Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 13

Thursday April 22, 1993 Scoreboard, Page 4 0 Breaking away, Page 6 0 Comics, Page 7 Santa Cruz 5 ntiuel Kids' roller hockey gains popularity in Santa Cruz Page 6 i 1M Vo0)T)l0J Montana bids farewell to San Francisco IIP 'tin 'I $yf "Eventually I was going to have to put the cleats up for good. This is part of that transition." So, the player who had the most to do with the 49ers' rise to success suddenly saw himself as being the their biggest problem. And, in essence, he traded himself. "There would be a certain division," Montana said of the effect he believed his staying would have on his 49er teammates. Montana didn't want that.

He knows too well the value of a team being a team. "It's never been a one-man team," Montana said. "I've been fortunate to be on some pretty good teams, both offensively and defensively. My contribution was just fitting into that system, and being able to work well within it. Please see FAREWELL B3 NOBODY WOULD SAY IT.

So Joe Montana did: There was no way the San Francisco 49ers were going to survive with both Steve Young and him as the team's quarterbacks. "This was a relief of a problem that was staring at this team for a long time," Montana said Wednesday of being traded to the team of his choice, the Kansas City Chiefs. "This takes a lot of pressure off of the whole organization," Montana said, alluding to the controversy that has surrounded Young and him. "Everybody knows it was going to be one that would never quit." Now it's all out in the open. And it's been unveiled by the one person who had to say it.

Montana realized once Young became the starter, enjoyed an MVP season and carried the team one Joe Montana played his final game as a 49er last Dec. 28 against the Lions. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 1 26 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Bill LoveioySentinel file -v-jr aw mr in a- i Montana hopes fans stay faithful Ed Vyeda win from the Super Bowl, that not even he couldn't force himself back into the starting lineup. "When you take a look at the way the team played last year under Steve," Montana said, "the transition has been made.

You have a quality player there. in Santa i 1 V. i The Associated Press for a glimpse of Joe Montana. a I i Vr i If J)- By ED VYEDA Sentinel sports editor SANTA CLARA Joe Montana doesn't want his leaving the San Francisco 49ers to turn fans against the team he took to four Super Bowl championships. "If you were a 49er Faithful, you should remain that," Montana said Wednesday in his first public comment about being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Montana said he fully realized his tenure as the 49ers' No. 1 quarterback was over, and that giving way to Steve Young didn't mean the team was trying to dump him. "As much as (fans) may have believed they mishandled this thing, that is completely wrong," Montana said. "I would hope the fans would not take that approach to it, because it would be a great injustice." He said he knew fans were outraged with the team for letting him go. But the 49ers, Montana said, "did everything possible to deal with this and make this work out and keep me here." He also said it was his decision alone to leave the team he's played for since being drafted out of Notre Dame in 1979.

"I don't think you can blame anybody for it," he said. "This is a great team and a great organization that is going to go a long way." Montana said he's always appreciated the fans through the years, both in championship seasons and 4-J- Have your say Are you going to burn your George Seifert doll in effigy? Are you going to shred your season tickets? Are you glad Steve Young no longer has to look over his shoulder? Was it a good move for the 49ers to get something a first-round draft pick for Montana while he still has market value? Let us know what you think about the trade. Submit your letters to the Sentinel sports department, PO Box 638, Santa Cruz 95061 (FAX 429-9620). Letters of no more than 250 words in length are preferred. in the years when he was sidelined with back and arm injuries.

"The way I look at it, it's not just the organization and the fans separate," he said. "It's kind of one unit. The support they've given not only to me over the years, but to the organization, I hope that would just carry over. But they can root for Kansas City a little, too. "I would hope the fans here would be as big a 49er fans as ever.

I will be, too. It's a big part of my life and it always will be." Harris had 17 sacks last season, second in the league to the Eagles' Clyde Simmons. "We're delighted to have a football player like Tim, who has been as productive as he has throughout his career," General Manager Harry Gamble said. "He's obviously an outstanding pass rusher who we feel will be a big help to what is already a fine defense." the other way just as fast. I just didn't save three in a row, and that's a story, so here I am." "I'd rather come in with no one on base," Eckersley said.

"With the bases loaded, you can't give up anything." Eckersley ran a 2-1 count to James before giving up the go-ahead single. "He didn't throw me any breaking balls," James said, "but the situation, with the bases loaded, dictated that." "You can't go 3-1," Eckersley said. "It's time to throw a strike. Can't get cute. So you give him something to hit.

And he hit it." the right-field fence to make it 4-0 off Jeff Brantley (1-1). Murray's leadoff single in the fifth was followed by Bonilla's second homer on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Bryan Hickerson. Fernandez drew a one-out walk in the sixth, and Murray then homered off Hickerson. New York added two runs in the seventh on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Bonds, who homered in San Francisco's extra-inning victory on Tuesday, dropped a routine fly ball by Vince Coleman and was booed.

31 Fans line the outside of the 49ers' training facility Seifert made few people happy throughout ordeal Chiefs' move to acquire Montana a mystery Page B2 Young would rather quit than switch teams Page B2 Harris leaves 49ers to join Eagles By ED VYEDA Sentinel sports editor SANTA CLARA It took George Seifert's daughter, Eve, to make him understand what kind of trouble he's really in as The Coach Who Traded Joe Montana. "My daughter said to me this morning that maybe she should get married right away so she could change her name," the San Francisco 49ers coach said Wednesday. Seifert seemingly hasn't been able to make anyone happy throughout the ordeal of Steve Young replacing the legendary Montana as starting quarterback. With Montana sidelined after el- the 49ers worked out a trade with the Chiefs, and now Seifert's only daughter wants to change her name. Seifert believes all has worked out for the best, although his public popularity has taken a kick in the groin, and his about-face probably won't be soon forgotten by the rest of the 49er players.

