Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 29

SPORTS Thursday, May 16, 1991 Albuquerque Journal Sportsline 821-1800 Page 1, Section Munoz Has Quick Impact a Dukes Win second, extending his hitting streak to 14, giving the Dukes a 2)' lead. DUKES TODAY Hershiser Heading to Bakersfield Pitcher Will Stay in California For Next Start Saturday Night By Barbara Chavez uCuRNA- STAFF WRITER By Barbara Chavez JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Jose Munoz hasn't skipped a beat in his move up to the Albuquerque Dukes this week. Munoz drove in his second Pacific Coast League run Wednesday night, and it couldn't have come at a better time. His single in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Dukes a 4-3 victory over Portland at the Sports Stadium. Munoz moved up from Class AA San Antonio to fill the spot left by second baseman Greg Smith, who got the call to replace Los Angeles Dodgers' injured infielder Mike Sharperson.

"The pitchers here are constant around the plate," said Munoz, 24. "I've been making pretty good contact. With batters on base, I just tried to relax, and hit the best pitch." Munoz started the season in San Antonio as a right fielder, but played shortstop and third base. He was moved to second base when he joined the Dukes. "The first guy we looked at (from San Antonio) was Jose, even though he didn't play second," said Dukes manager Kevin Kennedy.

"We knew Portland at Sports Stadium, KOB-AM (770), 7 p.m. his hitting (he's a switch bitter) was going to work right away. And he has played second base before. We weren't worried." The Beavers had tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the eighth inning, but the Dukes didn't let the tie stand long. With one out, Tom Goodwin singled to left, and then stole his 13th base of the season to set up the go-ahead run.

Munoz singled up the middle and Goodwin went home to break the tie. The Dukes scored the first two rims of the game, jumping on Portland starter Tom Eden early. Goodwin put down an unexpected bunt to leadoff the first and Munoz followed with a single and stolen base. Eden then walked Dave Hansen, putting Goodwin in scoring position with no outs. Designated hitter Butch Davis did the job, hitting into a fielder's choice and Goodwin scored to put the Dukes ahead, 1-0.

Carlos Hernandez doubled in the Portland's first run came on a sacrifice fly by Paul Sorrento in the third, and they tied the score 2-2 when Albuquerque starter Dennis Cook loaded the bases, and then hit Brown with a pitch, sending Bernardo Brito home. Jerry Brooks upped his RBI total to 32 tops in the PCL by driving in the Dukes' third run. Albuquerque's John Wetteland got the win, pitching 1 innings, allowing one hit Portland reliever Gary Wayne (1-2) took the loss. DUKES NOTES: Brooks was named "Batter of the Week" in the PCL by Howe Sportsdata International for the week ending May 11. Brooks hit .500 (12-24) with 12 RBI to earn the honor.

The Dukes have won the first game of each series at home this season. Portland reliever Jack Savage is a former Duke, earning a win and three saves in the 1987 playoffs for Albuquerque. Jeff Hartsock (2-1) is scheduled to start for the Dukes tonight at the Sports Stadium with George Tsamis (2-2) going for the Beavers. minor league start as he prepares to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Hey, we're still home a week from this Thursday if he wants to start for us in five days after Saturday." Hershiser pitched his first game in more than a year last Wednesday in Bakersfield.

He threw five shutout innings, and allowed only two hits. In his start for the Dukes in Phoenix, he had five more scoreless innings, but gave up five hits. He threw 68 pitches, 24 more than he tossed in Bakersfield. "I'm glad I was able to extend myself," said Hershiser following Monday's game. "The best part is I can still move my arm and it feels pretty good right now.

We still have to take it one day at a time, one game at a time." This will be Hershiser's third start after undergoing reconstructive shoulder surgery April 27, 1990. A Dodgers' spokesperson said the decision on where to pitch is left up to Hershiser and his doctors. Hershiser, a soft-spoken righthander from Ohio, won the Rational League Cy Young Award in 1988 with a 23-8 record. He was the World Series MVP for winning two games as the Dodgers surprised Oakland. Orel Hershiser will make his next start Saturday night in Bakersfield, a Los Angeles Dodgers official said Wednesday night That means Hershiser will not return to Albuquerque this weekend.

