The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 14

2STHE PES MOINES REGISTER Wednesday, July 10, 1991 BASEBALL REPORT Triple-A Alliance breaking International League votes to split with American Association AMEBlCflM LEAGUE EAST Pot 68 List 10 ttrtik How Away Dlv. 1990 Toronto 49 34 590 8-2 W3 27-16 22 18 24 16 46-37 Boston 42 33 .525 5 6-4 tl 24-19 18-19 17-21 46-34 Detroit 41 40 .506 7 7-3 Wl 23-15 18-25 20-19 39-42 NewYork 38 40 .487 8tt 7-3 LI 22-18 16-22 23-13 29-49 Milwaukee 36 44 .450 11 Vi 3-7 Wl 20-21 16-23 17-22 36-44 Baltimore 33 47 .413 5-5 Wl 13-25 20-22 19-20 35-45 Cleveland 26 53 .329 21 2-8 LI 14-25 12-28 15-24 39-40 WEST Pot CB Last 10 Struk Homo Awy Dlv. 1990 Texas 44 33 .571 7-3 W4 24-14 20-19 23-16 35-42 Minnesota 47 36 .566 3-7 LI 25 17 22-19 17-22 40-43 California 44 37 .543 2 4-6 L4 21-19 23-18 20-18 39-42 Chicago 43 37 .538 2Vi 7-3 Wl 22-18 21-19 23-19 49-31 Oakland 44 38 .537 2V, 5-5 LI 25-14 19-24 22-18 51-31 Seattle 40 42 .488 2-8 L3 21-19 19-23 14-24 42-40 KansasCity 36 44 .450 9W 4-6 Wl 15-27 21-17 18-20 36-44 to play against talent they could possibly see if they ever made the major leagues. TUESDAY'S GAME All-Star Game at Toronto TODAY'S GAMES No games scheduled THURSDAY'S GAMES Baltimore at Oakland Boston at Minnesota Chicago at Milwaukee Cleveland at Seattle Kansas City at Detroit New York at California Texas at Toronto tablished a good situation. I thought we had the foundation of what minor-league baseball should be." There were three leagues of triple-A baseball prior to the formation of the Triple-A Alliance the American Association, International League and Pacific Coast League.

The American Association and International League agreed at their winter meeting in 1987 to play inter-league competition for four years, then re-evaluate. "We have fulfilled the agreement to play it through 1991," said Bruce Baldwin, general manager at Richmond. "We're not sending a message to the American Association that we don't love them. It's important to emphasize that we still want to be associated with them through the championship playoffs and all-star game." Bernabe wasn't sure that would be possible. American Association officials from Iowa, Denver, Omaha, 's iV NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST Pot OB Last 10 Straak Horns Away Dlv.

1990 Pittsburgh 48 31 .608 6-4 Wl 23-17 25-14 31-13 48-31 New York 46 34 .575 2Yz 8-2 W7 20-18 26-16 28-16 48-32 St. Louis 44 37 .543 5 5-5 Wl 23-18 21-19 25-19 34-47 Chicago 38 44 .463 lltt 6-4 LI 23-18 15-26 24-20 36-46 Montreal 35 47 .427 14'4 2-8 LI 17-22 18-25 10-35 46-36 Philadelphia 33 49 .402 16V4 3-7 L3 18-23 15-26 14-30 40-42 WEST Pot OB Last 10 Straak Homo Away Dlv. 1990 LosAngeles 49 31 .613 7-3 W2 25-16 24-15 25-20 38-42 Cincinnati 44 36 .550 5 6-4 L2 24-16 20-20 23-19 50-30 Atlanta 39 40 .494 9V4 3-7 L2 18-22 21-18 20-23 33-46 San Diego 40 43 .482 lOtt 3-7 L2 17-24 23-19 23-22 37-46 San Francisco 35 46 .432 14'S 5-5 W2 20-22 15-24 20-23 42-39 Houston 34 47 .420 15tt 6-4 W2 19-22 15-25 20-24 32-49 Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken watches his third inning, three-run heme run sail toward the outfield fence Tuesday night. The homer against Dennis Martinez gave the American League a 3-1 lead in the All-Star Game at Toronto. Stiff leg won't keep Iowa all-star on bench By RANDY PETERSON Register Staff Writer LOUISVILLE, KY.

