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Show C6 TheSalt Lake Tribune * SPORTS Sunday, June 30, 2002 DOWN ON THE FARM Minor League Road Is Rocky for Former Cougar BY PHIL MILLER and MICHAEL C. LEWIS THE SALT LAKETRIBUNE Micah Mangrumhadnot Mangrumstruckout24 hitters in 26inningsin Wilmington, pickingupsix saves and posting seen his girlfriend for a couple of 42.39 ERA the Wranglers’ newest reliever has beenhit hard for the first time in his pro 98 mph(Jeremy Hill), Mangrumfigureshis futurelies in the seventh and eighthinnings. Whatever they want, that’s fi be said. “I just can't wait to ge in there again.” howhewanted to greet her. But situations, Mangrum has Same Game planein Baltimorefor a week innings and his ERAhas bal looned to 6.92. “T've been tryingto overdo thingssince I got here, I'm months,so this wasn’t exactly when Tara Reebes gotoff the longvisit with the Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks pitcher, Man grumbrokethenewsasgently career. Used mostly in mop-up allowed26hits in his first 13 as he could. Welcometo Delaware, he said. just psyching myself out,” the Yeah, it was a good news, bad news kind of thing,” Mangrum, a former Brigham Young right though His numbers since he left BYU and signedwith the Ka S$ Royals organizatio: ago suggest he will figure it it out dent said. “I'm start a lot better out there, See youin Kansas. T got called upto andyouhave a20- hour road trip aheadofyou.” Reebes' flight from Utah quickly. Mangrum is notapar Rocks managerJeff Garber called with instructions that : 159 strikeouts and 33 walks, anearly 5-to-1 ratiothat helped Bein a Wichita W1 form tomorrow night. Suddenly, Mangrum’s well ordered life in three seasons. And he is doing it while learn: ing a new way to pitch: sidearm. Mangrumestimates he now throws his overhand fastball already wasin the air when Blue 24-year“old reliever: pi rT havehis belongings shippedto fly to Wichita, find a place to live and introducehim: self to his Double-A teammates. Oh, yeah, and wavegoodbyeto his just-arrivedvisitor. Fortunately, Blue Rocks starter Wes Obermueller had been sent up the same day, so Mangrum arranged for Reebesto hitch a ride l—a ong,longride ticularly hard thrower, but he throws strikes; his ca $ himmove upthree levels in andcurve, his staples as a Cou gar, only about20 percent of the time. Mostly,heuses a down undercombinationofsinking fastballs, sliders and changeups. “My pitching coach has been real supportiveof me dropping down,” Mangrumsaid. “I’ve ahead and began mak stment that hasn't 0 smooth. After two months ofdominat ing Carolina Leaguehitters Scot Shields used someof his Stingers experience to helpthe AnaheimAngels beat Texas on ‘Thursday. Shields, called up10 di 0 fromSalt Lake,entered Thursday's gamein theeighth inning to protect a 4-3 lead in adifficult ited a Shields fastball onto the left-field bermfor a two-run homer. “I remembered,”Shieldstold the Los Angeles Tim and wanted redemption. He got it by throwing nothing but sliders, Ludwick looked at a strike, fouledone offto go down 0-2, then reached for a sharply breakingsliderthat he roiled to second baseman Adam Kennedy, who started a doubleplay that ended thethreat and essentially wonthe gamefor Anaheim. in toa setup role in Wichite onFridayagainst Ogden. He Joe Saunders, Anaheim’s first-rounddraft choice, pitched two inningsfor the Provo Angels but since the Wranglers havea short-man prospect whothrows faced seven batters, allowing no hits while walking one andstriking out one. Round Rock Brevard County Ad-Astros __A-Expos mm 2 But whowas more produc: tive? Quinlan, though not by much. Duringhis streak, Quinlan hit 439 (40-for-91) with 11 doubles, Troy Famsworth (BYU) 18 Clearwater ‘Satake Norwich APhils ; hears AMAngels AAYankees m4 7 zn 4 209-8 21810 __Akron Chattanooga Nashville AaCleveland AA-Reds: AAPirates twotriples, three home runs, 14 RBI and16runs scored (31-for-82) during his streak, with three doubies, three triples, Katie Minnesota Lynx ended fivegame losing streak by beating the Orlando Miracle 67-59 Saturday night Smithscored 15 points in the first half as the Lynx (5-8) won forthe first time since June 13 against Portland Orlando (7-6) committed 18 Charlotte Orlando games,going 4-for-6 against Las Vegas on June13. His average improvedto .307 from .280. more than 7 minutes down the stretch without apoint. “We knew what theyliked to do offensively,” Smith said. “And we came out and made a concerted effort to take those thin, y Kristi