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The sound is deceiving.

It's a typical mid-summer day at the Lynette Woodard Recreation Center in northeast Wichita. The center's doors are steadily swinging open with kids and parents watching Summer Hoopin' basketball games. Outside, a group of young boys tries to ignore the sweat descending from their foreheads, concentrating solely on keeping rhythm as they clap to end their final football drill before a coveted water break. Next door, at the Atwater Neighborhood City Hall, a group of young girls laugh as they learn how to express themselves through dance.

Through all that, a slight "ping" can be heard in the distance. Anyone familiar with sports would assume that in an area full of hustling and bustling young kids, it's a baseball coming off an aluminum bat.

Not in this predominately black area. The sound is coming from a man using a hammer down the street.

"You won't find no baseball being played over here," said Dennis Mitchell, a neighborhood resident. "I think it would shock a lot of people if you came over here and saw some kids playing baseball. It's probably as foreign as Spanish to young black kids."

Last call was 11:30 p.m., which is unheard of in this, the city that supposedly never sleeps.

Then again, it shouldn't have been an issue late Thursday night, in the moments after Kansas State's Michael Beasley was chosen No. 2 in the NBA Draft. To be sure, years and years of hard work culminating in a new professional world -- well, who wouldn't celebrate that?

Problem was, Beasley and most of his high-profile peers -- it was the first time that three college freshmen were picked 1-2-3 -- are just 19.

None are legal, although Thursday guaranteed all are now millionaires.

So it made sense for a party to be held at the ESPN Zone in Times Square, the perfect family-friendly compromise. A bar, but a sports bar. Enough of the normal distractions (booze, members of the opposite sex) but in a controlled (invite-only for about 120 people), somewhat sanitized setting.

It had to end some time, this longest winning streak by the Royals in more than five years. When it ended Saturday night, it did so in a sloppy 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals made three costly defensive misplays, which led to three runs, but it was simpler than that, really.

They just had no answers for Cardinals rookie Mitchell Boggs, a right-hander making his fourth big-league start and wearing a number (68) that suggests job security might be an issue.

Less of an issue now, probably.

"First time through (the lineup), we drew three walks," KC manager Trey Hillman said. "Bottom line after that, Mitchell Boggs was pretty good. He was in command of a plus fastball, especially after the first time through."

Hays at El Dorado (2), ppd., rain

Liberal 8, Nevada 7

Derby at Dodge City, ppd., rain

Today's Games

Batters

The Wingnuts started the season with uncertainty around he infield.

Wichita knew what it had in Kevin Hooper, a former major leaguer who was approaching 1,000 professional hits. But the rest of the group -- which included since-departed players David Gates and Derek Schermerhorn -- was a major question mark.

With Stephen Pearson and Brenan Herrera stepping into starting roles, the infield has turned into Wichita's biggest strength, with all four members producing all-star quality seasons.

"They've been outstanding," Hooper said of his infield partners. "Pearson has been turning it on for us lately. We slotted him in the No. 4 hole about a week ago and he's been hitting ever since, and Herrera and (Kevin) Thompson have been steady for us all year long."

Herrera was pegged for a utility role when the Wingnuts signed Thompson after Thompson was released by the Kansas City Royals late in spring training. He moved to second base and his performance there made Schermerhorn expendable.

Shel Silverstein wrote the book "The Giving Tree" and the song "A Boy Named Sue."

One of those works is required reading for members of the Wichita State women's basketball team this summer, and it's not the one involving a deadbeat dad and a bar fight. New coach Jody Adams can't work with her team on the court this summer; she is keeping them busy in other ways.

The reading list is one of her attempts to get know her players and help them prepare for a season with a new coaching staff and new expectations. It's been hectic since she was hired in late March. July is a busy recruiting month. In August, Adams will make an in-home visit to each of her players. Among other items, they will talk about the books and a journal the players are keeping.

"It provides great communication back and forth," Adams said about the journals, an idea borrowed from Texas coach Gail Goestenkors. "It gives me a little bit more insight into them."

The other required books are "The Choice is Yours" and "Teamwork Makes the Dream Work" by John Maxwell, who writes about leadership. The Shockers will need intangibles working in their favor to progress after a 9-22 season in 2008.

Shocker fans,

With the 2007-08 athletic year coming to a close, I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your support of Wichita State athletics.

Fans are an integral part of the success of any program, and with your loyalty and support you have made WSU a great place for our student-athletes to compete. Not only did our teams excel this year but you, the fans, also accomplished a great deal.

