The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • 33

THE SUN SECTION- Jacks, Caps win The Skipjacks defeat the Mariners, 5-3, and the Capitals beat the Flyers, 4-3. 7D WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1989 ft -t Duran intends to erase 'No mas' with 'Uno Mas' What is the motivation that has Leonard fighting? MIKE mains unanswered, although Durari has promised to reveal the true rea son after tomorrow night's "Uno Mas" match with Leonard. But can the mystery ever be full explained? This week, when questions con! cerning "No mas" were raised, Durari; changed the subject to the two world boxing crowns he has won since; -1980. Duran said he regrets noth! ing. But he has borne the shame of that night in New Orleans like brand.

In Panama, where his reputation for fearlessness had elevated hlrtv; close to sainthood, he was called traitor and vilified in the media by graffiti writers in the neighbor-J hoods. Luis Henriquez, a longtime confH; dant of Duran. described the fight! er's anguish. "Panama is a small city," Henrii; quez said. "There is no place to hide See FIGHT, 9D, Col.

yV.v I. ASSOCIATED PRESS He has lived with it for nine years, but Roberto Duran did not look unhappy at the festive board shortly after his 1980 'No mas' defeat. "Roberto Duran's story Is like a morality play the glory, the Jail and the redemption. Luis Spada, Duran's former manager By Alan Goldstein Sun Staff Correspondent LAS VEGAS It is just more than nine years since Roberto Duran uttered his "No mas" surrender to Sugar Ray Leonard in the eighth round of their welterweight championship rematch in New Orleans. Torque why?" asked referee Oc-tavio Meyran, a native of Mexico.

Duran, who abruptly had turned his back on an astonished Leonard, responded with a shrug and said, "No mas. No more box." Leonard, whose only professional defeat had come at the hands of Duran five months earlier, raced across the ring, leaped on the ropes and raised his arms in triumph as a joyful whoop reverberated through the Superdome. But the referee's question re I -V. -v a Jt nil- i A i 1 it. 2 Jt2 ft LAS VEGAS The end must be near, because Ray Leonard is running out of promotions.

He fought Hagler. He fought Hearns. He ran Donnie Lalonde (in which Ray fights Rocky) by us when we weren't looking. And, now, Roberto Duran, "Uno Mas." This fight is compelling well. OK, interesting because of its principals and because of their history and because the baby boomers are loath to let their heroes go gently into the good night Leonard has made a fortune marketing his concept of a boxing seniors tour, which comes complete with variously lettered title bouts, as if the competitors were still the best In the world.

It doesn't matter if we believe that or not. It matters only that we buy the premise. We have. We do. The Rolling Stones proved as much.

But where does it go from here? And, for Leonard, at least, the question remains: Has he taken it too far? If you watched the recent Tommy Hearns fight, you may have been as shocked as Leonard. Hearns was Twin killing seems near for Red Sox Reardon, Hrbek may join Boston By Mark Fryman Sun Staff Correspondent NASHVILLE. Tenn. The Boston Red Sox were on the verge of becoming the American League East's most Improved team last night. Boston was said to be deep in negotiation with free agents Kent Hrbek and Jeff Reardon both refugees from the Minnesota Twins.

Hrbek, one of baseball's premier sluggers, was being offered a three-year, $10 million contract, according to Red Sox sources. The offer to Reardon, a prominent and productive relief pitcher, was thought to be $2 million a year for three years. Last night, the negotiations with Reardon and his agent, Alan Hendricks, apparently had progressed furthest. "It could happen tonight." Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman said last night of the possibility of agreement with Reardon. "(But) I just don't think we can get all the parts put together before tomorrow today." If they sign Reardon, the Red Sox then would entertain offers for stopper Lee Smith, who might bring the starting pitching they desperately need.

Hrbek's situation was slightly more complicated. The first baseman's agent, Ron Simon, would not commit to the Red Sox's offer before he could reach Twins owner Carl Pohlad, who was attending a banquet here last night. Still, It was apparent that negotiations between Hrbek and the Twins had reached an Impasse, at least temporarily. The Twins have offered Hrbek, a Minnesota native, a three-year contract at slightly less See MEETINGS, 3D, Col. 3 Orioles get Mitchell from Mets.

3D Tigers sign Tony Philips. 3D SPORTS INSIDE Sports briefly: The MISL Ta-coma Stars fire Alan Hinton and replace him with Keith Weller. 4D Pro football: Joe Gibbs says his comments Monday were misleading and that he has no plans to leave the Washington Redskins at this time. 6D Outdoors: The second phase of the Canada goose season opens today. 7D Prep basketball: St.

