Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 20

C4 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1993 TIMES ADVOCATE PADRES N0IEB00KE 1 OTHER MARTINEZ REACHES MAJORS SAN DIEGO The Padres on Tuesday called up a pitcher named Martinez from Triple-A Las Vegas. But it wasn 't right-hander Jose Martinez, one of three players acquired in the Gary Sheffield trade. Instead, lefty Pedro Martinez got the call. He replaces left-handed reliever Pat Gomez, who was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to Saturday. Gomez suffered a strained tendon in his pitching elbow Sunday while wanning up in the bullpen.

He never entered the game against the Cincinnati Reds. I dont know exactly what happened," Gomezsaid. But it sure hurts. I couldn't shampoo my hairyesterday. Padres manager Jim Riggleman said Gomez might be ready in only a few days.

But because Gomez was the club's only left-handed pitcher and a doubleheader is scheduled for Friday in Philadelphia, Riggleman didnt want to risk going without a lefty for even a few days. Ive never had arm problems, so this is kind of scary," said Gomez, who listed a number of other minor injuries that have slowed him this year. But it may be a blessing in disguise. I can finally get healthy. Meanwhile, Martinez, 24, gets his first crack at the majors after 6 Vi years in the Padres system.

The Dominican was signed as a free agent in September 1986. He was 3-5 with a 4.72 at Las Vegas in his first Triple-A season. Only one of his 15 appearances came in relief. Maybe it's good if I go one ortwo innings at first, Martinez said. Imjust happytobehere.

LEADOFF PLATOON Second baseman Jeff Gardner batted leadoffforthe second straight game. With Tony Gwym filling Sheffield's old No. 3 slot, Riggleman said Gardner and shortstop Ricky Gutierrez will share the leadoff role. Gardner will bat first against right-handers, Gutierrez against lefties. His orrbase percentage has been good and hes a solid .260 to .280 hitter, Riggleman said of Gardner.

He'sgotagoodeyeandcangetawalkfbryou. He's got some skills there. You'd like more speed up there, but, really, we dont have that" BETSY HERZOG Associated Press Ray Mercer leaves New Yorks Criminal Court Tuesday following his arraignment for trying to bribe another fighter. Mercer KOd by law for alleged bribe SEVEN DRAFT PICKS SIGN With Tuesday's announcement of seven more signings of amateur draft picks, the Padres have inked 21 players from the June draft Included are six of the Padres first nine selections, but first-round choice Derrek Lee remains unsigned. The signings announced Tuesday, pitcher Derek Mix, eighth round, San Bernardino Valley High School; first baseman Jason Thompson, ninth round, University of Arizona; outfielder Chris Prieto, 24th round, Nevada; shortstop Santiago Rivera, 25th round, Arizona State; pitcher Alan Meyer, 28th round, Huntington Beach Edison HS; catcher Leroy McKlnnis, 32nd round, Jackson State; pitcher Byron Clark, 79th round, Western New Mexico.

Meyer and Clark have been assigned to the Arizona Rookie League. The rest will join Spokane of the Single-A Northwest League. Chicagos Rey Sanchez is out at second throws to first in the second inning. JOAN FAHENTHOLD I Associated Press base as the Padres Jeff Gardner TRADE TALK EVERYWHERE PADRES Losing ways continue Sometimes even getting on the field isnt enough for Padres players to escape trade talk. Fred McGriff was in the middle of his pregame routine of hitting off a battingtee when an overeageryoungster called out: Can I have your autograph before you get traded?" McGriff stopped in midswing and broke up in laughter.

But no autograph. TURK FARMED OUT against heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, who stopped Michael Dokes in the first round on the Garden card. Ferguson got $500,000 to challenge Bowe, and he was stopped 17 seconds into the second round May 22 at Washington. Mercer got about $50,000 to fight the 36-year-old Ferguson, who got $10,000. A tape of the fight revealed the 32-year-old Mercer first offered the bribe in the third round, according to Morgenthau, who also said it was repeated numerous times after the third round.

HBO taped the fight, but did not televise it. They were practicing for the bigger (Bowe-Dokes) fight, said Daniel J. Castleman, chief of the Investigation Division of the New York Frauds Bureau. They used four tracking systems, and we were able to get into those systems. Mercer, a flabby 238 pounds, lost by 2, 3 and 8 points on the three official scorecards.

