Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 15

Saturday, Falls August Tribune 3, 1991 Sports The State Electrics Sportscope; Fair Baseball racing struggled NFL Page all year 2C Cuba welcomes athletes Site of the Pan Am games Closing Opening Athlete Here are the venues where Headquarters Village more 6,000 2-18. Hotel Via Monumental than athletes will compete Aug. Castillo del Principe A ERN 23 Via Blanca Marina Hemingway Plaza de la' Revolucion Autopista Autopista Nacional Este Deste 2 Guines Calzada de Anillo Atlantic Ocean Gulf of 4 Fla. Mexico Calzada de Bejucal Havana Miami To Aeropuerto Marti Bahamas Santiago venues: weightlifting; gymnastics, rhythmic Sea Source: USOC Harold Jegels USA TODAY Cuba gymnastics, judo, softball, archery, field hockey. Caribbean 100 "miles After numerous open with Olympic By PAUL OBERJUERGE San Bernardino Sun HAVANA, Cuba The 11th Pan the American Games opened Friday afternoon with predictable pomp and salsa-spiced pageantry and probably the shortest speech of Fidel Castro's life.

The Cuban president, renowned for filibuster-length exhortations at the Plaza de la Revolucion, stuck to the traditional onesentence formula at the Opening Ceremonies. "I officially declare the 11th Pan American Games open," were Castro's only words during the three-hour event that began in bright sun and concluded under leaky thunder clouds split by ocasional bolts of lightning. The overwhelmingly Cuban crowd of nearly 35,000 at hurriedly finished Olympic Stadium cheered. their home athletes enthusiastically. Mexico and Puerto Rico also got warm welcomes.

They chanted "FEE-DEL, FEEDEL" when Mario Vasquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization, lauded Castro for overseeing the construction of numerous sports facilities. Cuba apparently is ready to host the Games despite economic hardships. "Today is a great day for those who believed, and those who didn't," said Vasquez, a Mexican. The U.S. team kept a low profile.

There was little or no audible reaction from the crowd when flag-bearer Jim Schreiner, a kayaker from Day, N.Y., led in the 200-plus-person American marchers. Unlike at recent international competitions, the Americans did not carry small U.S. flags. Some waved their arms and mugged for cameras, but most walked quietly around the track. controversies, 11th Pan Am Games -like pageantry in Castro's Havana Tribune Photo by Brian W.

Kratzer WINS THE LONG ONE: British Liz, with Kym Powell in the irons, cruises by the grandstand the first time around during the second race of Friday's eight-race card at State Fair. British Liz and Rockin' Robin Chicago's Ventura turns into hitting machine By MARIO FOX 35,000 stood and cheered, and big Ventura's resemblance to Ryne Associated Press Writer Frank Thomas grabbed Ventura Sandberg of the crosstown Cubs is and put him on his shoulders as if eerie. CHICAGO Robin Ventura he were a baby. Both wear uniform No. 23 and turned July into a month-long "Frank tried to pick me up and field smoothly.

They also are softfireworks display. burp me, I guess," Ventura said. spoken and about the same physThe Chicago White Sox third The most homers for any month ical size. Sandberg broke in the baseman lit up Comiskey Park's by a White Sox player was the 13 majors as a third baseman and a 1- scoreboard 10 times in home hit by Dick Allen in July 1972. for-32 hitter.

games during the month, and hit Ventura's July heroics pumped "I think that's a nice complitwo home runs on the road. The 12 up his stats to .299 batting aver- ment. I'm not going to try to do the homers were one shy of the club age, 16 homers and 61 RBIs. He things he did. He's a great player," record and three more than Vent- has helped Chicago climb from the Ventura said of the Cubs' All-Star ura hit since turning pro in June cellar of the American League second baseman.

"I just try to do 1989. West to second place, on the necks my own thing and just worry about Ventura also batted .356 with 33 of the Minnesota Twins. what I do." RBIs during the 31-day period, and Last year as a rookie, Ventura Somewhat shy, Ventura is hanon Friday was named the Am- went through an 0-41 slump and ding news media attention pretty erican League's Player of the finished with a .249 average, only well. Month. five homers and 55 RBIs.

