The Palm Beach Post from West Palm Beach, Florida • Page 75

Outdoors, E.3 P.S., TV Listings, EH SECTION SUNDAY, JULY 10, 1983 The Post T-l ax. Search for Next Great Expo Begins in West Palm 0 Steve Hummer Sports Editor instead of making the rent. They're here for an overhaul, not a tune-up. "I need to get more consistent." said 20-year-old pitcher John Dopson, cruising with a 9-2 record and 2.86 ERA. "Get the breaking stuff over for strikes.

I just need to keep doing well each year. I'd like to move up one class every year. I hope it works out that way." "I got to get better control of my slider," said 2.05 ERA and 8 saves reliever Randy St. Claire. Five years of lingering at this level may about be over.

"When I get the slider over, I get more strikeouts. I'll get ground balls with my fastball, but to get the big strikeouts I need as a reliever, I've got to get that slider." "Need to get rid of those fielding lapses," Candaele said. Those are the things that nibble at some of the candidates for next great Expo. The little flaws that are either righted or fatal. Someone's going to work it out.

They have to. That's the way it works with the West Palm Beach Expos. "I've been told ever since I was in school that only one or two out of 100 are going to make it," St. Claire said. "I have confidence in myself.

Every person here thinks he's going to make it." So who's the next great Expo? Who knows? That's the beauty of it. Now that they're playing the role of the best little baseball team in Florida, well, that's a bonus. Watching the West Palm Beach Expos Is a grand exercise in what might be, not what is. Watch them with one eye trained on this steamy little field and the other on 1985. The Expos are as good and steady as savings bonds; they're going to produce something for the future.

Who's next? That's the question for today. Who on a Class A team of young faces untouched by fame will springboard from here like Gary Carter and Tim Raines and Scott Sanderson and Brian Little and Shane Rawley and Gary Roenicke and you get the idea. Someone, on a team whose talent is as obvious as its 14-6 record certainly will. In search of the next great Expo. "Well, Luis Rivera has a major league arm," said Pat Mullin, the Expos minor league hitting instructor, beginning his rundown with the West Palm Beach shortstop who is still a teenager.

"He was only hitting .190 last time I saw him and he has improved to .230. Look at the stats and he's second on the team in RBI, first in triples and third in home runs. So he's had some big hits. But he's not going to make the big leagues by hitting home runs. "(Outfielder) Paul Hertzler has what it takes if he doesn't fight himself and doesn't get frustrated.

(First Of course, in 1977, a division-winning Expo team that featured pitchers Sanderson and Bill Gullickson also had a kid named John Scoras. He was the MVP of the Florida State League that year. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Titles don't get you guarantees. Tommy Thompson, charged with leading this uncertain cref, watches and waits for someone to promote.

The nicest thing he can say to one of his players is goodbye, but not until after one thorough going-over. No one leaves West Palm Beach without a tag in his pocket: Inspected By No. Nightly telephone reports to Montreal detail each performance, Thompson playing Rex Reed at the ballpark His search for the next great Expo is somewhat serious. "They've just got to keep working hard and improving," said Thompson. "You never know.

I didn't think Little could hit and now he's a major league player. They've got to want to get to the big leagues and once they're there, they've got to work harder. Making it to the big leagues for a cup of coffee isn't enough. They've got to work to stay there." The next great Expo will have to eliminate the if that currently lives in his back pocket. They all have one, or else they'd be worried about paying Canadian taxes now baseman) Andres Galarraga needs to learn to lay off the bad ball; when he does he could blossom just like that." That's just the start of a long list from an old baseball man who has been teaching Expo kid hitters to fly for 12 years.

Notice' flits around this level of baseball like a hyperactive hummingbird. No one's certain. No one's safe. Can't-miss is not a phrase recognized in this neighborhood. "You can't see the top from here," said gristle-tough second baseman Casey Candaele, "but I know it's there.

I know it's there and I've got to shoot for it." For his part, Candaele stepped in this year and will play in the Florida State League All-Star game. Maybe it's Casey Candaele. Marino Signs With Dolphins few XI 5 Staff iht by John ciy MIAMI (AP) Former University of Pittsburgh quarterback Dan Marino, declaring himself ready to learn from starter David Woodley, yesterday signed a multi-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. Terms of the agreement were not released, but team owner Joe Robbie said they were "appropriate" for a first-round draft choice. Marino's signing with the National Football League club followed weeks of negotiations, Robbie said.

"The Dolphins are pleased to announce that all the i's have been dotted and all the t's have been crossed and Dan Marino has agreed to play quarterback for the Miami Dolphins," said Robbie. "We expect a long association and we look forward to many years of top production and Super Bowls. "We have been in contact with Marino's agent, Marvin Demoff, two or three times a week for the past few weeks," added Robbie. "I want to express my appreciation to Marino and Demoff for the way the negotiations were conducted." Marino, accompanied by his parents and Demoff, said he was anxious to begin working out with the Dolphins when training camp opens today for rookies hoping to make the defending AFC-champion roster. "I'm looking forward to starting camp and hopefully I'll be able to contribute," said Marino, the Panthers' all-time leading passer with 8,416 yards.

