| Show Standard-Examine- Sports r rock top prospect Standard Examiner correspondent - The Pa- tabbed for stardom Just ask Roy Oswalt of the New Orleans Zephyrs Picked by many experts as the top pitching prospect in Oswalt was roughed Triple-up for six runs and 10 hits in just four innings as the Zephyrs fell to the Salt Lake Sting10-- Thursday 'night at 1 Franklin Covey Field HE Conversely Salt Lake starter Steve Green showed what a difference a year can make Iast year Green posted a dismal 0--4 record and a 729 ERA in his first season at the Triple-A level with Edmonton of the PCL r The Salt Lake this year with improved to right-hande- 2-- 0 a three-hitte- complete-gam- e Losing caught up with two more NBA coaches Thursday with Detroit firing George Ir- on his contract Cleveland fired Wittman afvine and Cleveland dismissing his teams lost 102 games ter Wittman Randy In Washington Doug Col- in two seasons The Cavaliers 30-5this season finishlins returned to the coaching were behind the Pistwo games ing ranks one day after Leonard Hamilton abruptly resigned tons in the Central Division “As much as I am confrom the Wizards Km) about the number of cerned The Pistons fired Irvine afI was lost we more games ter finishing 18 games under concerned about how we lost N500 in his first full season them" Cavs general manager This was a very difficult Jim Paxson said decision for me to make" Paxson said the firing was team president Joe Dumars necessary to “get us back in said in a statement "I want to the direction" ’ right thank George and his staff for “Fair or not fair coaches DOUG MIllSThe Associated Prves their hard work and dedica- are expected to win games" tion however at this time I he said of Wizards basketball president operations Michael Washington have decided to make a Jordan (nght) shakes hands with Doug Collins who was named Collins who coached Michange” chael Jordan for three years as the new head coach of the Wizards on Thursday "I’m a little surprised and with the Chicago Bulls anI'm certainly disappointed" swered Jordan’s request to I felt that at Collins who also coached very helpful Irvine said "But it's their take over the Wizards after Detroit for 2 12 has this years particular time we choice I disagree with the de- Hamilton’s sudden been an NBA game analyst on needed the knowledge of utideparture cision but that doesn’t change following a season the NBC since 1998 The network lizing these young playeis for third-wors- t my respect for them” record in the said he will stay on the job the benefit of us improving as Irvine who replaced Alvin league a franchise" through the NBA Finals "Michael Jordan called me Gentry last March finished 0 the season at and won on the phone and said ’I need “I think his record speaks Collins was fired by the the endorsement of several you Can you come here and for itself" said Jordan the Bulls after the 1988-8season ” players help me?’ Collins said "It Wizards’ president "He has He was replaced by Phil Jack-sowho with Jordan leading But with Grant Hill leaving was easy once he said that an appetite for the game He as a free agent the team Whatever Michael needs from has an enthusiasm about the the way coached the team to struggled to a 32-5- 0 record Ir- me that’s what I intend to game I think his knowledge six NBA championships in of the game is going to be eight years vine had two years remaining bring” 2 cific Coast League can be very very cruel to pitchers r while striking out nine - including five of the first eight batters he faced "Greenie had some pretty good stuff tonight" said Salt Lake manager Garry Templeton “He’s raring to go and threw some pretty good pitches" "I felt great" Green said "My fast ball was working early and they weren’t able to adjust I had a lot of confidence as the game went on" ' ' Green started the season on the Salt Lakq roster before being called up for a start with the parent Anaheim Angles against the Oakland Athletics giving up just two runs in six innings "I’m not in a hurry to get back to the big leagues” Green said “I just want to put up some good numbers and maybe later in the season make the move” The Stingers wasted little time in jumping all over Oswalt with a four-ru- n outburst in the bottom of the first inning Wilmy Caceres who made an early exit in Tuesday night’s win for arguing a called third strike in the first inning led off with a triple to field the gap in right-centJose Nieves drove in the first run of the game with a single to left and Larry Barnes with the second trimade it ple of the inning Things went from bad to worse for Oswalt one out later when Scott Morgan's single to left plated Barnes The New Orleans defense didn’t help Oswalt's cause when Chris Pritchett drove a sharp single to right Morgan advanced to third on the hit and eventually scored when the Zephyrs committed an error when Pritchett was caught in a run down The Stingers made it 0 in their share of the third on a Jose Molina RBI single that drove in Scott Morgan with two outs Meanwhile Green was busy mowing down the Zephyrs Green was working on a until Adam Zinter hit a line double down the with two out in the top of the fourth The shutout bid was also spoiled when Scott Lydy followed with an RBI single to left While New Orleans was done for the night offensively the Stingers continued to light up the scoreboard Nieves made it 6-- in the fourth inning controversial with a one-ou- t home run Nieves’ blast was initially ruled foul by third base umpire Brian McCraw but was overruled by plate umpire Matthew Schaeffer The Stingers showed that they were no respecter of pitchers when they scored a pair of runs off New Orleans reliever Mark Guerra in the bottom of the fifth on a Nate shot off the Murphy two-ruright-fielfoul pole Salt Ike closed the scoring in the bottom of the eighth intwo-runing on a two-ou- t home run by Jose Fernandez sixth of the his league-leadin2-- 0 5-- ? - 19-6- 3 14-1- 9 n Marshall From 1C berwolves and was traded to Golden State where he never won more than 36 games in a year and twice endured seasons He arrived in Utah last Audeal that gust in a four-teasent Howard Eisley to Dallas and Adam Keefe to Golden State getting his chance finally to play for a perennial playoff team It took him a couple months to fit in but the turning point came with a move to the