Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 58

E2 Saturday, July 25, 1998 Sports Austin American-Statesman II Houston Astros at San Diego Padres 3 p.m. KTBC Chicago White Sox at New brK Yankees 3p.m. WGN Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins 7 p.m. KNVA ARCA400 12:05 p.m. TBS NASCAR Craftsman Truck Senes Pikes Peak 300K 12:30 p.m.

KEYE Indy Lights 5 p.m. ESPN2 NASCAR Grand National South Boston 300 5:30 p.m. TNN CART FedEx Championship Series U.S. 500 qualifying 6 p.m. ESPN2 Indy Racing League Visionaire 500 8 p.m.

TNN A NHRA Autolite Nationals Qualifying 9 p.m. ESPN2 i. -i WNBC 4 KXAN lp.m. Los Angeles Sparks at Detroit Shock .1 bqwljns; 12:30 p.m. ESPN Mini-Eliminator Senior Tour 2 p.m.

FQXSW him school fpotomi v. tzi CalTex Shrine Game 8:30 p.m. FQXSW Giant Eagle Classic, second round 1 p.m. ESPN2 Peter DejongAP, Wheels at rest Tour de France riders, from left, George Hincapie, join the protest against the focus on doping allega-Bobby Julich, Marty Jemison and Tyler Hamilton tions that have plagued the race since it began. Counting his Vikings Woman notches inlnor-Iaagua victoiy Ha Borders went into baseball's history books by becoming the first female pitcher to start and win a game in a men's professional league.

The 23-year-old lefthander gave up three hits and no runs in six innings as the Duluth-Superior Dukes beat the visiting Sioux Falls Canaries 3-1 in a Northern League game before 3,048 at Wade Stadium. vmm Sophia Witherspoon scored 15 points and the New York Liberty pulled away in the second half for a 76-54 WNBA victory over the Sacramento Monarchs. Tennis Marcelo Rios closed within one win of taking Pete Sampras' No. 1 ranking by routing Boris Becker 6-2, 6-0 to reach the Mercedes Cup semifinals in Stuttgart, Germany. Rios would regain the top ranking on the ATP computer from Sampras, who has taken the week off, if he beats Karo) Kucera of Slovakia today.

Kucera beat Bohdan Ulihrach 6-4, 64, while Carlos Moya and Gustavo Kuerten both won to set up a clash of the last two French Open champions in the second semifinal. Michael Chang defeated Jim Courier 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. Chang will face 14th-seeded Scott Draper in one semifinal today, and Andre Agassi plays third-seeded Wayne Ferreira in the other. College basketball Guard Jerry Curry, Iowa State's top three-point shooter last season, will not return for next season, athletic director Gene Smith said. Smith said Curry's scholarship was not renewed, a decision that was made before former coach Tim Floyd resigned to join the Chicago Bulls.

Curry's departure puts the Iowa State roster at the allowable limit of 13 scholarship players: seven returnees and six recruits. Swimming Four Chinese swimmers were suspended from all meets for two years for using banned substances during the world championships in January. FINA, swimming's international body, said the suspensions take effect immediately. Golf Westlake's Tim Sanchez, a University of Texas recruit, shot a final-round 72 to hold off Chris Stroud of Groves and win the 15-18 division of the Texas state junior boys championship at Victoria Country Club by one shot. Stroud shot a final-round 68.

Round Rock's Dusty King finished seventh, nine shots behind Sanchez. Ben Wright, suspended two years ago by CBS for sexist remarks about the LPGA tour, is returning to television in September to do commentary for a syndicated show. Wright will be a regular contributor to "Golf 2000 with Peter Jacobsen," a half-hour show that made its debut June 6 and is broadcast to about 85 percent of the country. Red McCombs is fairly confident that the NFL owners will approve his $206 million purchase of the Minnesota vikings next week. He's got a sign on an office door at one of his San Antonio car dealerships that reads: "Minnesota Vikings Headquarters." Important matters to attend to day you happen to have a bad exam.

And your mommy and your daddy are slapping you in the face, telling you you're no good, you're not worth anything because you failed one exam. That's exactly now I feel." Is he Pink Floyd's teammate? Dick Vermeil needs to get out more. When the Rams' coach was told that first-round pick Grant WIs-trom celebrated his contract signing this week by going to see Van Halen, Vermeil asked, "Is he a running back?" Bring on the meteors "Uh, occupied right now. That could be a variety of things, from riding a bike, rocking on the porch, fishing off the dock." That's the message on Phil Jackson's answering machine In Montana. A vendor's best friend U.S.