International League officials voted to discontinue their four-year marriage with the American Association at the league's semi-annual meeting on Wednesday. "They felt the (Triple-A) Alliance had not produced the result at the gate that they anticipated bringing in another eight clubs would do," said Tidewater General Manager David Rosenfield. "It seemed to be more than just the cost outlay because of the travel." Randy Mobley, president of the Triple-A Alliance, said the vote to discontinue, following the 1991 season was 5-3. Officials from Tidewater, Richmond and Rochester voted to continue, while officials from Columbus, Pawtucket, ScrantonWilkes-Barre, Syracuse and Toledo voted to discontinue. "I'm not real happy with the vote," Iowa General Manager Sam Bernabe said.

"I certainly thought we had es- Breakaway base proves safety value ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. (AP) -The inventor of a breakaway base has won over the hearts and ankles of Softball and baseball players, although his claim that the major leagues will convert could be baseless. Roger Hall, a former baseball coach at Elizabethtown College, is the developer of the Rogers Break Away Base, a big league lookalike that detaches when baserunners risk injury on a slide that's too fast or too poor. "I imagine in 20 years, when my patent runs out, everyone will be us ing this base," Hall said. A University of Michigan study found the use of Hall's base reduced injuries 96 percent during a three-year test, and a sports medicine group found even better results among minor-league teams.

Still, Hall is finding the big leagues and the NCAA balking at his safety feature. "It happens every day; someone gets busted up," Hall said. "You have pro players getting hurt under ideal conditions, and then you have millions of Americans playing ball on potholed fields." In 1989, Michigan found that base-sliding accounted for 71 percent of all recreational Softball injuries and that ankle injuries occurred on a third of those slides. Using those figures, the Center for Disease Control estimated that more than 1.7 million sliding injuries occur each year, with 360,000 requiring a hospital visit. "The concentration of injuries resulting from this one activity make it a likely candidate for rules changes, better training or modifications in the design of bases as a means to reduce Softball injuries," Michigan researcher David Janda wrote in 1989 at the end of its study.

Outlawing sliding would be impossible and instructing millions of players on safe sliding would be impractical, the institute wrote. It recommended modifying bases. Janda, now with the Institute for Preventive Sports Medicine in Ann Arbor, found that in 1,174 slides among six minor league teams last season, the base popped off only 13 times. "The general managers and players all believed that the player would have been hurt in each of those cases if the base hadn't separated," Janda said Tuesday. Hall's anchoring system is the same as a one-piece base, with a square metal rod fitted into a buried foundation.

The difference is that the top is attached to a plate with rubber grommets that release when pressure exceeds 700 foot pounds. It takes 3,500 foot pounds to dislodge a traditional base, the Michigan institute said. Eight grommets are used for youth league bases, a dozen for teen leagues, 16 for adult leagues and 20 for advanced or professional players. The higher the number of grommets, the tighter the base is held. When a base separates, the rubber plate remains to mark the original spot of the bag.

Hall Includes a rule suggestion for umpires with each set of bases. "If the basetop should become dislodged from the base plate during live play, the base plate becomes the actual base for the rendering of the umpire's decision," his instructions read. The Fayetteville (N.C.) Generals, a Gass A team of the Detroit Tigers, installed the bases last year. "I think that as contracts go up and up and the investment in a player goes up and up, injury prevention tools are going to get more of a look than they every have before," said Matt Perry, the Generals' general manager. Bob Gilson, general manager of the London (Ontario) Tigers in the Eastern League, also installed the Rogers bases last year.

Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Nashville, Buffalo and Louisville have their meeting in Louisville today and will discuss the International League's decision. "It wouldn't surprise me a bit if we vote not meet them in a playoff situation," Bernabe said. "It's just a reaction to a reaction." Executives of teams voting to discontinue the Triple-A Alliance could not be reached for comment. They were partaking in various functions throughout Louisville associated with the fourth Triple-A All-Star Game, which will be played tonight. But Rosenfield and Baldwin were more than willing to express the thoughts of those who voted to continue the Triple-A Alliance.

