Star-Gazette from Elmira, New York • 12

"pOrtS MomeyClassif ied Scoreboard 2C Sports Editor Karen Troxel, 607734-5151, Ext.290 Star-GazetteSaturday, June 23, 1990 For Limoncelli, home's where the park is By KAREN TROXEL Star-Gazette i i i i it r- I JOHN N. MITCHELL Coast League. He has played well in extended spring and earned the chance to return to Elmira. But it didn't come without some obstacles. Also in Elmira is second baseman Tim Davis from Southern Illinois University.

Davis was signed by Boston in the June amateur draft and is highly touted. That puts Limoncelli in a situation that could be volatile. "There's no jealousy," said Limoncelli. "That's for high school kids. We're all out here for the same thing.

We're all trying to make it up the ladder and move up. That's all. We help each other out." Limoncelli got his first hit of the season in the home opener at Dunn Field Wednesday night. He got his second hit Thursday a bunt single also at Dunn Field. The Pioneers game at Auburn Friday night was postponed due to rain.

It will be made up, July 12 as part of a doubleheader at Auburn. But his biggest thrill came back in the early spring when he got called up to play with the Boston Red Sox during spring training. "It was everything I've dreamed of," said Limoncelli. "I robbed Gerald Perry (of the Kansas City Royals) of a hit, got to take infield with Marty Barrett and got a hit. They treated me like I belonged." Limoncelli is where he belongs now, but he's hoping with hard work and some luck, Elmira will soon be changed from the place he's playing professional baseball back to just home.

For Jeff Limoncelli, playing professional baseball in Elmira this summer means lots of hard work and home cooking. Limoncelli is back home for the summer and getting to act out his childhood dream while playing second base for the Elmira Pioneers. It's fun, he's definitely a crowd favorite and it's tough. "It feels good (to be back). My family and friends get to watch me play and that's important," said Limoncelli, from Horse-heads.

"I love baseball. It means the world to me. Sometimes I feel a little nervous thinking about playing at home, but I think that's only natural to think like that." But Limoncelli says those feelings vanish when he's on the field or at the plate. "Once I'm out there, I bear down and don't think about anything but baseball," Limoncelli said. Limoncelli is in his first full year of professional baseball.

He was signed to a free agent contract by the Red Sox in Elmira last July. He played a few games in the New York-Penn League before being reassigned to the Gulf JEFF LIMONCELLI: "I love baseball. It means the world me. to 0 wp Iraal 2X top ii The Associated Press fourth. With one out, Carlos Quintana singled, Luis Rivera beat out a hit to the right of the mound and Boggs walked, filling the bases.

Reed then hit a pop fly to shallow right. First baseman Milligan made the catch on the grass but was caught by surprise when Quintana suddenly broke for the plate. Quintana beat a hurried throw and Reed was credited with a sacrifice fly. TWINS 3, ROYALS 2 7 7 IN I I Attitude at PGA course is a tragedy One would think or at least one should think that the visit to these shores by African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela would inspire people, as filmmaker Spike Lee proposed, to Do the Right Thing. But that's not the case at the Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, site of the 1990 Professional Golfers Association championship in August.

You see, the exclusive country club has an acknowledged, unwritten policy against club membership for African-Americans. In the words of its 67-year-old founder, Hall Thompson, "the country club is our home and we pick and choose who we want." Thompson added that Shoal Creek has not admitted blacks ''because that's not the way Kings are done in Birmingham." Excuse me? I It is a shame and a disgrace that in America, the "leader of the free world," that such a mindset still exists. And what is even more discouraging is that the PGA, which alleges to have a policy against playing at courses that discriminate, is afraid to take a much needed and probably respected stand and move the championship. It gives all kinds of empty-bucket excuses. PGA President Pat Rielly says the organization has found no written discriminatory policies at Shoal Creek, and that it can do little about an unwritten rule.

again, maybe Rielly is deaf, or maybe he can't read. Maybe Thompson's words in the newspapers appear to him to resemble Egyptian hieroglyphics rather than the King's English. Nah. No such luck. The PGA and the LPGA have Jiever extended an open-arms welcome to black golfers.

