The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 29

THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER 0Tb fYO Call for scores: 381-2800 For last night's late results, call 381-2800 and enter code 7337. Touch-tone phones only. Or visit The Enquirer's web site at http:reds.enquirer.com. Section Scoreboard .2 French Open 3 Classified 6 Editor: Julie Engebrecht, 768-8381; fax 768-8550 Tuesday June 3, 1997 WE II iiM II Cm UK. National League American League NBA playoffs More on the NBA, D14 Finals (Best-of-seven) SUNDAY'S GAME WEDNESDAY'S GAME Chicago 84 Utah at Chicago, Utah 82 9 p.m.

(Ch. 5, (Bulls lead series 1 -0) (Game 2 of series) NHL playoffs More on the NHL, 014 Finals (Best-of-seven) TODAY'S GAME THURSDAY'S GAME Detroit at Philadel- Philadelphia at phia, 8 p.m. (ESPN) Detroit, 8 p.m (ESPN) (Red Wings lead series 1 -0) (Game 3 of series) MONDAY'S GAMES MONDAY'S GAMES Cincinnati Chicago 3 I Chicago 8 Seattle Philadelphia rain Pittsburgh 2 Milwaukee 5 Toronto Florida 4 Colorado 11 New York 5 Cleveland San Francisco 2 St. Louis 7 i Boston 2 Baltimore ppd. rain Montreal 10 Houston 2 i Texas 8 New York 0 Los Angeles 0 Minnesota 0 San Diego 5 Details, I Detroit Details, Atlanta 4 box scores, D4 Oakland box scores, D4 Major League Report PAUL DAUGHERTY Eggs-avier LeBeau may be key to signing ex-Steeler star BY CHRIS HAFT The Cincinnati Enquirer WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.

Dick LeBeau does not negotiate player contracts for the Bengals. His job is to coordinate the defense, which needs considerable improvement. But it became obvious Monday that if Cincinnati emerges as a leading contender for the services of free-agent cornerback Rod Woodson, LeBeau will function as an invaluable Beau walked toward Woodson and talked with the seven-time Pro Bowler as he stretched. LeBeau then crossed the track to give Woodson's wife, Nicki, a hug. The San Francisco 49ers, considered the favorite to sign Woodson, were just as demonstrative in showing their regard for the 10-year veteran.

They sent five coaches and officials to the workout, by far the largest contingent. Others represented were Carolina, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Oakland and Tampa Bay. "We'd like to have him, there's no (Please see WOODSON, Page D5) bargaining tool. "That's one of the main reasons I would even talk to Cincinnati, because Dick's there," Woodson said after officials from 10 NFL teams and six TV camera crews watched his semi-private workout at Purdue University. "I love the guy.

He has taught me a lot about this game." Seeing LeBeau at his workout certainly comforted Woodson, who tried to prove, 3'A months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, that he could approach the performance that earned him a spot on the league's All-75th Anniversary Team three years ago. LeBeau supervised Woodson as Pittsburgh's defensive backs coach from 1992-94 and defensive coordinator in 1995-96. LeBeau heeded Woodson's request to lead him in the second half of the workout, which featured footwork and simulated pass coverage inside the Mollenkopf Athletic Center. "I was thrilled to do it," LeBeau said. Early in the session, after Woodson darted from right to left to display adept lateral movement, LeBeau yelled, "That's what I want.

That's beautiful." Their rapport was evident earlier. While other coaches, scouts and personnel directors chatted among themselves before the workout, Le- Rod Woodson Free agent cornerback trying to come back after arthroscopic knee surgery. Baseball's amateur draft Jeds Future Begins Today Just Singh in the rain Vijay's eagle leads to Memorial win By MIKE DeCOURCY The Cincinnati Enquirer DUBLIN, Ohio Nearly two days passed from the moment Vi-jay Singh began the third round in the Memorial Tournament until he stood above his ball for a second stroke at the 11th hole. He had 17 hours to think about that shot. This time, it Reds' previous top draft picks Here is a list of the Reds previous first-round draft picks for the past 10 years and where they are now.

1996: John Oliver, OF Billings (Reds rookie league) In 1996, he hit .203 in 41 games with two home runs and 13 RBI for Princeton (rookie league). 1995: No selection, lost for signing free agent Damon Berryhill. 1994: C.J. Nitkowski, LHP, New Orleans (Astros Triple-A). of Ohio? Try Zay-vier, period Xavier University has asked the NCAA to drop "of Ohio" from its name.

The NCAA, briefly distracted from busting athletes for accepting nickels from street people, agreed. Oyer on Victory Parkway, they're also working really hard on the pronunciation aspect. It's Zay-vier. Not Eggs-avier. Plans for the new logo featuring the little, over-easy man will probably have to be shelved.

