NOTEBOOK - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

The Lowell Spinners will be in junior welterweight Micky Ward'scorner Saturday night. When he fights Arturo Gatti in HBO's MainEvent at Mohegan Sun, Ward will wear specially designed trunksfeaturing the Spinners logo on the left side and 'Lowell Spinners' onthe back. Replicas of the trunks will be made for sale to fans, withWard and the Spinners donating proceeds to Kids in DisabilitiesSports. 'Ward is the type of boxer in the ring and outside the ringthe Spinners love to be associated with,' said Spinners generalmanager Shawn Smith. 'The fact he is from Lowell makes it that muchbetter.'

Checking in on some NorthWest athletes at Bentley:

Senior rightfielder Steve Vickers of Andover was ranked 17th indoubles in the most recent NCAA statistics with 13 in 30 games for a0.43 average.

Freshman Kurt Flionis of Woburn had rounds of 80-78-79-237 tofinish seventh in the recent NCAA Division 2 Regionals at RiverGreens Golf Club in West Lafayette, Ohio. That lifted Bentley to afourth-place finish among 36 teams.

Senior All-America midfielder Scott Yavarow of Billerica toppedthe 200-point plateau in a recent lacrosse game against St.Michael's. He's the third player in school history to reach themilestone.

Winchester's Alison Popp wrapped up a fine tennis career at Loyola(Baltimore) College. She ranked in the top 10 in both singles anddoubles victories. Popp, a former Globe All-Scholastic, had careerrecords of 53-15 in singles and 38-12 in doubles. Loyola, which haswon 80 of 93 regular season matches in the past four years, recentlywon its fourth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Popp wasnamed to the 2002 MAAC All-Academic team.

If you thought there was no difference in run production betweenwood and aluminum bats, try digesting these figures. On a recentafternoon in the Greater Boston League, which uses wood and numbersArlington and Medford among its members, 10 runs were scored in twogames. On the same afternoon in the Cape Ann League, which usesaluminum and has North Reading and North Andover as members, 61 runswere scored in two games.

Sophomore Jess Trombly of Nashua won both the 100-meter hurdlesand the long jump and placed third in the 400 to help Tufts finishsecond in the women's New England Small College Athletic ConferenceTrack & Field Championships at Bates. Also pitching in was juniorcocaptain Myriam Claudio of Woburn, who was second in the 100 meters.

Michael Daley of Woburn, Jeffrey Douglas of Chelmsford, PeterDoyle and Michael Shannon, both of Belmont Hill, John Kazanovicz ofReading, Matthew McPherson of Burlington, and T. J. Porter ofLexington are among 22 of the best and brightest players who will behonored by the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National FootballFoundation and Hall of Fame at its annual Scholar-Athlete Awarddinner tomorrow at Lantana's in Randolph.

What to watch

Today: Merrimack College in North Andover plays in and hosts theNCAA Regional Softball Tournament, which wraps up at noon. The winnerearns a trip to the Division 2 World Series in Salem, Va.

UNRIVALED MATCHUP Nationalistic emotion stirred when Ireland, Italy meet - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

At 471 West Broadway in South Boston, the Black Thorn bar got alast-minute overhaul this week: new paneling, new wiring, four newtelevision screens. Across the street at 472 West Broadway,Ottavio's Barber Shop got its first-ever cable TV hookup Tuesday,just in time for the World Cup.

Outside, the owners of the Irish pub and the Italian barber shopwere chatting about soccer, as they have done for years. Thisafternoon, when Ireland plays Italy at Giants Stadium, their longtimefriendship will be put on hold.

'It's the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals and theStanley Cup rolled into one,' said Black Thorn owner Chris Barrett,who emigrated from Galway City in 1963.

'It's the game of a lifetime,' said his friend Ottavio LoGrasso,who came to Southie from Sicily in 1962.

There is a century-long history of tensions between Irish andItalians in Boston, a history of street fights, mob wars and nastytribal politics. But the tensions have eased in recent years,diluted by intermarriage, flight to the suburbs and common politicalinterests.

Thomas Menino became the first Italian-American mayor of Bostonlast year, winning almost every city precinct (including all seven inpredominantly Irish Charlestown) against an Irish-American opponent.Ray Flynn, Boston's last Irish mayor, is now in Rome as the Americanambassador to the Vatican. Even in the 1970s, activists like PixiePalladino of East Boston and Louise Day Hicks of South Boston stoodside by side, representing communities united against busing.

Today, in Italian cafes along Hanover Street in the North End andin Irish pubs throughout the city, this detente will dissolve for anafternoon. Soccer stirs deep emotions in these game-day gatheringplaces, especially among immigrants who see the sport as a remnant ofthe old country, an emblem of a prized national heritage they fear isreceding with time and distance.

Joe Pagliuca and his brother Freddie came to the North End fromNaples in 1974. At the time, they did not even know what an Americanfootball looked like.

'In the old country, soccer was all we knew,' said Joe Pagliuca,30, who owns Pagliuca's Italian Ristorante on Parmenter Street. 'TheAmericans don't care about soccer. They don't know what's what orwho's who. But the Italians, the real Italians, we understand.'

In the North End, which was an Irish enclave before Italianimmigrants began flooding into Boston toward the end of the 19thcentury, soccer culture revolves around Hanover Street haunts likeCaffe Paradiso, Caffe Graffiti and Caffe dello Sport, where Italianleague games can be seen live via satellite year round.

Angelo Cattaneo, the owner of Caffe dello Sport, said he wasinstalling a new large-screen TV for the World Cup, along with fivesmall screens. 'Soccer is the main discussion we have here,' saidCattaneo, 63. 'Besides women, that is.'

Italy is a three-time World Cup champion, featuring EuropeanFootballer of the Year Roberto Baggio. Ireland is clearly theunderdog, making only its second World Cup appearance. But theItalian immigrants talking soccer last week at Caffe Paradiso werefar from overconfident.

'I'm very, very nervous,' said Manfredi Grassi of Cambridge, whoplayed soccer with a club team called the Boston Italia after heemigrated from Avelino in 1952. 'This Ireland, they're all big boys,very fit for the game. That Baggio, he's getting old. I don't knowwhat's going to happen.'

There are still 264,000 Italians and 409,000 people of Irishheritage living in the Boston metropolitan area. Some Italiansremain in the North End and East Boston, but many have moved north tocommunities like Chelsea, Medford, Saugus and Lynnfield after ageneration or two in Boston. Similarly, many of the area's second-and third-generation Irish have moved south from city neighborhoodslike South Boston and Dorchester to suburbs like Quincy, Weymouth andBraintree.

As hyphenated Americans have assimilated into mainstream culture,some have lost interest in the national sport of their ancestralhome.

Antonella DeMarco, 21, of Medford, is a waitress at CaffeGraffiti. Every night, she watches old Italian immigrants jabberabout soccer, waving their hands in the air for emphasis. But shehas no interest in the game herself.

'The old guys can't stop talking about the World Cup, but I don'treally care about it,' she said. 'I guess I'll end up watchingbecause I work here, but it doesn't mean much to me.'

Among the Irish, soccer fever is also more pronounced amongimmigrants. At the Triple O's pub in Southie, where World Cuppromotional material is plastered all over the walls, bartenderStephen Fitzpatrick said Ireland-Italy has not been a big topic ofdiscussion.

'Where are they playing that game, anyway?' he asked.

At the Black Thorn, which caters to an immigrant clientele,everyone knows where the game is being played, and many plan to bethere. Chris Barrett will fly down to New Jersey for the game today,along with much of his family from Ireland. His co-owner istraveling with the Irish team.

'It's religion to the Irish,' said his brother Michael Barrett,who will stay behind to watch the bar. 'If they win, we drink tocelebrate. If they lose, we drink to drown our sorrows.'

The rivalry between Irish and Italians in Boston will only add tothe excitement here, according to the fans.

In the past, the clash was a bitter one, involving constantfisticuffs as well as epic political battles like the 1952congressional race between Tip O'Neill and Michael LoPresti, in whichboth candidates fielded straw candidates with ethnic surnames to drawaway votes from their opponent. In recent years, there have beenethnic overtones to political squabbles between Frank Bellotti andBilly Bulger, between Dapper O'Neil and Rosaria Salerno.

But for the most part, the rivalry has become a friendly one,personified by an Italian mayor whose staff recently told adelegation from Northern Ireland to call him O'Menin. Thetraditionally insular ethnic enclaves have been mixed by integrationand white flight.

At Sports Magic in the North End, Ted Pasto is doing a briskbusiness selling Italy T-shirts, caps, pins and flags. Butparaphernalia from Ireland is running a close second in sales, wellahead of the United States, a distant fourth behind Greece.

'Everybody expects to see Italy, Italy, Italy, but we get a lot ofIrish customers,' he said. 'There's a rivalry there, but there'salso a connection, you know?

In 1990, Ottavio LoGrasso left his wife and children in Southieand flew to Italy for the World Cup. This year, he will watch on hisbarber shop's new cable system, which he plans to disconnect the daythe tournament ends. He is a devoted fan, dedicated to the Italianteam for life.

But times have changed. And LoGrasso had some kind words for theopposition, too.

MONBOUQUETTE, STANLEY HONORED HALL INDUCTEES LIKE PRESENT TEAM - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Pitchers Bill Monbouquette and Bob Stanley were named yesterday asthe newest selections to the Red Sox Hall of Fame, and both said theyliked the Sox' chances in the postseason.

'We used to have a lot of power and no speed,' said Stanley, whospent the summer as pitching coach for the Mets' Double A team inBinghamton, N.Y. 'This team has some power and more speed. They'rebetter off because of that. We always had a hard time on the road.We'd go to Kansas City and get killed.

'I think they have a great chance this season. They'd probably fitright into the National League, which will probably help them if theyget to the World Series.'

Monbouquette, a special assignment scout for the Toronto BlueJays, was even more emphatic when asked whether the Sox have a chanceto do well in the playoffs.

'Damn right they have,' Monbouquette said. 'More so than probablyin a long time because of the type of players they've got here. Theymight be throwbacks, the way they get on each other.'

Stanley pitched for the Red Sox from 1977-89, winning 115 gameswith a club-record 132 saves. Stanley is the team's all-time leaderin appearances (637) and relief wins (85).

'If you're around 13 years, you're going to pitch,' said Stanley,a resident of Wenham. 'I'm very proud of that. It's probably a recordthat will stay for a long time. When I die, my kids will be able tosay, `Dad's still on top' in that category.'

Monbouquette, a Medford native who lives in New Boston, N.H., won96 games for some lousy Sox teams from 1958-65. He was a 20-gamewinner in 1963, pitched a 1-0 no-hitter against the White Sox in1962, and struck out 17 against the Washington Senators in 1961.

The last out of his no-hitter, Monbouquette said, was Hall ofFamer Luis Aparicio. He got two quick strikes on Aparicio, then threwa slider away on which Aparicio checked his swing. The plate umpire,Bill McKinley, called it a ball.

'Somebody shouted out from the stands, `They shot the wrongMcKinley,' ' Monbouquette said. 'I remember thinking, `Oh, geez.' '

Aparicio swung and missed at the next pitch.

