The Rock Island Argus from Moline, Illinois • 25

THE DAILY DISPATCH AND ARGUS Wednesday, July 24; 1991 C3 BaseballSoftball Q-C Angels rally, club A last Cora proving he. belongs in the bigs fwv1-1 CHICAGO Joey Cora's waited a long time for this chance. The 5-8 Puerto Rican native served three separate stints in the majors with the San Diego Padres, including opening the '87 season as the starter at sccoyd before being optioned to the minors with a .237 average and 15 steals in 77 That trip to Triple-A Las Vegas basically turned into, a three-year ordeal that didnt really end until his. trade to the White Sox late in spring training of this year. But the White Sox bet that .296, .310 and .351 Triple-A hitter Cora was indeed a major leaguer is pay-.

ing off right now. Cora, whom the Sox acquired late in spring training this year along with outfielders Warren Newson and Kevin Garner for pitchers Steve Rosenburg and Adam the game-winning hit in the ninth Tuesday night in a 3-2 White Sox win. He also doubled earlier and scored the first White Sox run. For the season, hes batting an even .300 with 9 stolen bases, while playing excellent defense. In fact, he's beaten out incumbent second baseman Scott Fletcher for the starting nod.

"No, I didnt envision him doing this much, admitted White Sox manager Jeff Torborg after Tues- By John Marx Staff sporti writer Super Salomon found out what average is all about The Quad IH.I.MMLLr i City Angela, BwtaaESK .1 featuring the EU-l'iHl-T 1 Amazing Mu-. out super is all about Trailing 5-0- through 44 innings and being leagues best pitcher in Cllnton'sSakxnon Torres, things looked a tad bleak for the Gaines Street Gang But the Halos exploded fin a whopping 12 runs in their last five at-bats for a 12-5 win. The victory, played before a 4,538 Phillie Phanatic crowd at John ODonnell Stadium, was the filth straight for Quad-City and moves it to 1811 for the second half of the Midwest League season. With the loss, Clinton falls to 18-11 Torres, the starting pitcher for the Southern Division in the Midwest League All-Star game, entered Tuesdays battle with an 11-3 mart and a ininiscule league-leading eamed-run average of 0.75. But.

the Halos, led by late-inning replacement Rafael Murattis bases-loaded double in the seventh and his grand slam in the eighth, handled Torres and severely bounced reliever Kurt Peltzer about in left-center. Minnis liner sent Torres to the showers. Enter Peltzer, soon to be pelted. Garret Anderson, who managed four hits and an RBI on the night, greeted Peltzer with a single to plate Taylor. After Clifton Garrett readied on a fielder's choice and Brian Grebeck walked, Muratti lined a double down the line In right The Angejs blew the contest wide open in the eighth thanks in part to walk to Taylor, singles by Anderson and Grebcck and Murattis.

grannie over the lcft-centerfield wall. John Fritz picked up the pitching win after relieving starter Hilly Hathaway. Darryl Scott worked ltt innings of super relief to record his team-leading 14th save. "Darryl Scott and Ken Edenfield have been super all season out of the bullpen, but lately our guys in the middle have been doing a super job, added Seoane whose dub plays host to the Madison Muskies tonight at 7. "We know if our starters can get us to a certain point in the game our bullpen can get the jobdone.

The Giants struck first in the contest with a three spot off Hathaway in the first and ran the score to 5-0 through 4 VI But the. Angels managed to get Phanatic leaves phans pheeling phantastic I just try to do the best I can in every area. Everybody on this team goes all out. I want to go all out and keep playing through October and the World Series, then go home and relax. RAFAEL MURATTI i back in the game in the home half of the fifth inning off the usually unstoppable Torres.

With one out, Taylor and Minnis singled. The pair soon scored on an Anderson double to the. wall in center. Anderson found the plate on a Garrett grounder to cut the lead to 5-3. All set the stage for the big Quad-City efforts in the seventh and the eighth.

Angel notes Quad-City third baseman Mark Dalcsandro underwent his MRI test for his injured left knee Monday evening. Results of the MRI to determine damage to the lateral miniscus cartilage will be known sometime today. Im going to request that they have somebody look at them and well discuss our options then, said Q-C trainer Dan PieratL Hopefully it will be fine and we can get Mark back to work. PHIIIIE PHANATIC It picks me up when Im feel-down and gets me going. I know the day will come when its time to be Just Dave, but for now and as long as I can, the Phillie Phanatic first and Dave Raymond second krill work.

