Johnson City Press from Johnson City, Tennessee • 17

3BB SECTION IS) Jages 17-32 Johnson City Press WHAT 1HI Horn DON'T KNOW Will HUM THEM Sunday July 31 1988 Pt Ti '1 it V-: V' I S3E Waltrip holds edge at Talladega NASCAR has ordered used here and at Daytona wound up winning the race with Wilson less than 18 inches behind at the finish "Somehow his car just made mine work perfectly when he was behind me I guess everybody is looking for somebody like Rick Wilson to help them get to the front this week Elliott said "The trouble is you dont know for sure if your car is gonna work with another car until you get on the racetrack and try it said Elliott who has two straight victories and heads into Sunday trailing Winston Cup point leader Rusty Wallace by just three points The restrictor plates which cut horsepower by reducing the flow of air into the carburetor have done exactly what NASCAR intended slow the 3500-pound stock cars by about 15 mph at the two fastest tracks on the cir cuit Where 205 mph laps were routine at Talladega top laps in the draft are now in the mid-190s But with less power available passing has become difficult on the 266-mile Alabama International Motor Speedway oval If a driver tries to pass and doesnt get some help from another car he can find himself being left behind Bobby Hillin one of 17 different drivers to win this race in 19 years said "Youve got to stay in line really You tell yourself that eveiy time If you drop out of line youre going to the back Its a matter of discipline "Later in the race you find out who you can go with whos strong and whos not Youve got to find out who you can work with "Itll be like a moving parking lot said Davey Allison who is starting third "Nobody here can run good by them By Mike Harps Ap Motorsport Writer TALLADEGA Ala Darrell Waltrip says the importance of planning race strategy is overrated Tve never known setting a strategy before a race to work much said Waltrip who will lead the 42-car field into todays Talladega 500 NASCAR stock car race "Before you find a dance partner youve got to get to the dance Then if youre looking for a dance partner what you gonna do if he dont show up? At Daytona earlier this month Bill Elliott and Rick Wilson hooked up in a two-car draft that made both their cars a Ford and an Oldsmobile respectively work better and took them right to the front Elliott who had been stymied in his efforts to overcome the carburetor restrictor plates selves You can run faster in the draft but it feels like youre running slower Wallace who didnt qualify until the second round of time trials will start 22nd while Dale Earnhardt the two-time defending Winston Cup champion and the third-place driver in the current standings will start sixth Waltrip and Earnhardt are the only drivers who have won this race more than once each taking it twice "For some reason this one is always up for grate Waltrip said The race which is scheduled to start at 12:15 pm CDT will be televised live by CBS Sports Neil Bonnett who is recuperating from gall bladder and appendix surgery is a possible starter Morgan Shepherd who has been substituting for Bonnett qualified his car in the fifth spot AP LaserPhoto Darrell Waltrip will start from pole in todays race Mets shut door on Pittsburgh to extend lead Hitt Cards recover to nip Pirates By Douglas Fritz Press Sports Writer The Hitt Man made one bad fitch Saturday night at Cardinal 'ark Usually in the life of a bullpen ace that means trouble But Dan Hitt walked away with a victory that couldve been a save Princetons Kevin Kerekes belted a one-out pinch-hit two-run game-tying homer off Hitt in the top of Hie ninth Luis Martinez led off the Cardinals ninth with a looping triple to right field and after an intentional walk to Julio Mendez Princeton pitcher Ramone Mar-tines faked a throw to first -Balk Johnson City 6 Princeton 5 Obviously embarrassed Mar- 1 tinez tossed the ball back toward the pitching mound as he walked off the field The win gives Johnson City a one-game lead in the Southern Division because Kingsport lost to Pulaski 3-2 Saturday JC is 27-12 while Kingsport is 26-13 Hitt 2-0 with six saves just wanted to learn from his mistake pitch Tm glad we won Hitt said "But I will think about the mistake It was an 0-2pitch and I threw a fastball Thats a sin You dont ever do that "I just dont like people to hit me when I throw my best stuff Success has been common for Hitt this year so he doesnt want to dwell on this game "Ive been very successful this year so Ive just got to put this behind me Hitt said Did Hitts performance change his status in manager Jorge Aranzamendis eyes? Please see CARDS Page 24 The Associated Press NEW YORK The New York Mets picked the best time of the season to show off the best pitching staff in baseball Sid Fernandez and Randy Myers combined on a four-hitter Saturday night as the Mets shut out Pittsburgh for the second straight evening beating the Pirates 3-0 for a four-game lead in the National League East On Friday night Bob Ojeda scattered three singles in a 1-0 victory Fernandez and Myers allowed only four singles as the Mets got their 16th shutout and lowered their eamed-run average to 298 both tops in the majors "What Bobby did you cant try to duplicate Fernandez said "I went out today and just tried to do what I could do That was four-hit pitching for seven innings and 12 strikeouts tying for the most in the NL this year Randy Myers closed with perfect relief including one strikeout for his 15th save The Mets have pitched four consecutive shutouts at home and not permitted a run at Shea Stadium in 38 1-3 innings against Pittsburgh "Our pitching is good Theirs is outstanding Pirates manager Jim Leyland said "Theyre hitting a little Were not hitting at all That sums up the two games Howard Johnsons solo home run put New York ahead in the fourtn inning Brian Fisher 6-8 gave up six hits in six innings and took the loss "The Mets bring five great pitchers at you Thats their I stronggest point Fisher said HL roundup Ron Darling and Dwight Gooden will start the remaining two games in the series for New York