They no longer hide behind the falsehood that blacks don't play golf. Poppycock. To even suggest 'that Air Jordan is the only black 'swinging a nine-iron is ludicrous. a And what is even more ludicrous is Shoal Creek's policy." It is on Mpnday that the club permits some blacks the caddies to play. And that is only because the club is closed to members.

So August will roll around and the PGA will conduct business as usual. Most of the sports tuperstars will be there and the Commercial endorsements will Tack up millions of dollars for the PGA and bring Shoal Creek ions of publicity. But in the meantime, let's hope" that Mandela's tour doesn't take a detour and his plane doesn't mistakenly land in Birmingham. He probably is enjoying his time away from Sowetto and Capetown. Why should he have to travel 7,000 miles only to find that his plane never left the ground? BOSTON Tony Pena broke a tie with a two-out single in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox edged the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Friday night as Mike Boddicker earned a career-high eighth consecutive victory.

Boddicker (9-3), whose winning streak includes three no-decisions in 11 starts, struggled, yielding nine hits and four walks in 8 1-3 innings. But he was tough in the clutch and outpitched Baltimore's Jeff Ballard (1-8), who was tagged for 10 hits in 6 2-3 innings and was hurt by a poor defense. After Mike Devereaux walked with one out in the ninth, Rob Murphy got the last two outs for his fourth save. With one out in the Boston seventh, Tom Brunansky singled and went to third one out later when Ellis Burks' hard grounder skipped past third baseman Craig Worthington for an error. Pena followed with his tie-breaking single that sent the Orioles to their eighth loss in 10 games.

The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Wade Boggs' single, Jody Reed's double and Brunansky's wind-blown two-run double which Steve Finley just missed catching with a leap against the scoreboard in left field. The Orioles struck back with three runs in the fourth to go ahead 3-2. Randy Milli-gan began the rally with a single and Mickey Tettleton walked. Joe Orsulak forced Tettleton at second but Cal Ripken and Greg Walker, the latter breaking an 0-for-12 drought, followed with RBI singles. After a wild pitch, Ripken scored the third run as Worthington grounded out.

The Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the Rookie Kevin Tapani outdueled Bret Sa; berhagen for the second time in six days' i and Gary Gaetti hit a two-run homer asj the Minnesota Twins defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-2 Friday night to snap, a four-game losing streak. L-V. Tapani (8-4), who beat the Royals 4-1 iijLj Kansas City last Sunday, gave up one ruri and four hits in eight innings. He struck out six, walked just one and retired, lfji consecutive batters at one point. i Rick Aguilera pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

He gave up a run on Danny Tartabull's double and singles by Jim Ei- senreich and Willie Wilson. After a walk to Mike Macfarlane loaded the bases, Kurt Stillwell grounded out to end the game. Tapani's two victories over Kansas City are the Twins' only wins in their last 15 games. They also broke a seven-game1 home losing streak, one short of the club! record. Gaetti, who hadn't homered in 13 days hit his ninth of the season off Saberhagen-(5-7) in the second inning.

The homerJoKj lowed a leadoff double by Kent Hrbek and; gave Minnesota a 2-0 lead. Gaetti alsosin-j gled in the fourth and doubled in "the! sixth. Minnesota's third run came in the fifth; inning when Junior Ortiz singled, was sac- rificed to second by Greg Gagne an scored on a single by Fred Manrique. The Associated Press MAKING THE TURN: Boston Red Sox shortstop Luis Rivera, top, forces out Baltimore Oriole Mike Deveraux at second base and throws to first to complete the double play on Baltimore's Steve Finley on a ground ball in the third inning at Fenway Park. Yankees' owner summoned Thompson to remain coach at Georgetown The Associated Press with the Denver situation." Thompson, who has often fueded with the media, NEW YORK Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent on Friday summoned George Steinbrenner to a hearing July 5 to answer questions about his dealings with a Bronx man.

The commissioner also beefed up his legal team for the meeting with the New York Yankees owner. Vincent set the hearing after reviewing John Dowd's report on Steinbrenner's $40,000 payment to Howard Spira last January. Dowd is the Washington lawyer who conducted the investigation that led to Pete Rose's banishment from baseball last summer. While Steinbrenner hired two criminal lawyers this week in his effort to avoid possible disciplinary action, Vincent has retained former deputy attorney general Harold "Ace" Tyler Jr. The 68-year-old Tyler is one of the most highly respected officials to ever serve at the Department of Justice.

