The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 63

-J' S-N THE PALM BEACH POST SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. 1996 11C Baseball xoos9 Leiter too much aruns for Marlins Report TODAY'S GAME SATURDAY'S BOX SCORE 4 1 1 vt st 1 7 7 Expos 2, Marlins 1 Who: Montreal Expos at Florida Marlins. When: 4:35 p.m. Where: Pro Player Park. Tickets: Plenty remain.

Call Ticketmaster at (561)966-3309. TV: None. Radio: WQAM-560AM. Pitchers: The Expos' Pedro Martinez (12-9, 3.98 ERA) vs. the Marlins' Rick Helling (0-0, 9.00).

IIlssjSill HOW THEY SCORED MONTREAL AS Bl BB SO Avg. Grudzielaneks: 5 110 0 1 .312 Lansing 2b 5 0 3 1 0 0 300 Segul lb 3 0 1 0 1 1 .291 Alourf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .286 Floyd If 2 1 0 0 2 0 235 Roiasp 0 0 0 0 0 0 .375 RWhitecf 3 0 10 11 .313 DFIetcher 2 0 1 1 1 0 275 Stank iewlczph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .261 Spehrc 0 0 0 0 0 0 .098 Andrews 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 238 MLeiter 3 0 0 0 0 0 .133 Urbina 0 0 0 0 0 0 .103 Santangelo If 1 0 0 0 0 0 287 TOTALS 32 2 7 2 6 3 FLORIDA AB Bl BB SO Avg. LCastillo2b 3 0 0 0 0 2 .267 Arias ph-3b 1 0 0 0 0 0 .287 Renteria ss 4 0 0 0 0 1 .305 Sheffield rf 11113 0 .318 Conine lb 3 0 1 0 1 0 .296 DvWhitecf 4 0 0 0 0 2 .267 Orsulak If 4 0 0 0 0 1 .224 Abbott 3b-2b 4 0 2 0 0 2 260 Johnson 2 0 1 0 1 0 209 Tavarezpr 0 0 0 0 0 0 .194 Valdes 1 0 0 0 0 0 000 Mcmillonph 1 0 0 0 0 0 224 Hammond 0 0 0 0 0 0 .067 Dawson ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .293 Miller 0 0 0 0 0 0 375 FHerediap 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Nenp 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Colbrunnph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .291 TOTALS 30 1 5 1 5 9 MONTREAL 010 010 000- 2 7 0 FLORIDA 000 000 010-1 5 2 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Montreal's Mark Grudzielanek is tagged tried to score from second on a single, out at home by Florida's Charles John- but left fielder Joe Orsulak made the -son in the third inning. Grudzielanek throw home for the assist. Sheffield's bad image may cost him MVP votes Marlins Notebook Expos Second: Floyd walked.

Floyd stole second. White grounded out to second baseman Castillo, Floyd to third. Fletcher grounded out to second baseman Castillo, Floyd scored. Andrews grounded out to second baseman Castillo. 1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on.

Expos 1, Marlins 0. Expos Fifth: Leiter grounded out to first baseman Conine, pitcher Valdes covering. Grudzielanek safe on third baseman Abbott's fielding error. Lansing tripled to center, Grudzielanek scored. Segul grounded out to shortstop Renteria.

Alou fouled out to catcher Johnson. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 left on. Expos 2, Marlins 0. Marlins Eighth: Spehr catching, batting 7th. Arias, pinch hitting for Castillo, flied out to center fielder White.

Renteria struck out. Sheffield homered to left center on 0-2 count. Rojas relieved Urbina, batting 5th. Santangelo to left field for Rojas, batting 9th. Conine walked.

White grounded out to second baseman Lansing. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Expos 2, Marlins 1. By ETHAN J. SKOLNICK Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Blame it on Charo.

Despite two inspired performances of the Macar-ena (or Manareya, as Marlins manager John Boles malaproped) by the brightly, loosely clad 60-some-thing Latin songstress, the Marlins stumbled 2-1 against Mark Leiter and the Montreal Expos on Saturday night. Leiter (8-10) was masterful in the same stadium his brother Al pitched a no-hitter this season, allowing four hits in 6 innings before a crowd of 25,278. Mark with a struck out five, two with runners aboard. "I don't know why I pitch well against these guys," said Leiter, who was disappointed he did not face his brother. "My goal is to pitch against him, and my higher goal is to be his teammate one day." Marc with a was clubbed, though the box score didn't show it.

