The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 49

2 i 1 -z i EVENTSGAMESEOPLE SECTION WEDNESDAY Cos Ancles mes HTTPSPORTS.LATIMES.COM OCTOBER 11, 2000 CCt brum A Great Start for Mariners Whole Is Sum of Cards LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES A mellower Piniella returns to New York at the peak of his profession and in a position where he can really call his shots. NEWYORK-The American League championship series has more subplots than NL playoffs: St. Louis gets good grade in chemistry, with trades for Edmonds and Clark being key to success. By ROSS NEWHAN TIMES STAFF WRITER 1 It's the familiar question of what comes first. Winning or chemistry? Chemistry or winning? For the St.

Louis Cardinals, the results are more important than the analysis. The acquisitions that General Man P-i tv km tv if i VAX A 6 11.1 ROSS NEWHAN any drama on Broadway. There's the possibility, for example, of a true Subway Series if the New York Yankees and Mets advance to the World Series. There's the rivalrybitter at times between the Yankees and ager Walt Jocketty made before and during the season have enabled the Cardinals to reach the National League championship series, starting tonight at St. Louis, against the New York Mets.

The Cardinals insist that chemistry and char Yankees vs. Mariners GAME 1 Seattle 2 New York 0 TODAY'S GAME 2 at New York, 1 p.m. Mariners' John Halama vs. Yankees' Orlando Hernandez GAME 3 Friday at Seattle, 5 p.m. GAME 4 Saturday at Seattle, 4:30 p.m.

GAMES Sunday at Seattle, 1 p.m. GAME 6 Tuesday at New York, 5 p.m. GAME 7 Oct 18 at New York, 5 p.m. TV: Channel 4. if necessary NLGS Mets at Cardinals Game 1 Tonight, 5:15 Channel 11 Seattle Mariners that was born in the 1995 division series that the Mariners won after losing the first two games.

There's the return of Rickey Henderson to New York and the brotherly friendship of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, the premier shortstops. There's also Lou Piniella, whose Mariners improved to 4-0 in the postseason Tuesday night by defeating the Yankees, 2-0, in the tense opener of the champiionship Please see BASEBALL, D8 Game 1: Garcia comes through against heart of the Yankee order in the clutch, and three relievers finish off 2-0 victory. By MIKE DiGIOVANNA TIMES STAFF WRITER NEW YORK-The situation did not merely call for Seattle Mariner reliever Arthur Rhodes on Tuesday night. It screamed for it, louder than an October full house in Yankee Stadium, louder than the King-dome in its 1995 playoff heyday. The Yankees had two on and no outs in the bottom of the sixth, trailing by two.

Left-handed Paul O'Neill, switch-hitter Bernie Williams and left-handed David Justice, the heart of the order, were due up. Surely, this was a time for Rhodes, the left-handed relief ace, and when Manager Lou Piniella took a slow, contemplative walk to the mound, it appeared he was giving Rhodes a few extra warmup tosses before he'd pull his right-handed starter, Freddy Garcia. Conventional wisdom took a beating. Garcia did not. Piniella stuck with him, and Garcia struck out O'Neill and Williams and retired Justice on a fly to the wall in center, and the Mariners went on to a 2-0 victory over the Please see AL, D8 Foster Guilty of Pot Charge UCLA: Running back paid $250 fine for possession misdemeanor during summer.

Toledo didn't punish him more. acter have been no less important than talent. "Some day I want to manage," Mark McGwire said after the Cardinals swept their division series from the Atlanta Braves. "Hopefully I can have a team like this." McGwire is equally serious about wanting to manage and his apprecia- Associated Press Seattle right-hander Freddy Garcia gave up only three hits and got out of a jam in tion of the Cardinals. Please see NL, D9 the sixth inning, when the Yankees had runners on first and second with no outs.

Virginia Tech QuarterbackVick Has the Speed, Moves and Arm to Become the Next Superstar By BILLSHAIKIN TIMES STAFF WRITER Convicted 10 weeks ago on a misdemeanor marijuana charge, star UCLA running back DeShaun Foster has remained free of suspension because Coach Bob Toledo said he believed the incident was isolated. -1 at 4 ft Details of the incident, coming to light recently, include Foster's pleading guilty Aug. 2 to one count of possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. According Foster By CHRIS DUFRESNE TIMES STAFF WRITER NEWPORT NEWS, Va. They try to act as if nothing has changed.

In Blacksburg, Michael Vick traipses around campus with his baseball cap turned backward a kid with a backpack and classes to attend. Back home, Vick's mother, Brenda, stands in line on a Tuesday at Gildersleeve Middle School, completing paperwork as she awaits her annual bus driver's physical examination. At Warwick High, Vick's prep coach, Tommy Reamon, sits in his cramped office between two-a-day practices as a stationary fan pushes the smell of dirty socks around the room. In fact, everything has changed, irrevocably. Transcendental moments occur only rarely.

The Beatles had Ed Sullivan, Neil Armstrong had the moon, Joe Montana had Dwight Clark. Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick's world changed Jan. 4 in New Orleans during a 17-point loss to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl game. In the national title game, on national television, Vick mesmerized in defeat, accounting for 322 of his team's 503 total yards. With his team trailing, 28-14, at Please see VICK, D5 DOUG PENSINGER Allsport Having mastered the college game, Vick is expected to turn pro after this season.

to Ventura County court records, Foster paid a $250 fine. "I strongly believe what he is telling me," Toledo said Tuesday. "It is an isolated incident. He was guilty of having it. He wasn't guilty of using it." Foster said, and sources confirmed, that he never has tested positive for drugs at UCLA, which randomly tests all athletes.

Toledo said student-privacy regulations forbid him from discussing individual test results. The fine is standard punishment for first-time offenders, said Greg Phillips, misdemeanor unit supervisor for Ventura County. State law allows for the possibility that Foster could eventually get the conviction removed from his record, Phillips said. Please see FOSTER, D6 Tech's record with Vick as starting quarterback Passing yards this season (14.1 yards per completion) Rushing yards this season for Vick (8.2 per carry) Touchdowns this season (7 rushing, 5 passing) 15-1 635 484 12 Associated Press The demand for Vick is such that the school has limited his time with reporters to an hour a week. HIGHLIGHTS HOME OPENER St.

Louis at Kings Tonight, 7 Fox Sports Net, ESPN2 T.J. Simers LAKERS Rider's Timing a Little Off Isaiah Rider was late to a Laker practice this week technically, at least and Coach Phil Jackson pointed it out. 03 Morning Briefing BOXING Promoter Arum Will Be Fined Boxing promoter Bob Arum, who admitted wrongdoing in court, has reached an agreement on disciplinary action. D10 SOCCER Coach Takes Seat in Stands Coach Bruce Arena will be in the stands tonight when the U.S. plays Costa Rica in a World Cup 2002 qualifying match.

D7 NBA ON THE THRESHOLD: Luc Robitaille needs only two points at Staples Center tonight to join Dave Taylor and Marcel Dionne among Kings at the mark. D4 The Day in Sports rrll Luc Robitaille Horse Racing.