Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 48

Sunday, May 25, 1 997 SPORTS Great Falls Tribune Major league baseball is hoping old-timers will go away By HAL BOCK AP Sports Writer passion. As part of its Jackie Robinson golden anniversary celebration, baseball made a small gesture to old Negro League players, like Jethroe, notifying them that it was establishing a benefit plan for them. To learn if they were eligible, the players were required to answer a questionnaire and sign a release that frees baseball from "any and all claims that may have ever existed concerning or related to the player's prior service." The pre-1947 players have no pension rights because baseball had no pension plan when they played. The statute of limitations has long since passed, so there are no legal rights for the old-timers. "It is a moral issue and an ethical issue," Katz said.

The legal issue is in the right of publicity. Pre-1947 contracts did not mention the matter. Post-1947 con- tracts require players to surrender some of those rights. Katz' constituency surrendered nothing and has received nothing. "Baseball has used images of these players in pictures and films without permission or compensation," Katz said.

"The Ken Burns film was filled with them. There was a promotion by the Dodgers and Target stores that offered a card set of all the old Dodgers. Nobody asked their permission." Five old players Dolph Camilli, Frank Crosetti, Al Gionfriddo, Pete Coscarart and Cy Block sued over the publicity issue. In an accompanying suit, now certified as a class action, Crosetti and Coscarart were joined by more recent retirees Bernie Carbo, Ken Landreaux and Milt Pappas. They're suing baseball over a royal "Major league baseball has never faced a jury trial," said San Francisco-based lawyer Ron Katz, who is representing the old-timers.

He sounds like he'd enjoy seeing how a court would deal with the sport. When the old-timers filed the suits, the first defense was an argument that there is no such legal entity as major league baseball and so it could not be sued, which should be fascinating news to George Steinbrenner's army of lawyers. It took a year to resolve that legal issue. "A year is not a trivial amount of time in the life of a 90-year-old," Katz said. Then there was the issue of exactly what role Bud Selig occupies in this nonlegal entity.

He was identified as acting commissioner by the litigants, but baseball prefers to call him chairman of the ruling execu- "A year is not a trivial amount of time in the life of a 90-year-old." Attorney Ron Katz tive council. Semantics. Sorting through that took time, too, and time is a precious commodity for Katz and his clients. "These are old men," he said. "Every week, we may lose some of them." When the pension plan began, players needed four years of major league service to qualify.

Now, it's one day. Sam Jethroe, a late arrival because he happens to be black, lasted three full years and two games of a fourth season in the majors. Baseball said no pension for him. But the game is not without com Baseball is waiting out its old-timers, probably hoping they'll just i. igo away.

These guys may have been underestimated, though. They are a com-immunity of tough, old men who played more than a half-century ago, before endorsements, before pensions, before almost anything except the games. They have watched baseball turn into a gold mine for the players and the owners, but not for them. And now they want their share. So they sued, claiming they are 'I entitled to some of the profits from the use of their images, which has helped make the sport popular.

The very real possibility is that one day in the next year or so, a jury will be asked to hear the complaints. For Cedeno, it might be now or never in L.A. I I i. A) JU. tin I I- 1 it 1 I 1 9 v.

By SCOTT MANSCH Tribune Sports Writer As ludicrous as it sounds, given that Roger Cedeno is only 22, this could be the final shot for the former Great Falls Dodger to crack the lineup of the big club in Los Angeles. Cedeno was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque this week as the Dodgers continue to seek a replacement for injured center fielder Brett Butler. Cedeno, who played brilliantly in Great Falls five summers ago, has been given extensive looks at Chavez Ravine the past two years, and has been something of a disappointment. The fleet, left-handed swinging Cedeno batted .246 in 211 at-bats last season after hitting .238 in 42 at-bats the year before. Now, with Butler's career likely over because of a shoulder trouble on top of the cancer scare he had last year Cedeno is being given another chance to prove he can be a star in the big leagues.