"If you do good, it seems to "You really don't think you're "I don't have any explanation," happen and it happens to anyone. going to have a month like this, Ventura said. It's just something that's part of but it's nice to have one," said Manager Jeff Torborg can't ex- the game," the 6-foot-1, 192- Ventura, whose new-found power plain Ventura's improvement ei- pound from Santa Maria, Calif. at the plate has helped revive ther. Ventura was picked in the first White Sox title chances in the "I don't want to explain it.

I just round of the June 1988 free-agent American League West. want to enjoy it," Torborg said. draft, the 10th player taken, out of Ventura, who turned 23 during Hitting coach Walt Hriniak said Oklahoma State. the month, ended July with a he saw the power-hitting potential He batted .409 in helping grand slam off Texas reliever in Ventura last year and counseled 1988 U.S. Olympic team win the Goose Gossage in the bottom of him simply to keep doing what he gold medal at Seoul.

the ninth to give the White Sox a was doing. Picked as College Player of the 10-8 victory. "If pitchers make enough mis- Decade by Baseball America, It was like a pennant clincher at takes, people capable of home Ventura hit .391 with 26 homers Park, where the score- runs are going to hit them," he and 96 RBIs in three years at Comiskey board exploded, the crowd of said. Oklahoma State. KALISPELL Two teams of Mavericks, Miles City and Missoula, are the odds-on favorites entering the five-day American Legion Class AA baseball tournament at Griffin Field.

The Miles City Mavericks captured the Eastern Division title with a 16-4 record, while the Missoula Mavericks earned the Western Division crown with an 18-2 mark. The tournament begins Saturday with four first-round 'games. The Billings Royals (37-18) meet Glacier (18-20) at 9:05 a.m., followed by Helena (21-23) vs. Lethbridge (21- 16) at 12:35 p.m., the Billings Scarlets vs. Missoula (37-11) at 4:05, and sion Miles City (38-13) vs.

Kalispell (16- 20) at 7:35. The Billings teams have dominated Eastern Division play for lets more than a decade, winning the last three state championships. Either the Scarlets the Royals have played in the title game in 11 of the last 12 years. state But Miles City was the dominant team this summer, winning seven of Ryan eight games against the Royals and Josh Scarlets en route to their first divi- nine regular-season ending 10-8 victory over the Scarlets last Monday. Missoula, another veteran team, will be shooting for its first state crown since 1984.

The Mavericks, ironically, won the title that year in Miles City. Top players for Missoula include Rich Kleckner and Jason Shanahan, who was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the June amateur draft. The team features a deep and talented pitching staff led by Brent DeGarmo, who is 10-0. Two other pitchers in the tournament were also drafted.

Dan Rude of the Billings Royals was selected by St. Louis, while Mike Caldwell of in Glacier was tabbed by the Yankees. losses Helena could be considered a Scar- darkhorse, as the Senators finished Eastern Division play with a pair of one wins over the Billings Roythe als. They were 10-10 in league play. Lethbridge finished second in first Western Division play, four games behind Missoula.

Glacier and Kaliare spell both finished at 9-11. and The state champion will qualify for for the Pacific Northwest Regional in a at Sheridan, Aug. 14-18. Maverick could be key word in Class AA Legion tourney SATURDAY 9:05 a.m. Billings Royals vs.

Glacier 12:35 p.m. Helena vs. Lethbridge 4:05 p.m. Billings Scarlets vs. Missoula 7:35 p.m.

Miles City vs. Kalispell title. The Royals finished at 14-6 league play, four of their coming to Miles City, and the at 9-11. Miles City, which fell 6-4 to Scarlets in last year's championship game, will be bidding for its Legion title since 1947. Among Miles City's standouts Venable, Scott Bischke Rohloff, who combined of the team's 13 hits "I officially declare the 11th Pan American Games open." -Cuban dicator Fidel Castro The U.S.

contingent at the Opening Ceremonies was a fraction of the American delegation of athletes and officials. Evie Dennis, U.S. chief of mission, said many Americans arrived in Havana only Friday and that others chose not to participate because of upcoming competition. However, most of the other 38 Western Hemisphere nations represented here seemed to have a full complement of athletes at the event. Lack of formal ties between the U.S.

and Cuba, bitter enemies for three decades, have cast political shadows over these Games. Executives for ABC Sports, which will televise 20-and-a-half hours of the Games beginning at 1 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, have complained about a lack of cooperation from the U.S. government. Dennis Swanson, president of ABC Sports, said, "I don't think there is any doubt (the U.S.