"I felt that inter-league play opened new horizons," Baldwin said. "It brought to my ballpark additional teams that my fans could see and it brought to my players an opportunity Associated Press iUl STARTING LINEUPS NATIONAL LEAGUE (Batting order yet to be determined) Rick Reed, Buffalo; Todd Hundley. Tidewater; IB Terry Lee, Nashville; 2B Andres Santana, Phoenix; 3B Chris Don-nets. Tidewater; SS Rey Sanchez, Iowa; OF Darren Lewis, Phoenix; OF Kenny Lofton, Tucson; OF John Vanderwal, Indianapolis. AMERICAN LEAGUE Denny Neagle, Portland; Tim Mcintosh, Denver; IB Phil Plantier, Pawtucket; 2B Monty Fariss, Oklahoma City; 3B Scott Livingstone, Toledo; SS Eddie Zosky, Syracuse; OF Ruben Amaro, Edmonton; OF Lee Stevens, Edmonton; OF Mike Humphreys, Columbus.

Manager Pete Mackanin, who managed at Iowa in 1988 and 1989, had nothing but kind words for Des Moines native and West Des Moines Dowling graduate Scott Pose. "He was a little short on ability, but more than made up for it with his heart and desire to play the game," Mackanin said of Pose, who had a brief stint this season with the triple-A team of the Cincinnati Reds. Pose, who since has been sent to double-A Chattanooga, was promoted because of a rash of injuries and major-league promotions by Nashville. "He didn't come to us under the best of circumstances," Mackanin said of the left fielder. "We were struggling at the time and didn't have as much of a chance to work with him as we would have liked.

We had to put him in the lineup." MUHAMMAD MACKANIN? Maybe. Mackanin and Rochester's Bennie DiStefano became engaged in a fight earlier this season when Mackanin felt DiStefano was trying to run up the score in a game that already had been decided. "It was the eighth inning and we're stuck, 11-0," Mackanin said. "He tried to drag bunt, then said something to me in the dugout. I said I'd meet him after the game, then all of a sudden he started walking toward me in the dugout.

I took my glasses off and threw a haymaker. I don't know whether I hit him or not, but the next thing I knew I was on the bottom of a pile. Then I found out the next day that he was a former Golden Gloves boxing champion." NEVER SAY DIE. The presence of organizers of the Quad Cities' effort to land a triple-A expansion team continues despite not being one of the five finalists. Stationary with the Quad Cities logo was in front of each of the executives of the International League when they had their semi-annual meeting Tuesday afternoon.

"I haven't seen anyone from the Quad Cities, but it's apparent they aren't giving up easily," Triple-A Alliance President Randy Mobley said. 4 I mmfl- "It was a very progressive move on all of our parts to be aligned with one another. I felt it was something that needed to continue for the betterment of triple-A baseball. It was great to walk in my ballpark to see people wearing Cubs and Cardinals hats. By reducing ourselves to where we were, we are with blinders and can't see past our own noses." Rosenfield was more adamant.

"I am more than bitterly disappointed," he said. "I am crushed. I believed in this long before it happened and I believe in it every bit as much today as I did before we started it. "We just fixed something that wasn't broke. I respect the vote of the others who did not see positive results.

But I don't have to agree with it." Jose quizzes White House on green card TORONTO, ONTARIO (AP) -St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Felix Jose got one goal fulfilled at the All-Star Game even before he wetit to bat: enlisting White House help in securing his green card. Jose, a citizen of the Dominican Re-public, got to shake hands with Presi dent Bush betore a the game. vV- Jl Afterward, he turn- felix ed to teammate Oz- jose zie Smith and asked him to intercede with Bush on his effort to gain permanent U.S. residency status.

