Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 35

Wednesday, June 4, 1997 Section Call Sports: 1-313-222-6660 Detroit ifxcc Press www.freep.comsports INSIDE Strike! Fore! The pro bowling tour comes to Detroit, and the LPGA stops in East Lansing. Stories, Page 2D. Lions, Page 2 Tigers comer, Page 5 Scoreboard, Page 6 TTTi 71 EEB-YIEW WHAT: Detroit Grand Prix. WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: Belle Isle, 2.1-mile road course. DISTANCE: 161.7 miles (72 laps). TV: ABC (Ch. 7 Detroit). LAST YEAR: Winner -Michael Andretti, f75.136 m.p.h.

Schedule, Page GD. Detroit isn't close enough to Canada, eh? By Steve Crowe flree Press Sports Writer As Greg Moore takes the green for Sunday's ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix, his throat will get lumpy, his heart will flutter. Moore might even slow just slightly at times for a fleeting 0 0 Nations No. I Anderson central to Tigers vishn lrir1-. Mr :) I "iwj-.

V-'- V' i 4: 1" NICO TOUTENHOOFDDetroit Free Press Matt Anderson, at Tiger Stadium on I have ever seen," Tigers general manager Randy Smith said. Ryan Anderson, picked 19th byM claims he cant wait to beat Tigers BuWpen ruins Blair return; A 's late home runs tame Tigers, 9-8 glance at his native Canada while otherwise ripping around the Belle Isle circuit Get real. The most important thing to Moore about Motown is that it's the next Greg Moore town after his first Championship Auto Racing Teams victory. Moore, in his second CART season and 23rd start, won last Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile oval. His breakthrough came by .348 second over Michael Andretti, the Mile's closest CART finish.

Belle Isle will bring Moore close to Canada just across the Detroit River but not to his birthplace New Westminster, British Columbia. "I've still got two home-country races Toronto and Vancouver," Moore said. "And my home race is Vancouver. Detroit is great, and so is Windsor and all. Please see GRAND PRK, Page 6D BULLS JAZZ GAME RESULT One Bulls 84-82 WHEN SITE TIME Chicago 9:00 Utah 9:00 Sunday Utah 7:30 If necessary 'June 11 Utah 9:00 13 9:00 June 15 Chicago 7:30 TV: All games on NBC (Channel 4 in Detroit).

Magic hires Daly; Collins completes deal By Perry A. farrell Free Press Sports Writer CHICAGO Chuck Daly is back in coaching with the Orlando Magic, and Doug Collins' new con-tract with the Pistons has been in principle. Daly agreed to a three-year, $15-million offer Tuesday after ear-'lier turning down the Magic. The Pistons expect to announce Collins' contract late this week or early next week, team -president Tom Wilson said. "We're drafting the documents now," Wilson said.

"You can never say never, but it looks like we're 'going to be fine." Collins contract is expected to pay him $3 million to $4 million annually. He had three years left on his original deal, which paid him $1.5 million per season. Immediately after the playoffs, some people close to Collins didn't think he would return, partly for health reasons. "After the season we told him to get away," Wilson said. "For the ivlast two years he hadn't left the practice facility.

He was so committed to building this franchise to respectability, and he has done that And he did it at a price." Daly, 67, returned to coaching rafter a three-year absence. He last the New Jersey Nets after -i. taking the Pistons to NBA titles in 1989 and "90. Daly said his decision was not driven by the size of the deal. "We 'all want to be compensated for 'iwhat we do," he said, "but it's never been about money for me." BY JOHN LOWE Free Press Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif.

Tigers executives have a vision, largely unspoken: Within five years, at the new stadium, the Tigers will win a division title, a pennant and maybe a World Series. Another part of that vision perhaps came into view Tuesday. The Tigers drafted a pitcher who could get the final outs in those late-season games and trigger championship celebrations at the new ballpark. He's reliever Matt Anderson, 20, a right-hander from Rice University, selected with the first overall pick in the amateur draft. Anderson has the overpowering fastball mid-to-upper range to be an elite ninth-inning closer.

The Tigers say he also has the confidence and resiliency vital to the all-or-nothing role: The short reliever either clinches a victory or loses when his team is within three outs sometimes one strike of winning. "He is the most aggressive pitcher I have ever seen," said general manager Randy Smith, who scouted Anderson a few times. "He goes right after guys." The Tigers apparently were leaning toward Anderson for at least a few weeks. The other finalist for the first pick was Ryan Anderson, a 6-foot-10 left-hander from Dearborn Divine Child. After the Tigers, 17 more teams passed on Ryan Anderson.

Two high school left-handers went in the top 10, but Ryan Anderson lasted until Please see TOP PICK, Page 4D the Tigers and Matt Anderson," Ryan Anderson said. "I was surprised to go at No. 19, but I sort of told my agent that I wanted to go down to Seattle if Detroit didn't take me. I told Ryan Anderson: Young Unit those teams, 'Don't take me unless you want to spend some Anderson has been advised by agent Alan Hendricks not to discuss money, but he might have lost some big bucks by falling in the draft. The No.

