The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 19

Qflje Turlington Jfree INSIDE 7B vwV Sports Scoreboard 2C Golf 3C Whirling disease puts Vermont angling community on alert. Outdoors, IOC section Vermont Expos 11C www.burtingtonfreepress.com Sunday, July 28, 2002 Sports Editor Ted Ryan 660-1855 or (800) 698-2255 Page 1C American Legion Baseball Outside lookie Missed deadline means 8 teams likely to miss state tourney 4 4 -v The Associated Press Lance Armstrong raced to victory in Saturday's 19th stage. Armstong closes in on victory Lance leads by 7:17 with one stage left rim Ml i A. By Mike Donoghue Free Press Staff Writer From time to time, parents and coaches are disappointed by the effort and conduct of teen-aged athletes. About 125 young ball players have reason to be upset with their elders, however, when the topic turns to this year's American Legion baseball state tournament.

Eight teams have been disqualified from this week's tournament because adults dropped the ball when it came to filing proper paperwork in time. Barring a last-minute reversal, none of those eight teams will take the field Friday for district playoffs in Montpelier and Chester. "I didn't think it was going to be anything to deal with because it was something like eight or nine teams," said Travis Clair-mont, a pitcher on Colchester, one of the disqualified teams. "I didn't think anybody could throw out eight or nine teams. I guess they can." By all accounts, the players are the losers.

By all accounts, adults are to blame. Eight teams Colchester, Barre, Montpelier and South Royalon in the Northern Division; Bennington, Brattleboro, Windsor and Hartford in the GLENN RUSSELL, 'ref te The Colchester American Legion team gathers around coach Jeff Mongeon (right) before a game against Essex last week. Colchester is one of eight teams who will likely miss the American Legion state tournament. Inside When there is a conflict between state and national rules, the national rule prevails, according to James Quinlan, national program director for American Legion in Indianapolis and Joe Murphy, the Vermont baseball commissioner. Quinlan said he supports the disqualification in Vermont or any state that does not meet national rules.

He said once Vermont or any state starts bending, there can be chaos. "If they bend one rule this year, they will be asked to bend another rule next year. That's when the problems begin," Quinlan said. He said the 322 teams in Nebraska don't have problems' complying with its state rules, including a See LEGION, 8C Southern Division failed to file rosters, birth certificates, consent forms and insurance certificates by a mandatory July 1 state deadline. Seven of those eight teams filed the paperwork between July 6 and 12.

Those that did thought they would be allowed to play in the tournament because each had met the July 15 deadline for paperwork to be in the national office. Sam Handy's no-hitter lifts Essex past Montpelier, 8C A state rule indicates that late- filings would be honored, but that rule is in direct contradiction with a national rule that states late filings should not be honored, Legion officials said. "I didn't think anybody could throw out eight or nine teams. I guess they can" Travis Clairmont, Colchester American Legion team pitcher By Michael McDonough The Associated Press MACON, France Lance Armstrong wasn't satisfied. Sure, he entered Saturday's time trial with a hefty overall lead in the Tour de France and little doubt that he'll win a fourth straight title.

Sure, he's already shown he's a time-trial star. Still, Armstrong went out and dominated dozens of top cyclists yet again, winning the 19th stage easily and adding nearly 2 minutes to his advantage in the overall standings. In his mind, the victory made up for Today's TV secnd; place finish Tour de in a time trial France, final July 15. That stage, at Paris, was Arm. Ly-Spe- (WCAX) a jor Tour time trial since he first won the race in 1999.

"After the first time trial, everyone said, 'Armstrong isn't good at time the 30-year-old Texan said. "Today, I was very motivated to come back with a win." Barring an accident or illness, Armstrong will complete another overall victory when the three-week race finishes today with the traditionally ceremonial ride on the Champs-Elysees. Then he'll start planning for 2003, when he can tie Miguel Indurain's record of five straight Tour de France titles. "I don't see which racer could come and oppose him in the next two years," said Eddie Merckx, who won five titles in six years in the 1960s and 70s. "He was not trained in the same school as me.

