News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 39

NEWS-PRESS KEWS-PRESS SCORELKS Call 332-5S03 or (800) 848-0515 and press 8018 Touch tone only Scorecard 2C Preps 3C Baseball 4C Golf5C NBA, NHL 6-7C Outdoors 8C SPORTS EDITOR: TOM HAYDEN, 335-0357 (Monday Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) THURSDAY. MAY 15. 1997 1 IIISIDE GLORY DAYS: Alva resident decides to retire from baseball Alva resident Nothing like relaxing day on the edge IMAGINE DRIVING your car down a strange and bumpy, washboard-type road at up to 150 mph. Even though you have the steering wheel in your hand, the person next to you is controlling the speed and you're getting last-minute directions every few Now imagine an engine roar and Wind so loud that you can hardly hear other people even through headphones.

In your peripheral By DAVID DORSEY News-Press staff writer "There's nothing going on here but straight shootin'. I think this is it for good." joesroba; Mike Greenwell's agent and North Fort Myers High graduate Mike Greenwell, who spent 15 seasons with the Boston Red Sox before heading to Japan, decided to retire Wednesday. in ii m-n. uiiiii.iLi.i.imjim.iii.jj jpi ilium nJi.i -y 1 (y "Mike said there's an old saying In baseball," said his wife Tracy Greenwell, who watched her 8-year-old son Bo play in a North Fort Myers Little League game Wednesday. "He said that if you foul a pitch off your foot and It bounces off, it's a bruise.

But if you're hit with the ball and it just stays there, it's broken. "Mike said that as soon as he did it, he knew it was broken because the ball just stayed there." See GREENWELL 3C Career highlights 3C Career statistics 3C Alva resident and rancher Mike Greenwell will trade his baseball cap for his cowboy hat after announcing Wednesday that he will retire after 16 years in professional baseball. The former All-Star with the Boston Red Sox and North Fort Myers High School graduate left the Japanese League's Hanshin Tigers and perhaps baseball for good. The 33-year-old Greenwell fouled a pitch off his right foot Monday. He learned he had broken it and would miss at least four weeks.

"I wanted to leave the game with honor and not just try to play for money," Greenwell said at a news conference. He will fly into Fort Myers late tonight News-Press file vision, other cars are trying to maneuver nearyouatthe same speed. Substitute thatcarfora boat and you'll know how it feels to be an offshore powerboat racer. At any momentyou couldsuffera fatal mishap, with your boat coming off a BETSY CLAYTON Boating DuBsrCCinioellts By STEVEN WINE The Associated Press K3A PLAYOFFS Wednesday's result Heat 96, Knicks 81 (New York leads series 3-2) Today's game Sonics at Rockets, 9, TNT (Houston leads series 3-2) Coverage 6C MIAMI Fighting for survival, the Miami Heat brawled their way past the New York Knicks on Wednesday night An ugly melee with 1:53 left led to the ejection of three players in Game 5, which the Heat won 96-81 to stay alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks now lead the besi-of-7 series 3-2, with Round 6 on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

The Heat had the NBA's best road record this season, but they're 04 away from home during the playoffs. The fight began when New York's Charlie Ward backed into P.J. Brown's legs as Miami's Tim Hardaway made a free throw for a 90-74 lead. Brown wrapped his arm around the smaller Ward, lifted him and threw him to the floor behind the baseline. New York's John Wallace jumped on Brown, and players from both teams joined the pile.

Order was quickly restored, and no one was hurt. Rumor mill has Jackson pondering Magic's offer I y- 1 j- 4 The Associated Press wave and shoving its bow under the next wave. Yet the whole experience is a stress-reliever, drivers say. rr' That sentence is not a mistake. And presumably these racers are sane human beings not nuts.

Three racers in as many days told me that their sport is non-stressful. In fact, they find racing relaxing. IT When the 1997 Hooters Offshore Grand Prix starts Saturday at Fort Myers Beach, it will look like anything but relaxing. Terms like "nail-biting" and "tense" come to mind. Especially when you find out that these drivers are not getting paid for risking their lives.

Racers will be competingfor $50,000 in prize money, which equates to about $5,000 for first place per racing class. But drivers don't pocket that money. The sponsors use it for the boat, maintenance and team travel. Or they donate it to charity. So a driver essentially is risking life and limb while racing simply for the joy of doing so.

And also for the hope of doing well so that their sponsorship will continue. Joy, like stress relief, also is not associated with offshore racing. But this is what the drivers say: "It's great stress relief because for one hour that's all you think about," Cape Coral driver Steve Page said. He will be racing the boat "Focuseal" in the Pro-Stock class Sunday. just kind of enjoyment and having a good time," Greg DiRenzo of Cape Coral said of drivingthe boat Inf erno." He'll be In the Offshore class Saturday.

"It'sastress-relieverbecause whenyougetoutthereit'ssointense and when you finish you feel like you Carmody of Austin, Texas, who will race "Spirit of Texas" in the Open class. Noneofthethreecallshimselfa thrill-seeker. They say their equipment makes themmoresafe than recreational boaters. That, apparently, adds to an anti-stressful environment 4-It'sgoodthattheyregardthe hobby as calmly as a yoga session. And to their credit, they're remembering something many recreational boaters forget that boating is meant to be enjoyable, not stressful.