Smith laughed and told other National League all-stars, "He wants me to ask the president of the United States to help him get his green card." Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney were already off talking to other players in the crowded locker room. But Jose persisted and eventually, he and Smith found White House Chief of Staff John Sununu, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and national security adviser Brent Scowcroft. They lent an ear. Jose explained that he has to apply for a new visa to enter the United States every time he goes home. "I got to go through all this process," he said.

"If I don't get my green card by the end of the year, I have to go home." Sununu listened sympathetically and said, "Drop me a note." Sununu told reporters he would ask the Immigration and Naturalization Service about the rules. PLAY-BY-PLAY LINEUPS National League: Tony Gwynn cf; Ryne Sandberg. 2b; Will Clark, lb; Bobby Bonilla. dh: Andre Dawson, rf: Ivan Calderon, II; Chris Sabo, 3b; Benito Santiago, 0ie Smith, ss pitcher, Tom Glavine. American League: Rickey henderson.

If; Wade Boggs, 3b; Cal Ripken, ss; Cecil Fielder, lb; Danny Tartabull. dh; Dave Henderson, rf Ken Qriftey. Jr. Sandy Alomar, Roberto Alomar, 2b; pitcher, Jack Morris. HOW THEY SCORED National first: Morris' first pitch was a ball Gwynn lined a single between shortstop and third Sandberg popped out to short right.

Clark singled to right, lust over Roberto Alomar's glove, Gwynn to third. Bonilla singled off Morrit' foot. Gwynn scored. Sandberg to second Dawson grounded into double play, third to second to first National 1, American 0. American first: Rickey Henderson fouled out to Clark down the right field line at the stands.

Boggs walked on tour pitches. Ripken lined a single to center. Boggs to second. Fielder struck out chasing a high fastball. Tartabull struck out looking at an inside curveball National 1, American 0.

National second: Calderon singled in the hoie to right. On a hit-and-run, Sabo grounded out pitcher to first. Calderon to second. Calderon stole third as Santiago struck out swinging. Ottie Smith lined out to shortstop National 1, American 0.

American second: Dave Henderson struck out looking. Ken Griffey Jr. Hied to center Sandy Alomar tiled out to center National 1, American 0. National third: Jimmy Key pitching. Gwynn lined out to first On a 3 2 pitch.

Sandberg doubled off the left field wall. Clarti bounced out to first, pitcher covering. Sandberg to third Bonilla struck out chasing an outside fastball. National 1, American 0. American third: Dennis Martinez pitching Roberto Alomar tiled out to Calderon on the left-field warning track.

Rickey Henderson singled to center. On a hit-and-run, Boggs beat out a grounder up the middle as Sandberg made a tough grab, while Rickey Henderson moved to second. On a 1-1 pitch. Ripken hit a three-run homer to center. Fielder grounded out to second.

Tartabull lined out to third. American 3, National 1. National fourth: Roger Clemens pitching. Joe Carter, making his first All-Star appearance, to left On a 3-2 pitch, Dawson homered off the second tier in straight-away center, the first N.L. homer since Dale Murphy's in 1984.

Calderon flied out to center. Sabo flied out to left. Santiago flied out to center. American 3, National 2. American fourth: Felix Jose to right.

Dave Henderson popped out to short center. Griffey Jr. singled to center. Sandy Alomar grounded Into tlelder'a choice, shortstop to second. Griffey Jr.

forced at second Roberto Alomar lined out to second. American 3, National 2. National fifth: Jack McDowell pitching. Carlton Fisk. the oldest All-Star.

came In to catch Ome Smith, playing in his 1 1 th straight All-Star game, walk ed. Gwynn grounded into double play, third to second to first. Sandberg flied out to right center. American 1, National 2. American fifth: Frank Viola pitching, Juan Samuel to second.

Barry Larkin to shortstop. Carter walked after a dropped-foul tip with two strikes. Boggs filed to Gwynn, who made a back-handed grab on the run in right center Ripken grounded Into fielder's choice, shortstop to second, Carter forced at second; a wide throw by Sandberg prevented a double play. Fielder filed to center. American 3, National 2.