"Basically I'm very pleased with the way the negotiations went. There were no hard times." Although he made a token overture to the United States Football League, Marino said there was never any doubt he wanted to play for the Dolphins. Marino also said he had no regrets about not being drafted by his hometown Steelers. "In a way I'm glad the Steelers didn't draft me because this opens up new horizons," said Marino, who was drafted 27th overall. "As far as the USFL franchise in Pittsburgh, in my case I've always wanted to play in the NFL and play for a quality team." Marino said he will wear No.

13 for the Dolphins, the same number he wore in high school and at Pitt. Marino is one of three Pitt players along with Tony Dorsett and Hugh Green to have his jersey retired. "It's been a good number for me," Newlywed Gina Tilton takes her Kawasaki for practice lap around the track at Moroso Motorsports Park Cycling Has Tilton' Life in a Spin By Laszlo Denes Dan Marino signs for 'appropriate' terms said Marino. "It's a unique Robbie said the signing of Marino means the Dolphins have either signed or come to terms with all their draft choices. No.

2 pick Ron Charles of Syracuse said he will sign Monday, and the team announced the signing of third pick Charles Benson of Baylor on Friday. But kicker Uwe von Siharnann and veteran backup quarterback Don Strock have not signed. Robbie admitted he was concerned" about Strork's free agency, particularly because the USFL is actively seeking quality quarterbacks. "I'm going to give Don a call today and see if we can come to an agreement," said Robbie. "Serious negotiations with the free agents and veterans in their option years will begin when the players get to training camp.

The Dolphins go into training camp with four quarterbacks: Marino, Woodley, Strock and third-year quarterback Jim Jensen. "We think we now have the greatest depth at quarterback of any NFL team," said Robbie. Marino, who finished fourth and ninth in the 1981 and 1982 Hasina Trophy balloting, respectively, led Pitt to an overall record of 39-5 in 44 starts and passed for more than 200 yards 25 times on his way to becoming the school's all-time total offensive leader with 8,953 yards. machine at 120 mph. But after years of being constantly reminded of the fact, Tilton says she's becoming more and more accustomed to standing out in that crowd.

"It's predominantly a man's sport, but for the most part, it's not an issue with me," she said. "I'm treated like a fellow rider out there. When you put that helmet on, you don't have time to think about those kinds of things, anyway. "And I can wear a dress, or racing leathers, and not have any identity problems in between. "At first, there was a little unfriendliness.

I still encounter some resentment. But it depends on how you conduct yourself, your attitude and your performance. If you act like a sportsman or a sportswoman, you're treated well. "So now they're kidding me about not passing them too fast." The issue is apparent. It's so apparent that she feels virtually no need to pursue it.

Instead, Tilton would rather acknowledge what she considers the beauties of her sport. Her racing interests began years ago while she was working in Atlanta for British Ley-land, a foreign car manufacturer which includes the MGB, Jaguar and Triumph among its produc- Turn to RACER, E7 Ren, a 33-year-old businessman specializing in real estate, has raced cars quite successfully, in fact for more than 10 years as a member of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Nothing unusual about that. What has left folks unfamiliar with their situation shaking their heads, however, is the fact that Gina is one of the top production-class motorcycle road racers in the Southeast. After only eight races and one full year of competing against some of the best to be found in the American Association Motorcycle Road Racers (AAMRR), Til(on has become a rider to be reckoned with whenever her Kawasaki GPz550 touches its wheels to the track.

Just two months ago, she finished second in a 20-mile AAMRR-sanctioned event at Moroso Motorsports Park, the site of a similar event this weekend in which Tilton was scheduled to compete. The irony of her story, however, is that she looks nothing like what one would expect to see in a female motorcycle racer. A slender, attractive blonde, Tilton stands just 5-foot-2, weighs 114 and looks as if she should be competing against the Cathy Rigbys and Nadia Comenecis of the world rather than riding atop a screaming Staff Writtr For the most part, Gina Tilton leads a lifestyle typical of a 28-year-old newlywed. While Ren, her husband of seven months, is at work or away on business, she watches over the tidy mobile home they recently purchased, located on a modest parcel of land near the Intracoastal Waterway in Jensen Beach. She says she loves cooking and, when she's alone, jazz albums frequent the stereo turntable of their living room, just a sliding-glass door away from the brand new hot tub in the patio.

