St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 14

8 AUG 11 ST. LOUIS POST-OISPATCH SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1990 50 BASEBALL GOLF fe MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT PGA NOTEBOOK S. Wadkins' Second Round Revives Unpleasant Catcher Pay Off Prospect Powers was the pitcher of the week in the Class A Northwest League last week after throwing back-to-back shutouts for Boise, Idaho, (California affiliate). He struck out 26 and allowed only eight hits in the games. Powers, 6 feet 4, walked on to the Southern Cal baseball team and became one of the team's top pitchers before cutting off the top third of his He rebounded from- reconstructive surgery, earned All-Pacific 10 Conference honors this season and was selected in the seventh round of this summer's draft.

He has a 6-1 re- cord and 1.87 ERA for Boise. Power Outage: Do the Cardinals have any home run prospects in their farm system? A few, but the numbers don't show it. The organization's home run leader is outfielder Cliff Brannon, who has 14 homers but a .234 batting average at Class A Savannah, Ga. First baseman Joey Fernandez has 12 homers for Class AA Arkansas. Outfielder Juan Belbru has nine homers in only 148 at-bats for Class A Hamilton, Ontario.

Graybeard: Jerry Reuss is getting a fresh look. After a long career in the big leagues, he has been shuffling around the minors trying to earn another major-league roster spot. He I Juan Gonzalez 27 home runs Batting: Lopez, Abq. .365 Home Runs: Gonzalez, Okla. City 27 Runs Batted In: Dodd, Calgary 101 Stolen Bases: Offerman, Abq 59 ERA: Hammond.

Las Vegas 2.21 Wins: Eiland, Columbus 15 Strikeouts: Hammond, Las Vegas 131 Saves: Perez, Louisville 26 By The Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, Ala. In 16 years on the PGA Tour, Bobby Wadkins has earned $1.7 million without ever once picking up a winner's check. "I know' I haven't won," he said Friday at the PGA Championship. "Whenever I get an early lead, people start talking about it." Wadkins heard the talk again after an opening-round 68 gave him the lead. But he had problems on Friday, making five bogeys and finishing with a 75.

He remained in contention with a 143 total, however. "I think the most disappointing thing was 18.1 was working so hard all day to make par, then I three-putted," Wadkins said. "Maybe I was too anxious today, trying too hard to make things happen." Unlike his older brother, Lanny, who has won 19 tournaments, Bobby Wadkins never has finished higher than second in a Tour event. He's lost two playoffs in 1985 to Bernhard Langer at the Heritage Classic and in 1979 to Lou Graham at the Philadelphia Classic. Graham shot a 64 on the final day to force the playoff.

"I've had my share of leads," Wadkins said. "I was tied for the lead in this tournament in 1987 going into Sunday. I've been close. You don't think about it, though. You can't worry about what you've done in the past." Wadkins' problems were apparent Friday when he broke his driver on the 17th hole.

He said he would borrow another driver from his brother, or try to get one sent from home. After practicing on the driving range, Wadkins checked the leader-board as he walked to the clubhouse. His name was no longer at the top. "I know I haven't won, but if I swing the way I'm capable, I see no reason I won't be here Sunday," Wadkins said. And what will he do if he finally wins? "I'd probably retire and go fishing," he joked.

"I did catch a 10-pound bass To Starts To MIKE eisenbath 'notebook Uason tfownley had started to won-dfr if he had made a big mistake. Toronto Blue Jays selected Tfawnjey; Ss a high school prospect in tlje seventh round of the June 1987 draft. He Had excelled in high school as a pitcher and hitter; he said he liked hitting better. 'Toronto thus turned Townley into a catchers had "never caught before in my life," Townley said. "They said I had a strong arm, though, and thought that wpuld be, a good position for me.

I didn't know what I was doing. And I was a bad catcher." JFor three seasons, Townley languished. Even his once-splendid batr tihg stroke disappeared. He had a cumulative 209 average In those three seasons, including a .213 mark and 42 stiyie.pttts.i.n 155 at-bats last season at Class A Dunedin, Fla. He had only 13 total homers in those three seasons.

How times have changed for Town-ley. Still with Dunedin, he was the batter of the week In the Florida State League last week. He had 11 hits in 20 at-bats, including two doubles, four homers and 16 runs batted in. The highlight of the week for Townley, 21, came in a victory over Miami a single, a double, two homers and eight RBIs. "I don't know how that happened," Townley said.

