The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 20

it- 2C turty. Auturt 6 1994 THE TENHES8EAN 3 i(iwiiMyu- SPORTS A.M. Azinger fires 76 at Buick In perhaps the most memorable round of his life, Paul Azinger shot a 76 yesterday to mark his return to golf after a nine-month bout with cancer. COMPILED FROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS BY JAVIER GONZALEZ That Azinger was 10 shots out of thf Ipnri mnttprprt nnt at all tn tho I t. gallery that cheered him as he started play and stood to applaud at the 18th hole as they made the turn to the front nine.

"Physically, I'm tired and emotionally I'm tapped out," Azinger Timberwolves sold again The Minnesota Timberwolves announced yesterday the team is being sold to businessman Glen Taylor, a former state senator from Mankato. The sale is Hairy situation still on hold Tony Summers had hoped to join his Henderson-ville High School teammates on the first day of fall football practice yesterday but the ppny-tailed, 18-year-old senior may have to wait a little longer. Summers had been barred from playing on the football team by Henderson High Coach Robert Las-siter since last spring because he refused to cut his shoulder-length hair. Lassiter imposed the rule when he took over as head coach in February. Summers, a 195-pound defensive lineman, took the case to federal court, asking U.S.

District Court Judge Thomas A. Higgins to allow him to return to the football field for fall practice. On Thursday, Higgins postponed making a decision until next week. "He didnt really say a specific time as to when we'd get a ruling, but I kind of needed one today," said Summers. "The team started practice today, and I didnt need to miss." Summers' attorney argued that the school imposed an arbitrary rule, pointing out that Summers had been allowed to play since his freshman year.

School officials said the rule was created for safety of the players as well as the fostering team unity. TNITRAN said at the Buick Open. "After that I big ovation at the start, I just COCHRAN walked around in a bit of a haze for awhile." Fred Funk shot a 66 at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, for a two-stroke lead over Corey Pavin and Russ Cochran. KING STAYS IN FfcONT Betsy King survived a disastrous 12th hole to retain a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the McCall's LPGA Classic in Stratton Mountain, Vt LANGER TIED AT BMW Bernhard Langer fired a 4-under-par 68 to tie Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke for toe second-round lead in the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany. ALBUS, BRUE TIED IN BOSTON Jim Albus and Bob Brue posted opening-round 67s Na-shawtuc Country Club to share the first-round lead of the Bank of Boston Gassic at Concord, Mass.

pending NBA approval. The team was first sold last spring to a Louisiana group which planned to move the club to New Orleans. But the league refused to approve the deal. The latest deal was announced at a news conference at Target Center. SUNS SUE LEAGUE The Phoenix Suns and forward A.C.

Green sued the NBA over the league's invalidation of the contract between the Suns and the player. The league rejected the contracts of Green and the Chicago Bulls' Horace Grant, who had signed with the Orlando Magic, saying the deals were designed to circumvent the salary cap. DEATH PENALTY The lawyers for one of the two men charged in the slaying of Michael Jordan's father, James, are asking a court to strike the death penalty as a potential sentence because it would violate the 8th and 14th constitutional amendments. Robeson County, N.C., District Attorney Richard Townsend has said he will seek the death penalty against Larry Martin Demery and Daniel Andre Green for the murder of James Jordan. TACOMA SONICS The city of Tacoma and the Seattle SuperSonics have reached agreement on a contract for the team to play its 1994-95 season in the Tacoma Dome.

COOPER MAY NOT HAVE TRIAL Prosecutor Michelle Frechette in the assault and battery case against former Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Cooper said there's a good chance the case will be settled without a trial through a plea agreement Cooper has entered inpatient counseling. Cooper is charged with assaulting his wife. CROATIA CRUSHES S. KOREA TonrKu-koc, who has agreed to terms on a new six-year, $26 million contract with the Chicago Bulls, scored 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting and had 10 assists in Croatia's 104-53 rout of South Korea at the World Championship of Basketball in Toronto. Final four for TSU's AD post Interim athletic director Howard Gentry Jr.

is among four finalists named for the opening of athletic director at Tennessee State. The others: Gregg Burke, assistant athletic director at Providence; Dr. Richard Cosby, athletic director at Clark Atlanta; and Dr. Larry Thomas, director of athletic development at New Mexico Highlands. The public is invited to attend and ask questions during the interviews next week, with the open forum held in Room 210 (the Forum) of the Floyd-Payne Campus Center on Aug 10-11 at 11 a.m.

and 4 p.m.. PALMER LOSES A Columbiana, jury returned a $160,000 verdict against former Alabama football star David Palmer, whose car rear-ended another vehicle and caused arm and neck injuries to Terry Wayne Smith toe driver. According to testimony, Palmer was intoxicated at time of crash. Stalker ordered deported A man who helped Buffalo Sabres star Alexander Mogilny defect from the Soviet Union then stalked Mogilny trying to collect $150,000 for his efforts has been ordered deported. Sergei Fomitchev, was to be shipped back to Sweden, assistant U.S.

