Newsday from New York, New York • 97

TRIPLE CROWN WATCH Last October, in the quarterfinals of the French Open, Shales penalized McEnroe after the latter shouted: "You are the worst umpire I have ever met. If I have anything to do with it, you will never umpire my matches again. That outburst, during a loss to Sergio Casal, resulted in a $3,000 fine and a 42-day suspension for McEnroe. The Hartford Civic Center has been selected as the site for the Davis Cup match between the United States and West Germany from July 24-26. Coleman Picks the NBA Kansas State forward Norris Coleman has decided to give up his senior year of eligibility and apply for the NBA draft.

Coleman, an all-Big Eight selection the past two seasons, told coach Lon Kruger of his decision yesterday. Coleman, 25, enrolled at Kansas State after four years in the Army. This season he averaged 20.7 points for the 20-11 Wildcats. Potvin Plans Return Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin, who has missed the past 17 games with a sprained left knee, will return to the lineup tonight in St. Louis against the Blues.

Coach Terry Simpson said he will dress seven defensemen and work Potvin in on power plays. Potvin, 33, the NHLs all-time scoring Header among defensemen, needs three points to reach 1,000. College Sports Jerry Curley went 3-for-4 with four RBI, lTieliiditig a two-run homer, as Fordham (8-3) defeated Iona, 14-1, in college baseball St. Johns swept a doubleheader from Seton Hall, 5-1 and 6-3, in womens softball NYUs tmni team won iuts season opener, 6-0, over Fairleigh Dickinson Hunter won the first-ever CUNY Mens Volleyball Championship with a 15-4, 15-10, 15-13 win over Lehman. Furthermore Bucks swingman Junior Bridgeman will be out for the rest of the season because of a tom cartilage in his right knee University of Houston golf coach Dave Williams, 68, the NCAAs all-time winningest coach in one sport with 16 national championships, is retiring in August after 36 years as head coach Three-time world drag-racing champion Shirley Muldowney, 46, was reported in satisfactory condition after undergoing emergency surgery for an undisclosed ailment at a Dallaa-area The ninth annual Queens Half-Marathon on Sunday will begin at 10:10 a.m.

at Fifth Avenue and 121st Street in College Point. The entry fee is $6 before tomorrow and $8 until race morning. For more information, contact Leo Nicholas at 718-762-1519 or Anna OSullivan at 718-539-7738. Edited by Parker Smith Tyson to Defend Against Thomas Mike Tyson will defend his WBA and WBC heavyweight titles against Pinklon Thomas on May SO in Las Vegas, fight promotor Don King announced yesterday. Thomas, a former WBC champion, is ranked the No.

1 contender by the WBC and No. 3 by the WBA. He lost his title to Trevor Berbick on a 12-round decision a year ago. Publicist Murray Goodman said the Tyson-Thomas fight will be for 15 rounds t.ti WBA limit. WBC title bouts normally are 12.

WBC and WBA officials expressed surprise at King's announcement and said their organizations may not sanction the bout. Alberto Aleman of the WBA said Tyson should be required to fight his groups top contender, Tyrell Biggs. "Hes skipping No. 1 and No. 2 Tony Tucker to fight No.

8, Aleman said. "I dont know why. WBC president Jose Bulaiman said he is hopeful the WBA and WBC can agree and allow Toronto defend both titles. "The public wants one champion, and we will do everything we can to mie sure it gets one, he said. LeRoux Sells His Share Buddy LeRoux ended an uneasy alliance with the two other owners of the Bed Sox by selling them his general partnership in the club.

He said he decided reluctantly to sell to Haywood Sullivan and Jean Yawkey because they wouldnt sell their shares to him. 1 always wanted to be the buyer, not the seller, LeRoux said, "but if I couldnt be the buyer, I felt I should sell in everyones best interest. The sale price has been reported at about $7 million. The Players Were Right? Controversial tennis umpire Jeremy who in the past year clashed with Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, resulting in suspensions for both players, has been sacked by the sports governing body. One of five full-time professional umpires employed by the Mens International Professional Tennis Council, Shales was fired after 18 months in the job.

Hhles, who has officiated at five Wimbledon finals and many other important matches in a 27-year umpiring career, said his lawyers were studying whether to appeal the firing. At the 1986 International Players Championship, he defaulted Connors after he walked off the court during a match against Ivan Lendl. Connors was fined $20,000 and suspended for 10 weeks for his actions. Demorts? Moves Into The Lead Polish Navy and Gulch took turns holding court in the East last season once the trainers began unwrapping their most precocious 2-year-olds. The important stakes for juveniles not won by Gulch were won by Polish Navy, whose career has been interrupted by a damaged knee, the bane of thoroughbred youth.