Valdes, the Marlins starter, yielded only two runs (one earned) in five innings. It should have been worse. The Expos, annually ravaged of talent by big-market predators, are running strong in the wild-card race largely because of manager Felipe Alou's unyielding devotion to one activity. Running. Saturday, Alou's team stole three bases against the league's top-throwing catcher, Charles Johnson, and scored their first run in the second inning in typical Felipe fashion.

A leadoff walk to Cliff Floyd. A stolen base. A Rondell White chopper to second base, advancing Floyd to third. A Darrin Fletcher bouncer to second, sending Floyd home. But the Expos also ran on Marlins left fielder Joe Orsulak, and into three outs.

With Montreal ahead 1-0 in the third inning, Mark Grudzielanek singled and stole second. Mike Lansing followed with a single to left field. Orsulak charged and fired on one hop to Johnson at the plate. Bob Davidson called Grudzielanek out, as Lansing took second base. David Segui then drilled another single, this one to Orsulak's right.

His throw never touched the ground, landing in Johnson's glove to the right of home plate. Johnson lurched over and tagged the sliding Lansing, clearly after Lansing touched the plate. Davidson called Lansing out as well as Orsulak's two outfield assists in one inning tied a major league record. But Florida could not capitalize, not with Gary Sheffield receiving three walks, and igniters Luis Castillo and Edgar Renteria going 0-for-7, only the second time neither one reached base in a game. The Marlins' only highlights were defensive a sprawling stop by third baseman Kurt Abbott in the fourth and a diving lunge in the eighth, a run-saving play by a drawn-in Renteria at shortstop in the fifth, and another Orsulak assist.

In the fourth inning, Floyd walked and was balked to second. White looped a Valdes fastball toward Orsulak, who let it drop as if daring Floyd to run, then erased the Expo at third base. Still, the Marlins could not win one for the lady in red, Charo. Lansing's RBI triple in the fifth made it 2-0. Expos reliever Ugueth Urbina struck out Andre Dawson on three pitches in the seventh, with two runners on.

Sheffield, finally thrown a strike, launched his 40th home run in the eighth. E-KAbbott (12), Hammond (2). LOB-Montreal 9, Florida 8. 2B-KAbbott (17). 3B-Lansing (2).

HR-Sheffield (40) off Urbina. RBI-Lansing (51 DFIetcher (56), Sheffield (113). SB-Grudzielanek (32), Floyd (7), RWhite (13). GlOP-Conine. Runners left in scoring position-Montreal 4 (Segul, Alou, Andrews 2); Florida 3 (LCastillo, DvWhite, Dawson).

Runners moved up-RWhlte, DFIetcher. DP-Montreal 1 (MLeiter, Grudzie- lanek and Segul). MONTREAL IP ER BB SO NPERA MLeiter 8-10 6 4 0 0 3 5 98 4.91 Urbina 111 1 0 2 19 3.97 Rojas 28 Vi 0 0 0 2 2 35 3 61 IP ER BB SO NPERA 4 0 74 4.95 5 2 2 2 0 FLORIDA Valdes 1-3 Hammond Miller FHeredia Nen 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 25 7 09 13 7.12 8 2 92 7 1 93 vj Vi 0 0 1 0 0 Inherited runners-scored-Urbina 2-0, FHeredia 2-0. HBP-by MLeiter (C Johnson). Balk-Valdes.

Umpires Home, Davidson; First, Barron; Second, Gregg; Third, Poncino. A 25,278 By ETHAN J. SKOLNICK Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Gary Sheffield is not Albert Belle. He hasn't belittled female reporters, chucked baseballs at photographers, or viciously elbowed height-impaired middle in-' fielders. Yet he expects baseball writers to vote against him for National League MVP based on hearsay concerning his attitude.

Last year, Belle lost the American League MVP to Mo Vaughn, though Belle's numbers were better. "People want to paint a bad image for Tyou," Sheffield said. "That's their (report-; ers) bad image for me which, no matter what I do, I can't shake." I Sheffield has left pitchers shaking all "season, hitting .318 with 40 home runs and 1 113 RBI, despite being walked 122 times (three times Saturday), and pitched around xountless others. "Everyone around the league knows who the best players are," Sheffield said. MVP is a guy who does it all year, every day, that's the bottom line." And who's that guy? "I told you," Sheffield said, with a self-assured smile.

