The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 13

TIMES HERALD SECTION com SUNDAY: District baseball and Softball action continues at various sites today. Times Herald sportswriters will I be enjoying the games and getting the details. I SPORTS DEPARTMENT, call 989-6266 INSIDE: Golf: SC4 player headed to nationals2B WRESTLING: Marysville youth a champion4B TENNIS: Pierce close to stardom5B Sports SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1994 siks UitilUdW 'ff 55 'm angry and I'm disappointed. This feels like I'm being discarded. TODAY IN SPORTS 1 BRYAN MURRY fired as Red Wings GM things, but not massive changes.

If they don't get rid of all these young players, this team will be good for a very long time." Murray, who spent three years in the dual role of both coach and general manager before stepping down as coach last season, had come under increasing criticism for his handling of the team. Scotty Bowman took over as coach. Critics said Murray was too slow to trade goalie Tim Cheveldae, then when he did, obtained Bob Essensa in what many saw as an even trade at best. "If you go through the 15 trades that I made and pick the one that didn't work, I guess that's the one," Murray said. "Bob didn't play as well as he should have, and didn't play as well he will somewhere next season." The Red Wings had rookie Chris Osgood in goal when they lost in the first round of this year's playoffs to San Jose, a team that fin- The Associated Press DETROIT Bryan Murray, shocked and frustrated at being fired as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, said team owner Mike Hitch was making him a scapegoat.

Hitch fired both Murray and assistant general manager Doug Ma-cLean after a season in which the team won its division but was stunned by the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the NHL playoffs. "I'm angry and I'm disappointed," Murray said during an informal news conference at his home in suburban Birmingham. "This feels like I'm being discarded." The move caught Murray by surprise, despite reports out of Toronto a day earlier that it might happen. "I had no inkling," Murray said. "But someone in the organization must have been talking.

I guess 2 there wasn't much interest in sharing the blame." Murray, 50, who stepped down as coach to concentrate on. front office duties a year ago, was dismissed during his annual review meeting with Hitch. "We both agreed it was time for him to move on," Hitch said in a brief statement. "There was no ani mosity involved in this decision." But that didn't jibe with what Murray said later. "When I came here, I thought we had a plan," Murray said.

"I thought we agreed that we would go with young players and let them develop. "Had I known I had to win this year, I would have done a couple of Not in time ished the regular season with a 33-35-16 record. Detroit won its division with a 46-30-8 record. Murray wondered how that could be his fault "I was in the press box watching the game when we got 100 points during the regular season," Murray said. "I was still up in the press box when we lost in the first round of the playoffs.

I'm not sure how responsible I am for the difference." It is a familiar story, both for Murray and the Red Wings. In three seasons with Murray behind the bench, the Red Wings were twice eliminated in the first round. In 1992, the Red Wings won the Central Division, struggled to get past the then-Minnesota North Stars in seven games, then were swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. Murray came to Detroit after being fired by the Washington Capitals in January 1990. Knicks force Game 7 Top Pacers, 98-91 The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS Reggie Miller's fourth-quarter mastery fell short Friday night as the New York Knicks held on in the final minutes to force a seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals against Indiana.

John Starks scored 26 points, Derek Harper made the go-ahead basket with 1:50 left and the Knicks held the Pacers scoreless over the last two minutes for a 98-91 victory and a 3-3 tie in the best-of-7 series. New York, which scored just 11 points over the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, held the Pacers without a field goal in five attempts in the final five minutes. The Knicks scored the last seven points of the game after Miller, who scored 12 of his 27 points in the final period, tied the score with a free throw with 2:06 left. Starks, an All-Star who averaged 19 points, has struggled in the Indiana series, making just 34.6 percent of his shots over the first five' games while being overshadowed by Miller. But he regained his form Friday night, making eight of 11 shots, including his first five 3-point attempts.