Secret surgery?

According to this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, RogerClemens underwent surgery early in his Red Sox career to repair apartial tear of his rotator cuff, an operation that was not disclosedby the club. Ian Thomsen writes that orthopedic surgeon James Andrewsmentioned that in Sept. 1985, when Clemens was 23, the team reportedClemens underwent an arthroscopic procedure to repair a small flaptear in his shoulder. What the club didn't say, according to Andrews,who performed the procedure, was that Clemens also had a partial tearof the rotator cuff.

Clemens won his first 14 decisions the next season en route to a24-4 record in 1986, when he won both the American League Cy Youngand Most Valuable Player awards.

Keeping priorities

Author John Feinstein ('Season on the Brink,' 'A Good WalkSpoiled') was among the members of the national media in town for theRyder Cup who spent the evening at Fenway Park. Feinstein recounted astory about the Jewish Red Sox fan who went to his rabbi before RoshHashanah and said, 'Rabbi, I have a problem. I know it's RoshHashanah, but it's Yankees-Red Sox and Pedro is pitching.'

Rabbi: 'It's not such a problem. It's for nights like this thatGod invented VCRs.'

Sox fan: 'So, I can tape the Rosh Hashanah services?'

Delgado is done

IS SPRING TRAINING TOO LONG? IN FAMILIAR RITUALS OF PRESEASON, TRANQUILITY SHOVES ASIDE REALITY.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Jack Etkin Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

Reality has yet to intrude in spring training, elbowing aside hope in a crush of blown saves and fizzled rallies. Even teams with no chance of contending can legitimately wonder in the Florida and Arizona sun how high is up while pondering improvement.

Spring training dates from the 1880s, when a few clubs began seeking a midwinter escape to warmer weather for preseason conditioning. The National League's Boston Beaneaters went to New Orleans in 1884. Cap Anson took his Chicago Colts to Hot Springs, Ark., in 1886, the same year Harry Wright, who managed the Philadelphia Phillies, found a haven for his players in Charleston, S.C.

It wasn't until 1914 that more than two teams trained in Florida. That year, Connie Mack, owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, returned to Jacksonville, where his team had spent the spring of 1903. And both St. Louis teams traveled to Florida, the Cardinals working out in St. Augustine and the Browns in St. Petersburg. However, both St. Louis teams left Florida for Texas in 1915.

The 1920s land boom in Florida established spring training in the state. Besides the St. Louis teams and the Athletics, the Yankees, Dodgers, Phillies, Reds and Senators took up long-term residency in Florida that went uninterrupted until World War II.

Datelines such as Bear Mountain, N.Y.; French Lick, Ind.; Cairo, Ill.; Wallingford, Conn.; Wilmington, Del.; Lakewood, N.J.; College Park, Md., and Medford, Mass., appeared on spring-training stories from 1943 to 1945 because of wartime travel restrictions. Teams were forced to train closer to home, halting their barnstorming tours as they came north by train to start the season.

Barnstorming flourished because of Babe Ruth, whose impact on spring training was enormous. Longer exhibition schedules developed, along with increased media coverage, because Ruth was such an unprecedented attraction with the Yankees. After he hit a season-record 60 homers in 1927, the Yankees drew 270,000 to their exhibition games the following spring, enabling owner Col. Jacob Ruppert to clear an astounding profit of $60,000.

Arizona didn't get in on the spring action until after World War II. The Detroit Tigers ventured to Phoenix in 1929, but it was 18 years before a team returned to Arizona. Bill Veeck, who bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946, had a ranch in Tucson, where the Indians began training in 1947 and stayed until they left for Florida and were replaced by the Rockies in 1993.

That was the spring both Roberto Mejia and Jason Bates were impressive in big-league camp for the Rockies before opening the season at Class AAA Colorado Springs. Young players competing with a nothing-to-lose enthusiasm against experienced major leaguers are a spring joy. In sobering contrast, though, is the plight of an aging veteran like Harold Reynolds trying unsuccessfully to make the Rockies last year. Limitless opportunity, an indulgence of youth, is replaced by a do-it-now imperative for the older player.

There is an unmistakable tranquility to spring training that simply can't be found during the regular season when most of the games are at night and winning does matter. Spring training is hearing a metronomic whack . . . whack . . . whack at 7:30 a.m. when the outfield grass still is damp with dew. It's the sound of hard contact from a batting cage, the diamond equivalent of songbirds heralding another morning.

Spring training actually unfolds in three acts. Pitchers and catchers report first in mid-February, along with position players recovering from injuries. The full squad reports less than a week later. The drills are beginning to drag when the tempo quickens at the beginning of March and the exhibition games begin.

These games produce scorecards cluttered beyond belief but do little to foreshadow the regular season. Roger Angell of The New Yorker wrote ``spring baseball is all surmise.'' It still is, 28 years after he made that observation.

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ALL-STAR GAME IS REVENGE OF `BOTTOM FEEDERS'.(SPORTS) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: MATT McHALE Baseball

It is a beautiful thing to watch Juan Gonzalez go deep, Tony Gwynn turn on a fastball, Greg Maddux paint the corner.

But there might be something even better in Tuesday night's All-Star Game at Fenway Park. Some of our baseball gods will seem, well, a little more like you or me.

Sixteen members of the National League team and seven of the American League are first-timers to the game, a roster of stories filled with as much failure as success. For every Randy Johnson, there is Philadelphia's Paul Byrd, who was out of work 11 months ago after his release from the Atlanta Braves.

Or Ron Coomer, who spent eight years in the minors - including some time with the Dodgers - before making it with the Minnesota Twins.

Or Jeff Zimmerman, the hard-throwing reliever for the Texas Rangers. Last month at Dodger Stadium, former Dodger Mike Morgan was talking about Zimmerman and said, ``You know he learned his slider in France.'' If that doesn't bring a puzzled look, think of the 29 GMs who threw away his resume when the unemployed Zimmerman faxed it to every big-league club a few years back.

Now those players will share their dreams on a national stage.

Byrd's big break came last August, when his name crossed the waiver wire and caught the eye of Phillies general manager Ed Wade. His trip to Triple-A was detoured when Matt Beech's season ended with an elbow injury. Next thing Byrd knew, he was in Philadelphia for a start against the Houston Astros and the overpowering Johnson.

Byrd handed Johnson his only National League loss last season and won five of his eight starts with the Phillies.

And now? Byrd was 11-4 with a 3.72 ERA going into Saturday's start against Baltimore.

``I want to thank Christ for guiding my path,'' said Byrd, a deeply religious man who considered the ministry as a career alternative a few years ago. ``I also want to thank my wife, the U-Haul queen of America when I was in the minor leagues.''

Coomer never thought much about the All-Star Game playing in towns like Modesto, Medford, Ore., Madison, Wis., and Huntsville, Ala. In 1994, he batted .338 for the Dodgers' Triple-A team in Albuquerque, but was traded to the Twins the next year.

Although the Twins are in last place in the AL Central, somebody had to represent the team. And even though Coomer's stats (.284 average, 10 homers, 33 RBI) aren't eye popping, the Twins are sending somebody special.

''It's a remarkable story and a tribute to his perseverance,'' said seven-time all-star Paul Molitor, a teammate of Coomer's in Minnesota for three seasons and still a good friend. ``He spent a long time in the minors, and he's a guy who never quits. I don't think he takes one minute in uniform for granted.

``I know when he walks into that locker room on Monday, he's going to have a feeling like he's never had before.''

At least Coomer was drafted out of college, even if it was in the 14th round (1987) by the A's, who released three years later.

Zimmerman, a Canadian, was undrafted out of Texas Christian in 1993. Through a connection with the Canadian national team, he pitched for Montpelier in the South of France, but somehow his story wasn't optioned at the Cannes Film Festival.

``The competition wasn't very good, but I knew I could develop some pitches without worrying about getting beaten up,'' Zimmerman said. ``I threw a lot of sliders over there and it paid off.''

But as late as 1997, he still was pitching in the independent Northern League. Then he fired off 30 resumes. Only the Rangers responded. His signing bonus was a ticket to spring training.

He was one of the last cuts this spring but was called up one week into the season when the Rangers went to a seven-man bullpen. He heads to Boston with an 8-0 record.

``I can't comprehend it. I'm a middle reliever,'' Zimmerman said. ``We're supposed to be the bottom feeders of baseball.''

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PHOTO THREE FOR 3000: THE WEEK IN REVIEW

(1) Cal Ripken Jr. - 2,949

9 hits, .314 avg.

(2) Wade Boggs - 2,979

7 hits, .302 avg.

(3) Tony Gwynn - 2,982

REGIONAL SCENE.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Campbell leads U.S. team

Colorado Xplosion guard Edna Campbell scored 16 points to help Team USA defeat the Canadian national women's basketball team 66-51 Friday in the opener of a three-game series.

Team USA beat the Canadians 74-53 Saturday and concluded the series with Canada Monday night.

Thursday, Team USA begins a 10-game international tour with a game against the German national team in Munster, Germany.

After the tour, Team USA will play in the World Championship Qualifying Tournament June 6-14 in Argentina.

CSU softball team faces Brown

The Colorado State University women's softball team opens NCAA Tournament play Friday at 1:30 p.m., facing Brown University in Amherst, Mass.

Massachusetts plays Boston College in the other game on the UMass campus, and winners face winners and losers play losers Saturday in the double elimination tournament.

CSU fans can follow the action on KIIX-AM (600) in Fort Collins. Saturday games will be at 12:30 and 3:30.

Loeffler team wins scramble

Bill Loeffler, Joe Herbert and Bob Stallman teamed for a 14-under 58 Monday at Buffalo Run Golf Course to win the Colorado PGA's Don Cook-Ping pro-pro-pro scramble. Loeffler, Herbert and Stallman scored 14 birdies and no bogeys to win the tournament by one stroke.

Bill Majure, Mike Northern and Sean Farren shared second place with Matt Potter, Tray Shehee and Jon Petersen at 13-under 59.

Et cetera

Colorado Rockies rookie right-hander John Thomson, called up Friday from Class AAA Colorado Springs to join the club's rotation, was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week for May 4-10 . . . Scott Gaylord of Lakewood finished ninth Saturday night in a NASCAR Winston West Series stock car race in Tucson, completing 187 laps of the 200-lap race before his car overheated. The event was won by Canadian Gary Smith . . . Colorado golfers Rick Cramer, Matt Gogel and R.W. Eaks finished back in the pack at the Nike Carolina Classic at Cary, N.C., that concluded Sunday. Cramer was seven shots back of the winner, Dan Bateman, with a 291 total. Gogal finished at 294 and Eaks at 297

M'S WOLCOTT EXPECTS TO BE TAKEN IN EXPANSION DRAFT.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Bob Wolcott hasn't seen the list of 15 players the Mariners will protect in the first round of today's expansion draft, but the right-handed pitcher has a hunch.

``I think I'm available,'' Wolcott said.

A highly-regarded rotation prospect only two years ago, Wolcott figures to be among the players with major league experience being dangled in front of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The expansion teams will select two players from each of the 28 existing clubs and another one from half the American and National League franchises in today's three-round draft - 35 players apiece.