When these men fly by us this weekend at 80 to 150 mph, however, I'll again harbor doubts about their chosen hobby. Most yoga sessions don't happen amid deafening noise, high speeds and risk of instant death. The racers may, after all, be nuts. Betsy Clayton coversboatingforthe She may be reached at PQ.BoxlO, by ph'oneat3354273orbyfaxat3344708. Bcomputer.

email NPLlfeaol.com. CHICAGO Phil Jackson says his Chicago Bulls are distraction-proof, and he's doing his part to prove it Even as Jackson mulls offers to lation regarding Jackson's future. Several newspapers, citing unidentified sources, said that Orlando has offered Jackson a five-year, $30 million contract Jackson's one-year, $2.75 million contract lets him negotiate with other teams even as the Bulls pursue their fifth title in seven years. Jackson, agent Todd Musburger and Bulls and Magic management all declined comment on the reports. The Bulls will resume prac-tice today.

"This team is so used to distractions," said Jackson, who holds NBA records for winning percentage in both the regular season (.736) and the playoffs "I keep thinking there's not anything that's going to be a distraction." coach other teams published reports Wednesday said the Orlando Magic are the latest most serious, suitors the Bulls look very ready for the Eastern Conference finals. Game 1 of the 'j; f--V The Associated Press NO 'ZO ZONE: Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning (33) puts up a shot over the outstretched arm of New York's Patrick Ewing during the Heat's 96-81 victory In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday in Miami. Mourning scored 13 points as the Heat now trails 3-2 in the series. conference finals JACKSON will be Sunday at the earliest, meaning there will be four days of specu- Coicgairs make state finals Barron Collier rolls 8-4, still has 'unfinished business' By CHRIS WALSH News-Press staff writer HARDBALL: Barron Collier senior Dustin Beard Is hit by a pitch in the third Inning of the Cougars' 8-4 victory against Fort Pierce Westwood In the Class 5A South II Regional final Wednesday. Barron Collier advances to the Florida Finals.

ry IF YOU GO Thomas reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on a Spano hit Maurer and senior Ryan Senkarik both singled to bring in Spano, and both scored on a McAndrew double. "When we get a lead, a lot of teams have gone lax," said Johnson, who crushed an inside fastball over the 340-foot mark In left-center field In the sixth. "A lot of teams have laid down." This will be the second trip to the Florida Finals for Barron Collier. In 1991, the Cougars lost the 3A title game to Pensacola-Escambia 7-5. "They believed all along they were going to win the state championship this year," Barron Collier coach Bob Smith said.

"Everything seems to be falling into place." the second time in school history. Barron Collier will play Lakeland-George Jenkins (28-3) in a state semifinal May 23 at Legends Field in Tampa. "We're the team to beat" said senior first baseman Tom McAndrew, who went 2-for-3 with four RBL "I think the pressure will make us work harder. But we haven't done anything yet" The Cougars (27-3) wasted no time, scoring three runs in the first inning as junior Bob Spano singled, stole second before senior Andrew Johnson reached on an error. Spano scored on Maurer's single before McAndrew brought In two more runs with a single.

Barron Collier scored four more runs In the second as senior Landon NAPLES Barron Collier High School's baseball team played Wednesday's game In typical fashion. The Cougars took an early lead, they scored a total of eight runs just under their season average and celebrated with little fanfare. "We still have unfinished business," said junior pitcher Dan Maurer after going 4-for-4 with two RBI to lead Barron Collier to an 8-4 victory against visiting Fort Pierce-Westwood In the Class 5A South II Regional finals. "We're not done yet" Indeed. With the victory, the Cougars advance to the Florida Finals for I WHAT: 1997 Hooters Offshore Grand Prix I WHEN: Noon Saturday; 1 p.m.

Sunday WHERE: Fort Myers Beach RADIO: WMYR-AM (1410) K.T. WARNKE News-Press I INFO: 454-7500 OUTDOORS LOCK UP: Florida boaters now are reclaiming the Okeechobee PRO BASEBALL American League Blue Jays 7, Tigers 2 Yankees 6, Twins Rangers 4, Indians 3 National League Expos 9, Padres 7 Cardinals 12, Phillies 3 Waterway, a five-lock and 152-mile stretch between Fort Myers and Stuart Boaters H0CXEY ICE WARS: In the previous two seasons, Detroit tore through the regular season, compiling the best record In the NHL, only to fizzle In the playoffs. Now, It's Colorado's turn to defend that honor as the Avalanche and Red Wings begin the Western Conference playof fs tonight A bad omen for Colorado, however. The team with the best regular-season record has failed to win the Stanley Cup six of the past seven years. Preview 7C FOOTBALL UH-OH: The U.S.

Senate Is about to stick its nose Into college football. The Senate Judiciary's antitrust subcommittee will have a hearing May 22 Into whether the college football bowl system not only is unfair to schools in minor athletic conferences, but illegal. Some senators, Including subcommittee chairman Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohlo, contend that the arrangements between major conferences and the major bowls conspire to keep schools from their states out of major postseason events. LOCAL BASKETBALL: The Gulf Coast Highhoops Shoot-Out boys tournament will be held In Lee County this weekend.

Games begin 4 p.m. Friday. The tournament concludes 4 p.m. Sunday. Games will be played at the following schools: Mariner High, Cape Coral High, Cypress Lake High, North Fort Myers High, Fort Myers Middle, Gulf Middle and Caloosa Middle.

There are six age divisions, from under-U to under-16. All-day tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for seniors. I Royals 6, Red Sox 2 Pirates 15, Rockies 10 A GUIDE TO GETTING OUT, Giants 4, Reds 2 Astros 1, Met 0 Brewers at Athletics Orioles at Angels I I 1 AiiOlO Majors i i I White Sox at Mariners Marlins 4, Braves 3 also have more space. For example, 1,200 boats pass through Ortona Lock In April, but that falls to about 640 in June. And as a bonus, no locks are to be closed this summer for repairs.

golec Notes, boxes 4C I Roundups 4C.