"It seemed like every time I came up, it was an RBI situation. Every pitch seemed like it was a fastball and urx" Life is looking up all around for Townley. He has a .294 batting average, 10 homers and 53 RBIs. "This year has turned around a lot of things," Townley said. "I'm only 21, but I think.

Toronto was about to give up on rrfe. I was eveh thinking about going back to pitching if this didn't work out." Townley was a stranger to offensive struggle. He said he batted .539 his senior year in high school in Pensaco-la, Fla. But within a month after being drafted, his pro average was below "Learning how to be a catcher took a lot out of my offense," Townley said. "Now I'kind of have an idea of what I'm doing behind the plate, and I'm more comfortable.

I think I'm a lot happier this year. I come to the park ready to play rather' than scared to play." 1 Injury? What Injury? Randy Powers severed the ring finger on his hpnd, his pitching hand, in a construction accident in 1988. Doctors thought he might never pitch again. Those doubters were terribly wrong. Move For Jays iV Hurlbut Takes LPGA Lead, Hopes seems to have found a niche with Buffalo (Class AAA, Pittsburgh) after being named the pitcher of the week in the American Association last week.

Reuss pitched in relief his first five appearances for the Bisons, but he has started four successive times. Last week, he didn't allow an earned run in back-to-back seven-inning starts. He allowed only 10 hits and one walk in the two victories. Reuss went eight innings in the first game of a Friday doubleheader and defeated the Omaha Royals 2-0. He gave up five hits four on the infield and walked no one while stretching his consecutive scoreless string to 24 innings.

Catching On: If a player is a catcher and can hit at all, he has a spot in baseball. For proof, look at Ed Hearn. Hearn is etched forever in the memory of Kansas City Royals fans as the player obtained from the New York Mets for David Cone. The Royals may have let Hearn go, but he hasn't let his career end. Hearn, 29, was the batter of the week in the Pacific Coast League last week.

He mostly gets into the lineup for-Colorado Springs (Class AAA, Cleveland affiliate) against iefthand-ed pitchers these days. In 13 games, he has a .350 batting average and five RBIs. Pitching Rich: The Shreveport Captains (San Francisco affiliate) won the first-half title in (he Eastern Division of the Class AA Texas League. The Jackson Mets' lead the second-half race, 414 games ahead of Shreveport. When the teams meet in the playoffs, expect some well-pitched games; the league's top seven pitchers play To Avoid Another Weekend Flop 1 4 Memories arur list 1 'j ft i-i -sr-W.

Agence France-Presse' trap en route to a bogey on the The four-day total for the openipg. round and three practice rounds close to 93,000, Bradley said. Xtwim Greg Norman and Joe Ozaki fot11 ed eagles in the second round, bottiVn the 516-yard, par-5 third hole. 'MarV Lye had the only eagle on Thursday Jay Don Blake withdrew after 10 holes, complaining of illness. Blake had a 77 in his first round ajidjH shot 42 on the front nine for ond round.

Seve Ballesteros of Spain sfiok. the highest round of his career ftirthe PGA Championship when he cSrdlstr an 1 1-over-par 83 on Friday. His previous highest round was a in 1987. Ballesteros failed to make the cut at 160. Scott Verplank gave back'slxr shots in three holes.

On Thursday, hftJ1 started birdie, birdie, birdie, but The second round for the first three hoJes-it was bogey, bogey, bogey. 1 1927 has a professional golfer woj tournament four successive Rodriguez, a two-time winne season, sank birdie putts ranging frorp one inch to 35 feet, with the bigshotf. being a 35-foot eagle putt after reaching the fringe of the 5P5r. yard par-5 15th in two. He followed the eagle with a bifdije at 16, where he hit a sand wedg feet and made the putt.

"You can't get greedy ontijisVij course," Rodriguez said. ht Women's Amateur Delayed -e- mm, mi'ifttf, N.J. Stephanie Davis, 20, never may live down the 90tli.ti.Sjpj Women's Amateur, of ever forget Davis, a junior at Stanford Univejrsjj.J ty, has gone from being dubbeij "Amateur Bag Lady" in the early 'days of the tournament to a semifinalist who has suddenly fpund. out she needs new plane reservations Davis' ticket to fly home Bainbridge, was outdated day when heavy rain made' the fctoHtW, Course of the Canoe Brook Co.ujjtry; Club unplayable, pushing the se'mii nal matches back one day. for Sunday.