The Rays select first and fourth and the Diamondbacks second and third. The teams will alternate picks through the remainder of the first round.

The Diamondbacks made their first move yesterday, signing free agent shortstop Jay Bell to a $34 million, five-year contract.

Unlike the 1992 expansion draft, when the Mariners' protection list included more minor league players than established major leaguers, the organization this time is making the AL West champion nucleus unavailable to the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays.

``Some clubs are going to be hurt by the draft,'' said Woody Woodward, M's vice president of baseball operations, ``but I don't think we'll be one of them. We're not that concerned.''

Faced with a $250,000 fine from Major League Baseball for divulging their protected list, Mariners officials have refused to disclose names.

But it is believed the M's have protected eight pitchers and seven position players. They can protect three more players after the first and second rounds.

Besides Wolcott, the Mariners probably didn't initially protect infielders Andy Sheets and Brent Gates, outfielder Raul Ibanez, and right-handed long reliever Bob Wells of Yakima.

The end of today's draft also ends an embargo against announcing trades and a flurry of deals are expected to be announced. Some could occur as early as tonight.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly will acquire NL Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez from the Montreal Expos, and the Cincinnati Reds appear to be closing in on a deal with the Anaheim Angels for center fielder Jim Edmonds.

But don't expect anything to quickly happen with Mariners ace left-hander Randy Johnson.

Lee Pelekoudas, the assistant general manager, denied a published report yesterday that the M's rejected a trade that would send Johnson to the New York Yankees for right-handed reliever Mariano Rivera.

``We haven't turned down any deals,'' Pelekoudas said from Phoenix. ``There haven't been any specific trades presented to us. Nothing is imminent or even hot on the burner. We're listening and sorting through some things.''

According to sources in Arizona, the New York Mets have emerged as the team most interested in Johnson, but general manager Steve Phillips isn't convinced the Mariners really will trade their ace, saying ``I think they're just trying to sense what the market is. My sense is they can afford him next season.''

The Mariners decided last week not to offer Johnson a contract extension beyond next season and said they would entertain offers for the ace left-hander.

``Our preference is keeping him (next season),'' Pelekoudas said.

Not that Wolcott wants to leave the Mariners, ``but going to a new team would be exciting,'' he said from his home in Kent.

Wolcott, whose wife Kristine is expecting the couple's first child, said he would prefer being selected by the Diamondbacks.

``I would like to stay on the West Coast,'' he said. ``We know the Phoenix area. Tampa is the great unknown.''

A second-round draft choice out of Medford, Ore., in 1992, Wolcott became a fan and franchise favorite in '95 when he won four of his six decisions after a late-season callup and then beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. But his promising career skidded in both 1996 (7-10, 5.73 ERA) and '97 (5-6, 6.03).

``The Mariners are a good organization and have given me every opportunity to be successful,'' he said. ``I still have a lot of time left in my career and don't think I have shown an ounce of my potential. I know I can do it.''

NOTES: John Olerud's Seattle-based agent, Joe McIntosh, said he has talked to the Mariners about the former Washington State star but shed little light on the possibilities of the first baseman signing with the M's. ``We will wait and see what the expansion draft brings about,'' McIntosh said. Olerud has a three-year, $13.5 million offer from the Mets on the table, and it's doubtful the Mariners could match that price ... Sources close to the Baltimore Orioles say the AL East champs will re-sign free agent reliever Randy Myers, a Vancouver, Wash., native who has said he would be interested in playing for the Mariners.

The untouchables?

Mariners expected to be protected for today's expansion draft:

Pitchers: (8) Randy Johnson, Jeff Fassero, Jamie Moyer, Ken Cloude, Paul Spoljaric, Heathcliff Slocumb, Mike Timlin, Bobby Ayala.

Catcher: (1) Dan Wilson.

Infielders: (3) Alex Rodriguez, Russ Davis, Edgar Martinez.

Outfielders: (3) Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Rich Amaral.

Draft rules

The expansion draft will last three rounds.

Each of the 28 existing teams initially protect 15 players, plus three more after the first and second rounds.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays each will select 35 players from major- and minor-league rosters of the existing teams. All of the existing teams will lose two players while seven American and National League teams will lose three players apiece.

All players with at least 10 years of major-league service and the past five with the same club must be protected (no Mariners involved). All players with no-trade clauses (Jay Buhner), unless those players have waived the no-trade, must be protected.

SPORTS NOTEBOOK - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Andover rower aids US championship

Victoria Brophey of Pepperell was a member of the US JuniorWomen's National Development Team that won a gold medal in the recentUS Rowing National Championships in Indianapolis. Brophey, who entersher junior year at Phillips Academy in Andover next month, rowed onthe Girls' Junior B (16 and under) eights. At Andover, Brophey, 16,rowed on the varsity eight, which won the Lowell Invitational meet onthe Merrimack. Andover finished the season at 22-2 and won a silvermedal at the New England Interscholastic Racing Association Regattaon Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester. Following the season, Brophey wasone of 21 rowers nation wide invited to the four-week US Rowingtraining program at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.That program culminated in the US National Championships.

Devils open season Oct. 7 vs. Albany

The Lowell Devils open their 2006-07 season Oct. 7 against theAlbany River Rats at Tsongas Arena. The Devils, formerly the LockMonsters, are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL NewJersey Devils. The schedule features 80 games, 40 of which will beplayed at Tsongas. Thirty-one of the 40 home games will be played ona Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The bulk of the games, 58 in all, areagainst teams in the Atlantic Division, and the remaining 22 areagainst East Division clubs. Manchester, Providence, and Worcestervisit Tsongas five times each. Following the opener Oct. 7, theDevils are off a week before hosting a weekend set against HartfordOct. 14 and Worcester Oct. 15. Before the AHL opener, the Devils willhost the NHL Boston Bruins in a pre season game Sept. 17.

7 from area feature in NU's grid plans

Here's a sure sign that summer is dwindling down: The NortheasternUniversity football media guide arrived in the mailbag last week.Seven NorthWest area athletes are on the roster. They include 6-foot-7, 345-pound senior offensive tackle Tim Avery of Westford, seniordefensive end Paul Preston (6-3, 265) of Arlington, juniorlinebacker John Swenson (6-1, 210) of Chelmsford, junior safetyBarry Jeanson (5-10, 200) of Acton, sophomore defensive end Wil Colon (6-2, 275) of Lowell, sophomore offensive lineman Josh Belko (6-2, 290) of North Andover, and redshirt freshman defensive endChris Byrne (6-2, 255) of Tewksbury. Avery is the Huskies' biggestplayer and hopes to rebound after a foot injury and subsequentsurgery that limited his action to four games last season. Jeansonwas moved from running back to safety last season and did a crediblejob with 27 tackles, 22 of them unassisted, one forced fumble, andone interception.

Northeastern has one of the toughest schedules in the Atlantic-10. It opens its season Sept. 2 at Virginia Tech and then plays atHoly Cross, at North Dakota State, at James Madison, and at Richmond,before making its home debut Oct. 7 against Delaware.

Here and there

NorthWest area junior golfers were head and shoulders above thecompetition in recent New England PGA tournaments. On the Junior Tourstop at Andover Country Club, Garnett Arnold of Concord fired a 2-over-par 74 to win by two strokes over Peter Hemme of North Reading,Michael Kasper of North Andover, and Wyatt Sparks of Rhode Island.On the NEPGA Titleist Tour at Billerica CC, area juniors swept everydivision. Winners in the 9-hole competition included Rick Giovino ofMedford (1-over par 35) in the boys 16-17; Steven McLean (36) ofBurlington in the boys 14-15; Dan Murphy (36) of Dracut in the boys12-13; Jeffrey Lang (34) of Lexington in the boys 11 and under;Kelly Sullivan (41) of Bedford in the girls 14-17; and MarissaTansino (52) of Billerica in the girls 13. . . .

Central Catholic has lost its top boys basketball assistant coach.Leaving after four years is Roberto German , who has accepted aposition as director of multicultural affairs and community outreachat St. John's Prep. German had been a top candidate to replaceretired coach Dick Licare , but the position went to Rick Nault . . .. The Bay State Brats went 9-3 to finish fifth in the recent NationalSoftball Association World Series in Columbus, Ohio. Among members ofthe team were pitchers Hannah Everson of Methuen and Chelsea Dursoof Salem, N.H., and fielders Casey Stoodley and Brenna Morrissey .Morrissey was the Brats top batter, with 15 hits in 33 at bats. . . .

The eighth annual David L. DeBenedetto Memorial SoftballTournament in Lawrence is Aug. 26-27. Deadline for entering thedouble-elimination tournament is Aug. 21. Call Bob DeBenedetto at 978-975-3494 for more details. . . . Steve Plouffe of Methuen was thewinner of the Yankee Homecoming 5K in Newburyport. Plouffe, whoenters his senior year at the University of Massachusetts at Lowellnext month, was clocked in 16 minutes, 12 seconds. . . . NewHampshire beat Vermont, 24-7, in the 53d annual Shrine Maple SugarBowl played in Plymouth, N.H. Salem's Pat Halligan rushed for 58yards on eight carries. Pinkerton Academy's John Sughrue , who rushedfor 1,458 his senior season and is headed to Curry College, wasutilized as a blocking back on offense and as a linebacker ondefense. He was credited with four tackles and with opening up somehuge holes for Souhegan running back Sean Jellison , who rushed for agame-high 128 yards. The win gave New Hampshire a 38-13-2 edge in theseries. . . .

The fifth annual Winchester Recreation and Community EducationGolf Tournament will be staged Sept. 25 at Hillview CC in NorthReading. It's a scramble format, and proceeds benefit the Recreationand Community Education program, which annually awards more than$5,000 in scholarships. Call 781-721-7125 for more information.

TUFTS ENJOYS GOOD SPORTS - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

MEDFORD - For the past three months, the Tufts Universitycampus has been a magnet for athletic success.

- The women's swimming team compiled a record of 10-0 and wonthe New England Division 3 title. It was paced by sophomore MaureenMonahan of Belmont, who owns seven school records.

- The baseball team (20-11) displayed excellent power andpitching as it won the ECAC Division 3 title at Amherst. The Jumbosbeat Wesleyan (10-0), Salem State (6-3) and Plymouth State (9-4)behind the pitching of Kerry Callahan, Chris Juhring and ChrisLamothe, who combined to surrender only three earned runs.

- The defending champion softball team (10-10) reached thefinal of the Northeast Intercollegiate Athletic Conferencetournament before bowing to Trinity, 8-5. Freshman pitcher TracyCleverdon of New Fairfield, Conn., won seven games. Sophomore Katevan Keuren pitched two no-hitters.

- The women's lacrosse team posted a 13-0 record and extendedits winning streak to 30, an NCAA Division 3 record. The team wonthe ECAC Division 3 title for the fifth straight time, beatingColby (16-7) and Williams (13-5). For the season, All-Americagoalie Sheryl Bergstein recorded 146 saves and had a goals-againstaverage of 4.46, second best in school history.