"We've requested that 'of Ohio' no longer be included in any of our (NCAA) listings," announced Jeff Fogelson, who used to be the athletic director and is now the associate vice president and athletic director. "It's all part of the evolution of our program," explained Tom Eiser, once the sports information director, now an assistant athletic director and sports information director. "I try to get irritated about big things," said Skip Prosser, who used to be the basketball coach, and still is. "This is not a big thing." Of course not. Everyone looks at the name "Prosser" and pronounces it "Prosser." Try taking calls from telephone solicitors who make your name sound like an exotic Scrabble word.

Daughter-y. Door-ty. Doe-erty. Doff-ery, for god's sake. Try registering at a hotel, saying your name correctly, and having the desk person repeat it differently.

Try pronouncing DOC-erty "Yes, and thanks so much for correcting me on the pronunciation of my own name. I've had it wrong for the last 39 years." It's pretty simple. You don't run things off at an Eggs-erox machine, OK? Nobody plays the eggs-ylophone. Nobody ever gave the Academy Award to Trixie Streep. Some things have to be just so.

Souffles. Airline reservations. Dennis Rodman's nose rings. And names. As Fogelson said, "We've achieved a level of recognition where the Ohio is not needed." So, OK.

On the priority scale, having "of Ohio" officially nixed at Xavier was up there with buying new facemasks for the lawn darts team. And once the name has been universally cleaned up, I will miss humming the Beatles "I Am the Walrus" while watching the Muskies play: "I am the eggman. They are the eggmen. I am the walrus. Goo Goo G'Joob." But that's just me.

Your basketball program can't come this far and still have the likes of Temple coach John Chaney shoveling you copious praise while calling you Eggs-avier, which Chaney did as recently as March. Before his team played the Musketeers in the NCAA Tournament this year, UCLA coach Steve Lavin suggested that "Eggs-avier" would not be taken lightly. Nor with bacon and a side of toast. "'Some of the visiting radio people still say Eggs-avier," Fogelson noted. They are gently admonished if they're caught.

Said Fogelson, "It's all part of the educational enterprise to which we are all deeply devoted." (While we're at it, one of ESPN's vvv 1 i Vk'- .1 0 1 ft 1 Traded with Dave Turtle and Mark Lewis to Detroit for David Wells. He is 2-5 with a 4.80 ERA in 11 games. C.J. Nitkowski Vijay Singh Memorial leaderboard Final results 1. Vijay Singh ..202 wasn't the rain, which shortened the Memorial to 54 holes but stretched the last of three rounds from Saturday to Monday.

Instead, it was a thunderous strike from Singh's 3-wood, the ball landing on the green and stopping 18 inches from the cup. Singh made eagle at No. 11, leaving the remainder of the Memorial field scrambling to make up too many shots in too lit 2. G. Norman.

.4. -I .204 .204 .205 .205 2. Jim Furyk 4. Lee Janzen 4. Scott Hoch The Associated Press Chad Mottola, here being tagged out by Philadelphia's Lenny Webster, during a 1996 spring training game, currently plays for the Reds' Class AA team.

Mottola was the Reds' first-round pick in 1 992. 4. T. Tolles 205 7. F.

Nobilo 206 8. J. Nicklaus. 208 8. Tim Herron 208 Tournament notebook, complete results.

03 1993: No selection, lost for signing free agent John Smiley. 1992: Chad Mottola, OF, Chattanooga (Reds Double-A). He hit .215 with three home runs and six RBI in 35 games (covering three different stints) with the Reds in 1996. Was demoted from Triple-A to Double-A in April. 1991: Pokey Reese, SS, Cincinnati.

Called up to the Reds this season. He is hitting .21 8 with six RBI and five stolen bases. In 1996, he hit .232 forTriple-A Indianapolis. 1990: Dan Wilson, Seattle. Traded in 1993 Club hopes to replenish farm system First-round second-guessing Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft is a less precise science than the NFL or NBA drafts: Teams know going in they won't find immediate help only 17 players have gone straight from the draft to the majors so they look for players they think will be able to contribute years down the road.

That said, the Reds like many other clubs would like to have a few first-round picks back: Taken Would Taken Year Reds' choice at rather have at (by) Why 1987 Jack Armstrong No. 18 Craig Biggio No. 22 (Astros) Five-time All-Star 1989 Scott Bryant No. 20 Mo Vaughn No. 23 (Red Sox) 143 RBI in '96 1992 Chad Mottola No.

