The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 57

FRENCH OPEN Major League Baseball Isle File E3 E4 E6 WEDNESDAY, June 6. 1990 The Honolulu Advertiser TOMORROW Gameplan: Aerobic Sports Journal I Mil vui (flLiliiiL MIKE LITTWIN The Baltimore Sun Late rally sends Blazers to defeat Prime time calls, but is NBA ready? Pi UBURN HILLS. Mich. Let's talk about Jerome Kersey. Or is it Kersee? You start.

I'm waiting. VS. 1990 Yesterday's Result Detroit 105, Portland 99 Tomorrow's Game Portland at Detroit, 3 p.m. Sunday's Game Detroit at Portland, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday's Game Detroit at Portland, 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 14 Detroit at Portland, 3 p.m. Sunday, June 17 Portland at Detroit, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 19 Portland at Detroit, 3 p.m. if necessary (Ail Hawaii times) 6 Advertiser News Services AUBURN HILLS, Mich. To Isiah Thomas, a National Basketball Association championship series is not so much a battle of skills as wills.

It was the iron will of the defending champions, and the indomitable Thomas in particular, that prevailed in the opening game of the best-of-seven series with the Portland Trail Blazers at The Palace last night. Making their first appearance in the finals since 1977, the Blazers withstood every challenge and rally for 44 minutes. But leading, 94-89, they could not survive a brilliant 10-point burst by Thomas that carried the Detroit Pistons to a 105-99 victory before a roaring, sellout crowd of 21,454. "When you're down by 10 points in the last four minutes and you've been struggling emotionally, it becomes a question of how bad do you want it," Thomas said. "Earlier in the game, I was missing layups because of fatigue," said the Piston captain, who finished with 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

"But I got a 'jjf 1) J' if i I'm still waiting. No, not the referee. That's Jess Kersey. OK, you can see we've got a problem here. Kersey-Kersee, who has been in the NBA for six years, is maybe the most important player on the Portland Trail Blazers, and no one has ever heard of him.

If you know where he wen.t to college, you're either a former classmate or his mother. It gets worse. The Trail Blazers have a wonderful, if unknown, point guard named Porter. In The New York Times yesterday, he was listed as Kevin Porter. Actually, it's Terry Porter, who played at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Kersey-Kersee is from Longwood (Va.) College. As you might have heard, although maybe not, the Trail Blazers met the Detroit Pistons last night in the opening game of the NBA championship series. Really. I know. You were hoping for better.

You were rooting for Michael Jordan, only Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were crushed by the Pistons in Game 7 of the East final. So, with the Lakers gone early, we have Portland and Detroit, for better or worse, till CBS do us part. You think the network boys are excited about this matchup? What we have here is a potential ratings disaster, See Littwin, Page E4 KgMt mi burst of energy from the crowd after I made that steal off (Terry) Porter to start the rally, and I just rode the wave home." After having his pocket See Pistons, Page E4 AP photo Detroit's Isiah Thomas knifes past Portland's Jerome Kersey for a layup. Souza, Pakele L.A.'s 14th-round pick an ex-Saint tennis player et draft notices Ti. nr- Jfi Souza Pakele and said, "Congratulations.

You are a Dodger. You went in the 14th j' No time was wasted in be-1': coming a Dodger on paper. "I have already signed," said Daspit. "It did not take me long to do that. They want me in Dodgertown (at Vero Beach, Fla.) for a 10-day camp.

I will leave on Friday." Sacramento State baseball coach John Smith, who "discovered" Daspit playing in aj Sacramento night baseball; league last summer, was not! surprised that Daspit was draft-i ed. "Once he started to pitch, the! secret was out and the scouts I started to gather," said Smith. "I have mixed emotions. I feel I ed at 89 miles per hour. "He's bubbling with potential," said Dodger scout Mark Sheehy.

"The only thing he lacks is innings. He has everything else." A 1986 graduate at St. Louis, Daspit got lost in the baseball shuffle there. He went out for the junior varsity team, but got bumped when a varsity player was sent down. "That is when I decided to take up tennis," he said.

After St. Louis, Daspit attended Miramar Community College in San Diego, which has no baseball team, and then Chico State before settling on Sacramento State, where he was not lost in the baseball shuffle. Daspit said that Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston had also shown a strong interest in him, but he did not expect the draft call from Dodger scout Sheehy. "I was totally shocked," he said. "I couldn't believe it when he (Sheehy) called me By Ferd Borsch Advertiser Staff Writer It pays to stand tall and throw the baseball hard.

James Daspit, who played tennis but not baseball at St. Louis School, learned this fact of life Monday when he was chosen in the 14th round of baseball's free-agent draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pitching in school competition this season for the first time in seven years, Daspit was 1-1 with no saves and a 4.11 earned run average in 14 games and 35 innings as a combination starter-reliever for Cal State-Sacramento. But, in returning to baseball in his junior year in college after playing for several youth teams in Hawaii Kai, the 20-year-old Daspit showed a lot more than the modest numbers he compiled. What impressed the Dodgers the most was his size 6 feet 7 and 210 pounds and his fastball, which has been clock shortly after hearing the good news.