During volleyball season you helped break the single-game attendance record twice. Your continued support helped WSU rank seventh in the nation in average volleyball attendance and set a school total attendance record of 35,698, crushing last year's record of 29,157.

The enthusiasm carried over into basketball season, when the men's basketball team sold out the entire season and has sold out 47 straight home games dating back to the 2005-06 season. The women's basketball team was the only Missouri Valley Conference squad with a crowd of more than 10,000 when the Shockers claimed victory in front of 10,103, the third-largest crowd in Valley history. Men's basketball attendance has ranked consistently in the top 50 in the nation while women's basketball ranked 60th this past year.

Stacy Lewis is making her professional debut one to remember.

Nineteen days after she turned pro, Lewis showed the poise of a veteran Saturday at Interlachen with no bogeys and a 6-under 67 that gave her a one-shot lead over Paula Creamer going into the final round of the U.S. Women's Open in Edina, Minn.

Lewis, a former NCAA champion at Arkansas, might have been the only one not surprised to see her name atop the leaderboard.

"I've accomplished my goal for the week," Lewis said. "It was just to put myself in contention. And whatever happens tomorrow, it happens. I hope I win. I want to win... probably more than anybody here. But I have to hit a lot of good golf shots before I win this golf tournament."

And she will have to hold off a half-dozen players within four shots of the lead, starting with Creamer.

Saturday's Results

AAA Modifieds, A Feature--1. Bill Stahl; 2. Tad Davis; 3. Kevin Kemp. Heat 1--Rick Leatherman; 2. Cecil Dymond; 3. Tyler Davis. Heat 2--1. Shawn Langhover; 2. Kevin Newell; 3. Lincoln Moore. Heat 3--1. Tad Davis; 2. Allen Adams; 3. Bill Stahl. Modifieds, A Feature--1. Brian Franz; 2. Jeremy Massey; 3. Brian Powers. Heat 1--1. Greg Stephens; 2. Jeremy Massey; 3. Nic Baalman. Heat 2--1. Rodney Dodds; 2. Brian Powers; 3. Jordan Whitehead. Heat 3--1. Don Renfro; 2. Brian Franz; 3. Bobby Bills. Rookie Modifieds, A Feature--1. Harley Peery; 2. Don Hodge; 3. Niel Dossie. Heat 1--Harley Peery; 2. Carl Brocklesby; 3. Shawn Ridpath. Heat 2--1. Niel Dossie; 2. Josh Loffland; 3. Straun Taylor. Heat 3--1. Shane Campbell; Ks), 2. Don Hodge; 3. Jason Daniels. Street Stocks, A Feature--1. Dan Powers; 2. Robbie Simmons; 3. Beau Davis. Heat 1--1. Robbie Simmons; 2. Beau Davis; 3. David Squier. Heat 2--1. Darren Moses; 2. Chris Eveland; 3. Scott Holle. Thumpers, A Feature--1. Joey Richmond; 2. Jay Purkey; 3. Richard Wilson. Heat 1--1. Daryl Towne; 2. Richard Wilson; 3. Ron Arehart. Heat 2--1. Joey Richmond; 2. Jay Purkey; 3. Dennis Clevenger.

If consistency can still win a championship in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series, Jeff Burton is a serious contender to win his first title.

In 16 races this season, the Richard Childress Racing driver has one win, four top-fives, 10 top-10s and has not finished worse than 15th.

"I'm good with it, if it yields results," Burton said. "At the end of the day, though, our goal wasn't having an average finish of 8.9 or whatever. Our goal was to lead more laps than we did last year, to win more races than we did last year, to be solidly in the top 12 in points... and, when the Chase starts, to be a real contender."

Still, it remains to be seen if consistency can get the job done heading into today's race in Loudon, N.H.

After Matt Kenseth won the 2003 Cup championship in ho-hum fashion, winning just once and walking away with the title without making many headlines, NASCAR changed the points format in an effort to insure some excitement.

The tandem of Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens gave each other nicknames during the Via Christi Pro Tennis Classic. They lived up to those nicknames Saturday, claiming their first doubles title together with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Dominika Dieskova and Ana-Clara Duarte at the Coleman Tennis Complex.

"It's really exciting to get this title, especially after not doing so well in singles," said McHale, who is "Unstoppable" to Stephens' "Clutch."

McHale and Stephens wasted no time setting the tone of the match. Knowing that Dieskova and Duarte were better players away from the net, the two continuously attacked the net. McHale feasted on that, putting away several shots all over the court.

