Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, April 11, 2001, Page 9, Image 9

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    Page B3
April 11, 2001
Jlortlanò (ßhöeruer
p Metro/
Gearing Up For Little League
Baseball Great Dies at 61
(AP) — Willie Stargell, the thun­
derous home run hitter who carried
the Pittsburgh Pirates into two World
Series with his power and helped win
them with his fatherly leadership, died
Monday. He was 61
Stargell, who had been in failing
health for years because o f diabetes
and a kidney disorder, died at New
Willie Stargell
Hanover Regional Medical Center in
Wilmington, N.C., the hospital said.
He died on the day the Pirates were
opening their new ballpark, PNC Park,
where a 12-foot bronze statue of
Stargell’s likeness was unveiled Sat­
urday. “Now, every opening day at
PNC Park, everybody will know this
is Willie Stargell's day," said Chuck
Tanner, Stargell’s manager from 1977-
82. “H e’s up there, and he knows the
Peninsula Little League players and team officials gather on Saturday fo r opei
another year thanks to the generous support o f donations. The league was in a
declining financial support.
(P hoto
[yeryone Oualif iej,
V ictory Gives Tiger W oods G rand Slam
birdie putts from 12 feet on the
17th hole and 5 feet on the final
AUGUSTA, Ga.— Tiger Woods
hole failed to fall. Mickelson, who
had been poised to claim his first
claimed the greatest feat in modem
major,
also missed an 8-foot par
golf Sunday by winning the Mas­
ters, giving him a clean sweep of
putt on the 16th hole. He also failed
to cash in on birdie putts on
the four professional majors in a
the final two holes.
span of 294 days. Woods punc­
Woods, who turned pro
tuated the win with an 18-foot
five years ago, never fal­
birdie, raising both arms in tri­
umph as breathless fans roared
tered.
His lead remained at one
their approval. He doffed his cap
stroke when he missed a 3-
to cover his tears as he left the
foot birdie putt on the 15th,
green and walked into the arms of
but he traded spectacular
his father, who trained him to be
golf for solid play and de­
a champion from the time he was
livered.
in a highchair.
Woods, who closed with a 68,
Some have debated
whether Woods can claim
was steady down the haunting
back nine holes of Augusta Na­
a Grand Slam, which tradi­
tional as David Duval and Phil Tiger Woods is triumphant at the Masters.
tionally has meant winning
four majors in a calendar
Mickelson failed to harness the
magic that has carried Woods to
year.
Either
way, Woods’ trophies
Duval, who had believed this
five o f the last six majors. “I’ve
from the Masters, U.S. Open, Brit­
might be his year after three close
succeeded in what I wanted to
ish Open and PGA Championship
calls, made it through Amen Cor­
accomplished,” Woods said as he
allow him to claim a place in his­
ner without a mistake but took
waited for last year’s winner, Vijay
tory no other professional has oc­
bogey on the par-3 16th, firing his
Singh, to help him put on the
cupied.
tee shot over the green and missing
winner’s green jacket. “I don’t feel
Not Jack Nicklaus, his idol, who
an 8-foot putt for par.
ecstatic yet. It hasn’t sunk in.”
missed his chance to hold the titles
He had two chances to catch
Locked in a thrilling battle with
Woods, but looked on in shock as
o f all four majors in 1972. Not
B y D oug F erguson
T he A ssociated P ress
his two chief rivals. Woods hit a
daring approach from 149 yards
into the perilous 11 th hole. The ball
grazed the cup for a tap-in birdie,
giving Woods a lead that he never
lost.
Pirates are opening today.”
Stargell hit 475 home runs, many o f
them soaring, majestic shots that
rattled many a pitcher’s confidence.
With Stargell batting cleanup formost
o f his 20-year career, the Pirates won
World Series championships in 1971
and 1979 and six National League
divisional titles from 1970-79.
Nicknamed "Pops,” Stargell was a
dynamic leader on the field and a
fatherly yet forceful presence o ff it,
distributing his coveted Stargell stars
for extra effort to teammates who
proudly attached them to th eir
ballcaps.
“When you had Willie Stargell on
your team, it was like having a dia­
mond ring on your finger,” Tanner
said.
At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, and
with a deep, commanding voice,
Stargell intimidated pitchers even
before they delivered the ball by
pinwheeling the bat in rhythm with
their delivery. Despite being over­
shadowed by the more prolific home
run hitters Hank Aaron and Willie
Mays, and by his own Hall o f Fame
team m ate, R oberto C le m e n te ,
Stargell’s sheer power was unrivaled.
He hit seven homers over the right-
field roof at Pittsburgh ’ s F orbes F ield
and once held the record for the long­
est homer in nearly half o f the NL
parks. “He didn’t just hit pitchers, he
tookaway their dignity,” former Dodg­
ers pitcher Don Sutton said.
Arnold Palmer, who dreamed up
the idea of a Grand Slam in 1960
but only got halfway there. The
only Grand Slam in golf not up for
debate is the one that belongs to
Bobby Jones, who won the U.S.
Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open
and British Amateur in 1930.