starting lineup on Jan 6 At the time he had been averaging 94 points and 52 rebounds and shooting 47 percent but over the next 21 games he averaged 192 points and 98 rebounds and shot 595 percent Now comes the challenge of making contributions like that in the postseason This will be a new situation for Marshall where a bad shot or missed assignment on defense becomes magnified especially late in games “That’s when guys have to step up and be able be defend and not make mistakes” coach Jerry Sloan said “And they have to know what they’re doing from an offensive standpoint what kind of play we’re running “Those are the things he hasn’t been faced with He’s never been in a playoff game he’s never seen the importance of a big game Experience is the only teacher You can talk about it all you want but you’ve got to go do it” 60-lo- Ropkie gets nod over Lewis Padgett on playoff roster Marshall finished the season second to Karl Malone in team scoring averaging 136 points per game and second to the Mailman in rebounding (70 rpg) but in recent weeks his performance has been inconsistent Sloan says it is important for Marshall to get off to a good start defensively "He’s struggling first of all at the defensive end of the floor” Sloan said “Teams are going right at him to start the ballgame off every possession We’ve talked to him about You solve that probthat lem when you’re immediately ready to go and you go do your job right off the bat" By TOM McEACHIN Standard Examiner staff SALT LAKE CITY - Jazz rookie DeShawn Stevenson earned a spot on the postseason roster in a tough decision for the coaching staff who had 14 players and only 12 spots available for the playoffs Over the course of the season the Jazz rotated five players - Stevenson David Benoit John Crotty Scott Padgett and Quincy Iajwis -on the injured list keeping three players active and two inactive Padgett and Lewis who closed out the season on the injured list will remain there for the playoffs Benoit has been the most Jazz veterans ribbed Marshall earlier in the season about his woeful years at Golden State but now the focus is on helping him prepare for the playoffs ' "Any time a guy has never been in the playoffs I tell him just to play your game and not get caught up in ’Gosh it’s a playoff game’ and all that” Malone said “Just play and play like you know how to play and you’ll be just fine "But don’t allow yourself to put so much pressure yourself that you don’t come out and play your style of basketball" Marshall knows he plays a big part in the fate of the Jazz and even though the team has been struggling over the last six weeks of the season he feels optimistic “I think we have enough guys on this team to come in and pick it up” he said “We’re going to be able to turn this thing around" productive of that group and the inclusion of Crotty the only point guard in that group allows the Jazz to have at least three players at every position The last roster spot came down to which player would gain the most from playoff experience and the Stevenson got the nod "That’s a huge thing for a young player’s progress" coach Jerry Sloan said "to sit there and see with an opportunity to possibly play some minutes lie’s been very attentive" Sloan was impressed with the rookie’s 21 minute stint Wednesday at Phoenix Stevenson made just shots from the field but had seven points three assists and a steal "I was really pleased with the way he played" Sloan said “lie lixiked like he was happy When you see a basketball player out on the floor look like they’re having fun it sticks out like a sore thumb I always thought everybody should It’s nice to be that way see a smile on his face and thy to come out and play I hope he doesn’t lose that" eighth in today’s draft StAfXkva Examtfter Sfcwvves SFXrru: - Preparing for WNBA draft was way too hard for Ian Dunn The Seattle Storm coach and general manager has the first pick but still can’t say for sure w ho she will select Maybe she'll trade the pick away - she hasn’t ruled it out today's C v'i'i it 1 "This pick for us is not about today or tomorrow it’s about the future of the franchise" she said in an interview earlier in the week “That’s why it’s such an important pick" The Storm last in the league m its inaugural season at desperately needs a post player Someone like Austrahan Olympian lauren Jackson Jackson has the talent to finish in double digits in scoring and rebounding every game Dunn said At she is athletic and can run the floor But Dunn would expect a long-tercommitment from Jackson to the Storm and to stay mg in the WNBA Utah Starzz coach Fred Williams is excited to see what the eighth overall pick 6 holds "I think we’re pretty-stron- in every position that we have but you can always t get stronger with a few-draf- choices" Williams said "We’re going to look for a gixid player to come m and help us with outside shooting someone who can go to the boards and make some things happen "It could be a post player it could be a perimeter player We’ll see who’s available at that eighth spot for us m the first round" Among others expected to be taken early are Tennessee’s Tamika Catchings who could provide a scoring and rebounding threat on the perimeter Southwest Missouri State star Jackie Stiles who was the nation’s leading scorer and center Ruth Riley of NCAA champion Notre Dame The Starzz also have the 24th 40th and 56th picks The WNBA’s fifth season starts May 28 CROSSROADS OF THE WEST 1 TX" r SALT LAKE CITY GUM SHOW AT THE SOUTH TOWNE EXPOSTION CENTER Show hours SMuutiv 9 5 Suniitv 9-- WITHiTHIS'ADbS—t KIDS UNDER 12 TCQ f REE W ADULT ADMISSION r U WCCC&ti ©iacOos ©1? grass s DouaG0$l©ir m GUtiooir p©s©Era©© no-hitt- left-fiel- i -- 3C Starzz pick H The Associated Press By TONY REYNA ers DC Collins reunites with Jordan in Stingers SALT LAKE CITY Fndav Acnl 20 2001 d 60 hp Tiro Guaranteed Start engine Exclusive daggered wheel deck McxJel 10270 To Model 20021 1 Starting el n d n Toto Wheel Horse it LawnBoy Silver Series Easy Mulch Puah Mower 18-38H- '41995 Tractor No matter what your lawn throws your way we’ve got what you need to take care of t Toro Recycler Mower Self-Prop- el From mowers to tractors to trimmers it friend See your lawn care dealer today you can find it all in one place Who knows? 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