European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 30 the stars and stripes sports Friday july 15, 1994 realignment makes an eyesore in big league races by Jack Etkin the Rocky Mountain news the four teams Are a daily eyesore in the standings tightly bunched with records below .500 yet Bobbing about for first place. Realignment has thrown a competitive lifeline to a Host of clubs but has created a worst of All worlds scenario in the american league West. Together Texas Oakland California and Seattle have been .500 or better Only 31 Days All rangers moved into first place May 30 and have been there a franchise record 45 consecutive Days. Between june 8-14, the rangers were at or above .500 for seven consecutive Days also a franchise record. They Are now 42-45 but have a three game Lead which is All that matters to the rangers. A Why should we be embarrassed a rangers manager Kevin Kennedy said. A fall anybody cares about is who wins. Nobody will remember Vancouver a record 40-39but everybody will remember they almost won the Stanley will Clark came to the rangers from the san Francisco giants a juggernaut that won 103 games last season a and i sat on my butt at Home in the playoffs a Clark said. A a in a much rather win and get to the postseason. That a what its All indeed a team below .500 could win the Al West survive the playoffs and reach the world series a Prospect that has league officials shuddering. Bad As it has been the Al West has shared some of the scorn. The National league West is certainly no powerhouse considering the los Angeles dodgers at 46-42 Are the Only team above .500. But unlike the Al West where blame can be spread among four clubs the giants Are the sole reason the no West Hasni to measured up. The dodgers Are about where they were last year at the Alt Star break 4.641. The 42-48 Rockies have improved Over last season 33-54and the 35-54 san Diego padres Are marginally better to inn anti a sunday 31 july at the a Heidelberg Golf club an Der bund 5strasse 2963723 ofter sheim open to sheintal an . Annual Green fee patrons sign up deadline is the tuesday prior to the tournament first 120 patrons to sign up will play sponsored by Volvo Sig a for More information Call Dan 379 6139 or civilian 06202-53767 33-56. The giants meanwhile have tumbled from a 59-30 Force on the Way to winning 103 games to 39-50. When they activated Darryl Strawberry the giants were 3550, 9yi games behind and tied with the padres for the worst record in the majors. The giants have won four in a Row with Strawberry and Are hailing him As their version of Fred Mcgriff. When the braves acquired Mcgriff on july 20, 1993, they were nine games behind. From that Point to the end of the season Atlanta had a 51-17 record to finish with 104 victories and edged the giants by one game. Quot a a it a better for us to downplay our record and look at How Many games out we Are a first baseman Todd Benzinger said. A in our division its very possible the Winner would have 85 Oakland is proof that nothing is beyond a clubs grasp in the Al West. The a a were 17-41 on june 9, languishing 1216 games behind in last place and on Pace to lose 115 games. Since then the a a have made up 9 a games with a 22-7 Rush. They Are in second place three games behind but nine games below .500. A we Are still an under-.500 club a a a manager Tony la Russa said. A to me that Means we still have to do a lot of pushing to say we re legit. A a in a convinced the Winner of the West will be Over .500, so our teams goal is to get Over .500. Right now we want to accumulate wins. I done to want our team if we lose a game saying Texas and California and Seattle lost so we did no to lose any Oakland has spent 12 Days at .500 or better. The a a twice reached their Summit of two games above .500 when they were 5-3 and 7-5. California also has been at .500 or better 12 Days twice peaking at two games Over that modest Standard with records of 2-0 and 4-2. Seattle has yet to be at .500, and Texas in addition to being at or Over .500 for seven Days reached its High water Mark of two games above .500 for one Day. The rangers were 30-28 on june 10. Texas has a 5.51 earned run average no stars win will Clark. Wants to play and with a Little push could become the fourth team in this Century to finish with a winning record and an Era of 5,00 or More. Pittsburgh was 80-74 with a 5.24 Era it 1930. And in 1936, the Detroit tigers were 83-71 with a 5.00 Era and the Chicago White sox 81-70 with a 5.06 Era. The highest Era for a Champion before or after divisional play belongs to the 1987 Minnesota twins. They had a 4.63 Era and were 85-77. With 83 errors the rangers also rank last in the league in Fielding. Only four teams that were last in Fielding have won a title in this Century but All had some pitching distinction the rangers Jack the 1985 dodgers 166 errors received 50 victories from Orel Hershiser Fernando Valenzuela and Bob Welch. The 1971 giants 179 errors could count on Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry who combined to win 34 games. The 