The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 40

A' Baseball a family affair for Kosco By CHUCK HICKEY Sun Sports Writer tV doesn't want to see me have a terrible mental attitude while I'm playing. "So he's helped me in that area and I feel that's where my greatest improvement over the last year has been and the Mariners have recognized it by moving me up." Since he arrived in San Bernardino two weeks ago, Kosco is batting .260 with three home runs and seven RBI. "I feel really comfortable playing here," he said. "I was hoping that by having a good first half in Wausau, I would get moved up to Double-A ball, but this is nice. It's a step forward." He has cut down on his alarming strikeout rate of 1987, with nine strikeouts in 50 plate appearances.

"That was a big problem of mine," Kosco said of the strikeouts. "I was what you would call a free-swinger; if anything was in my strike zone, I would swing at it and I have a big strike zone." Kosco said that he hopes to bat between .270 and .280 and have 20 home runs by the end of the year. And he feels that if he accomplishes those tasks, he'll be moved up to Double-A ball next year. "I feel that I'm improving everyday and learning more and more as the year goes by. I think the reason for it is that I'm maturing as a ballplayer and hopefully that will land me a spot in the majors someday." Now about the unusual spelling of Dru's name.

"My parents have called me Dru and I have used Dru as my nickname all of my life," Dru said. "But I'm not the only kid in the house with a weird spelling. I have two older sisters, Kerry and Cheri (pronounced Sherry) and a younger brother, Bryn, and a younger sister, Ranee, and they all have weird name spellings. "The big deal with my name is that my dad didn't want to share his nickname, Andy, so he called me Dru and it's stuck ever since." Dru's brother, Bryn, was recently selected in the amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles and plays with their Single-A team at Erie, in the New York-Penn League. C2f The Sun TUESDAY, July 5.

1988 KALEIDOSCOPE His golf tastes are continental Helmut Faust and six of his golfing pals played lour rounds on four courses in a single day. Sounds grueling? ait, there's more. Each round was on a different continent. Their journey took them to Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. They started one hour and 55 minutes before the sun rose in Israel and finished 23 minutes after the sun set in a New York suburb.

The 43-year-old German businessman shot a 105 on the par 73 course at the Caesarea Golf and Country Club in Israel, then on to Egypt, where he shot a 76 on the par-G8 Alexandria Golf and Country Club. The afternoon was spent shooting a 104 on the par-72 East Course at the Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. He had an early dinner on a Concorde and in the evening shot a 104 at St. Andrews in Hastings, N.Y. Faust finished ith a 125-over-par 409, and travelled approximately 7.700 miles by airplane, helicopter and limousine, all in 23 hours and 59 minutes.

Total cost: About $100,000. Why? Said Faust: "I'm fascinated with the Guinness Book of Records." Yes, it is a record. Probably went past the hole Add golf: Faust figures he set an unofficial world record with a putt on the Concorde. "I putted the ball about 15 meters. In those 10 seconds, the ball travelled seven miles." Another Candlestick basher San Francisco Giants catcher Boh Brenly, on his part-time status: 'if it's going to be my job to sit on the bench, for my family's sake it might be better to do it in a place where it's cheaper to live.

Not in a landfill on top of a fault." Rabbit didn't die; just disappeared Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach Chuck Hartenstein, commenting on the dramatic falloff in home run production this season: "I don't know what they did, but it's back to being a regular ball again. Maybe they took the rabbit out by Caesarean section." A man of simple tastes Linebacker Aundray Bruce, the No. 1 selection in the FL draft, said his $4.1 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons won't change his lifestyle. "I did treat myself to a new BMW," he conceded. "But I traded in the one I had at Auburn on the 1988 model." SAN BERNAR DINO As the son of a former major-league baseball player, San Bernardino Spirit outfielder Dru Kosco doesn't feel the pressure of making the big time as his father did two decades ago.

But the 23-year-old from Youngs-town, Ohio, hopes he will someday land a job with the Seattle Mariners and become one of a number of sons to follow their baseball fathers' footsteps. Andrew John Kosco is the son of Andrew John Kosco IV, a power-hitting outfielder who played 10 years with seven major-league teams, including the Dodgers (1969-70) and the Angels (49 games in 1972). At first, Dru felt the burden of trying to live up to his father's successes. Among other things, the elder Kosco led the 1969 Dodgers with 19 home runs. "I felt a lot of pressure on me to be a good ballplayer when I was in high school," Kosco said Monday.