HoDcfoUv crowiL as well as he does a more competitive since the better teams travel and they will be the ones here. The ones that youre weeding out are the ones who arent that serious. When we get down to the final 32 teams, it will probably be comparable to any other tournament weve had. the Phillies had something far different from what I thought theyd have. "They asked me about working during the day in the front office and being their new mascot at night They were looking for someone the fans could relate to.

Nobody knew if it was going to work or not Remember, these are the same people that booed Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt But for some reason, they took to me and its been a love affair ever since. What is not a love affair is Raymonds current relationship with Los Angeles manager Tommy La-sorda. "You know, thats been getting a lot of national ink, Raymond said of his recent run-in with Lasorda in Philadephia. "He can say what he wants mid think what he wants, but Pm just out trying to do my job. I have nothing against Tommy, I hope hell go and do his Job winning baseball games and Ill go on trying' to make people laugh.

The look on his face and the gleam off his eyes tells you the man in the big green costume does indeed love his job. But certain phases of his life have suffered because of ft. Ive had a marriage go bad as a result of my job and I dont get to spend as much time with my son who is 21 months, said Raymond. "But through ft all and that inl-cudexthe death of my mother Ive missed just seven games in 14 2 Jim Meenan iSports edito Every game means something. It's a different feeling.

Hopefully, I can go out there and contribute and 1 hopefully we will goall the way. Cora doesnt profess to having any big goals. Steals, he feels, are in his. case, created by the situation arid the needs of the team; He appears to have great respect for bbth the National and American leagues, and resists being drawn into a comparison between the two. He seems very focused, crediting his teammates with setting the table Tuesday by loading the bases before him.

"Lance Johnson (hit-and run single), Ron Karkovice (pinch-running and making it to third on the hit and-run) and Carlton Fisk dead-off single), they did the job. You have to give credit to manager Jeff Torborg for calling for the hit-and-run with nobody out in the ninth. What I did was the aftermath. Not quite, Joey, but that is the right attitude. So, truthfolly, what is the Vanderbilt all-SEC shortstop and Cape Cod Summer League MVPs main goal at this point in his ah reert I just try to do the best I can in every area, he said.

"Everybody on this team goes all out I want to go all out and keep playing through Oc tober and the World Series, then go home and relax. "Nq more winter bafi. If he keeps playing like he has thus far in his first 110 at bats with the White Sox, Cora may at long last see enough playing time that he es tablishes himselC and can take that winter rest AlteraU, thus far hes taken sec ond away from Fletcher Scotue had done a great job earlier in the year until he got side, said Torborg. We put Joey in there to relieve Scott a bit and until he got hurt you couldnt get him out of the lineup. So he's earned his way.

Four trips back to Trtyle-A cer-1 tainty have proven that It might just be time for a major league Core-nation of a new startin second baseman. Includn: liRRI BQMVIlHr Ml lipMI Rmgl Ad)ml lvs bsM an duck lyiiim jQf War aitra naaPaP. 797-3911 FORD i John Door Expressway ftsaoc Domhoym Non Good JUySehtxu J4XMB1 MhOwNa I Joey Cora day's win. Ive liked him since 89. (Ex-Sox general manager) Larry Himes and I werepfter him in 89.

What the 25-year-old Cora gives the Sox is an added dimension at second. Fletcher played great defense, but his average is at .200. As great as he is at turning the double Fletcher has no steals. When offense falls off as badly as it has this year, he's basically a one-dimensional player. Coro, on the other hand, is speed and defense all wrapped up in a switch-hitting package.

And a man who, unlike the quiet but hard-working Fletcher, displays some emotion. Joey has realty done an excellent job for us, said Torborg. He adds spark. He can run. He's enthusiastic, energetic and he swings a good bat For Cora, who found himself playing behind his idol and all-world second baseman Roberto Alomar (now with Toronto) in San Diego, he's just happy for the chance.

I am thrilled to be in Chicago, he said. "The team is a pretty good team. To be in a pennant race, there is a lot of excitement the final five frames. In all, Muratti, in just two at bats, had a team and season-high seven RBIs. "When we were down 5-0, I thought we were capable of coming back," said Quad-City manager Mitch Seoane.

We were looking forward to being Tones. Weve heard all about him and what he's done to the league, and I think pur guys were ready to bee him, I knew it was just a matter of time before we came back, weve been doing that all season. Seoane said the Muratti move, which sparked a five-run seventh inning was simply out of necessity. If the bases were not loaded in the seventh we might have had to stay with EmMitt Cohick, a lefty, instead of coming with the righty Muratti," he said. Were short-handed and their closer is a righty and it would have left us empty as far as position players go.

