The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 9

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1991 SECTION Coming Wednsday: The Tigers begin a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners tonight at Tiger Stadium. Check Wednesday's Times Herald for the complete story. INSIDE: BASEBALL: Montreal fires manager2B BASEBALL: Baines powers Athletics2B NHL: San Jose acquires ex-Wing2B FRENCH OPEN: Americans, Germans faring well3B MITT TIMES HERALD i Inkfflinnis Aft) MB by dleDsiirD) 7 THE HARD WAY 'Hit Man' jabs way to light heavyweight title Heams' title- A look at Tommy winning bouts: Welterweight JOHN NOGOWSKI 'v "ft ff -l I I I t' Aug. 2, 1980: 2nd-round KO of Pipino Cuevas WBC super welterweight Dec. 3, 1982: 15-round decision vs.

Wilfred Benitez NABF middleweight March 10, 1986: 1st-round KO of James Shuler WBC light heavyweight March 7, 1987: 10th-round KO of Dennis Andries WBC middleweight Oct. 29, 1987: 4th-round KO of Juan Domingo Roldan NABF super middleweight Nov. 4, 1988: 12-round decision vs. James Kinchen Gannett News Service LAS VEGAS Thomas Hearns reached back 10 years for the strategy that took the World Boxing Association light heavyweight title from Virgil Hill. Hearns jabbed and hammered his way to a 12-round unanimous decision victory Monday night before 8,125 fans in the outdoor stadium at Caesars Palace.

"First of all, anybody who thinks Thomas Hearns should retire and is through is entitled to their opinion," Hearns said. "It all depends what you feel inside. I never felt through, finished. I proved today I'm not through. I have more things to do." Hearns fought under control, relying heavily on the jab, just as he had when he fought Sugar Ray Leonard on a warm 1981 evening at Caesars Palace.

Unlike that night, when he faded in the heat and lost on a 14th-round technical knockout, this time a 32-year-old Hearns didn't fade. And as Monday's fight progressed, he had more success with his vaunted right hand. Not until a wild 11th round did he get involved in a slugfest, but he still delivered the harder shots. "I can fight in the light heavyweight division against a full-fledged light heavyweight," Hearns said. "I think Virgil felt Thomas Hearns wasn't a full-fledged light heavyweight.

I think Please see HEARNS, Page 3, this section WBA light heavyweight June 3, 1991: 12-round decision vs. Virgil Hill Th Anoolatad Pr Thomas Hearns, right, ducks under a left from Virgil Hill while preparing to attack the body during Hearns' upset win in the WBA light heavyweight title fight Monday night in Las Vegas. Hearns (50-3-1) was a 9-5 underdog at fight time. Yogeirs Ddft Body language to i inDMBIIO The Associated Press CLEVELAND Just three games into his career as an outfielder, Jerry Browne has saved one with his defense. Browne caught Mickey Tettleton's two-out drive while crashing into the fence in left-center in the first inning Monday, preventing at least one run and probably two in the Cleveland Indians' 2-0 win against the Detroit Tigers.

Is Browne, a displaced second baseman, beginning iff' Bt to feel comfortable in i sty TIGERS WATCH MONDAY: Cleveland 2, Tigers 0 RECORD: 23-26 STANDINGS: Fourth place in the A.L. East, 4 games behind Toronto NEXT GAME: 7:35 tonight at Tiger Stadium against Seattle TVRADIO: PASS WJR 760-AM left? "Nooooo," he said. "I didn't know I was that close to the wall. I was running and looking at the ball. I didn't know if I could get it.

I was just going to keep running until I ran out of room." The catch, stranding runners at first and third, ended one TODAY IN SPORTS Good, bad; here's news you can use Mind if I open my column with a quote from a Steppenwolf album? "Today, I have good news and bad news." Who said sports pages were a cultural desert? BAD NEWS Word out of Algonac is that Athletic Director Barry Hobrla is headed for Indiana. With five years as AD under his belt, Hobrla was the senior St. Clair Area League Athletic Director, which tells you something about the way things have been going in high school athletics around here. Hobrla did a fine job in a difficult situation in Algonac and he'll be missed. But I have a hunch he'll keep in touch with happenings in Algonac sports.

My good friend, cross country and track guru Roger Avers, will personally see to it. GOOD NEWS Port Huron's own Ron Cook decided to report to the Tigers' Lakeland Class A minor-league team after all. Cook, 22, had briefly retired after the Tigers decided to demote him from their Class AA team in London to Lakeland. Problem was, the London team's pitching -was horrible and Cook, who had only thrown twice, wasn't the immediate answer. So they wanted to send him down, and he didn't want to go to a league he'd already pitched in for two years, which is understandable.

I didn't dispute his decision. Everyone I talked with seemed to think otherwise. "When Ronnie gets to be 30," one guy told me, "he's going to kick himself." Not now. MORE GOOD NEWS Though Saturday night's pro boxing card at McMorran Arena was far from the financial knockout Morris Snider had hoped for, there certainly wasn't a darn thing wrong with the bouts as far as action goes. As a fight fan of 20 years, there have been few cards I've attended that had a better blend of boxing skill and knockout power.

Another show may follow in September. EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS The past 12 months haven't been the happiest of Jim Venia's life. Personal concerns, Walt Braun's illness and the usual athletic director headaches have had Marysville's AD on the run. Saturday, it all came together for him. Somehow, he guided his Vikings softball team to a district title he couldn't have expected to win not with Richmond, St.