Davis was to have played U.S. Cur-t, Cupper Karen Noble of Brooksideri-. one semifinal, while 1989 NGAA champion Pat Hurst was pai against Delphine Bourson of Franceiri the other 18-hole match play event. u. ny iai, laivis is uic uiggesi supirise of the 147-player tournament.

"I thought I might get to the first round," said Davis, who will be a juas ior at school this fall. "I had made the cut in the other two tiraesvm" this and I wasn't looking much pas'yhe first round." -t Lee Trevino, who won this title this course in 1984, shot a and completed two rounds at 152, Curtis Strange and Arnold Palmer also were casualties. Strange was'atn 155 after a 76 and the Palmer had a second consecutive Greg Norman, another of the group -at 77 after the first 18 holes, (fafW back with a 69 and was at 146. O'Meara, a single stroke off the-firsti round lead, went to a 76 and was. at 145.

"I guess I'm back in Norman i said. St. Louisan Hale Irwin, the U.S. Open champ, also rallied from a 77. He shot 72 and was at 149.

the following September. His back Tiasn't bothered him this week on the hard ground at Shoal Creek. "My back has no conscious," Zoeller said. "It tends to hurt whefl the ground is soft, so that's no problem here." Zoeller, who hasn't won a tourna- ment since 1986, was so tired after Friday's round that he didn't try to get in any extra practice. "I'm going bass fishing," he said: f-i -1; 'g Larry Mize chips out of a sand 14th hole Friday.

in a private lake near here, so this is going to be a good week." Bobby Wadkins also was afflicted by the bizarre on Friday. one point, he missed a putt, not because of a misread green, but a misplaced scream. "Some lovely lady here in Birmingham called out her neighbor's name and she got her friend's attention and mine, And I missed the putt," Wadkins said. As his score soared, Wadkins following slipped into slumber. One fan even camped out for a greenside snooze in the Alabama sun as Wadkins putted out at the 18th hole.

Tommy Armour III had his troubles too, misfiring on a one-handed tap-in attempt on the 1 3th green. After missing from 8 feet on the first try, he rolled the tap-in attempt just 1 inch before hitting the cup. Steve Bradley, publicity chairman for the event, said 29,346 people attended Thursday's opening round. to "give it a good run" on the greens, and solid putting put her in the lead Friday. Chi Chi Takes Over ALBUQUERQUE Chi Chi Rodriguez knows how to waltz through an open door.

With Lee Trevino and Jack Nick-laus at the PGA Championship in Birmingham, this week, Rodriguez wasted little time in seizing the first-round lead of the Sunwest Bank Senior Classic with a near-flawless 6-under 66 over the Four Hills Country Club course. "It just shows that when the big cats are out of town, the little mouse from Puerto Rico can play around," Rodriguez said after his round that included five birdies and an eagle. Rodriguez, whose only bogey came at the par-5 11th, where he double-hit a pitch shot from behind the green, holds a one-stroke lead over Jim Dent entering today's second round of the 54-hole tournament. Dent, the second-leading money winner on the Senior Tour behind six-time winner Trevino, had a share of the lead until he bogeyed the slick 189-yard par-3 17th hole. Gay Brewer, who has not won a tournament since 1984, was at 69 along with Billy Casper and Joe Jimenez.

Six players were at 70, including Bruce Crampton, the winner last week of the Paine Webber Invitational and Charles Coody, the runner-up here last year. Defending champion Bob Charles shot a 72 as he launched his bid to win the tournament for the fourth successive time. Not since Walter Hagen did it in Billy Mayfair, with an erratic 71 'that included seven birdies and six bogeys, was at 141. Zoeller, defending champion Payne Stewart, first-round leader Bobby Wadkins and former Mizzou All-American Stan Utley were next at 143. Stewart and Utley matched par-72.

Wadkins went to a 75. Many of the game's stars were not so fortunate. Seve Ballesteros, who has won three British Opens and two Masters, stomped and scowled to an incredible 83, that left him at 160, 16.over par. Mark Calcavecchia. the 1989 British Open winner, had a chance to make the cut until he finished 5-5-8 and shot another 77 for a two-round total of 154.