I think it was the first time' all season we had a move like that pay off with runners scoring position. In the key seventh that sent Torres bye bye, the Angels sent nine men to the plate in scoring the five-spot Terry Taylor walked to start things and was moved to third on a Bilty Minnis double to the gap in "The Chicken is a business, I am an employee paid by a team. Its a job to me and one I like, but it's business for The Chicken. "Ive seen The Chicken on highlight films, but have never seen him in person. I respect what he does, but we are not a threat to each other.

I feel he thinks I might be a threat to him, but thats not the case at alL he does his thing and I do mine. And Raymonds thing is to entertain, something for which he should get fancy marks for if his ODonnell effort is any indication of what its like each night "You have to love his enthusiasm, Quad-City Angels general manager Mike Tatoian said as Raymond performed some of his trademark moves on his fourwheel vehi-de. "Hes a fresh blend and is always trying to involve the fans. People pay hard-earned money to see him and he makes sure they get their moneys worth. A college student and summer employee of the Phillies in the late 1970s, Raymond was approached by Philadetyhia management about staying on and helping the dub af- He was soon to find out in what out two years in the promotions department just being a gopher, doing anything I could to stay around, said Raymond.

"All I wanted was a job in the game and for repeat Tom Johnston lAdultsoftbal comb 1. At 8 p.m. ft Trucking of East Moline plays Peoria 5 and WTs takes on Macomb 2. In the two 9 pm. games, PcpsiMaple Leal feces Macomb 4 and Jims Knoxville TapBudweiscr tangles with Feoria4.

Those are the only six games scheduled for Thursday. The other three host teams will play Friday, all at 7 p.m., when 15 games are scheduled throughout the evening. Mqjs Komer Tap oi JUDY HUDSON, Mgr. r-Jfiuwli WHMHi rWm limOMPI Schnapps 429 750 nL a By John Marx Staff sports writer Dave Raymond wants to be Dave Raymond when he grows up. And at 35 years iff age and 14 years into his present position, thoughts do surface about a time when Dave Raymond might just have to be Dave Raymond.

But for now, Raymond wants to remain being the Phillie Phanatic. And hell do so until the moves are gone and the drive to entertain more than 100 times a year has faded. "I know there will come a time Ill watch the film and see myself slowing down and have to evaluate my ftiture, said Raymond, who was exceptional in his performance Tuesday at John ODonnell Stadium. "It will be like a professional athlete who cant get it all done like he' once did. Ive been doing this for 14 years, the character has grown, the Phillies have been great to me and I enjoy coming out and working the Is.

I still get a charge out of in front of people who like to One thing Raymond would like the world to know is he does not want to be the Famous Chicken. There is competition, never has been, never will be. "I started out as the mascot for the Philadelphia Philiies and I'm still the mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies," said Raymond during a breakTuesday. Locals look The Rock Island Jaycees Alan A Campbell Complex in Rock Island has been the sight of some power the past few weekends. With the ASA youth state tournaments and the domination of power 1 pitchers vacating the fields, the power hitters will take over ning Thursday night and the next two weekends nois ASA Class A State Slowpitch Tournament And this year, it will be one oi nine local teams looking for a repeat of last year when the Moline Eagles won the state title.

Nine local teams will be in the 64-team and all of the host clubs will see action either Thursday or Friday night In Thursdays opening session, two local teams play in each of the 7, 8 and 9 p.m. games at the complex At 7 p.m. Moline Governor's plays Macomb 3 and Nixalite plays Ma- (A slowpitch title AIR CONDITIONING TUNE-UP Up la alb ol Iron Any nmmiond part 16th Stmt Geneseo plays East Peoria Truck-erGeir; Q-C Laminating of Rock Island squares off against Peoria 3 and Slims from Atkinson takes on Peoria 2. Eleven first-round games will be played Saturday morning prior to the start of the losers bracket play. Thirty-three games will be played Saturday and another 26 games on Sunday will pare the field to 32 teams.

The second weekend of play will start Friday night with all 16 winners bracket teams taking part in the eight-game schedule beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing through about 11 p.m. This is the second year for the field to be at 64 teams, down from 76 the previous fcw years. Its a matter of economy, said tourney director Dennis Wiese. "We will still have the best teams in the state.

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