Arizona Republic du lieu suivant : Phoenix, Arizona • Page 17

D2 The Arizona Republic Sunday, July 7, 1991 Cleveland ires McNamara Hargrove is designated replacement Sports News Briefs Injury benches McGwire Mark McGwire, the American League's starting Ail-Star first baseman, said Saturday night he will not be able to attend the game because of the effects of a burst eardrum. AL Manager Tony La Russa replaced McGwire on the team with Texas first baseman Rafael Palmeiro. Reserve Cecil Fielder of Detroit will probably get the start at first for Tuesday night's All-Star Game at the SkyDome in Toronto. McGwire, elected by the fans to start over Fielder, is hitting only .200 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs for the Oakland A's. He has been selected to the All-Star team in each of his five major league seasons.

La Russa said McGwire has some fluid in his ear and still is bothered by long flights. Palmeiro entered Saturday night's game against Oakland hitting .318 with 12 homers and 39 RBIs. Ld Russa also considered Wally Joyner, but the California first baseman has a leg injury. 1991 FIRED MANAGERS April 23 Nick Leyva, Phillies May 21 Don Zimmer, Cubs May 22 John Wathan, Royals May 23 Frank Robinson, Orioles June 3 Buck Rodgers, Expos Saturday John McNamara, Indians John McNamara Since he became the Indians' manager at the start of last season, they've gone 102-137. what has happened here.

If there was a shortage of talent on this ballclub in the minds of any of you, that responsibility is on my shoulders and the shoulders of management "I think this year, he probably did as well as could be expected under the circumstances. This club is very much dedicated to going with a young, talented team, but it's inexperienced. As a result of this, we have a different type club today than the one we had a year ago, and it was my belief it was the type of club John might not be accustomed to managing." During 13 full seasons and parts of five others as a manager, McNamara compiled a record of Hargrove, 41, played 12 seasons in the majors, with the Indians. Indians, the sixth major league team he has managed. Only McNamara, Jimmy Dykes and Dick Williams have managed that many major league teams since 1900.

McNamara was the sixth major league manager to be fired this season. The others were Buck Rodgers of Montreal, Don Zimmer of Chicago, Nick Leyva of Philadelphia, John Wathan of Kansas City and Frank Robinson of Baltimore. At 26-52, the Indians have the worst record in the majors, and they lost eight of their final nine games under McNamara. Since he took over at the start of last season, they've gone 102-137. Cleveland has won only five games since June 3.

Hargrove is the Indians' fifth By Chuck Melvln The Associated Press CLEVELAND The Cleveland Indians, baseball's worst team, fired manager John McNamara and replaced him with first-base coach Mike Hargrove on Saturday. The announcement was made at a news conference at Cleveland Stadium. McNamara, 59, was in the second year of a two-year contract with the manager in five years. "John McNamara is not a scape goat," team President Hank Peters said. "He's not totally to blame for 0E3 "vVf'f by- 4A ft, yt iliiiillliiill Franco out Julio Franco was scratched from the Texas lineup and is scheduled to undergo a series of tests on his heart today because of recurring chest pains.

The Rangers' second baseman, hitting .318 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs, will see Charles Cramer, a cardiac specialist. Franco experienced chest pains Friday afternoon but was cleared by team physician Mike Mykoskie after an electrocardiogram showed no abnormalities. Franco played Friday night and went 1 for 3 with a double in an 8-0 victory over California. When the chest pains reappeared Saturday, a further examination of Friday's EKG showed a slight change from the one taken in spring training and Mykoskie recommended that Franco not play until additional testing is completed. A team spokesman said Franco's participation in Tuesday's All-Star Game is Toros blank Birds Hurler comeback receives a boost Vw i 1 Ii it'i iifs Hi i tilvfp K4W --I Julio Franco The Rangers' second baseman may miss the All-Star Game because of recurring chest pains.

i I A fffirr -t A. I A -1 I I Milil till 1(13 A- A''. 'V'tV Tammy VrattosThe Arizona Republic Andres Santana (left) and Darren lewis will represent the Firebirds at Wednesday night's Triple-A All-Star Game in Louisville. ALL-STAR BIRDS Lewis, Santana earn starting berths in annual game Reprinted from Saturday's lata editions By Bob McManaman The Arizona Republic It has been two years since surgeons performed a total makeover on Rob Mallicoat's pitching shoulder. The road to recovery has been a step-by-step process for the 26-year old left-hander.