The problem is that slugging outfielder Karim Garcia, whom many believe will be a bonafide star in the majors soon, is ready and waiting at Albuquerque. If Cedeno doesn't get off to a quick start this time at LA, and considering the fact that manager Bill Russell's Dodgers have been scuffling of late, it's likely that Garcia could be promoted. Through games of May 19, Garcia was hitting .287 with 14 homers at Albuquerque. Cedeno, who batted .316 with 6 doubles, 5 triples and 40 stolen bases for Great Falls in 1992, does not have much power. He is more of a classic leadoff hitter in the mold of Butler.

But the Dodgers, who have struggled to score runs all season, might be inclined to trade Cedeno and give Garcia a shot should they continue to flounder in the National League West. RELEASED: It was a bad week for former Great Falls pitchers Craig Allen and Ryan Henderson, both of whom were released recently by the Dodgers. Allen, who was 4-2 with a 3.84 earned-run average last summer in Great Falls, was released after GREAT FALLS AW DOWN ON THE FARM ty program that was supposed to generate income for retired players any time their images are sold. The proceeds have amounted to less than $200 per player per year, a sum Katz and his clients wonder about. There has been some discussion of settlements, but Katz believes they will wind up in court.

The suits are making their way through the legal system, moving ever so slowly. So Coscarart, 82 and recovering from a second heart attack, plays golf and waits. And so does Camilli, who just turned 90. The actions are pending, and so are they. "It takes time to resolve these issues," Katz said.

And baseball has always had plenty of time. struggling at Savannah. The righthander, picked in the 74th round of the 1995 draft, yielded 13 hits and 13 walks in 14 innings, compiling a record of 0-1 and an ERA of 7.53. Henderson, a star for the 1992 Great Falls club, was released at Triple-A Albuquerque after compiling a 1-3 record and 6.23 ERA in 17 innings of work. Henderson, a ninth-round draft choice in 1992, pitched well that summer for Great Falls.

In 1 1 starts he fashioned a 5-1 record and 2.13 ERA. Here are the recent statistics of former Great Falls Dodgers who are still active in the Los Angeles organization. In parentheses is the year they spent in Great Falls: Triple A Albuquerque Batting Leaders BATTER ab hr rbi avg Roger Cedeno ('92) 113 21 40 2 9 .354 Ron Maurer 90) 107 18 36 2 15 .336 KenHuckaby ('91) 102 7 24 0 1 0.235 Pitching Leaders PITCHER Ip bb so w-l era Dan Hubbs ('93) 36 43 14 31 3-4 4.75 David Pyc ('92) 47 61 17 34 4-3 5.55 R. Henderson 92) 17 20 14 17 1-3 6.23 Double A San Antonio Batting Leaders BATTER ab hr rbl avg Jay Kirkpatrick ('91) 29 8 11 2 14 .379 J.P. Roberge ('94) 158 35 58 5 40 .367 Kyle Cooney ('94) 62 16 21 4 17.339 Wilton Romero ('93) 105 22 35 1 16 333 Garey Ingram 90) 140 37 42 7 26 .300 Eddie Davis ('93) 81 8 14 3 13.173 Pitching Leaders PITCHER Ip bb so w-l era Mike Iglesias ('92) 15 11 9 15 1-0 184 Dennis Reyes ('94) 61 54 20 54 6-0 2 66 Ricky Stone ('94) 18 18 11 17 0-2 4 42 Rich Linares ('92) 17 28 4 10 2-0 6.75 Single A San Bernardino Batting Leaders BATTER ab hr rW avg Jason Weekley ('96) 91 18 30 5 15 .330 Todd Barlok ('95) 84 18 25 3 15.298 Angel Pena ('95) 160 25 45 9 38 .281 Cliff Anderson ('93) 140 24 39 8 28 .279 Casey Snow ('96) 43 4 7 0 3.163 Pitching Leaders PITCHER Ip bb ao w-l ara F.

