The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 31

Page edited by Kyle Neddenriep; call 837-1373 after 5 p.m. Sunday, March 11, 2C01 News-Leader 3C Baseball ets fans enjoy booing Bonilla in win over Cards The Associated Press Gary Sheffield abruptly dropped his trade request Saturday, adding yet another twist to his strange spring with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Gary no longer wants to be traded. He has rescinded that," agent Jim Neader said. "He says he will honor the terms of his contract and just go out and play." Sheffield left the team's training complex before his latest stance became known.

The disgruntled slugger did not play in a 5-3 win over Kansas City, leaving him at O-for-9 in exhibition games. A day earlier, Sheffield said: "Nothing new happening right now." The star outfielder "thought about it, talked to his teammates and came to this decision," Neader said. Errors by New York first baseman Todd Zeile and third baseman Robin Ventura created jams in the first two innings and Appier allowed two hits in the third, escaping a bases-loaded situation. St. Louis stranded eight runners in the first two innings and 11 overall.

"There were some situations that were created and he battled his way out of them," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said of Appier. New York took a 2-0 lead in the third against Alan Benes, getting consecutive singles by Timo Perez, Dar-ryl Hamilton and Alfonzo coupled with two errors. Benes allowed two runs one earned and three hits in three innings. John Franco's perfect spring ended when he gave up sixth-inning singles to Eli Marrero, Luis Garcia and Placido Polanco. team last season.

His homer Saturday came in the ninth on the first pitch from Jose Santiago. Ochoa hit a solo homer in the sixth off loser Doug Henry. Chris Sexton scored the first Cincinnati run earlier in the sixth on a passed ball by Hector Ortiz. Luis Alicea tripled in the first and scored on Carlos Beltran's ground-out. The Royals got just three hits over the final eight innings.

Winner Elmer Dessens, the second of four Reds pitchers, pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two. Chris Nichting worked around a Nick Ortiz leadoff double in the ninth to get the save. Royals starter Blake Stein allowed two hits in four scoreless innings and struck out four. Sheffield changes course, drops trade request At Vero Beach, second and nobody out and unselfishly moves him to third." Chan-Ho Park allowed two runs and six hits in three innings and struck out four. He gave up a two-run home run to Mike Sweeney in the first.

"I felt good," Park said. "But my fastball was up on the home run." Park has struck out 12 batters in eight innings this spring. Dodgers teammate Mike Fetters struck out the side in the ninth. Wilson allowed three hits in four innings. Kansas City's Dee Brown had three hits.

Reds (ss) 3, Royals (ss) 1: At Haines City, Austin Kearns and Alex Ochoa homered as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Kansas City Royals in a split-squad game. Kearns, a first-round draft choice in 1998, hit 27 homers and drove in 104 runs for the Reds' Class A Dayton Spring Training Roundup Albert Pujols of the Cardinals hit a solo homer in the ninth off Pete Walker. Dodgers 5, Royals (ss) 3: At Vera Beach, Brent Cookson hit two solo home runs off Kris Wilson on Saturday as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat a Kansas City Royals' split squad. Cookson, a left fielder who played last season with Triple-A Albuquerque, homered in the first and fourth innings. Four pitchers held the Royals to one run in the last six innings.

"There was a lot of really good things that took place today," Los Angeles manager Jim Tracy said. "You can talk about a guy who hit two home runs in his first two at-bats and then turns around with a man on PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. New York Mets fans are using spring training to get their booing in shape. Bobby Bonilla heard it loudly from his former fans Saturday each time he batted during the St.

Louis Cardinals' 7-3 loss to the Mets. Bonilla, who angered fans during two stays with the Mets, was booed with gusto each time he batted. After hitting a single and reaching second base in the third inning, Bonilla kidded with shortstop Rey Ordonez and second baseman Edgar-do Alfonzo. Fans cheered when Dennis Cook struck out Bonilla on a 3-2 changeup in the fifth. St.