Mallicoat though, took a major leap forward Friday night tossing five shutout innings to help the Tucson Toros blank the Firebirds, 7-0, in front of 3,445 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Mallicoat (2-1) allowed four hits, walked four and struck out four. It was his first start this season for the Toros after working his way up through the Houston Astros' minor league system as a reliever. "It's nice to start again," said Mallicoat who underwent an opera-' tion similar to the one performed on the Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser. "It felt good to get out there and go four or five innings.

It's been a while." The Toros, a half game behind first-place Colorado Springs in the Pacific Coast League Southern Division, hammered out 18 hits against four Firebirds pitchers. The Toros tagged Firebirds starter Gil Heredia (5-7) for six runs and 12 hits, including four straight singles to open the game. By the end of the fourth inning, the Toros' first four batters in the lineup were a combined 10 of 12. Those four Kenny Lofton (3 for 5), Gary Cooper (4 for 5), Karl Rhodes (4 for 5) and Jose Tolentino (2 for 5) accounted for six of the Toros' seven runs. Cooper hit a solo home run in the seventh, his 12th, to make the score 7-0.

The Firebirds managed only five hits, two by shortstop Andres Santana. Reliever Curt Schilling allowed one hit in three innings, and Dean Wilkins, who leads the league with 18 saves, pitched a perfect ninth. Jim Wilson and Dave Patterson of the Firebirds had their hitting streaks end at eight and six games, respectively. Note When Firebirds catcher Craig Colbert comes off the disabled list next month, he won't be in any hurry to catch 6-foot-7 left-hander Jimmy Williams. Colbert missed a month earlier after he suffered a broken finger trying to catch a tricky breaking Two weeks ago, he suffered a ractured clavicle upon being struck by a foul tip.

In both instances, the pitcher was Williams. doubt Lite Light wins rematch The highly anticipated rematch between Lite Light and Meadow Star turned into a one-horse race and that horse was Lite Light. An instant after Meadow Star took the lead approaching the quarter pole, Lite Light went past her and stormed down the stretch for a 7-length victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Lite Light, owned by the family of rap star M.C. Hammer, had lost to Meadow Star on June 8 in the Mother Goose at Belmont in a finish so close it took the placing judges 10 minutes to determine the winner.

The difcat was Meadow Star's first in 12 starts against fillies and only the second of her 13-race career. She lost to colts in the Wood Memorial on April 20. Lite Light raced 1V4 miles under Corey Nakatani in 2:00 on a good track. Auto racing Emerson Fittipaldi improved his own track qualifying record and held onto the pole position for today's CART Cleveland Grand Prix, again holding off tenacious Michael Andretti. Fittipaldi, who won the provisional pole Friday with a lap of 139.615 mph on the temporary road circuit at Burke Lakefront Airport, drove his Chevrolet-powered Penske racer around the rough course at 140.842.

AI Unser Jr, improved from sixth on Friday to a solid third at 139.606. Rick Mears, who was third Friday, slipped to fourth despite improving his top lap to 139.405. Mario Andretti was fifth at 138.565, followed by Scott Pruett at 138.376, Bobby Rahal at 138.374 and Scottsdale's Arie Luycndyk at 136.616. Riccardo Patrese of Italy captured his third straight pole position at the French Grand Prix, bumping Ayrton Senna out of the front row at Magny Cours. Patrese drove his Williams-Renault around the 2.645-mile circuit in 1 minute, 14.559 seconds, and he averaged 128.140 mph.

Senna was third in 1:14.857, an improvement over Friday when he won the provisional pole, but not enough to catch Patrese. Darrell Alderman earned $50,000 for little more than seven seconds work in the Budweiser Pro Stock Challenge, a special event during the final day of qualifying for the NHRA Mopar Summernationals in Englishtown, N.J. Frank Haw ley unseated Joe Amato in the final round of qualifying in the Top Fuel category. Jim White and Warren Johnson held onto their No. 1 qualifying positions io Funny Car and Pro Stock, respectively.

