Battle Creek Enquirer from Battle Creek, Michigan • Page 9

I I ro) ENQUIRER 3B Recognition Pirates honor Negro League 4B Rude welcome USC's Robinson loses opener oeles puts in Open appearance Defending U.S. champ shows to support Ashe Foundation exhibition U.S. Open Today: Same-day highlights, 12:35 a.m. (Ch.3,6). Tuesday: Opening rounds, 11 am (USA).

Today's pairings, 2B. before the Open begins without her in Steffi Graf fan, Seles was interviewed The Associated Press hibition. "I wanted to be here because I love Arthur and I want to support JimLitke Associated Press the draw, waved to 13,000 fans who gave her a standing ovation. She sat beside Ashe's widow Jeanne and daughter Camera, signed autographs and, at one point, leaned over a railing from the president's box to exchange a kiss and hug with Jennifer Capriati. "It's a very special day," said Seles, who asked Saturday to attend this ex shortly afterward at Vail, where she's been undergoing physical therapy since.

She also appeared in a televised interview last week. But this appearance at the National Tennis Center marked the first time she has come back to the crowd, back to a court and back to public life. "I thought she showed a lot of guts NEW YORK Monica Seles made her first public appearance at a tennis event since her stabbing in April, returning Sunday to the scene of her 1991 and 1992 U.S. Open triumphs to join the tennis world in memory of Arthur Ashe. Seles, smiling at courtside the day his Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS." "New York loves Monica Seles," Alan King, master of ceremonies, said after the crowd's long ovation.

Still unable to practice because of the back wound from her attack at Hamburg, Germany, by an obsessed coming here," said J. Howard "Bumpy" Frazer, chairman of the U.S. Open committee. Seles, who flew up from her home Please see SELES, 3B Tigers9 Mid. 1 1 ride takes another dip A's win, 7-3, to stop Detroit's streak at 7 Ik '14 Gannett News Service "If you start playing that roller coaster too much, you can't handle it emotionally.

We didn't play well, there's no question about it. We can't play like this and expect to win. But you have to file it. We still won two of three, and that's not bad." The Tigers were held to six hits, struck out 12 OAKLAND, Calif. Pennant races are emotional roller coasters when there are just 30 games remaining.

One day, a team may be surging toward the top with all the momen Baseball: I Fight first, think later Being involved in a basebrawl this season means never having to say you're sorry. Listen to what two of the three managers serving suspensions for taking part in separate incidents had to say over the weekend: "It just proves again, turn the other cheek and the other cheek gets slapped," Oakland's Tony La Russa said. "I won't let these kids get abused. I won't let them run over these young kids. The Pittsburgh Pirates," Jim Leyland went out of his way to make clear, "will not be intimidated." To be completely fair about it, Leyland did allow a moment later as to how he was "embarrassed" by the suspension and how, while "'Never' is a bad word, I doubt it will ever happen again." Tough attitude La Russa for his part, may not have been thinking about retaliation when he updated the biblical line about turning the other cheek.

But it popped up the middle of a long harangue that started with the inequality of American League justice, and ended with the suggestion that Milwaukee's BJ. Surhoff, who got hammered pretty good in the A's-Brewers confrontation that earned the suspensions, got what he deserved. The attitude that comes through both conversations fight first, let the league offices sort out the casualties is the same, and it's the wrong one. Especially from men who are supposed to be cooling things down, not heating them up. The troubling thing is that the attitude es-.

poused by La Russa and Leyland, and most of the ballplayers who work for them, has become the rule and not the exception. Beginning with spring training games and stretching into last week, baseball's fight schedule put boxing's heavyweight division to shame. This is the first season anyone can remember where you needed your fingers AND toes to keep count. And medical charts to keep track of the increasingly destructive ones. tum its tavor.

And the next, that team can be in danger of falling back out of contention if it doesn't bounce right back from its first loss in a Eye on the Tigers Sunday: Oakland 7, Detroit Tigers 3. Today: Detroit at Seattle Mariners, 10 p.m. Box score, 2B. times (three each by Kirk Gibson1 and Travis Fryman) and committed three errors (two by second baseman Lou Whitaker). week.

That's the reality for the Detroit Tigers after Sunday afternoon's 7-3 loss to the A's at the Oakland Coliseum. Not only did the Tigers' seven-game winning streak end, but also Oakland broke a nine-game losing skid. It puts the Tigers five games behind Toronto and New York, both of whom won Sunday. The Tigers are still in third place in the American League East but only a half-game ahead of Baltimore and Boston. "You've got to prepare yourself every day without any thought to yesterday or tomorrow, and we didn't do a very good job of that today," said Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell, who went hitless in four at-bats to end a 16-game hitting streak.

Loser John Doherty (11-10) got through the first two innings facing the minimum six hitters. But he gave up a leadoff homer in the third to Craig Paquette and was knocked out during a four-run inning. With a runner on third and one out, Mike Bordick hit a grounder to second with the infield playing in to hold the runner at third. The ball squirted past Whitaker for a 2-0 lead. Troy Neel's double scored the third run, and a sacrifice fly by Brent Gates (3-for-3) got home the fourth to end Doherty's day.

