Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 13

Lansing State Journal Tuesday, October 1, 1991 Page 1C Steve Klein E3 Sports Editor El 377-1071 I 3 Leiter sh he well Orioles ows TIGER WATCH xu years, missing 1986-88 with shoulder trouble. He underwent three operations in a 17-month period. When he finally came back, in 1988, Baltimore released him. "That was the saddest time of my life," Leiter recalled. "I'm in camp with Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray and Fred Lynn and all I could do was the same stuff the ball boys were doing.

It was really humiliating." Leiter (9-6) struck out a career-high 10 in the first complete game of his career. He had lost his previous four starts. By HARRY ATKINS Associated Press DETROIT Mark Leiter considers the ledger all balanced now between him and the Baltimore Orioles. Leiter pitched a six-hitter Monday night and got plenty of muscle from Detroit's big bats as the Tigers closed out their home season with an 8-3 victory over the Orioles. "A lot of guys were talking about when he was in our major league camp and he couldn't throw the ger Stadium.

Harwell's career in Detroit is being ended after 32 years by the team and radio station WJR. Pete Incaviglia, Mickey Tettle-ton and Lou Whitaker each hit two-run homers for the Tigers. Incaviglia and Tettleton homered in the first for a 4-0 lead and Whitaker homered in the fourth. It was the 10th homer for Incaviglia, the 30th for Tettleton and the 22nd for Whitaker. Chito Martinez, in a l-for-24 slump, hit his 12th homer in the fifth "He's done that all year.

He's thrown well every time out," Tigers manager Sparky Anderson said. "But I thought this was his best game. I wanted him to get the complete game because he's never had one." Dave Johnson (4-8), winless since Aug. 11, gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 innings. The 11,824 fans rose spontaneously before the start of the seventh, turned toward the broadcast booth and gave a long ovation to Ernie Harwell, beginning his final three innings on the radio from Ti Angels stall Jays.

3C Smoltz lifts Braves. 3C ball," Orioles manager John Oates said. "He was shagging flies and he couldn't even throw the ball back to the infield." The Orioles got Leiter into professional baseball when the made him their fourth-round pick in 1983's January draft. He rose through their farm system, but arm trouble nearly forced him out of the game. Leiter didn't pitch for three Monday: Detroit 8, Baltimore 3.

The Tigers are 80-76. 6Y2 games behind Toronto. Today: Detroit (Frank Tana-na 11-12) at Boston (Roger Clemens 18-8). 7:35 p.m. TVRadio: PASSWJR 760-AM.

WJIM 1240-AM. Homer race: Cecil Fielder is tied with Jose Canseco at 43. Pennant races: Toronto lost and Boston won, leaving the Blue Jays 3V2 games up. Atlanta won, leaving Los Angeles a V2 game up. 1 Ap trip the US1Q Perles makes switch; Miller will start instead of Johnson The Miller file Name: Jim Miller a Ht.Wt.Yr.: 6-2, 204-pound sophomore QB High school: Waterford Kettering NHL '91 Five reasons why the Red Wings will be improved: 1.

Bryan Murray is more in touch with his team. 2. Steve Yzerman the Canada Cup snub will motivate him to a great season. 3. Gerard Gallant The veteran left winger is healthy and could return to 35-goal form.

4. Niklaus Lindstrom, from Sweden, and Vladimir Kostantinov, from the Soviet Union they'll help the Wings' defense immensely. 5. Kevin Miller the former MSU standout forward provides great versatility. He can play solid defense and could score 25-30 goals.

1 't 1 JL i HrV If A i fr. i LiA 1 1 Spartan notebook. 4C By NEIL KOEPKE Lansing State Journal Ever since the Pittsburgh Penguins stunned the hockey world by knocking off the Cinderella Minnesota North Stars to win the Stanley Cup last spring, the National Hockey League, which opens play Thursday, has experienced nothing but turmoil. In probably the most negative off-season in history, the positive aspects of the Penguins' Stanley Cup run, led by Super Mario Le-mieux, were quickly overshadowed by a myriad of problems. The list grows by the day: HEric Lindros, the 18-year-old junior phenom and the league's brightest commodity since Le-mieux joined the league in 1984, says he won't play in Quebec City even if the Nordiques ante up $2 or $3 million a season.

The league and the NHL Play-ers Association still haven't reached agreement on a new collective bargaining contract. A strike is being downplayed, but unless a settlement is reached, the players could walk out before the Stanley Cup playoffs. The NHL is still without a national cable television contract. League officials keep saying a deal with ESPN and SportsChannel America is imminent, but fans keep asking when. All the periphery problems have taken away from normal excitement of what's going to happen on the ice.