Bartkowski leads CGA Championship Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski shot a 2-over 74 to take a 1 -stroke lead after second-round play in the Celebrity Golf Association Championship at Lake Tahoe, Nev. Bartkowski's 146 total was a shot better than former New York Islanders star Clark Gillies, who shot a I -over 73. Elliott wins 'Dream Mile' Peter Elliott, after two previous second-place finishes, finally won the "Dream Mile" in the Bislett Games Grand Prix track and field meet in Oslo, Norway. The Briton, a former holder of the world indoor mile record, held off Wilfred Kirochi of Kenya, Jim Spivey of the United States and Simon Doyle of Australia in a thrilling finish down the stretch. Only .45 of a second separated the top four.

Elliott was clocked in 3 minutes, 49.46 seconds, tops in the world this season. U.S. soccer team tops Mexico Goalie Tony Meola made eight saves to shut down Mexico and lead the U.S. soccer team to a 2-0 victory Friday night in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Americans will play Honduras, a 2-0 winner over Costa Rica, today in the final of the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Association Football championship.

John Doyle and Peter Vermes scored for the U.S. team, who won despite being outshot, 27. Compiled by John D. Ames of The Arizona Republic from reports by The Associated Press. A's Double-A team in Huntsville, then was promoted to Triple-A Tacoma, The A's purchased his contract on Aug.

21, when Dave Henderson suffered an injured knee. Short but sweet "That was something," Lewis said. "My first time up, and they put me in the lineup in the heat of a pennant race. It was just an incredible feeling and an incredible story I'll be able to tell my kids and all my friends." Eight days after his promotion, though, the A's. obtained free agent Willie McGee from the Cardinals, and Lewis' playing time diminished.

The A's reached the World Series, but Lewis never left the dugout Lewis said he harbors no resentment toward the A's for letting him go, although he added they "might have made a mistake in the long run." "I feel I'm ready to play in the big leagues right now with the Giants, but there are a lot of things that are out of my control," Lewis said. "It's actually more beneficial for me to play here (in Phoenix) right now, but next year is going to be my time. It's just a matter of time." Santana, who still is waiting for his first shot at the majors, led the Northwest League with 45 stolen bases during his initial pro season in 1987. A year later, he led the Midwest League by stealing 88 at Class A Clinton. He missed all but 18 games last season after suffering a broken ankle at Class A San Jose.

Santana said he "just wants to play hard while he's here and, hopefully, get an opportunity to go up to the big leagues." For the moment, playing in the Triple-A All-Star Game is the next best thing. he had been traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. "He got it after a minute or two," Espy said, laughing. Speaking through an interpreter Firebirds pitcher Rafael Novoa Santana said, "It's an honor to be named an All-Star." The next time Lewis and Santana clear out their lockers, however, it might be to join the parent club San Francisco Giants.

Speed and more Lewis ranks eighth in the PCL in hitting with a .337 average. Santana ranks 10th Santana is second in the league with 32 stolen bases. Lewis is third (31). Lewis leads the Firebirds in hits (62), runs (103) and triples (10). Santana, who has been on the disabled list twice because of a hamstring injury, is fourth on the team in hits (83) and third in runs scored (47).

Both have had impressive hitting streaks. Santana had the longest in pro baseball this season at 27 games. Lewis had strings of 17 and 22. Giants Manager Roger Craig said he likes what he sees in both players. "They have tremendous potential, no question about it," he said.

"They're going to get a lot better, too." After watching Lewis rob Will Clark of a home run with a leaping grab over the fence during the Giants' recent exhibition game here, Craig said: "That kid can play center field better than a lot of guys in the majors right now." Lewis was obtained from the Oakland Athletics last December the trade for Ernest Riles. He opened last season with the By Bob McManaman The Arizona Republic In another day or so, Darren Lewis and Andres Santana will clean out their lockers in the Firebirds' clubhouse. They will collect their bats, their gloves and their spikes, and then they will leave. They are being rewarded for a job well done, for playing baseball better than most of their peers in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Lewis and Santana, two promising 23-year-olds with major league designs, are going to "The Show." No, they aren't packing for the majors.

Not yet, anyway. This time, "The Show" means the annual Triple-A All-Star Game. In nationwide balloting by managers and media representatives, Lewis, a center fielder, and Santana, a shortstop, were named starters for Wednesday night's game in Louisville. "I'm happy for both of them," Firebirds Manager Duane Espy said. "They deserve it Playing in the All-Star Game can only help you.

