Canseco lives out rightfield ruckus in Yankee Stadium

Jose Canseco had the decisive hit in the Athletics' 10-8 victory over the Yankees on Monday. He also was the focal point of a near-riot in the rightfield stands. "It was wild. It was the wild kingdom out there. I don't know what they were fighting about," Canseco said.

The chants began in the first inning, mostly about steroids, Madonna, and such Canseco-related topics. But in the eighth, in the half-inning after Canseco put the A's ahead with a ground-rule double picked up by the third-base ballboy, fans began tossing debris. The barrage started with a blow-up doll of a partially clothed woman.

"There were baseballs, the centers of cabbages, radios. Let me see, what other appliances were out there? Radios, TVs, refrigerators," Canseco said, adding a joking touch. "Obviously those fans aren't good baseball players, because they haven't got good aim."

Security guards stormed the stands to try to corner offenders. Fans challenged the guards.

"That was amazing," Canseco said. "I've never seen this much happening. There were fights breaking out all the time. Security guards were getting hit. It was better than Tyson and Ruddock.

"Any moment, one could jump on the field; and if one jumps on the field, I'm sure you're going to have three or four hundred jumping on there, too. It can get dangerous, I'm sure."

First-base umpire John Hirschbeck ordered an announcement admonishing the fans to stop their antics. Guards flooded the stands, and Canseco no longer was a target.

Angels trade Howell for Padres' Abner

SAN DIEGO _ The Padres on Tuesday acquired third baseman Jack Howell from the Angels for outfielder Shawn Abner.

Abner, 25, earned the starting job in centerfield for the Padres this season but played himself out of the lineup. He has appeared in 53 games and is hitting .165 with one home run and five RBI.

The Mets made Abner the No. 1 pick in the June 1984 free-agent draft, but this is his first full major-league season. On Dec. 11, 1986, the Mets traded Abner, Kevin Mitchell and three other players to the Padres for Kevin McReynolds and two others. Abner has a .207 career average, with seven home runs and 46 RBI.

Howell, 29, became a reserve when the Angels signed new-look free agent Gary Gaetti to a four-year contract during the off-season. Howell appeared in only 32 games for the Angels this year, hitting .210 with two home runs and seven RBI. He has a .238 career average, 78 home runs and 258 RBI.

Agent: Bonilla to look elsewhere

ATLANTA _ Bobby Bonilla's agent said it is unlikely the outfielder will agree to a contract extension with the Pirates and probably will file for free-agency after the World Series.

Carl Barger, who resigns as president of the Pirates on Friday to become president of the Miami Marlins, said last week he hoped to sign Bonilla before leaving.

"We talked once, and it doesn't look like the Pirates and Bonilla will bridge the gap," agent Dennis Gilbert said. Gilbert did not rule out the possibility of Bonilla re-signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent, but the Pirates would have to outbid other teams.

Woman says Rickey slapped her

NEW YORK _ A woman accused Oakland Athletics outfielder Rickey Henderson of assault, claiming he slapped her during a disagreement in his hotel room early Tuesday.

The woman, Sandra Salarinatin, 23, of New York, filed an assault complaint against Henderson, traded to Oakland by the Yankees in June 1989.

"Neither she nor her husband want him arrested," police spokesman Bob Nardoza said.

Salarinatin, who told police she had been drinking heavily, said she was in Henderson's room at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan at about 3 a.m. when the incident occurred, Nardoza said.

The couple had a disagreement and the woman told police "he gave her a backhanded smack, causing a bruise over her left eye," Nardoza said.

Henderson, who also is married, had no comment.

"We accept Rickey's version of the events," Oakland general manager Sandy Alderson said, "and we intend to support him 100 hundred percent."

Around the bases

Eric Davis had medical tests on his kidney Tuesday to determine whether an injury from the World Series still is causing him problems.

Former Blue Jays second baseman Damaso Garcia is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery July 19 to remove a malignant brain tumor, his doctor said.

The Orioles sent veteran Jeff Ballard, Jeff Robinson and Paul Kilgus to Class AAA Rochester Tuesday, replacing them with Stacy Jones, Mike Mussina and Jim Poole.

Andre Dawson was in the starting lineup for the Cubs after appealing a one-game suspension for his outburst last week against umpire Joe West.

The Twins called up right-hander Willie Banks, their No.

1 selection in the 1987 draft.

Ken Griffey Sr. said he will have surgery to repair a bulging disk in his neck.

The Tigers' top choice for a new $200-million stadium is the Briggs neighborhood, just north of the existing stadium, team president Bo Schembechler announced. Detroit and Wayne County officials advocate a site in the Fox Theater area, closer to downtown.

The Giants on Tuesday optioned catcher Steve Decker and outfielder Mark Leonard to Phoenix.

_ Compiled from Times wires.