Senior Open, third round 3 p.m. KXAN mjuohiague soccer Chicago Fire at New Nbrk-New Jersey MetroStars 2 p.m. ESPN Dallas Bum at Columbus Crew 6:30 p.m. FQXSW ATP Legg Mason Washington Classic, semifinal Noon FQXSW Federation Cup semifinal round, United States at Spam 3 p.m. ESPN2 Goopvvju.

i Track and field, diving, basketball 3 p.m. KEYE Gymnastics: Mixed pairs. Diving Women's 3m springboard. 7:05 p.m. TBS 1 7 miscellaneous Cycling: BMX National Series 11 a.m.

ESPN2 Jet Skiing: National Tour 11:30 a.m. ESPN2 Hydroplane Racing: Unlimited Noon ESPN2 Cycling: Tour de France, stage 13 (same-day tape) 4 p.m. KVUE Billiards: WPBA Classic Tour final 6:30 p.m. ESPN Rodeo: Calgary Stampede Showdown 7:30 p.m. ESPN Horse racing: Breeders' Crown Series Eliminations 8 p.m.

ESPN2 Water Skiing: Masters Championships 11 p.m. ESPN2 11 i major-hague baseball r. Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins 1 p.m. FQXSW New ork Mets at Chicago Cubs 1:10 p.m. WGN St Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies 7 p.m.

ESPN motor spouts Barber Pro Series 9 a.m. ESPN2 CART FedEx Championship Series U.S. 500 Noon KVUE Pennsylvania 500 Pole Day 12:05 p.m. TBS AMA Superbike Loudon Bikes II 12:30 p.m. TNN Toyota Atlantic Series 4:30 p.m.

ESPN2 NHRA Autolite Nationals 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 F1A Formula One Austrian Grand Prix 6:30 p.m. FOXSW boxing U.S. Amateur Junior Olympic Nationals 12:30 p.m. ESPN Mark Johnson vs.

Luis Rolon 4 p.m. KVUE Glenwood Brown vs. Vinny Pazienza 9 p.m. ESPN2 golf -r LPGA Giant Eagle Classic, final round 1 p.m. ESPN2 U.S.

Senior Open, final round 3 p.m. KXAN Miami Fusion at New England Revolution 2 p.m. UNI TENNIS Federation Cup semifinal round, United States at Spain 3 p.m. ESPN2 ATP Legg Mason Washington Classic, final 4:30 p.m. FQXSW goodwill games "XTLw.rri'";S"2 Gymnastics, men's beach volleyball and men's diving 3 p.m.

KEYE Gymnastics: Mixed pairs. Diving: Women's 10-meter platform Wrestling: Russia vs. United States. 7:05 p.m. TBS Arena football: Arizona Rattlers at New Jersey Red Dogs 2 p.m.

ESPN Track and field: U.S. Open Championships 2 p.m. KXAN Japanese Sumo Wrestling 4:30 p.m. ESPN Rodeo: PBR Lane Frost Memorial 8 p.m. TNN Cycling: Tour de France, stage 14 (same-day tape) midnite ESPN2 Tom Powers of the St Paul Pioneer Press, on the Minnesota Twins: "So Minnesota baseball fans live to fight another day.

Even though they're already punch drunk. "Yes, the Twins are committed to Minnesota for two more seasons. The U-Hauls cannot pull up to the Me-trodome loading dock until after the first baseball season of the new millennium. "Who knows what could happen by then? We might be knee deep in Armageddon. Which certainly would be a wonderful change of pace from these Twins negotiations." Filling up the hlghSght reeb Not only are today's baseball players better than those of the '20s, 30s and '40s, they're better than those of the 70s and '80s.

Don't believe it? Ask Mike Schmidt, who played in the 70s and '80s. "I just like to turn on ESPN and watch the highlights because there are plays that are made with regularity nowadays that we never made when I was playing, let alone the generation before me," Schmidt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bob Smlzlk. "They make plays that guys never dreamed of making when I played. Nothing against Ozzle Smith, but there are probably six shortstops in the big leagues who are making plays that he brought into the game." Compiled by Kevin Hargls Pittsburgh catcher Jason Kendall apparently is as comfortable behind a microphone as he is behind the plate. When he couldn't sit on the bench in uniform while being suspended, Kendall spent several innings as a guest color commentator on the Pirates' radio network Tuesday night at Shea Stadium in New York.