And it's not like some good things haven't transpired. The Toronto Maple Leafs finally have someone running the franchise who knows what he's doing President and general man-anger Cliff Fletcher, who built the Calgary Flames into a Stanley Cup champion. Headaches aside, the 1991-92 season promises to be quite intriguing, even on the ice. Here's a look at the year ahead: Five reasons why the Wings won't win the Stanley Cup: 1. The lack of a solid backup to goalie Tim Cheveldae; 2.

Too many young players and new faces; 3. Inability to win on the road; 4. Defense has potential but it'll take a while to jell; 5. the Chicago Blackhawks. The top five Stanley Cup contenders: By JACK EBLING Lansing State Journal EAST LANSING After three weeks of three-and-out possessions, it was three losses and out of a job for Michigan State's starting quarterback.

MSU coach George Perles made that anticipated change Monday morning, elevating sophomore Jim Miller over junior Bret Johnson for at least the team's Big Ten opener at Indiana. "The starting quarterback this week will be Jim Miller," were the first words out of Perles' mouth at his weekly media session. "I thought he did some fine things Saturday." The 6-foot-4, 202-pounder from Waterford was 8-for-16 passing for 165 yards and just his team's second touchdown of 1991 in a 14-7 loss to Rutgers. He also received a mild concussion at some point in the third quarter. But after hearing the news he'd be starting from Perles, his head felt considerably better.

"The coaches called me early this morning and said they wanted to see me," Miller said. "I didn't know for sure I'd be starting, but I hoped so. "As Coach Perles always says, if you work hard enough, everything works out for the best. Everything falls into place." For Johnson, everything began to fall apart in a 20-3 loss to Central Michigan on Sept. 14.

And he failed to solidify his hold on the No. 1 spot in a 49-10 whipping at Notre Dame. "I can understand it," said Johnson after practice. "I understand the definition of a quarterback. "Jimmy and I and Mill Coleman were all competing coming out of double-days.

I couldn't get it done the first three games. So it's time for another guy." It was time after two offensive series against Rutgers, a switch that Johnson found tough to accept immediately after the game. "We wanted to get Jim in there earlier than we had," Perles said. "That was the plan going in. We did not pull Bret because he wasn't performing.

"Miller would have played the rest of the game if he hadn't been dinged. He was OK'd by the doctors. And he went back in for one play when Bret lost his shoe. But I didn't want to do that. The head is the most important area to protect." From a physical and psychological standpoint, especially at a spotlight position like quarterback.

"There's no pouting, no second-guessing and no chatter," Perles said. "I've talked to both guys, just so there's no doubt in anybody's mind. "Bret understands. He's a big man. These are tough kids.

They can take some hits." Johnson took more than his share this month while completing 16 of 37 passes, 43.2 percent, for 171 yards and one score. But he said he was treated fairly by the coaches, adding that this demotion was much different than the one last summer that made him leave UCLA, where he'd started as a redshirt-freshman. "Part of being a quarterback is See SPARTANS, Page 4C 1. Los Angeles; 2. Pittsburgh; 3.

Chicago; 4. Calgary; 5. St. Louis. Five reasons why the Kings will win the Stanley Cup: 1.

Wayne Gretzky It's been four years since Wayne last sipped champagne from the Cup; 2. Jarri Kurri he's back on Gretzky's right wing and should have a brilliant year; 3. Bruce McNall best owner in hockey; 4. Rob Blake the second-year defenseman from Bowling Green will take on a pro-mient role; 5. Mike Donnelly OK, so he's not a elite player.

But he has great speed, works hard and he's a former Spartan Ail-American and that's good enough for us. Five reasons why the Black-hawks won't win the Stanley Cup: 1. Mike Keenan he'll torment his players so much most will wish they were playing with former teammates Doug Wilson and Wayne Presley in San Jose. 2. Goaltending Ed Belfour, unhappy over contract negotiations, won't be as brilliant as he was last season; 3.

Chicago is too belligerent for its own good; 4. The battling See NHL. Page 4C Lansing State Journal Jim Miller has completed 19 passes in 38 attempts for 269 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. of the second half, when Rypien stumbled, then fumbled and Wes Hopkins recovered for the Eagles at the Washington 10. But one play later, Green had his second interception on a pass by Ryan to a well-covered Kenny Jackson in the end zone.

But other than that, the Eagles never got beyond the Washington 47. fourth period after yet another interception, this one by Andre Collins as Philadelphia was held to 89 yards in total offense. But the game turned late in the first quarter, when McMahon, who had replaced Randall Cunningham when he went out in the season-opener with a knee injury, sprained ligaments in his right knee as he was chased out of Associated Press WASHINGTON Darrell Green had two interceptions as Washington posted its third shutout in five games this season, knocking Jim McMahon from the game and remaining unbeaten with an 23-0 win over Philadelphia. Mark Rypien had a 19-yard TD out for some time." It was, however, a game-ending injury for the Eagles, who replaced McMahon with Pat Ryan, who didn't play at all in 1990 after being cut by the New York Jets, with whom he played as a backup for 12 years. Ryan finished 4-for-14 for 24 yards.

