European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday August 7,1990 the stars and stripes Page 25commentary by John e1senberg the Baltimore Sun Twenty minutes before the first pitch the Little Ballpark by the interstate suddenly began filling up and up. And up. Keith Lupton general manager of the Frederick keys in Maryland asked if the interview could wait a couple of minutes. Quot it looks like a Herd of cattle coming through the front Gate a he  let me gel them in Liere Quot by the time he settled into a Seal behind Home plate in the first inning More than 3,000 fans had bought tickets and come inside Harry Grove stadium collected their free rubber can holders and ogled the Hollywood starlets w to would be the pre game entertainment the next night playing softball against the local Media. The stadium was two thirds full. Quot one of our smaller crowds actually a Lupton said. True enough. In their second year of existence the keys a class a team in the Baltimore orioles1 system Are averaging More than 4,200 fans a game. That is better than any other class a or class a team in the country and More than half or the class aaa teams memorial stadium is still just an hour s drive away and the people in Frederick still follow the orioles but they have their own shiny new stadium now and they cheer for their own team. Such stories Are not uncommon these Days. Minor league baseball a moribund entity for years a decades really a has made a big comeback. Attendance is up. The number of teams is up. Franchises Are coveted. New stadiums Are being built. Old stadiums arc being updated. Advertising dollars Are being spent. Money is being made. People Are being surprised. A we thought this would be a Good Market a Lupton said. A maybe not this Good a television and major league expansion precipitated the demise of the minors which dwindled from More than 300 teams in the Early 1950s to fewer than 150 by 1975. Most fans suddenly had a major league team within reach and even better did t have to leave their living rooms to catch a game. They did not want an inferior imitation when they could have the real thing. This current revival is about Money alienation and smart management. And a movie. A Bull Durham was a real shot in the Arm for the minor leagues a said Hugh Schindel a member of the group that owns the keys and Hagerstown suns. A it just made people More interested in what minor Teague baseball was All about h got them coming out to the Park  so did other things. The Price for instance. Keys tickets Range from 52 to $6. Good seats Cost $4, a family of four can get in for $12. Soft drinks Cost 75 cents. Hot dogs Are $1. A and we re going to keep Selling the Dollar hot dog even if it costs a Dollar to make it Quot Lupton said. Quot what we re trying to sell Here is  what they also Are Selling perhaps unconsciously is a game that is More accessible to the average fan. There Are no pouting superstars strikes lockouts contract negotiations or holdouts. Schindel Lupton and keys manager Wally Moon himself a former major leaguer agreed that the minors renewed popularity was due at least in some part to a backlash against the game that fans see on television today. A a lot of families can to afford to go to More than a couple of major league games a year a Lupton said a so they scrimp and save and maybe drive 90 Miles to get there and they see some Guy who a getting paid $1.3 million and he a unhappy or does no to want to play or something. That s kind of hard to Swallow. Thai s Why they done to mind watching kids making $1,000 a . A. But major league attendance is at an All time High so obviously alienation is not at the Core of the revival. No Selling is at the Core Quot everywhere you Sec the minors doing Well Quot Lupton said Quot you have people working 10 make the game attractive. If we just opened our doors without advertising or promoting wed have 200 or 30 1 people Here. You have to go out and get the . The keys have Giveaway nights just like the orioles and bring in the Chicken Moi Annu and Max Patkin. There is always something going of even in the Ufi. Season Lupton and his is All spend the Winter Selling spaces on their Outfield Wall and in their program. They have More than 80 signs on the Wall and a waiting list to get on. Quot we hit the business Community first when we got Here a Lupton said a and found they were ready to provide support in the team averaged 2,60 1 fans at old Mccurdy Field last year the new stadium opened this season and it is part of the allure. Bright Dean and spacious paid for with a combination of state county City Atid private moneys it is far from the stereotypical minor league Park. There will even be sky boxes next season when a Small second deck is com plated. A a Well have 18, and we be already sold 13,&Quot Lupton said. Sky boxes at class a a truly amazing. But done to lament any loss of baseball a Small lows innocence a the minors were dead and now they Arentt. If it takes a dose of 90s marketing and packaging to gel it done so be it and anyway there Are fresh Cut French Fries and Home made lemonade both delicious Quot we re Selling