Mercers next court appearance is set for July 12. He is charged with a class felony that carries a prison term of up to seven years. POLICE BLOTTER: Former gold medalist is accused of trying to fix fight while it was going on ED SCHUYLER JR. Associated Press NEW YORK Ray Mercer, knocked out of a rich heavyweight title fight by Jesse Ferguson, was hooked by the long arm of the law Tuesday on a charge he tried to bribe Ferguson to lose. Not guilty, Mercer said.

And thats all the 1988 Olympic gold medalist said. At least within earshot of reporters during and after his arraignment in Criminal Court of New York. He was released on his own recognizance. District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced at a news conference that Mercer was arrested Sunday in Indianapolis after being indicted by a grand jury in the County of New York on a charge of offering Ferguson $100,000 to lose during their fight Feb.

6 at Madison Square Garden. Mercer lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Ferguson, his former sparring partner. He also lost a $2.5 million payday To make room on the roster for pitcher Mike Morgan, who came off the disabled list to start Tuesdays game, the Cubs returned rookie Turk Wendell to TripleA Iowa. Before his demotion, Wendell held the Padres to three runs (two earned) in 7 1-3 inning Monday and entertained the crowd with his many peculiar habits, which include brushing his teeth between innings and leaping over the foul line. ORGANIZATIONAL REPORT Andres Berumen, part of the Sheffield package, made hisfirst start for Double-A Wichita on Monday.

He got the decision in a 3-1 victory over El Paso, allowing one run and six hits in seven innings. Veteran pitcher Scott Garretts, meanwhile, continues to struggle in his attempt to return to the majors after elbow surgery. Garretts dropped to 0-5 at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga in Mondays 138 loss to Riverside. NOTES Phil Plantlers two home runs gave him 12 forthe season, a career high. He hit 11 for the Boston Red Sox in only 53 games in 1991.

Kevin Higgins started at catcher and went 3-for-4. He has hit safely in his past seven starts and gone lO-for-24 (.417) in those games. Fred McGriff has an eightgame hitting streak, his longest of the season. Hes 9for-24 (.375) during the streak. Cubs shortstop Rey Sanchez had four hits forthe third time in his career.

Cubs reliever Randy Myers, a Padre last year, is one save shy of the club record before the All-Star break. Myers has 23 saves. Bruce Sutter had 24 saves before the 1977 break. SHAUN ONEILL Mercer caper just another in long list Continued, from Cl comparative veterans, with 31 and 15 major-league appearances, respectively. With young guys out there, weve got to step it up, tighten things a bit, Padres manager Jim Riggleman said.

Weve done that, but it seems one or two plays each game have been the difference. If there was one play that made the difference Tuesday, it was Mark Graces two-run home run in the seventh innng. Worrell (0-1) had cruised through the first five innings, allowing no runs and three hits. He allowed three runs in the sixth, part victimized by Jeff Gardners boot of a ground ball. But Worrell survived into the seventh.

With two outs, the game tied 3-3 and Dwight Smith on third base, Riggleman considered yanking Worrell in favor of Martinez, the clubs only left-handed pitcher. That would have set up a lefty-lefty matchup against Chicago first base-man Mark Grace. I thought that would be a tough situation to break Martinez in, Riggleman said. So I left things as they were. Grace beat me.

Grace beat him by depositing a 1-0 fastball over the center-field fence for his seventh home run of the season. The Cubs added five runs in the final two innings against the Padres bullpen to clinch the victory for starter Mike Morgan (5-8). That added up to the Padres third straight loss and 13th in their past 17 games. And theyre 1-5 since trading Sheffield. But, as often has been the case lately, the loss didnt come without some bright spots.

First there was Worrell. The PADRES AVERAGES brother of Dodgers reliever Todd Worrell, he at times flashed the form of a veteran. Im happy with the first five innings, he said. I felt pretty comfortable out there. I didnt feel out of place.

The second bright spot was Phil Plantier. He drove home the Padres first three runs with homers in the fourth and sixth. Both went into the right-field stands, and both came against Morgan. But the bright spots were no match for the downside. The Padres made two errors to boost Tm happy with the first five innings.