Then Sheffield went out and proved it, preaching one of his pre-season goals: 40 homers. "That's something I always wanted to do, I just didn't talk about it," Sheffield said after the game. "I'm proud of it." Catching compliments: Even John Boles is surprised how quickly Charles has taken charge. September Schedule Charles Johnson, back for a week after missing more than a month with a sprained ligament on his throwing hand, is still struggling for consistency at the plate. His defense remains unmatched.

"The thing that's surprised me is he came in and played nine innings right away," said Boles, who had intended to work Johnson in slowly. Boles noted how most teams are once again refraining from running against the Marlins and their "great weapon." Expos manager Felipe Alou, however, fears no masked man. Cliff Floyd stole his seventh base in the fourth inning, Mike Lansing his 32nd in the third inning, and Rondell White his 13th in the fourth inning. The Expos have 105 steals, Florida has 76. Still, Boles didn't blame Johnson.

"They were running on Marc (Valdes)," Boles said. "C.J. didn't have much of a chance." F.P. for first place? Boles said if Edgar Renteria does not win the Rookie of the Year award, he hopes Expos utility man F.P. Santangelo does.

"I love him," Boles said. "But I hate playing against him, because he does so many things." Santangelo, drafted by the Expos from the University of Miami in 1989, has started 90 games for Montreal this season, and appeared in 133. Home game Away game S-Sunshine WBFS-33 WTVX-34 8 7:40 1 0 7:40 11 1:40 1 2 7:35 1 3 7:35 1 4 7:35 Montreal New York New York New York Montreal Montreal Montreal WOR 33 33 33 15 1 35 16 17 7:35 1B 735 19 20 7:05 21 705 Montreal Philadelphia Philadelphia Houston Houston 22 1 35 23 2 4 7:05 25 7 05 26 7:05 27 8:05 28 8 05 Houston Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Houston Houston Some telecasts TBA Helling last in line of N. Dakota legends Proving skeptics wrong not new to Santangelo ill cCf- Not all memories of Randy are pasted to the pages of a scrapbook in Fargo, North Dakota. Every time Rick Helling pulls on a pair of major-league polyesters he has reason to think of his brother.

By DAN GRAZIANO Palm Beach Post Staff Writer They're at it again. Baseball's great overachiev-ers, the Montreal Expos, are pulling their annual act. Succeeding when no one thought they could. picked us to finish last that they were wrong." Proving people wrong is nothing new to Santangelo, and it's nothing new for the Expos. Seems like every year they do this.

Every year they do better than anyone thought they would, "For years, we've had one of the strongest minor-league systems in baseball," Santangelo said. "This is just a case where that's 1 1 111 A weekly look at the wacky side of Major League Baseball But what about the rotation of his brain? Angels rookie pitcher Pep Harris warms up before games by playing catch with an empty soda can. "Something my high school coach taught me," he said. "It helps with the rotation on my curveball." Harris said he generally waits for his teammates to clear the clubhouse before beginning his game of catch the can. Either that or he finds a room off to the side somewhere.

"It's not something I make a big deal out of," he said. "Half these guys think I'm crazy to begin with." I am. Therefore I can. Other longtime baseball combinations: Randy would be ,36 this If he had made it past 23. A car "accident "took the life of the oldest of four 11 Helling "children.

"I was about 12, If that's what the Expos are over-achievers then perhaps no one is more an Expo than F. P. Santangelo, the former Miami Hurricane and West Palm panning out. It's panning out with players like Rondell White, Mark Grudzielanek, Shane Andrews, Cliff Floyd and Santangelo. Remember, this is Scon TOLLEY MARLINS Dan Graziano MAJOR LEAGUES a team that, Santangelo over the past David fll Dwight Weathers Gooden (Never and Steve had it.

jBudweiset, Howe Never will) 1 38, wasn't necessarily all-anything "But she set a couple of state records in track," Helling said. Baseball was certainly the less-traveled path out of North Dakota. But football, now that's Dakotan. That's how Helling ended up on scholarship at Division II power University of North Dakota. His sculpted 6-3, 220-pound frame, with legs like a speed skater (Billy Ripken nicknamed him make the high school war stories believable.

