The Bellingham Herald from Bellingham, Washington • 17

M's Emeralds named NWL co-champions For Emeralds rainout is no new experience fore the monsoons struck 5-1 That one run-difference gave the Loggers the NWL crown rains would cease and the aeries could be completed Tuesday at Joe Martin Field The first plan proved to be talk according to Eugene Manager Greg Riddoch The second which was nixed by the farm club directors of the parent Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds proved to be according to Richmond Just Mariner Manager Jeff Scott said of the second plan was a hassle for the kids because some have plane reservations and have to get back to schooL And it cost the parent club money for salaries meal money motels who knows? It may rain again The rainout put a damper on what has been an outstanding 45-25 regular season for the Mariners It was Bellingham's second NWL championship the other coming in the Mariners inaugural season of 1977 The Bellingham Dodgers won a divisional title in 197S but were defeated 2-1 in a series with Eugene During the regular season Bellingham defeated Eugene seven Joe Martin Field thanks to John RBI double in the ninth inning Because of his outstanding play Emerald pitcher Jeff Russell fired a three-hitter in the loss in the series Riddoch was disappointed in winning a co-championship not he said despite his less-than-glossy 37-33 regular season marie felt we were going to win it They (the Mariners) were a little flat until the ninth inning Sunday and we were fired it It was in the Scott as has been his way all season did not overemphasize the importance of the title too bad but not disappointed" he said would like to know: do we win it or we? But ready to go home like everybody else We did have the best record in the What both managers agreed on and what Martin was fuming about was lost playing date The league stipulates that a day be kept open at the end of the regular season in case of divisional ties But because there were no ties and because the Emeralds had printed tickets and advertised Saturday as the series opener both teams were forced to idly sit in Eugene for a day we had played Friday have gotten the whole series blasted Martin should have played it anyway We be in this mess Riddoch was not pleased either saying should have been playing on the off day like to see that rule Scott was more understanding he said have happened anywhere but Eugene because they draw so well (more than 5000 tickets were sold) Here we can change (game times) from minute to But Scott added the league will rectify the situation Richmond who as league representative play favorites tried to find the silver lining among the rain clouds there ever was a time for a he said recalling the evenness of the first two games of the series guess this was Riddoch who now has an outright NWL championship (1975) a NWL co-championship (1980) and a Southern Division championship (1978) to his credit holds no bitter feelings about not finishing the 78 series called later and found out it had rained 13 straight days (after the series was called) in said Riddoch would have been a long time to neither team showed a superiority as the Emeralds took the first game at Eugene 2-1 behind the two-hit pitching of Ken Jones on Saturday and the Mariners took a 1-0 victory Sunday at hitter Bill Stein and Meyer to record his 10th save in his 40th appearance only had enough for about two or three said the 5-foot-lO lefthander who threw more than 90 pitches in innings Saturday night that I would have been completely blown out It was a do-or-die had Tippy up one other Baltimore Manager Earl Weaver said I even want to get him up in the Weaver changed his mind after Tim Stoddard who put down a flrst-and-third threat with a double-play grounder on one pitch in the eighth ran into trouble Walton singled with one out Ted Cox walked Leon Roberts rapped an RBI double and Milbourne doubled in two more runs That finished Stod I WIN UP TO ByJJMCARBERRY Ct the Hermld Staff The Northwest League championship for which the wiHwgtmwi Mariners and Eugene Emeralds have been vying far 72 88ZB6B WftS WSflllOd away by the daylong rains that struck Monday The final and deciding game of the two-out-of-three NWL championship aeries was called on account of rain at 2 pm Monday and with each team having one series victory the "Mariners and Emeralds were declared cochampions It was the first time in the seven-year history of the Northwest League that there have been co-champions the league rule explained NWL President Bob Richmond constitution provides for it Richmond met with the two managers and Bellingham Mariner General