Hershiser is scheduled to make his third start of the season with Bakersfield the Dodgers' Class A team against Salinas, an independent Class A team in the California League said Dodgers' publicity spokeswoman Ruth Ruiz. After Monday's start with Albuquerque in Phoenix, the right-hander didn't rule out a trip to the Duke City for his next start. But he also was deciding between pitching for Class AA San Antonio, which plays at Tulsa, or another start in Bakersfield. "I'm disappointed for the fans," said Pat McKer-nan, Dukes general manager. "But Orel has to do what's best for Orel." McKernan said he thinks Hershiser might still consider a stop in Albuquerque if he needs another 4T5 TV! 9 ii nine IMMPs Ca Big Bemaiic To Move On Parcells Leaves Behind Dream Job With Giants Warren Fulgenzi Is the only senior on UNM's tennis team as it ventures to the NCAA Tournament for Friday's opening round.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tennis Coach Big Hit With NCAA Berth By Ken Sickenger JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT WW v. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. The only job Bill Parcells ever wanted was to coach the New York Giants. On Wednesday, Parcells walked away from his dream job after eight stress-packed seasons and two Super Bowl championships, saying it was simply time to leave. Parcells, 49, said he had no immediate plans, but he indicated he might return to coaching.

"It's time," Parcells told a mobbed news conference that had all the appearances of one being held for the Super Bowl instead of a coaching resignation. "It's time to move on," he said. "That's the best way I can say it. It's been a great eight years here. Who's been luckier than I have.

In show business you want to play the Palace. I was fortunate to play the Palace for a while." Ray Handley, the Giants' soft-spoken offensive coordinator, was immediately named coach. Only months earlier, Parcells convinced Handley, 46, not to attend law school and instead concentrate on coaching. The terms of Handley's contract were not disclosed by Giants general manager George Young or owner Wellington Mara. Former defensive coordinator Bill Be-licheck had been regarded as Parcells' likely successor.

But he left in February to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The announcement of Parcells' resignation came as a surprise to most Giants players and at a time when Parcells was on top of the coaching world, having led New York to its second Super Bowl victory in five years in January. Several players said they had seen Par-cells in the locker room on Monday and Tuesday and that he had given them no indication he was leaving. Parcells said he had been mulling the decision for months and he finally made a decision last weekend. He informed Young and Mara on Tuesday around 2 p.m., and the executives offered Handley the job an hour later.

There had been reports that Parcells was MORE: See GIANTS on PAGE C7 Success breeds if nothing else job offers. But, University of New Mexico tennis coach Tim Cass isn't biting. The WAC Coach of the Year has plans like taking his team to this weekend's NCAA tennis tournament, and maybe a few others after that He sees his future and it is painted cherry and silver. Tve had some contact from other schools," Cass said. "I guess that's an honor.

But it bothers me to see people use this university as a stepping stone. I don't want to go anywhere else. This isn't the best paying job in the country, but you don't get into coaching for the money. "I really want to make this program the best it can possibly be," Cass said. "Right now I'm not sure exactly what that means.

But I do hope to find out." Cass has seen the bottom of the collegiate tennis ladder. Now, with his team preparing to meet 16th-ranked Mississippi State Friday in Athens, in its first NCAA Tournament appearance, he's setting his sights on the top. When Cass took over as head coach of the Lobos jn 1988, the program had nowhere to go but up. Former coach David Geatz left UNM for the University of Minnesota, and the majority of his players did the same. Cass was forced to hold a walk-on tournament just to field a complete team.

With a few notable exceptions (current assistant coaches Alan Dils and Jorge Ortega among them), Cass' first squad was noticeably lacking in talent. But despite its eventual 8-19 record, the team did manage to please its coach. "That group established what I wanted the program to be like at UNM," Cass GREG SORBER JOURNAL for a conference title this season. Cass, however, numbered himself among the believers. "I really thought that if we could get the financial support for recruiting, we could win the conference in three years," he said.

