El Paso Times from El Paso, Texas • 26

El Paso Monday. April 16. 1990 Hustle, talent help Diablos' catcher move up baseball ladder ager Dave Huppert, who was the Diablo catcher in 1986. "He goes 100 miles an hour every minute he's on the field. We've got to keep him from getting tired in this heat over a long season." Heffeman just shrugs: "It's just the way I am.

No one ever pushed me or said you've gotta hustle, you've gotta No reason to sit back and relax. "People have always told me 'you're gonna get tired, you're gonna get Well, bull on that. I'm just gonna keep on bustin' my butt' Obviously, with that atti-. By Bill Knight El Paso Times Anyone playing with Bert Heffernan not wanting to go 110 percent 100 percent of the time better step aside. Other wise, they 11 have the El Paso catcher's cleat marks up their back.

"He's a gamer. a rah-rah Siy," said iablo man- Heffernan tude, Heffernan loves to play the game. It's been that way foryears. Growing up in Long Island, N.Y., Heffernan tried his hand at just about every sport imaginable. "I played football and wrestled in high school.

In the yard and on the playground, I hoops. I still love ootball. In football season, I think football is my favorite sport. In baseball season, it's baseball. But I'm a baseball player now it's what I do for a living." He does it quite well.

Hef-ferenan played four seasons had already collected six hits in just four games with the Diablos going into Sunday night's home opener. But it is the defense, the hustle that catches the eye. "I have a quick release, and that helps," Heffernan said of his ability to throw out runners. "I have a decent arm, too. But the most important thing for me is accuracy.

I think it's all instinct. It just comes natural." As do the good times associated with the position. "I love catching. It's an awesome place to play. It's the best seat in the house.

for Clemson University and never hit below .331 in his career. He holds eight Atlantic Coast Conference records including most hits, runs, doubles and walks. "Bert is really a good player defensively," said Huppert. "But his offense is what the major leagues are really looking for." Heffernan hit .281 for Helena in Rookie ball, then .296 last season with Class A Beloit. Defensively, he threw out an astounding 47 percent of runners trying to steal against him last season.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder Athletics blank Mariners for fifth straight defeat 0if Wl, I San Antonio's Mike White slid safely back to first base Sunday as El Pasos Craig Cooper awaits the throw. San Antonio won the Texas League game at Dudley Field, 19-9. It was El Paso's 1990 home season opener. Grace Saenz El Paso Times "I don't think it's fair to the team to be making such a big deal out of what's happening so early." It was the third straight loss for the Braves and their fourth in five games. Cincinnati scored four times after two outs in the seventh, chasing Tom Glavine (0-2) on consecutive singles by Sabo, Billy Hatcher and Barry Larkin for a run.

Davis hit a 2-0 pitch from reliever Dwayne Henry over the center-field fence, his first Associated Press SEATTLE Bob Welch was the Oakland Athletics' worst Eitcher during spring training, ut he has been their best starter in the first week of the season. Welch improved to 2-0 and lowered his earned-run average to 0.77 Sunday, giving up only three hits in innings in a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners that completed a three-gamesweep for Oakland. "His spring training numbers were ugly, so it was important for him to get off to a food start," Oakland manager 'ony La Russa said. "He had control of his stuff and control of himself. He didn't give them much to hit." Oakland's starters have a 5-1 record and a 2.00 ERA this season.

YANKEES 2, RANGERS 1 at Naw York Rick Cerone and Steve Sax hit RBI singles in the eighth inning as New York rallied for three runs against Texas relief ace Jeff Russell. Charlie Hough limited the Yankees to Just two singles and took a 1-0 lead into the eighth. But after Hough issued a leadoff walk to Jesse Barfieid, Russell relieved. dolph sacrificed him to third. Kerfeld (0-2) threw a 1-2 pitch to Hubie Brooks that bounced in front of the plate and got by catcher Craig Biggio allowing Samuel to score.

PIRATES 4, CUBS 3 at Pittsburgh Sid Bream's run-scoring single in the 10th inning off Les Lancaster, the first run off Chicago's bullpen in 20Vs innings this season, and Bobby Bon- American Loaguo TIGERS 6, ORIOLES 4 at Detroit Mark Salas hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, giving Dan Petry his first win in a Detroit uniform in more than two seasons. With the score tied at 4-4, Gary Ward singled off Jay Alrdich (1-1) to bring on Joe Price. Juan Bautista eventually relieved Price, and Salas hit a 1-1 pitch with two outs into the right field stands. BLUE JAYS 5, ROYLAS 4 at Kansas CRy Junior Felix went 4 for 4, including a decisive bases-loaded double, to leadToronto. Steve Crawford (0-1) relieved Larry McWilliams with one on and two out in the sixth inning and allowed a single to Ranee Mulliniks.

After Nelson Liriano walked, Jeff Montgomery relieved Crawford and Felix doubled over the head of Willie Wilson in center. ANGELS 4, TWINS 1 at Anaheim California left-hander Chuck Fmley pitched his second strong game in as many starts, allowing three hits in eight innings. WHTTE SOX 4, ROMANS 1 at Chicago Rookie Robin Ventura had three hits and figured in both rallies, hot-hitting Lance Johnson drove in two runs and four Chicago pitchers allowed eight Cleveland hits. by Astros in 10th ilia's three-run homer gave Pittsburgh the victory. PHILLIES 4, CARDINALS 0 at Philadelphia Dennis Cook allowed seven hits in 8 innings and Len Dykstra had four hits and scored three runs as Philadelphia won.

Cook (1-0) gave up a leadoff single in the ninth inning to Willie McGee and left with two outs when Terry Pendleton doubled, sending McGee to third. EXPOOS 3, METS 1 at Montreal Zane Smith allowed one run and five hits in eight innings to snap a personal 10-game losing streak as the Montreal Expos won- Samuel, Randolph lead Dodgers shut us down." The 5-0 start is the best since the Reds opened the 1980 season with eight victories in a row. The Reds had a 94 lead after three innings Saturday night when that game was postponed by rain. "It's frustrating to be beaten that bad twice in a row," Atlanta's Jeff Blauser said, referring to the game that was rained out. "Every team goes through that during the year," he said.

sweep of Giants champions. It was the Padres' fifth straight victory and marked the first time the Giants were swept in a three-game series at Candlestick Park since May 25-27. 1987. The Padres rallied in the late innings to win all three games at Candlestick. Bedrosian (0-1) was making his 1990 debut.

He missed the first five games to be with his family after his son was diagnosed as having leukemia. Reds Continued from ID lineup." Rob Dibble, one of the keys in the bullpen, got the Reds out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, then retired the side in order in the eighth with two strikeouts. "I like 5-and-0," Dibble said. "That's what I like. We've eot a lot of unselfish players, a lot of speed.

It's going to be tough to Padres complete Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Even though the season is only a week old, San Diego manager Jack McKeon sees some signs for the future. Benito Santiago hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning off reliever Steve Bedrosian Sunday to lift Padres past the San Francisco Giants 4-3 for a three-game sweep of the defending National League Associated Press HOUSTON The Los Angeles Dodgers think they may have something with Juan Samuel and Willie Randolph batting one-two. Samuel doubled off Charley Kerfeld and scored the tie-breaking run on the reliever's wild pitch with one out in the 10th inning to give Los Angeles a 54 victory over Houston on Sunday. It was the Astros' fifth loss in their first six games. After Samuel doubled, Ran-.