The Times-Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 17

PAGE 17 (the Scranton (times Butch told us he Is innocent of any wrongdoing. In light of the situation, Butch will take a leave of absence until it clarifies. LEE THOMAS Phillies general manager I clude more arrests in other states, Pasquarello said. He would not say how Hobson got the cocaine. Police were releasing little information beyond a press release which detailed Hobsons arrest Saturday.

He was freed on $2,000 personal recognizance bail following an arraignment before the bail commissioner. According to Richard Murphy, manager of the Comfort Inn in Pawtucket, the DEA subpeonaed the hotel for a guest list Saturday morning He said he knew nothing of the arrest until an Associated Press reporter arrived asking questions Monday morning. I was blind-sided by this, Murphy said. Hobson, who was returning to New England for the first time since being fired as Boston Red Sox manager in 1994, signed for a Federal Express package which originated in Alabama Saturday at the hotel, Murphy said. Police and DEA officers later searched Hobsons room and arrested him on the drug charge.

WJAR in Cranston, said Hobson told investigators he had lent an acquaintance a few hundred dollars and he thought the BUTCH HOBSON Fighting drug charges ing to his wife, Krys, and could not be reached for comment Lee Thomas, general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, said Hobson maintains his innocence in the case which Pawtucket Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency cracked at approximately 1:30 p.m. Saturday. "Butch told us he is innocent of any wrongdoing, Thomas said. In light of the situation. Butch will take a leave of absence until it clarifies.

Pawtucket Police and the DEA charged Hobson with possession of an eight ball of cocaine, street slang for an amount of about three grams and arrested him Saturday at 1:30 p.m., said DEA agent Thomas Pasquarello. The quantity, estimated to cost between is considered to be enough for a small party or a week of personal use. Hobsons arrest is part of a larger investigation that will in package might have contained a repayment. Wien he opened the package, it contained a magazine and a cocaine packet. News of Hobsons arrest was felt like a brush-back pitch at home, both with the Red Barons and Phillies.

He managed the Red Barons game Sunday in Pawtucket and returned to the area on the team bus without discussing the situation. Were all shocked, Red Barons general manager Bill Ter-lecky said. In baseball, were like a big family. And right now, its like one member of that family is hurting. I just want to make sure Butch is OK.

There was a similar reaction in Philadelphia where the Phillies opened a three-game series with die Houston Astros. I dont think I should say anything, an obviously shaken Phillies pitcher Ken Ryan said. I dont know the situation and its best I dont say anything. Phillies manager Jim Fregosi, who managed Hobson with the California Angels in 1981, also said he was unaware of the details surrounding the arrest. I dont know the circumstances, Fregosi said.

"I just hope we still live in America. When something like this happens, the first concern is for the family. Aviles will step in under difficult circumstances. Hes stepped in to pinch hit for me from time to time, said player development director Del Unser, who played on the Phillies 1980 World Championship team with Aviles. Its a tough situation, but Ramon is a professional and hell be able to deal with it.

Trouble Follows Irvin ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS Michael Irvins attorney said he would try again to sub- poena videotapes in a television report showing the Dallas Cowboys star receiver purportedly discussing his use of cocaine. Kevin Clancy said he has obtained subpoenas for all tape's made for reports that aired Sunday and Monday nights on Fort Worth television station KXAS. Monday night, the station showed excerpts for. the second straight night from secretly recorded tape filmed by a camera hidden In the back seat of the vehicle in which Irvin was riding. As Irvin and a former confidant turned informer drove away from an apartment complex after making what the driver told KXAS was a cocaine buy, Irvin was heard to say: Here, you want some? A couple lines will help you.

The driver, identified on the tape as Dennis, declined, saying, It stunts your growth. Irvin laughed and said: I already been stunted, then. If thats the case, I should have been stunted a long time ago. They drove on, with Irvin talking about steps he would take to keep his fingerprints from turning up on the bag with the cocaine in it. Before I give this to anybody, Im gonna rip this off.

Bam! There you go! Irvin has insisted he doesnt have a drug prob- lem, and Dennis told KXAS he never saw Irvin use the cocaine he bought while with him. Once, he said, Irvin gave what he bought to two women. The station said it tried to talk to Irvin on several 1 occasions about whether he had bought drugs in the past month, but that Irvin refiised to talk to its reporters. KXAS said it would show more excerpts tonight in which Irvin discussed the NFLs drug-testing program and evaluation process and how it involves him. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told KXAS on Monday that was in the process of getting copies of the stations reports on although not from KXAS.

KXAS, which said it spent three months investigating Irvin, aired video Sunday night that showed Irvin getting back into the vehicle after a purported drug purchase. Those excerpts were replayed Monday night) Former Phil will manage Red Barons until probe of Robson is completed. IY LARRY HOLEVA THE SCRANTON TIMES Ramon Aviles takes over tonight as the interim manager of the ScrantonWilkes-Barre Red Barons pending an investigation into drug charges lodged against manager Butch Hobson. I Aviles was named Monday to take over for Hobson, who accepted a leave of absehce from the team. Its going to be different," Aviles said in an interview from piedmont, S.C., where he was working with the Phillies Class-A team.