Harrowerhit a threepointerwith7:53 to play to give Minnesota a 8 lead, its biggest of the game. But the Lynx didn't score again until Smith hit two free throws with 47.1 seconds to play. Orlando managed just 11 points during that stretch and 6 7 4 5 6 545 538 8 6 7 6 Indiana 6 7 Miami Detroit 3.9 533) 500 A62 250 0 13 OO WESTERN CONFEI_ wee ey 3h 6 9% ing lastyear... «1% Joss at Houston, Utah remains third in the Western Conference. Utah ‘shot a season-low 32 percent from eh 786 Utah 8 4 667 «3% Seattle 7 7 500 5% Portland Minnesota Sacramento 6 5§ 2 5 583 About the Starz: The Starzz beat the Rockers 73-69 in their only meet- GB 12 1 113 7 Tonight at Gund Arena, Cleveland Ww Tip-off: 5 p.m. MOT ‘tm Radio: KFNZ-AM (1230) Records:Utah 8-4, Cleveland 6-6 W Series; First meeting fh Me Los Angeles Houston Phoenix Starzz vs. Rockers GB 4¥ the field against the Comets, and was just 2-for-11 from three-point distance. Natalie Williams, oneof the leading rebounders in the league every season, is climbing to the top after her slow start. She's now sev- 8 429 6% 83857 11 154 10 irday's Game Minnesota 67, Orlando 59 enth (8.1). Margo Dydek is third (9.0)... Jennifer Azzi is 20-tor-22 's Games Charlotte at Washington, noon Houston at Los Angeles, 2 p.m. Portland at New York, 2 p.m. Sacramento at Detroit, 2 p.m. Indiana at Miami, 3 p.m. Utahat Cleveland, § p.m. Monday's Games Phoenix at Charlotte, 5 p.m. Detroit at Minnesota, 6 p.m. fromthe free-throw line in her last six games. Utah returns home fora Fematch against the Comets on Wednesday, then plays Minnesota on Friday. Abuut the Rockers: Cleveland is on a three-game winning streak, including Friday's67-58 win at New York... nevergot closer thansix points. The Lynx scored 17 points off turnovers in the first half, ing control with a 224 run to closethe half with a 40-30lead. The Lynx hit the first four three-pointers they took in the second half to pull away. Min: nesota madeit 56-39 lead with 12:34 remaining in the half on Smith’s three-pointer, Orlando scored the next five points but Smith answered with another three. The Lynx madeeight of 15 three-pointers in the game. Svetlana Abrosimova added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, registering her sec ond double-double of the year. She sat out Monday's game against Houston with a sore Evenafter Friday's “T wouldn't havebeenable to Penny Taylor, who had 20 points in that win, leads the team with a 14.8-point average. Chasity play tonight if I'd playedagainst Houston,” Abrosimova said. “I'mstill not 100 percent,butit's Melvin averages 14.4 and Merlakia Jones averages 135... Cleveland like night andday.” Katie Douglas scored seasontitle last season, finishing 22: 16 points to lead Orlando, The Miraclehavelost three ina row, all on theroad. Lynx 67, Miracle 59 ORLANDO (94) ‘Same 510 00 12 MeWikame-Firaenin Wesu0s000 mao7000 owl 36 127 Toa22.8911 98 MNMEROTA (07) Acero 11501 14. Whar 48255 10,ne 12 00 2. Srv 1.14 7.6 25, Mere 40.0 8. Pre 14 022 Gort 01 00.0, rower 2:7 00 5 Geren 0.0000 Tota 240916 67 rand nae Mircea ona Point Gowler (17 (Doug Sa 24, S.dtraon 14. Wich, Powe 2), Mtn15(Sv wonthe Eastern Conference regular: 10, but lost to Charlotte in the first round of the playolts. The Rock: rs have the fourth-best efficiency in the league, shooting 44.7 percent. ‘Ann Wauters, the No, 1 pick in 2000, arrived late atter playing in Europe, and is. oeie 93ee and 5.1 rebounds. Starzz guard Tricia bateior has sae in fivemane for Cleveland {s coached by Dan inohos ‘okis 55-41 Pitcher Jentry Beckstead (SLCC) Tri-City is z 1 159 Phil Cullen (Utah) Wisconsin A-Mariners 24 278 Ben Fox (Dixie State) —_Mike Gosling (East) Femaleathletes aren't the only ones to havetrouble with fans. The men have to deal with their share of exuberant fans, but 21.00 114419 om 2 833i 00 1080 616 1 O00 0 0 O14 692 02 5.48 634807 44 has designated a security direc- ° they'remuch tor who works with NBAsecurity. “Te £00 nice. Ifsomeoneputs y,,se‘ninze more isolated fromthepub- ee _instance,NBA oan : ’ eles Id Say the majority of them,” Starz coach Candi WNBAAllStar game, have found out what flight a team will be on, and have metplayers atthegates. morethana where you YOU Up on apedesta, they can get the wrong * impression. But overall, * far, Nearly every professional playerin any sport can tell you ¢hefans inthe WNBA ij ” arejust greatfeans. commercial JENNIFER AZZI Starze guard ee Since theterrorist attacks of last Sept. 11, only ticketed passengers are allowed past the security gates, but