- The men's tennis team won seven of its last eight matches,then captured the New England Small College Athletic Conferencechampionship. No. 1 singles player David Ober was the club'sanchor, freshman Brian Nurenberg of Greenwich, Conn., had an 11-0record, and junior Mark Nevils of Lynnfield posted a 10-2 mark.

- The sailing team will be well represented in the nationals.The women's A team will consist of skipper Jane Kirk of Portsmouth,R.I., and crew Jane Bash of Sunderland, R.I. The B team will beskippered by Julie Easom, and her crew will be April Richards.

- The men's sailing team will compete for the national dinghytitle. Representing Tufts in the A division will be skipper SteveKirkpatrick and crew Kim Ockene from the town of Harvard. The Bteam will consist of skipper Rich Harris of Hingham and crew TaraNelson of Medford.

When the women's swimming team won the New England title, itscored 1,188 points. Monahan accounted for 114.

Monahan, who earned All-America honors in the 200 freestyle,holds school records in the 100 freestyle (53.58), 200 freestyle(1:54.47), 500 freestyle (5:01.70), 1,000 freestyle (10:42.73),1,650 freestyle (17:46.59), 100 butterfly (1:00.00) and 200butterfly (2:09.67)

Honorable mention All-America honors went to the relay team ofJill Desautelle, Monahan, April Levine and Kelly Brown.

In baseball, Tom Walsh of Walpole etched his name into theTufts record book, setting season marks for hits (56), at-bats(126) and runs (38). He batted .444, had 12 doubles and won theGreater Boston batting title with a .548 league average.

Dan O'Neill ended his career with a school-record .410lifetime average. The regional academic All-American also holds therecords for career hits (157) and RBIs (103).

The softball team set school marks for homers (8), shutouts(3) and strikeouts (38). Catcher Kirstin Losert of Shrewsbury wasnamed to the GTE Academic All-America District 1 team. Losert had a.298 average, scored 14 runs, drove in 10 and stole 3 bases.

Six Tufts players were selected to the All-New Englandlacrosse team. First-team selections were Becca Knapp, StephanieBower, Bergstein and Melissa Lowe. Honorable mention went to JeanLee and Catherine Beldotti. Knapp, from Greenfield, was a stalwarton defense, and Lowe, from Greenwich, Conn., set a season scoringrecord with 57 goals and 22 assists. Bower, from Newtonville, had36 goals and 10 assists.

NBA SONICS ROOKIE MASON WINS HONOR.(Sports) - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sonics rookie Desmond Mason was selected as the top player in the Shaw's Pro Summer League yesterday.

Mason, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard-forward selected 17th in last month's NBA draft, averaged 18.2 points in the weeklong tournament at UMass-Boston to lead the Sonics to a 4-1 record.

``After watching Desmond Mason in the Shaw's Pro Summer League, it's obvious that he has a bright future,'' Boston Celtics general manager Chris Wallace said. ``Desmond is a tremendous athlete who comes to play every day. That's an explosive combination.''

Mason, a first-team Big 12 selection and an honorable mention All-American at Oklahoma State last season, is fourth on the Cowboys' all-time scoring list, fourth in rebounding and steals, and second in games played.

Joining Mason on the all-tournament team were his Seattle teammate Shammond Williams (with a league-high 20.5 points average); Milwaukee's Michael Redd; Indiana's Jeff Foster; and Philadelphia's Jumaine Jones.

Free agent forward Tim Thomas is expected to agree to a long, lucrative contract with the Chicago Bulls, according to a published report. The Chicago Sun-Times, quoting a reliable NBA source who was not identified, reported the Bulls have offered the 6-foot-10 Thomas a six-year deal for the $67.5 million maximum, which is more than any other club is offering. No free agent can sign with a team until Aug. 1.

SOCCER

U.S. falls on disputed penalty

The United States had yet another tough time in Costa Rica, losing a World Cup qualifier 2-1 at San Jose on a disputed penalty kick in the 89th minute.

The decisive play came when Gregg Berhalter was called for using his hands inside the penalty box, a ruling contested by the Americans.

Hernan Medford beat goalkeeper Kasey Keller with the penalty kick and the game ended shortly after that with the U.S. players shouting at the referee.

The United States has not won in six attempts in Costa Rica, which handed the Americans their only two losses during qualifying for the 1998 World Cup.

Two games into the semifinal round of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, the United States is last in its four-team group. It tied Guatemala 1-1 a week ago.

Playing in a difficult venue in which fans are yards from the field, the United States fell behind in the ninth minute on a goal by Rolando Fonseca. The score came after Medford intercepted a U.S. corner kick and passed to Fonseca.

The United States came back in the second half, with Earnie Stewart scoring in the 65th minute on a pass from Ante Razov.

The win gave Costa Rica a much-needed three points. Costa Rica qualified for the 1990 World Cup but has not returned since.

Guatemala leads the regional group, with Costa Rica and Barbados sharing second and the United States fourth. Each team plays each other home and away. A team must finish first or second to advance to the final qualifying round.

After two games in Central America, the U.S. will play Barbados on Aug. 16 in Foxboro, Mass.

HORSE RACING

Captain Steve tops Swaps

Trainer Bob Baffert was facing a bad ending to a trying week until Captain Steve salvaged things with a 2 1/2-length victory over Tiznow in the $500,000 Swaps Stakes.

Baffert's week hadn't exactly gone well before he saddled Captain Steve at Hollywood Park. First, he was hit with a lawsuit for allegedly over-racing 1998 Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet, then one of his horses tested positive for morphine.

Yesterday got off to a disappointing start when his horses running in Delaware and Texas both lost, including Silverbulletday in the Delaware Handicap. Captain Steve improved Baffert's outlook with a strong kick in the stretch to take the lead.

``Thank God he's back,'' Baffert said. ``I needed this race really, really bad.''

Baffert faces a hearing with stewards at Del Mar later this week over Nautical Look's positive test. The lawsuit, filed by Highland Stud of Paris, Ky., over the handling of Real Quiet, also accuses Baffert of defrauding the farm out of $250,000.

``That other stuff, we don't worry about that. We just worry about the horses,'' he said of his troubles. ``That guy is trying to fight Mike (Pegram) in the papers.''

Ginger Welch, one of the leading jockeys at Les Bois Park in Boise, Idaho, died after she was thrown in a race by her horse, which then fell on her. She was 37. Shortly after the start of a quarterhorse race Saturday night, Welch's 4-year-old gelding, Porthos, either took a bad step or clipped heels with another horse and fell.

WNBA

Liberty knocks off Houston

Crystal Robinson made two free throws with 7.7 seconds left, sealing a 69-64 victory for the New York Liberty over the three-time defending champion Houston Comets.

The Liberty (14-10) outscored the Comets 12-6 in the final four minutes, with Tari Phillips scoring five of her 17 points in that span. Phillips finished with 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals for her ninth double-double of the season.

Sheryl Swoopes, who led Houston (21-4) with 18 points, made a finger-roll layup with 9.3 seconds to bring the Comets within 67-64. Robinson then sank her two free throws.

At Inglewood, Calif., Lisa Leslie scored 20 points as Los Angeles (21-3) defeated Sacramento and moved into first place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles won for the 17th time in 18 games and jumped a half-game ahead of the Houston Comets.

At Minneapolis, Betty Lennox scored 26 points as the Minnesota Lynx snapped a franchise-long eight-game losing streak with an 80-63 victory over the Portland Fire. Marla Brumfield scored a career-high 14 points for the Lynx (11-13), who hadn't lost more than four straight before this season. Minnesota's last victory was July 2, when the Lynx beat Portland 81-75. Stacey Thomas had a career-high 14 points and seven rebounds for Portland (7-16), which has lost three in a row. Sophia Witherspoon added 12 points.

SPORTS LOG - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Basketball

Nuggets' Martin out for the season

Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin will miss the rest of theseason after right knee surgery. Arthroscopic surgery yesterday'revealed more significant damage' than the team originally thought.Martin, who played two games this season, was limited to a career-low 56 games last season after surgery on his left knee. He wassuspended in the playoffs for a tirade at the coaching staff afterhis playing time was limited against the Los Angeles Clippers. He andcoach George Karl patched up their relationship, and after trainingcamp Martin declared himself healthy for the first time sinceundergoing microfracture surgery 18 months ago ... The NBA will takethe lead in the Sacramento Kings' long-running effort to get a newarena, the league announced. Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof metwith commissioner David Stern to discuss the change in tactics aftera ballot proposal for a sales-tax increase to help fund an arena wasdefeated by Sacramento County voters last week ... Former NBA starMichael Jordan could become an investor in a slot-machine parlor inPhiladelphia, state gambling regulators were told ... The SacramentoMonarchs hired former Seattle assistant Jenny Boucek as their headcoach. Boucek, a former WNBA player who left the Storm's coachingstaff before last season, will replace John Whisenant, who resignedlast month to focus on his job as the Monarchs' general manager.

Hockey

NHL gets edge in battle with Russia

Evgeni Malkin was cleared to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguinsafter a federal judge in New York denied a demand by his formerRussian club that he be yanked from the NHL. Metallurg Magnitogorsk,a Russian Super League team, claims Malkin is under contract in hisnative country. The club sought a preliminary injunction that wouldhave banned the forward from playing for the Penguins. But the rulingby US District Judge Loretta A. Preska clears the way for Malkin, astar rookie with Penguins, and minor leaguers Andrei Taratukhin ofthe Calgary Flames and Alexei Mikhnov of the Edmonton Oilers to stickwith their franchises ... The Devils released former Northeastern andCatholic Memorial star Jim Fahey.

Soccer

Acosta quits as Chile's head coach

Nelson Acosta said in Santiago, Chile, he will resign as Chile'scoach, making the announcement two hours before his team's friendlyagainst Paraguay. The Uruguay native decided the match was his last,saying he wanted to give the newly elected Chilean soccer federationpresident Harold Mayne-Nicholls the freedom to pick a new manager ...The US soccer team will play Denmark in an exhibition Jan. 20 at theHome Depot Center in Carson, Calif., the first game for the Americanssince they were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup. Thegame figures to be the debut of the successor to Bruce Arena asnational team coach. Former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann isconsidered the favorite to succeed Arena, who held the job from late1998 until July.

Colleges

Coach's son gets payoff to leave FSU

Florida State offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden received a$537,500 payoff from the school's boosters to resign followingseveral seasons of declining production. The settlement was revealedwhen the school released a copy of the agreement Bowden's attorneysreached with the university and its boosters. The resignation takeseffect Nov. 26, a day after the season finale against Florida. Bowden- youngest son of head coach Bobby Bowden - retains his present$141,000 salary until his contract expires next August. He then willreceive annual payments of $107,500 until August 2012 ... Don Strockhas resigned as coach at Florida International, one of only twowinless Division 1 programs this season and a program still dealingwith effects of a sideline-clearing brawl against Miami last month.

