European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday october8, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 21franco, Ryan grab spotlight by Ben Walker a baseball writer on a Day when the Toronto Blue jays and Minnesota twins tuned up for the last time the Baltimore orioles bid Farewell to an old Ballpark and the american league West welcomed a new order. And while there weren to any Pennant races to be decided on the last Day of the regular season several other titles went Down to the final swing. Julio Franco ended at .341 to become the first Texas Ranger to win a batting championship and Jose Canseco and Cecil fielder both were shut out and wound up tied for the Home run title at 44. Nolan Ryan meanwhile finished up in style. He reached the 200-strikeout Mark for the 15th season. The american league playoffs begin tonight in Minnesota with the twins and Blue jays. On sunday Toronto won 3-2 in 10 innings for its second Victory in three Days at the metronome. A i think its better to win a series no matter what it Means at that particular time a Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. A especially to win the last one to go into tuesday on an upbeat note instead of a Down  twins manager Tom Kelly said the Only games that matter begin this week. A there Wasny to a great Deal we Learned other than these games done to mean anything. Showtime starts tuesday night a he said. The Blue jays beat Minnesota 8-4 in the season series. Toronto finished at 91-71 and the twins were 95-67, a 21-game improvement Over last years last place finish. Jack Morris will pitch the playoff opener for Minnesota against Tom Candiotti. Californians Victory ensured that every team in the Al West finished at .500 or better. The last place Angels wound up 81-81, marking the first time every team in a division has been at break even or better. The twins and Toronto got a bit testy in the third inning when Devon White who led off the game with a Long Home run ducked away from a pitch near his head by Tom Edens. Both benches emptied but there was nothing close to a fight. American league Julio Franco becomes the first Texas Ranger to win the Al batting Crown. A it was definitely intentional a White said. A i done to know if he was trying to Nail me in the head or what but he was definitely sending me a  Edens who is not on the twins postseason roster said it was an Accident. A i wanted to come inside but i Wasny to trying to hit him a Edens said. A heading into the playoffs you re not trying to injure anybody. He kills you if you done to keep it  7, orioles 1 Baltimore a Brooks Robinson and John Unitas with a football threw out the first balls bringing Back 38 years of memories at memorial stadium but Detroit put a Damper on the final orioles game. The orioles were 1,706-1,321 Overall at memorial stadium where they began playing after moving from St. Louis for the 1954 season. Memorial stadium will stay open this fall and be the site of a College football game Between Penn state and Maryland. Baltimore will play next year at the new Oriole Park at Camden Yards. A crowd of 50,700 saw Frank Tanana 13-12 spoil another party. Tanana also won the first game Ever played at Seattle a kingdom in 1977 and won the first game at the new Comiskey Park this year. Tanana pitched a four hitter. Bob Milacki 10-9 took the  4, athletics 2 Arlington Texas Julio Franco went 2 for 4 and led the majors in batting and Juan Gonzalez hit a two run Homer in the ninth inning that enabled Texas to finish ahead of Oakland. The rangers and the three time Al Champion athletics went into the game in Texas tied for third place. Ryan struck out 10 in seven innings raising his season total to 203, and allowed Only three hits. Reliever l Erry Mathews 4-0 was the Winner. Angels 3, royals 1 Anaheim. Calif. Mark Langston matched his career Best with his shh Victory and Gary Gaetti hit a three run Homer. Langston i9-s struck out 111 and gave up five hits in 7- innings. Langston who won 19 games with Seattle in 1987, became California s biggest Winner since Nolan Ryan won 19 in 1977. Last year. Langston was 10-17 in his first season with the Angels. Brewers 6, red sox 3 Boston a Roger Clemens won the Al Era and strikeout titles but lost the game on Darryl Hamiltons tie breaking two run single in the ninth inning. Clemens 18-10 gave up 13 hits in his 13th Complete game. He finished with a 2.62 Era and 241 strikeouts David Cone of the new York mets struck out 19 Phillies on sunday and tied Clemens Lor the major league Lead. Julio Machado 3-3 was the Winner and Doug Henry got his 15th  7, indians 4 new York a Kevin Maas hit two Home runs and new York sent Cleveland