Lance will last longer." Armstrong finished Saturday's 31 miles from Regnie-Durette to Macon in central France in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 50 seconds for the 15th Tour stage victory of his career. That allowed him to stretch his overall lead over second-place Joseba Beloki of Spain from 5:06 to 7:17. Wizard off to see Cooperstown Ozzie Smith rides his glove to baseball's Hall of Fame -v. Hands of gold Shortstops who have won at least four Gold Gloves: Inside Player No. Ozzie Smith 13 Omar Vizquel 9 Luis Aparicio 9 Mark Belanger 8 Dave Concepcion 5 Alan Trammell 4 Tony Fernandez 4 robatic "I lived across the street from a recreation center," said Smith, whose parents separated when he was in junior high.

"I don't know how my first game went, but I was excited about finally having the opportunity to play in an organized sport." Although Smith's mother rarely saw him without a ball in his hands, it took time for him to begin dreaming about playing baseball for a living. He'd just as soon go down to the neighborhood lumberyard with his friends and do backflips off inner tubes into the mounds of sawdust. "It didn't become serious to See OZZIE, 5C By John Kekls The Associated Press COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -Ozzie Smith says he's done his last backflip. Perhaps.

"You never know what will happen when you get in front of people and start thanking the ones that have helped you along the way and see the look on their faces," the 47-year-old Smith said as he contemplated his induction today into the Baseball Hall of Fame. "How I will react to that, I don't know." Smith, the 22nd shortstop to make the Hall, moved with his family from Mobile, to the tough Los Angeles neighbor- John Burkett pitched his first complete game as a member of the Red Sox, shutting out Baltimore on four hits while striking out seven as Boston won, 4-0. Baseball, 4C i i Sources: Elias Sports Bureau; AP hood of Watts when Ozzie was 6. It was there that he learned to play baseball in his uniquely ac Voltage fall in game's final minute Late score nronels Raleigh into finals SCOREBOARD BASEBALL American League Seattle 3, Anaheim 1 Boston 4, Baltimore 0 Tampa Bay 7, N.Y. Yankees 4 Minnesota 5, Toronto 4 Detroit 5, Cleveland 1 Chicago 9, Kansas City 1 Oakland at Texas (n) National League Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3 Cincinnati 2, N.Y.

Mets 1 Chicago 7, St. Louis 3 Arizona 4, San Diego 3 Los Angeles 5, San Francisco 1 Florida 7, Montreal 2 Milwaukee 6, Colorado 5 Houston 3, Pittsburgh 0 WNBA Seattle 80, Washington 71 Detroit 74, Charlotte 66 Miami at Portland (n) Sacramento at Phoenix (n) Today's game Cape Cod vs. Raleigh, 7 p.m. at Collins-Perley Sports Center, St. Albans MLS Chicago 3, MetroStars 0 New England 1, D.C.

United 0 Kansas City 2, San Jose 1 Dallas at Colorado (n) Columbus at Los Angeles (n) BASEBALL Washington 1 San Diego 0 San Jose 4, New York 1 Philadelphia 1, Boston 1 Atlanta 1 Carolina 0 TRIVIA TODAY'S QUESTION What pitcher walked more batters, threw more wild pitches and lost more games than anyone in the 20th century? Answer, 2C first and second half are lack of concentration, and that's what this was," Voltage owner-coach-player Bo Vuck-ovic said. "We ended up ball-watching." "That's playoff soccer you dominate most of the game, and they get one chance and take advantage of it," said defender Dan Bal-aguero, who had been instrumental in stifling Raleigh's attack and turning the Voltage back upfield. The Northeast Division-champion Voltage, who See VOLTAGE, 8C Elite, the No. 2 team from the Mid-Atlantic Division, will play Cape Cod for the Eastern title at 7 p.m. today at Collins-Perley.

Greg Schwartenberger's pass trickled across the goal face to the towering Kniepper, who blasted it into the open left side of the net and shocked the crowd of 1,674 into silence. "You've got to put those opportunities away with a minute left in a big game," Kniepper said. "Most of the goals scored in the last few minutes of the By Hillary Read Free Press Staff Writer ST. ALBANS The Vermont Voltage interrupted a dominating second half of play Saturday night by forgetting to mark the biggest player on the field, and Ryan Kniepper made them pay. Kniepper scored the game's only goal with 44:30 gone in the second half to give the Raleigh CASL Elite a 1-0 win in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference championship at the Collins-Perley Sports Center.

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