FanFare 6/5/03

Briefly

Baseball

Five days after designating infielder Bill Selby for assignment, the Indians traded him to the Cardinals on Wednesday for minor league catcher Clint Chauncey. Selby, 32, was batting just .103 (4-for-39) in 26 games before being designated for assignment last Friday.

Move over Randy Johnson and make room for Curt Schilling on the Arizona Diamondbacks' disabled list. Schilling's broken right hand, diagnosed Tuesday, is just the latest in a numbing series of injuries for the two-time defending NL West champs.

Mets starter Pedro Astacio and reliever Scott Strickland will both likely have surgery in the next two weeks, ending the right-handers' seasons. Astacio went on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He will see Angels team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum on Monday and possibly have surgery the following day.

Dodgers pitcher Darren Dreifort, making a successful comeback following his second reconstructive elbow operation, was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained ligament in his right knee. The Dodgers replaced Dreifort on the roster by recalling left-hander Victor Alvarez from Triple-A Las Vegas.

A Cook County judge is recommending six months at boot camp for the 16-year-old boy who rushed the field with his father and beat Royals base coach Tom Gamboa when the Royals played at Chicago last September. Markham Juvenile Court Judge Michael Stuttley considered a parole violation and a July 2002 juvenile delinquency petition in recommending the sentence Wednesday, said Tom Stanton, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.

Boxing

Evander Holyfield says he's in negotiations to fight Roy Jones Jr. for the WBA heavyweight title on Oct. 4 at Madison Square Garden. The 40-year-old former four-time champion told The Associated Press at an Alabama political gathering Tuesday night that negotiations for the fight are ongoing.

Colleges

Jeremy Bloom gave up a potentially lucrative career in freestyle skiing to play football for Colorado. "I know money is the last thing that brings you happiness," he said. "I love to play college football. That's what makes me the happiest." Bloom is a champion moguls skier and a standout wide receiver and punt returner.

Running back Julius Jones will re-enroll at Notre Dame this month and play for the Irish this fall, his father said. Jones was academically ineligible to play for Notre Dame last season and has a season of eligibility left. In three seasons, he ran for 1,750 yards -- averaging 4.3 yards a carry -- and had 19 touchdowns.

Football

Rams veterans will be getting an early start to their summer break after it was determined the team violated league rules regarding offseason workouts, according to league sources. The Rams will lose their remaining week of their offseason program, scheduled for next week, because one of their players reported the team to the NFL Players Association for violations of the offseason rules. That led to an investigation by the NFLPA and the NFL Management Council, which resulted in the loss of the week of work.

Brian Urlacher is going to be haunting Bears opponents for a long time. The Bears announced they've agreed to terms on a new, nine-year deal with their Pro Bowl linebacker. That will extend his contract through the 2011 season.

Hockey

The Blackhawks will continue their affiliation with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League for a fourth season, Blackhawks general manager Mike Smith announced. Chicago's agreement with the Virginia club extends through the 2003-2004 season with an option for the 2004-2005 season.

Obituary

Johnny Hopp, an outfielder who played in five World Series with the Cardinals and Yankees, is dead at 86. Hopp died at the Residency, a retirement community in Scottsbluff, where he lived with his wife Sarah, said Dennis Kramer, funeral director at the Dugan-Kramer Funeral Home. Hopp began his major league career with the Cardinals in 1939. He played in three World Series with the team, and was voted its most popular player in 1941.

On the air

GolfEuropean PGA Tour, British Masters, 9 a.m., TGC

Senior PGA Championship, 11 a.m., ESPN2

LaSalle Bank Open, 12:30 p.m., TGC

McDonald's LPGA Championship, 3 p.m., TGC

FBR Capital Open, 3 p.m., USA

High school baseballOran vs. Sparta, 8 p.m., KBHI-107.1

MLB

Texas at Atlanta, noon, ESPN, TBS

Tampa Bay at Chicago Cubs, 1:10 p.m., WGN

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

NHL playoffsAnaheim at New Jersey, 7 p.m., WSIL

Tennis

French Open, 7 a.m., ESPN

WNBASacramento at Los Angeles, 9 p.m., ESPN2

n 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. Sparta, Class 1 championship, Columbia, 8 p.m.

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

Jackson Jr. Legion at Jonesboro (Ark.) Tournament, TBD