Broomfield awarded Gold Helmet

Northeastern sophomore tailback Alex Broomfield was the Division 1-AA recipient of the Boston Globe Gold Helmet award. Broomfield ledthe Huskies to a 34-24 victory over Hofstra with a 154 yards rushingon 20 carries. He also scored two touchdowns and caught two passesfor 43 yards ... Boston College senior defender Laura Georges is oneof 15 female semifinalists and junior forward Charlie Davies is oneof 15 male semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic club's HermannTrophy, awarded annually to the top college soccer players in thenation ... USC received a letter of intent from O.J. Mayo, one of themost-coveted high school basketball players in the nation. Mayo goesto Huntington High in West Virginia ... Medford High's Arantxa King,the national long jump and triple jump champion, is signing a letterof intent with Stanford.

Miscellany

Blake makes semifinals at Masters Cup

Sports Briefs - Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)

Kelly finally breaks through for first win

HONOLULU - Given a fourth chance to win on the PGA Tour, JerryKelly wasn't about to give the Sony Open away to anyone Sunday -least of all John Cook.

Tentative throughout the final round, Kelly, from Madison, Wis.,produced two flawless swings to set up a two-putt birdie on the finalhole for a one-stroke victory over Cook, giving him his first PGATour victory in his 200th career start.

'I'm not going to sleep for a week,' said Kelly, who closed withan even-par 70 on a balmy day at Waialae Country Club when no onemade much of a move.

It was the fourth time Kelly had the lead going into the finalround. One of those chances came last year at the Reno-Tahoe Open,when he made triple bogey on the 16th hole of the final round,allowing Cook to win by a stroke.

There were no such mistakes Sunday.

Cook got within one stroke with a birdie on the 12th and stayed onKelly's heels until a cell phone rang when he was at the top of hisback swing on the par-3 17th.

'No! No cell phones,' Cook screamed as the ball sailed right intoa deep bunker. He blasted out to 6 feet, but the par putt burned theright edge of the cup for his only bogey on the back nine.

Woods finishes sixth

PARAPARAUMU BEACH, New Zealand - Craig Parry won the New ZealandOpen, while Tiger Woods finished sixth.

Playing on his 36th birthday, Parry went to the 18th hole onSunday one shot behind Michael Campbell. When he walked off the finalgreen, Parry had a two-shot lead after his own birdie and Campbell'sdouble-bogey at 17.

Woods was thwarted by greens that wouldn't give him a break -including a four-putt second hole for double-bogey.

Predators recall Mowers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Predators recalled forward MarkMowers from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Mowers has a goal and an assist in six games withthe Predators this season. He had 14 points in 14 games with theAdmirals. He played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 1993-94.

Magic owner looks to sell

ORLANDO, Fla. - Magic owner Rich DeVos plans to sell the team andwon't require the new owners to keep it in Orlando.

DeVos told the Orlando Sentinel he has not had any discussionswith potential buyers but would not place any relocation restrictionsin the deal.

'I can't ask him to do anything,' DeVos told the Sentinel in aSaturday interview.

He thinks the team will stay, however.

Bellisari leaves jail

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Former Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisarileft jail Sunday after serving three days for drunken driving.

He was stopped by university police Nov. 16, and charged withdrunken driving. His blood-alcohol limit was more than twice thelegal state limit. He pleaded no contest Nov. 28 and was sentenced tothree days in jail and three days in an alcohol diversion program.His driver's license was suspended for six months.

Ward wins sixth PBA title

MEDFORD, Ore. - Ricky Ward beat Ryan Shafer 215-214 to win the PBAMedford Open on Sunday for his sixth career title.

In the semifinals, Shafer defeated Rob Rice 204-169, while Wardbeat Parker Bohn III 203-190. Bohn and Rice tied for third.

Red Sox decline offer

BOSTON - The owners of the Boston Red Sox declined Sunday topursue a late $700 million offer to buy the team and they reconfirmedtheir Dec. 20 decision to accept a $660 million bid from a group ledby Florida financier John Henry.

Blazer's daughter ailing

PORTLAND, Ore. - The 2-year-old daughter of Portland Trail Blazerscenter Dale Davis was released from the hospital Sunday after havingopen-heart surgery.

'Everything is fine. Everything went well,' Davis said beforeSunday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Caida Davis was born with a hole in her heart, and a surgeonrepaired it Thursday in Atlanta, Davis said. Caida lives in the citywith her mother.

Davis said his daughter already was feeling better Friday.

'She was up and playing, and it looked like things were back tonormal,' he said.

Sports Notebook Tennis rankings list area's young players - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

More than two dozen NorthWest-area junior tennis players haveachieved New England championship rankings, according to the UnitedStates Tennis Association.

Ranked in the boys' 18 singles were: Matthew Fuller (3),Winchester; Mark Erelli (5), Reading; Jonathan Beardsley (7),Arlington; Eric Kaplan (11), Chelmsford; Richard Saxe (20),Burlington; Eric Block (30) and Anthony Russo (35), Andover, andStephen Lucero (39), Winchester.

Girls' 18 singles: Wendy Crabtree (3) and Kara Swanson (6),Concord; Holly Rivers (11), Acton, and Kara Clarke (29), Carlisle.

Boys' 16 singles: Paul Wulfsberg (15) and Frederik Lidskog(17), Concord; Trevor Spracklin (26), North Andover, and MichaelStein (35), Andover.

Girls' 16 singles: Christine Cerretani (1), Reading; Sharyn Lie(18), Methuen, and Neeley Steinberg (honorable mention), Concord.

Boys' 14 singles: Dennis Baden (2), Burlington, and DeanChiungos (7), Andover.

Girls' 14 singles: Elisa Banner (1), Bedford, and Heather Young(21), Andover.

Ranked alphabetically, rather than numerically under USTApolicy, in the boys' and girls' 12 singles were: Jamie Cerretani,Reading; Elizabeth and Cathy Herbert, Acton; David Nelson, NorthAndover; Matthew Rose, Andover, and Olivia Wong, Belmont.2 get hockey letters from Northeastern

Medford's Rayanne Conway and Andover's Michelle DiStefano recentlyreceived their third varsity letters as members of the Northeasternwomen's ice hockey team.

Conway, a junior forward, had personal highs of 19 goals and 21assists for 40 points, raising her career totals to 39-44-83. Shehad goals in NU's first seven games, including a four-goal,two-assist explosion in a 6-5 win against St. Lawrence.

DiStefano shared the goaltending duties with Kim Flatt andstopped 230 of 259 shots for an .888 save percentage and allowedthree goals per game. Her biggest efforts were in the Granite StateTournament, where she stopped 36 shots in a 5-2 win and with 37 savesin a 6-6 tie against eventual national champion Providence.Bentley's Yetten feted at BU banquet

Bentley College football coach Peter Yetten of Westford waspresented the William French Award at Boston University's Hall ofFame banquet last weekend. The award is presented to a 'current orformer Boston University athlete or coach or to an alumnus/alumna inthe coaching profession who has distinguished himself/herself in thepast year.'

Yetten, who played football, hockey and baseball at BU, has beenBentley's head coach since 1979 and has amassed an impressive102-34-2 record. Last fall, Bentley was 9-1 and won its secondEastern Collegiate Football Conference title in three years andearned a berth in the ECAC Division 3 championships. In 1982 and1983, Yetten led Bentley to national club football championships.

A native of Waltham, he earned six varsity letters at BU. In1968, he quarterbacked the football team to the Pasadena Bowl and in1971 played defense for the national championship hockey team. Hewas captain of the baseball team in 1971, hitting .323 and beingnamed to the Greater Boston Conference all-star team.Here and there . . .

KEEPING SCORE AROUND NEW ENGLAND - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Alone at the top

- Paul Parajeckas is a runaway leader in New England PGA Player ofthe Year standings. The veteran Woburn CC professional has 51.5points at the midway mark of the season. His nearest competitors areSalem CC director of golf Kirk Hanefeld, with 20, and Mike Baker ofBangor (Maine) Municipal, with 18.5.

ALGONQUIN HIGH TO HONOR FIRST HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Next Saturday will be a special one for students, faculty andalumni of the Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough, whichwill hold its first annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction luncheonat 2 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The event was planned by theschool's Athletic Council and Booster Club.

The inductees were selected from more than 100 nominations ofathletes, coaches and significant contributors to Algonquin'sathletic program, which was started in 1959. Algonquin is the highschool for the towns of Northborough and Southborough.

The inductees are Paul Audet (Class of 1988), Nancy Boutilier(1979), former athletic director and varsity basketball coach JohnClark (1959-1967), teacher-coach Paul Cronin (1967-1997), William(Bill) Davis III ('62), Lee Heffernan (1974), assistant principal-coach Frank Kronoff (1969-1994), teacher-coach Annabelle MacLeod(1959-1972), Rebecca Hutchins Orton (1992), Tamara Owen (1980),Stephanie Slack (1962) and teacher-coach John Wallace.

Audet was a soccer, basketball and tennis captain who received atennis scholarship from the University of Massachusetts. Boutilierwas a Midland League all-star in basketball and softball, and captainof volleyball and basketball (she averaged 17.3 points per game inbasketball). Clark was the school's first athletic director andchairman of the physical education department and varsity basketballcoach for eight seasons. Cronin was a physical education teacher,athletic director and faculty manager and three-sport coach. Daviswas captain of football, basketball and track. And Heffernan wascaptain of baseball and football, and a member of Algonquin'sundefeated Super Bowl team that defeated East Longmeadow on thegridiron.

Kronoff, who was head football coach from 1983 to 1987 and 1993 to1994 as well as outdoor track coach for two seasons and assistantprincipal for 15 years, said: 'As with all coaches, to hear about[former players'] lives from time to time as they made their waythrough the years has always been the only reward necessary for me ina very enjoyable profession.' Although retired, he still goes toAlgonquin as a substitute teacher on occasion.

MacLeod, who will be inducted posthumously, coached three girlssports and taught physical education. Orton was captain of basketballand soccer and also participated in track and softball, and wasAlgonquin's first 1,000-point scorer in girls basketball; and she hasreturned to her alma mater as freshman girls basketball coach. Owenplayed softball, basketball and volleyball and was honored as aBoston Globe Scholar-Athlete in volleyball her senior year. Slack,who entered into a career as a physical education teacher and coach,was a three-year varsity member of field hockey, basketball andsoftball. And Wallace, currently a science teacher and formerly anassistant football coach, also was varsity baseball coach from 1970to 1984, and won more than 100 games and several league titles on thediamond.

Owen, now a hospital administrator in Buffalo, N.Y., said:'Athletics is a microcosm of the business world. There is almost nodifference in the key skills. How you handle yourself as aprofessional, how you focus on your responsibilities, how you performunder pressure, how you handle criticism, how you work as a team.'

Tickets for the luncheon may be purchased in advance for $15through the Athletic Department. For information on tickets,contributions to the Hall of Fame or sponsorship and programopportunities, call athletic director Fran Whitten at 508-351-7010,ext. 114.

CASEY AMONG PARK LEAGUE'S ELITE John Casey, a Milford residentand the head baseball coach at Tufts University in Medford since1984, has been inducted into the Boston Park League Hall of Fame.

The Boston Park League is the oldest amatuer baseball league inthe country. Casey was considered one of its top players in the 1980sand one of its best umpires in the 1990s. He has continued hissupport of the league since retiring from the diamond. Born andraised in Jamaica Plain, Casey is a 1976 graduate of the Boston LatinSchool and a 1980 graduate of Tufts University.

