Show r y N- 7-ff i 65i V '' I 1 Sports snapshot jit-- : -- v Y ' ' 7 ' s ' ! v ' - ' ' AP photo i' " v K y ' y S aL - a yvV'-- v '4 0 Jena Novotna returns to Slovak Janette Husarova during the first round of the Czech Open Wednesday in Prague Novotna 6 defeated Husarova 6--2 Wimbledon champion 7-- Sports brlofs TV ratings the highest Game ever for 8 John All-St- ar NEW YORK (AP) — Then's nothing like home runs and games to bring baseball fans to television ' All-StThe highest-scorin- g game in history played at the hitters’ haven of Coots Field in the year of the home run brought NBC a 133 rating25 share 13 percent higher than the 11821 last year it was the highest rating since 1995 when ABC got a 13925 Each ratings point represents 980000 homes The share represents the percentage of televisions in use tuned to a particular show An estimated 38 million people watched at least part of the game according to NBC research the highest since 42 million watched the 1994 game — one month before the players went on strike high-scori- ng ar Stampede name coach BOISE Idaho (AP) — Russ Bergman former coach of the Continental Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Caval- ry has been named head coach and director of basketball operations for the Idaho Stampede Bergman who coached the Oklahoma City franchise from 1994 to 1997 succeeds Bobby Dye the former Boise State University bead coKh who led the Stam-ped- e ’tHibughf its1 InauguraFkeaSbtt befdre resigning in May “We are fortunate to lose a coach the quality of Bobby Dye and be able to replace him with an accomplished coach like Russ Bergman" managing investor Bill Ilett said Wednesday “I wish we had a game tomorrow" Bergman who was a teammate of Hall of Famer Pete Maravich at Louisiana State University in the 1960s signed a deal with the Stampede The terms were not disclosed “To be hired by a franchise that has immediate capabilities to win a championship in just its second year is an outstanding opportunity for me" he said “The Idaho Stampede has all the tools necessary to win a championship and hopefully the market will continue to show support of the team through season ticket sales and sponsorships” one-ye- ar Wednesday's scores Triple-- A All-St- ar Game International 8 Pacific Coast 4 Pioneer Billings 2 Lethbridge 1 Helena 4 Idaho Falls 1 Great Falls 15 Butte 6 Medicine Hat 10 Ogden 6 WNBA Cleveland 77 Washington 65 Houston 79 New York 54 Phoenix 78 Detroit 76 Charlotte 77 Utah 69 Sacramento 76 Los Angeles 71 World Cup France 2 Croatia 1 Cache Valley's Justin Johnson slides safely Into third base as the throw gets away from Smithfiekl third baseman 5 pm TBS — Major League Baseball Atlanta at Florida 5:30 pm ESPN — Major League Soccer Chicago at Columbus 6 pm WGN — Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee 8pm FSR — Major Leagie Baseball Anaheim at Seattle 11 Friday ajn ESPN2 — LPGA Golf Jamie Farr Kroger Classic second round at Toledo Ohio 1 pm ESPN — Senior PGA Golf Ford Senior Players Championship second round Dearborn Mich Today's quote “I don’t think we had a wonderful game tonight but we played our hearts out and that made a difference” — French coach Aime Jacquet following his team's 2-- 1 defeat of Croatia Wednesday VWUnMaraM Journal a ’’ Wednesday night Smoking Aztecs outslug Cache Sox a lot more” The Aztecs who went up By Jeff Hunter sports writer runs scored 2-- 0 in the top of the first never trailed in the Having put up 28 runs in its last two games Smithfield Aztecs manager Vic Bingham wasn't too worried about who his team would face Wednesday night Even if it was former Logan High ace Doug Scott “1 thought the way that we’ve been hitting the ball that we would hit whoever they threw” Bingham said following the Aztecs’ 11-- 9 victory over the Sox at Worthington Park "We’ve been a team that five or six runs is a lot for us but all of a sudden the last three games we've been scoring con- test even though Cache Valley waa equally as offensive Smithfield pounded out 17 hits including three doubles and a triple while the Sox numbered four doubles and two triples among its 14 safeties "Those guys were hitting the ball” Bingham said of the Sox "Their hitters just killed the balL” Particularly shortstop Justin Johnson baseman Nick Johnson Cache 3 and 4 hitters the two combined for seven hits three two triples six RBI and four and third Valley’s Johnsons doubles France s No But with Scott struggling and the Cache Valley defense lacking early in contest it wasn't enough to get the Sox a victory "He had an off night” Cache Valley manager Dennis Udy said of Scott "He was up in the zone and he knows he has to get the ball down to be effective” The Aztecs (7-- 3 in league 16-1- 0 overall) abused the lefthander for 13 hits in five innings Rhett Udy came on in the sixth and gave up one run and struck out three in two innings of relief Smithfield however got a little relief of its own in the late innings from Steve Kooyman The righthander came in to & t : v - Y - ’’ - v ' - to first SAINT-DENI-S France (AP) — A banner hanging from the bleachers of the Stade de France begged “Les Bleus” to let die nation dream on The French team was ever so obedi- - enl France beat Croatia 2-- 1 on Wednesday night to reach the World Cup final for the first time setting off wild celebrations throughout the nation including thousands marching triumphantly toward naturally the Arc de Triomphe When the game ended just before 11 pjn Paris time an estimated 21 million French men women and children — a third of the