"I don't think the administration MORE: See LONGSHOT on PAGE C7 said. "We didn't win much, but those guys went out and gave it their all in practice and in every match. They got the ball rolling for us." But Cass, an All-American at UNM in 1986, was already planning bigger and better things. A native of El Toro, Cass used his West Coast connections to help him locate the kind of players he would need to turn effort into wins. Cass' first recruiting year produced enough talent to improve the Lobos' record to 10-12 in 1989-90.

Additions such as Gene Carswell and Jason DeFalco helped UNM move up from sixth place to third in the Western Athletic Conference. But while the improvement was noticeable, few expected the Lobos to contend Detroit Blows Big Lead, But Beats Boston By 5 in it i ASSOCIATED PRESS Phill Casaus OF THE JOURNAL Phill Casaus is on vacation. Minnesota Takes Opener of Finals Over Penguins ASSOCIATED PRESS PITTSBURGH Eleven years after he was a golden boy for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, Neal Broten is starring in "Miracle On Ice: The Sequel." Broten scored twice Wednesday, including the go-ahead goal with 2:59 left in the second period, as the Minnesota North Stars took the first game of the Stanley Cup finals with a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Minnesota has won Game 1 in each of its four series, all on the road, while the Penguins have dropped Game 1 four times.

Since neither team has lost a series, obviously one trend will change. Game 2 in the best-of-7 series is Friday night at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. The North Stars, the NHL's 16th-ranked regular-season team, played their worst postseason hockey in losing the second games of their previous three series but still went on to beat No. 1 Chicago, No. 2 St.

Louis and defending champion Edmonton. 1 On best-of-7 conference semifinal. They can clinch their third straight conference final appearance against the Chicago Bulls with a win at home Friday night. If a seventh game is needed, it would be Sunday in Boston, where the Pistons are 2-1 in the series. "If they gave us another five minutes, we probably would have pulled it out," Brown said.

"Laimbeer hit some big shots." He buried his last three shots and broke the final tie with a 20-t'ooter with 39 seconds, left, putting the Pistons ahead 108-106. "Making shots like that is my job," said Laimbeer, who hit eight of 14 shots after shooting at a 34 percent clip in the first four games. Detroit, trying to become the third team to win three straight titles, led 75-57 with 8:48 left in the third quarter. But Boston tied the game at 100 on Larry Bird's 18-footer with 3:40 remaining in the game. BOSTON Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly expected a disaster, and it nearly happened.

The Pistons squandered all of an 18-point lead, and the Boston Celtics had a loud capacity crowd behind them as the game was tied with less than a minute to play. But Bill Laimbeer's deadly outside shooting saved the Pistons, who held on for a 116-111 victory Wednesday night that put them a win away from the Eastern Conference finals. "When the Celtics tied the game 102-102, 1 was very nervous," Daly said. "As you all know, I spend my life in fright. Every time down the floor, I expect a catastrophe." And Boston rookie point guard Dee Brown felt just the opposite.

"I knew we were going to win," he said. But Laimbeer got hot and the Pistons took a 3-2 lead in the INSIDE SPORTS AAAA Baseball Albuquerque High School receives its first on-the-job training shift at 9 this morning at Lobo Field. The fourth-ranked Bulldogs meet No. 3 Farmington in a quarterfinal game of the Class AAAA baseball tournament. No.

2 Carlsbad (21-2) and No. 5 Las Cruces (14-7-1) meet at 11:30. And at the Sports Stadium, No. 1 Eldorado (17-5) faces No. 8 Los Alamos (12-9) at 9 a.m., and No.

6 Las Cruces Mayfield (15-7) takes on unranked Hobbs (11-13) at 11:30. Page C9. Trie ASSOCIATED PRESS Boston's Larry Bird tries to drive around Detroit's Mark Aguirre Wednesday night. 1.