Attorney Kathleen Mehltretter said yesterday. Fomitchev pleaded guilty to visa fraud and menacing. DETROIT SIGNS ROUSE The Detroit Red Wings continue to try to beef up their defense, signing free-agent defenseman Bob Rouse from Toronto" to a multiyear contract Terms were undisclosed. SIMPSON A JET Terry Simpson returned to Winnipeg as an assistant coach. Simpson was fired as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in May.

AP USA's Alicia Mills gets her shot blocked by Russia's Tatyana Menshova (left) and Valen-tina Ogienko as U.S. player Yoko Zetterlund moves in to catch the deflection in the women's volleyball gold medal match yesterday at St. Petersburg, Russia. Russians beat U.S. for gold A team of experienced Russians overwhelmed a young U.S.

squad to win the gold medal in women's volleyball yesterday at the Goodwill Games in St Petersburg, Russia. The Russians, playing with essentially their full national team, won 15-8, 15-10, 15-4. The U.S. team was a mix of young collegians and two veterans from the 1992 Olympic bronze-medal team, Yoko Zetterlund and Kimberly Oden. Japan took bronze with a 3-1 victory over China.

SKATING TO GOLD Alexei Urmanov nearly duplicated his Olympic gold-medal winning performance from earlier this year even missing the same jump to win the men's figure skating title. Natalia Mishkutienok and Artur Dmitriev reprised their dramatic routine to Rachmaninoff the same one that was worth the silver medal at the Games in Lillehammer. This time, it brought them the gold. Madrigal is top seed Municipal champion Jim Madrigal of Brentwood is top men's seed for the State Closed adults tennis tournament which opens today at 8 a.m. at Centennial Sportsplex.

Mary McGee Thym is the top women's seed. Singles and doubles will play today. Graf struggles but wins Steffi Graf rebounded from a second-set tiebreaker loss to top France's Julie Halard in the third set and win her quarterfinal match yesterday in the Toshiba Classic at Carlsbad, Calif. BECKER WINS Boris Becker of Germany advanced to the semifinals of the Los Angeles Open with a 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 victory over Karsten Braasch. UT's Dickey beats Sweden Jonathan Johnson and John McAninch homered yesterday to help power the United States to a 9-0 victory over Sweden in the World Amateur Baseball Championships in Managua, Nicaragua.

Cuba, the favorite, kept pace with the United States by routing Italy 14-1. MBA and UT pitcher R.A. Dickey was the winner giving up only three hits in seven innings. Harpeth Valley takes second .7 The Harpeth Valley Track Club finished second in the Young Women 4x800 relay with a time of 9:43.8 at the AAU Junior Olympics in Melbourne, Fla. Xpress proposes a one-of-a-kind move tohir" KnoxwlIIe NC -x HuntsvlllB yjr --i Birminghim 1 1 i Orlando Gciirt ScuUi FL AtHwn mL The Nashville Xpress could become the Puerto Rico Xpress if the Southern League ry Schmittou bailed toe Southern League out by allowing toe homeless team to stay an extra year at Greer.

"Larry did toe league a tremendous favor," Southern League president Jimmy Bragan said. "I've already lost two teams to Triple-A. Nashville and Charlotte were both once in toe Southern League. We've appreciated what Larry has done." But Schmittou and his stadium won't be available when toe 1995 season begins. "We were supposed to play in Lexington, next Hersh said.

"But things just haven't worked out So that's when we started talking about Puerto Rico." Hersh has visited Puerto Rico and is head over heels in love with toe idea of the Xpress playing there next year. "We have an ownership group that includes former major league catcher Tim McCarver, broadcaster Bob Costas and a group that makes up 40 people. We're all excited about this." this time next year. That's because when spring training breaks in Florida in April 1985, toe Xpress won't be heading to Nashville, they they will board an airplane to their new home park In Puerto Rico. That's right Puerto Rico.

"It's really an untapped market," Xpress President David Hersh said. "I don't know if the word ignorance Is the right one or not But people in the United States have no idea what's going on in Puerto Rico. "The amazing thing is that there are about 2.5 million people in toe immediate area of where we are going play. And this is a country that had produced players like Car-. los Baerga, Bobby Alomar, Wil Cor-dero, and on and on and on.

It's a place that loves baseball" The team would be based in Ba-yamon, which is about eight miles from San Juan. The Xpress was originally slated to only play toe 1993 season in Nashville. But Sounds president Lar Bavamon. 8 -A miles south 4 3 from San approves the move Tor next season. Xpress players, however, aren't so gung-ho.

"I'd much rather play in Nashville," pitcher Brad Radke said. "It would be different having to go to a different country. It would be like the Dominican players who come here. I have no idea what it would be like." Steve Hazlett was even more definitive. "I'm not so sure that I would like being confined on a island," he said.