Louis made five errors in the game. Mets starter Kevin Appier held the Cardinals scoreless through three innings, but it was difficult. Please see? box scores. 2C Mabry pushing for roster spot THE TALK OF THE TOWN HAS ARRIVED Versatility gives former Cardinal the upper hand among veterans vying for starting job. HE EASIEST POP UP" The Associated Press tmmmm The Associated Press Cardinals Notebook IN AMERICA SPJPIifcJiW'.

At li STARTING AT $4,99000 or $1 1 0mth. Kline said. "But now I'm in great shape and ready to rock and roll." Spare part Reliever Jim Corsi, signed as relief insurance in the offseason, has yet to pitch this spring due to a strained triceps muscle. If he doesn't come around soon, he may not get a chance. "Corsi better get his (butt) on the mound or he's going to be making the right turn down the hallway," La Russa said.

"The worst thing that can happen is you're looking for insurance and to have him come in and not be able to pitch." Corsi, 39, threw on the side Friday. He was injured just before spring training and after signing a minor-league deal. Asked whether it might be a little hard for Corsi to make the team, La Russa said: "How about a lot hard? Like he can't make it. "He's not using some kind of strategy where he's laying in the weeds and at the last he'll look good because nobody else is, but it's just a tough break for him." High strike: Mark McGwire has no problem with the way the new high strike is being called this spring, even if he's been victimized a few times. "Everybody has to deal with it," McGwire said.

"It's not going to be a bad thing, it's just that we have to get used to it." JUPITER, Fla. For a day at least, John Mabry snuck into the St. Louis Cardinals' third-base derby. Mabry, trying to make the club for the second time as a non-roster player, made a rare start at third in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Montreal Expos. Don't read anything into it, though: manager Tony La Russa said he was just looking to get Mabry's bat in the lineup.

Mabry, who hit two home runs on Thursday against the Florida Marlins, fielded the position flawlessly. "It's just an option," La Russa said. "He's not going to be playing a lot of third base in spring training, but it's nice to know you can use him there." Mabry, 30, came up in the Cardinals' organization and was the starting first baseman for the 1996 NL Central title team. Last year he played for Seattle and San Diego, hitting a combined .235 with eight homers. Principally an outfielder-first baseman, Mabry is one of several veterans vying for bench spots, including Shane Andrews, Bobby Bonilla, Bernard Gilkey and Quinton McCracken.

He has no idea where he stands. "You never know," Mabry said. "There's three weeks left and so Plus Freight Dealer Prep -10 Down Cash or Trade Equity at 60 mth. at 10 95 with approved credit. much can happen, so you just do your work and hope things work out." Through Friday, he was 4-for-13.

Craig Paquette, the top third-base candidate, has had hamstring soreness since running from first to home in the spring opener and missed his third game Friday. He played two more games before sitting down and La Russa said he's day-to-day. Injury hampered Kline last season: Last season, when Steve Kline's performance dropped off in the second half, it was chalked up to fatigue. Kline, after all, appeared in 83 games for the Expos. Now, he says, the real reason was a torn calf muscle.

"I didn't tell anybody and I tried to be this tough guy, and it didn't work out the way I wanted," Kline said. "I threw a lot more innings, a lot more games, but I couldn't do the things I needed to do." Kline, picked up along with Dustin Hermanson in the Fernando Tatis trade, said he was injured in late July and couldn't run for about a month. "Sometimes I had to throw all arm, and my mechanics were off," i-f IMPORTS iSn RVC -TIK v-w nHH I UTII ami II 111 mS A IP Tsl? for savings up to JH frSlH IllAI fa I 20 off your entire jjjf purcnase Fnaay, Selection Service Satisfaction Saturday and Sunday WHERE THE 13TH PAIR IS FREE! nn (iilUSIOiKS hi Hi li ui rft i stor for detail Im JMf I I i 1 1 1 mi SALE 98 29 Reebok ZN Aurora wish sr Rejuvenate Woman's wiNr I Men's il. mi iiiiiihi mil ji i I I 1 1 SALE LLA5: SALE SALE 98 k4tr 50 98 98 fe 19 39 09 Rg 49.9 T. R.f37.

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