Clair and defending state champion Marine City in the same tournament. During the season, the Vikings had lost 12 games, including five (by Venia's count) by a 3-2 score. Saturday, they made up for all that. Crackerjack coaching by Venia, along with daring baserunning and wonderful defensive plays, including Amy Gerenz's remarkable catch in left field a play Venia said was the best catch he's ever seen in girls' softball made all the difference. The coach and his team should have gotten a standing ovation.

Instead, there was some yahoo in the stands saying Marysville had been outcoached. At the time of his bonehead remark, the Vikings had managed about four hits in two games and had already knocked off one outstanding team and were poised to knock off another. If he hadn't have been watching the game sitting in the shade, I'd have figured the sun got to him. John Nogowski Is th Time Herald ports editor. This column contains his personal opinions.

I of only two serious Detroit threats. The Tigers also had runners at first and third in the third inning, but Cecil Fielder hit into an inning-ending double play. Browne is being tried in the outfield to get his bat back in the lineup now that he's been replaced at second base by rookie Mark Lewis. Browne is hitting only .181 this season but hit a combined .284 hitter in 1989 and 1990. Cleveland starter Charles Nagy (2-5) allowed eight hits and struck out six in seven innings for the win.

Shawn Hillegas gave up one hit during the last two innings for his fourth save. Walt Terrell (2-6) took the loss. The Indians swept four games from Detroit for the first time since June 1977. It was their first four-game sweep of any team since September 1989. Renovating Tiger Stadium may be impractical, Wayne County executives said Monday.

Officials Wednesday will release a report on studies researching the feasibility of renovating the 79-year-old ballpark. Chris Kittides, president of BEI Engineers, said renovating the stadium would likely cost far more than the estimated $75 million. Tlmu H.rald DOROTHY NRATON Leroy Tremp reacts after missing a 40-foot putt on the 18th green during the American Cancer Society golf tournament Monday at the Black River Country Club. Cook ends hiatus, returns to minors NBA FINALS I'll go down there and give it everything I've got and hopefully prove them wrong. It's baseball and 22 is awful young (to quit).

Rookies in the big leagues are all 25, 26." Ron Cook i LA. LAKERS vs. CHICAGO GAME 1: LA. Lakers 93, Chicago 91 GAME 2: 9 p.m. Wednesday at Chicago GAME 3: 9 p.m.

Friday, June 7 at Los Angeles GAME 4: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 9 at Los Angeles GAME 5: 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 12 at Los Angeles, if necessary GAME 6: 9 p.m. Friday, June 14 at Chicago, if necessary GAME 7: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16 at Chicago, If necessary Jordan: Bulls still confident The Associated Press CHICAGO A two-point loss in the opener of the NBA Finals didn't shake Michael Jordan's confidence.

He still believes his teammates will support him enough for the Chicago Bulls to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. "Our mood is still very positive," Jordan said Monday. "The situation can overwhelm you in the NBA Finals. I've been through this in the Olympics and the NCAAs. The guys need to relax and try to have more ups than downs." Despite missing a shot in the final seconds that would have put the Bulls ahead Sunday, Jordan was brilliant despite a 93-91 loss in Game 1.

He scored 36 points and his 12 assists provides proof he tried to keep his teammates involved. But the unavoidable truth is they didn't do enough to support him. The other Bulls starters totaled 37 Port Huron lefty rejoins 'A' club By BRIAN MARSHALL Times Herald It's not that modified softball was boring, but Ron Cook is ready to get back to playing "real" baseball. Cook, who has been home in Port Huron playing softball the past month, has decided to resume his professional baseball career. Cook, who came home when the Detroit Tigers demoted him from Class AA to has reconsidered and hopped on a plane for Lakeland, Fla.

Monday. Lakeland is the home of the Tigers' Class A affiliate, where Cook has spent the last two full seasons. Cook, a left-handed pitcher, broke spring training this season at AA London, but after two bad outings was told he would be heading to Lakeland. Instead, Cook came home, saying he had nothing left to prove at Lakeland after two strong seasons there. At 22, he was considering giving up professional ball and beginning life anew.

The Tigers kept calling Cook, indicating the door was still open, as long as it from his contract, confident that another organization would pick him up. After next season, his sixth in the minors, he automatically becomes a free agent. Cook hopes his going AWOL won't be held over his head as he tries to rescue his career. "I've been told not at all, but I'U have to see how it goes," Cook said. "I know at Lakeland it won't be a problem because (manager John) Lipon is going to be as fair as anybody." Cook is sure he will have to spend the remaining three months of the season at Lakeland.

He is hoping he again makes the London roster at the beginning of next season with one difference. He expects to stick around long enough to get to know the town. led to Lakeland. Finally, Cook agreed and joined the Lakeland team Monday. "I'll go down there and give it everything I've got and hopefully prove them wrong," Cook said.

"It's baseball and 22 is awful young (to quit). Rookies in the big leagues are all 25, 26. "I'll give it this year and another and I'll be a (minor league) free agent. I'll stick it out and see what happens." Cook was encouraged when the Tigers recently called up Mike Dalton, a 28-year-old pitcher who had never reached the majors. Cook said the only difference between many Tigers' pitchers is experience and opportunity.

Cook said Tigers officials told him they would not release him points on 38.1 percent shooting. Jordan said he isn't surprised that the media are saying the Bulls reverted to their style of the 1980s when he often carried the offensive burden alone. "It appeared to be that way because offensively I was contributing more than the other guys," Jordan said. "They weren't hitting their shots and I was. I was trying to distribute the ball, but we didn't knock the shots down.

I'm sure they will start falling for us." Nerves got to Bulls, 2B.