Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 26

WednesdayMarch 171993Star Tribune THE DEST BET THE FACT Although it's not the NCAA tournament, any postseason action is better than none. The Gophers meet the Florida Gators at Target Center in a first-round NIT game (6:30 p.m., ESPN). According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the two states with the highest percentage off residents, age 12 and older, who played golf in 1991: Minnesota (20.4 percent) and Wisconsin (20.2). Vii it wry i His son's antics forced Hill to take a stand things that I want to do. He's won championships at every level and that's something I haven't done." Ducks unlimited The NHL comes to Disneyland this October, but to see Ana-heim's Mighty Ducks play in person is going to cost some mighty bucks.

WWAT'5 THIS? Pagliarulo Continued from page 1C the New York Yankees at Lee County Sports Complex. He has hits in 10 of his last 18 at-bats this spring, is hitting .393 overall, is second on the team in RBI with seven and has played well in the field. Everyone seems surprised by those developments but Pagliarulo himself. General manager Andy MacPhail said the play of Pagliarulo and Jor-gensen has all but convinced him he won't have to make a deal to solidify the position. Pagliarulo said he never should have been doubted because of a '92 season that resembled a slow-motion car wreck.

"Last year, I struggled because I wasn't 100 percent it wasn't because I wasn't capable of doing the job," he said. "I don't think there are many better defensive third basemen around, and I think I'm showing that. I'm hitting line drives all over the field, like they wanted me to do, and I'm picking it at third base like they wanted me to do, so what else do I have to do?" Very little, it seems. Manager Tom Kelly said he had few doubts about Pagliarulo coming into spring training, other than his swing, and that he has been encouraged by his development. "He's got that good, short stroke going, and he's working hard," Kelly said.

In '91, when Pagliarulo teamed with Scott Leius for an effective platoon at third, he hit .279 with six home runs in 365 at-bats by spraying the ball around the field with a compact swing. Last year, Kelly said Pagliarulo altered his swing and went for the fences. Pagliarulo said he had no choice. He missed most of spring training and the early season after David West hit him with a fastball early last March in batting practice, causing him to undergo surgery on his right eardrum. A week after he returned, in April, he broke the hamate bone in his right wrist during batting practice.

Because of the injuries he ended up getting just 105 at-bats last year. "Last year, I wasn't able to swing the way they wanted me to," Pagliarulo said. "It's not that I didn't want to do that. There might be a misconception there. I had to do things differently last year because I wasn't 100 percent.

Nobody could have swung well last year with my wrist." Kelly seemed to doubt the premise that Pagliarulo's swing changed after the injury. "He wasn't hurt on the first day of spring," Kelly said. "But that doesn't matter. What matters is what he's doing now, and we like what he's doing now." Pagliarulo said he has talked to other players and former players who had similar wrist surgery, including Jose Canseco, Don Baylor and Julio co. "They said you just have to battle A GUARDS! flVS TAKE HER SjooT Stadium beachball smugglers.

of the Ventura (Calif.) Star-Free Press on how to really speed up golf: 10 seconds off silence to hit while a course marshal holds up a Affter that, raise a LOUD sign. faces suspension U.S. dollars. Look before you speak From Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News: Jesse Jackson dropped by the St. Louis camp in St.

Petersburg, as part of his continuing effort to force baseball to adopt an affirmative action program. "Something is wrong when Curt Gibson, Lou Brock, Ernie Banks and Dav-ey Lopes have no options behind their playing days," he said. Curt Gibson? Did he mean Bob Gibson or Curt Flood? "Oh, yeah," he said. And isn't Davey Lopes a coach with Baltimore? "Forgive me," he said. Town about man? The Evansville neighborhood in Indiana where Hoosier basketball star Calbert Cheaney grew up has unofficially named itself Cheaneyville for the next few weeks.

Mayor Frank McDonald signed a proclamation stating that residents of the Lodge Elementary School district should call their neighborhood Cheaneyville during the NCAA tournament. Students packed the gymnasium Thursday during a ceremony honoring the alumnus who last week set new Indiana and Big Ten Conference scoring records. Cheaney did not attend the ceremony, but his mother, Gwen Crawley, told students what she told her son about respecting others. "I've always stressed to him if kids want an autograph, don't turn anybody away if you can help it because you might influence someone," Crawley said. "It might be just one person.