population — were tuned in “We played our hearts out and that made the difference” French coach Aime Jacquet said “It is truly the most beautiful day in the history of French sport” French President Jacques Chirac added Perhaps only until Sunday when at the same stadium France will try to lift the trophy in the competition invented by Frenchman Jules Rimet when it meets four-tim- e champion Brazil Croatia disappointed for missing the Netherlands for third place Saturday The French victory did not come easy France had to come back against the clever Croatian team and played the last 20 minutes with 10 men after the ejection of defender Laurent Blanc That carries an automatic minimum i secure the victory 1 "He's thrown a lot of ball for us” : Bingham said of Kooyman "An inning and his shoul- - J here five innings there der was hurting him a little but he warn- - ? ed to gut it up and finish the game" See AZTECS on Page 11 Bear River i - vft'1 ' ' (' il JiTJe yjt 1 ‘ i Although the Sox (6-- 3 in league) reached Kooyniaa for three hits and two 2 runs in die sixth the Sky View product recorded just the second inning of the game in bottom of the seventh to i ‘£: L Y' final replace Shawn Olsen with none out and one on in the fifth and came up with a strikeout and a double play ground ball to help die Aztecs escape with a 10-- 7 lead v !' - V w $v final in its rookie run will play the On television Tony Miller : r Blue Sox Jeff Hunter sports writer 1 Freshly returned from a tournament in Calgary the Blue Sox continued to stampede their competition on the south side of the 49th parallel Wednesday in Smithfield Powered by home runs from outfielders Cory Krambule and ty Kidman the Sox sunk Bear River 4 to improve to 13-- 1 in the Northern Utah League and 26-- overalL 9-- - i' 6 Although Bear River outhit Smithfield the Blue Sox robbed the Barons of the upset by virtue of six bases on balls — four of which were turned into runs — and four extra-bas- e hits Defensively Smithfield played an errorless game and got 11 strikeouts from starter Alex Hansen and reliever Lance Lambert And neither Hansen who went five innings to improve to 9-- 1 or Lambert surrendered a walk Y The Barons scored three of their four runs 5 in the fourth inning when they put together five straight basehits A double play however got the Sox out of the inning before further damage was done Sparked by Reggie Bingham's leadoff single the Blue Sox took a 4-- 0 lead in the first ' inning Bingham who stole second scored r on a single by Rick Thorne then Thorne AP photo who took second on the throw home waa Zinedine Zidane of France fouls Zvonimir Boban of CroatH (10) during Wednesday's knocked in by Steve Pood World Cup soccer match at the Stade da Franco In Saint Denis France walks Krambule Following was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to one-ga“To think I don't even score in trainsuspension but the French score a third Iran and Scott Elliott the team today appealed the ejection in ing It’s 200 percent luck It's not that 1 fourth ran with a fielder’s choice plated ball ground hopes of having the Blanc available for am a hero because I scored to be a The Sox went up 6-- in third on a sacrifice the title game hero that's for the final” from Bingham fly by Elliott and an RBI-trip- le With French forwards still straggling His goals ended France's semifinal After the Barons narrowed the gap to 6-- 4 to find the target it was defender Liljinx on its fourth attempt and allowed Smithfield put them away for good in tire ian Thuram who fired France into the his team to become the first host nation fifth on a solo homer by Krambule and a final by scoring both goals his first for in 20 years to reach the final No host two-ru- n shot by Kidman It was Krambule's the national team team-hig- h 13th home ran and the first of the “This is fabulous” Thuram said See FRANCE on Page 9 season for Kidman 14-to- -8 6-4- -3 Vvp V i: back-to-ba- ck 0 Hip leads to end of streak Nicklaus plans to shut it down after top senior events DEARBORN Mkh (AP) — In the end he didn’t want to let down the fans Jack Nicklaus had a golf game that endured for nearly half a cen- tury from Hogan and Palmer through Watson and Miller and into the era of Tiger Woods But 41 years after be played the 1957 US Open as a chubby amateur his body is beginning to balk As a result the next major championship will have to go on without him “I don't want to go out there and have people see just a part of Jack Nicklaus” he said Wednesday “1 have tried to give them the best I could give them I know I can't give than the Jack Nicklaus of 35 but Fd like to give them the best I can give them of die Jack Nicklaus of 58 “I think the Jack Nicklaus of 58 could probably still play decently” But not on one leg Nicklaus said his ailing left hip will prevent him from playing in the British Open next week ending a streak of 154 consecutive majors for winch he was eligible I and 146 straight beginning with the 1962 Matters “I thought it was the right time to get it done” Nicklaus said “At this time of my life Fd like to win the US Senior Open I think right now that's more important than just competing in the British Open” Nicklaus said he planned to play in die Senior Players Championship which began today at the TPC of Michigan and in the VS Senior Open on July 6 at 23-2- ap phoo NtcMaua: After competing In 146 straight majors Ihe Golden See STREAK oa Page 10 Bear wi alt out 6w upcoming British Open : - 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