European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday september 18, 1991 the stars and stripes c Page 25canada Downs . To win cup Hamilton Ontario a Canada playing without injured team Captain Wayne Gretzky got two goals from Steve Larmer to beat the United states 4-2 monday night and Clinch their fourth Canada cup in five tries. Larmere a second goal of the night a Short handed Effort at 12 13 of the third period broke a 2-2 tie. As Fate would have it . Defens Eman Gary Suter the Man who put Gretzky out with a brutal Check in Canadas 4-1 win saturday was the Goat. Suter lost the puck at Canadas Blue line. Larmer skated in alone on goalie Mike Richter pulled the puck to his backhand and slipped it Between Richter a legs. Dirk Graham Larmere a teammate on the Chicago Blackhawk scored into an empty net with 42 seconds remaining. Mark Messier also scored for Canada and Bill Ranford again was outstanding in the nets. Canada swept the Best of three final and finished the six country tournament undefeated at 6-0-2. About 17,000 Flag waving Copps coliseum customers roared their approval As Canada won the Canada cup for the third straight time. This was hockey at its Best crunching body checks excellent goal ending and great shots. Eric Lindros set the tone 90 seconds into the game by cleanly flattening american defens Eman Eric Weinrich. Ranford thrust out his catching Mitt and snared a Kevin Miller breakaway shot four minutes into the game then seconds later made a huge save on a Joel Otto blast. Messier opened the scoring at 13 39 of the first period cruising into the Middle of the . Zone and sending a missile of a wrist shot into a top Corner of Richter a net. . Goaltender Mike Richter dives to make a save against Canadas Dale Hawer Chuk in the Canada cup finals monday night. Larmer battling for the puck in the right Wing Circle spun and took a Quick shot that caught the lower Short Side Corner of the net for his fifth goal of the tournament and a 2-0 Canadian Lead at 13 59. The americans did no to panic despite the two goal deficit and they got one Back on a Power play at 3 45 of the second period on a nifty Cross crease pass by Mike Modano to Jeremy Roenick. The americans were getting most of the Good scoring chances As the second period wore on and the tension mounted. Kevin Miller slapped a Long shot through a screen Ana past rant Ord at 11 02 of the second to tie it 2-2. Gretzky a absence was most noticeable on the Power play. His play making abilities would have come in Handy Dunn the four Power play chances Canada squandered through the first two periods. Luc Robitaille had a great Chance to break the tie Early in the third period when he was set up on a 2-on-l break but he fanned on his shot towards the open Side of Richter a net. With 15 minutes left Richter made a big save off Brendan Shanahan at the crease on a pass from  proves Points All .331 of them u by Claire Smith new York times Willie Randolph never really thought that Well reasoned baseball people really Felt he was finished at age 36. So the Veteran second baseman just chalked up the unnerving silence that greeted his free Agency last Winter As another monetary game that management and players have made their favorite of season sport. A most clubs general managers knew i could still play a Randolph said. A i figured someone would Call sooner or  it turned out that some team did take a Chance much later than Randolph would have liked. The Milwaukee Brewers were the ones to finally get in touch. When they did just before Spring training they offered a non guaranteed incentive filled contract with a base of $500,000. It was not what Randolph had hoped for. Still it was a Job. After that it was All about proving something a not so much to other people but to myself a Randolph said. Suffice to say Randolph has proven his Point royally. The former Yankee co Captain in town to face his former team in a three game series is enjoying a career year. Monday night in the Brewers 5-4 Victory Over the Yankees Randolph went 1 for 3 to leave his batting average at .331 a 57 Points higher than his career average. Randolph was creeping into the thoughts of other american leagues like Julio Franco and Wade Boggs As a batting Champion threat. Going into monday nights action Franco led the league with a .341 Mark while Boggs was second at .333. Randolph has Only 423 plate appearances not enough to allow his name to be listed among the leagues batting Lead ers. But All he needs to reach the minimum requirement of 502 by seasons end is four plate appearances a game in Milwaukee s remaining 20 contests. A you know it has crossed my mind but i Tell you the reason in a where in a at is because in be been Able to stay within myself draw my walks concentrate on on base percentage a Randolph said. A if i Start thinking about hits i can mess myself up. So i do what i do and hopefully things will just take care of  besides Randolph said he a really pulling for teammate Paul Molitor because the Veteran designated hitter who is batting .328, has been doing it from Day one while Randolph was in a platoon earlier in the season. Randolph a timing has been just As impressive As his Overall numbers. He came to new York batting .380 35 for 92 with runners in scoring position including a .395 Mark in two out situations. Better yet he is batting .417 with runners on third base. His 44 runs batted in represent his largest output since 1987, when he drove in 67 runs for the Yankees. Randolph who said he worked harder than he Ever had during the off season is matter of fact about All the production. A a in a not surprised i done to know Why anyone else would be a he said. He said those who had looked at his .257 average with Oakland in the second half of last year did themselves a disservice if that a what they based their reasoning on when it came to not offering him a contract. Having come Over to the athletics from the los Angeles dodgers in a Trade on May 12, 1990, Randolph said he went through a period of National league american league adjustment. By the Brewers coach Larry Haney 12 greets Willie Randolph after one of his key hits. Time the a a reached the playoffs that unsettled period had ended he said. He pointed to a .375 playoff average As proof he batted .267 in a world series in which the a a did not win a game. One of the teams that did not take a Chance on Randolph last Winter was the Yankees. Randolph wanted to come Back and talked a number of times to Gene Michael the general manager and his former teammate about the possibility. But Randolph soon realized that the Yankees were not getting everything they wanted accomplished with their roster. A i got the feeling it was chaos a Randolph said. A i started thinking i was being Strung along. I done to blame stick. He tried to make it work. It just  not for the Yankees. But it did for Randolph in a most wonderful Way