"I took four guys out in one game," Helling said. "In that game, we had a goal-line stand. It was fourth-and-goal at the 1. There was this All-State fullback we met helmet-to-helmet, and I stopped him. Born in Devil's Lake, raised in Lakota (town of about Helling was a three-sport letterman his first three years.

He transferred to Shanley as a senior, and led the state with 26 points a game. "But my brother averaged 37 and a half," Helling said. "My mom said he would have averaged 50 with a three-point line." Basketball is now a hobby. And football ended after that one red-shirt season at UND. Helling still tasting three state baseball titles chose door No.

3 for his future. He transferred to a junior college, where he went 7-2 in 1991 and made the Pan Am team. Helling moved on to Stanford, played in the 1992 Olympics, and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in '92. He reached the majors in '94, but had an 8-24 record over the next two years, bouncing to Class AAA and back. "I never failed ever until two years ago," he said.

"I didn't enjoy it. But it was a learning experience." Helling's positive attitude came as no surprise to his mother. "Rick was always there for me," Lorraine Helling said. "If I was sad or down, he'd say, 'It'll be OK, He's always tried to be the beshhe could. "He's God's blessing.

God's special gift." and my family tells me that after that my life changed," said pitcher Rick Helling, who makes his first start as a Marlin today. "I was a class clown until then. After that, I grew real fast. "My other brother said that I closed up a lot and stayed to myself. Even now, I'm not very sociable.

In high school, I was more worried about athletics and schooling, rather than fun. I didn't want to do anything that could hurt my chances at playing sports." Helling, 25, was an all-conference middle linebacker at Fargo--Shanley High. He was a starting 'point guard as a freshman, and led the state in scoring as a senior. He was the last, and maybe the best, of the Helling siblings. "People knew who I was when I was just 6, because of my fam-" ily," Helling said.

"It probably put a little extra pressure on me. But I liked it. "The more I read the scrap-book articles, the more I realize 4 how good they were. People will say that I am the best athlete to come from North Dakota. Then someone will say, 'No, it's your brother.

Randy played college football and was a high school All-Ameri- can in basketball. Rod, 34, is foot-5, 230 pounds, and a former college basketbal and baseball 1 player. Laurie, 35, was a two-time All-State basketball player. Teri, Beach Expo who persevered through seven years of minor-league adversity to become a major-league rookie at age 28. "I always knew I'd play in the majors," the 5-foot-10, 168-pound Santangelo said.

"There were times when I didn't think I'd get the chance for Montreal, but I always knew I'd get here someday." Now that he's here, he's making it count. Through Friday, Montreal's utility-man extraordinaire was hitting .288 and had appeared in 132 of the team's 140 games. He's started at five different positions and in six different spots in the batting order. "It's hard to really describe how much he's helped us," Montreal manager Felipe Alou said. "But no, it's not a surprise, because he worked very hard to get here." Very hard.

And Alou knows how far away he was. Alou was the manager in West Palm Beach in 1989, the year Santangelo hit .214 and looked nothing like a big-league hitter. He watched from Montreal as Santangelo moved slowly through the Expos' minor-league system and finally broke into the majors last year. "I don't think this year would have becaas special on a losing team," Santangelo said. "But we're proving to everybody who few years, has had to sell off the likes of Larry Walker, Delino De-Shields, Marquis Grissom and John Wetteland for economic reasons.

But they've kept it going. They've stayed good in spite of circumstances that could have flattened other organizations. Marlins manager John Boles played a big part in the development of Montreal's minor-league system when he was the Expos' player development director. He says he still gets a kick out of seeing people like White and Grudzielanek succeed except when they're playing Florida. But someone asked Boles on Friday who, among all the Expos' success stories, was the biggest surprise to him.

Without hesitating, he said F.P. Santangelo. "This is a guy who's really done it the hard way," Boles said. "He's just kept playing and playing and playing, and he's made himself into a quality utility guy who's very valuable to his team. "He wasn't a top pick, wasn't a bonus baby, but he just kept playing and getting stronger.

Now, you look at the guy, he can do anything. And nobody would have ever believed it." Sounds like the perfect Montreal Expo. No, wait: That was kick the can. Just about any Detroit Tigers pitcher ti On second thought The Red Sox were set to trade Mike Greenwell to the Giants for Rod Beck last week, but Greenwell nixed the deal at the last minute. Two days later, Greenwell drove in all nine of Boston's runs in tJieir 9-8 victory over Seattle.

Nice call..