Fuzzy From page one drag me off the ground," Zoeller recalled. "I was sober the night before, too. They got me to a hospital and I was on morphine for four days." Zoeller had a successful operation At 6-8, Hockey Veteran Has for one of those two teams. Anthony Young of Jackson paces Texas League pitchers with a 13-3 record and 1.92 ERA. St.

Louisan Mike Miller, also with Jackson, is 7-6 but has a 2.87 ERA and has allowed only 133 baserunners (walks plus hits allowed) in 129 innings. And keep an eye on Shreveport's Steve Lienhard. He has a 5-5 record and 2.02 ERA in relief, with only 27 walks in 98 innings. Local Line: Rodney Lofton, of East St. Louis High, recently was promoted to Rochester, N.Y., (Class AAA, Baltimore affiliate).

A shortstop, Lofton had a .251 batting average, 28 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases at Class AA Hagerstown, Md. He went to Rochester on Monday to replace shortstop Jeff McKnight, who had been promoted to Baltimore. Bus Tour: The future looks bright for Seattle prospect Tino Martinez. A first base-, man, Martinez has a .328 batting average, 15 homers and 88 runs batted iri for Class AAA Calgary. Designated hitter Matt Stark is terrorizing the Southern League.

Stark, with Birmingham, Ala. (Class AA, White Sox affiliate), has a .300 batting average, 14 homers and a league-leading 94 RBIs. Aaron Holbert, a high schooler picked in the first round of this year's June draft by the Cardinals, is struggling in the rookie Appalachian League. Holbert, a shortstop, is batting .173, has .14 RBIs in 29 games, has been caught stealing five times in eight attempts and has committed 13 errors for Johnson City, Tenn. Tracking Cris Carpenter: The Cardinals pitching prospect is 8-6, has a 3.85 ERA, has allowed 115 hits, 18 walks and has 83 strikeouts in 115 innings at Class AAA Louisville.

Righthander Dave Eiland, 23, is 15-3 with a 2.80 ERA in the International League for Columbus, Ohio, (Class AAA, Yankees affiliate). He has pitched 151 innings, allowing 132 hits and only 28 walks. attention when he won his team's first game in the state tournament as a sophomore, then gained national prominence when he went undefeated as a junior and led Salem to another state tournament. The stats his senior season proved incredible: 76 innings pitched, 17 hits allowed, 158 strikeouts, 28 walks. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Miami, but the Astros' offer was much more tempting.

"Pitching in school was different, though," Juden said. "Now I have to realize that what I'm doing is my career. I'm still having fun, but it's not just a game for fun alone. "Like, it's not near as fun here in Columbus as it was in Osceola. But I'm not worried about my night life.

I have to remember what I'm here for." Juden's fastball was moving in the upper 80 to lower 90 mph range in Osceola. He hasn't cracked the 90-mph barrier yet in AA. He can throw his curveball for strikes whenever he wants, he said, but his changeup needs work. He will put in the work. "My work habits are good," he said.

"I think I learned a lot from hockey and the strict training we had in that sport. I'll do what it takes to get to the big leagues. "And, yeah, I think about the big leagues. I'm sure everyone down here thinks about it. I know I'm in a good situation, with the Houston pitching the way it is.

I'd like to start next season in Double-A and have a fair amount of confidence. Then, I can start looking up." Before Friday, Cardinals center fielder Willie McGee had accounted for 29 percent of the Cardinals' runs, having scored 68 and driven in 52 minus his two homers. Ozzie Smith had struck out only 25 times in 416 appearances, or one in almost every 17 appearances. Pirates shortstop Jay Bell has .28 sacrifice bunts, which is more than half of the club's total of 48. irations As Pitcher HicmrAsb By The Associated Press STRATTON MOUNTAIN; Vt.

Laura Hurlbut finished ahead of the rain and the field Friday, taking a two-stroke lead after a 68 at the LPGA Stratton Mountain Classic. Now it gets difficult for Hurlbut. "This year has been frustrating because I've made a lot of cuts, but I've had trouble on the weekends," Hurlbut said after sinking a 10-foot eagle putt on the final hole for a 138, under par. Her closest challenger is Cindy Figg-Currier, whose 68 shared the first-round lead with Nancy Harvey. Figg-Currier, who was 8-under after 12 holes, bogeyed four of the last six and dropped to 72, two strokes behind at 140.