His retention by Vincent may suggest that the commissioner anticipates the need for the See YANKEES2C Scripps Howard News Service WASHINGTON John Thompson, who turned Georgetown University's backwater basketball program into perennial power, Friday turned down a multimillion dollar offer to run and own part of the Denver Nuggets. "I just felt at this point, weighing all the things I had to weigh, that it was the best thing for me to do at this time," Thompson told a hastily called news conference at the University's McDonough Gym, his team's practice site. "There wasn't anything wrong So far, 1 990 hasn't been a great year for George Steinbrenner. Here's why: The Yankees have the worst record in baseball (24-40). This month, he fired Bucky Dent and hired Stump Merrill, the 1 9th manager Steinbrenner has employed in 1 7 years.

Last month, the California Angels filed a grievance with the commissioner's office, alleging Steinbrenner interfered in negotiations in the Dave Winfield trade. This week, Chicago White Sox general manager Larry Himes said the team may file tampering charges against New York ZZ'-regarding a player taken in the amateur draft. Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent is investigating Steinbrenner's connection with gambler Howard Spira. did not specify whv he THOMPSON decided the move was not right. He told a reporter who asked how he could turn down what appeared to be a once-in-a-life-time deal: See THOMPSON2C tfohn N.

Mitchell is a sportswriter for the Star-Gazette SCORES ON TELEVISION Lever surprised he was traded to Mavs DALLAS Veteran All-Star guard Fat Lever said Friday that he had expected the Denver Nuggets to trade him, but not to the Dallas Mavericks. "That was the biggest surprise, not the trade in itself," Lever said in a conference call from Hawaii, where he was attending a meeting of NBA player representatives. "I had heard of interest by New York, Seattle, Phoenix and Indiana, but not Dallas," Lever said. "The only time Dallas came up was last season, before the season began." Lever, 6-3 and 175 pounds, led the Nuggets last season in scoring (18.3), rebounding (9.3), steals (2.12) and assists (6.5) while making the All Star team for the second time. Vestal coach dies of heart attack VESTAL David K.

Sammon, head football and lacrosse coach at Vestal High School, died Friday morning. Sammon, who had only been head football coach for one season but had started the lacrosse program 24 years ago, died of a massive heart attack while driving alone in his car just before 11 a.m. Sammon was a graduate of Union-En-dicott High School and Cortland State University. Although he had been an assistant football coach at Vestal for 22 years, last year was the first time he had been the head coach and the Golden Bears won four of their first five games and finished with a 5-4 record. Sammon was a member of the U.S.

Lacrosse Coaches Association. Chemung team wins soccer tournament NEWARK VALLEY The Chemung Cyclones captured the 14-and-un-der soccer crown at the Newark Valley Soccer Invitational Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the Cyclones tied the Newark Valley 1-1, with Timmmy Holland supplying the only goal. They won the second game 2-1 over Chenango Valley on goals by Henry Ferguson and Matt Gallagher. The Cyclones Sunday defeated Salt City 1-0 on a goal by Kyle Ma whir, and in the title game with State College of Pennsylvania, 3-1 win, Mawhir had two goals and Ferguson 1.

Compiled from staff reports. National League St. Louis 7 Chicago 0 rtos Angeles 7 Cincinnati 6 (10) Montreal 4 Pittsburgh 3 New York 5 Philadelphia 1 'American League Boston 4 Baltimore 3 3 Kansas City 2 (New York-Penn Erie 14 Jamestown 8 Oneonta 6 Pittsfield 2 Hamilton 2 St. Catharines 0 i Watertown 13 Utica 4 TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS 1 0:55 a.m. Soccer: Second round World Cup action from Sunday from Naples.

11:30 a.m. Baseball: Baseball Today. CNN 1 p.m. Major League Baseball: St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs.

WBNG; United States Olympic Cup, North America vs. Europe. WENY; Bowling: National Tournament. ESPN. 1 1 :30 p.m.

Major League Baseball: New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays. MSG I 4:30 p.m. Wide World of Sports. WENY 5 p.m. Auto racing: Indy time trials.

MSG 7 p.m. Major League Baseball: Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets. WWOR 7:05 p.m. Major League Baseball: Sari" 5 Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves. WTBS.

Complete listings In Sunday's TVWeek..