FanFare 6/4/03

Briefly

Baseball

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner criticized baseball schedule makers and complained his team is treated unfairly, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The Boss is unhappy about New York's road trip this week, when interleague games begin. His problem: While the Yankees are in Cincinnati and Chicago, the rival Boston Red Sox play Pittsburgh and Milwaukee -- two of the three worst teams in the National League.

Mets first baseman Mo Vaughn, sidelined since April with knee problems, has decided not to undergo surgery for at least five weeks. "We're going to take this thing day-by-day," Vaughn said, adding "I'm going to rest it for 35 to 45 days."

Basketball

The Grizzlies will change their team colors and logo for the 2004-2005 season. The unveiling will coincide with the new downtown arena, FedEx Forum. Officials said although the team will have new uniforms, the team's nickname will remain the same.

Houston Comets guard Cynthia Cooper will miss at least two weeks with a rotator cuff injury.

Colleges

A former Northwestern University doctor destroyed records of a routine physical exam he performed on Rashidi Wheeler just three weeks before the football player died during a 2001 training drill, a university spokesman said. Dr. Mark Gardner also indicated he knew Wheeler had been taking dietary supplements, according to a deposition taken in a lawsuit Wheeler's family filed against Northwestern, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Adam Haluska said he will transfer to Iowa, which had been expected when he announced last week that he was leaving Iowa State's basketball team. Haluska started all 31 games at Iowa State as a freshman last season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds.

Kansas State hired Brad Hill, coach of the Division II champion Central Missouri State Mules, its new baseball coach. In nine seasons, Hill's teams were 417-91.

Football

Cornerback Ray Crockett was released by the Chiefs. Crockett is a 14-year veteran cornerback whose best years came during Denver's Super Bowl championship seasons in 1997 and '98.

Eric Crouch says he's contender for one of Green Bay's three quarterback spots next season, but the former Ram tried his hand at kickoff returns for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday. He last returned punts as a junior in high school.

Negotiations between former Denver quarterback Brian Griese and Miami continued, but it wasn't clear if a deal could be completed before the Dolphins' three-day quarterback school.

Golf

Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson thought the commercial-free broadcast of the Masters turned out so well he plans to do it again in 2004.

Tiger Woods added the Buick Classic to his schedule, committing to play in the Westchester tournament following the U.S. Open next week at Olympia Fields.

Hockey

The Islanders fired coach Peter Laviolette, replacing him with minor league coach Steve Stirling. The team announced on its Web site that Laviolette was out and Stirling, who coached in the AHL the last two seasons, would take over.

Avalanche center Peter Forsberg, who led the NHL in scoring after missing the entire previous regular season, has been chosen player of the year by The Sporting News.

Motorsports

Dodge Motorsports is suing car owner Bill Davis for allegedly helping rival Toyota prepare for its NASCAR debut. Dodge ended its association two weeks ago with Davis, who fields Winston Cup cars for 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace, and sued him for allegedly building Toyota a truck.

Tennis

Andre Agassi fell short in his bid for a ninth major title, losing to No. 7-seeded Guillermo Coria 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the FrenchOpen quarterfinals. Down 4-1, Agassi won five consecutive games to salvage the opening set, and he twice rallied from a break down in the fourth set.

Andy Roddick will get ready for Wimbledon under the guidance of Brad Gilbert, the former tour pro Agassi left early last year. A spokeswoman for Roddick said it's not a permanent move yet. Roddick split with coach Tarik Benhabiles after a second straight opening-round loss at the French Open.

On the air

MLBTeams TBA, 6 p.m., ESPN

Toronto at St. Louis, 7 p.m., Fox-Midwest, KZIM-960, KBXB-97.9

Teams TBA, 9 p.m., ESPN2

NBA playoffsNew Jersey vs. San Antonio, 7:30 p.m., WSIL

Tennis

French Open, 7 a.m., ESPN2; 11 a.m., ESPN (tape)

CHARTER CABLE KEY:CNBC (ch. 53), ESPN (42), ESPN2 (43), Lifetime (49)Fox-Midwest (45), Fox-Central (352), Fox-Pacific (353), Fox-Sunshine (351), Fox-World (350), FX(50), KBSI (9), KFVS (7), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TBS (10), The Golf Channel (46), TNT (48), WDKA (17), WPSD (6), WQWQ (33), WSIL (3). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area events

High school baseballOran vs. Concordia, Class 1 semifinal, Columbia, 5 p.m.

Amateur baseballAnna (Ill.) at Cape Jr. Legion (at Central) (2), 4 p.m.

De Soto at Jackson Sr. Legion (2), 6 p.m.

Cape Sr. Babe Ruth A's at Charleston (2), 6 p.m.

Cape Sr. Legion at Festus, 7:30 p.m.

Jackson Jr. Legion at Jonesboro (Ark.) Tournament