Thompson ('96) 28 22 14 21 4-1 3 54 K. Pincavitch ('92) 50 40 43 47 4-4 5 44 John Davis 95) 32 35 24 30 0-1 8.07 Single A Vero Beach Batting Leaders BATTER ab hr rbi avg EncStcknschndr('95)154 41 54 4 18 .351 Jon Tucker ('96) 146 20 41 2 23 .281 Ervin Wingate ('93) 85 9 21 1 10 .247 Ken Morimoto ('96) 64 7 10 0 5.156 Pitching Leaders PITCHER Ip bb ao w-l ara Dave Spykstra ('92) 24 24 7 13 1-1 4 88 Miguel Garcia ('95-6) 29 34 4 28 4-2 6.59 Single A Savannah Batting Leaders BATTER ab hr rbi avg Nick Leach ('96) 93 10 27 0 11 .290 Eric Brown ('95) 132 16 33 5 18 .250 Brett llhg ('95-6)) 127 14 29 1 10.228 Jeft Bramlett ('95-6)) 83 12 18 4 13.217 Luke Prokopec ('95) 91 6 19 1 14 .209 Cash Riley 96) 77 5 16 0 3 .208 Trent Cuevas ('96)) 83 6 16 1 7 .193 Pitching Leaders PITCHER Ip bb ao w-l ara M. Bourbakis ('96) 29 31 15 25 0-3 7 36 Craig Allen 96) 14 13 13 14 0-1 7.53 good kid, a hard-working boy who is not mean and would not intentionally hurt anyone. League officials say safety of the players is their main concern. Parents and guardians of the Junior League players plan to vote on the proposed new pitching rule Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Purtill-Legare must face the fallout of her decision to defend her youngest child. "Think of a lioness, and someone is going after her cub," she said. "How many people don't stand up for their child because they might have to take some flak?" Shane has played for five years in the town's instructional Junior League, which is not sanctioned by Little League but for the most part follows the same rules. He is now in the highest division, for boys ages 9 to 12. When he steps into his size 13 cleats, Shane looks like a giant to the kids who venture into the batter's box.

Brian and Blake Sullivan, twins who play against Shane, say they do not believe he should be tossed out unless he is deliberately throwing at batters. "People are probably holding it against him because he is tall, and complaining because it hurts more when he hits them," Brian said. Shane's parents and other supporters said his control is improving. He has hit no more than two batters in any of the four games he has pitched since his wild start. Shane is scheduled to pitch again Tuesday.

TURNING TWO: USC's Wes Rachels (24) throws the ball to complete a double play after getting out Virginia Tech's Barry Gauch (1 5) during action in the third round of the NCAA South 2 Regional Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. For NCAA scores, please see Page 2S. Taleff tourney brings mixed results for local clubs Youth league wants to penalize hard thrower for his wildness AP photo ta 0-0, Chris Nesbit 1 -4, Cory Mcintosh 2-3, Mitch Carpenter 0-0, Scott Fabro 1-3. Great Falls hitting Lex Febach 3-4, Quin Keough 1-3, Darold DeBolt 1-4, Justin LaForest 1-2. Joe McClellan 0-1, Brian Bahr 1-4, Sam Mac-Donald 0-1, Chad Walker 1-4, Jonathan Hopkins 1-4, Tristan Harrison 0-3.

3B Febach 2. HR Mcintosh. Butte 6, GF Electrics 4 Butte 020 100 3 6 7 0 Great Falls Electrics 000 0103 4 5 4 Mike Dulty, Dan Panisko (7) and Ryan Stosich. Dustin Sepich, J.P. Gallegos (7) and Mike Haman.

WP Dulty. LP Sepich. Panisko. Butte hitting Steve Ouellette 0-4, Rody Vetter 1-3, Ryan Stosich 1-2, Jay LeProwse 1-4, Cory Svejkovsky 1-4, Stephen Cooney 2-2, Mike Duffy 1-4, Dan Panisko 0-0. Mike Doherty 0-4, Mike Dessing 0-3, Gary Hansen 0-0.

Great Falls hitting Beau Hiskey 1-3, Sam Cameron 0-3, Kevin Olson 1-3, Brandon Brakstad 0- 3, Brad Gilchrist 0-4. James Markovich 0-2. K.C. Sivumaki 1-3, Mike Haman 1-2, Ezra Schei 0-0, J.P. Gallegos 1-1.