while All-Star David Cone will not work at all A crowd of 50815 largest this year in Shea Stadium saw the Mets continue Pittsburghs slump The Pirates are batting just 181 in their last eight games and have won only twice Fernandez is 9-2 lifetime versus Pittsburgh He walked three and allowed only one runner past second base' Johnson hitless in his last 14 at-bats and in a 2-for-37 slide hit his 19th home run of the season with one out in the fourth Johnson scored again in the sixth He walked with two outs stole hia 20th base and came home on Kevin Elsters single It was Elsters eighth-inning home run Fridajnight that won it for the Mets New York added an unearned run in the eighth Kevin McReynolds singled went to third when third baseman Bobby Bonilla let Gary Carters grounder go through his legs and scored when Bonilla booted Elsters grounder Astros 14 Dodgers 6 LOS ANGELES Alex Trevi-hit a two-run homer in the no( fifth inning off an injured Fernando Valenzuela and Rafael Ramirezs two-run triple sparked five-run sixth as Houston defeated Los Angeles Please see NL Page 24 didnt catch a pass But Mr Halas devised a way of getting me open "All the credit (for revolutionizing the tight end position) goes to him Ditka Jack Ham Fred Biletni-koff and Alan Page were inducted in a ceremony on the front steps of the Hall Their induction was followed by an NFL exhibition game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams the leagues preseason opener Atlantas Gerald Perry is AP LaserPhoto Giants Robby Thompson LDitka heads Hall of Fame inductees By Rusty Miller AP Sports Writer CANTON Ohio Mike Ditka remembered his late boss George Halas when the Chicago Bears coach became the first true tight end inducted into the Pro Foot-hall Hall of Fame Saturday "The Bears drafted me and told me Id play tight end said Ditka "I only caught 14 passes my senior year in college They knew -I could block so we worked on catching the ball My first game I tagged out at second by the nies by former Bear teammate Ed OBradovich Ham said had he not won the last scholarship available to Penn State after graduating from high school he might not have developed into an all-pro linebacker "So many things fell into place for me said Ham who was presented at the induction ceremonies by Penn State coach Joe Paterno Please see HALL Page 24 Starling who sprained his ankle when he fell to the canvas said from his Hartford Conn home that he had no memory of the end of the fight "AH I remember is the bell ringing heading back to my corner and turning around" Starling said "Thats it He was ahead on two of the three judges scorecards after five rounds and tied on the other The AP had him ahead 49-46 after five rounds Starlings record fell to 43-5-1 Shamick said there was a possibility of some legal action to get the title back but he admitted Please see STARLING Page 24 Starling says he was robbed Smith ex-UT players top Ridgefields draw By Dave Link PrM Sports Writer KINGSPORT Former Science Hill standout Todd Smith and three University of Tennessee players have entered the qualifying draw for the 1988 CoorsCoca-Cola Pro Tennis Classic at Ridgefields Country Club tournament director Reedy Toney said Sixteen players will compete in the qualifier for four spots in the 16-entry main draw The two-day qualifying draw precedes the three-day main event The ninth annual pro tournament at Ridgefields is scheduled for August 10-14 Total purse is $13000 Smith a senior this past season at Science Hill won two qualifying rounds at Ridgefields last year before losing to second-seeded Mike DePalmer Jr in the main draw Smith however pushed DePalmer to a first-set tie-breaker lost it then dropped the second set Watching the match was Mike DePalmer Sr head tennis coach at Tennessee and Mike Jrs father Coach DePalmer showed an interest in Smiths talents and coaxed the Johnson City native to become a walk-on this fall with the Volunteers Toney said Smith has been in summer school with the hope of graduating from high school Added to this years list of hopeful qualifiers are current UT Vols John Gibson (No 3 part of last year) Mike Pittard (No 4) and Coenie DeViellers (No 5) "Weve got some great players in the qualifying" said Toney who has directed and organized all the previous Ridgefields events "(The qualifying) is always just as interesting as the main draw maybe moreso Four East Tennessee State University players and two former Buccaneers have entered the Ridgefields qualifier Topping that list is Mark Lupton-Smith a left-hander from South Africa who played No 1 for ETSU last season as a sophomore Please see RIDGEFIELDS Page 24 Each inductee noted the role fate played in his career Ditka was scouted by several NFL teams while at the University of Pittsburgh and all but one protected him as a linebacker Only the Bears for whom he played for six seasons and fbr whom he now coaches envisioned him as a tight end Ditka with 427 receptions and 43 touchdowns in a 12-year playing career with the Bears Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys was presented at the cermo- champion Lloyd Honeyghan and Youngkil Chung also ended in controversy Honeyghan stopped Chung with an accidental low blow in the fifth round that prevented the South Korean from finishing the scheduled 12-round bout Then Molinares of Colombia who was outclassed most of the fight landed his late blow to take away the title Starling won from Olympic gold medalist Mark Breland fast year "The WBA should mandate a rematch" Mort Shamick Starlings spokesman said Saturday "Molinares is champion and we wish him well but there should be a rematch" By Tom Canavan AP Sport Writer ATLANTIC CITY Marlon Starling will ask the World Boxing Association for an immediate welterweight title rematch with Tomas Molinares and may go to court to overturn his late-punch loss Starling lost his title Friday night when he was knocked out in the sixth round after the bell rang The knockout capped a wild welterweight championship doubleheader that lived up to its billing by promoters as "Double TYouble The WBC title bout between I Marlon Starling.