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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1998)
Baseball: Brewers lose NL debut ■ Continued from Page 7 es.” The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, however, looked ex actly like the expansion team it is in an 11-6 loss to Detroit at St. Petersburg, Fla. The Devil Rays fell behind 11-0 after five innings and the sellout crowd of 45,369 at Tropicana Field had little to cheer except for Wade Boggs’ home run. “This is one of 162. Unfortunately, it was a big one — opening day — but the others won’t all go like this,” Tampa Bay shortstop Kevin Stocker said. The new team, though, had something that no one else in the majors has: A cigar bar inside its ballpark. It s a fabulous place,” said Devil Rays owner Vince Naimoli. "Tampa was known as the cigar city a long time ago. We wanted it to reflect that heritage. That’s why we put it in.” In Phoenix, some fans at the Bank One Ballpark also had a unique view — from a pool, heated spa and a swim-up bar beyond the right-center field fence. The aquatic area, which holds 35 people and costs $4,000 per game to rent, was ready to make its debut when the Arizona Diamondbacks played host to the Colorado Rockies. One warning: Fans in the pool had better bring their gloves, along with their swimsuits. Colorado Rockies star Larry Walker hit a ball into the water during batting practice Monday. Other highlights on opening day: ® The Tigers won in their first game since shifting from the AL East to the Central to accommodate the Devil Rays. ■ Milwaukee lost to Atlanta 2-1 in its first game since becoming the only team to switch leagues this century. The Brewers seemed to handle the National League style just fine; with no designated hitter, pitcher Cal Eldred singled off four-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux. ■ In the longest scoreless opener in NL history, pinch-hitter Alberto Castillo’s single with two outs and the bases loaded in the 14th inning gave the Mets a 1-0 win over Philadelphia. * Pokey Reese tied an opening-day record for shortstops with four errors, helping San Diego and newcomer Kevin Brown beat Cincinnati 10-2. Johnson still a fan favorite in Seattle After an offseason of turmoil, the former Cy Young award winner received the loudest ovation of all Mariners before their season opener The Associated Press SEATTLE — Randy John son’s future with the Seattle Mariners may be uncertain, but he was the clear fan favorite as he took the mound in Tuesday’s opening night contest against Cleveland. “I’d much rather trade Woody Woodward than Randy John son,” said fan Jason Weber of Seattle, referring to Seattle’s gen eral manager. “I kick the cat when I think about the Big Unit leaving,” said Kevin Borgquist of Seattle. Although Johnson received the loudest, longest ovation as the team lineups were an nounced — surpassing the hearty receptions given Ken Grif fey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez — he didn’t deliver his usual domi nant performance. The 1995 American League Cy Young Award winner allowed 11 hits and six runs, five earned, in 5 2/3 innings. Johnson received a standing ovation when he was lifted for re liever Bobby Ayala after strug gling in the sixth. “We were trying to show Randy that we really do care and we want him to stay,” said John Ishmael of Redmond, Wash., one of a regular-season record 57,822 fans in the Kingdome. “Heartwarming,” Johnson said of the applause. “It felt really good.” He is in the final year of a con tract that pays him $6 million this season. The Mariners have made no move to extend his con tract and Johnson expressed a strong desire to be traded as re cently as two weeks ago. During spring training Johnson said, “I don’t want to be here . . . I’m just not happy.” But Tuesday night he was philosophical. “The sun will come up tomor row and in five days I’ll be pitch ing again,” he said. “I don’t think we need to put this game under a microscope and analyze it too much,” John son added. “We’ll bounce back — it’s the first game.” Since joining the Mariners in 1989 after a trade with the Mon treal Expos, Johnson has won four AL strikeout crowns and r ((1 kick the cat when I think about the Big Unit leaving. ” Kevin Borgquist Seattle fan leads the major leagues in strike outs during the 1990s. “We didn’t see a typical Randy Johnson performance tonight," Cleveland manager Mike Har grove said. “Usually when Randy gets a couple of runs you can pretty much shut it down and get ready for tomorrow.” “Randy didn’t have as good of stuff as he usually has,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “i’ll get better as the season progresses,” Johnson said. “I just hope I’ll have another six-run lead to protect.” The Mariners entertained trade offers for Johnson throughout the off-season, most notably from the New York