1 pick likely will command $2 million to $3 million. The 19th choice might get a million or more less than that Please see RYAN, Page 4D freuch open i TODAY: Patrick Rafter vs. Galo Blanco; SergiBruguera (16 seed) vs. Hicham Arazi, men's quarterfinals (9 a.m., USA network). THURSDAY: Iva Majoli (9) vs.

Amanda Coetzer (11); Monica Seles (3) vs. Martina Hingis (1), women's semifinals (9 a.m., USA). FRIDAY: FilipDewulf vs. Gustavo Kuerten; Rafter-Bianco winner vs. Bruguera-Arazi winner, men's semifinals (10 a.m., NBC, Channel 4).

SATURDAY: Women's final (taped at 3 p.m., NBC, Channel 4). SUNDAY: Men's final (9 a.m., NBC, Channel 4). 4 4. Tuesday, is "the most aggressive pitcher game. Oakland scored five runs in the seventh with three homers.

Mark McGwire capped the outburst off Dan Miceli the way Scott Brosius began it off Blair: with a solo homer. Blair's totals were innings, seven hits, four earned runs, a walk, a strikeout and two solo homers by Brosius. But the most important statistic was that Blair took the mound, a month after he was taken off it at Jacobs Field. "I was just happy to be back out there," Blair said. "It was a lot of fun.

A lot of people didn't think I would be back this soon. "I worked hard to get here." "It was outstanding to see him out there," Myers said. The day it happened, we thought he could be out for the year, and for two months Please see TlGERS, Page 6D TOP TIGERS First three players selected by the Tiger In Tuesday's amateur draft: 1. Matt Anderson; 6-feet4, 190 pounds, right-handed pitcher from Rice University, hometown Louisville, bats right, throws right, 20 years old, overall No. 1.

2. Shane A. Loux: 60, 205, right-handed pitcher from Gilbert, (Highland High School), bats right, throws right, 17 years old. 3. Matthew J.

Boone: 6-2, 175, third baseman from Villa Park, (Villa Park High School), bats right, throws right, 17 years old. Son of Bob Boone, brother of Bret Boone and grandson of former Tiger Ray Boone (1953-58). Inside Tigers' top selection looking forward to closing games as a professional. "I can't imagine not going after a hitter," he says. Page 4D.

It marked the first time since 1986 that Graf failed to reach at least the semifinals at the French Open, and the first time since 1985 she has lost so early in consecutive Grand Slams. Coetzer beat Graf, 6-2, 7-5, in the fourth round cf the Australian Open in January, and handed Graf the most lopsided loss of her career last month in Berlin, 6M), 6-1. The latter came after Graf had missed three months with an injured left knee. Graf, a finalist eight of the last 10 years in Paris, and fellow defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov became the latest victims of the wildest, most unpredictable French Open in memory. Third seed Kafelnikov lost Please see FRENCH OPEN, Page 3D By bill roose Free Press Sports Writer Ryan Anderson had his heart set on becoming a Tiger in Tuesday's amateur baseball draft Instead, the Dearborn Divine Child left-hander had to settle for Seattle.

It was a big drop in expectations and possibly, money. The Tigers had the top pick in the draft, and Anderson was projected by many to be the first player selected. But the Mariners took him with the 19th pick in the first round. "I was pleasantly happy to get drafted by Seattle," Anderson said. "I wanted to go to Seattle if I wasn't drafted by the Tigers.

But I'm actually quite happy, because Seattle is one of my favorite teams." Anderson was disappointed by the Tigers' apparent snub. Detroit drafted Rice University reliever Matt Anderson. "I can't wait to come home and beat REMY DE LA MAUVINIEREAssociated Press Graf, who made 64 errors, says: "I don't seem to find the patience and belief in my shots." BY JOHN LOWE Free Press Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. In Willie Blair's last start before Tuesday, the Tigers' bullpen pitched hitless innings to save a victory for him. Blair didn't see it.

He had been taken to a hospital in Cleveland with a broken right jaw, suffered when Julio Franco's line drive slammed into his face. During Tuesday's return 30 days after the frightening incident Blair again turned over a lead to the bullpen. And this time, Blair's game-ending story was the opposite of Cleveland health, but not wealth. Three batters after Blair departed, Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer off Mike Myers, sending Oakland to a 9-8 victory in which the Athletics had to withstand the Tigers' three-run ninth inning. Travis Fryman flied to right with runners on first and second to end the LAURENT REBOURS Associated Press Amanda Coetzer puts away five-time French champion Steffi Graf for the third time this year.

mm, 1. 1. i -V Coetzer slices clueless Graf in quarters Free Press News Services PARIS Nothing was working for Steffi Graf. All she could do was throw back her head and let out an anguished cry, screaming an obscenity in German that summed up one of the worst days in her Grand Slam career. The player who used to dominate opponents mentally and physically was reduced to a tentative, nervous wreck Tuesday at the French Open.

"It's just the state I'm in. I just don't seem to have the confidence against her," Graf, a five-time French champion, said after making 64 unforced errors in a 6-1, 64 loss to 11th-seeded Amanda Coetzer in the quarterfinals. I don't seem to find the patience and belief in my shots.".