"Right now I can't seem to put a couple good games back-to-back," Doherty said. "I'm just not being a consistent pitcher right now." Manager Sparky Anderson said of Doherty: "He lost it quick." Associated Press Hemond makes an off-balance slide into second base and is out Detroit's Lou Whitaker. An error was called on the throw to first. OFF BALANCE: Oakland's Scott on the attempted double play by Oakland starter Bob Welch (9-7) threw six scoreless innings before the Tigers got to him with a three-run seventh. Welch was making his second start since missing two weeks with a bruised right wrist.

Gibson hit a ball off the top of the fence in right-center for a double in the seventh. It missed being a two-run homer by probably a fraction of an inch. The Tigers did end up getting both runs across, on Mickey Tett-leton's single and Scott Livingstone's sacrifice fly. Dan Gladden added a run-scoring single to cut the deficit to 6-3, putting Welch out of the game. Thrice is nice Morse ties for third in Arkansas Enquirer Staff Brett's 200th steal earns him rare honor The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo.

George Brett scaled a height Sunday previously achieved only by Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. With a stolen base in the third inning against Boston, Kansas City's designated hitter joined Aaron and Mays as the only major leaguers with 3,000 hits, 300 homers and 200 stolen bases. Last weekend, Morse tied for second place at the Nike Wichita Open in Wichita, Kan. He was one-shot behind the the winner, Duval. Two weeks ago, Morse tied for second at That elusive top prize.

For the third straight week, Marshall native John Morse finished in the top three on the Nike Tour. Morse tied for third at the $150,000 Nike Texarkana Open in Texarkana, Ark. on Sunday. Morse, Bob Burns and David Duval each finished the four-day event with a 272. Hugh Royer HI shot a 267 for top honors.

Steve Rintoul had a 269. Morse shot a 70, 69, 64 and 69 on the par-72 Texarkana Country Club course. John Morse: Five shots behind winner i Nolan vs. Robin There was old Nolan Ryan rain- i) ing noogies on young Robin Ven- tura's head. There were the two bench-clearing brawls between the Pirates and Phils on the same I day, followed by a Pirates-Cubs extravaganza the very next day.

I'. And then there was tie distance- going affair between Baltimore and Seattle in which the Mariners' Chris Bosio injured his collarbone and the Orioles' Cal Ripken wrenched a knee bad enough to li consider ending his consecutive- game streak. 'The explanations for this out-break have been almost as varied: An increase in the number of batters leaning over the plate J- while trying to hit the ball the oth- er way. An increase in the number of pitchers throwing inside. An in-crease in the number of hit bats-men.

An increase in the number of home runs. While all of them have some grounding in fact, the most likely explanation is an increase in tes- tosterone levels. Before a mound got charged in the past, the batter getting plunked had to have some standing or the pitcher doing the plunking some flimsy excuse. No more. Suddenly, thin skin is in and an attitude is as indispensable a part of a player's repertoire as a smooth stroke or a good arm.

ii a the Nike-New Mexico Charities Classic. He was four-shots behind the winner, Chris Patton. Charameda wins bronze medal Brett, 40, was walked by Danny Darwin with one out in the third in-ning of Kansas City's 5-4, 12-in-ning victory over Boston. A moment later, he stole second ahead of catcher Tony Pena's throw. "It's not like 300 homers or 3,000 hits.

But it's nice to be in the same company as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays." George Brett The Associated Press on the last uphill stretch with about half of the final lap left. "The guys in the pack were negative and they were not going for Armstrong said. The other American med-' OSLO, Norway The United States finished with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the World Cycling Championships on Sunday. Li the road races, held in the Oslo area, the U.S. finished second in the women's 50-kilometer team trial, and Marshall native Laura Charameda placed third in the women's 92-kilometer road race.

Rebecca Twigg won a gold medal, in the women's pursuit. Lance Armstrong avoided a sprint at the finish of the men's road race, breaking away from the leading group Laura Charameda: 92-kilometer road race "It's not like 300 homers or 3,000 hits," Brett said. "But it's nice to be in the same company as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Let's be realistic. You play 20 years, and get 10 a year, that's 200.

But when you combine it with the 3,000 and 300, it's pretty special." It was Brett's sixth steal of the year and 200th of his career, and brought a standing ovation from fans who have waited for weeks to see him reach the milestone. Brett wound up with his 56th four-hit game, giving him 3,123 hits, 13th on the career list He has 312 career homers, putting him in 60th place. alists in the ve Kim Kaufman is sports editor. If you have a story idea or questions, call 966-0678 between 7 and 10 p.m. AssocistGc! Press ANOTHER MILESTONE: George Brett tips his hat to the crowd after stealing his 200th base.

lodrome races were Marty with a silver in the men's keirin, and-Janie Eickhoff, a bronze medalist in' the women's 3,000 pursuit.