Mike Bliler 0-1. 2B Cooney 2, Sivumaki. Calgary 5, Bozeman 3 Calgary 001 220 5 5 0 Bozeman 200 010 3 6 0 Dean Dunsby, Ryan Chnstensen (5) and Chris Hladky. Jay Oddy. Joe Dawkins (5) and Grant Dobbie.

WP Dunsby. LP Oddy. Chnstensen. Calgary hitting Mike Klapey 0-1 Andre Watkins 1- 3. Tristan Wall 0-2, Chris Hladky 1-3, Scott Cassie 1 -2, Joel Tremblay 1 -1 Jim Sladek 0-3, Cliff McCaig 1-3, Nell Hart 0-2, Joe Sutherland 0-1.

Bozeman hitting Ryan McCormick 1-3, Josh Radke 1-3, Jeff Lad 2-3, Jay Oddy 0-1, Joe Dawkins 0-1 Travis Dorsch 0-2, Dustin Tucker 0-1 Bob Rutherford 0-1 Grant Dobbie 1 -2, Trevor Holz-er 1 -2. Chris Rupert 0-3. 2B Ladd. Dobbie. Bozeman 5, Lethbridge 2 Bozeman 011 21 55 1 Lethbridge 020 00 2 3 3 Chns Rupert, Brad Osen (3) and Jeff Ladd Ryan Folden.

Dustin Ralph (4) and Scott Fabro. WP Ralph. LP Folden. Bozeman hitting Ryan McCormick 1-3, Josh Radke 0-1, Wylie Johnerson 1-2, Jeff Ladd 0-2, Grant Dobbie 0-2, Travis Dorsch 0-1, Trevor Holz-er 0-2, Jay Oddy 1-2, Joe Dawkins 1-3 (2 rbi), Bob Rutherford 1-3. Lethbridge hitting Dustin Ralph 1-3, Myles Fletcher 1-3, Brock Ralph 1-3, Ryan Fletcher 0-2.

Ryan Folden 0-1, Jason Kenyon 0-1, Cody Mcintosh 0-0, Byron Nagata 0-1, Scott Fabro 0-2, Mitch Carpenter 0-0, Chris Nisbet 0-1. By MIKE TOWNE Tribune Sports Writer There was good news for Great Falls baseball fans Saturday: despite the cool, rainy weather, the 22nd annual Tom Taleff Memorial Tournament was played at Legion Park. And some bad news, too: the Great Falls Stallions and the Great Falls Electrics both suffered defeat. Brock Ralph went 4-for-4 with three runs batted in as the Leth-bridge Elks beat the Stallions 10-4 in the day's first game, which started two hours late because of wet grounds. In the second tilt, the Butte Miners built a 3-0 lead and then held on for a 6-4 triumph over the Electrics.

The Calgary Blues earned a 5-3 win over the Bozeman Bucks, who came back to earn a 5-2 victory over Lethbridge in the final game of the day. The scheduled game between the Great Falls Electrics and Calgary Blues was postponed until 9 a.m. Monday. THE STALLIONS took a 3-1 lead into the fourth inning against Lethbridge, only to give up five runs. A two-run single by Ralph keyed the Elks' rally.

Great Falls got a run back in the bottom half of the inning, but Lethbridge answered with four scores in the top of the fifth to build a 10-4 lead. Cory Mcintosh led off the inning with a home run. The Stallions' Quin Keough drove home Lex Febach twice, following triples by Febach in the first and third innings. Also in the third, Joe McClellan scored on a single by Brian Bahr. McClellan was running for By CHRISTINE HAN LEY Associated Press Writer WILLINGTON, Conn.

Shane Legare has a smokin' fastball but questionable control. At nearly 6 feet, he towers over the Junior League batters he faces. The strapping sixth-grader struck out 14 and hit four in his first start this season. Nobody was hurt, but Shane's performance made him the center of attention in this northeastern Connecticut town. This boy in a man's body is at the center of a smoldering controversy over a proposed three-bean-balls-and-you're-out rule.