You're going to be playing in front of a lot of big league people and get some national exposure." Lewis and Santana both relish the idea of playing in the All-Star Game. "It's a goal of mine I set before the season even started," said Lewis, a fourth-year pro from Berkeley, Calif. "Some people might rather stay at home and enjoy the three-day break, but I want to be there playing in that game. If I'm a little tired, that's too bad." Santana, a fifth-year pro from San Pedro de Marcois, Dominican Republic, wasn't sure what Espy meant when the manager informed he was going to Louisville. Santana, still learning English, first thought 1 I1' Baseball stars still shine, just not brightly I 1 isn't that bright anymore.

The summer showcase has lost some of its shine. Could it be that the NBA, with Magic Michael, now puts on the top All-Star show? Today's stars not super yet "I think if you look at guys like Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, Henry Aaron and Willie Mays, you're looking at me now in terms of what I accomplished," Jackson said. "Well, when I went to the All-Star Game in 1971, 1 did not have 500 home runs." Ah, 1971. The night Reggie's star really began to rise, just like the ball he hit off the light tower at Tiger Stadium. But he already had hit more than 100 home runs by then, and it was only his fourth season.

There were 18 future Hall of Famers in that game, not counting Rose, Steve Carlton and Jackson the first ineligible because of his ban from baseball for gambling, the last two not yet finished the five years it takes after retirement to be on the ballot. Six started for the American League Brooks Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline, Rod Carew, Luis Aparicio and BASEBALL, from page Dl like the Nationals produced in 1966? Or the batting order they put together that July: Willie Mays leading off, then Roberto Clemen te, Aaron and Willie McCovey? Those days, it was a real treat to see such a collection. That was before cable television, and was one of the few opportunities for many fans to watch stars such as Warren Spahn, Ernie Banks and Willie Stargell. On Tuesday night at the SkyDome, outfielders Ivan Calderon, Felix Jose and Paul O'Neill will be on the bench for the Nationals. Pete Harnisch, John Smiley and Dennis Martinez will be among the pitchers.

Tune in any day to ESPN, CNN or the local news, and you can see every one of them. They're good, sure. And some, such as Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken, Ryne Sandberg and Roger Clemens, rank right up there with Whitey Ford, Eddie Mathews, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris and the 17 Hall of Famers who played in 1961. Bijt by the looks of it, baseball's best sleepers with a memorable monster home run in 1989, will be absent, as will Jose Canseco (tied with Cecil Fielder for the major league home run lead) and Nolan Ryan, probably the biggest star in basebalL Maybe Ken Griffey Jr. and Dave Henderson are better all-around players than Bo ever was but are we talking about the best movie actor, such as Hoffman and Hackman, or the biggest star, such as Schwarzenegger or Stallone? Besides, today's baseball stars are not always regarded as heroes.

In the days of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Mantle, great ballplayers were gods. Now, the warts are exposed, too. Think about last year's starting outfield for the Nationals Lenny Dykstra, Darryl Strawberry and Kevin Mitchell all have been linked to problems in the past. "There's a lot more hype, there's a lot more television, a lot more coverage, and I think more people are into baseball than ever before," Dave Winfield said. "But I don't think the All-Star Game has lost its luster or magic.

Even guys from Seattle have big names now and go to All-Star Games. So, baseball's sfiill big time." Frank Robinson. There were six home runs that evening, with Jackson, Harmon Killebrew and Frank Robinson connecting for the Americans and Aaron, Bench and Clemente for the Nationals. Pitchers such as Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer and Ferguson Jenkins wanted no part of it All-Star power zapped In the past five All-Star Games, there have been a total of five home runs, all by the American Leaguers. The last time the Nationals homered was 1984, when Dale Murphy and Gary Carter did it.

Instead, all the power has been zapped by the strategy that now dominates: Bring in the short reliever. Bobby Thigpen, Mitch Williams, Doug Jones and Todd Worrell may not put together bunches of great seasons the way Don Drysdale did, but they're hot for one year, and for one inning, they're unhittable. In 1987, the year of the lively ball, the Nationals won, 2-0, in 13 innings. Last season at Wrigley Field, it was 1 2-0, Americans. Bo Jackson, who broke up a string of ON THE AIR Television 'Baseball Athletics at Royals, Ch.

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