Merlin, a scarlet macaw usually'found clinging to his perch, has learned to mimic the barking and whining of Turbo and Buffett, the Tiltons' Dalmatian and black Labrador, which, despite its repetition, often brings a smile to Gina's face. It's a quiet setting, but the Tiltons are far from being bound by the serenity of their household. An old hangar about 50 yards west of their carport houses a pair of ultralights, single-engine aircrafts which carry them off to play in the skies. They also have a boat, behind which Gina says she loves to water ski. But learning of their favorite diversion can leave one particularly surprised.

Carter Figures it's Time For Championship Ring 'I think we have a good chance of setting the record for winning the first championship in the USFL. I'd really like to be a part of Anthony Carter Strikers Defeat Tampa Bay 3-2 NASL Always Bounces Back, E5 By Jon Marmor Staff writtr TAMPA Ricardo Villa, whose knowledge of the rivalry between the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies spans the two games he has played in, and Ray Hudson, who has been a central figure in the most intense rivalry the NASL has seen, walked off the Tampa Stadium field to a chorus of boos last night. But that was to be expected, seeing how Villa scored two goals and Hudson scored the winning goal with 11:07 left to give the Strikers a 3-2 victory. It was the first road victory of the season for the Strikers in seven tries and keeps alive their winning streak at three games, their longest of the season. The Strikers are inching closer to the magic .500 mark, with a record of 7-9, and 67 points.

That might be enough to put them in first place depending on the outcome of the Tulsa-Chicago game played late last night in Chicago. Tulsa entered the game with a 7-10 record and 63 points, five ahead of the Strikers. It was a doribly down moment for the Rowdies, who fell to 4-13, their worst start ever. The game was played befgore a crowd of 8,319, more than 6,000 less than their season average and by far the worst crowd ever to see a Striker-Rowdie game in the seven years of their rivalry. The worst crowd before that was 9,325 way back on July 1, 1977.

i i. Villa, a star for Argentina's 1978 World Cup champions and who had scored the winning goal for Tottenham Hotspur int he 1981 English Cup finals, scored his first goal as a Striker to give Fort Lauderdale a 1-0 at 15:13 and he later gave the Strikers a 2-1 lead at 53:48 after Tampa Bay's Peter Baralic scored the first of his two goals to tnake it 1-1 13 minutes before the end of the first half, The Strikers couldn't hold onto that lead, however, goofing up a free kick that led to Bara lie's second goal, tyifig things up at 77. Turn to STRIKERS, E5 Stars Win in Overtime, E6 Probe Mentions 4 Cowboys, E6 By Janis Carr Staff Writtr Anthony Carter played on plenty of championship teams during his four years at the University of Michigan. The Wolverines were Big Ten champs. Rose and Bluebonnet bowl winners.

But never were they considered national champions in Carter's reign, from 1979 through 1982. Michigan came close. Once. The Wolverines climbed to No. 4 in the national rankings, after Carter, a 1979 graduate of Suncoast High School, led Michigan to a 23-6 win over Washington in the 1981 Rose Bowl.

The three-time All-America was graduated from the Ann Arbor campus without the distinction of a being the nation's best. He finished fourth in last year's Heisman Trophy voting, behind Herschel Walker. But this weekend Carter, a native of Riviera Beach, could move closer to winning his first national title, as the Michigan Panthers (12-6) play host to the Oakland Invaders (9-9) in the semifinals of the United States Football League playoffs. A win would pit Michigan against Philadelphia, winners over Chicago yesterday in the other semifinal game, in the inaugural championship game next Sunday at Denver. A victory then at Denver would give Carter that longed-for title, which would distinguish the Panthers as the best USFL team in the country.

"What I would love more than anything else is to have a diamond ring (which the USFL is planning to award)," Carter said Thursday from his home in Michigan. "I've been on a lot of championship teams, but not one that counted and said we were national champions. "I think we have a good chance of setting the record for winning the first championship in the USFL. I'd really like to be a part of that. "If we win this game (against will be playing in Denver and we have an excellent chance of getting there.

Oakland beat us early in the season, when we weren't that good. I wasn't in the offense as much. Now I am a big part of the offense and doing my job well." That's understating the facts. Carter's performance in the final weeks of the regular season is, perhaps, the main reason the Pan- thers are in the playoffs. After his best game of the season eight catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns against the Chicago Blitz, Carter scored on a 68-yard pass to lead the Panthers to a 33-7 victory over the Arizona Wranglers last Sunday, and into the playoffs as Central Division champs.

The 5-foot-ll, 160-pound wide receiver finished the day with four catches and 112 yards. "Anthony is really a great assest to the team," Panther coach Jim Stanley said. "He's not as good as I thought he would be. He's Turn to CARTER, E6 SUM ptiat by Tam kiw FAIRWAY EYES Florida Open leader Ron Terry of Tarn- pa seems to be pleased with his drive on the 17th hole yesterday during third-round action at Sandpiper Bay. Terry shot a 65 to take a one-shot lead.

Story, ET i.