I felt pretty comfortable out there. I didnt feel out of place. TIM WORRELL, Padres pitcher their season total to 77. Only the expansion Colorado Rockies have made more. And the Padres bullpen failed for the third straight game.

They couldnt win in extra innings Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, they fell apart after Graces homer. Hoffman, acquired in of the Sheffield trade, again bore the brunt of the fans criticism. He was roundly booed as the Cubs put the game out of reach in the ninth. Hoffman failed to retire the five batters he faced and allowed four runs (three earned).

But he also was hurt by shaky defense as four singles were bunched around an error by Craig Shipley, who subbed at second base. Were close, Riggleman said. But Ive been saying that for awhile. Talk is cheap. Its time to start doing it.

i Cubs 10, Padres 5 PAMarbnez 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 6 0.00 Hoffman 0 4 4 3 0 0 16 4.42 Taylor 1 0 0 0 1 0 19 7.54 Hoffman pitched to 5 batters in the 9th. Inherited runnersscored-PAMartinez 1-0, Taylor 2-1. Umpires-Home, Hirschbeck; First, Froemming; Second, Montague; Third, Winters, 2:56. FIXING: Payoffs nothing new to sport of boxing HAL BOCK I Associated Press NEW YORK Whats this, a bribe attempt in boxing? What a surprise. The unusual twist on the Ray Mercer story is that this is a fighter, not a gambler, accused of trying to fix a bout and doing it in the middle of the match.

Fixed fights are usually arranged in advance. That was how the wiseguys worked with Jake LaMotta when they set up the most famous dive in boxing history on Nov. 14, 1947. LaMotta was in the waiting room for a shot at the middleweight championship, and in those days the road to title fights invariably led through Blinky Palermo and Frankie Carbo, a pair of unscrupulous characters who controlled many of boxings divisions during the 1940s and 50s. If LaMotta wanted a chance at the championship, it could be arranged, provided he cooperated first.

What was required was a loss against Black Jack Billy Fox, who was managed by Palermo, and needed a win against a credible opponent at that point in his career. LaMotta delivered in the fourth round, but the fix was the worst kept secret in boxing. The corridors in Madison Square Garden were buzzing all night long and betting odds shifted drastically. Almost as soon as the bout ended, an investigation began. Although no wrongdoing was ever proved, LaMotta was suspended for six months and fined $1,000.

A lot of oeonle dont under- stand the reason I did what I did, LaMotta said years later. I wa3 the uncrowned middleweight champion for five years. I was 27 years old and I had had a lot of fights and I figured I didnt have much time left. So when they came to me and told me what I had to do to get a title shot, I didnt have much choice. Last summer, a Senate investigation suggested that little on the boxing landscape had changed with fights still arranged by managers and promoters to suit their own needs and unscrupulous sorts still around the game.

On Thursday, Sen. William V. Roth, Jr. (R-De) and Rep. Bill Richardson (D-NM) will introduce legislation to create a United States Boxing Corporation which would set and enforce rules and regulations for professional boxing.

The legislation grew out of the hearings where the names of promoter Don King and Bob Lee, head of the International Boxing Federation, were prominent. Both invoked the Fifth Amendment when they were questioned. When the Senate hung out some more of boxings dirty laundry in April, the proprietors of Madison Square Garden decided they had heard and seen enough and pulled the building out of the boxing business. The irony was that just two months earlier, Riddick Bowe had defended the heavyweight championship at the Garden. Unfortunately, it was on the same card that Ray Mercer fought Jesse Ferguson and al-Wedlv offered him $1 OO OOO How They Scored How the runs scored in Tuesdays game between the Cubs and the Padres: Padres Fourth: Gwynn grounded out to pitcher Morgan.

McGriff walked. Plantier homered to right on 1-2 count, McGriff and Plantier scored. Bell walked. Cianfrocco walked, Bell to second. Higgins grounded into fielder's choice, second baseman Sandberg to shortstop Sanchez, Bell to thud, Cianfrocco forced at second.

Worrell struck out. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 left on. Padres 2, Cubs 0. Cube Sixth: Sanchez singed to center. Sandberg filed out to right fielder Gwynn.