"It would be hard and expensive trying to get your family situated when they come to visit you. I mean, even phone calls would be expensive. It would help that toe league or somebody would help toe players out with expenses. It might cost a whole lot" Jeanne Breidel would rather her fiance, catcher Damian Miller, play where it's a little colder. "I would prefer that he play in Minnesota," Breidel quipped.

"But I guess that the first month or so in Puerto Rico would seem like a vacation. But after that it would be kind of tough knowing you live on an island. I do speak a little Spanish. I wouldn't mind going there for a vacation, but I wouldn't want to live there for five months." It wouldn't be as bad as it is for some of toe other players and their wives. "I'm from Florida, so it wouldn't be too bad for me," Patti Geml said.

"I guess I would weather-wise it would be close to Florida. It would be difficult though. The cost of living there would be high. I guess I would go with him. I have a job here in Nashville.

And I guess I would go with him there, depending on toe job situation or whether I could get where I don't have to speak fluent Spanish." The move to toe U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is dependent on three things. First toe Xpress would have to get toe approval of toe Puerto Rico Winter Baseball League. Then toe Xpress would need toe approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball. Finally the Xpress would need toe approval of toe farm directors from each of the teams in the Southern League and a vote of confidence from toe commissioner's office in major league basebalL The Southern League has already conditionally approved the move.

"Hersh and Bastien are confident that they can get it, on," Bragan said. "They'll have to guarantee the other teams the money to fly into Puerto Rico. But it might not be as bad as you think. It's newfound ground down there. They feel like it has some real potential.

They are willing to gamble that money that it will work." There will definitly be some adjustments for everyone involved. When a team flies into Puerto Rico, it would stay there for eight days. No one-day home stands for visiting teams. When toe Xpress go on toe road, they might be gone a few weeks at a time. "I used to be involved with the Pacific Coast League fin which toe Twins' Triple-A team plays and there was a team that was in Ha- PuertdRlcoJ said.

"We want a place that would be like Nashville and Memphis and Birmingham in terms of population. There is no city in toe VS. like that But it would be like that in Puerto Rico. It is a market with a baseball heritage. And it is also a market that coincides with major league baseball trying to make toe game international.

I think if a perfect fit for toe game." The Xpress should get final word on the proposed move within two months. "We should know by toe end of September," Hersh said. "Yo'u don't undertake a problem like this with, out doing your leg work. We think we know where we stand." wail in that league," Hersh said. "That team had to pay a subsidy and guarantee certain things and everything worked out Hawaii is a lot farther away than Puerto Rico from toe Southern League standout We'll have to work out the schedule, but I think we can get it done.

We have a formula." The players and coaches might not be doing cartwheels over toe possible move, but toe ownership and management of toe team have dollar signs dancing in their heads. "When you look at North America and Latin America and you look at that untapped population, you have to give it consideration," Hersh Advertisement if 0 3 I "i Direct From Texas "All Female Staff" (Featuring Living Lingerie) X-Citing Tan We Cater To Men 10 AM to 1 AM 1805-C Church St. 327-3349 X-CITING SYSTEM Ofl LINE MODEM (713) 943-4000 Two-run rally lifts Nashville to win 7 4mm ttd fmr mum oU ytiU 4ms tstwt NW i tft4im (tr fU 15:9 nn nn 4 Mt ill IP" I for home delivery vl I II a The TENNESSEAN batters. Gavaghan had one of his better outings of late. The former University of Richmond star pitched to four batters and allowed one hit He struck out two batters and picked up toe win to raise his record to 4-4 on the season.

Xpress Manager Phil Roof put Andres Duncan at toe leadoff position four games ago and it appears to have paid dividends. Duncan hit a homer last night and the Xpress have won three of the four games that toe younger brother of Philadelphia Phlllie AU. Star Mariana Duncan has started. ZEBULON, N.C. The Nashville Xpress rallied to score two runs in toe top of toe ninth inning to beat toe Carolina Mudcats 4-3 and maintain its 1-game lead in the West Division of the Southern League last night before 3,989 fans.

The Xpress, which has had a lot of trouble scoring runs toe since toe All-Star break on July 11th, was able to get those two huge runs when it needed them most last night Nashville entered the ninth inning trailing 3-1 Xpress outfielder Tim Moore led off the Inning with a double and moved to second when Ed Gald singled. After Anthony Byrd walked to load toe bases, catcher Damian Miller hit a routine grounder to second that was botched. Both Moore and Gerald nded up scoring on toe play, and the Xpress had enough runs to win its second straight game. Nashville starter Marc Barcelo, who has been one of toe most consistent pitchers In the Southern League this season, lasted 7 of an inning before being relieved by Sean Gavaghan. Barcelo, who is 10-4 on the season, allowed only five hits and one earned run and struck out eight rrri mm ram 1 1 i mm.