European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                3j�r Page 34 the stars and stripes sports Friday August 12,1994astros win Bagwell Breaks hand by the associated press if there s such a thing As a Well timed injury Jeff Bagwell s got one. Bagwell the no s leading map Candi Date broke a Bone in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch wednesday night in the Houston astros 3-1 win Over san Diego Bagwell who broke the same hand last season will be sidelined three to five National league weeks just in time for the players strike. I Hope the sucker strike lasts three to five weeks at least Houston manager Terry Collins said. Bagwell the majors rib Leader with. 116, was struck by a pitch from Andy Benes in the third inning. He left in the fifth inning after taking a called third strike and was taken to a Hospital for x rays. When he. Got Back to the Astrodome his hand was in a split to protect a Frac Ture in the fourth metacarpal Bone. Last year he fractured the fifth metacarpal Bone in the same hand. I can t believe this happened to me two years in a Row Bagwell said. I m going for All 10 fingers and a couple of  Steve Finley homered and Darryl Kile 9-6 pitched six Strong innings to Lead the astros one half game behind first place Cincinnati in the no Central. The reds lost 6-3 to los Angeles. I m just glad that we won and the dodgers won Bagwell said. It was a big Victory for this club. I be been telling you Guys the last three weeks anything can happen and now it  Benes 6-14who hit Bagwell with a fastball was upset to hear of the severity of the injury. I m disappointed he s Hurt Benes said. I m disappointed that a Guy of that Caliper is injured on a Ball i threw. I m extremely disappointed. I can t Over emphasize that  Tony Gwynn went l-for-4 with a single for san Diego and is batting .391. Finley who missed tuesday s game with the flu broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth with his 12th Homer. Florida fans voice an opinion in big letters at marlins game wednesday. In other games wednesday giants 5, cubs 2 at Chicago Matt Williams whose Chase of Roger Marls Home run record is jeopardized by the pending strike hit no. 43 and added a two run double for the giants. Williams ending a l-for-12 slump drove a pitch from Willie Banks 8-12 Over the Wall in right Center leading of the second. William Vanlandingham 8-2 won his fifth decision in six outings and Rod Beck finished for his 28th save this sea son and his 40th in 40 opportunities Dat ing to last year. Cardinals 12, marlins 4 at Miami Omar Olivares pitched seven innings and hit his third career Homer to Lead St. Louis. Tom Pagnozzi hit a two run Homer and Olivares followed with a Solo Homer in the sixth inning to Knock out Dave Weathers 8-12who lost his fifth consecutive decision. Olivares 3-4who had a 10.54 Era in his past four outings allowed nine hits and four runs three earned. Ray Lankford had three of the Cardi nals 14 hits including a bases loaded triple. Ozzie Smith added four hits and two Bis. Mets 6, Phillies 2 at Philadelphia Joe Orsulak singled in the go ahead run in a three run eighth inning rally to Lead Bret Saberhagen and the mets. _ Saberhagen 14-4 allowed one run and six hits in 7w innings. John Franco pitched the final 1% innings for his no leading 30th save. The mets rallied in the eighth with a two out rally off David West 4-10. Expos 4, pirates 0 at Pittsburgh Pedro Martinez beat Pittsburgh quickly and quietly pitching six hit Ball Over 8% innings As streaking Montreal won for the 20th time in 22 games. " Marquis Grissom homered to starts three run third inning As the expos set a franchise record with their ninth consecutive Road Victory. Martinez 11-5involved in two pre Vious Brush Back incidents against Pitts Burgh benefited from three double plays in the first five innings to win his fifth consecutive Start. Moises Alou went 4-for-5 and drove in two runs for the expos. Denny Neagle 9-10 gave up eight hits and three runs in five innings. Dodgers 6, reds 3 at Cincinnati Eric Karros Lead off Homer sparked a four run ninth inning rally that ended Cincinnati s late inning invincibility. The dodgers rallied after Cincinnati took a 3-2 Lead in the Bottom of the eighth on Thomas Howard s single off is Mael Valdes 3-1. The reds were 50-0 when they led after eight innings. Karros hit his 14th Homer off Jeff Brantley 6-6and Raul Mondesi Fol Lowed with a triple. Dave Hanson s Pinch single off Chuck Mcelroy put the dodgers ahead and los Angeles pulled away on Brett Butler s rib double and Delino Deshields run scoring single. Todd Worrell pitched the ninth