Rev. Jackson criticizes MLB, police

The Rev. Jesse Jackson says Major League Baseball and San Diego police failed to protect Barry Bonds and should be trying to find out who threw an object Bonds called a syringe at him in the Giants' opener. The object was thrown near the Giants slugger as he came off the field following the eighth inning Monday night in San Diego. . . . Commissioner Bud Selig defended his choice of George Mitchell to head baseball's steroid investigation, saying the former Senate majority leader has independence and brushing off criticism that Mitchell is too much of an insider -- Mitchell is a director of the Red Sox and chairman of the Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN, the network airing Bonds's new reality show . . . The World Anti-Doping Agency said the International Baseball Federation, which was put in charge of drug testing at the World Baseball Classic by Major League Baseball and the Players Association, allowed its out-of-competition testing agreement with WADA to expire in December and didn't renew it until after the March tournament, so WADA wasn't allowed to conduct unannounced drug tests before the tournament . . . The Dodgers placed first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, 32, on the 15-day disabled list. The former Red Sox star, signed as a free agent during the offseason, was injured while swinging in his first at-bat Sunday in the Dodgers' exhibition against the Angels.

Eric Moulds agreed to a contract with Houston and said the Texans have worked out a trade to acquire him from the Bills. ''Yeah, it's done," said Greg Johnson, Moulds's personal adviser. Moulds, who had the Bills' permission to seek a trade, agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract that includes a $5 million signing bonus. It's not clear what the Texans traded to Buffalo, but it's believed to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick in this month's draft. The Texans declined to confirm the deal . . . Quarterback Daunte Culpepper was cleared of misdemeanor charges stemming from a boat-party sex scandal last fall on a suburban lake while he was with the Vikings. Culpepper, traded to the Dolphins last month, issued a statement saying, ''I was confident when the legal process began that the truth would come out, and I am glad that my innocence has been proven." . . . Kansas City signed a one-year deal with free-agent cornerback and former Boston College star Lenny Walls, 26. Walls started for Denver in 2003, but injuries limited his playing time the past two years.

Sabres forward Jochen Hecht will be lost for two weeks with a sprained ligament in his left knee following a hit by Toronto's Darcy Tucker in Buffalo's win over the Maple Leafs Monday night. After the game, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff lashed out, saying he wanted Tucker suspended and fined but the league informed the Sabres no disciplinary action would be taken . . . Nashville defenseman Brendan Witt was suspended for one game for a collision with Columbus's David Vyborny Monday night that left the forward with a knee injury.

NCAA president Myles Brand said behavior at a Duke men's lacrosse party last month was inappropriate, regardless of whether the alleged assault of woman hired to dance results in criminal charges. Brand said no assumptions about guilt or innocence should be made before the case runs its course. ''Nonetheless, the situation that arose was inappropriate at best," he said. ''It is inappropriate that we should have any group of young men, let alone those who play on our athletic teams, inviting a stripper, underage alcohol, and that kind of environment."

Jeff Simmons, a regular for four seasons in the Indy Pro Series, will replace driver Paul Dana on Bobby Rahal's team starting April 22 in Japan. Dana was killed during a warmup March 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Simmons, a 29-year-old rookie, was hired by Rahal Letterman Racing to take over the Ethanol-sponsored No. 17 car . . . Greg Oden, a 7-footer from Indianapolis who is headed for Ohio State, is the Gatorade National basketball player of the year for the second straight year, joining LeBron James as the only players to be so honored.