"We knew we had to come out and really be aggressive," Stephens said. "They hit the ball well off the ground, so we didn't want to get into that type of match. We were able to control the pace."

Though McHale and Stephens dominated the flow of the match, Dieskova and Duarte had opportunities to swing the momentum. After trailing 4-1 in the first set, they battled back to 4-3. They had a similar chance in the second set when they tied the set at 2-all.

When David Norwood was asked to talk about Arthur McAfee Jr., his former coach at Morehouse College, Norwood didn't say one word about basketball.

He said nothing of McAfee's knowledge of the sport, about McAfee's 518 career victories. Didn't reference McAfee's induction into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.

When Norwood talked about McAfee, he spoke solely of him as a person.

"Coach Mac, he gave me a second chance. He was an individual that really gave me a chance to be the person I am today," said Norwood, a 1990 Heights High graduate.

McAfee allowed Norwood to walk on in 1992, less than a year after Norwood got out of jail for selling drugs.

At Garvey Aquatic Center

Girls, 10-Under, 100 Backstroke--1. Shelly Drozda, CUDA, 1:20.72; 2. Haley Hynes, KCB, 1:22.54; 3. Cierra Campbell, LAW, 1:26.35. 200 Free--1. Shelly Drozda, CUDA, 2:32.02; 2. Courtney Caldwell, LAW, 2:45.01; 3. Alanna Brannam, MM, 2:46.27. 50 Breaststroke--1. Kendall Kilgore, WSC, 45.74; 2. Paige Schmidt, MSC, 46.36; 3. Maggie Hatfield, EAC, 48.91. 50 Free--1. Paige Schmidt, MSC, 32.17; 2. Shelly Drozda, CUDA, 32.63; 3. Cierra Campbell, LAW, 33.44. 50 Butterfly--1. Courtney Caldwell, LAW, 35.45; 2. Paige Schmidt, MSC, 35.65; 3. Cierra Campbell, LAW, 37.69. 11-12, 100 Backstroke--1. Jessica Modlich, LOVE, 1:12.54; 2. Abbey Lassley, WAS, 1:13.81; 3. Madison Hutchinson, WSC, 1:14.90. 200 Free--1. Heather Cistola, LAW, 2:19.29; 2. Sara Nazari, WAS, 2:20.95; 3. Shannon Brouk, LAW, 2:25.55. 50 Breaststroke--1. Abbey Lassley, WAS, 40.54; 2. Hunter McEachern, WAS, 41.04; 3. Brooke Hansen, LOVE, 41.19. 50 Free--1. Heather Cistola, LAW, 29.91; 2. Sara Nazari, WAS, 30.25; 3. Eryn Eddy, LOVE, 31.08. 50 Fly--1. Jessica Modlich, LOVE, 33.10; 2. Alyssa Eidem, LOVE, 33.34; 3. Elise DeFabio, BWST, 33.84. 13-14, 200 IM--1. Katt Sickle, KCB, 2:31.16; 2. Samantha Moss, LOVE, 2:36.03; 3. Brooke Brittain, WSC, 2:36.11. 100 Backstroke--1. Brooke Brittain, WSC, 1:09.71; 2. Katt Sickle, KCB, 1:10.50; 3. Andrea Novey, LOVE, 1:11.22. 200 Free--1. Katt Sickle, KCB, 2:14.77; 2. Andrea Novey, LOVE, 2:19.00; 3. Marston Fries, KCB, 2:21.80. 100 Breaststroke--1. Kaela Ropson, KCB, 1:22.83; 2. Kelsey Schultz, WSC, 1:23.54; 3. Emily Chesser, WSC, 1:25.47. 