for i sloth save. Rockies 1, braves 0,6 innings rain at Denver Kevin Ritz and Steve Reed combined to shut out Atlanta through six innings and the Rockies earned their first Home win Ever against the braves. Dante Bichette doubled in the game s Only run off Tom Glavine 13-9. Despite struggling Ritz 5-6 blanked Atlanta for 5 of allowing six hits with five walks anu"2.irikeouts. Baseball fans in Europe take it All in stride by Mark k1nkade staff writer message to major league baseball from some of your fans in Europe what base Ball strike it s strike Day in baseball land and All across America die hard fans Are shuddering in cold Turkey withdrawal spasms. The players Are walking and management is Balking. The game is Over killed in the Middle of one of the sport s Best seasons. But in Europe fans Are doing Fine thank you. It seems time and distance change the perspective. Being an american Here in Europe baseball s not that important said Hei Delberg civilian Bill Kelley. The pain is  it s a phenomenon worthy of deeper study than a newspaper s informal Survey of baseball fans. Apparently being in Europe effectively severs the ties that bin fans to their sports teams. Take Kelley for example. For most of his 45 years on this planet the Cleveland born Kelley has been a Rabid Indian fan. This season was the first season since the Eisenhower years that his team has done anything to be remotely excited about the indians after wednesday s games were one game out of the Lead in the american league Central division stand Ings behind the Chicago White sox. That Means fans in Cleveland Are probably just this Side of manic about their team these Days. But Over Here you really Don t get caught up in All that Kelley said. However fans in the United states do get caught up in All of  in fact one in seven fans recently polled said they would t forgive baseball for the strike. When the games resume those fans said they would be More Likely to watch something else. Perhaps video rentals of the natural and Field of dreams Are going to go through the roof. But fans in Europe who Are used to a strict diet of baseball Courtesy of 2 . Television broadcasts and limited newspaper coverage Are More Likely to simply shrug their collective shoulders and Geton with Day to Day living. John Bragdon is one such fan. The 22 year old said he s a Toronto Blue Jay fan. The jays Are the defending champions in baseball this year and while Bragdon did t want to see the strike happen he s not going to lose sleep Over it either. It s not like i base my life on it or any thing Bragdon a Canadian College Stu Dent who visits his parents in Heidelberg every summer said. When the games come on again i might watch a few. I be never been a baseball maniac or  in the United kingdom the already slim televised baseball diet is even slim Mer. If service members Are Lucky enough to live on base they can get the armed forces network television feed said master sgt. Joe Cotton of the Raf Lakenheath Public affairs office. But those people living off base Don get the feed. They learn to live without american sports. Service members who come to eng land have to put watching baseball on hold when they get on the plane Cotton said. If the Lack of sports coverage has led to a general baseball apathy in Europe it s Likely to get worse with a strike that completely removes the game from View with the professional football season starting and College football ready to Roll baseball takes a Back seat this time of year anyway fans said a strike now some fans said is simple poor timing  j nah it Don t matter said air Force staff sgt. Dennis Sowards a sports and fitness specialist at Rhein main air base Germany. Once football is Here base Ball can just go on  senior airman Theo Tett said he is a longtime no kidding Detroit Tiger fan but the strike Means he will be watching some other sport on weekends football basketball give me australian rules football. I Don t care Tett who works at the Rhein main fitness Cen Ter said. I just like  miss the playoffs and All but there re other  staff sgt. Carl Dean of Lakenheath s 48th Supply sqdn., agreed. The Only thing that will probably get me through the baseball season is that weve got football coming up Dean said. That la have to be the sport i have to watch until or if they have a  and even if baseball fans in Europe do dump the professional game in the Wake of the strike they la eventually forgive the players and owners Kelley said. Urr of 5 a11 kind of comical Kelley said.,if they re really baseball fans they la be Back. There will be baseball  report did � " United Ken Dom contributed to this