National sixth: Clark walked, the second straight leadoff walk by McDowell Bonilla had his second hit, a tinsle to center, Clark to second Jose rounded into fielder choice, first to shortstop, Bonilla forced at second, Clark to third. Jose dove back to first to avoid a pickoff throw. Paul O'Neill, pinch hitting for Calderon. grounded Into a fielder choice. Fielder fired home to Fisk to get Clark at the plate.

Jose to second Howard Johnson, pinch hitting for Sabo, fouled out to Boggs. American 3, National 2. American sixth: Pete Harnisch pitching, Eddie Murray at first Harold Baines. pinch hitting tor Tartabull grounded out to second Rubin Sierra, pinch hitting for Dave Henderson, went too far on check-swing third strike. Griffey Jr.

singled to right Fisk, at 43 years, 8 months, became the oldest All-Star in history to get a hit when he blooped a single to shallow center, Griffey jr to third. Roberto Alomar flew out to center. American 3, National 2. faff- THURSDAY'S GAMES Houston at Chicago Los Angeles at Montreal Pittsburgh at Cincinnati St. Louis at Atlanta San Diego at New York San Fran, at Philadelphia disappointing season.

Sutcliffe will be limited to 100 pitches. Palermo fair. Major-league umpire Steve Palermo, who was shot in the back Sunday after capturing a fleeing robbery suspect, remained in fair condition Tuesday at a Dallas hospital. Palermo and Terence Mann were shot while trying to help two waitresses being robbed in a restaurant parking lot early Sunday. Palermo, an American League umpire since 1977, was recovering at Parkland Memorial Hospital from a bullet wound to his right kidney.

Mann was released from the hospital Monday. He suffered bullet wounds to the neck and chin and his right arm. A bullet remains lodged in his abdomen. The man charged in the shootings is a soldier who recently returned from the Persian Gulf War. Minor major.

Erik schuiis- trom pitched a no-hitter this season for Frederick of the Class A Carolina League and hadn't allowed a home run in 36 innings. But the right-hander's success came to an abrupt halt Monday night as the Salem Buccaneers hit a record-tying four consecutive home runs in the first inning. "I've been in professional baseball for 18 years and I have never seen anything like that," Salem manager Stan Cliburn said. "I've seen three in a row, but never four. I do remember seeing four in a row once.

It was in a Little League game back in 1966." DSame old thine. Florida Marlins President Carl Barger says he'll bring to the National League expansion team the plan that transformed the Pittsburgh Pirates from sorry shape into division champions. "The same thing will have to be done in Florida," Barger said. NATIONAL LEAGUE Through Tues.) 0 AB 119 81 84 93 86 85 98 76 93 93 Pet. .358 .324 .324 .322 .315 .315 .313 .311 .309 .302 T.Qwynn, San Diego 83 332 Pendleton, Atlanta 71 McGee.

San Fran 68 250 259 289 273 270 313 244 301 308 Jose. St. Louis 77 Biggio. Houston 0 Smith, St. Louis Samuel.

Los Angeles Morris, Cincinnati Celderon, Montreal Sandberg. Chicago HITS T. Gwynn, San Diego, 119; Samuel, Los Angeles, 98: Butler. Los Angeles. 94; Jose.

St. Louis, 93; Cal-deron, Montreal, 93; Sandberg, Chicago, 93; G. Bell. Chicago, 90. HOME RUNS Johnson, New York, 19; McGriff, San Diego, 16; Bell.

Chicago. 16: Gant. Atlanta. 15; W. Clark, San Francisco, 15; O'Neill, Cincinnati, 15: Dawson, Chicago, 15.

RUNSBATTtD-IN Johnson, New York, 63; W. Clark, San Francisco, 59. Kruk. Philadelphia. 55; McGriff.

San Diego, 53: Guerrero, St. Louis, 53; Dawson, Chicago, 52. RUNS Butler, Los Angeles. 59; Sandberg, Chicago, 55; Johnson, New York. 52: 0.

Smith, St. Louis. 52; T. Fernandez, San Diego. 51.

STOLEN BASES Nixon, Atlanta, 42; Grlssom, Montreal. 38; De-Shields, Montreal, 37; Coleman, New York, 33: Lenkford, St. Louis. 21: Bonds. Pittsburgh.