But if it's one person, it's all worth it." Compiled by Tom Gardiner 3 Shudlick is All-America team finalist Gophers junior forward Carol Ann Shudlick is among 45 finalists for the Division I Kodak All-America team. The finalists were voted upon by member coaches of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Shudlick, of Apple Valley, was a first-team All-Big Ten selection this season and earned Big Ten all-academic honors. The All-America team will be selected March 29. Other Big Ten players among the 45 finalists include Iowa senior Toni Foster, Ohio State senior Averill Roberts and Buckeyes freshman Katie Smith.

The Thunder Bay Flyers defeated the visiting St. Paul Vulcans 5-2 Tuesday night to win the best-of-five first-round USHL series three games to two. Austyn Kryzer and Don Hendrickson scored for the Vulcans. Barry Schutte had three goals for Thunder Bay. St.

Croix Meadows greyhound racing track will celebrate St. Patrick's Day at today's matinee. The first 1 ,000 fans will get a free piece of shamrock cake. Fans also will receive free admission if they wear green. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., with the first race at 1:30.

Eighty teams will compete in the Alexander Hamilton Life National Men's Doubles Squash Championships Friday through Sunday at the Flagship Athletic Club, Minneapolis Club, Commodore Club and White Bear Racquet and Swim Club, or information, call 228-0501. First-year Bethel College hockey coach Peter Aus resigned yesterday. Bethel finished the 1992-93 season The average price of a single-game ticket at Anaheim Arena will be $31.80, and the cheapest single-game ticket in the facility will be $18, $7 more than the least-expensive seat for the Los Angeles Kings at the Forum. Overall, the average Duck ticket price is $5.80 more than the NHL average of $26 this season, although that figure is somewhat skewed by the eight Canadian teams, whose prices are not in Loofe Life OUT AND 01993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved 3-n Defensive end Charles Haley stayed with Dallas, signing a three-year contract with the world champions.

New England signed unrestricted free-agent defensive end Leon Seals The Chicago Bears' offer to linebacker Joe Cain, a restricted free agent, was not matched by his former team, Seattle. The Sea-hawks will get Chicago's eighth-round draft pick in April as compensation. Former Denver Broncos coach John Ralston was named head coach at San Jose State. Pro basketball Detroit Pistons coach Ron Rothstein will be fired at the end of the season, and assistant coach Don Chaney is in line for the job, according to a published report. "It basically revolves around what the players want.

And they don't want (Rothstein) back next season," a source within the organization told Booth Newspapers. The Golden State Warriors said that guard Tim Hardaway, bothered by soreness in his right knee, will be out at least two more weeks and will be placed on the injury list for the first time in his four-year NBA career. A St. Louis woman filed a paternity and palimony suit against Sacramento forward Anthony Bonner, seeking half of his income since he entered the NBA. Etc.

Olympic officials, worried about the possibility of more Butch Reynolds cases, moved forward with plans to require athletes to settle their grievances by arbitration rather than civil lawsuits. Top seed Steffi Graf became the first player to reach the quarterfinals at the Lipton Championships by defeating Patty Fendick in Key Biscayne, Fla. Ga-briela Sabatini averted an upset against Amanda Coetzer with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory. The International Olympic Committee said it might prohibit athletes at future Games from staying in luxury hotels rather than living in the Olympic village "Dream Teams' included. Duke basketball star Grant Hill is the son of former Dallas Cowboys running back Calvin Hill.

The fam-; ily lived in Hawaii when Grant was 10, and Calvin was playing for a team in a fledgling football league. On his day off, Hill took his son to Waikiki Beach. Calvin fell asleep, I and when he awoke, Grant was missing. "I ran up and down the beach and didn't see him," Calvin said. "I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, my wife is going to kill I Squinting, Hill looked toward the "surf line.

About 100 yards from a -coral reef, he noticed surfers bob- bing in the water. He spied Grant, dived into the turquoise ocean and started swimming frantically toward his son. "I almost drowned," Calvin said. gulping water, not relaxing like you're supposed to. He's out there with all these local kids with Grant was floating on a boogie board as if he were lying in a water bed.

He got an earful from his terrified father. "He looks at me and says, 'Dad, why are you dog paddling? Why don't you stand Calvin said. c'l'stood up and the water was about five feet deep." Mum's the Magic word Memphis State's Anfemee Hardaway, a 6-7 junior, has been compared to Magic Johnson because of his ability to play all five positions. "IJove Magic to death, and he's one of my idols, but I think I can be better than Magic," Hardaway said. "But I'm not a boastful per il eon.