to its 105th loss the most in team history. Maas drove in three runs and ended with 23 homers and 63 Rols. Mel Hall hit his career High 19th Homer Lor the Host Yankees. Dave Eiland 2-5 was the Winner and Charles Nagy 10-15 was the  sox 3, mariners 2 Seattle the Best season in Seattle so history finished with a loss As Chicago won on homers by Dan Pasqua and Matt Crullo. The mariners wound up at 83-79 for their first winning season in the 15 years of the franchise. The White sox were second for the second straight year and went 8775, a drop off of seven  drives Peugeot to Victory in Mexico City Mexico City apr Keke Rosberg carefully nursed a Peugeot Over a rain Slick track sunday to win the sport scar world championship race in Mexico City. Teammate Mauro Baldi of Italy finished one Lap behind. Their performances gave the French car maker a boost in total tour Points in the seventh of the seasons eight championship races. But Jaguar with 93 Points to Peugeot a 69 in the seventh of the seasons eight races has the manufacturers championship All but sewn up. The next sport scar race is scheduled for oct. 24 in Auto Polis Japan. The Jaguar team lost valuable Points sunday because of engine failures and what appeared to be some costly pit mistakes. One Jaguar car assigned to Teo Fabi of Italy and australians David Brabham could not even Start because of an Oil leak the second in two Days. Derek Warwick in the second car dropped from second to sixth place in the final minutes of the race during a questionable pit Stop. At the 89th Lap Warwick went into the pits to change from rain to Slick tires. The car did no to restart until the 99th Lap. With Warwick mired in the pits the race became a Friendly Duel Between Rosberg and Baldi. The finn and italian alternated the Lead through most of the second half of the race. A i am very glad we had Good tires for the rain a Rosberg said. Rosberg and teammates Philippe Alliot and Baldi often complained about the rain and the slickness of the curves. Baldi who was leading toward the end said he gave the Lead to Rosberg because of a confusion at a pit Stop. He said his radio stopped working and when he stopped the pit Crew was not ready. Rosberg covered 98 laps on the 2.747-mile track in 2 hours 29 minutes 25.811 seconds at an average Speed 106.40 Mph. Baldi followed at 2 30 42.242. John Winter in a Turbo porsche finished third followed by dutchman Cor Euser in a spice Ford and another Turbo porsche driven by Gianpietro Moretti of  gambles wins at Charlotte Concord . Up Geoff Bodines Gamble sunday on fuel mileage paid off with a Victory sunday in the Mello Yello 500 at Charlotte motor Speedway his first Lascar Winston cup win this year. Bodine finished 11.31 seconds ahead of fellow Ford Driver Davey Allison to earn his first Winston cup career Victory at the 1.5-mile track and the 11th win of his career. A to go for the fuel mileage at the end won us the race a Bodine said after collecting $92,200. A that was times and juniors Call there and i thank them for  Tim Brewer is Bodines Crew chief and Junior Johnson is his team owner. A it sputtered with two laps to go and i was pretty worried a said Bodine who went 114 Miles on a tank of fuel. A it shut off on the White Flag Lap and ran out when i got the  Bodine topped off his tank on Lap 258 of the 334-Lap event just before the race returned to Green on Lap 260 following the sixth caution period. Allison who was leading the race with 20 laps remaining had to pit on Lap 317 for fuel Only. That Gas and go Stop look 9.8 seconds and relegated Allison to second. A a it a awfully Good ainu to it a Allison said about Bodines fuel mileage. �?o1 had to pit and get Gas. A they Crew gave me what i needed and i was Able to overcome almost a two Lap deficit to finish second. The Way things have been going it feels Good to leave Here with a first and  Alan Kulwicki driving a Ford finished third one Lap Down. Harry Gant placed fourth in an Oldsmobile also one Lap Down. Sterling Marlin two laps off the Pace took fifth in Johnson a other Ford. Bodine averaged 138.984 Mph in the race that was slowed by six caution hags for 39 laps. There were eight Lead changes among four Drivers. Mark Martin was the events top Lap Leader setting the Pace for 197 laps on three occasions. In the Battle for the series championship Leader Dale la Haidl gained �-6 Points on the second place risky Rudd. With three races remaining Earnhardt leads Rudd by 138 Points. 3.843 to 3,705. Both Drivers experienced problems in the event As Earnhardt lumped 25th and Rudd 32nd. Rudd was involved m a six car crash on Lap 2 34. While Earnhardt a engine expired and sent him to the garage on Lap 306