"For whatever reasons, it took this amount of time to get to the point that I did," he said. "I don't feel dishonest about the change. I can speak with Steve openly about it. As long as I can do that, then we'll be able to go forward and do Please see SEIFERT B3 Another blown save for Eckersley Urbani called up by the Cardinals Clara on Wednesday, waiting cided to make Montana No. 1 again, if he still wanted the job.

"I did change," Seifert said Wednesday of his postion on the issue. "This situation is about as unique as it can be. I felt that maybe the plans for the future might have to be put on hold some of Steve's plans, some of my plans but that it would be justified because we would be asking Joe to stay." Montana turned down the offer, Tom Urbani Makes debut against Rockies lege prior to helping Long Beach State earn a berth in the College World Series. In 1986, Urbani was the Sentinel's All-Santa Cruz County baseball Player of the Year for hitting .493 in the regular season and compiling a 1.13 ERA. He was drafted that summer by the Kansas City Royals, but turned down a $20,000 signing bonus.

Urbani was the Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1988. Playing first base, he hit .466 with 20 RBI in 20 games. The Associated Press OAKLAND Bases loaded, no outs and Oakland ahead by one run in the ninth inning. Not exactly the best save situation for Dennis Eckersley. Still, Eckersley had a chance to hold the lead, and he didn't.

The New York Yankees rallied for three runs and beat the Athletics 5-3 Wednesday night. "That's one where a blown save is not really a good stat," A's Manager Tony La Russa said. It was Eckersley's third straight blown save. Last year, when he won the American League's MVP The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA The Philadelphia Eagles, looking to fill the gap left by the departure of Reggie White, Wednesday signed San Francisco 49er defensive lineman Tim Harris. Harris, an unrestricted free agent, signed a three-year contract and will attempt to help the Eagles offset the loss of White to the Green Bay Packers.

and Cy Young awards, he converted 51 of 54 save opportunities. After striking out pinch hitter Jim Leyritz, Dion James sliced a two-run single to left field for a 4-3 lead and Bernie Williams hit an RBI single. Eckersley had never blown even two straight save tries until this season. He was ineffective Tuesday night, giving up three runs in the ninth inning in a game Oakland eventually won 9-7 in the 10th. The A's relief ace entered Wednesday's game with a 7.94 ERA.

"It's just a statistic," Eckersley said, "and that stuff turns around about it. He's too good of a pitcher." Todd Hundley hit a three-run homer, his first of the season, while Bobby Bonilla and Eddie Murray each hit two-run homers. It was Murray's third home run of the season and 417th of his career. Murray also had two singles and drove in three runs. Tony Fernandez's two-out double and Murray's single gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

Howard Johnson and Jeff Kent had consecutive singles in the fourth, before Hundley hit 3-2 pitch over bow surgery, Young had an MVP season in taking the 49ers to the conference championship game. After the season, Seifert made it clear Young would remain No. 1, even though Montana's feelings were clear that he didn't want to stay with the team as a backup. That decision has made Seifert highly unpopular with fans. Then, over the weekend, after Montana worked out a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, Seifert de ken left ring finger.

Arocha was hit Tuesday night with a line by Bichette. The rookie right-hander had a 1.66 earned-run average and 11 strikeouts and one walk in 21 innings. Cardinals spokesman Jeff Wehling said Arocha is expected to be ready sooner than the full 15 days. "We have been carrying 10 pitchers, but (the coaching staff) might consider carrying 11," Wehling said. "It depends on Urbani's performance.

They talked about carrying 11 before we broke camp." Urbani was the last pitcher cut from the 40-man roster after spring training. On April 2, he was sent down to the Triple-A Louisville Redbirds, where he spent the second half of last season and compiled a 4-4 record with a 5.58 ERA. Prior to the call to St. Louis, Urbani was 0-1 with one save, a 5.79 ERA in 4 innings of relief. Urbani was drafted in the 13th round out of Long Beach State in the June 1990 amateur draft.

The 6-foot-l, 190-pounder was a star at Harbor High and Cabrillo Col- Mets hit three HRs, rip Giants 10-0 From staff and wire reports ST. LOUIS It wasn't the debut of his dreams, but Tom Urbani has reached the show. With a roster opening created by a teammate's bad fortune, the 25-year-old left-handed pitcher from Santa Cruz was called up to the major leagues Wednesday by the St. Louis Cardinals. He became the fourth active Santa Cruz County player in the big leagues, following Cleveland's Glenallen Hill, California's John Orton and Toronto's Mark Ei-chhorn.

Urbani, who could not be reached for comment, arrived in Si Louis in time to see relief duty in an 11-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. His twc-inning stint was a forgetful one: four hits, three runs (all earned), one walk and one strikeout. The three runs came on a Dante Bichette three-run homer in the eighth inning. Rene Arocha, the Cuban defector who got off to a 3-0 start for the Cardinals, was placed on the 15-day disabled list in order to undergo surgery today for a bro The Associated Press NEW YORK Dwight Gooden and rookie Mike Draper combined on an eight-hitter as the New York Mets routed the San Francisco 10-0 Wednesday night. Three homers accounted for seven of the Mets' runs as Gooden (2-2), the loser in his previous two starts, scattered seven hits.

Gooden entered the game with a 4.09 ERA. "Gooden's tough enough when he has a two-run advantage," Giants left fielder Barry Bonds said. "Give him 10 and you can forget.