He was also the reason Miller couldn't repeat his 25-point Please see KNICKS, Page 5, this section r- 'WW' fj My A Vt vvvvrv is i-J XJ" lL.r: 1 uT v. If rfS1' ft Father keeps close eye on son's pitching SANDUSKY Jim Minard positioned his lawn chair right behind the backstop fence behind home plate. He lined himself up so he could see the pitcher and the plate. His son, James Minard, was the starting pitcher for Sandusky in a Class district baseball championship game, and Mr. Minard wanted to make sure his son pitched well and the umpire made the right call.

"Good pitch James," Mr. Minard yelled when his son got one over for a strike. "Oohhh," he moaned when the umpire called a close a pitch a ball. Mr. Minard delivered praise for his son then he bemoaned the ump's call.

Minard pitched a four-hitter Friday afternoon as Sandusky topped Deckerville 13-3. The win gave the Redskins a Class district title and sends them to a Class regional next weekend at Marlette. Mr. Minard almost always sits in the same spot. "Just to see how he's doing," Mr.

Minard said. "I try to give him pointers now and then." Minard finished with 10 strikeouts, including four in one inning. "His pitching was good, but his batting wasn't that hot," Mr. Minard said. "He pitched a good game, but it wasn't as good as I've seen him pitch." Minard improved to 6-2 on the year.

"I pitched pretty well," Minard said. "The curveball is my best pitch. That's what I usually use. I was throwing a good fastball today too." But his hitting didn't make him happy. A hitter, Minard was 2-10 Friday, not the kind of day he wanted.

"I usually hit well," he said. "I don't know what happened. I just had an off-day." Minard's main focus wasn't hitting though. His job was to get outs. Deckerville scored two runs in the second inning and a run in the fourth.

"He got in a groove about the third inning," Sandusky Coach Barry Ziehm. "From then on, he was tough even though he was a little shaky in the seventh. He got tired, but he hung in there. James has pitched well all year. He throws a good curveball and sets it up with the fastball.

He relies on his curveball more than his fastball" The times do change. Even on us young folk. I can remember the days when fans chanted "R-E-G-G-I-E, R-E-G-G-I-E," and Reggie Jackson was up to bat ready to crush the ball. Now, when fans chant "R-E-G-G-I-E, R-E-G-G-I-E," Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller is making shots with five Knicks, two ballboys and a hotdog vender In his face. Even though Miller has been a great player in this league for years, he's just now getting the respect and recognition he deserves.

And it wouldn't have happened had the Pacers lost in the first round. And while Reggie Miller is the subject, I have to write a few words about Spike Lee. Remember when he played Mars Blackman, the fiesty little gym rat on all the old Michael Jordan Nike commercials and not acclaimed movie producer with the sytlin' 'fro and front row seats at Knicks games? Jeff Zillgltt Is a Times Herald sportswriter. The opinions in this column are his own. I iinioi By RALPH W.

POLOVICH, Times Herald Peck catcher Lynn Long catches a throw, but can't tag Akron-Falrgrove's Kristy Fox before she slides safely into home plate Friday in district action. Peck won the Class semifinal game, 15-9. Prep roundups, 3B. PREP DISTRICT PAIRINGS MRS WATCH FRIDAY: Tigers 9, Twins 8 Cecil's HR lifts Tigers in 13th RECORD: 25-26 STANDINGS: Fourth place in AL East, eight games behind the New York Ysnksss NEXT GAME: 1 p.m. today vs.

Minnesota at Tiger Stadium TVRADIO: PASS Cable; WJR 760 Mariners not looking past Vikings game If Marine City doesn't make it past Marysville in the semifinals of the Class Softball district at Richmond today, it won't be because the Mariners looked past the Vikings. Marine City has to be considered the favorite to win the district. The Mariners (26-2) are co-champions of the St. Clair Area League and beat the other co-champ, Richmond, 5-3 in a pre-district game. The Mariners also have beaten Marysville twice this season, but Marine City Coach Marv Osterland has seen upsets before.

"They're capable of playing a good ball-game," Osterland said. "If we don't show up ready to play, we're going to get beat." The winner of the Marysville-Marine City game advances to the district final against the winner of Saturday's other semifinal between Armada and St. Clair. In the Class baseball district at Richmond, Marysville and Richmond are matched up in one semifinal, while Armada takes on St. Clair.

