Press Journal from Vero Beach, Florida • 15

Section Presg Journal Monday July 11991 Runners Downplay Rematch Lendl Keeps Quest Alive McEnroe Rolls "This is my kind of crowd I wish they were like this the last 20 years Where have they been?" They loved the way Connors a two-time Wimbledon champion refused to quit despite limping back to the baseline after chasing down a drop shot and hitting a winner on the first point of the tiebreaker And when the match ended the crowd gave him a long loud emotional ovation that he returned with a salute to both sides of the court "For somebody who was not supposed to play Wimbledon to do this well is really a lot of Connors said after his second major tournament since recovering from Sovtsto Toko Track Ttttso SB VILLENEUVE D'ASCQ France (AP) Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson said Sunday that their first meeting since the 1988 Olympics Is Just another race on the road to the World Championships In August The two face each other for the first time In about three years at today's BNP Grand Prix track and field meet "This Is an Important season for all of us" Lewis said "I can't look at any race to be another race Our ultimate objective Is the World Champl-Lfiwis Johnson also has Tokyo on his mind "Hopefully I have 13 weeks before the World Championships and things will get better by then" Johnson said The last time they met In the Olympic final In Seoul Johnson won In 979 seconds with Lewis second in 992 But Johnson was disqualified two days later after testing positive for anabolic steroids and was stripped of Johnson his gold medal and world records Lewis was awarded the gold and the world record Leroy Burrell broke the mark with a time of 990 on June 14 at the UA Championships In New York Please See REMATCH 5B TradWon FaSs By Wayakto SB WIMBLEDON England (AP) A howling crowd reveled in Wimbledon's historic day of democracy turning the staid All England Club into equal parts Woodstock Wembley and World Series About 25000 fans who never had a chance to buy a ticket camped through the rainy night and entered with wonderment as Wimbledon opened Its Iron gates for the first Ume on the sacrosanct Sunday of rest They thrilled to Ivan Lendl's last-gasp comeback from two sets down 44 2-6 6-4 6-4 7-5 against MallVal Washington John McEnroe made them roar with a little tantrum and a lot of fine tennis as he beat Jean-Phllippe Flcurtan 6-2 7-6 6-1 and set up a match against defending champion Stefan Edberg Jimmy Connors brought the youthful fans to their feet chanting and clapping "Jlm-mee Jlm-mee" for his gutsy stand after hurting his leg early In a 7-6 6-1 6-4 loss to Derrick Rostagna They gave ballboys and ballglrls a standing ovation They counted out loud every stroke In the warm-ups as if playing a schoolyard game They popped up from their seats raising their arms In waves round and round the stadium "Oh-ay oh-ay oh-ay oh-ay" they bellowed bringing a song of soccer from Wembley Stadium to Centre Court "Today was a total change at Wimbledon" Connors said "When else have you seen a wave on Centre Court? It was an unbelievable feeling It was a different crowd not the regular traditionalists giving you the 'Jolly good' Connors compared the crowd to the screaming fans at the US Open saying It was like every day In New York wrist surgery "I had a ball I probably had more fun this year than I had In the 19 years previous to this "The reason that Is is because done my duty here given this place everything that I've had to give over the time that I've played here I broke my back for them I mind bleeding and doing whatever It took to play my best tennis and now I still like doing that But this Is just all great gravy for me" Now that Connors Is back and playing well even at 38 he's not ready to quit "Next year I'll come back and I'll be In a little better shape" he said "I'll have more match play and then If they play on the middle Sunday and this crowd comes In 111 be able to give them a bit better McEnroe 32 and thinking about quitting in a year marveled at Connors' enthusiasm and longevity In the sport "I really don't believe that It's going to be his last Wimbledon" McEnroe said "He just loves to play and he can still beat guys I would be lucky If I stay In the game longer than him That's my main goal right now I'm just trying to outlast AS pholl Defending Wimbledon champion Stefan Etfcerg lunges for a shot from South Africa's Christo Van Rensburg during their match on Sunday Edberg won 6-1 6-3 6-2 Attitude All-Star MVP Griffin Sports New After accepting his MVP award after Saturday's game Griffin told the crowd "Now we Just need to keep working and hopefully we can bring another championship to Vero Beach" te Sarasota's Rob Lukachyk should like the friendly confines of Holman Stadium In two games this season the outfielder hit 500 (4-for-8) and belted a three-run homer In the ninth Inning to give the White Sox a 6-5 victory over the Dodgers on May 24 Before Saturday's game Lukachyk proved his performance was no fluke by belting five homers during the FSL's version of Home Run Derby A 284 hitter In the first half of the season Lukachyk was Just one shy of his season home run total Lukachyk won easily over Dunedin's Nigel Wilson one of two native Canadians playing In the game and Miami's Paris Hayden a former Indian River Community College player In other pregame competition St Petersburg's Paul Ellis won the most accurate catcher contest by hitting the second-base target five of five times Vero Adam Brown hit the target on three of five throws ting only 189 and had driven In just six runs Thinking a change of scenery might make a difference Griffin was sent to the Dodgers' other Class A club in Bakersfield Calif There Griffin returned to form In 106 games Griffin hit 273 drove in 32 runs In the lcadoff spot and stole 33 bases to give him 49 for the season This season Griffin came to Vero Beach with a new attitude "I have a uniform on and 111 get to play every he said during spring training "The Important thing Is that I play and people (In the