The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 13

Saturday. September 1. 1990 THE INCINNATI ENQUIRER SpOftSB-5, Armstrong put on 15-day DL Reds' call may signal a turn in Lee's luck BY MICHAEL PAOLERCIO and 67 runs batted in. "We talked of bringing him up earlier this year, but we didn't have a roster spot for him," said manager Lou Piniella. "I see him playing some first base, and coming off the bench for us." The 6-foot-5, 215-pound power hitter was progressing steadily through the Reds' minor league system when, in 1986, he was felled by a mysterious ailment in his right ankle.

He has undergone surgery three times, and missed the 1987 season. "I thought at first I had a twisted ankle," Lee said. "It got worse and worse." It was diagnosed as a stress fracture. He wore a cast for six months and the stress fracture healed, but the pain remained. "The bony part of the ankle is fine," he said.

"They still don't know what it is." Lee has learned from his travails. "I'm not taking anything for granted now," Lee said. "The last year I played pain-free was 1985, and I took things for granted. I look back on it now and kick myself I think that's why I've been so successful this year." BY MICHAEL PAOLERCIO The Cincinnati Enquirer CHICAGO Terry Lee understands the refrain: "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." The Reds called up the strapping first baseman from Triple-A Nashville Friday. Lee, 28, a native of Eugene, signed with the Reds in 1982.

He was to be called up earlier this week, but he fell coming out of the batter's box and broke his right thumb. He managed to play for the Sounds Thursday night and smacked his 23rd home run of the season in an 8-1 loss to Indianapolis. But during the game, "(teammate) Tony De-Francisco broke his bat in the game and it went flying into the dugout. It just missed me," Lee said. "Tim Birtsas says I have a black cloud hanging over me." Earlier this season, he was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga to Nashville, where he was hitting .304 with 18 doubles, a triple, 15 homers from the refrigerator." DIRT TOO Barry Lar-kin suspects the infield at Wrigley Field may be contributing to his elbow tightness.

Larkin left in the fifth inning Thursday with "a little tightness" in his right elbow. "When I plant my front foot it seems to slide (forward) a little," Larkin said. As a result, he throws more with his arm. TWO TO BE RECALLED: Left-handed pitcher Tim Birtsas will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville today, the day rosters are expanded. Birtsas has been optioned to Nashville twice this year the last time was on July 22.

He is 2-4 with a 4.37 earned-run average with the Sounds. He made five starts in eight The Cincinnati Enquirer CHICAGO Jack Armstrong was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to Aug. 25, with a right elbow problem he describes as "equivalent to maybe a strain of the flexor tendon in my forearm." The right-hander, who has gone 1-6 with a 6.56 earned-run average since the All-Star break, came out of his most recent start in Pittsburgh last Friday after five innings because of the problem. "It's a product of poor mechanics," Armstrong said. "It's put an inordinate amount of stress on my arm." The Reds can designate 25 players to be available for post-season play, as well as Armstrong, because players on the DL as of Aug.

31 do not count against a Reds notebook team's 25-man roster. Armstrong pitched in the bullpen Thursday and Friday, but acknowledged, "it hurts. It feels like tendinitis." NO POWER, NO WATER: The Reds awoke Friday to discover their hotel was without electricity or water. A fire at about 3 a.m. in an underground transformer in the near north side of Chicago caused a power outage in an area of about a square mile.

"I couldn't take a shower," said Paul O'Neill, whose problem was echoed by nearly all the players who 'had rooms above the fifth floor the highest level where water was still working. "I had to brush my teeth with mineral water Horse racing Auto racing 23 TRADE UP TO RED WINGS! 'Mr. Million' is back for more THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO Call him Mr. Million. LAST DAY 1 TO SAVE OLD BOOT TRADIN1 DAYS Trade in your old boots or shoes for comfortable, longwearing That's Charlie Whittingham, the 77-year-old Hall of Fame trainer who will saddle his 14th Arlington Red Wings and save $10.00.

Choose irom over 1 00 styles for work, sport and leisure- Million starter Sunday a bid for his third victory in sizes 5-16, AAA-EEE. (Sizeswidtns He won the race with Perrault in 1982 and Edtropade in 1986. He also posted a third with Gato vary by style.) Del Sol in 1984 and a second with Greinton in 1985 His hope Sunday, in an exceptionally strong field of 11 grass runners, is Golden Pheasant, the early I Jrj j' co-third choice at 5-1 with Classic Fame. The 1 '4-mile Million is one of three important stakes on the grass this weekend at Arlington Capades heads a field of 12 fillies and mares for the Beverly today, while Kentucky Derby winner OFFER ENDS 9-1-90 Not good with other discounts. One discount per purchase, Ormsby leads qualifying for U.S.

Nationals ENQUIRER NEWS SERVICES CLERMONT, Ind. Gary Ormsby, John Force and Bob Glidden were the leaders after Friday's qualifying for the 36th annual National Hot Rod Association's U.S. Nationals drag races at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The $1,539,600 event is the 15th stop in the 19-race, $18-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series. Ormsby, the defending Top Fuel champion from Roseville, used a quarter-mile time of 4.994 seconds at 286.71 mph in his Castrol GTX dragster to vault into the No.

1 spot. Force, of Yorba Linda, remained the leader in Funny Car with a 5.299 at 256.19 mph in his Castrol GTX Olds Cutlass. Glidden, of nearby Whiteland, moved to the No. 1 spot in Pro Stock with a 7.346 at 188.20 in his Motorcraft Ford Probe. Qualifying continues today.

Michael Andretti wins pole VANCOUVER, British Columbia Michael Andretti won the provisional pole with Bobby Rahal close behind at the Molson Indy-Vancouver. Andretti, trying to keep series points leader Al Unser Jr. from running away with the CART PPG Cup championship, turned a lap at 94.210 mph. Schrader top qualifier DARLINGTON, S.C. Ken Schrader led second-day qualifiers for the Southern 500 NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway.

He was clocked at 155.817 mph, earning the 21st spot in Sunday's race. Unbridled is scheduled to make his debut on the turf Monday in the Secretariat. retroactive 7 days. Steinlen, the 1989 Million winner, is the early Million favorite at 5-2. Next at 7-2 is 1989 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Prized, unbeaten in three starts on the grass, but has not raced since March 25.

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