Chippewa Herald-Telegram from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin • 9

Pack almost through the Merplny kiniows the ropes Packer safety has seen it all during past eight seasons "It's not relaxed. There's more excitement. I feel more excitement. It's like this is a new Mark Murphy GREEN BAY (UPI) Green Bay Packers veteran Mark Murphy wants to keep adding to his accolades instead of resting on previous laurels. During the last eight summers, Murphy, a strong safety, has worked through the month-long, twice-daily practice routine, waded through the maneuvering for.

his position and hung tough through coaches' periodic roster purges. A starter since 1984, Murphy has training camp down pat. "There are some new adjustments on defense so we have to see them and execute them and iron out the little kinks," Murphy said. "You can always learn. When they stop learning, something's wrong." 1 i rf a I fog: Infante GREEN BAY (UPI) The Green Bay Packers are beginning to grasp first-year coach Lindy Infan te's new offensive system two weeks into training camp.

"Last night was the first night in the meetings that I actually felt like they were coming through the fog, offensively," Infante aid Monday. "Most of the guys now seem to have a grip, at least a conception of what we're doing." Infante was further encouraged by a sharp practice session Monday morning. "Today on the practice, field. I think we took a major steji forward." Infante said. "I thoueht it- wuh a tenure spanning 44 games, some safeties bright think they had seen it all.

Not Murphy. in think 1p.arn p.vp.rv rlav." Defensive Back "We're long on safeties, good safeties," Murphy said. "And we're all pushing each other. It's. fun.

I feel like a friend to all of them." Total aggression, something prized in former coach Forrest Gregg training camps, has taken a backseat to the thinkingman's game'' under first-year coach Lindy Infante. i "This camp seems to be more mental concentration, more preparation," Murphy "You still get your hits out there, but they're not as many." Regardless of how he functions in the day-to-day of, camp, the real meters of a player's worth are exhibi-tion games. "That's what it's all about," Murphy said. "You got four preseason games. Each one you want to do well in and continue to show improvement." And there's the hitting.

Contact takes on a new intensity in a game against a real opponent. "We're getting some (hitting in 'practice) but it's not that much. That has a lot to do with it, too," said Murphy, who led the secondary in tackles last season with 63 solo tackles and two quarterback sacks. But training camp is not as laid back as it might appear, he said. "It's not relaxed.

There's more excitement I feel more excitement It's like this is a new era. Something's going to happen and it's going to be good for this team. We're going to win." I oach Dick Jauron said. "Mark is the kind of player that doesn't allow himself to go out there and not learn. j'r.

"Mark Murphy is going to be a'player that has eight i years of experience, not one year of experience eight times," Jauron added. Although Green Bay has been predominantly a zone coverage team in recent seasons, Murphy has well in man-to-man situations when called upon to. do so, Jauron said. After spending the entire 1986 season on injured ''-reserve with a stress fracture in his left foot, Murphy Joist some sharpness in man coverage last season. That doesn't concern Jauron now.

"That's the area where I feel probably the most rust showed from that whole year off," said Jauron, assuring that, "He can cover, Mark Murphy can cover." "There's different techniques and litde things you cin try," Murphy said. "I don't know if there ever is perfection but you try to get as close to it as you can." Every year there is the competition. Every year Murphy plugs away trying to concern himself only with his own performance. "There's a lot of us and competition's real good. 1 think (competition) is as good as it's been.

was a hole sharper, crisper as far assignments were concerned." The first-year coach said Be. didn't set an agenda for his team's progress prior to the start of "It was just, we go as fast as we can and hope that we're as far as we can be," he said. There are currently 100 players in camp, but 17 are sidelined with injuries. Six veterans remained unsigned. Infante indicated there may be some cuts following Saturday's exhibition opener against the New York Giants in Green Bay.

Infante declined to tip his hand on his quarterback rotation for Saturday's game. Yet, there is one. 1 A i Bucks impressed UPI The Milwaukee Bucks were so impressed with the early showing by second-round draft pick Tito Horford (shown dunking the ball during rookie practice earlier this week), that they signed the native of the Dominican Republic to a three-year contract Monday. yviiuiii lie lias uuiuiucu ui. "The only person who knows is my dog," he quipped.