Fittingly, it was at the Masters
tournament, created by Jones in
1934, that Woods finished his his­
toric run. “It will probably go down
as one of the top moments in our
sport," Woods said. Asked whether
it was a Grand Slam, Woods re­
plied, “I don’t think it’s right for
me to comment on that.”
Woods now has won six ma­
jors, as many as Nick Faldo and
Lee Trevino and only one major
behind Palmer, Sam Snead and
Harry Vardon. And with his win­
ning score of 16-under 272, Woods
swept the majors with a combined
score of 65-under par.
It started with a runaway at
Pebble Beach in the U.S. Open last
June, and concluded with the big­
gest thriller of them all.
“He simply does what is re­
quired," Mickelson said.
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In ju ry E nds Season for B onzi W ells
(A P ) - Bonzi W ells, the
ta l e n te d
g u a rd
w ho
bum ped Steve Sm ith from
the P ortland T rail B laz­
e rs ’ startin g lineup, will
m iss the rest o f the sea­
son w ith a knee injury.
W ells has a torn a n te ­
rior cru ciate ligam ent in
his left knee.
M o n d a y 's a n n o u n c e ­
m ent was a huge blow for
the stru g g lin g B la z ers,
who have lost 11 o f 17
gam es to fall from first
place in the W estern C o n fer­
ence overall standings to sixth.
The team also is dealing with
the d eparture o f reserve fo r­
w ard Shawn K em p, who is
seeking treatm ent for cocaine
abuse and w o n ’t return this
season.
W ells, the team 's third-lead­
ing sc o re r beh in d R asheed
W allace and Sm ith, was hurt
in the second q u arter o f F ri­
day n ig h t's gam e at G olden
State. He crashed to the floor
w hile going up for a pass from
Dam on Stoudam ire on a fast
break in the second quarter o f
a 31-point rout o f the W ar­
riors. It appeared W e lls’ left
foot cam e dow n on the instep
o f his right foot as he was
trying to get past a defender.
The injury cam e w hen the
B lazers had the gam e in hand
against the outm atched W ar­
riors. But Portland, having lost
three straight gam es, wanted
a c o n v in c in g v ic to ry . T he
B lazers led by as m any as 47
points and won by 31.
At first, the B lazers thought
W ells' knee was sprained. But
it had sw elled since, and a
tear in the ACL was found
during a m ore th o r­
o u g h e x a m in a tio n
M onday afternoon.
W ells’ team m ates
a n d c o a c h M ik e
D u n le a v y d i d n ’t
know the extent o f
the injury a fter fin ­
ishing practice e a r­
lier in the day, but
th e y s e e m e d to
sense it was serious.
“ It'll d efinitely be
a b lo w ,” point guard
S to u d a m ir e s a id .
“ Bonzi is one o f the only guys
on this team that can really
get easy buckets. He brings a
lot o f enthusiasm to the gam e,
and it’ll hurt us. We have to
ju st find som e way to o v er­
com e it.”
C o a c h M ik e D u n le a v y
w a sn 't ready to think about
losing one o f his best o ffe n ­
sive players. “ I really d o n ’t
w ant to even go th e re ,” he
said. “ But if it w ere the case,
th a t’s 53 percent field-goal
sh o oting p e rc e n ta g e out of
your lineup, and th a t's o b v i­
ously to u g h .”
At 24, W ells is the youngest
p lay e r in the B la z ers’ ro ta ­
tion, and h e ’s dangerous in
the open court. The form er
B a ll S ta te s ta r has had a
breakout third season in the
N B A , averaging 12.7 points
and 4 .9 re b o u n d s . He has
m ade 53.3 percent o f his shots,
second in the league only to
S haquille O 'N e a l's 57.3 per­
cent. W ells filled in for Sm ith
as the startin g shooting guard
a g ain st V ancouver on Dec.
29, when Sm ith had the flu.
W ells scored 14 points on 7-
o f-1 0 s h o o tin g , and Sm ith
d i d n ’t s ta r t a g a in u n til
S unday's gam e at Sacram ento.
“ I'm alw ays prepared,” said
Sm ith, who has averaged 17.8
points in his last five gam es.
“ I t's not a role w here I lost my
sta rtin g jo b because o f my
perform ance. M ike m ade that
choice. I lived with it, and I
kept playing, kept working, and
now I ’m back in that situ a ­
tion. But if I could have the
situation over, you definitely
w o u ld n ’t w ish that on som e­
body like th a t.”
Edgewater
Restaurant and
Lounge
Featuring
•9 Televisions
•Event Specials
•Live Entertainment
Friday through Sunday
•Convenient Parking
Red Lion
Hotel
Coliseum
1225 N Thundertoird Way
Tel (503) 235-8311
I
Relax in our riverfront Restaurant
and sample our Northwestern
fare, or dance the night away to
live entertainment in the Edge-
water Lounge. Either way you’re
sure to have a relaxing and
memorable
time at the Red
Lion Hotel.
■¿A
Restaurant
Lounge
Dancing (Fri-Sun)
6:00 AM 10:00 PM
Opens at 4:00 PM
9:30 PM- 1:30 AM
Situated on the Willamette River,
across the street from the Memo­
rial Coliseum and Rose Garden
Arena. "Blazer Headquarters"
For all home games.