Dodgers organisation) are watching me Griffin opened the season on a tear In the first five games he hit 523 (ll-for-21) stole four bases and drove In four runs After coming back to earth he began his longest hitting streak of the season on May 1 During his next 11 games Griffin was 16-for-44 and settled In with a 309 average But Griffin's luck changed quickly Over the next seven games he was l-for-24 and watched as his average dipped to 254 In June Griffin got back on track and was hitting a respectable 264 and had 27 stolen bases as the first half came to a close Now Griffin has his sights set on something else By BILL BOED1NG Frma-Jauraal Mad Writer Marc Griffin probably will remember Saturday night for a long time Playing In his second Florida State League All-Star Game in three years the Vero Beach Dodgers outfielder had the kind of night most players only dream about Griffin belted two doubles beat out two Infield singles stole two bases and drove in three runs to lead the National League to a 9-2 victory In the 30th Florida State League All-Star Game The performance made Griffin a unanimous choice as the game's most valuable player by media covering the game "Lately I've been seeing the ball well" Griffin said "My Job Is to put the ball In play and that's what happened (Saturday)" But things always gone so well for the 23-year-old Canadian Griffin made people sit up and take notice In 1989 when he hit 282 with 59 RBI and 39 stolen bases for Vero Beach But despite his numbers Griffin was sent to Vero Beach for another tour last season Griffin wasn't happy and he let everyone know It Barely a month Into the season Griffin was hit Nil Journal lew photo ky Jehu Scire Vero Beach outfielder Marc Griffin garnered MVP honors for the 30th annual Florida State League All-Star Game Please See GRIFFIN5B Los Angeles Boots Rival Braves 1 1 -4 Mallon Edges Veterans In LPGA Championship CoudIm ClaiM IL Judi BETllESDA M(UAP) Meg Mallon was living out a dream There she was putting on the 72nd hole with the LPGA Championship on the line while the rest of her threesome Pat Bradley and Ayako Okamoto could only look on Golf ATLANTA (AP) Orel Hcrshlscr survived a shaky five Innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers banged out 13 hits and took advantage of six Atlanta errors to beat the Braves 11-4 Sunday night Hcrshlscr (2-2) gave up nine hits In five Innings eight In the first three and three runs while striking out five lie didn't walk a batter as the Dodgers won for the third straight time after dropping the opener of the four-game scries the plate In the sixth Brett Butler opened with a bunt single extending his hitting streak to 15 games Juan Samuel also reached on a bunt single before Chris Gwynn drew a walk to load the bases Eddie Murray had a sacrifice fly and Kal Daniels a run-scoring single Gary Carter followed with an RBI single extending his hitting streak to nine games Lenny Harris singled to right Delon Sanders' throw home beat Daniels but catcher Greg Olson Hershiscr never finished higher than third In any event or better than 27th on the money list "I felt like I wasn't getting much respect this said Mallon who shot a final-round 67 for a 10-undcr 274 total "I shot a 68 the first day and maybe two people talked to me The same thing the next day But that was good because It kept things low-key" In winning $150000 Mallon scored her biggest payday as Okamoto and Bradley tied for second with final-round 68s Defending champion Beth Daniel was fourth at 278 after a 69 with Barb Bun-kowsky and Deb Richard at 279 after 70 and 71 on Sunday respectively Okamoto who has won 16 tournaments was foiled In her bid to win her first major when her birdie attempt on 18 was an Inch to the side of the cup "When I hit that putt I thought It was In and I was on my way to pick It out of the cup" Okamoto said "But still I was very proud of this round not to have a Mallon Bradley and Okamoto all started the day tied for tho lead at 6-undcr and none could shake the other two Despite her Inexperience In such Intense situations Mallon 27 refused to bend against both 40-year-old veterans "For her to play with us under that kind of pressure that was Okamoto said "She had a lot of smiles and was very friendly" AP photo The scored Dodgers who three unearned If she had slopped to think about It the pressure might have gotten to her But Mallon focused entirely on the task at hand and when her 10-foot birdie putt dropped In the hole Sunday she began celebrating her first major title "What a way to finish a golf tournament" she said "It's a dream being In that situation and I felt like I was In a dream It the type of thing you think about as a kid I was concentrating so hard I guess that I didn't really realise the magnltudo of what wu going on" The three leaders were tied at 9-undcr going to the final hole a 379-yard par-4 After each drove the fairway In good shape Mallon seemingly oblivious to the pressure knocked her approach within striking distance and made the putt after Bradley and Okamoto each left birdie putts right at the holo It was only the second tournament victory for Mallon who earlier this season won the Oldamobllo Classic In four previous years on the tour sho had runs against John Smoltz (2-10) dropped the ball for an error trailed 3-2 before rallying for six runs In the sixth Inning Kevin Gross who had an RBI double In the eighth pitched the last four Innings for his second save in two nights The Dodgers sent 10 batters to Alfredo Griffin greeted Marvin Freeman with two-run single and took when center fielder Ron booted the ball for an error The Dodgers scored unearned runs In the second Meg Mallon of Ramona Calif Jumps after sinking her putt on the 18th hole to capture the LPGA Championship at Bethesda Md on Sunday Mallon won with a 10-undor-par 274 and received a check for $150000 Pat Bradley and Ayako Okamoto tlod for second place reliever a second Gant two 4- A O'-T-V I to if-- sc Cubs Rally Over Cardinals 7-4 4B Fangio Beats Brabham In New York Race 5B r-V -4Sv- A It- Ito- aiau-1 i.