Manager Joe Martin early Monday when the possibility of a rainout became evident and two alternate plans were developed having the two teams drive to Eugene and playing the game there or hoping the Joe Steele Coder cut by Seahawks -SEATTLE (AP) Joe Steele a record-setting runner from the University of Washington was placed an waivers Monday as the Seattle Seahawks reduced their National Football League roster to the 45-player maximum Also placed on waivers were veteran guard Ron Coder and running back Gary Carr a free agent from Fresno State Steele fifth-round choice in the 1980 National Football League draft set a school career rushing record for the Huskies before being hobbled by a knee injury last year Coder Joined the Seahawks from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 1978 season He was injured throughout the 1978 season then played 15 games and started five last year The Seahawks also placed wide receiver Mike Allen of Washington State University on the injured reserve list with an Achilles tendon injury Allen signed as a free agent in 1979 but missed the entire season because of the injury On Sunday the Seahawks traded veteran offensive tackle Nick Be-bout 29 to the Minnesota Vikings far an undisclosed draft choice Bebout 6 foot 5 and 260 pounds was a sixth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons after be was graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1973 He Joined Seattle in the veteran allocation in 1978 and has started 55 regular-season games for the Seahawks Steele was not available for comment but his mother said he went out to play golf after being informed of his release not sure he wants to talk she really Coder said be was to team that he waa released by the Seattle Seahawks- was taken by surprise disappointed shocked all of those he said Monday night got a call that Jack (Patera head coach) wanted to see me and to bring my playbook I knew then I was traded or cut" I went down there the guys Just believe Coder said was under the assumption that be starting against San Mnrtiiroi US Open NEW YORK (AP) During the first week of the US Open Martina Navratilova said she would this tournament at all coats if I 'Since the Open is one of file two most prestigious tennis events Navratilova has been unable to skip it Instead she finds ways to miaa out on the Open finals This year it was a fourth-round 7-6 64 loss to 18-yearold Hana Mandli-kova of Chechoslovakia native land Once more Martina find happiness at the National Tennis Center finally felt I played better than I had said the second seed who was the biggest name of the four seeds to fall Monday I still was out of it on some volleys I feel good about my game for the rest of the year I still think reached my NoJ Dianna Fromholtz of Australia was eliminated by No 13 Pam Shriver 24 6-1 6-1 Tracy Austin the top seed booted No10 Virginia Rua-id of Romania 64 and Noll Kathy Jordan was beaten by Mima Having a possible Northwest League championship washed away by the rains is nothing new for the Eugene Emeralds and Manager Greg Riddoch The NWL has held a season-ending championship series since 1974 and the only other time it was rained out was in 1978 The two teams involved were the Northern Division champion Grays Harbor Loggers and the you guessed it Eugene Emeralds The Emeralds did not even get a piece of that title because they lost the one game that was played be five of them by lopsided scores while the Emeralds managed to beat the Mariners only three times twice by one run in come-fTom-behind efforts But in the first two playoff games The rift between Juan Benft-quez and Maury Wills has grown serious See story Page 3D two-out hit in the second inning In the fifth Mario Mendoza was nailed on Gary throw from left after Larry Milbourne lined out Dan Meyer doubled with one out In the sixth but bestitated on liner up the middle an only reached third The next two hatters filed out and Meyer was stranded bats are coming to Wills said we ran the bases poorly Our base-running beat With the potential tying run on second base Martinez retired pinch beat Navratilova at Mahwah NJ prior to the Open then topped Jaeger in the finals beat her last week and thought this would be said the NoJ seed Martina gives you the ball misses shots not like Tracy or Chris where you must win every was nervous the other time but not Navratilova lost to Shriver in the 1978 semifinals here then to Austin in the semis last year Shriver 18 was slow getting started before assuming command gainst Fromholtz who has been sidelined much of Oils year with assorted injuries A finalist here in 1978 Shriver next faces Austin whom she