Yet, while not attracting great fanfare, a compact, plain colt named Demons Begone was sdmost as good as Gulch or Polish Navy always right there but never quite there: second to Gulch in the Belmont Futurity; beaten a nose by Polish Navy in the Champagne. But nothing puts racehorses in perspective so effectively as time. With Polish Navy shelved temporarily and Gulch looking more the part of sprinter than Kentucky Derby prospect, Demons Begone has blossomed. On Saturday at Oaklawn Park, Demons Begone ran 1 116 miles in 1:41 25 and won the Rebel Stakes under the silks of Loblolly Stable. He ran down the leaders at midstretch and drew away to a four-length advantage under Pat Day, who is not known for using more horse than necessary.

When Day wins by four, it must be assumed that he could have won by 14. The time was two-fifths of a second slower than the course record set in 1984 by Loblollys VnUodingbm, a champion the next season. Certainly, the effort is one of the more impressive performances by a 3-year-old this spring and, coming on the heels of a similarly facile victory in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn last month, establishes the 3-year-old Demons Begone as one of the most formidable 1987 Kentucky Derby candidates. Last Week Undefeated J.T.s Pet was capable of defeating the tiring sprinter Faster Than Sound in the $500,000 Jim Beam Stakes Sunday at Turfway Park while running 1 116 miles in a fast 1:42 45. By doing so, the gelding by Mages-tarial established himself only as Pat Days third prospective Kentucky Derby mount.

Capote is the other. Bengal Fires American debut in the Beam was a complete fiasco. He broke in a walk, never quite made it to a eawtar and trainer Clive Brittain wasted considerably less time in making a decision to return Bengal Fire to England, where he will be trained at Newmarket with the English Derby as his primary objective. His stablemate, Rumboogie, broke down in a workout earlier in the week. Tough trip for the British delegation.

Coming Up Pick your spot. The Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby, Gotham Stakes and Cherry Hill Mile all will be run on Saturday, with major players involved in at least three races. Bet Twice and Masterful Advocate will be the favorites at Gulfttream Park and Santa Anita, respectively. Flamingo winner Talinum will be in the Florida cast. Chart The Stars, Alysheba and Temperate Sil are expected to start in California.

Defending divisional champion Capote makes his 3-year-old debut in the mile Gotham and will find Bay Shore winner Gulch as his primary opposition. The Cherry Hill at Garden State is not likely to draw a prominent Kentucky Derby contender. Between the Lines Capote, the returning, if tardy, champion, ships crosscontinent for the Gotham, his fifth career start and first since Nov. 1 with the Kentucky Derby only a month Ahwsfc RemihdypifpfTaseoT efi Pups Old Enough to Learn Tricks could be close to his players and still detached anmigh to deal with them. It was his great apprehension when he first choee to manage.

"The key, I learned, is who youre married to, he said. "I don't know how someone with a wife who makes on his time can be married and a manager. Valentines wife, Mary, is the daughter of Ralph Branca. She grew up in the game. Tin fortunate she loves the game, Valentine said.

"I cant say I think about my wife when rm in uniform as often as I do baseball when Fm out of uniform. Tom and Joan Lasorda have been married for 36 years with that understanding. "One day she says to me, You love baseball more than you do me, Lasorda said. "And I said to her: Yeah, but I love you more than football. ThatS kith tlw itmilurity of the men and the difference at the Continued from Page 107 had the Rangers won as many games, and they had never been closer.

Valentine brought stability to the scene. He also found some budding stars, and he will sell when he can- Pete OBrien is one of the secrets of the league. Not only did he hit .290 with 23 homers and 90 runs batted in Valentine quoted statistics that said OBrien iid a better RBI-to-opportunities ratio than Don Mattingly. Relief pitcher Greg Harris won 10 and saved 20 "got the same number of double plays as Righ-etti and 12 more strikeouts in three fewer innings. The numbers irr off the top of his head.

These are my guys, he said. 1 know my guys. Ha was laving the salesmanship as much as he loved going into the midst of his players calisthenics making them laugh-. HafouxuL he i VW7 F- 'M Pefm 'r 7." 3 I I r-i 1 Vr ir I a i I lw.V 1 ji 1 -rt fm.