Mcgwire Outlook Gloomy

Spring training

Mark McGwire spent several hours on a trainer’s table Wednesday before grabbing his crutches and announcing: “No change, no miracles.”

The Oakland Athletics slugger, who hurt his right foot Tuesday in an exhibition game, will fly to the San Francisco Bay area today for an examination by team orthopedist Jerrald Goldman.

McGwire said it felt similar to an injury to his left fascia - connective tissue in the foot - that forced him to miss the final two months of the 1994 season.

“Let’s face it, it’s not good,” he said. “We probably won’t know for a couple of weeks until all the swelling goes down. There’s a lot more swelling and it seems to be a lot worse than two years ago.”

McGwire, who has missed 235 of the Athletics’ 420 games during the past three seasons, hurt his foot running the bases in an exhibition against the Chicago Cubs.

Manager Art Howe began making plans to replace the seven-time All-Star first baseman, who will probably miss at least three months.

Tuesday, Howe started Jason Giambi and Torey Lovullo in each of two split-squad games. Giambi was 3 for 3 with two doubles, making him 11 for 27 this spring.

Disney backs out

The Walt Disney Co. abandoned plans to buy the California Angels after the company couldn’t reach an agreement with Anaheim to renovate the team’s ballpark.

“It’s not going to happen, this deal is over,” said Tony Tavares, president of Disney Sports Enterprises Inc. “We happened to think we put a deal before them. Apparently they didn’t.”

On Jan. 18, baseball owners approved Disney’s deal to buy 25 percent of the Angels from Gene Autry. Disney would have operated the team and had the right to buy the remainder of the Angels after Autry’s death.

Disney said it would contribute $70 million to renovate Anaheim Stadium if Anaheim paid $30 million.

Tavares said Wednesday that lack of sufficient parking and other amenities were too great to give fans a Disneyquality experience.

Mets hammer Nomo

Hideo Nomo gave up homers to three of his first five batters, and the New York Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-5 at Vero Beach, Fla.

Kevin Flora, Butch Huskey and Jeff Kent all connected off Nomo, the 1995 N.L. Rookie of the Year.

Gooden strikes out five

Dwight Gooden gave up three tainted runs but struck out five in four innings before he and the New York Yankees lost a 3-2 decision to Cleveland.

Sandberg sizzles

Ryne Sandberg went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs in a nine-run first inning as the Chicago Cubs drubbed the Colorado Rockies 14-7 in a game stopped by rain after seven innings.

Ventura connects again

Robin Ventura hit a three-run homer, giving him seven hits in his last eight at-bats as the Chicago White Sox thumped a split squad of Toronto Blue Jays 10-2.