200 Fly--1. Samantha Moss, LOVE, 2:37.04; 2. Amy Davis, KCB, 2:39.57; 3. Kelsey Schultz, WSC, 2:40.38. Seniors, 200 IM--1. Jamie Bruce, WSC, 2:23.54; 2. Stephanie Payne, WSC, 2:28.29; 3. Rebecca Swank, WSC, 2:29.54. 100 Back--1. Jamie Bruce, WSC, 1:08.19; 2. Bailey Beins, WSC, 1:08.72; 3. Katalena Laufasa-Duncan, CUDA, 1:08.90. 200 Free--1. Rebecca Swank, WSC, 2:10.11; 2. Shannon Vreeland, KCB, 2:14.78; 3. Patricia Nelson, LOVE, 2:14.83. 100 Breaststroke--1. Stephanie Payne, WSC, 1:18.89; 2. Marley Suckow, LAW, 1:19.97; 3. Caroline Woody, KCB, 1:20.28. 200 Fly--1. Stephanie Payne, WSC, 2:23.27; 2. Lisa Lunkenheimer, WSC, 2:29.28; 3. Natalie Morris, KCB, 2:31.42. Boys, 10-U, 100 Back--1. Joey DeFabio, BWST, 1:27.55; 2. Ian Dretzka, CUDA, 1:30.85; 3. Will Spitz, WSC, 1:33.74. 200 Free--1. Preston Barley, WAS, 2:38.64; 2. Gavin Smith, WSC, 2:40.45; 3. P.J. Musser, KCB, 2:45.07. 50 Breaststroke--1. Colin Strickland, KCB, 47.80; 2. Mathew Acers, LOVE, 50.21; 3. Ian Dretzka, CUDA, 52.02. 50 Free--1. Preston Barley, WAS, 33.83; 2. Joey DeFabio, BWST, 34.6I2; 3. Gavin Smith, WSC, 34.68. 50 Fly--1. P.J. Musser, KCB, 36.37; 2. Gavin Smith, WSC, 37.13; 3. Preston Barley, WAS, 38.18. 11-12, 100 Back--1. Jesse Hollingsworth, WAS, 1:16.84; 2. Canaan Campbell, LAW, 1:17.52; 3. Kyle Cullinan, WSC, 1:18.09. 200 Free--1. Nate Pirner, WSC, 2:20.82; 2. Canaan Campbell, LAW, 2:23.78; 3. Kyle Cullinan, WSC, 2:24.63. 50 Breaststroke--1. Willie Smith, WSC, 39.12; 2. Nate Pirner, WSC, 39.17; 3. Brandon Kingrey, WSC, 41.42. 50 Free--1. Willie Smith, WSC, 30.44; 2. Nate Pirner, WSC, 30.75; 3. Jackson Sandstrom, WAS, 31.01. 50 Fly--1. Canaan Campbell, LAW, 34.60; 2. Jackson Sandstrom, WAS, 34.79; 3. Ethan Bresette, KCB, 35.36. 13-14, 200 IM--1. Davis Staley, LOVE, 2:23.14; 2. Nick Hatanaka, LOVE, 2:24.32; 3. Ty Fowler, TST, 2:24.33. 100 Back--1. Davis Staley, LOVE, 1:05.94; 2. Chris Hearl, KCB, 1:06.41; 3. Ben Sloan, LAW, 1:10.56. 200 Free--1. Ty Fowler, TST, 2:06.35; 2. Jake Spitz, WSC, 2:09.99; 3. Zachary Andregg, LAW, 2:11.88. 100 Breaststroke--1. Nick Hatanaka, LOVE, 1:14.95; 2. Mason York, CSC, 1:18.62; 3. Patrick Jones, LOVE, 1:19.74. 200 Fly--1. Davis Staley, LOVE, 2:20.28; 2. Ty Fowler, TST, 2:21.32; 3. Jesse Musser, KCB, 2:26.64. Senior, 200 IM--1. Kevin Webster, KCB, 2:12.85; 2. Luke Musser, KCB, 2:17.09; 3. Nate Ladner, KCB, 2:17.53. 100 Back--1. Jason King, TST, 1:01.97; 2. Chase Torgerson, LAW, 1:03.78; 3. Ryan Sellers, WSC, 1:03.91. 200 Free--1. Jayson King, KCB, 2:00.26; 2. Kevin Webster, KCB, 2:00.38; 3. Jason King, TST, 2:00.28. 100 Breaststroke--1. Chris Novak, TST, 1:07.68; 2. Griffin Peavey, KCB, 1:09.24; 3. Nate Ladner, KCB, 1:10.42. 200 Fly--1. Eric Bonicelli, KCB, 2:16.44; 2. Jason King, TST, 2:16.70; 3. Austin Acheson, KCB, 2:18.13.