21; Cal-deron. Montreal. 20; 0. Smith. St.

Louis, 20. PITCHING R. Martinet. Los Angeles, 12-3. .800.

2.54; Carpenter, St. Louis. 7-2. .778. 3 61; Glavlne.

Atlanta, 12-4, .750. 1.98, Riio. Cincinnati. 6-2, .750, 2.66; Portugal, Houston, 8-4, 667, 3 81: Browning, Cincinnati. 10-5.

.667, 3 99; Viola. New York. 10-5, .667. 2 80; De Martinez. Montreal, 10-5, .667, 2.10.

STRIKEOUTS Cone. New York, 113; Glavlne, Atlanta, 108; Gooden, New York, 101: G. Maddux, Chicago, 100; Rijo. Cincinnati. 86; Benes.

San Diego. 84; Harnisch, Houston, 81; Belcher, Los Angeles, 81; DeLeon, St. Louis, 81. SAVES Dibble, Cincinnati, 23; La. Smith, St Louis, 23; Franco, New York, 19; Da.

Smith, Chicago, 16: Landrum. Pittsburgh, 15: Lefferts. San Diego, 14; Mi Williams, Philadelphia. 13. TUESDAY'S GAME All-Star Game at Toronto TODAY'S GAMES No games scheduled NOTES Deserving mors money.

Lou Gehrig's performance and years of service make him deserving of the highest salary in baseball history if he played hi today's market, a study released Tuesday by two University of Dayton economics professors shows. "It is probably impossible to ever objectively rank the all-time players on the basis of their pure baseball athletic skills, but if a player with Lou Gehrig's statistical capabilities emerged in the 1991 baseball labor market, he should be the highest-paid player," said Lawrence Hadley, one of the study's authors. Hadley and Elizabeth Gustafson calculated that Gehrig would command an annual salary of more than $7.8 million in today's market. Pitcher Walter Johnson would be second behind Gehrig, earning more than $7.5 million a year. The two researchers studied the records of 150 hitters and 100 pitchers, including most of this century's Hall of Fame players and those the professors considered quality and commonly recognized players.

Active players were excluded from the group. They based performance on variables such as hits, home runs and stolen bases for hitters. For pitchers, they looked at such things as records, earned-run averages and strikeouts. Gehrig topped the list for hitters, followed by Babe Ruth, $7.5 million; Jimmie Foxx, $7.3 million; Honus Wagner, $7 million; and Ted Williams, $6.5 million. Following Johnson on the pitchers' list were Cy Young, $7.1 million; Christy Mathewson, $6.6 million; Rube Waddell, $5.8 million; and Gay-lord Perry, $5.5 million.

SutdiffO Sat. Rick Satellite pitches tonight for CTass A Peoria in a Midwest League game at Kenosha, Wis. This minor item of news from the lowest rung of the minor-league ladder could provide a step toward strengthening the major problem of the Cubs in the second half of their LEADERS AMERICAN LEAGUE (Through Tuei.) 0 AB Pet C.Ripken, Baltimore 80 319 58 111 .348 Joyner, California 77 301 50 99 .329 Sierra. Texas 77 323 55 105 .325 Boggs, Boston 76 287 49 93 .324 Barnes, Oakland 72 257 43 83 .323 Tartabull. K.C 70 275 48 88 .320 Palmeiro, Texas 77 320 60 102 .319 Greenwell.

Bolton 78 301 45 96 .319 Molilor. Milwaukee 76 320 60 102 .319 Franco, Texas 73 299 55 95 .318 HITS C. Ripken. Baltimore, 111; Sierra, Texas, 105: Palmeiro, Texas, 102: Molitor, Milwaukee, 102: Puckett. Minneiota, 101: Joyner, California, 99: Carter, Toronto.

97 HOME RUNS Canseco. Oakland. 21; Fielder. Detroit. 21; Tar-tabull Kansas City.

20: Carter. Toronto. 19: C. Davis. Minnesota, 19; C.

Ripken, Baltimore, 18; D. Henderson. Oakland. 18. W.ntieM, California, 18.