The best chance for Philadelphia (3-2) came on the first series bounds by Wilber Marshall, his teammate on Chicago's 1985 Super Bowl champions. He had completed four of six passes for 32 yards. Eagles spokesman Ron Howard said it was "not a season-ending injury" for McMahon, who has never been healthy for a full season in his decade in the NFL. But he said the quarterback, who will be re-examined Tuesday, "will be pass to Art Monk and Chip Loh-miller kicked a 37-yard field goal in a 4 y2 -minute span of the second quarter for the Redskins, who joined New Orleans and Buffalo as the NFL's only unbeaten teams. Lohmiller also had a 35-yarder in the third period and a 27-yarder with 11 seconds to play.

Earnest Byner, who gained 95 yards in 27 carries, ran 7 yards for a TD in the Ryder Cup made for some bad golf but some great drama MIKE LOPRESTI Scorecard AL 3C Seattle 3, Texas 2 (1st) Texas 2. Seattle (2nd) New York 3, Cleveland Detroit 8, Baltimore 3 California 2, Toronto 1 Minnesota 8, Chicago 3 Boston 9, Milwaukee 8 Kansas City 8, Oakland 4 NL 3C Atlanta 4, Cincinnati Chicago 6, Philadelphia 5 Pittsburgh 6, New York 5 St. Louis 1 1 Montreal 1 Houston 2, San Francisco Los Angeles 7. San Diego 2 Soccer 5C Waverly's soccer team stayed Undefeated in the Capital Area Conference and remained in first place with a 5-0 victory over Holt. came difficult, difficult shots became impossible.

Notice what Seve Ballesteros said of Langer's last putt, which was tricky enough, but still only five feet long. "No one in the world," he said, "could have made made that putt." That is what the pressure had done by the end of it all; the best golfers on the planet could no longer play their game. Why? Here is one idea. Golfers are accustomed to handling their own burdens. But here was a rare feeling shared responsibility.

Suddenly, they were the caddy, and the bag included either the United States or Europe. A heavy tote. And so they settled the Ryder Cup with honest athletes shedding honest tears. No cool act of nonchalance. No one even tried.

These were people driven by a perceived responsibility to win, driven to the point of emotional exhaustion. This year in sport will not see a moment more extraordinary. Mike Lopresti is a Gannett News Service columnist. last hole of the last match to hand the Americans the Ryder Cup that 10 years ago nobody paid much attention to, he was back in the locker room. Weeping.

American galleries have never been so enamored with Langer. He is a tad aloof, and he takes all day to hit a shot. What happened Sunday, I suspect, will make him more likable, for being a victim breeds sympathy. Never has a man heard louder cheers after missing a six-foot putt. It all made for compelling drama.

And not because the United States won, even though that was nice, particularly in light of some in-your-face-buddy comments by Nick Faldo last week. But the survival of the Republic did not ride on the outcome. There are lots of international competitions in lots of areas. The United States has a contract bridge team. But the fascinating part is not what was achieved by the best golfers in the world, but what was happening to them.

The pressure was crushing, relentless and obvious. Sunday, most of them had trouble getting their clubs out of their bags. Easy shots be OK, you don't like golf. You don't know the Ryder Cup from a Dixie Cup. The last club you had in your hands was at Putt-Putt.

To you, Augusta is in Maine, and links are either sausage or cuff. Doesn't matter. Sunday should have moved you. Sport in the present day so often cynical, self-serving, with every feeling bought and paid for has had few moments like the 1991 Ryder Cup. Not a nickel was on the line during the weekend in South Carolina.

Not a pfennig. But rarely have the inner passions of a group of athletes been exposed so vividly, rubbed so raw by pressure. What could possibly send a man to sit alone and cry on the beach, his sense of unfulfilled duty as vast as the gray Atlantic Ocean before him? I wasn't within 500 miles of the place. Didn't have to be. You turned on the television Sunday, and the emotion leaked out of the set, all over your living room carpet.

Was that Lanny Wadkins, who's made $5 million in his life playing this game through every imaginable ordeal, too choked up to talk after he won his match? Was that Mark Calcavecchia, so assured over some of golf's most murderous terrain, seeking refuge on a lonely beach, devastated by the big lead he lost in his own match? Was that Bernhard Langer, who plays this game with the demeanor of an icicle and the speed of a glacier, who one April Sunday stared down the Masters and helped open the floodgate to foreign ownership of green jackets, being the last one to feel the noose of pressure around his neck? And after he missed the last putt on the.