"But I wonder why it took a day to find out." Ray Poitevint, vice-president in charge of international baseball operations for the Brewers who was responsible for most of the Hawaii signings in the past, was to call Souza Tuesday, but he had to make a quick trip to Japan instead. That caused the delay. Souza was told of his selection by Dick Foster, scouting director for the Brewers. "I really do want to go with the Brewers," Souza said. "They made me an offer but I told them I want to think about it.

For the 11th round, I think it's a decent offer, but I want to talk it over with my family and my close friends. The Brewers said they would give us until Sunday (to decide), but that's not a final deadline, either." Poitevint, a scout for the Brewers before taking on his international-level duties, said By Ferd Borsch Advertiser Staff Writer The Milwaukee Brewers' connection with the University of Hawaii baseball program remains intact. Pitcher (Brian Souza learned yesterday that he had been selected Tuesday by Milwaukee In the 11th round of the 1990 baseball free-agent draft. He became the 18th Rainbow Selected by the Brewers since 1978 when pitcher Rich Olsen and first baseman Dean Hall were drafted. I Souza shared the local draft spotlight yesterday with University of Hawaii-Hilo pitcher Louis Pakele, who was picked In late rounds yesterday by be California Angels, Souza, a righthander with an $9 mph fastball, was 6-5 with line saves and a 3.78 earned run average as a junior last season.

excited about it and I jeally want to sign," Souza said that he and local Brewer scout Walter Komatsubara both submitted strong recommendations to draft Souza. "He had some good spots and he had some fair spots when I saw him pitch this season," Poitevint said. "He was especially hot in the Easter tournament and he humps the ball up there on an average of 89 miles an hour." Poitevint, who has signed the likes of such former Rainbows as Joey Meyer, Chuck Crim and Glenn Braggs, said Souza has all of the ingredients to succeed. "Brian has size, arm strength and a selection of pitches," he said. "The guy at the plate has to determine whether he will be throwing the slider or curveball." See Souza, Page E4 bad that I'm losing a good pitcher for next year, but I'm happy that he is getting the chance to prove himself in professional baseball.

He's not only a good athlete, but a good kid." ikad: From kere on, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy "Fve been too nice. That's the way I was raised." Jesus Salud DePhilippis said Salud should have little trouble finding motivation. "He doesn't like to say this in front of people, but I know he can't wait to get into the ring," DePhilippis said. "He wants to take his frustrations out on Martin Ortegon." Said Salud: "I'm ready to explode.

I'm still hurt that they took away my title. I worked hard for it since I was a very young. It's like taking away my right arm. "I respect Martin Ortegon. He's a good fighter.

But he's going for something that I want so bad." Salud, who lives in San Diego, said he trained hard for a month, facing an army of sparring partners in a Mexico gym. He said he has worked on his footwork and jabs to try to counter One- -gon's stick-and-move attack. "Jesus is not really a gym fighter, but this time he looks really good," DePhilippis said. This week, Salud worked out at the Waipahu Recreation Center, where he had trained from age 8 through last year, when he moved away from Hawaii. "It's uplifting to go back to Waipahu, to see (former trainer) Al Silva and my friends," Salud said.

"(Silva) treats me like a son. Fighting in front of him means a lot tome." BOXING NOTES: On Saturday. Ju Salud will make a guest appearance at the Ala Moana Penney store from 11 a.m. to noon in trie Simply For Sports Shop. He will be signing autographs and will introduce and take photos with eight Junior Olympic boxing champions.

For Salud, that means life will be different. He promised to bring deeper concentration into tomorrow night's bout against Martin Ortegon in Blaisdell Arena. The bout is for the Intercontinental Boxing Council's first super-bantamweight title. Salud said he will be more focused. "I've been too nice," Salud said.

"That's the way I was raised. I was taught to be a nice person, to show people a lot of respect. But I have to learn to strengthen up. I can act nice, but I have to be more in control. I have to learn to say, Indeed, Salud is a familiar name on the Easy Touch Rankings.

Last Feb. 3, he agreed to be interviewed by By Stephen Tsai Advertiser Staff Writer The thing about Jesus Sal-ud is that he pledged allegiance to a sport that didn't come with a clause saying, "And justice for all." In recent months, blind faith has taken Salud down a blind alley. He is hurt over the World Boxing Association's decision to strip him of his 122-pound title because he wouldn't follow the organization's politics. i He is disgusted over a stolen victory that was seized when he failed to follow his battle plan in a non-title bout against Jesse Benavides. "I feel bad, like I let down a lot of people," Salud said.

"But life goes on, right?" ask me for things. They have to understand this is my profession. This is the way I have to do it." Said Bob DePhilippis, Salud's manager: "We try to impress upon him that you can be nice when you're outside of the ring and when you're not training. But once you get inside the ring, you have to be mean. That's how you make your living." a television reporter only hours before his fight against Roberto Granciosa.

On his way to the Benavides bout, Salud signed an autograph for a youngster. "I feel bad turning people down," Salud said. "I see a lot of bad things going on in Hawaii and I want to help. But I can't do anything when I'm in training. I want to say I'm sorry to the people who.