Grace singed to right, Sanchez to third. May safe on second baseman Gardner's fieltfing error, Sanchez scored, Grace to second. Sosa singed to left, Grace scored, Mayto second. Maldonado walked, May to third, Sosa to second. Buechele singed to shortstop, May scored, Sosa to third, Maldonado to second, Sosa out advancing at third, shortstop Gutierrez to third baseman Cianfrocco.

lake popped out to third baseman Cianfrocco. 3 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 left on Cube 3, Padres 2. Padres Sixth: McGriff filed out to center fielder Sosa. Plantier homered to right on 1-0 count Bell singled to right Cianfrocco grounded Into double play, second baseman Sandberg to shortstop Sanchez to first baseman Grace. 1 run, 2 Mts, 0 errors, 0 left on.

Padres 3, Cuba 3. Cuba Seventh: Smith, pinch hitting for Morgan, singed to center. Sanchez died out to center fielder Bell. Smith stole second. Sandberg grounded out to shortstop Gutierrez, Smith to third.

Grace homered to right center on 1-0 count Smith and Grace scored. May gounded out to shortstop Gutierrez. 2 nm, 2 Mts, 0 ren, 0 left on. Cube 5, Padrei 3. Cube Elgrth: Etttes pitching, batting 1st Shipley to second base, batting 9th.

Sosa died out to center fielder Bell. Maldonado filed out to center fielder Belt Buechele doubled to center, take singed to center, Buechele scored. Martinez re-leved Ettles. Smith grounded out to second baseman Shipley. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 enwa, 1 left ox Cuba 8, Padrei 3.

Cuba Ninth: Hoffman pitching. Sanchez singed to center. Sandberg singed to right center, Sanchez to third. Grace singed to center, Sanchez scored, Sandberg to third. Jennings, pinch hitting for Plesac, safe on second baseman Shipley's fielding error, Sandberg scored, Grace to third.

Sosa singed to left, Grace scored, Jennings to second. Taylor relieved Hoffman. Maktonado walked, Jennings to third, Sosa to second. Buechele hit sacrifice fly to right fielder Gwynn, Jennings scored, Sosa to third, take lined out to shortstop Gutierrez. Smith grounded out to third baseman Cianfrocco.

4 run, 4 Mts, 1 2 left on. Cubs 10, Pains 3. Pooo Nbith: Bullinger pitching, batting 3rd. Vizcaino to second base. Jennings to first base, batting 4th.

Yelding to third base. Plantier grounded out to first baseman Jennings. Bean, pinch hitting for BeN, doubled to right center. Cianfrocco safe on shortstop Sanchez's throwing error. Higgins singed to center, Bean scored, Cianfrocco to second.

Shipley popped out to second baseman Vizcaino. Stillwell, pinch hitting for Taylor, singed to center, Cianfrocco scored, Higgins to second. Gutierrez struck out 2 nm, 3 Mts, lew, 2 left on. Cubs Id, Pains I asmgled for Morgan in the 6th. Wlied out for Worrell in the 7th.

c-grounded Wo double play for Gardner in the 7th. dsafe on emit for Plesac In the 9th. edoubled for Bell in the 9th. tsingled for Taylor in the 9th. E-Sanchez (10), Gardner (3), Shipley (5).

LOB-Chicago 8, San Diego 6. 28-Sanchez (7), Buechele (14), Gardner (13), Bean (4). HR-Plarrtier 2 (12) oil Morgan, Grace (7) off TiWorrell. RBIs-Grace 3 (55), May (41), Jennings (3), Sosa 2 (44), Buechele 2 (26), take (3), Stillwell (9), Plantier 3 (36), Higgins (6). SB-May (5), DSmith (6).

SF-Buechele. GIDP-Sandberg, Teufel, Gwym, Cianfrocco 2. Runners left In scoring position-Chlcago 4 (Sandberg, Buechele, Lake, DSmith); San Diego 3 (Gutierrez, Cianfrocco, TiWorrell). Runners moved up-Sandberg, DBek, Higgins. DP Chicago 4 (Sanchez, Sandberg and Grace), (Sandberg, Sanchez and Grace), (Sandberg, Sanchez and Grace), (Sandberg, Sanchez and Grace); San Diego 1 Gutierrez, Gardner and McGriff).

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