Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 39

Sports NHL PLAYOFFS: D2 Sabres' overtime goal forces Game 7 with Hurricanes in Eastern Conference finals Sports Editor: Don Doxsie (563) 383-2280 Quad-City Times I Section Wednesday, May 31, 2006 June swoon? Cubs endured a May sway The troubles are all the more glaring because of the success of the team 8 miles away The White Sox won the World beat Cincinnati on Tuesday 8-3. "I was in San Francisco when we had to get over the June swoon that everybody talks about. What rhymes with May? The gray May. It's been a bad. May," Baker said.

Signs calling for Baker to be fired have popped up around the park and a small contingent of fans tried to organize a protest last weekend. "You don't do anything about the barbs being thrown at you," Baker said. "I'm doing the best job I can do." The players are frustrated, CUBS I D3 CHICAGO (AP) Warm winds blow across Wrigley Field, and the ivy that covers the brick walls is a lush green. Summer baseball has finally arrived on the North Side, and the fans are turning out in big numbers. The Cubs, however, are hardly blossoming.

May has proved one tough month for a team that three years ago was five outs from the World Series. Injuries and bad play have produced a stretch of misery and head-shaking bloopers that recall the team's "Lovable Losers" days. Series last season for the first time since 1917 and are fighting for first place in their division this year. The heat Cubs manager WHEN IT WENT WRONG May 2 Pittsburgh's Zach Duke pitches his first career shutout, blanking the Cubs 8-0. May 9 The Cubs suffer their eighth straight defeat, losing to the Giants 6-1.

May 14 San Diego's Clay Hensley pitches a 2-hit shutout, handing the Cubs their 12th loss in 13 games and ensuring that they will go 0-7 against the Padres this season. May 20 The White Sox defeat the Cubs 7-0, and Michael Barrett is ejected for punching the Sox' A.J. Pierczynski. May 24 Greg Maddux loses to Florida 9-3 and shatters a water cooler in the dugout after being removed from the game. May 28 Cubs pitchers give up eight home runs against the Braves, but the deciding run in the 13-12 loss scores in the 1 1th inning when third baseman Aramis Ramirez has a popup bounce off the top of his head.

fcifir if hi Baker clearly is on THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Steve "The Miz" Mizerak Dusty Baker, whose team had a 7-21 record in May. They ended a six-game losing streak behind Kerry Wood on Monday, then Degan nis professional MIDWEST LEAGUE career at age xj. He died Monday after complica-' tions from surgery. STEVE MIZERAK 1944-2006 Legendary ipool player dies at 61 Miz' spent years at St. Ambrose STAFF AND WIRE REPORT MIAMI Steve Mizerak, winner of multiple pool championships who became one of the game's most recognizable figures by appearing in training videos, beer com-I-mercials and a movie, has died at the age of 61.

Mizerak, who attended St. Ambrose University for three Umpires returning to work Cortesio: New agreement is not a big improvement STAFF AND WIRE REPORT This time, it really is over. Minor league umpires settled their seasonlong strike Tuesday, ratifying a six-year contract that calls for a $100 monthly salary increase and gradual increases in their per diems. The umpires, who have been on strike since April 6, are vr 'V I 4P. 1 years in the early 1960s, died Monday in Palm Beach County, from complications stemming from gall bladder surgery.

He had not Mlzerak in a 1987 visit to Davenport t. --nr'i iiti'rtiiirrfi'ii fnii wm Photos by Eric SumbergQUAD-CITY TIMES Clinton's John Mayberry the son of a former big league veteran, leads the LumberKings with six home runs. returned home since entering -the hospital in January, according to his wife, Karen Known by his nickname Miz," Mizerak won four U.S. Open Championships dozens of other billiards tournaments in his professional career, which began he was 13. He was inducted into the Billiard I Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 1980.

He used his talent and recognition to make training books and videos, bringing basics such as breaks and bank shots to -more advanced techniques for trick shots, to the masses. Mizerak also made a difficult trick shot in a now-famous commercial for Miller when the beer maker was using sports celebrities to sell its product in the 1970s and IQRfls expected to Cortesio return to work by June 12. But while the leadership of the Association of Minor League Umpires tried to put a happy face on the settlement, the only minor league ump who lives in the Quad-Cities made it clear she's not all that happy "It's not a big improvement," Rock Island's Ria Cortesio said. "After we missed three months of work and the negotiations went on for seven months, Minor League Baseball just would not budge." Cortesio was not among those who voted to ratify the settlement. She said she wasn't surprised.

She could tell by what others were saying on the union message board that the strike was nearing an end. But she didn't vote for it. "I'm disappointed with the contract, but I'm very, very, very proud that out of 220 minor league umpires, not one of them crossed the picket line and worked games," she said. "We stayed unified. And I guarantee you that's not what Minor League Baseball expected." Umpires had said their salaries previously averaged $15,000 in Triple-A, $12,000 in Double-A, $10,000 in full-season A-ball and $5,500 in rookie leagues.

While they will get a modest raise, Cortesio said the deductible on their health insurance was raised from $100 to $500. The new deal also will immediately raise the umps' per UMPIRES I D6 on. It's really been a good situation for me." A hamstring injury suffered during spring training delayed Mayberry's arrival with the LumberKings, but he quickly has worked toward the top of Clinton's statistical charts. Hitting .243, Mayberry leads the LumberKings with six home runs and is second on the team with 11 doubles and 20 runs batted in. More importantly, he continues to make strides in his overall game.

