The Daily News from Lebanon, Pennsylvania • 15

Teener, twilight roundups 3C NASCAR 5C Wimbledon 4C 1C Interleague baseball 4C SPORTS THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1997 Lesher gets final tuneup for Hershey Open By EARL M. WHITMORE Sports Correspondent HERSHEY Greg Lesher of Lebanon played in the Nike ProAm phase of the Nike Hershey Open yesterday and played the Country Club of Hershey East Course in even par. He also did a lot of experimenting with club selections in preparation for the real thing starting this morning. When asked how many times he has played the Hershey East course, Lesher said, "Probably about 30 times. I played here a number of times in the Junior State Championships and I think it is a very good test of golf, incredibly long but not Tee off times: GREG LESHER: today 1:30 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.

STU INGRAHAM: today 1:39 p.m., Friday 9:09 a.m. Lesher hits off number one tee today at 1:30 p.m. with another local product, Stu Ingraham, right behind him at 1:39. Their tee time for the second round tomorrow will be 9 a.m. for Lesher and 9:09 for Ingraham off the tenth The cut will be made after the second round and tee times will be scheduled accordingly.

Added Lesher: "I think they ALL RHOADES LEAD TO LVC Mike Rhoades, who led Lebanon Valley to basketball campers. He coaches By ED GRUVER Daily News Sportswriter ANNVILLE He'll put as much as 2,300 miles on his car in a given week traveling throughout the northeast recruiting basketball prospects for the Randolph-Macon College men's team. In the course of a season, he'll attend 50-60 games as a recruiter, coach." scout, and 24 more as an assistant He'll spend hours scouting opponents on videotape, then shrug off weariness from a long recruiting trip to South Jersey to watch a taped replay of a game that will keep him up until 3 a.m., then rise early for a 9:30 a.m. practice. He works seven days a week throughout the five-month season, and when he's not on the road to see recruits, he's on the phone talking to them, doing what he can do to bring them to Randolph-Macon.

Summer months are only a little less hectic. This past week, he was in attendance at some 15 summer league games. "What I'm doing now," Rhoades said yesterday afternoon, "is sacrificing for my career. Coaching is something I can see myself doing for a long time." It's evident that Mike Rhoades the coach has much in common with Mike Rhoades the player. He coaches, scouts, and recruits with the same intensity, intelligence, and inner drive that made him a two-time All-America point guard on Lebanon Valley's 1994 national championship team.

"I see tons of games," Rhoades said, "and when I'm not on the road, I'm on the phone would have liked to let the rough get higher, but couldn't because it was so hot and dry. I'm sure they will roll the greens make them a little faster but they can't change too much else in 24 hours. "I played a couple shots a little differently today than I will tomorrow to get the feel of clubs." Lesher said he feels about 30 balls on the practice range is a national title in 1994, came back to the like he (recruiting). It does get tiring, but one thing I've learned about recruiting is that you can't leave a stone unturned." Rhoades doesn't. He returned to LVC yesterday to talk to members of head coach Brad McAlester's basketball camp, and was prepared to depart shortly thereafter to resume his recruiting junket.

The lone assistant to Randolph-Macon head coach Hai Nunley, Rhoades is involved in every aspect of college coaching at the Division III, Virginia-based school. Nunley has coached at the school since 1975, and the fact he is just 12 wins away from recording his 400th career victory speaks much about his successful methods. As does the fact that Rhoades had to beat out 50 other applicants to get the job two years ago. Assistants are hired one at a time, and encouraged to move on after a couple of years. During their short stay at Randolph-Macon, they are given ample opportunity to recruit, scout, coach practices, and offer ideas on game day.

Nunley coaches a style similar to how Rhoades played halfcourt, work for open shots, stay conservative with the ball, and practice in-your-face defense. "I try to recruit kids who can play for Coach Nunley," Rhoades said. "Coach always says he can coach anybody to play defense, so I look for kids who can score. We're looking for serious kids, kids who want to be in the gym, kids who have 'The Rhoades had "The Look" in his career, and it was evident as he willed LVC to NCAA Divi- enough before playing. When asked about his thoughts on the soft spikes not giving enough stability, he said, "If you keep your feet quiet like you should it won't bother you." The former Lebanon resident returned from the Asian Tour on May 1 and said he enjoys the tour, but "there isn't any place like the good old USA." He will return to the Asian Tour in the fall, even though it is a 14-hour flight and then flights of several hours from country to country.

Lesher, who spent 1992 and 1993 on the PGA Tour and also worked for his father at Lesher Mack for awhile, noted that a gol- Eric Smith Lebanon Daily News campus yesterday to address played Final Four victories over top-ranked and New York University. contributions as a first-year assistant helped a young Randolph-Macon had five new starters go 14-11 to the conference playoffs. five starters returning, Randolphhigh expectations for the coming For Rhoades, it's another season of and nights in various gyms from to Pennsylvania to New Jersey. being in the gym," he said. "I get for the games and adrenaline rush on game days him through a hectic season schedule goes as follows: help prepare the team for Wednight's game, watch scouting reports next opponent, then hit the road at a recruiting trip; study more game tapes, then recruiting trip, this time to a high school game; Game day for Randolph- watch game tapes in the mornreturn to the road to see another recruit; off to see another recruit and high school game; game day for Randolph-Macon, coaching and scouting.

Sunday," Rhoades said. "The whole all over again." that, Rhoades smiled. getting paid to watch basketball said Rhoades, a gym rat at heart. "I No complaints." Belle sure to cause a stir at All- By DICK BRINSTER AP Sports Writer NEW YORK Albert Belle, who left the Indians for $55 million, is coming back to Cleveland an All-Star. Belle, who will return to Jacobs Field in the uniform of the Chicago White Sox, led the list of reserves and pitchers announced Wednesday for the All-Star game on July 8.