Casey helped found the Triple D's team, which joined the ParkLeague in 1980. In its inaugural season, the team advanced to theleague finals, losing the series in the seventh game. The team wonthe league championship the following season, and pitcher-outfielderCasey was the most valuable player.

During a nine-year run with Triple D's, J.P. Cubans and theDiSangio Dodgers, Casey was a Park League All-Star numerous times andwas a regular in the playoffs. A member of the All-Star team thatplayed the US Olympic Team in Fenway Park in 1984, Casey was the onlypitcher to throw a scoreless inning for the Park League. One of theouts he recorded was against Will Clark, who was to become a star inthe major leagues.

Casey also earned accolades for his work as an umpire in theleague and was the recipient of the Dan Roberts Award for umpiring,which he did for eight seasons. As the head coach of baseball atTufts, he's maintained his association with the league by sendingmore than 40 of his college players to the Boston Park League duringhis 16-year tenure.

'I started a team with three friends just because we wanted tokeep playing,' Casey said. 'We didn't expect to win. By the time Istopped playing, I had a lot of new friends.

'It's good baseball. It's a competitive league, and that's whywe've sent so many kids there during my time at Tufts. I'm reallyproud of this honor.'

The Tufts program's all-time leader in coaching victories, Caseyand his staff's teams have compiled a 246-187-1 record and ninepostseason berths. Forty team and individual records have been brokenduring his tenure. The team's record in the last six seasons is 133-82-1 against a schedule that includes Division I opponents such asBoston College and Dartmouth.

After a year of coaching at New Hampton Prep, he returned to Tuftsas a baseball and football assistant. He replaced Lee Sargent as headbaseball coach in 1984, and is currently an assistant to headfootball coach Bill Samko. Casey is a member of New England'sDivision III Selection and All-Star committees, and is secretary-treasurer of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association. Heworks various baseball camps and is the hitting coordinator at theMike Andrews Camp.

LESTER SAILS IN NATIONAL REGATTA Sam Lester of Wellesley, asophomore at Connecticut College, finished 11th among 16 sailors atthis month's Intercollegiate Yacht Racing Association SinglehandedNational Championship in Newport, R.I.

In a regatta that featured 16 races over three days, Lester beganthe event with a seventh-place finish and stood in ninth placeoverall after the completion of three races. Lester's best finishes -in fifth place - occurred in the eighth and 16th races. He had earneda spot in the ICYRA Singlehanded National Championship with a fourth-lace finish at the New England Intercollegiate Sailing AssociationChampionship on Oct. 10. A finish among the top four was required toadvance to the national championship. Lester was just the secondConnecticut College sailor in the history of the program to qualifyfor the Singlehanded National Championship.

SUMMER CAMP, WITH MORE SIZZLE - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

KENT, Conn. - Before taking the stage on a recent Saturday eveningto sing karaoke to 'Summer Nights' from the musical 'Grease,' friendsSara Ezra and Jennifer Prasse, with fresh cocktails in hand, chattedabout why they're back at Club Get away for the third time in twoyears.

'We've done cruises,' says Ezra, 31, who lives in Brighton, 'buthere it's more outdoorsy, as opposed to just being at the pool or thebeach.' Earlier that day, they'd hiked, mountain-biked, taken akarate lesson, climbed a rock wall, and learned to swing dance. Nowit was time to unwind.

The women learned about New England's version of Club Med lastyear, when they saw a segment on the Travel Channel ranking the'world's hottest get aways for singles.' Club Get away came infourth.

The 300-acre camp, used for children's groups during the week,attracts mostly singles and some couples to its all-inclusive themedweekends, which run from Memorial Day to late October and cost about$300 to $350. Roughly a quarter of the guests are from the Bostonarea, and the rest are from New York City and Philadelphia, saysVictor Fink, who runs the camp that has been in his family since1946.

Several Boston-area singles organizations take groups there. TheBoston Ski & Sports Club was there on a recent weekend and plans totake two more trips this summer. The following weekend, for theJewish-themed 'Bagels & Jocks,' the Boston-based J Connection and theMosaic Outdoor Mountain Club of Mas sa chu setts were planningoutings.

Guests stay in bare-bones cabins for two, three, or four people,all with twin beds. Each cabin has a small bathroom, and there are nophones or radios - and no locks on the doors. Some people describethe place as a summer camp for adults; others say it's like springbreak.

Despite the camp's emphasis on outdoor activities, which areoffered every 30 minutes from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 9:30a.m.-2 p.m. on Sundays, Club Get away, like Club Med, has areputation for being a place to party, drink, and - potentially -have sex with people you've just met.

Fink, 56, who is married with a teenage son, readily acknowledgesthat Club Get away has a party at mos phere. It was a trip to ClubMed that inspired the former New Yorker to turn the children's campinto an adult camp in 1978. 'We buried the bugles and put out thebars and the hot tubs,' he says.

Club Get away's Web site (www.clubgetaway.com) links to astreaming video of its profile on the Travel Channel, and Fink workswith many singles groups, including the country's biggest onlinedating service, Match.com. But the singles angle isn't mentioned inthe club's brochure.

'That's something that I always wrestle with,' Fink says. 'Theword of mouth is that singles are mostly who it's for, but I thoughtthat if you ran something saying `singles weekends,' it puts pressureon people to meet.'

In a more blatant appeal to singles, Club Get away last winterstarted offering singles cruises to the Caribbean.

Deb, a recent Club Get away visitor through the Boston Ski &Sports Club who doesn't want her last name published, says that shedid not expect what she referred to as the weekend's 'debauchery.'

'The whole reason I went to this one weekend in particular was Ithought it would be more sports-focused and mellow in terms of thesingles dating scene,' says the 34-year-old Lexington woman, whoworks in high-tech marketing. 'But it seemed the entire purpose wasjust to hook up, and that seemed superficial and worse than highschool.'

She was turned off by the 'volume-500 music' and 'the constantdrinking thing. And I thought the sports were incredibly lame.' (Finksays some of the sports - including the mountain biking, tennis, andmartial arts - are geared for beginners. Some weekends are focused ononly one sport, he says, and those are more advanced.)

Deb says she was shocked when she heard that the staff members,many of whom volunteer to teach classes in exchange for a freeweekend stay, sometimes do more than merely mingle with guests. (Finksays sexual relations between staff and guests are not encouraged but'not prohibited. Certainly, it can happen.')

On the other hand, Club Get away has loyal fans.

Steve Masse, 48, of Medford has gone about six times with theBoston Ski & Sports Club. 'After the first time, I began playingvolleyball,' he says. 'Then I learned rollerblading at Club Get awayand bought skates. Now I keep them in the trunk of the car.'

He says the first time he went, he had low expectations, 'but fromthe minute I got on the bus, it was just a constant party, the likesof which I hadn't seen since college. It was tremendous fun.'

Masse, who remodels houses for a living, says the guests oftenform social groups according to how much alcohol they drink. As forthe sexual element, he says, 'If you're really looking for sex,you're probably going to find it. But I think most of the time peoplewould rather have the relationship first.'

Diane Daniel can be reached at ddaniel@globe.com.

SIDEBAR: UPDATES After this installment, Date Lines goes onhiatus. Here's how our participants are doing as they begin thesummer:

Jim, 25, South Boston, investor-relations consultant. After someof his dates figured out who he was in the paper and identifiedthemselves, Jim has declined to give a final update. All he'll say isthis: 'If you asked me nine months ago where I thought I'd be and whoI thought I'd be with, my answer would be drastically different thanwhat my reality is today. The great thing is through all of this, Ican't say I'm disappointed in how things turned out. Being single isan adventure full of ups and downs. The downs leave a pit in mystomach. The flip side is that when times are good, I wouldn't tradethem for anything in the world.'

Tim 28, Cambridge, e-learning manager. Tim has yet to see thewoman with whom he flirted after church but did have a serendipitousincident involving her. 'I went to visit my priest, and he happenedto tell me about a woman he thought would be perfect for me. Hestarted describing this woman to me, and I realized that it was thewoman I had been flirting with a few weeks back! The priest told methat he would try to bring us together schedule-wise, and I'm hopingwe'll have the chance to meet again soon. I guess it's a bit old-fashioned, but it's still effective. My parents were `arranged' in asimilar way. Funny how we often spend so much time trying to breakaway from old customs, we sometimes fail to see their value.'

Tom, 42, Marlborough area, systems administrator. Tom is stilldating the woman he met at a group outing in April. They both haveteenage daughters and have been doing things with the kids and alone.'The best thing is that we are playmates. I love having a woman I canplay with. She even met my folks over the weekend. They offered us aplace to stay while we were on the Cape. Everything seemed quitenatural and comfortable.'

Anne, 38, Dorchester, special-needs educator. In anticipation ofher move to Nantucket, Anne updated her Match.com profile. She heardfrom one man, ' a decent sort' (and someone with a boat, of course),and hopes to talk on the phone soon before they follow through ontentative plans to hit the water.

Chris, 37, Dorchester, systems manager. Chris has had a couple ofdates with the man he met at a cookout during gay pride week, andthey have plans for dinner soon. 'It seems we both are direct aboutwhat we want,' says Chris. 'These discussions may be a little toointense. We are also still trying to determine points of commoninterest as well. He likes piano bars while I like dance clubs -major differences, to be sure.'

PLUS SPORTS - Chicago Sun-Times

ISMAIL MIGHT PLAY SUNDAY: The countdown to the launch of RocketIsmail was put on hold last weekend, but Los Angeles Raider coach ArtShell is hopeful his new receiver/return man will make hislong-awaited debut Sunday against the Seahawks in Seattle. Ismailreported to the Raiders last week after the completion of contractnegotiations that had dragged over five months. 'He got here lastTuesday,' Shell said, 'and to just throw him out there, I didn't wantto do that. We'll get him prepared for this week and go fromthere.' ACTOR'S SOCCER DEBUT: Actor Andrew Shue, a formerprofessional soccer player, will make his indoor soccer debutSaturday for L.A. United in a Continental Indoor Soccer League gameagainst San Diego. Shue, who appears in the TV show 'Melrose Place,'was a first-team All-Ivy League forward at Dartmouth and playedprofessionally in Zimbabwe. A jersey autographed by Shue will beauctioned during the game at the Great Western Forum, with proceedsbenefitting Do Something, a non-profit organization founded by Shue.Do Something provides financial support to improve social services. COURTESY COURSE: Students in Beijing are receiving a crash coursein common courtesy as part of China's campaign for the 2000 Olympics.The China Education News reported today that Beijing unveiled the'Rules for Manners Among Primary and High School Students' in thespring as part of the city's efforts to stage the Olympics.Children are being taught to take off their hats when they hear thenational anthem, to sit up straight, to speak politely and use wordssuch as 'excuse me,' 'please' and 'thank you.' FLUTIE LEADS CALGARY: Doug Flutie threw three touchdown passes asthe Calgary Stampeders beat the Edmonton Eskimos 33-13 to open theseason 10-0 for the first time since 1949. Flutie, who led Calgaryto the Grey Cup title last season, completed 26 of 49 attempts for343 yards in Monday's game. ARTIST SUED: A Medford, Ore., man who says he owns the rights to aphoto of former Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams is suing an artistwho used the image to paint Williams as he appeared in 1939.Kenneth Chase said Williams, artist Lewis Watkins, Grand SlamMarketing and 16 other defendants hurt him financially by 'publishingand placing upon the market a commemorative 50th anniversary print ofTed Williams which . . . has copied exactly the image . . . owned bythe plaintiff.' The photo in question shows Williams at the age of21 with teammate Bobby Doerr. BOXER RETIRING: Yoo Myung-woo of South Korea, who recaptured theWBA junior flyweight title last November, is retiring after failingto arrange a fight with WBC champion Michael Carbajal of the UnitedStates. 'The limitations of my physical power were the main reasonfor my retirement' the 30-year-old Yoo said today. Yoo, 38-1 in his16-year career, defended the title 18 times after beating Joey Olivoof the United States in 1985. He lost the title to Hiroki Ioka ofJapan in 1991, and regained it last year. MARSEILLE BARRED: European soccer's governing body, UEFA, barredMarseille from defending its Champions Cup title because ofallegations of fixing a league match last season preceding the cupfinal. UEFA gave France until tomorrow to name a replacement in theChampions Cup opener Sept. 15 against AEK Athens. Also, Frenchsoccer officials said today that Marseille owner Bernard Tapie waswasting his time filing a lawsuit against the expulsion of his clubfrom the competition. CYCLIST PARALYZED: Wayne Rainey of Los Angeles is paralyzed fromthe waist down as a result of a crash during Sunday's Italian GrandPrix. Rainey, 32, sustained spinal and abdominal trauma in thecrash, Dr. Doriano Zappi said. Zappi could not say if the paralysiswas permanent.