Key: ARK=Ark City Manta Rays, CUDA-CO=Broomfield, Colo., Barracudas, EAC=Emporia Aquatic Club, FAST-NT=Fort Worth Area Swim Team, HYSC=Hutchinson Y Swim Club, KCB- =Kansas City Blazers, KING-NE=Kingfish Swimming, LAW=Lawrence Aquahawks, LOVE-CO=Loveland, Colo., Swim Club, MM=Manhattan Marlins, MSC=McPherson Swim Club, NWSC=Newton Swim Club, PSST-OK=Ponca City, Okla. Sailfish Swim Club, SAC =Salina Aquatics Club, TD=Team Dolphins, TST=KC Tsunami Swim Team, UN-MV-MV=Unattached Missouri Valley, UN-MV=Unattached, UN-OK=Unattached Oklahoma, WAS=Wichita Aqua Shocks, WNYN=Wichita Northwest YMCA Neptunes, WSC=Wichita Swim Club, WIN=Winfield Swim Club, BWST =YMCA Blue Wave.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I believe we really did land on the moon, that Paul McCartney didn't die in 1969. But I have seen the Mel Gibson movie "Conspiracy Theory."

And I think Tupac Shakur is alive -- how else does he keep churning out albums?

And I think the NBA rigs the playoffs -- ex-referee Tim Donaghy gave credit to this long-standing belief of mine.

I also admit to wondering about the validity of Olympic gymnastics and figure skating.

I mean, look at the ridiculousness of figure skating scoring. Remember 2002, when the Canadian figure skating team of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were named co-gold medalists with Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze? That happened after it came out that a French judge had been pressured to vote for the Russians.

EMMYLOU HARRIS

'All I Intended to Be'

(Wingdings 171) (Nonesuch)

Emmylou Harris reinvented herself with 1995's "Wrecking Ball," moving to something more atmospheric and haunting than the traditional country genres she had explored for the previous 25 years.

"All I Intended to Be" reunites Harris with Brian Ahern, the producer of many of her early albums, and features appearances from some of her old friends: Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, members of bluegrass' Seldom Scene. It's not exactly a return to her roots -- it's too somber and stately -- but it nods in that direction with an emphasis on acoustic guitar, mandolin and steel.

A young Jewish boy preparing for his rite of passage into adulthood -- the Bar Mitzvah -- is a monumental event unto itself. But when that boy has Down syndrome, it becomes triumphant.

"Praying With Lior," which screens today as part of the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation's Summer Film Series, is a tender, moving documentary that follows Lior Liebling and his family as they struggle with the daily difficulties of life with Lior, leading up to the Bar Mitzvah.

But filmmaker Ilana Trachtman also examines Lior's religious strength. He's been raised in a deeply devout setting, and his faith seems to be the one thing that helps him communicate with others. He prays with such conviction -- and such frequency -- that many think he is a "vessel" through which others' prayers are heard. Some think his condition makes him closer to God.

But he's also just a boy. And he's a handful. His birth mother died when he was a child, and his stepmother grapples with how to help him understand life.

His father struggles to help Lior with his Bar Mitzvah preparations. His brother bounces between being protector, teacher and buddy. And his sisters connect in their own positive and negative ways.

"Big River," the Tony-winning musical setting Mark Twain's classic "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to Roger Miller's country and bluegrass music, wasn't controversial when it premiered in 1985.

But after running more than 1,000 performances on Broadway, it sort of slipped into quiet disfavor because of political correctness that stalked the stage during the mid-1990s, says Mark Madama, who is directing a revival of it this week for Music Theatre of Wichita's third show of the season.

"It was popular but people became afraid of it. Some patrons were offended by racial material in it," said Madama, referring to use of a derogatory word in conjunction with runaway slave Jim, which is faithful to Twain's original.

"We went through a time period when all racial issues were scary," he said. "But to not use Twain's language would be a disservice. He was praised for his scrupulous attention to American 19th-century dialect. Huck would not have called Jim an African-American."

Music Theatre presented "Big River" once before in 1991 without protest, but Wayne Bryan, producing artistic director for 21 years, admitted that the show wasn't generally done for the next decade because it was also the "last gasp of the big book musical before the invasion of the all-singing British shows."

It's no use trying to pigeonhole an outlaw. Not when he's Merle Haggard.

Haggard is a rollickin' renegade whose recent effort is a mellow bluegrass album; he's a Ronald Reagan devotee who also recently wrote a campaign song for Hillary Clinton, and he's a tough ol' scrapper who isn't above getting his feelings hurt when he feels disrespected.

But then, the 71-year-old country legend has never been about toeing the line.

Haggard's 1969 anti-hippie anthem, "Okie From Muskogee," slingshotted him into a pantheon of patriotic Nashville types; he followed it up in 1970 with "The Fightin' Side of Me," a song that further expressed frustration with Vietnam war protesters.

And he's still getting amped up over politics, but these days, his tune might not be as familiar. Take the war in Iraq, for example.