"Every night I come home, she greets me and I whisper in her ear who I think Ihe Pizza Hut pulls away, ups lead in mens Over-35 league guy was that was best that day. So you have to talk to "Copper" to find out. And she can only bark," Meanwhile, the Packers announced Monday they had signed free agent wide receiver GeoigS- LaFrance. La France just finishe Dave Canfield had two, and Denny Stabenson had a home run, Jim Lower had two hits for Falls Bowl: Pub XIII 8, Spectrum 7 Pub XIII scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ed Larson walked and scored when Al Ruland got on by a three-base error. Chuck Peloquin had two hits for Pub XIII, while Rick Gates had two hits with a home run and Tom Drehmel had two.

in the first inning and was led by Tom Nowak with two hits. For Buckwheat's, Tom Dachel had two hits with home run, Terry Hedring-ton had a home run and Jim Schoch had two hits. Beluschi's 18, Falls Bowl 6 Beluschi's put away in the sixth inning with seven runs, as it pounded out 15 hits in the game. Gary Larzarz had four hits with a home run, Bill Anderson had threes Pizza Hut took a two game lead in the men's 35-and-over Softball Men's 35-and-ovtr league Monday night, as it defeated Softball uagu Cigan's Strongarms 13-8, while the i second place team Buckwheats was Fails Bowl 4 nipped by Randy's 8-7. I In other games from Monday Rands.

4 6 night. Pub Xin defeated Spectrum Beu Industries 8-7 and BeluSChi's Cnsaronparms 9 stopped Falls Bowl 18-6. Hut exploded for six ruri -garms tied the 'game at 3-3 in the in the -fourth inning, aftex thee fourth. Pat Hare' blasted three hits for the winners, while Dan Briton had two. For, Strongarms, Tony Sempel and Emery Crowley each had two hits and Ron Sempel had a home run.

Randy's 8, Buckwheats 7 Buckwheats moved two games behind Pizza Hut as Randy's scored all eight runs in the first five innings and then held off Buckwheats. Randy's scored three runs Drive of the Arena Indoor Football League. LaFrance, 6 feet and 180 pounds, splayed college football at Baker SiHnivfrcilAf 4 I Bell blasts Reardori, deals Viola tough loss Pub II wins to move into tie for first AL roundup mm Standings Class A O'Neil Creek .................9 1 Pub II 1 Krob's Nest 7 3 Nblett Const ...6 4 Herald Telegram 5 4 Class Jean Junction .....5 5 Bert ...3 7 3 7 Family Health 2 8 jCray III ............1 8 Piib II blew open a close game at 'Marshall Field before cruising home with a 12-3 win over Niblett Construction in mens Division IV jsoftball. p. The victory tfor Pub II, combined with O'Neil Creek's 5-3 loss to Krob's Nest, forces a two-way tie for tfirst in class A.

J. In other games Monday night, Jean Junction dumped Family Health 14-4, land Hardee's slipped by Ber's Niblett moved out to a quick 2-0 "lead before Pub II erupted for five runs in the top of the fourth for a 5-2 tlead. Pub II added two runs in the fifth imd five more in the sixth for the 5 See Softball, Page 2B H-T Photo by Kirk Holmes Niblett Construction third baseman Jeff Buckll (left) proves to be too late with the tag as Pub IPs Regan Sweeney slides Into base during third Inning action Monday night at Marshall United Press International If the Toronto Blue Jays are to salvage what so far has been a disappointing season they will need some hard hitting from their 1987 League MVP. George Bell, embroiled in a season-long controversy involving playing time, showed signs of his former self Monday afternoon, blasting a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Blue Jays to a 3-1 triumph dver the Minnesota Twins. Bell, who cracked 49 homers and drove in 134 runs in 1987, has been benched by Toronto Manager Jimy Williams recently for his "uninspired Last week, the Toronto slugger and his manager were involved in an obscenity filled dugout shouting match that led to Bell's benching.

Tony Fernandez and Manny Lee. started the Toronto eighth with back-to-back two-out singles off Frank Viola to set the table for Bell. After going hitless in his first three at-bats, Bell stepped to the plate in the eighth against Minnesota reliever Jeff Rear-don who was protecting a 1-0 lead for Minnesota starter Viola, 16-4. Bell drove, the ball over the right field fence for his 15th homer of the season. "I made my pitch to Lee," Viola said about the infield single to keep the inning alive.

"It happened that he hit it in the right The homer was a welcomed sight for Bell's teammate Jesse Barfield as well as the Toronto fans, who had booed Bell in his previous trips to the plate. "I've never seen the fans turn around so quickly," Barfield said of the standing ovation accorded Bell. "That onelifjs an ape off George's back. Nofjust a monkey, an ape." Bell's late-inning heroics made a winner of Dave Stieb, 11-7, who hurled a masterful three-hitter over eight innings to snap a personal four-game losing skid. He kept the Twins off balance with an effective curve ball.