government) prefer we not cover the event." On the other hand, some observers expect mild protests from anti-Castro Cubans, who have seen their socialist economy nearly collapse over the past year. Competition begins Saturday in seven sports. By far the most interesting event will be the U.S.-Cuba men's basketball game at 1 p.m.. The Americans were upset by Brazil in the gold-medal game at the 1987 Pan Am Games in Indianapolis and are eager to reclaim the gold. The U.S.

has lost in Pan Am basketball only three times in 68 games; one of the defeats was to Cuba in 1971. Brent Musburger, host for ABC's coverage of the Games, predicts the Americans will find an uncomfortable environment at the Sports City Coliseum. "I would expect the Cubans will be pulling for any country that plays the U.S. in any sport," he said Friday. "When Cuba plays the U.S.

in basketball, I expect an enormous outpouring on the part of the Cubans." The U.S. men's team is led by Purdue coach Jim Keady. Key players include Christian Laettner and Grant Hill from NCAA champion Duke University. The U.S. women, heavily favored to win the gold medal, also play Saturday, against Canada.

The first U.S. medal likely will be won by Mike Herbert of Rogers, who competes in the 500- meter kayak race at 9 a.m. Track and field, diving, gymnastics, softball and field hockey also begin Saturday, the latter three sports at Santiago, Cuba's second city located some 500 miles from Havana. The only track finals on the first day of competition are in the men's and women's marathons, difficult events in Havana's oppressive heat and humidity, and the steeplechase. Competition runs for 16 days, through Aug.

18. Card extend Bucs' losing woes BASEBALL Gannett News Service and frustration. goes on, in ever increasing number and variety ST. LOUIS The Pittsburgh Pirates losing streak 1991 Friday was No. 7 in a row, and it probably won't get much more wrenching than this, the Pirates St.

losing Louis a 3-2 4-3 when Stan Belinda inning, walked Bernard 'Sweet Lou' lead in the ninth and falling to powers Tigers Gilkey 3-0 with one out and seventh the bases not loaded. for the Reds put end to Giants' streak A lead in the was enough Pirates to break through. Neither was a splendid Is Valle the majors' worst? pitching job by Zane Smith, perfect through his first six innings. Please see page 3C Dodgers let loose against Mustangs BILLINGS The Great Falls Dodgers broke out of three-game hitting slump with a vengeance Friday night, slamming two home runs and 11 other hits in an 11-2 romp over the Billings Mustangs. The Dodgers had gone 23 innings without scoring a run before erupting for two runs in each of the first two innings.

They built their lead to 8-0 before the Mustangs finally got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning. Frank Smith went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and three runs scored to spark the 13-hit attack. He got help from two unlikely GREAT FALLS (11) BILLINGS (2) power sources: Tito Landrum ab bi ab bi blasted his third homer of the sea- Puchales Castro 2b dh 5 3 3111 0 Jones Burris 2b rf 3000 4111 J. son in the sixth, a solo shot, and Smith rf 4 3 2 3 DeBerry Harrison 1b 3 0 0 0 0 Kirkptrck 1b 5010 Mike Boyzuick pounded a two-run Huckaby 3000 Taylor If 2010 homer in the ninth. It was the Otanez ss 4021 Jesperson cf 0 0 first Brown 2111 Montgmry If 2000 HR of the season for Boyzuick, who Blanco 3b 3010 2112 Ford Graham 3b dh Boyzuick 3b had just 56 Andrews Landrum If cf 3211 5000 Snead Martin ss ss 21 1.0 at-bats entering the con- 1000 test.

Totals 39 11 13 9 Totals 33 2 4 0 Great Falls 220 301 003-11 Right-hander Nelson Castro Billings 000 000 020- Otanez. 2 cruised to his fifth victory against LOB E- -Great Ford, Falls Taylor, 6, Billings Boyzuick, 6. -Puchales. two losses, pitching seven strong HR-Landrum (3), Boyzuick IP (1). RER BB SO innings.

He gave up three hits, just Great Falls one walk and struck out six while N. Jacinto Williams Castro ONO ONO not allowing a run to Billings. Billings Todd Williams the and Larry for Jacinto Great Tobin Vivas Reeves 3 1-3 2-3 3 0-- NNO completed triumph WP- Tobin, Williams. Falls. A.