Yankees, the Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers, but were un able to reach a deal. Seattle management has since expressed a willingness to let Johnson play out his contract in Seattle if an acceptable deal is not reached. Mariners: Johnson lasts just six innings ■ Continued from Page 7 Mesa pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings for the win as a setup man and Jackson got the save. Last October, Mesa failed to hold a ninth-inning lead in Game 7 of the World Series, and Florida wound up win ningin the 11th. “I’ve been thinking about it the last 10 days or two weeks of spring training,” Hargrove said. “I just never really saw Jose turn it up to where I felt like he was prepared to go back into the closer’s role. But that does n't mean in two weeks he’s not going to be the closer again.” “Going into spring training, we realized that probably the last three to four years that the strength of our pitching has been our bullpen,” Hargrove said. “So far so good. These guys are good pitchers.” In the ninth, Mesa struck out Alex Rodriguez, Assenmacher got Griffey to foul out and Jack son got Martinez to ground out. “I take the same mentality every time I go out and pitch,” said Jackson. “In my heart, I felt like I was the closer anyway coming into the game in the ninth inning.” Piniella insisted this spring that his bullpen was vastly im proved over last season. He stuck by that view after the game. “It’s only one game. I still con tend we’re going to have good pitching,” Piniella said. “I’m a little disappointed tonight, but it will get much better.” He said criticism of Seattle’s bullpen by the media was “un merciful.” “Give these guys a chance,” Piniella said. “They’re going to pitch well.” The Mariners set a major league record with 264 home runs last year, and used their power to take a 9-3 lead after five innings. Griffey, who hit 56 homers last season in becoming the American League MVP, Buhn er and Davis each connected off Charles Nagy in a six-run fifth inning. But Randy Johnson, Seattle’s opening-day starter for the sixth and presumably final time, also was ineffective. He allowed six runs and 11 hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. “I usually lick my chops when I have a lead that big,” Johnson said. “When you’ve got that big of a lead, the of fense has done its job.” The Mariners took a 9-6 lead into the eighth. Ayala walked pinch-hitter Jim Thome and Kenny Lofton hit an RBI triple. After Omar Vizquel walked, Fossas came in and walked David Justice. Timlin relieved, and a two run double by Manny Ramirez tied it at 9. Pinch-hitter Brian Giles was intentionally walked to load the bases, but Timlin walked Travis Fryman on five pitches to force home the go ahead run. Kenny Lofton, reacquired by the Indians in the offseason, was the only left-handed hitter in the starting lineup against Johnson. Thome and Justice began the game on the bench. The Mariners appeared to break open the game in the fifth. Griffey hit a 404-foot homer into the Kingdome’s right-field third deck and Buh ner homered after newcomer David Segui’s second double. Davis homered after a walk by Glenallen Hill and a single by Dan Wilson. The Indians came back against Johnson in the sixth, chasing him with three runs. Sandy Alomar doubled and Jeff Manto hit an RBI single. Enrique Wilson doubled, Lofton had an RBI groundout and d Manto and Vizquel sin gled home a run. Martinez gave Seattle a 2-0 lead in the first when he home red over the center-field wall after Nagy hit Griffey with a pitch in the ankle. The Indians went ahead 3-2 in the fourth on Alomar’s homer. The Mariners tied the score in the bottom half on doubles by Segui and Buhner. BOOK NOV! oUmnjer s coming! (.bey Titbit. &T«e.( Ajvitt. Vi<« PeobU. Rally For Organics Join Us For A Rally To Support Organic Food As We Know It • Say Yes To Food That Is Produced In An Earth Friendly Way • Say Yes To Your Right To Know How Your Food Is Produced • Say Yes To Your Right To Choose The Kind Of Food You Want • Say Yes To Farmers, Manufacturers And Businesses Who Produce And Sell Healthy Food With Integrity • Say Yes To A Political Process That Is Democratic And Not Corrupted By A Big Money Corporate Agenda Saturday, April 4 1pm Downtown Plaza Willamette And Broadway In Eugene Speakers To Include Peter DeFazio And Others To Explain This Complex Issue For more Info, call 686 6761 or email earthsav@efn.org 24th & Hilyard 7am-11pm 343-9142 ^ y NATURE ]ohcc NATURAL FOODS UNIVERSITY OF OREGON / UOM Singular Sensations. What’s new at the museum ? Join us this evening for the opening reception of our aNew Acquisitions” spring exhibit, including a tour of the presentation at 7 p.m. We’re also hosting Eugene Singles Night, with music by Craig Einhorn. MusEveninjjs The Spring Scene in Eugene! ’.very Wednesday from 5-8 p.m. at the UO Museum of Art. Free to all! Call 346-3027 for more information