DRAWING ON MEMORIES OF A LEGEND DEDICATION OF RESTORED GYM PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE GENE MACK, HIS BALLPARK WORKS - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

MEDFORD - His illustrations of America's famous old ballparks hangin the Baseball Hall of Fame, but the playing fields closest to GeneMack's heart were in his hometown of Medford.

Now a restored gymnasium named for the late Boston Globe sportscartoonist is giving hundreds of Medford youngsters a place to beatthe streets, while recalling Mack's legacy in the golden era ofBoston journalism.

Within two weeks of its ribbon-cutting Feb. 26, the Gene MackClubhouse, operated in Medford Square by the Boys and Girls Clubs ofMiddlesex County, had enrolled more than 750 children.

'I can't tell you how wonderful it is,' said Mack's daughter, RuthMurphy of Stoneham, who said that the night of the rededication shewas walking on air.

The old Medford High School gym on Forest Street was originallynamed for Mack after the popular cartoonist's death in 1953 at age62. More than 800 people attended the dedication ceremonycommemorating the artist who had been dubbed 'Medford's Number OneFan.'

After Medford High moved to new quarters on Winthrop Street in1970, however, the Gene Mack Gym and the Chevalier Auditoriumupstairs fell into disuse. The old gym in the basement was in woefulshape in the mid-1990s when the nonprofit Friends of ChevalierAuditorium and Gene Mack Gymnasium launched a restoration campaign.

The City of Medford contributed about $750,000 toward the gym'srenovation project, while the Friends raised $55,000. The Boys andGirls Clubs of Middlesex County were brought in to operate the youthcenter.

When the renovation was finished this year, the long-neglectedMack Gym shone anew, with a teen center, an arts-and-crafts area,study and game rooms, and a polished basketball floor with GeneMack's name stenciled at center court.

'It's a dream come true, something the community has talked aboutand wanted for many years,' said May Marquebreuck of Medford, thevice president and newsletter editor of the Friends of ChevalierAuditorium and Gene Mack Gymnasium.

Those who recall the state of the gym prior to its restorationwould appreciate its transformation.

'When you have something that had fallen into disarray, and it'sreborn, it has to be a wonderful feeling,' said Marquebreuck.

The renewal also has introduced a new generation to the artist forwhom it is named, who likewise had faded from civic memory.

Eugene McGillicuddy, who would become known to sports fans acrossthe country by the pen name Gene Mack, was a 1908 graduate of MedfordHigh who got his start engraving pots and pans for $3 a week. Hebegan his 35-year Globe career doing illustrations for thenewspaper's advertising department.

Mack is most widely remembered today for his 1940s series of MajorLeague ballpark illustrations that were printed in the Globe and TheSporting News, and now reside in the collection of the Baseball Hallof Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

He also is recalled for creating a feature that still runs in theGlobe sports pages, a cartoon of a bus carrying the undefeated high-school football teams that wends its way, losing cargo by the week,through the fall season toward the Thanksgiving Day finale.

When Mack penned the feature, each town or school had its ownlittle character, such as Lattimore Latin, Medwick Medford, SammySalem, or Sylvester Southie.

'Every Monday the teams that got licked got pitched off the bus,'said former Globe sportswriter Clif Keane of Winchester. 'It was themost fun he had.'

In the pretelevision days when Boston had eight daily newspapersand nearly as many full-time sports cartoonists, Mack was among thebest known in the field, and would be given nearly a full page in themorning Globe for his drawings.

'It was an era when newspapers dominated the media, and cartoonswere where people got the game story,' said Brian Codagnone, theassociate curator of the Sports Museum of New England. 'Gene Mack andthe others told a story with pictures.'

Mack's whimsically detailed drawings gave Globe readers a dailyreason to turn to the sports section for his take on the latest featsof the Red Sox or the Braves or the local college or high-schoolteams.

Little cartoon characters peopled the edges of his portraits todescribe colorful plays or dispense comic asides, and in his famedillustrations of the 14 Major League ballparks of the 1940s, to tellthe distinctive history of each park.

His drawing of the old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, for example,shows the spot in the outfield where in 1909 a lightning flash madepossible a spectacular barehanded catch by Red Murray of the Giants.

His rendition of Fenway Park shows where a hill called Duffy'sCliff once rose to the wall in left, presenting a unique hazard tooutfielders, and the location in the bleachers where Ted Williams'slongest home run smashed a fan's straw hat.

Fans of Boston's National League team could easily recognize right-fielder Tommy Holmes in the cartoon ballplayer shouting, 'I got it! Igot it!' by the 'Jury Box' bleachers in a Mack drawing of the oldBraves Field.

'You would always know a Gene Mack cartoon,' said veteran sportscartoonist Phil Bissell of Sandwich who succeeded Mack at the Globe.'Everyone wanted to grab a paper to see what he had done.'

Many at the time considered Mack second only to the great WillardMullin of the New York World-Telegram in the ranks of sportscartoonists, said Globe colleague Keane, whose own career at thepaper spanned from 1929 to 1976.

'He did a perfect picture of a guy making a catch,' said Keane.'You didn't have to read about how [a player] caught the ball. GeneMack would show you.'

Mack took a workmanlike approach to the job of filling fivecolumns' worth of space in the daily paper, colleagues and familysaid.

Bissell described Mack and Bob Coyne, of the old Record, perchedin the back row of the press box at the ballpark, filling theirsketchbooks, then departing in the late innings of an afternoon gamefor their newsrooms on Washington Street's Newspaper Row.

'[Mack] would do the completed drawing in a couple of hours and behome for dinner,' said Keane, who recalled the cartoonist as adeparture from the raffish, ink-stained stereotype of the newsman inthe 'Front Page' era of journalism.

'He should have been a priest,' said Keane. 'I never heard himcuss anybody. I never saw the man angry in his life. He'd just sitthere and draw and laugh.'

His daughter, Ruth, recalled, as a schoolgirl, asking her fatherif he were famous. 'I'm an artist - that's it,' was his reply.

Mack took great interest in school sports. 'He used to go to the[Boston] Garden on Saturday afternoon for high school hockey games -Arlington, Medford, Stoneham, teams like that - and he'd sit theredrawing cartoons all afternoon,' said Keane.

And he remained loyal to Medford High with the annual Thanksgivinggame vs. Malden, a boisterous tradition in the McGillicuddyhousehold, according to his daughter.

He would have been proud to have a youth gym named for him, Murphysaid. She recalled how her father's 'eyes got all watery' when the1942 state championship Medford High football team presented him witha football-shaped charm.

At the newly renovated Gene Mack Clubhouse one recent Fridayafternoon, children in the after-school program buzzed aroundathletic director Marco Abreu of Somerville as he gave a tour of thefacility, where a membership for September through June costs $15.

'With these kids, you can't help but have fun,' said the 21-year-old Abreu, dressed in a purple staff T-shirt, baggy shorts, and anupside-down visor cocked sideways on his head.

The veteran of the local pickup-basketball circuit credited asimilar Boys and Girls Club in his hometown Union Square neighborhoodfor keeping him off the streets.

'I'm hearing from these kids that some got into trouble becausethey had no place to go,' Abreu said. 'Some come up and thank me, asif I opened the place, so grateful are they to have a place to come.'

On Father's Day, the only one of Gene Mack's five children stillliving reflected on her father's legacy as she showed visitors to herStoneham home some of her most treasured family keepsakes.

There were the annual Christmas cards her father had drawn in the1940s, each decorated with caricatures of the family as well asballplayers and the odd bat-toting Indian chief exhorting, 'Come on,you Braves!'

There were the illustrations of baseball immortals like Babe Ruth,pictured on his return to Boston in 1935, and Philadelphia Athleticsmanager Connie Mack, born Cornelius McGillicuddy, a cousin.

There was the weathered news photo of A's manager Mack, herfather, and her late brother, Gene Jr., as a boy, posed at theballpark under the heading 'Three Real Mackmen Get Together.'

And there were photographs taken at long-ago Red Sox springtraining camps, of her sister, Miriam, with Joe Cronin, of hersister, Grace, with Jimmie Foxx.

'I miss them,' Ruth Murphy mused.

But a spirit that had been lost has been recaptured at the youthcenter that bears Gene Mack's name, Marquebreuck said.

In loss, Miller fights to the finish; Unanimous decision ends Troy boxer's bid for title and career.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: TIM WILKIN - Staff Writer

NEW YORK - Little Devan Miller scooted into his father's locker room in the bowels of Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. He caught his dad's eye and began to cry.

Shannon Miller, his boxing father, had made his son a promise before he stepped into the fabled Garden ring, and now he was keeping it. Hence, the tears.

Miller told his son that if he did not beat Derric Rossy in their New York State Heavyweight Championship fight, he would walk away. And that's just what he did.

After losing a 10-round unanimous decision to Rossy, Miller announced he will retire from the game.

'My son said if I won this fight, I would continue,' Shannon Miller said. 'If I lost, that was it. That's it. I'm retired.'

Miller stood in his locker room, beads of sweat still pouring off his shoulders. He had a nasty cut above his left eye and it was already discoloring. The final wounds from a career that started when he was only 8 years old.

Miller, 32, ends his career with 14-3 record including eight knockouts. He weighed in at 227 pounds for this fight, 18 less than Rossy, who is also seven years younger. At 6-foot-3, Rossy, who was a defensive lineman at Boston College, was also 3 inches taller than Miller.

There were no knockdowns in the fight that served as part of the undercard of Saturday's World Heavyweight Championship bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Calvin Brock.

