European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Rangers blues add bulk for playoff push by John Kreiser a sportswriter the new York rangers and St. Louis blues Hope a last minute shot of Tough Ness is the final step to a Stanley cup. The rangers and blues each made deals tuesday to add More muscle to their push for an nil. Championship As teams dealt 39 players four draft picks and file promises of future considerations in the final hours before the trading deadline. The finesse oriented rangers leaders in the Patrick division welcomed one of the no la a Best fighters Joe Koch who came in a five player Deal with Detroit. A the will make other teams Back Down in terms of fighting a said rangers general manager Neil Smith who knew Kocur front his Days As the red wings assistant general manager. A i think we be got the Puzzle All put  the rangers were out muscled in the Creighton guns for tourney by United press International St. Louis a Creighton a 68-52 Victory Over Southwest Missouri state on tuesday night not Only proved that the bluejays Are primed and ready to be a genuine threat in the Mcaa tournament but it also seriously jeopardized the bears chances for an at Large bid. Utilizing a Sticky Man to Man and effective zone defense Creighton held the College basketball bears to just 20 percent shooting from the Field in the second half. A a thought we played the Best Man to Man defense of the year 1 thought we did a Good Job in our half court trap a said Creighton coach Tony Barone whose team clinched the Missouri Valley conference tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the Mcaa tournament. The bluejays upped their season Mark to 23-7, tying a school record for most victories in a season. They have won seven consecutive games and 15 of their last 16. It was their fourth conference tournament championship. Southwest Missouri coach Charlie Spoonhour admitted to the defensive effectiveness of the streaking bluejays. A we Only made seven of 34 shots in it the second half a Spoonhour said. A i thought Creighton s Maii to Man defense caused trouble. Then when they went to the trap defense we did no to attack it  Southwest Missouri which has been to the Mcaa tournament the last four years As the mid continent conference representative finished 21-11 in its first year in the Missouri Valley. A i done to know How they Feci about this but a 16-Point loss scares me a Spoonhour said about his teams possible selection for an at Large bid to the Mcaa tournament. A if they done to want to let us in the tournament because we re not Good enough that a Fine. But i done to want to hear anyone say we did t play a Good schedule a we play As Good a schedule As we can  holding a 45-38 Lead with 14 59 left the bluejays went on a 7-0 run for a 52-38 advantage with 11 21 remaining. _ Southwest Missouri managed to Cut see College on Page 18 division finals by Washington last season. They Hope the addition of Kocur who has 253 penalty minutes this season and 1,714 in his career will prevent a repetition.�?o1 play my game and 1  Best and things happen a Kocur said.  does no twin you the Stanley cup but it might help you  had 16 goals last season by far the most in his nil career. He has just five goals and four assists this season. The red wings got versatile Center right Wing Kevin Miller a 17-goal scorer and a Michigan native and two minor leagues. The blues dealt four players including Veteran left wings Courtnell and Sergio Somesso to Vancouver. In Exchange they got Veteran Center Dan Quinn and Tough Guy defens Eman Garth Butcher. The blues gave up defens Eman Robert Dirk and forwards Courtn Alk Somesso and Cliff Ronning in their second major deadline Day Deal with the canucks in two years. The canucks battling the Winnipeg jets for the fourth smythe division playoff spot also sent enforcer Ronnie Stern and defens Eman Kevan Guy to Calgary for Dana Murzyn a solid defens Eman who recently returned from a Long Layoff with a shoulder injury. Vancouver the busiest dealer also sent Little used goal tender Steve weeks to the Buffalo sabres for future considerations. One potential blockbuster Trade never came off. A three Way Deal that among others would have had Joe Murphy of the Edmonton oilers Hartford a Kevin i Reeh and Scott Mellanby of the Philadelphia flyers change teams reportedly was scuttled when flyers general Lianag or Russ Farwell left his counterparts on see trades on Page 18 the stars and stripes ports March 7, 1991 b Page 24 inside sports Ruddock warns Tyson a Page 18 bests hotel team Ever a Page 21 Timber wolves stun lakers a Page 22. A a a a a. 20 wins May not make Caas a Page 23 Boston Rod sox Pitcher Dana Kiel Ter winds through a delivery As manager Joe Morgan watches during practice tuesday. Martinez Back with dodger Deal from wire reports an 11-Day holdout and 2r/2-hour Summit. Meeting later 20-game Winner Ramon Martinez says he s a Happy Man and ready for another big year with the los Angeles dodgers. A a in a glad to be Here again i m so Happy a Martinez said tuesday after pitching 15 minutes of batting practice in his first workout at the dodgers Spring training facility in Vero Beach Fla. A i Wasny to angry i was trying to get a Deal to make everybody  the Deal Martinez got was a $485,000 contract from the dodgers certainly one of the richest a player with just one full year in the major leagues has Ever signed. Then again not too Many players have. Had a first full year like Martinez had in 1990 a a 20-6 record a 2.92 earned run average 223. Strikeouts in 234va innings 12 Complete games and three shutouts lie finished second behind Pitchur ghz a Doug Zdrubek in the National league by Young award voting. Martinez Felt justified in wanting More Money than the $400,000 the dodgers were offering when Spring training began. By t As a i Aye r w i t h less t h a n t to be a rss Pring training of big league experience the dominican right hander had no real leverage. The parties finally agreed to terms sat. Urday a some two hours before dodgers general manager Fred Claire said he would have renewed Martinez a contract for substantially less than $485,000, in other Spring training news \. A Texas pitchers Kevin Brown and Kenny Rogers did no to like their contracts so they left Camp tuesday. A the significance of the walkouts would not be Clear until wednesday the mandatory reporting Date under the collective bargaining agreement. A i v?.hjl, a tile a american league map Rickey Henderson was expected to report to the Oakland athlete As teams prepared Quot for exhibition openers thursday and Friday the of season Money Battles went on. The play a Skall of whom fall Short of arbitration eligibility were renewed at salaries of their team s choosing. _ beginning wednesday the players could be fined for not being in Camp. Brown had his contract renewed by Texas for $327,500, a 50.2 percent raise. Rogers was renewed at $287,500, a 105.4 percent raise. A this is not the Way to build a relationship for the future a Brown said. A i m not demanding All the Money in the world. I done to think that Way. I just wanted a Chance for the Market to show what a fair number would  if the players failed to return wednesday they could be fined. A players on the athletics Are taking up a collection for Henderson who thinks he a underpaid at $12 million for four years and wants to renegotiate. A collection bottle was placed near the Entrance to the trainers room and it was full of greenbacks of varying denominations by the end of tuesdays workout. On the bottle was a Handwritten message a Rickey appreciation fund. Not tax  a a the giants agreed to a Iive year lease to continue training at Scottsdale ariz., through 1996. The City will build a $7 million 10,000-seat stadium that will see baseball on Page 18