Shane, 12, was swept into the fray when his mother decided to go to bat for her 165-pound son. Ellen Purtill-Legare wrote a letter to the editor complaining that Shane was being singled out because of his size. "I had to do something. This kid loves baseball," she said. "My main concern was that they were just picking on the big kid." Purtill-Legare, a doll maker who has raised five children, knew she was venturing into territory ruled by fathers.

But she had no inkling that she would divide the town and bring national attention to her son and the Junior League. When Shane took the mound last week, reporters and photographers were on hand. He was so overwhelmed that he stayed home from school the next day, his mother said. Some kids told Shane he "stinks." Others asked him if his mom was "a retard," she said. Shane's supporters say he is a Darold DeBolt, who had singled.

Febach collected three of the Stallions' nine hits. Mcintosh and Dustin Ralph added two hits apiece for the Elks, who collected 12 off Dusty Olson and Jonathan Hopkins. BUTTE SCORED three runs in the top of the seventh inning against the Electrics, stretching a 3-1 advantage to 6-1. But Great Falls stormed back, scoring three runs on three hits before reliever Dan Panisko got Brad Gilchrist to ground out with the bases loaded. Mike Haman, J.P.

Gallegos and Kevin Olson each had an RBI in the rally, which was ignited by a K.C. Sivumaki double. Butte starter Mike Duffy held Great Falls hitless until the fifth inning, when Haman stroked a one-out infield single. After Gallegos walked, Beau Hiskey singled to right to score courtesy runner Ezra Schei and trim the Miners' lead to 3-1. A single by Cory Svejkovsky and an ensuing error allowed Butte to go up 5-1 in the seventh inning.

Stephen Cooney followed with his second double of the game, plating Svejkovsky. Duffy gave up five hits and struck out five in earning the win. CALGARY'S Cliff McCaig singled home Scott Cassie in the fourth inning, tying Bozeman at 2-2, and scored on a wild pitch a short time later to put the Blues up for good. Cassie had reached on a single, the first hit allowed by the Bucks' Jay Oddy. Calgary added a pair of runs in the fifth.

Jeff Ladd ripped an RBI-double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Travis Dorsch to give Bozeman a 2-0 lead in the first inning. BOZEMAN scored two runs in the fourth inning to break a 2-2 tie with Lethbridge. Bob Rutherford singled, plating Oddy with the go-ahead run; moved to third on a single by Ryan McCormick, and scored on a throwing error. Lethbridge used a bases-loaded walk and a single by Dustin Ralph to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning. TOURNAMENT NOTES: The Great Falls Electrics Booster Club is sponsoring a breakfast on Memorial Day, from 7-10 a.m.

in the picnic area at Legion Park. Ham and eggs, pancakes and juiced will be served. The cost is Booster Club is also sponsoring a tournament raffle. A framed print of "Dreaming About Baseball," a canvas duffle bag and a full sized bed quilt with pillow shams will be given away. Tickets are $1.

The drawing will be held on t-shirts are available at the park for $10 and $11. TODAVS SCHEDULE 9:00 a.m.. Butte Miners vs. Calgary Blues 1 1 30 Great Falls Stallions vs. Butte Miners 2:00 p.m., Bozeman Bucks vs Great Falls Stallions 4:30 Lethbridge Elks vs Calgary Blues 7:00.

Great Falls Electrics vs. Bozeman Bucks Lethbridge 10, GF Stallions 4 Lethbridge 010 540 0 10 12 2 Great Falls Stallions 102 100 0 4 (3 Chris Nesbit. Dustin Ralph (7) and Jamie Folden. Dusty Olson. Jonathan Hopkins (5) and Darold De-Bolt.

WP Nesbrt. LP Olson. Lethbndge hitting Dustin Ralph 2-4, Myles Fletcher 0-4. Brock Ralph 4-4, Ryan Fletcher 1-3, Jamie Folden 1-3, Jason Kenyon 0-3, Byron Naga-.