Paul defeats Pikesville, 65-51 ZD College football: The Associated Press 1989 All-America Team. 9D Index Baseball NBA NFL 3D Hockey 50 Horses 6D Record -f 7D 80 90 LITTWIM supposed to be a stiff, propped up for Leonard's and the boxing world's amusement. Instead, he fought Leonard to a draw in a match that Hearns probably should have won. So, when Leonard talks retirement again, this may be the time to begin listening. In the pre-retirement interim, he is talking about what great shape he's in and how his problems 1 Seton Hall's Michael Cooper chases Navy plans to By Jerry Bembry Ten years ago, Navy represented the best of academy football, completing its second of five straight winning seasons a stretch that included three bowl appearances and a 7-2-1 record against Army and Air Force.

But since 1982, Navy's last winning season, the team's record against the two service academies has been 2-11, including an eight-game losing streak to Air Force and three straight losses to Army. Saturday's game against Army will mark the end of Navy's seventh straight losing season, tying the academy's only comparable string of losing seasons, from 1968 to 1974. Though it seems, at times, that the ship might be foundering in Annapolis, Army and Air Force, with the same strict military requirements, apparently are stable after efforts earlier in the decade brought See NAVY, 10D, Col. 1 Div. I-AA losses hard to take.

10D (' Arum, Wynn at odds. 9Q ACC splits pair with Big East 1 Seton Hall then N.C. State wins: By Don Markus Sun Staff Correspondent GREENSBORO, N.C. Thf ACC-Big East Challenge has taken its knocks for being an overpriced overblown affair, but one thing Is undeniable: It already has produced some nail-biting, heart-pounding basketball. One night after Georgia Tech'S Dennis Scott opened the series witl) a 12-foot bank shot that beat both the buzzer and Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Wake Forest went Intd overtime last night at the GreensJ boro Coliseum before the Pirates held on for a 76-74 victory.

And a little more than two hours later. 19th-ranked North Caroling State overcame a six-point deficit with 1 1 :37 remaining to beat No. St. John's, 67-58, before a disap pointing crowd of 6,937. Going into tonight's doubleheader here, the series between the two leagues stands at 2-2.

The attendance should Improve tonight, when No. 1 Syracuse plays sixth-ranked Duke. Providence and Clemson play In the preliminary beginning at 7 p.m. If there was a common thread running through the respective victories last night, it was that Seton Hall (3-0) and N.C. State (5-1) won with teams trying to regroup.

If nfct rebuild, from last season. Both have showed so far that this season holds promise. See BIG EAST, 2D, Col. 2 Big East 2, ACC 2 Last night Seton Hall 76, Wake Forest 74, OT N.C. State 67, St.

John's 58 Monday Georgia Tech 93, Pittsburgh 92 Connecticut 87, Maryland 65 who reportedly called for Ubriaco-'s firing three weeks ago, although he denied the reports. Lemieux denied it again yesterday, saying, "I never talked to anybody to make this happen Nobody as a player was involved." Ubriaco, who coached the Skip-Jacks for five years and led them to the final round of the American Hockey League's Calder Cup playoffs in 1985, arrived at the Penguins offices early yesterday and was told of his dismissal by team general counsel Paul Martha. Ubriaco reportedly left the office and was unavailable for comment the rest of the day. as was Esposito. "Gene learned of the action taken by Mr.

DeBartolo (Edward J. DeBar-tolo chairman of the board and Just walked out," said Penguins public relations assistant Harry Sanders. "He made no statement and said See UBRIACO. 7D, Col. 4 Ubriaco's record 7D ASSOCIATED PRESS Derrick McQueen (right) closes in during first-half action last night Penguins shake up front office, fire coach Ubriaco, GM Esposito after a lose ball as Wake Forest's start winning How the coaches TISHER DeBERRY ELLIOT on schedule have fared UZELAC JIM YOUNG 2-8 9-3-x 6-5 iritis By James H.

Jackson Gene Ubriaco, former coach of the Baltimore Skipjacks, was fired yesterday as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins along with the man who gave him the National Hockey League Job, general manager Tony Esposito. Former New York Rangers executive Craig Patrick was hired as general manager and will serve as interim coach. The Penguins. 10-14-2 and in fifth place in the Patrick Division, play host to the Washington Capitals tonight. Ubriaco.

who still lives in Baltimore except during the hockey season, took the Penguins to the Stanley Cup playoffs last season for the first time since 1982. They reached the Patrick Division finals before losing in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers. This season, however, the team has been beset with bickering and turmoil. A key problem was an apparent difference of opinion between Ubriaco and superstar Mario Lemleux, Navy's Elliot Uzelac is 2-8 this season with one game remaining Saturday against Army. Here is Uzelac record after three seasons, compared with the three-year records of Army coach Jim Young and Air Force coach Fisher De Berry: Coach First year Second year Third year Elliot Uzelac (1 987-1 989) 2-9 3-8 Jim Young (1983-1985) 2-9 8-3-1-w Fisher DeBerry (1984-1986) 8-4-y 12-1-z w-beat Michigan State, 10-6, in the Cherry Bowl x-beat Illinois, 31-29, in Peach Bowl y-beat Virginia Tech, 23-7, in Independence Bowl z-beat Texas, 24-16, in Bluebonnet Bowl.