At the Class A softball district at Pollard Park, Port Huron Northern fresh from a 2-1 upset win against Port Huron High in a pre-district game challenges a very good Anchor Bay team in the semifinals. At Anchor Bay Junior High School, the Port Huron Northern baseball team tries to stay alive In a semifinal game against Anchor Bay. BASEBALL Class A At Anchor Bay Junior High Today Anchor Bay vs. PH Northern, 10 a.m. L'Anse Creuse North vs.

Chippewa ValleyL'Anse Creuse winner, 1 p.m. Finals: 4 p.m. Class At Richmond High School Today Marysville vs. Richmond, 10 a.m. Armada vs.

St. Clair, 1 p.m. Finals: 3:30 p.m. At Caro High School Today North Branch vs. Imlay City, 10 a.m.

Croswell-Lexington vs. Yale, noon. Finals: 2:30 p.m. Class At Goodrich Today Memphis vs. Capac, 10 a.m.

Goodrich vs. Almont, noon Finals: 2 p.m. SOFTBALL Class A At Pollard Park Today Anchor Bay vs. Port Huron Northern, 10 a.m. L'Anse Creuse North vs.

Chippewa ValleyL'Anse Creuse winner, noon. Finals: 3 p.m. Class At Richmond High School Today Armada vs. St. Clair, 10:30 a.m.

Marysville vs. Marine City, 1 p.m. Finals: 3:30 p.m. At Caro High School Today Croswell-Lexington vs. Yale, 10 a.m.

North Branch vs. Imlay City, noon. Finals: 2:30 p.m. Class At Goodrich Today Goodrich vs. Capac, 10 a.m.

New Haven vs. Almont, noon. Finals: 2 p.m. The Associated Press DETROIT Cecil Fielder's second homer of the game Friday night lifted the Detroit Tigers to a 9-8 victory in 13 innings over the Minnesota Twins. With one out in the 13th, Fielder blasted the first pitch from Dave Stevens (0-1) into the second deck in the center field for his 14th homer.

Fielder's homer ended the four-hour, 32-minute game and made a winner of Joe Boever (3-0), who pitched four scoreless innings. Boever was the Tigers' fifth pitcher. The Twins used seven. Shane Mack's two-run homer capped a three-run eighth as the Twins took an 8-7 lead. Alex Cole, who homered in the third, scored the first Twins run in the eighth on Dave Winfield's double-play grounder.

But Junior Felix tied it 8-8 with his sixth homer, leading off the bottom of the inning. Travis Fryman and Tony Phillips also homered for Detroit. Fryman and Fielder hit successive homers in the first off Jim Deshaies, who hasn't won since April 30. But the Twins got three in the second off Detroit starter Bill Gullickson and were ahead 5-2 before the Tigers erupted for five in the sixth. Alan Trammell started the Detroit rally with his second double.

After a walk to Mickey Tettleton, Danny Bautista doubled Trammell home. Felix then singled Tettleton across, and Kirk Gibson's RBI grounder forced Felix but scored Bautista. Phillips hit his seventh homer for a 7-5 Detroit lead. Matt Walbeck, Jeff Reboulet and Pat Meares had the RBIs in the Twins' second. Cole hit his second homer leading off the third.

Chuck Knoblauch, who doubled, scored on Kirby Puckett's single in the Twins' fifth. Notes: Kirby Puckctt, playing right field, got some unwanted help from a Detroit fan on a foul ball by Tony Phillips in the second. Puckett had the ball in his glove for the third out, stranding Alan Trammell at second, when a fan knocked the ball loose. First base umpire Gary Cederstrom quickly ruled it an out. The Tigers have homered in 10 straight games.

Deshaies had lost three of four previous starts and was a no-decision in his last start, against Detroit, despite leaving the game with a 6-2 lead after five innings. Trammell, who had a single and two doubles in his first three at-bats, went into the game hitting .400 against Deshaies (4-for-10)..