European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 1987 the stars and stripes Paga 25 baseball a growing sport Down under Brisbane Australia not now Hal in America s cup is Over and the Louring British Cricket ers have resumed Home Many australian sports fanfare turning their attention la the final championship Garnet of a growing phenomenon Here baseball. Baseball i sounds too absurd even for the Topsy Turvy world of marsupials and Platy uses. Yet fully 100,000 australians Are enrolled with the Australia sports commission As players in leagues of various Levels and the final games of what passes for inc australian world series the Claxton shield Are drawing crowds of up to 6,000. Still sound ridiculous Well consider that the Phila Delphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers now have scouts Here and other major league teams arc stepping up their visits to try to woo the Best players with minor league contracts and College athletic scholarships. Thesis beginning to pay off and the tint australian players Are edging toward the big leagues. The Browere last month gave a $ 10,000 Bonus cosign David Nilsson a 17-year-old switch hitting catch or from the Brisbane area and the month before Gar White a Catcher from Sydney signed with the Phillies. Gary can hit with Power and he has a major league Arm so we signed him said Eddie Bachman chief of scouting for the Phillies. We also saw a Pitcher Belike but we re not going to talk about him until we sign him too. Because of these two we re certainly inter ested in australian baseball and we re going Back there soon Hunting for More  in All Al least a dozen other australian players Are inthe minor leagues in the United states and several dozen More have been or Are on team of colleges including Auburn Oregon slate Georgia Southern Alabama northeastern Illinois and California poly Lech. The Best Prospect produced so far is Craig Shipley who played 11 games Al shortstop for the los Angeles dodgers last season. Shipley is a switch hitter  a signing Bonus of More than $50,000, an enormous sum for a player from a country that pays it baseball players with applause. He will report to Spring training with the dodgers in Vero Beach fla., late this month. Another australian Prospect in the dodger organization is Adrian meaner pronounced Mara Relief Pitcher now assigned to the Albuquerque Dukes of the Pacific coast league where Shipley spent most of last season. Maher a lanky player with a Boomerang curve and a newly developed change also pitches Here in Brisbane during the Antipodal summer with his Hometown Queensland rams. Baseball is growing steadily in popularity in this country and because there is almost no cold weather we play All year Long said  s image was burnished recently when Alan Border Captain of the National Cricket team and a Man already enshrined in Australia s pantheon of sports heroes revealed in a shocking confession that tie play baseball in the off season contending that it Sharpens his Cricket skills. This led several australian Spons writers to suggest that Border needed professional help and not from a baseball  meaner Sticks to baseball of mean when you re playing Cricket you can stand around out there in the same spot for hours on end with absolutely nothing Todo he did recently while wailing to Board a plane for a Road trip. What few australians realize is that baseball has been played Here for 100 years meaner said noting that an australian player was in the major leagues Elthe turn of the  Joe Quinn a second baseman from Sydney played for 17 Yean with several different clubs retiring in 1902 with a lifetime batting average of .261 after Tak ing part in More than 1,700 games. Quinn also managed in 1895, he was an interim manager for inc St. Louts pc Fedos of the National league and in 1899 he replaced Lave Cross As manager of the National league Cleveland spiders probably inc worst team in major league history. The acts Ore hoping to find a new Joe Quinn in Darryl Bra san a 20-year-old Catcher from Brisbane who was signed two years ago and played last season for Kingston in the appalachian league. Slowly bul perceptibly australian sportswriters have begun to familiarize themselves with the sport but the results can sometimes set an american s telethon Edge a shutout of the Adelaide Home team one scribe said recently was due More to the club s irresponsible baiting than the fact it had faced one of the bes pitchers in the country Lindsay Orford of he Victoria vies Winner of the nation s Golden Arm award in19&6, ranked teams win in Bennor Hahn a Germany first Day s action in the Bennor High school basketball tournament was cause for a bit of Fingernail biting As top seeded teams either waxed their opponents or squeaked out a  of the Day goes to girls no. 3 seed of cent Lions and no. 5-Ed Hahn i Hawks who took every second of the game before accent finally eked out 831-29 Victory. Offence gave Way to defense from the Onset As Hahn took a 9-6 first Quarter Lead but saw it slip away to accent who clawed Back to claim a 19-17 halftime Edge. Both teams hit six Points in the third Quarter for a 25-23 score then came the Nail  Knotting the score at 27-27, game High scorer Tiffany threat hit two of her14 Points with 1 2? remaining on the clock to give the i Hawks a 29-27  Dianne Dubay countered with a hoop though to knot the score at29-29. Hahn took control of the Ball after the Basket bul a tight accent defens tied up the Hahn bail handler with 40 seconds remaining killing Haws upset aspirations. With the