"But once I got in college (two years at Florida State, one at Ball State), I took the pressure off of myself. "I told myself that 'Dru Kosco is going to be a goodball player and play like Dru Kosco, not like Andy He was selected on the 13th round by Seattle in the 1986 amateur draft and immediately was sent to the Mariners' Single-A Midwest League club at Wausau, Wise. There he played like a 13th-round pick. He hit 10 homers and drove in 54 runs, but he batted .206 and struck out an alarming 97 times in 349 at-bats. In the first half of the 1988 season at Wausau, Kosco batted .260 with nine homers and 25 RBI in 54 games.

That effort was enough for the Mariners' front office to send Kosco to San Bernardino and the California League which is considered a step up from the Midwest League. During that first year in Wausau I wasn't hav ing any fun playing at all," he said. "I was hitting poorly and let MARK ZALESKIThe Sun LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON? Spirit outfielder Dru Kosco is a power-hiiting outfielder much like his father Andy Kosco, who played for the Dodgers and Angels. things get to me. There were times when I didn't want to go to the park because I wasn't having fun.

"If I would go 0-for-4, 1 would let it bother me for a long time and not concentrate on getting it out of my mind. "This year, however, if I have a bad game, I won't let it get to me I just go out and give it my all the next time and I think by doing that it has made me a better hitter and an overall better player." The reason for the change? Dru said it's his father. "Everytime I talk to him last year and this year, he would tell me 'Don't get down on yourself if I would have had a bad game," Kosco said. "He gives me a lot of confidence and keeps me going. He encourages me to do my best.

"My father has taught me a lot about the game, but the most important thing is the mental part. "He told me once that if there was one thing he could've changed about his major-league playing days, it was the mental aspect of the game and he Late-inning fireworks produce 8-7 Spirit victory over Angels BEST I TOM! By JAMES CURRAN Sun Sports Writer onto (Interest Compounded daily) SPORTS IN BRIEF Maree would not ban South Africans As the International Olympic Committee and other worldwide sports organizations are stepping up elVorts to increase isolation of South Atnca. Svdnev Maree suggested that allowing ft? SV t' -s brimming with pre-game patriotism by bolting out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings. The Halos drove across four in the first with RBI singles by first baseman Paul Sorrento and designated hitter Ted Dyson and a two-run double by right fielder Gary Nails. Sorrento was responsible for both runs in the second.

With one out and the bases loaded, Sorrento grounded to Bowie who wheeled and went to second base for the first out as center fielder Ruben Amaro scored. But King fired an ill-advised throw to starting pitcher David Snell that sailed wide which brought home second baseman Scott Cerny (two runs). The Spirit snapped awake for the moment with three in the fourth cutting the lead in half. Tony Woods who moved from third to short with King's ejection singled home two. Left fielder Hisey who replaced Woods at third doubled home the other.

Palm Springs added a run in the fifth with an RBI single from left fielder Mark Baca, but San Bernardino answered in the sixth with a run-scoring hit from catcher Clay Gunn. The Spirit lost two possible runs with men thrown out at the plate right fielder Dru Kosco in the fifth and Woods in the sixth. Spirit notes Monday night's game was supposed to have been Dave Burba's turn to start, but Burba has a hurt tendon in his left elbow. Said Burba on the mending process: "It's not any fun I have to stay in shape and I do my exercises, but I ask myself. Why do I have to do Burba will return to the mound Saturday at Palm Springs.

Speculation that California Angels starting second baseman Mark McLemore will come to Palm Springs on a rehabilitation assignment was not confirmed by Angels coaches Monday night. There is still a chance that McLemore could appear in a Palm Springs uniform as early as today, but the team would not say when or it he would join the team. The Spirit travels north to begin a six-game road trip tonight. The first three games will be al first-place Visalia before a weekend series at Palm Springs. Tonight, JeH Nelson (6-4) is scheduled to take the mound for the Spirit in a 7 m.

contest. South Africans to compete internationally would do more to chip away at the apartheid policies of his native country. Maree. a 31 -year-old black middle-distance runner, was born Pretoria, came to the United States in 1978. attended Villano-va University, and lie-came an American citizen in 1984.

He said that inviting South Af SAN BERNARDINO It's hard to pinpoint just what got into the Spirit on Independence Day. There ere plenty of things that could have given the team a little spark. Their starting shortstop and manager were given an early shower courtesy of the home plate umpire. And then there was the matter of a standing room only sellout crowd of 3,550 that packed Fiscalini Field (bolstered to over 0,000 with the fans lining Perris Hill). But whatever it was, the Spirit needed every bit of it to come back from an early 6-0 deficit to post an exciting 8-7 triumph over the Palm Springs Angels on Monday night.

Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Brocki hit his second double and Jim Bow ie singled him home. Moments later, Steve Hisey singled home Bowie and the Spirit had its 10th victory in 15 games in the second half of the California League season. The winner was reliever Rich Doyle, who pitched 1 V3 shutout innings with one hit. Louis Merejo took the loss. 'T got a look at it from the locker room." said manager Ralph Dick, who was kicked out along with Bryan King over a called strike in the third.

"I don't know-why, but when it gets close, we come on extra innings or bottom of the ninth. And that's not just recently. That's been going on from day one." Trailing 7-4, San Bernardino made the comeback look possible in the seventh. Center fielder Ted Williams singled and stole second to start things. Brocki doubled home Williams and scored himself on another double from right fielder Joe Kemp (w ho as4-for-4).

Palm Springs had quieted a crowd Sydney Maree 10,000 minimum deposit up to 100,000. infm-M rcm.im Vr 1 ir SuKt.nni.il inr. ior mult early withJi.iu.il. uh.r Mcli.inar. ACCOUNTS INSURED UP TO 100,000 BY THE FSLIC.

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Hid, J. Lake head. (7V.vv'-,Wl Luke in iL ilk-. I and t. llllll'- ricans outside of their country, especially whites, would expose them to the integrated social systems of other countries.

"If white South Africans were exposed internationally, they would better see how people respect each other and interact with diflVrent races." he said. "All the things they see going on in thoir country, they believe is the way it is worldwide. White South Africans truly believe Cod gave them the black man to serve them." U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials begin CONGO I) World champions Kelcie Banks and Kenneth Gould, both upset losers in the U.S. Amateur Championships, begin their quest for spots on the 1988 Olympic boxing team Tuesday in the U.S.

Olympic Boxing Trials. The winner in each weight diviion, and another fighter whom U.S. amateur boxing officials deem his "most worthy opponent." will meet July ltt-17 in Las Vegas in the U.S. Olympic Box-Off to decide the final team to compete at Seoul. South Korea.

Johnson, coach back together TORONTO Ben Johnson, the world record-bolder in the 100 meters, and his coach. Charlie Francis, have mended their differences and will soon resume training together, according to an official with the sprinter's local track club. There were reports last month that Johnson and Francis had decided to split up over differences concerning Johnson's recuperation from a leg injury. Sailing record claimed by French PARIS The crew of a French schooner. The Phocea, has claimed a world's record for a monohull crossing of the North Atlantic, sailing 2,810 miles in eight days, three hours and 29 minutes.

BRIEFLY NOTED: The career of Risen Star may be in jeopardy after the Belmont and Freakness Stakes winner underwent an ultrasound test on his injured right foreleg, co-owner and trainer Louis Roussel III said Monday. "We didn't like the outcome. There was oniy minimal healing," said Roussel. Tcun Van Vliet of the Netherlands took the lead after the first two stages of the 21-day, 2.000-mile Tour de France cycling race that began Monday from the village of Pontchateau. From Sun News Services Hi I liiTMIlMMWlsMlMfr MHIIl I Red Wave blanks A's third straight game RIVERSIDC Right-handers Bill Marx and Rafeal Chavez combined for a two-hit shutout as the Riverside Red Wave completed a three-game sweep of the Modesto As with a 10-0 victory Monday.

Modesto, who was shutout by Riverside in Sunday's doubleheader, remained in last place of the Northern Division of the California League. The Red Wave capitalized on 13 walks and five wild pitches given up by four A's pitchers resulting in seven runs. Modesto's Dave Veres walked five in a row in Riverside's three-run first inning. Riverside added two more in the second inning then blew the game wide open in the eighth inning as five Red Wave runners crossed the plate as Modesto used three pitchers in the inning, who walked six batters between them. Second baseman Paul Faries (2-for-5) and shortstop Tommy LeVaseur (2-for-4) both doubled to lead the way for Riverside's offense.

With the win. Bill Marx' record rose to 5-5. Riverside outscored Modesto 23-0 in the series. Brewers' Deer on disabled list MILWAUKEE (AP) The Milwaukee Brewers placed outfielder Rob Deer on the 15-day disabled list Monday ith a bruised left forearm and recalled outfielder Jim Adduci from Denver of the Class AAA American Association. To make roon for Deer on the 15-day disabled list, Greg Brock was moved to the 21-day disabled list.

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