5 Derek Jeter No. 6 (Yankees) '96 top AL rookie 1994 C.J. Nitkowski No. 9 N. Garciaparra No.

12 (Red Sox) '97 top AL rookie? BY JOHN FAY The Cincinnati Enquirer The Reds are in one of their more critical stretches. And it has nothing to do with what's going on at the big-league level. A big part of their future could be decided today with the beginning of baseball's annual amateur draft. The Reds, who have the 14th pick in the first round today, have not drafted well in the crack SportsCenter guys, Stuart Scott, tle time. Greg Norman and Jim Furyk fruitlessly chased birdies through the three closing holes at Muirfield Village Golf Club and ended two shots behind the 14-under-par total that earned Singh the title.

Scott Hoch, who began the day tied for the lead, battled through a back injury. A double-bogey at 16 ended his challenge. He faded to 11-under. "I'm really, really pleased that I've got this out of the way," Singh said, meaning his first PGA Tour win since January 1995, the fourth of his career. He could have been talking about the Memorial itself, which became the scene of the Tour's first three-day round since the 1985 Texas Open.

(Please see MEMORIAL, back page, this section) 1990, was part of the trade that brought Bret Boone from Seattle. Other than Pokey Reese and Scott Sullivan, in fact, the Reds (Please see DRAFT, Page D5) 1990s. Only one of their draft picks is an everyday player in the major leagues. And that is Dan Wilson, who is with the Seattle Mariners. Wilson, the first-round pick in still calls it Eggs-avier, even after correcting from an assistant producer who once worked at XU.

As far as we're concerned, the only guy ever allowed to call it Eggs-avier is John Lennon. And he's dead. So get it right, big boy, or we'll start calling you Jim.) with RHP Bobby Ayalato Seattle for 2B Bret Boone and RHP Erik Hanson, he made the AL All-Star team At least Larkin is no heel Dan Wilson 20-35 Musketeers ever on the move i Fogelson noted with pride that, as XU's men's basketball program has improved, the need for geographic specifics has diminished. As has the notion that the school is, in actuality, an omelet. "You used to be correcting a majority of the people.

Now, it's very much a minority. All the credit belongs to our kids," Fogelson added, "for striking the proper geographic tone." Prosser greets it all with a shrug. "It's not something we're going to mount a holy war over," he said. "Back when I was working in Wheeling, before coach (Pete) Gillen brought me here, I called it Eggs-avier, too." No more. Now it's Zay-vier, hold the of Ohio.

We're all on notice. Goo goo g'joob. ailment," Larkin said Monday evening. "I have found something. Now, it's a matter of staying within the parameters of the something that I have found." Gwynn, whose .647 batting aver last year for the Mariners.

Hitting .296 with three home runs and 22 RBI. 1989: Scott Bryant, OF, St. Paul (independent Northern League). Reds released him after 1992 season. Played Triple-A for Texas and Seattle last year; released by the Mariners.

1988: No selection, because of the free agent signing of Eddie Milner. 1987: Jack Armstrong, RHP, Failed physical with Tampa Bay Devil Rays in February, was not offered a contract. Pitched three seasons with the Reds. kin is attempting to do the same. Larkin was given Monday off, as were the rest of the Reds and Philadelphia Phillies.

The first game was postponed by rain, and will be played as part of a Sept. 12 doubleheader. Larkin has hit in a club-high 1 1 consecutive games, during which he is 19 for 34 with four doubles, three home runs and seven RBI. He also has stolen two bases, all on a heel requiring daily therapy. "I talked about this comfort level, this level of consistency, and I feel like I'm in it," Larkin said.

"Physically, nothing's changed. I'm just in a zone. How do I get in a zone? I know (new hitting instructor) Ken Griffey helped me a lot." BY TIM BROWN The Cincinnati Enquirer PHILADELPHIA Reds shortstop Barry Larkin is the National League's player of the week, a period in which he reached base in 13 consecutive plate appearances, batted .583 and hit three home runs. He did it all on one heel, after he reworked his approach, lightened his bat, and arrived at the ballpark one afternoon to find himself batting cleanup. Larkin, who has a .317 batting average, was hitting .259 on May 24.

"Tony Gwynn talked to me about a period of time at the beginning of last year, when he had to learn how to hit with his TODAY: at Philadelphia, 7:35 p.m. PITCHERS: Kent Mercker (Reds, 2-5) vs. Curt Schilling (Phillies, 7-4). TVRADIO: SportsChannel; WLW-AM (700) INSI0ED5: Rookie suspended 8 games. St.

Ursula wins regional title Bridget Kauffman's single scored Sarah St. Clair with the winning run as St. Ursula edged Bellefontaine 4-3 for the Division I regional title. Story, D3 McNicholas rallies for regional crown McNicholas rallied to beat Bellefontaine 3-2 in eight innings for the Division II regional baseball title. Story, D3 age also put him among player-of-the-week candidates, played last season with a sore Achilles' tendon, Lar- Enquirer columnist Paul Dougherty welcomes your comments at 768-8454.

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