers for LW Colin Forbes and conditional draft pick.

Sharks: Recalled D Andy Sutton from AHL Kentucky.

Pub Date: 3/21/99