played In 21 months Borg next meets Roscoe Tanner a 6-8 64 5-7 64 winner over Brian Teacher It was Tanner who upset the top seed in the quarterfinals here last year in a night match requested to play him at quipped Tanner who had little chance of that happening- Orioles hang on to top Mariners Sounders set to face LA Wednesday SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle Sounders have cleared their first North American Soccer League playoff hurdle and now face the Los Angeles Aztecs Tommy goal and two assists Saturday night helped the Sounders to their 3-1 victory over defending Soccer Bowl champion Vancouver The Aztecs advanced by eliminating the Washington Diplomats The two-game National Conference semifinal playoff series begins Wednesday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Calif and winds up Friday at the Kingdome in Seattle If the Aztecs and Sounders split the series they face each other in a 30-minute mini-game after the second game In the other National Conference semifinal the New York Cosmos led by record-setting Giorgio Ghinaglia will face the Dallas Tornado Dallas advanced Sunday with a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Kicks while the Cosmos rode the seven goal-performance of China glia to an 8-1 victory over the Tulsa Roughnecks seven goals were a NASL record breaking the record of five held by several players including China glia look at Giorgio and you think of the great said NASL Commissioner Phil Woosnam of China-glia put him in the same category with (Ferenc) Puskas Pele and (Jimmy) Greaves They are the best finishers of our The Sounders 27-7 defeated Los Angeles twice during the regular sea- Against the Whitecaps 16-18 Seat- tie scored three goals in 19 minutes during the first half before 35254 fans the Sounders second largest home crowd of the season David Nish scored at 18:07 on an assist by Hutchison who then got assists from Nish and Roger Davies to put the ball in the net at 20:35 Mark Peterson tallied at 38:46 on assists from Hutchison and Steve Buttle Vancouver ruined Seattle goalkeeper Jade shutout bid with a goal by Trevor Whymark at with an assist from Bob Lenarduzzi Brand made 10 saves and Vancouver goalie Bruce Grobbelaar two as the Whitecaps outshot the Sounders 25-11 The Herald people everyday 2600 354-5666 BALTIMORE (AP) Even the rubber arm of Tippy Marlines gets tired occasionally The Baltimore reliever had barely enough strength Monday night to save a 54 victory over the Seattle Mariners keeping the Orioles within 114 games of first-place New York in the American League Best Seattle Manager Maury Wills said the Mariners lost despite playing a better game outplaying teams and not beating Wills said the next step got to take up we outplay somebody got to win the The Mariners had two runners thrown out at the plate Bruce Bochte was out trying to score from second base after first baseman Eddie Murray knocked down Reggie agiini still a jinx for Navratilova dard who was trying for his 20th save is an amazing Weaver said going to start a bullpen you got to start with him because be can give you a lot of Milbourne and Bochte paced 13-hit attack with three hits apiece but three of eight hits were home runs Ken Singleton triggered a two-run first inning rally off Mike Parrott 1-12 with a two-out homer and Doug DeCinces later singled home another run The second of A1 three hits and 20th homer made it 4-1 in the fourth and Roenicke hit a solo homer in the sixth as Parrott ab-sorbed his 12th straight defeat following a victory in the season opener 525 BUCKSl People to 676 This fabulous fascinating felicitous favorite contest for fastidious and fearless football fans! Jausovec of Yugoslavia 7-5 6-3 NoJ Chris Evert Uoyd JoAnne Russell 6-2 6-1 The men also got into the upset act as Wojtek Fibak of Poland seeded 14th ousted No4 Guillermo Vilas of Argentina 3-6 6-3 64 6-3 Top aeed Bjorn Borg of Sweden blew out No15 Yannick Noah of France 6-3 6-3 6-0 and Roscoe Tanner No 11 outlasted Brian Teacher 6-3 64 5-7 6-2 Hoping to stave off the upset bug today were NoJ John McEnroe who played Pascal Portes of France NoJ Jimmy Connors who will face Bemie Mitton of South Africa at night No7 Harold Solomon who figured to have a tough match with No10 Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia and No 13 Brian Gottfried battled Eliot Teltscher Among the women NoJ Andrea Jaeger faced Renata Tomanova of Chechoslovakia No14 Ivanna Ma- druga of Argentina played Gandy Reynolds and the unseeded Barbara Haiiqnt and Lucia Romanov of Romania squared off victory waa her second over her idol in two weeks She Coming Tuesday September 9 in the Herald.