He will be reunited with Indians catcher Sandy Alomar chosen by AL manager Joe Torre as a Witter long drive champ HERSHEY Ben Witter, who competes nationally on a long drive tour, showed why Tuesday. Witter, the pro at Royal Oaks Golf Course in Lebanon, hit a drive 308 yards to win the long drive contest sponsored by 360 Communications at the Nike Hershey Open. Witter also hit a shot that traveled 295 yards at Country Club of Hershey. Witter fer on the Asian Tour must make his money in a short time. His experience has generally been: about ten weeks of making money, with four or five of those weeks being big money winners while he is hot.

Lesher said that's because there's usually about weeks of break-even golf and out eight weeks of losing (See LESHER, page 3C) Prez knows the score: Another Phils' loss BALTIMORE (AP) President Clinton left the game early, probably because he had other things to do or perhaps because he knew the inevitable conclusion. Utility infielder Jeff Reboulet snapped a tie with a three-run double in the seventh inning, carrying the Baltimore Orioles to a 10-6 victory over the lowly Philadelphia Phillies and a sweep of the three-game series. Baltimore hit six home runs in the series and outscored Philadelphia 22-8. Philadelphia is 1-8 against the AL, the worst interleague record of any team. Scott Rolen hit two homers and Ruben Amaro and Mike Leiberthal also homered for the Phillies, who have lost a season-high nine straight and 17 of 18.

Clinton, who addressed the sellout crowd in a pregame ceremony promoting higher academic standards in schools, left after the fourth inning with the game tied 2-2. With the score 4-4 in the seventh, the Orioles loaded the bases with two outs against Jerry Spradlin (1-4). Reboulet, making his first start since June 18, hit a sinking liner that eluded diving center fielder Rob Butler and rolled behind him. It was only the second extrabase hit of the season in 80 at-bats for Reboulet, who started in place of shortstop Mike Bordick. "I was just trying to get some good at-bats today.

I didn't expect too much, considering it's been so long since I've played," he said. "I was just trying to get the ball in play and he got the pitch up." Roberto Alomar, who earlier homered, added an RBI single to cap the four-run uprising. After Leiberthal hit a two-run shot in the top of the eighth off Arthur Rhodes (5-2), Jeffrey Hammonds matched that in the Orioles' half to put the game out of reach. "We've got 81 games to go, and we've got to find out who's got enough to stay with us," a frustrated Phillies manager Terry Francona said. "We're here to try and find out who can make it with us and who can't." Alomar and Cal Ripken each had three hits and Rafael Palmeiro homered for the Orioles, who increased their lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East to games.

New York lost to Atlanta 2-0 earlier Wednesday. The game attracted a crowd of 47,785. The total attendance of 143,232 was the largest for a three-game series in the six-year history of Camden Yards. A two-out RBI single by Ripken off former Oriole Garrett Stephenson gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the first. A sacrifice fly by Miekey Morandini tied it in the third, but Palmeiro hit his second solo homer in two games in the Orioles' half.

All- McGwire said. "It's one of the few times, if you don't make it to the World Series, the whole world is watching you." Left off was Cleveland's Jim Thome, second in the balloting to New York's Tino Martinez, and Boston's Mo Vaughn, who is on the disabled list. "There were a bunch of them O'Neill, (B.J.) Surhoff, Rusty Greer, Thome, Will Clark," Torre said of his biggest problem. "First (See ALL-STAR, page 4C) crucial ten abmoney. LAND TALK 1005 GIRLS OF AMAROS The Associated Press President Clinton describes his knee surgery to Orioles' star Cal Ripken during pregame ceremonies.

President makes pitch Annville sion III Wittenberg His last season team which and advance With all Macon has season. long days Virginia "I love pumped Rhodes' carries that typically Monday nesday of the night for Tuesday take another prospect's Wednesday Macon; Thursday ing, then possible Friday another Saturday and more "On thing starts With "I'm games," enjoy it. backup. Another former Indian, Atlanta's Kenny Lofton, earlier was selected in fan voting to start for the National League. Six of Lofton's new teammates including pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine Denny Neagle dominated the NL team chosen by Braves manager Bobby Cox.

Belle's return to Cleveland is bound to be a big sideshow. When he came back for the first time, in June, Indians fan threw fake money at him and berated him for education BALTIMORE (AP) Ever prudent, President Clinton knows better than to root against the home team. "Ya know, I've got to be careful," he said. "Even if I'm not running again, I'm not suicidal!" Clinton attended yesterday's interleague game between the Orioles and Phillies, a matchup between the teams with the best and worst records in baseball. Baltimore won 10-6 as Philadelphia lost its ninth straight game.

Clinton was long gone when, with the score tied 4-4, Baltimore's Jeff Reboulet hit a decisive bases-loaded double in the seventh inning, and later scored. In a pregame ceremony, Clinton previewed three public service announcements aimed at parents and scheduled for broadcast in time for the back-to-school season. "Excellence in baseball requires teamwork, hard work, and setting high standards of excellence. So does excellence in education," said Clinton, who striding (See PRESIDENT, page 4C) game AMERICAN LEAGUE throughout a three-game series. Belle, fined for reacting with an obscene gesture, declined to comment on his selection prior to Chicago's game Wednesday night at Pittsburgh.

Torre had a tough task in selecting a reserve first baseman so he chose two: Oakland's Mark McGwire, who leads the majors with 30 homers, and Chicago's Frank Thomas, the AL's leading hitter. "I'm looking forward to the home run-hitting contest," SINCE 1878 (NATIONAL LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL CLUBS.