RUNS-BATTED-IN Fielder. Detroit. 65; Canseco. Oakland. 63; Tar-tabull.

Kansas City. 59; Carter. Toronto, 59; Thomas. Chicago. 58; Barnes.

Oakland. 58: Joyner. California, 57, Wintield. California. 57.

RUNS Molitor. Milwaukee. 60: Palmeiro. Texas. 60: Canseco.

Oakland. 58: Ripken, Baltimore. 58; White. Toronto, 56: Franco, Texas, 55, Sierra, Texas, 55; D. Henderson, Oakland.

54. STOLEN BASES Henderson. Oakland. 30; R.Alomar. Toronto.

27; Polonia. California. 27; Raines, Chicago, 26: White. Toronto, 19; Cuyler, Detroit, 17; Franco. Texas.

17. PITCHING Ericfcson. Minnesota. 12-3, 800 1 83; Langston, California. 12-3.

BOO. 3 84; Stottlemyre. Toronto. 9-3. .750.

3.03; Finley. California. 12-4. .750. 4.10; Sanderson.

New York, 9-3. .750. 3 93; Qullickson. Detroit. 11-4.

.733. 4 00; McDowell, Chicago. 10-4, .714, 3.20; Key. Toronto, 10-4. 714, 2.23.

STRIKEOUTS Clement. Boston, 123; R. Johnson. Seattle, 119; Ryan, Texas. 116: Finley.

California, 106; McDowell, Chicago, 100; Swindell, Cleveland, 98: Candiotti, Toronto. 96. SAVES Eckerstey. Oakland, 23; Harvey. California.

22: Aguilera. Minnesota. 22; Reardon, Boston. 21; Thig-pen. Chicago, 18, Olson, Baltimore, 17; Je.

Russell. Texas. 17. By RANDY PETERSON Rtfltiftr Stiff Wrlttf LOUISVILLE, KY. When Iowa Cubs shortstop Rey Sanchez's alarm blasted early Tuesday morning, the first thing he noticed, besides the fact that it was 4:30 a.m., was stiffness in his left leg.

The same stiffness that has bothered him for the last week. When he boarded an airplane for his trip to Louisville 90 minutes later, he said the leg was still tight. The stiffness kept Sanchez on the bench for Iowa's losses to Denver Saturday and Sunday, but he played Monday. After working out at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville on Tuesday afternoon, Sanchez proclaimed himself fit for his first triple-A all-star game, which begins tonight at 7:05 CDT. Heritage Cablevision in Des Moines is among the networks that will provide live coverage.

"It's still a little stiff, but it's something I have to play through," Sanchez said. "The more you sit out, the stiffer it gets." Sanchez will be in the starting lineup for the National League tonight when stars from the American Association, International League and Pacific Coast League meet in the fourth all-star game. Iowa utility player Russ McGinnis also was selected to the team, but won't start. He will be used either as a catcher or a first baseman. Nashville Manager Pete Mackanin, who was the manager of the Iowa Cubs in 1988 and 1989, will be a coach for the National League.

"Rey Sanchez is the best shortstop in minor-league baseball," Mackanin said. "Everyone knew he could catch It and throw it. The only area he was a little suspect was hitting." But that isn't a problem, either. Sanchez leads the American Association in hitting with a .341 average, second best among the starters for both teams and fifth among the complete rosters of both teams. National League all-star reserve outfielder Kevin Ward of Las Vegas has the highest batting average among the ail-stars at .365.

American League starting outfielder Ruben Amaro of Edmonton has the highest batting average among the starters at .356. He is the son of former major-leaguer and Detroit Tigers coach Ruben Amaro. Denny Neagle of Portland, the top minor-league team of the Minnesota Twins, will be the starting pitcher for the American League. Neagle, a left-hander who was the Twins' minor-league player of the year last season, has an 8-2 record and 2.72 earned-run average. Rick Reed of Buffalo, the triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will start for the National League.

The right-hander has an 8-2 record and leads the American Association with a 1.92 ERA. PRAISE FOR POSE. Nashville.