After NL President Len Coleman and assistant Katy Feeney were spotted in the stands, Kendall was asked if he might visit them and further appeal his case. No, Kendall said, but he might sit behind them and throw peanuts. He needs to talk to BiSI Buckner Beyond the fishbowl existence, Boston Red Sox ace pitcher Pedro Martinez admits he doesn't understand New England fans. "They confuse me a little bit," he said. "I'm not saying they don't like me.

When I do good, they love me. But when I do bad, they hate me. "It surprised me. The reason is the fans seem to know about baseball, about effort, about pride. They are probably the most educated people I have ever played for.

"All you have in Boston are universities. You don't see anyone who doesnt go to school someplace. They read a lot, they understand a lot "Imagine being a straight-A medical student and one Baseball MAJOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL 1 Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins (pregame 6:40 p.m.) 7:05 p.m. KVET-AM (1300) ttwx shows One-on-0ne Sports (24-hour programming) 5th Annual WiViMQ Overall Champion of Competition KFON-AM (1490) 5 a.m. KVET-AM (1300) Lone Star Fishing Show with Jay Durkin 6 a.m.

KVET-AM (1300) Great Outdoors with Mike Leggett 8 a.m. KVET-AM (1300) Golf Show with Bryan Gathwight and Jim Applebaum Pressbox with Hugh Lewis, Jon Madani and Perry Watson 9 a.m. KVET-AM (1300) 2 p.m. KVET-AM (1300) Sportsfan Saturday The Best of the Hugh Show with Bill Simonson 5 p.m. KJFK-FM (98.9) ESPN Radio 5 p.m.

KVET-AM (1300) Grant Gritimacher "Willie Nelson The United States' silent bats finally have finally come to life in the world championships in Rome. Eric Munson hit two of the five American homers as the United States got its first victory after two losses in the tournament, 13-6 over Taiwan. The win kept the Americans' hopes for a quarterfinal berth alive. Nate Minchey, a graduate of Pflugerville High School who now plays for the Japan League's Hiroshima Carp, was the only player born in the United States who was named to play in Japan's baseball AD-Star Games. Minchey went into the all-star break with an ERA of 3.02 after pitching 131 innings.

He had 65 strikeouts. Major League Soccer The Miami Fusion, whose offensive woes have them in last place iitMajor League Soccer's Eastern Conference, fired coach Carlos "Cacho" Cordoba and replaced him with Ivo Wortmarm. Cordoba lasted only 19 games into the Fusion's inaugural season, posting an 8-11 record. Most originalBest splash Best Tradtional Dive San Antonio Pumas at Austin Lone Stars, House Park, 7:30 p.m. sool.pcotball3::: Texas at California, All-Star Classic, Norwalk, 7 p.m.

horse racing Retama Park, Selma, simulcasting beginning at 11:30 a.m. Manor Downs, simulcasting beginning at noon. 13 years under 1st McCormick 2nd Williams 3nd Aaron Kelly 14 to 23 years 1st Grant Gritzmacher 2nd Erik "Fluffy Johnson" 3nd Joseph Munguia 24 to 39 years 1st NikAlvarado 2nd Captain Splash 3nd Fuller 40 and over 1st Michael Binehold 2nd Hayes 3nd JohnGleason 13 years under 1st McCormick 2nd Colter Yancey 3nd Tietz 14 to 23 years 1st "Fluffy Johnson" 2nd Joseph Mungua 3nd Nicole Huber 24 to 39 years 1st Captain Splash 2nd NikAlvarado 3nd Harrick 40 and over 1st Bungum 2nd Thomas 3nd Ken Hayes lb visit the Longhorn home page on the World Wide Web: http:Www.hookem.com To visit the Big 12 site: httpyAww.GoBigl2.com. lb visit high school sports on the internet httpyAvww.HomeTeam360.com. Lacrosse The United States defeated Canada 15-14 for the International Lacrosse Federation world championship in Baltimore.

Comptted from wire and news reports See What Austin's Been Missing! Over 30 Major Contemporary Artists 55: 235 1 Fine art that's fun! Which current major-league baseball player has been with the most teams, including his major-2nd minor-league careers? flint: He plays center field. Answer on Scoreboard, E10 Sponsored in part by Austin AmoritantatDsman Auslin360.com 1501 West 5th brtMwn Mopae Ltmar 481-1111 Mon -Fri 9-5, Sat 10-5 Cal Inside Line, 41 S-5700 and enter 2785 ARTS) for more info..