This comes as a big shock tp everyone. I just hope to come in and keep the players focused (Hi baseball. Aviles debuts as the Red Barons skipper at 7 p.m. at Lackawanna County Stadium when the team hosts the Rochester Red Wings. Hobson was arrested for possession of cocaine Saturday after-noon at the team hotel in Pawtucket, R.I.

He was en route to his home in Fairhope, Monday, accord- Sonics Sitting Pretty BY JIM COUR ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE It was bombs away for the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Houston Rockets chances of an NBA three-peat took a broadside hit. With a sizzling 74 percent playoff-record 3-point shooting barrage, Seattle now has the two-time defending champions going back to Texas wondering if their title run is over. After their 105-101 victory over Houston on a Monday night when they were better from the 3-point line than they were the free throw line, the Sonics hold a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series. Nothing surprises me any more with this team, Seattles Hersey Hawkins said. Not our 64 wins during the regular season, not our 3-point shooting in this game.

Nothing. The Sonics, through the first round of the playoffs for the first time in three years, sank 20 of 27 3-point tries, including 13 in a row. That broke the Rockets playoff record of 19 3s set last season In the opening round against Utah. It didnt do anything good for Houstons spirits, either. 1 Hopefully, Seattle wont keep shooting like this, Houstons Mario Elie said.

But if they do A Tonight, its Utah at San Antonio in the opener of their second-rtund series, and New York at 1 i i i a I i i I i i i i I i Houston Rockets' Hakeem Olajuwom, center, looks to pass beyond the defensive pressure of Gary Payton (20) and Sam Perkins of the Seattle SuperSonics in the fourth quarter. Seattle won, 105101. Chicago in Game 2 of their series. The Bulls won the first game 91-84 Sunday. On Wednesday, Atlanta visits Orlando in the opener of their second-round matchup.

regular-season 3-point shooter. All year long weve been taking the 3-point shots when theyve been there. Everybody was just feeling it in this game. i Oakland Shakes Off Cleveland Jinx third quarter. Detlef Schrempf finally missed a 3-point try at the start of the fourth quarter.

"Everybody was in a groove," said Hawkins, his teams leading son. He stole third base in the third inning, and swiped second and third in the seventh. Terry Steinbach gave Oakland a 1-0 lead in the second with his sixth homer, and Giambis RBI double in the third made it 2-0. Belle homered leading off the fourth, and the Indians got two runs in the fifth on Francos two-out RBI double and Baergas RBI single. McDowell allowed three runs on six hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out seven.

You get late in the game and you feel comfortable turning the ball over to the bullpen, McDowell said. Don Wengert allowed three runs on six hits in five innings for Oakland in his first career start He has made 29 relief appearances for the As. Nate McMillan ended the first quarter Monday night with a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds to go. The Sonics sank seven more in the second period to tie a playoff record and had five more in the outstanding plays at third base. I played a good game.

The whole team played a good game. Bill Taylor (1-0) pitched the eighth inning for the win, his second as a major leaguer. Mike Mohler pitched the ninth for his third save. It was only the fifth loss in the last 23 games for Cl eland. Its just tough when you come in and throw a couple of pitches and blow the game for the starter, said Assenmacher, who faced jtist one batter.

Its the hardest thing for a reliever, but its my job. Albert Belle hit his 12th homer for the Indians. Julio Franco had an RBI double and Carlos Baerga added a run-scoring single. Kenny Lofton stole three bases for Cleveland, and he now leads the majors with 22 steals this sea BY ROB 8L0STEX ASSOCIATED PRESS OAKLAND, Calif. The Oak-i land Athletics nearly played a i perfect game to end a 13-game losing streak against the Cleveland Indians.

Jason Giambi had a pair of RBI doubles and Mark McGwire singled in the go-ahead run as the As scored three runs in the eighth inning to defeat Cleveland 1 5-3 Monday night beating the In-r dians for the first time since July 1 i The As got solid pitching, su-, perb defense and timely hitting to defeat the team with the best record in basebalL "Its a funny thing about sports. Sometimes you play up to i the level of your competition, and I think we did that tonight, As manager Art Howe said. We played about as well as we can play. INSIDE Phillies blasted by Astros. Pag 20 4 The As entered the eighth trailing 3-2 and had just one hit off Jack McDowell since the third inning.

But McDowell was lifted after Ernie Young led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. Giambi doubled off the wall in right-center against Paul Assen-macher (0-1) to tie the game, and McGwires bloop single to right off Eric Plunk drove in GiambL Pinch-hitter Geronimo Berroa singled in the fifth run off Jim Poole. It was exciting. If you cant get up for a game like this, especially against Jack McDowell, you shouldnt be playing, said GiambL who also made several Cleveland second bsseman Carlos Baerga waits for the bail as Oakland's Jose Herrerra steals second base in the third inning..