I'm not going to say I'm bet ter than he is because he done ISIS I' UNLV star from News Services The college career of J.R. Rider, Dthe nation's second-leading scorer, ended Tuesday when he was suspended by UNLV after the 6chool said a tutor had written part of an assignment in his name. The senior forward, averaging 29.2 points for the Runnin' Re-beis, was to have been in the lineup tonight against Southern Cal in a first-round NIT game. Coach Rollie Massimino, in his first season since replacing Jerry Tarkanian, said the suspension was in accordance with NCAA rules, and that he stood behind i jhe action. A university investigation stemmed from reports in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the instructor for the English course had been pressured into giving Rider a passing grade in the 'freshman correspondence class.

New Mexico State senior for-" ward Eric Traylor was declared ineligible after being dropped iJfrom a class late last week. Tray-- tor was averaging 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. The roof of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Carrier Dome was raised and officials said this weekend's NCAA Regional games will be played as scheduled. Last week-7 end's blizzard dumped 43 inches "Of snow on Syracuse. Officials decided to deflate the dome's rTeflon-coated fiberalass roof Sat- tirday evening as a precaution.

Georgia Tech coach Bobby i Cremins, his team preparing for the NCAA West Regional, says is not planning to take the 'coaching job at South Carolina. 'The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that friends of the coach believe he has decided rto leave Georgia Tech for South Carolina after the season. Utah State hired a new coach: j- Larry Eustachy, who had been head coach at Idaho, where he led the Vandals to a 24-8 record this season. Utah coach Rick Majerus received a public reprimand from Woody Woodbum Give players QUIET sign. Mike Pagliarulo through that year, and after that it's fine," Pagliarulo said.

Before signing a minor league contract with the Twins just before spring training, Pagliarulo considered playing in Japan. He said he also received feelers over the winter from the Milwaukee Brewers and Yankees, who signed free agent Wade Boggs. "If they hadn't signed Boggs, I might be over there," Pagliarulo said. "But there was never a doubt that I wanted to be here." In the grand scheme of things, the spring success of a lefthanded-hitting platoon player at third might not seem like such a big deal. But when the Twins have won it all, they have had players like Pagliarulo emerge at the right position, at the right time.

"I could write a book about how frustrated I was last year," Pagliarulo said. "I was really ready to make some moves last year, and then I get all these freak injuries. "That's why there were a lot of questions about my health this spring, but there were also a lot of questions that I had already answered about my attitude, and what I can do in the postseason, and what I can do every day if I'm healthy. Now I feel like I'm ready to do the job. Just like in 91." Yankees Twins bi ab bi B.

Williams, cf 4 0 0 0 Knoblauch, 2b 3 113 Owen, ss 4 0 0 0 Larkin, 1b 5 0 0 0 Stankiewicz, ss 0 0 0 0 Puckett, cf 2 0 0 0 O'Neill. II 4 12 0 Howell, cf 2 2 10 Humphreys, If 0 0 0 0 Hrbek, dh 2 10 0 Nokes, 4 0 11 Miller, 10 0 0 Maas, 1b 1 0 0 0 WmfiekJ, rf 3 0 0 0 Meulens, 1b 10 10 Bruett.rf 0 10 0 Velarde, 3b 3 0 0 0 Lee, It 4 3 3 3 James, dh 2 0 10 Leius, ss 4 2 13 Silvestrl, dh 2 0 0 0 Pagliarulo, 3b 4 3 3 3 Q. Williams, rf 4 0 0 0 Webster, 2 0 0 0 Qallego, 2b 3 0 0 0 Hartley, dh 0 0 0 0 Totals 32 1 5 1 Totals 32 139 12 New York (AL) 000 001 000 1 Twins 001 032 07 13 Gallego 2. DP New York 1. LOB New York 7, Twins 3.

2B Lee, Nokes, Meulens. 3B Leius. HR Pagliarulo (1), Lee (1), Knoblauch (1). SB-Knoblauch (2), Howell 2 (3). Webster.

SF Knoblauch. New York (A) IP ER BB SO M. Perez (L, 1-1) 3 4 2 2 5 Monteleone 2 1 2 2 2 1 Farr 5 7 7 2 0 Johnson Vt 0 0 0 0 0 Twins Mahomes (W, 2-0) 5 2 0 0 1 2 Casian 2 2 1111 Hartley 2 10 0 11 WP M.Perez. 2:31. A 7,172.

page 1C told people the other day that I stopped drinking and they thought I meant I had this bad drinking problem," he said. "It's not like that at all. It's not like I needed to go to the Betty Ford Clinic. But I didn't drink in high school, and I thought I felt a lot better and my body felt better. And my godfather did some drinking.