"It was real nasty, no doubt about it" Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett said of Stieb's 'breaking ball. "It comes in on you and you jump too late and it's a strike." Tom Henke gave up one hit in the ninth for his 19th save of the season. "I've said all along that if I get my chances I'm going to do the job," Henke said. Viola had a 1-0 lead and was four outs away from victory when Bell came to the plate in the eighth. "I just have so much confidence in Jeff (Reardon)," Viola said.

"This (loss) shouldn't upset anybody. It was an excellent game. Sneb pitched a good game and the- defense was outstanding on both sides." The only run off Stieb came in the fifth when Steve Lombardozzi singled home Kent kHrbek with a single to center. Elsewhere in the American League, Oakland blasted Chicago 10-2, Kansas City edged Detroit 5-3 and California downed Seattle 8-4. In National League, it was: Pittsburgh 7, New York Sap Francisco 4, Houston Cincinnati 4, Los Angeles and San Diego 6, Atlanta 3- jr.

Athletics 10, White Sox 2 Aj Chicago, Jose Canseco homered for the fourth straight and singled home a run and Dave Henderson added a two-run single and two-run homer, powering the A's. Todd Burns, 4-0, allowed six hits over six innings with three strikeouts no walks and three balks for his third straight win. Melido Perez, 10-6, was the loser. Royals 5, Tigers 3 At Kansas City, Bo Jackson smashed his 16th home run and third in three, games and Willie Wilson scored once and drove in a run to pace the Royals. Mark Gubicza, 1 3-6, scattered three hits over eight innings for the victory.

Steve Farr earned his 1 2th save. Doyle Alexander, 10-6, took only his second loss since May 29. Angels 8, Mariners 4 At Seattle, Rookie Terry Clark got his fourth straight victory and pinch-hitter Tony Armas hit a three-run homer, lifting California to its 10th straight road victory. Clark 4-0, scattered 10 hits, struck out two- and walked two in his first complete game. Devon White and Bob Boone also homered for California, which has won six straight overall.

Billy Swift fell to 6-9 for the Mariners, who have lost three in a row. Picking an MVP could cause an argument IBy RICHARD L. SHOOK Sports Writer Want to start an argument? Try picking the Most Valuable Player in either league as of this moment 3 The American? You can make a very strong Slcase for Mike tdreenwell or MVP voting is going to be trickier than the 100-yard dash over quicksand. Canseco is having a fabulous' do-it-all year for Oakland. But the AL East winner is going to have a very good argument for its leading player.

Winfield is having the kind of in-your-face season George Steinbrenner envisioned when he insulted his premier right fielder. And the numbers point out Henderson's value to the Yankees when he plays, he scores and they win. When he doesn't, Wew York is average. Clemens was winning even when Boston wasn't and the Red Sox might be in Pawtucket without him. Greenwell was hitting before and after Joe Morgan took over as manager.

Detroit's attack is pathetic, but Trammell is having a splendid year anyway. And he plays shortstop with style. Minnesota's magnificent trio of Puckett Gaetti and Viola showed the baseball world last year what they are made of. Gibson, has "done exactly what Los Angeles wanted him to do when it signed him as a free See MVPs, Page 2B teams home first. The leading candidate for the NL Cy Young award is Chicago's Greg Maddux, but he'll still need a strong second half to hold off Orel Hershiser of Los Angeles.

Dwight Gooden of New York, San Francisco's Rick Reuschel and Danny Jackson of Cincinnati are all in position for consideration at ballot time. After two straight excellent rookie crops this season'sdoesn't look to match up. But don't burn those baseball cards just yet, you never know who will blossom in their second or third seasons and drive those card prices right out of sight 1 Top AL rookies as of now are shortstop Walt Weiss (could this be three in a row for right-handed pitcher Melido Perez (Pascual's younger brother) of Chicago, California right-handed reliever Bryan Harvey, Boston shortstop Jody Reed and right-hander Don August of Milwaukee. The NL candidates are stronger. They include first Mark Grace of Chicago, Atlanta second baseman Ron Gant, Cincinnati third baseman Chris Sabo and San Diego second baseman Roberto Alomar (son of Sandy).

Roger Clemens of Commentary Oakland, New York's Dave Winfield or Rickey Henderson, Detroit's Alan Trammell plus the Minnesota trio of Kirby Puckett, Gary Gaetti and Frank Viola. The National? Darryl Strawberry of New York, Kirk Gibson of Los Angeles, Montreal's Andres Galarraga, Bobby Bonilla of Pittsburgh, Will "Clark of San Francisco and Houston's Glenn Davis are all leading candidates. Cy Young? Well, it's down to Clemens and Viola in the AL but somebody like Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley or Jeff Robinson of Detroit have outside shots if they bring their.