game on the line accent did t go to its leading scorer Heidi Hogan with 12, at Dubay who hit 3, or even  it was Dane Ifie Gonzales who look a 15-Fbot jumper at the Buzzer to move the Lions into the semifinals go Ruales Gam winning shot gave her four Points. High school basketball in other girls games it was inn a 61, Soe surtax 29 the Day started with a classic waxing a fourth seeded Brussels conquered the soc Sterberg Falcons. Sandy White popped in 14 Points and Wendy Lester added 13 for the  Falcons who got six Points from Julie Fitzgerald Sabrina Brilly and Holl seavers never threatened after the Brig ands took a 24-4 first Quarter Lead an breezed to the Buzzer. Bonn 33, Brussels 19 top rated Bonn made Quick work of Brussels 33-19 behind Mina Babic s game High 12 Points. The crusaders finished conference play with a 9-1 Mark to earn the no. I seed Emily pay Cutie and Angie Barnes had six Points apiece for the brigands. Krista Wright tallied eight Points for the crusade Ere. In boys Competition it was Brussels 58,  55 the Day s action began with a Baili Between the no. 3 seed Brussels brigands against sixth ranked Soester Benj  built a 32-24 halftime Lead but the Falcons George Pilimai hit eight of his16 Points in the third Quarter and team mate Jack Harmon chipped in six of his game High 21 Points to bring the game to a tie at 40-40 at the end of , Brussels pulled the game out in the fourth Quarter. Mike want scored his Only six Points of the game and to Pace an 18 15 run for a 55-55 win. Accent 42, Bonn 36third seeded accents balanced of sense shot Down no. 5 Bonn s one Man scoring show Andy Agnew. Agnew chalked up 20 Points 10 in each half but could t stave off the eventual crusader  Lions followed David Dubay s 12 first half Points to a 24 a halftime Lead and controlled the match torn then on. Paul Reich and Terry Brown rounded out lop lion scorers. Milch Girdler put in 10 Point for  plays in the semifinals Sal inlay while Bonn competes for fifth spot shape 70, Brora Emz pal Wilson Buck eted 12 first Quarter Points to help the top seeded shape spartans take a healthy 21-9 Lead Over the brigands Wilson then added four More Points in the second Quarter Ai Shapero Lolerd its advantage to 38-22, Wilson finished with 23 Points and an Drea Pizzulo and Jim Mumford scored 11 apiece for the  Mccallop hit 14 Tor Brussels and John Boyd and Alex Yarboroug netted 8 apiece shape advances to the championship Maich saturday while Brussels Battles for third place. Good Fra ners key Swiss Success crans Montana Switzer land up there s no secret to Switzer land s overwhelming Success at the world Alpine ski championships according to the winners themselves. Good racers and Good trainers was inc simple explanation from double Gold medallist Pirmin Zurbriggen. We work very  said downhill world Champion Peter Mueller. The championships had a rest Day Friday before the women s and men s slalom bring the meet to a close Ai the weekend. The Day Oft gave other teams dispirited and buried under the Swiss Avalanche the Chance to Ponder How 10 contend with the Host nation team which so far has won seven out of eight golds and 13 out of 24 medals Overall. We feel so Good in our team and we re surrounded by expert trainers an servicemen said Maria Walliser the most successful woman of the championships with two Gold medals and Abronze. With five separate champions and three other Medalise the current Swiss team is possibly the most powerful Ever. Vreni Schneider s Victory thursday in inc women s giant slalom gave the Swissa new Gold medal record of seven. The austrian won six titles Ai inc 1962 world championships in Chamonix France and the French team equated that four years later in Ronillo Chile. Times change. The French have yet to place anyone in the lop six in any event Here while Austria has gained just one Silver medal and one Bronze. Television College basketball Kentucky at Ala Bam 7 pm. Saturday Memphis state Al Bradley 3 an. Sunday. Radio Rouege basketball Missouri Al Oklahoma 10 . Saturday Urcla Al California 11 30 . A dream come True for Conner Fremantle up skip per Dennis Conner Friday finally grabbed Back the America s Cuylor the United states proclaiming the end of his three year quest a dream come  As the 27-Inch Silver Pri Shim mered in the sunlight he helmsman who lost yachting s pre Miere prize fulfilled his 3-year-Oldvow of winning it Back. This is a dream come Irue said the choked up san Diego drapery manufacturer As the Tro Phy was placed in his arms. The stars & stripes team donned their Royal Blue by Airt for the official Transfer of the Auld Mug from the Royal Perth yacht quo to an eager Conner. This is not the Dennis Conner show the portly four time cup participant told a cheering crowd of 2.000 spectators on the Lawn fringing the Banks of the Swan River. Literally hundreds of people from the builders to the designers to the spar makers made this pos sible. It was a total team Effort. As beaten Kookaburra ii helmsman Iain Murray solemnly looked on a beaming Conne hoisted the cup Over his head in Triumph. During the grueling months of racing Starling oct. 6, Conner Defeated 12 other challenger hopefuls from sin countries and then clobbered the australian defenders. Murray and his Golden hulled 12 meter were no match for Conner s 13 years of cup experience or his 11 million High tech yacht. Surrounded by Security guards the newly polished trophy was re moved from its red upholstered Case in inc Royal Perth yacht club s observation lounge Friday and Majl Sii Cally placed on the podium