A three-year starter and two-time all-Pac 10 first baseman at Stanford, Mayberry made the move to the outfield shortly after signing with the Rangers. He played the position for the first time last year at short-season Spokane, where he hit .253 over 71 games. Texas also has worked with Mayberry to help him develop more consistency in his approach at the plate, moving him closer to the plate, shortening his swing and working with him to turn more frequently on inside pitches. "I feel like I'm making strides, although some days they may seem like small ones," Mayberry said. "This is my first full year in the outfield, and it has been an adjustment.

I'm still learning. I'm learning what it takes to get that good jump when the ball comes off the bat and how to know hitters and prepare MAYBERRY I D6 By Steve Batterson QUAD-CITY TIMES MOVING from first base to the outfield, John Mayberry Jr. understood he would be covering a lot of ground during the first year of his professional baseball career. But the Texas Rangers' first-round selection in the 2005 draft has learned to cover that ground one step at a time. "This isn't a sprint.

It's a marathon," said Mayberry, who is making strides with the Clinton LumberKings. "I grew up around the game, but I understand that now more than ever. All of my goals are short term. By meeting them, I know that it will give me the best chance to have everything play out the way I hope it will." Mayberry is working toward building the type of career his father, John Mayberry, enjoyed. His father played major-league baseball for 15 years, suiting up for the Royals, Astros, Blue Jays and Yankees, and he was a two-time All-Star first baseman for Kansas City.

"That background helped me a lot from the perspective of knowing what to expect, but one of the things I knew I could expect was that I was going to have to earn my own way to the big leagues," Mayberry said. "Here, I'm just one guy on the team, and we're all trying to accomplish the same thing." BEST OF BOTH WORLDS John Mayberry Jr. is one of the rare baseball players to have been selected in the first round of the draft twice: Year 2002 2005 Team Seattle Texas Pick 28th 19th Decision Enrolled Signed at for Stanford "He falls in there with nesota Fats and (Willie) Mosconi and some of the Mayberry finds Clinton to be a perfect place to work toward that objective. "I'm at a place where I can learn a lot. There aren't any distractions," Mayberry said.

"I like that a lot. I can focus on my game and doing the things that the development people want me to work Report: Clemens to pitch for Astros by late June Houston offering more flexibility in scheduling come this week. Astros owner Drayton McLane, general manager Tim Purpura and Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, denied Tuesday that they had come to terms with the extremely popular pitcher. muie yujjuiai piayeis, saiu Stephen Ducoff, executive director of the Colorado I Springs, billiard I congress. "He's a recogniz-; able household name." Mizerak appeared in the 1986 film "The Color of Money," playing an opponent of Paul Newman's character, Fast Eddie Felson.

He also branched out in the billiards merchandise busi-; ness, serving as president and designer for a company that made pool cues. Born in Perth Amboy, N.J., Mizerak learned to play bil-'. liards at age 4, standing on a milk box in his father's pool hall. In 1962, he enrolled as a his-; tory major at St. Ambrose and quickly became known on the local billiards scene.

"My father never had to send me any spending money," he recalled during a 1987 visit to the Quad-Cities. "Every week-; end, I went some place and came back with a couple hun- dred, $300 or $500 or so. I went here, then I went to another school (in Athens, Ala.) and cleaned out another school in another part of the country." Other survivors include two sons, a stepson and two "granddaughters. ident, staying with the Astros allows him to appear in about half of his games at home. Furthermore, Clemens' oldest son, Koby, is a prospect in the Astros' farm system, having been drafted last year.

Last Dec. 7, the Astros decided not to offer Clemens salary arbitration. That decision prevented the Astros from re-signing Clemens until May 1 of this season. But the Astros didn't eliminate themselves from consideration with their action. Clemens lasted just two innings in his World Series Game 1 start last October, leaving with an ailing left hamstring, and he liked the idea of not pitching for an entire season.

situation, because they were willing to let Clemens miss games to be with his family. The Yankees, replete with superstars, wouldn't grant Clemens the same privilege. Yankees manager Joe Torre said the last time he spoke with Clemens was last October, to congratulate him for reaching the World Series with the Astros. "Kiddingly, you said things and stuff (about a return to the Yankees), but no, I never really seriously thought he would come to us," Torre said. Just as they did in 2004 and 2005, the Astros will give Clemens wide flexibility not only with road trips, but also with home games in which he isn't pitching.

As a Houston res BIGGI0, ASTROS TOPPLE CARDINALS ST. LOUIS (AP) Craig Biggio's two-run homer capped a five-run seventh inning in the Houston Astros' 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. The big inning rescued Andy Pettitte, who left trailing 3-1 and kept the Astros from dropping below .500 for the first time. Houston is 11-18 this month, avoiding the franchise's worst May.

St. Louis rookie Anthony Reyes had seven strikeouts in 6's innings as the stand-in for Chris Carpenter. But two people familiar with the situation said that the right-hander had decided to "unretire" for NEWSDAY Roger Clemens will take the mound once again. And he's not straying far from home. Newsday has learned that Clemens, 43, has agreed to terms with the Houston Astros, the team for which he pitched each of the past two seasons.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner, who could be pitching in the major leagues by the end of June, will earn somewhere between $3.5 million and $4 million per month, netting him roughly $12 million for about a half-season's work. An announcement likely will Clemens the third time. Clemens chose the Astros over the Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers. The Red Sox drew more serious consideration than the Yankees, according to a person with knowledge of the.