this As a family entertainment a Lupton said. Quot but its Stilt baseball and the pc plug arc  or. Takes fastest 500-Miler by Mike Harris Brooklyn Mich. Apr not. Even the fastest 500-mile race in history was enough to quench a Unser  lust for Speed. The 27-year-old Unser Outra cd and out lucked teammate Bobby Rahal on sunday to win the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway. Unser who along with several other top competitors had laps in the 224 Mph Range averaged 189.727 Mph despite eight caution periods. That was faster than the previous 500-mile Mark of 186.288 set by Stock car Star Bill Elliott at Talladega super Speedway in May 1985. It easily outstripped the indy car Mark of 185.981 by Arie Luyendyk this May in the Indianapolis 500. A i done to think that a fast enough Quot the Boyish freckle faced Unser said. A i think we can go  Unser dedicated his first 500-mile victory1 to his father a four time indy 500 Winner who is recovering from injuries sustained Here thursday in a crash during practice. The elder Unser is in an Indianapolis Hospital with a broken right thigh cracked right Collarbone and several broken ribs. Quot i was lying in bed last night hoping a could do this a Al or. Said. Quot this was Tor you dad. I w ish you were  Rahal lost his Chance at Victory when Belgium a n amur Belgium a Bugiani Eric deboers Riding a Honda took his fifth Motocross world title sunday a a inning the belgian 500cc grand irix ahead of Kurt Nicoll of Britain. In the world standings deboers now leads Nicoll a a a the 88 Points with Only two of the 12 grand prix a aces left in the season. Each grand prix has 40 Points in stake. Deboers finished Only tilth in the first series hut lit g1 the Dusty hot course in the second series with us Unser got to make his final fuel Stop during the final caution period. A for it to be determined by a yellow like that is very very disappointing. At least it was Al who beat me Quot said Rahal who finished second for the fifth time this season. Engine problems eliminated several top challengers sunday including Luyendyk Polc Winner Emerson Fittipaldi who dominated the first half of the race Michael Andretti and Rick Mears. That left the Battle to galls Draco teammates Unser and Rahal whose Chevrolet powered Lolas went wheel to wheel late in the 250-Lap race. Andretti was running a Strong third when his Chevy failed on Lap 200. His departure seemed to put a charge in the Unser Rahal Duel at the front. Unser took the Lead on a restart on Lap 212 following the seventh caution period Rahal regained the top spot on Lap 216, lost it to Unser on 218, got Back on lop on 219 and lost it to Unser for the final time on Lap 235, just 16 laps from the end when Rahal pitted for fuel. The crowd estimated at 55,000, was on its feet and screaming when Rahal Dove onto pit Road and took just 12.1 seconds to head Back toward the track just Over 31 seconds behind his teammate. Just As Unser was ready for his fuel Stop Rookie Jon Beekhuis blew his engine bringing out the final caution period on Lap 240. Unser managed to overtake Rahal before the two reached the Flagstad putting a Lap on Rahal and making it virtually impossible for the two Simc cart pig Champion to win the race. Unser was Able to make an almost leisurely Stop during the caution period and pulled onto he track still More than 26 seconds ahead. He wound up winning by 25.459 seconds. Mario Andretti Michael s father and teammate finished third a Lap behind followed seven laps Back by indy car Rookie Eddie Cheever. Roberto Guerrero was fifth and a. Foyt sixth both 10 laps off the Pace. Most of the caution flags were brought out by blown engines or cars stopped on the track. There were no crashes and no injuries reported. At the end 12 of the 26 starters were still running. Unser earned his second straight Victory fourth of the season and 13th of his career it was Only his second Triumph on an Oval a the first came on the one mile track at Milwaukee in june a and his first 500-mile Victory. Unser or. Added to his series Point Lead with just 6 of 16 races remaining. He now has 126 Points followed by Michael Andretti with 104, Mears 102 and Rahal 95. 01 0 1 Ai lbs or or. Celebrate a after Marlboro 500 win nabs world Motocross title per driving to win the belgian classic for the first time in his career. Over the two series one More than Nicoll both on a , and on a Kawasaki. Deboers winning than indifferent Start to the summer winning events. Deboers scored 31 Points just dutchman Kucs Van Der Ven 18->ear-old briton. Paul Malm e title on his 28th birthday had the season but came alive Over five of the last six grand prix his task was made a to easer when american rider Billy Ldes was injured Kilt Way through the season while he was leading the stand mrs. Thorpe won sunday s first series on the Hilly and wooded circuit Here ahead of Malm Quot and Van Ter Ven. But defending world a Wampum Ihm pc had to abandon the second series with ice Mai problems. Deboers. Had already won two Motocross world lilies in the i 2 5cc division and one in the 2 5g.i. -da., it before earning his first 5mkc title in 1988