Amy Benz and Karen Davies, tied at 69 Thursday, each shot 72 for 141. They were deadlocked with Lynn Connelly, 71, and Cathy Gerring, 70, three strokes back. The wet weather that turned into a downpour midway through the afternoon held down the scores. Only a handful of other players finished the two rounds under par. Patty Sheehan, the tour's top money winner, had a 75 for 148.

Hurlbut, 31, is looking for her first victory in eight years because of her problems after Fridays. Her best finish was three years ago when she tied for fourth. Now she is hoping her finish of 72-69 two weeks ago that placed her 20th in the LPGA Championship will carry over to another good weekend. "That was a real confidence builder," she said. "Now I'm learning to play weekends.

The more I get there, the easier it gets." Her approaches gave her a chance PGA From page one That's just what he did. He used the 3-wood off seven tees and the 2-iron twice in a round that included 6s on consecutive holes. Mize, who hasn't won since his playoff pitch-in secured the 1987 Masters title, scored seven birdies on the way to a 4-under-par 68. Mize, a much shorter hitter than Couples, used the driver on 13 of the 14 driving holes. And he used that statistic and his score as an answer to the horde of players who complained that the deep, tangled Bermuda grass in the rough made the course too tough, even unfair, and prevented the pros from exhibiting their full skills.

"If the course is set up so nobody breaks 75, then maybe something is wrong," he said. "But if somebody is shooting in the 60s, then it's all right. "I like it this way. You have to hit a lot of golf shots. You have to drive in the fairway, hit it on the green and make putts.

You can bust me if that's not skill." State League and did make those batters look rather like little leaguers. He had a 10-1 record and 2.27 ERA in 15 starts before a promotion to Columbus, in the Class AA Southern League. The Southern League has been tougher. He has a 1-3 record and. 4.57 ERA," though his last two starts have been much improved.

"I feel a lot of pressure right now in Double-A," Juden said. "That's why I made some adjustments I shouldn't have made when I got here. I was dominating in the Florida State League, then I got here and had a little trouble. So I started doing some different things and got in worse trouble. "Really, the hitters aren't that much better here.

I'll be all right." Juden still is learning much about baseball. In fact, he regards last year as a learning experience from the minute he was drafted, both on the field and off. "I've never been to a baseball clinic in my whole life," he said. "God-given ability got me here. I still have a lot to learn, and that makes me think I can get a lot better." Juden had his goals almost solely in hockey until he transferred from a private school to Salem's public high school as a sophomore.

He said the pressures of keeping up his grades and maintaining his hockey abilities were too much in the prep school atmosphere. He found baseball opportunity at Salem High. He first attracted scouts' By Mike Eisenbath OUhe fost-Dispatch Staff Jeff Juden on the street, and immediately thoughts of basketball arid slam dilnks come to mind. "NV'ofje ever says, 'Oh gosh, you must be a baseball Juden sad'jNp one 'I'll bet you play hcfcey.They' always assume I play basketball." Jiiden's 6-foot-8 stature explains the staifeiann stiff hecks. That also might explain why he has been such a standout In baseball so far in his career although, Juden, a Houston Astros pEospect says he wouldn't know.

my size does help me," Ju-derf aid. "I don't know for sure. I've never been small, sO I don't have any-thing to compare it to." hasn't been, a baseball prospect that long, either, at least not comRared; to the amount of time he SRenJs a devoted hockey, player. He had, peed pjaying hockey for 14 seasons in his native Salem, before entertaining his first thoughts of a pro baseball career. Within, years, Juden was regarded as.

brie of the top pitching pros-pects'fri the country. Houston chose Juden) put of high school in the first round of last year's draft- he was the 12ft46lection overall after compiling a ft-lcecord and 0.18 earned-run average his senior season at Salem High. jfudena righthander, hasn't dominated pro. batters quite the same way. But, he is one of baseball's top pitching prospects.

He started this sea-. son at Osceola in the Class A Florida Cards From page one in'aines behind by the end of a chance. Your team the Cardinals could do thaL" Jyland- was being a bit generous. Th Cardinals were 14 games out before Friday's games. With Van Slyke out, Leyland chose not to adjust his lineup too much and put John Cangelosi in Van Slyke's third-place Cardinals players did a double-take when they saw that notation on the lineup card.

"They must know something we don't know," one player said. "Yeah," another player said. "I guess that's why they're in first place and we're in sixth." I.