So I decided to stop. I just started thinking that you never know what is going to happen. So I wanted to go out and work harder than I ever did and get myself as ready as I could for this season." In 1 1 innings this spring, Banks has an 0.79 ERA, has allowed four hits, struck out 10 and walked four. "I just want to go out there and do the job," he said. "I think what I'm doing better is making adjustments when I'm on the mound and I'm regrouping.

When I pitched in Mexico, I was struggling, and Lenny Webster came out and I said, 'I know. I'm rushing I just feel better about making those adjustments myself. I'm using my fastball more, but I'm getting all my pitches over." The competition among the young pitchers for positions in the rotation continues to be rather earnest. Mahomes pitched five shutout innings Tuesday against the Yankees. It was his third straight impressive start.

Trombley has a 0.90 ERA in three outings. "We have some good pitchers in camp," said Banks. "I'm not looking at it as competition. The only thing I can do is go out there and pitch." If there is a hesitation to say that Banks has arrived, there is good reason for it. He has had impressive stretches before.

He had a strong spring training run last year, and was the last player cut. In Portland, Banks won his first five decisions. He also started strong when he was promoted to the Twins. But he finished with a 4-4 record and 5.70 ERA. He averaged a strikeout every other inning.

He also averaged a walk every other inning. "When you're the fifth starter, you get skipped and sometimes it's hard to get into a rhythm," he said. Those are the kinds of words that have made Twins officials roll their eyes in the past. They do not want more talk from Banks. They want results.

It is time for Banks to speak from the njound. Barreiro Continued from started spring training and found that Banks was doing more than the usual huffing and verbal puffing. Earlier this week, the team's hierarchy had a meeting. The conclusion: Banks not only had been the team's most impressive pitcher, he also had been the hardest worker. They like his pitching and more importantly, they like his demeanor.

Pitchers are not made in March, but Banks at least has the Twins excited about him again. "People forget that Willie came right out of high school and was just an 18-year-old kid," said Kirby Puckett. "It wasn't like he came out of Stanford or something." Banks has been in the Twins' organization for seven years, yet he just turned 24 and is still nearly two years younger than Trombley. "He had to figure some things out," said Puckett. "There's never been any question that he has the pitches to pitch in the big leagues.

It's just getting himself together." On Jan. 27, the Timberwolves were host to the Phoenix Suns at Target Center. Banks, a big-time high school basketball player whose teammates had been Duke's Bobby Hurley and Seton Hall's Terry Dehere, was looking forward to going to the game to see "my man Charles Barkley." He had planned this one for a long while. Yet when it was time to get in his car and drive to Target Center that night, Banks could not do it. "I sat there at home and then I just started crying," he said.

"I started thinking about my godfather, Albert, and I didn't feel like going to the game." Albert was 52. Back in New Jersey, Albert had just died of throat cancer. "I was real tight with him," Banks said. "I remember one time when I was real little, we got caught in a snowstorm, and he carried me all the way home. It really didn't hit me that he was gone until the night of that basketball game.

I knew I couldn't go, but I couldn't just sit there. I think I did more cleaning that night than I did all year. Then I went to the exercise room in my apartment complex and had a real hard workout. I needed to do something." The offseason has made Banks think about some things. Albert, he says, drank heavily.

Banks said he decided to stop drinking. There have been alcohol problems in his family. "I mil, i Ron Rothstein the Western Athletic Conference for his comments about officiating at the WAC tournament. Football Testaverde to Browns? Free-agent quarterback Vinny Testaverde of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is close to signing with the Cleveland Browns, according to a published report. The Plain Dealer, citing a Florida source which it did not identify, said that the aim of the talks was to get Testaverde signed before Sunday's start of NFL meetings in Palm Springs, Calif.

The paper said Testaverde, who was paid $1.5 million as Tampa Bay's starter last season, was seeking a pay raise of $300,000. Wide receiver Raghib (Rocket) Ismail has received permission from Toronto Argonauts owner Bruce McNall to talk with the Los Angeles Raiders about playing in the NFL. Ismail has two years remaining on his $18 million contract with the CFL Argonauts. Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Solomon Wilcots has been dismissed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed in Seattle by a woman who contends she was raped by team members in 1990. f7: uf),.