1965 twins 172 errors had mudcat Grant and Jim Kaat winners of 39 games. And the 1925 pirates overcame 224 errors including 56 by shortstop Glenn Wright because of three 17-game winners and a fourth Pitcher with 19 victories. The rangers meanwhile have used 12 starting pitchers. After Kenny Rogers 10-4its a Long drop to their second biggest Winner a Kevin Brown who is 6-8. Distributed by Scrippa Howard Newa ser let game 8-5 Nashville Tenn. A Brian Hunter of Tucson broke a 4-4 tie by scoring on a wild pitch in the fifth inning and the National league went on to an 8-5 Victory Over the american league in the class aaa All Star game on wednesday. Hunter started the fifth by doubling and stealing third. He then scored on a wild pitch by Kirt Ojala of Columbus for the go ahead run and the National league led thereafter before a crowd of 11,601 at Greer stadium. The National league has won five of the seven All Star games since the three triple a leagues joined together for a unified game. Paul Faries of Phoenix put the nation Al league up 7-4 in the sixth with a double to the Wall in left Center to score Louisville Sallen Battle and Ottawa a Tim Laker. Luis Lopez of Richmond who went 3-for-4, drove in his second run of the game in the seventh to make it 8-4. The american league got a run in the eighth when Chris Howard of Calgary doubled and scored on a single by Rob Ducey of Oklahoma. Scott Lydy of Tacoma struck out but Greg Hansell of Albuquerque walked Syracuse a Robert Perez and filled the bases with one out. But Herbert Perry of Charlotte grounded into a double play to end the threat. The american league went up 1-0 in the first As Ray Durham of Nashville beat out an infield hit advanced to third on a single by Omaha a Dwayne Hosey and scored on a fielders Choice by Sherman Obando of doubled in the second and tied the game when Battle doubled to Center. Matt Merullo put the american league Back up 3-1 with a two run single in the second and he scored on Dwayne Hoseyn a sacrifice Fly for a 4-1 Edge. Three unearned runs off Ojala in the fourth tied the Gate Ron Coomer reached on an error by shortstop Rico Rossy of Omaha and scored on a single by Lopez. Laker a two run double off the Wall in left tied it 4-4. Indurai taking command Lourdes France apr two Days ago the tour de France was still considered a toss up Between Miguel Indurai and Tony Rominger and France was looking for some Hope. The situation has changed dramatically since then with Indurai carrying a Lead of nearly five minutes although French cyclists have a on the last two stages. Indurai a three time Winner of the tour beat Rominger by two minutes in the individual time trial on monday then added a More than two minutes to his Lead moving away from Rominger on the final climb up mount Hauta Cam in wednesdays 11th stage. Rominger remained in second place but now trails the spaniard by 4 minutes 47 seconds. It was the Tours first taste of the mountains after 10 stages of Flats. A the mountains have just begun a Indurai said. A i Hope that with my team ates i can control the Indurai said Rominger Mays have guessed wrong in changing gears on his Bike essential during a Steep climb. A Rominger appeared in Good shape tour de France these last few Days a Indurai said. A the was no doubt a victim of gear ratio changes going from higher to lower big Ger to Indurai was Content with second place in the 164-mile leg from Cahors to Lourdes. He left the individual heroics go to Luc Leblanc. Leblanc a Victory gave France two consecutive stage wins after winning just one last year. Jacky Durand took the 10th stage tuesday. In 1992, Leblanc wore the leaders yellow Jersey for a Day. Leblanc and Indurai stayed together until the final Straightaway before Leb Lane moved away to the stage Victory. Marco Pantani of Italy was third. The top american Lance Armstrong stayed in the top 20,13 36 behind Overall although he trailed More than seven minutes behind the stage leaders Schiappucci of Italy in the top six since 1990, was sick during the Day and limped in More than 20 minutes be Hind. An Early five Man breakaway led but Pantani was caught at the base of the final slope 9 Miles from the finish. Indurai had to stay near the top of the chasing pack As his Banes to teammates were unable to keep up with the Pace. Rominger Indra in a main rival also was unable to keep the Pace and dropped behind Indurai and Leblanc caught Pantani with about 1 i Miles left and went on to decide the Victory in the final sprint. Chris Boardman of Britain who won the prologue of the tour dropped out of the race 61 Miles into wednesdays stage. The briton competing in his first tour planned to drop out to save himself for the world championships in Sicily next month. He had the leaders yellow Jersey for the first three Days before giving it up after the team time trial just before the tour went to England. After a rest Day thursday there will be four climbs Friday including the famous tour Malet 6,937 feet and Luz Ardivan 5,625 feet both rated a out of category in terms of steepness and distance