Miller also had a cut in his left ear, but Rossy, from Medford on Long Island, did not go home unscathed. Rossy, now 14-0, also had a cut over his left eye, which forced referee Charlie Fitch to stop the fight briefly in the sixth round to have it checked. Fitch also stopped the bout to have Miller's ear looked at.

When the bout was over, judge Tom Schreck scored the fight 98-91, judge Ron McNair had it 100-90 and judge Glen Feldman had it 100-90.

'He was a big, strong guy and I knew I had a tough fight ahead of me,' Miller said. 'He had a fast jab and he hit me with some good shots. His jabs didn't hurt me but they might tomorrow. I'm an old guy.'

Miller's entourage included his dad, Bob (who has managed his son since the start), his brother Shawn, his trainer Billy Growick and Lisa Elovich, his promoter.

Bob Miller stood outside his son's locker room after it was all over and wore a sad little smile. He would offer no excuses for Shannon, saying he fought the younger, bigger fighter as best he could.

And there was absolutely no disgrace in finishing his career under the bright lights at MSG.

'This is the first time he ever went 10 rounds and he fought a true, professional fight,' Bob Miller said. 'And he fought here. There are loads of worse places. Shannon was always a good, solid guy and he always showed up.'

Shannon Miller said his decision is final, but, in the boxing game, who knows?

Bob Miller said he would not say for sure if it's all over for his son but he supports whatever he wants to do. Besides Devan, Miller has a wife, Heather, and a 2-year-old daughter, Olivia.

'I need a break, maybe I'll open a boxing club myself,' Shannon Miller said. 'Right now, it's not hard to say I'm retired. But in three of four weeks, you hit the bag ... but I think this is it.'

Tim Wilkin can be reached at 454-5415 or by e-mail at twilkin@timesunion.com.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Jon Winslow/Special to the Times Union SHANNON MILLER, left, and Derric Rossy exchange blows during their fight- a 10-round battle with Rossy eventually declared the winner.

EVERETT CLUB SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS DINNER SET FOR MAY 25 - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

The Everett 'E' Club will hold its 17th annual scholarship andawards Dinner at Caruso's in Saugus on May 25 at 7 p.m. Former RedSox shortstop Rico Petrocelli will be the featured speaker. Foursenior scholar-athletes will receive $1,000 scholarship grants.They are Stacey Blake (Salem State), Dayna DelGaizo (SoutheasternMass.), Heidi Fitzpatrick (Tufts) and Paul Sagarino, Jr. (UMass/Amherst). For information, contact Lawrence Vozella at 387-0180.

Stoneham's Linette Kelley hit game-winning home runs inconsecutive games against two of the top teams in the league asStoneham remained in first place in the Middlesex League with a12-0 record. The senior second baseman hit a solo home run in a 2-0win over second-place Reading and a two-run homer in a 4-2 win overthird-place Wakefield . . . Junior catcher Laury Kovalchek hit .714(10-14) with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs, leading Tyngsboro to victoriesover Whittier, Chelsea and Presentation of Mary . . . Braintree'sCarlene Needle earned her third shutout in her last four games witha four-hit 1-0 win over Wellesley. The senior righthander also hada no-hitter against Milton . . . Lincoln-Sudbury's Juliana Blaserpitched back-to-back no-hitters against two of the top four teamsin the Dual County League, helping her team remain in first placewith a 10-1 record. The senior struck out 12 in a 3-0 win overfourth-place Bedford and had seven strikeouts in a 15-0 win oversecond place Newton South . . . Kerri Curran of Milton had aproductive week. In a 9-8 loss to Bay State League foe Dedham, thejunior shortstop went 4 for 6. In an 11-8 win over Needham, shewent 5 for 6, including a three-run homer in the seventh. TheMilton captain is now batting .516 in the league and .581 overall.

BASEBALL REPORT

Walpole will square off against host Braintree tomorrow night(6:30) seeking to avenge its only league loss, 6-5. Braintree, thefifth-ranked team in the Division 1 poll, is led by Brian McDevitt(2-0, 0.88 ERA) and Tom Mulloy (4-1, 1.90) on the mound. Walpole,the fourth-ranked team in the Division 2 poll, counters with ToddCollins (5-0, 0.94) and Leroy Decker (6-1, 1.74), and Rob Rando atbat (.468) . . . Belmont Hill's Derek Plourde hit three home runsto overpower Rivers, 9-2. The junior center fielder, who hailsfrom Waltham, collected 6 RBIs.

THE JEFF JUDEN, LISA MOORE WATCH

Salem senior righthander Jeff Juden and Wellesley junior LisaMoore have been tearing apart the opposition this spring. Here aretheir 1989 and career totals:

JUDEN'S STATISTICS: Year W-L ERA IP H CG ER BB SO HR 1989 6-0 0.00 44 12 6 0 10 97 0 Career 25-3 0.45 204 83 28 13 73 388 3

MOORE'S STATISTICS: Year W-L ERA IP H CG ER BB SO HR 1989 10-1 0.00 72 16 11 0 9 162 0 Career 32-3 0.09 233 49 31 3 45 465 0

RECORDS

Claudia Czascn, an exchange student from Germany, set schoolrecords in the high jump (5-5 1/4), triple jump (35-11 1/2) andhigh hurldes (15.6), leading Hamilton-Wenham to a Cape Ann Leaguetriumph over Lynnfield, 99-28 . . . Six-foot Patrice Misiano brokethe Revere record in the long jump with a 15-6, shattering EveBarron's (14-1) 8-year mark by 17 inches, despite Revere's 74-56loss to Medford. Misiano broke the record in each jump -- her firstattempt was 14-5, her second was 14-11 and her final was 15-6 . . . Xaverian set three school records at the State Coaches' Meet atBrockton. Joe Kamara ran the 100 meters in 10.6, good for secondplace, to break Dave Gramm's time of 10.9 set in 1986. JohnMenslage ran the 300 intermediate hurdles in 39.6 (third place) tobreak his own record. The relay team of Mark Welch, Bob Flaherty,Chris Teeley and Kamara broke a 12-year record in the 4x100 relay(44.2). The team finished second to Brockton while breaking theXaverian record of 44.5, set in 1977 . . . Jose Correia of NewBedford took first place in the 1,600 meters at the Nestle/LoucksGames in White Plains, N.Y. with an impressive 4:13.1. At the samemeet, teammate Sean Bourgeois finished second in the 3,200 meters(9:23.0).

ALL-SCHOLASTIC SPRING MEETING IS MAY 25

The Globe's All-Scholastic baseball and softball committeemeetings will be May 25 at 7:15 p.m. at the Globe.

ETC.

SOME OF THE ONES TO WATCH.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Here are the top runners to watch in today's Freihofer's Run for Women 5-kilometer race.

JUDI ST. HILAIRE - 31, Fall River, Mass.

One of the most successful athletes on the road racing circuit over the last two years.

St. Hilaire, who was injured through much of the 1980s, last ran in Albany in 1989, when she set a U.S. 5K road record with a winning time of 15:26. Since then, she has been one of the most consistent distance runners in the country.

In 1990, St. Hilaire skipped the Run for Women but did win two prestigious women-only races: the Nike Women's 8K (25:10) in Washington, D.C., and the L'Eggs Mini Marathon 10K (32:26) in New York. She also became the first woman ever to break 15 minutes in a 5K with her 14:57 at the Fall River 5K. That race, however, was contested on a point-to-point course with a significant drop in elevation and was therefore not eligible for record consideration.

In February of this year she officially lowered her own U.S. 5K record to 15:25 with a victory in the Edison Festival of Lights 5K in Fort Myers, Fla.

CAROLE ROUILLARD - 31, Beauport, Canada.

A versatile, talented athlete who has excelled at distances from 1,500 meters to the marathon.

Rouillard is one of Canada's most accomplished runners, and 1990 was one of her finest years. Although she did not run a 5,000, she did record times of 9:13 for 3,000 meters, 32:49 for 10,000 and 2:32:28 for the marathon. The last two performances were the fastest by any Canadian in 1990.

Interestingly, Rouillard is competing in the Run for Women only because of a recent setback. Her training has been geared toward longer distances, and she had hoped to run well at last month's Boston Marathon. Instead, she was bothered by leg cramps and dropped out at 18 miles. That was a disappointment, but because she did not complete the full distance, Rouillard was able to bounce back fairly quickly.

GWYN COOGAN - 25, Lincoln, Mass.

A relative newcomer - not merely to the ranks of the elite, but to the sport of running in general.

Coogan is a former field hockey player who began running competitively midway through college. Despite the late start she has had a great deal of success, particularly in track and cross-country. She finished third in the 3,000 meters at the TAC championships in 1989, and later that year finished third in the national cross-country championships.

Coogan has a 5,000-meter personal best of 15:42, established indoors last January, and also ran 33:09.9 in her first 10K on the track last month. She has very little experience on the roads.

SAMMIE GDOWSKI - 24, Minneapolis.

Emerged as one of America's most promising young runners with a series of good races in 1990.

First, Gdowski won the 10,000 at the highly competitive Mount SAC Relays with a time of 32:34. Then she finished third in the 5,000 at the TAC championships in 15:51.54. She capped the season with a personal best 5K of 15:45.29 during an outdoor meet in Europe.

FRANCOISE GARCEAU - 28, Berthierville, Canada.

Like Rouillard, a member of the Montreal Olympic Club, home to many of Canada's top distance runners.

According to club coach Martin Goulet, Garceau has been training extremely well and should have a good race in Albany. She has PRs of 9:10 for 3,000 meters and 15:53 for 5,000.

ROSALIND TAYLOR - 23, Lanham, Md.

A five-time All-America at the University of Maryland.

Taylor finished ninth in the 1990 Run for Women with a time of 16:13. She has a 5K best of 15:58 and a 3,000- meter best of 9:00.68. Two months ago, she won the Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach, Va., with a time of 26:45.

KATHY KANES - 29, Medford, Mass.

Sixth-place finisher in last year's Run for Women with a time of 16:03. Kanes also ran a personal best 9:09.97 for 3,000 meters at the TAC championships, good enough for fifth place.

INGE SCHUURMANS - 28, Boulder, Colo.

Finished 10th in the highly competitive Carlsbad 5,000 in California last month with a time of 16:07. Has a 10K PR of 33:26. Schuurmans is reportedly training well and extremely fit.

KRISTY JOHNSTON - 25, Eugene, Ore.

Although primarily a track runner, Johnston kicked off 1991 by making her marathon debut. Not bad, either; she finished eighth at the Houston Tenneco Marathon in 2:39:45. Since then, she has run 32:56.1 for 10,000 meters, indicating she should be competitive here today.

CARMEN AYALA-TRONCOSO - 32, Austin, Texas.

Although she finished eighth in the 3,000 with a time of 9:15.75 at the 1990 TAC championships, Ayala- Troncoso's reputation has been forged on the roads. Already this year she has run 16:02 for 5K and 33:37 for 10K.

LISA PRESEDO - 26, Baton Rouge, La.

Presedo has a 5K PR of 16:02. She also has a major marathon victory to her credit, having finished first in the Toronto Marathon last September.

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