Fast Break

BASEBALL

Ex-MLB pitcher killed by lightning

Former major league pitcher Geremi Gonzalez, who won 11 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1997, was killed by a lightning strike in his native Venezuela on Sunday. He was 33.

Emergency management official Herman Bracho said Monday that Gonzalez was struck by lightning at a beach.

Gonzalez pitched for five major league teams from 1997-2006. The right-hander appeared in 131 games with 83 starts, compiling a 30-35 record.

Gonzalez also played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He made a combined 24 appearances for the Mets and Brewers in his final major league season in 2006.

Basketball

Pargo to attend pre-draft camp

Gonzaga University junior point guard Jeremy Pargo will attend the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla.

The camp, which begins this evening, features roughly 70 players, some of whom elect to just take physicals and not participate in the full schedule of events. Physical-only players are usually considered strong candidates for the upper portion of the first round of the draft.

Pargo earlier announced he will make himself available for the June draft, but will not hire an agent to keep the door open to return to the Bulldogs for his senior season.

Jim Meehan BASKETBALL China numbers disturb Yao Ming Yao Ming wakes up each morning and immediately heads for the computer to get the latest on the earthquake that devastated China.

The Houston Rockets All-Star center and China’s most recognizable athlete got more bad news Sunday: a powerful aftershock had killed one person and destroyed 70,000 homes.

“Every day the number is going up. This morning it was over 62,000 people killed,” Yao said. “We are very sad for the people we have lost in the earthquake.”

Yao, who has donated $290,000 and filmed public service announcements through the Red Cross for the relief efforts, led the crowd in a moment of silence Sunday for China’s victims before the Coca-Cola 600 at Concord, N.C.