players still haveto wait in baggageclaim. NBAplayers makemillionsof dollars, and they can afford to live in gated communities and pay for their own security. ‘WNBAplayers, who average about$50,000 a year, live in apartment complexes during the season, and can’t afford their ownsecurity team. Bearing Gifts: While addresses are not publicized, it’s relatively easyfor fansto find out where players live. When she played for the Starzz, Reiss had comesout of a player's friendliness maybe it will translate somefans who would always veryleast, generateinterest in theleagueorcollege. But sometimes it can put the players in a dilemma. How and when doyousay no? Forinstance, while at Baylor “Evenif I wasn't there, there would be a present on the door- oneofthe team’s mostloyal fans. The team went and took Tshirts andothergifts. But whatthe team saw as a one-timevisit, turned into more ERA 11 to the team hotel. Each team also — . “T try to be nice, but not Jets. _ Fans, especially for the for the 6-year-old daughterof A-Padres: A-Rangers AA Cards A-Cards AdRoyals A-Rangers AA-Astros A-Padres WL To have players added to this list, call 257-8916 While certainlyan extreme case,Reiss’ experience isn’t the only exampleoffans going too University, the Starzz’s Danielle Crockrom and her teammates wereinvited to a birthday party ANAReds Fort Wayne E1Paso decade, whereas the WNBAuses intoanotherticketsold,or at the A-Rockies Savannah New Haven Johnson City Wichita Charlate Round Rock Lake Elsinore ““T kept telling hi tocall me ransein fealty stopped,” Reiss said. “Inever andthe accessibility has been stated over and over again asa positive aspect of women’s y Lousvile teams have ne vy often used on thecollege level, «ft 5 a Class-Orp. and here.” For whateverreason,the pur- especially WNBAplayers, are particularly susceptible to cases of extreme fans. As soon as they join the league, the women are toldto be fan-friendly, whether it’s by signing autographs, doing numerous appearances,or simply saying hello to people in the grocery store. It’s a tactic that is A-Rockies ‘Athletics EA-Athletics a Royce Hampton (Lehi) Jeremy Lambert (Kearns) ~ _‘Mitch Maio (Utah) Micah Mangrum (BYU) AJ, Murray (SLCC) ick Roberts (Southern Utah) _4etemy Webster (Dive State) sea However,femaleathletes, 340925 Fen Phoenix late in the game, and Brumley thought Quinlan wasn't seeing the ball well at theplate. Indeed, Quinlan said he was putting too muchpressure on himself to extend the streak. He provedit by, too, by going 8-for14 with two homersandfive RBisin the four games after his streak ended. “ Tem Jared Fernandez (Kearns) — — visit her apartment after games with gifts. step, so I knew they’d been there,” she said. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the WNBAand NBAreassessed their security, and have made several changes. Nowall players rally eae em unless younceded "Harveysaid. we've all becomea lot more aware of the things that can happen.” Alarge part of the WNBArookieorientation deals with security issues. Players are told how to spotsuspicious mail, guard their phone numbers,and whatto sign. They aren't supposed to send fanspersonalphotos, because the gesture mightlead thefan to believeheor she has an intimate connection to the player. Despite all the measures, the Starzz players say meeting fans and beingrole modelsis an enjoyable aspectoftheir job, and theylike being accessible, as longas their private space is respected. “You just haveto trust your instincts,” Harveysaid. “We've probably all experienced instances that madethe hair standup onthe back of your neck. The only thing we can do. is try to avoid uncomfortablesit- uations, andif you're in one, to ease out ofit without being rude. Wewantto be knownasfanfriendl Even Reiss, who perhaps has a right to be shy in public after her experience, said she refuses to giveupher accessibility. “Town night club [The Man- musihavean ID to enter the are- hattan Clubj, so I'm surrounded na, and all team bags, and those by 500 strangers every night,” she said. “I like people andI love of the media, are searched. In addition, an NBA security adviser meets visiting WNBA teams at the airport and either rides with them orfollows them and more invitations from the mother, “Sheexpected us to keep coming overforparties andthings for the kids,” Crockrom said. “We just kept saying no, We meeting them. Someof the other i ls are more private, but I like lwodraska@sltrib.com didn’t wantto hurt herfeelings, wetried to be nice aboutit.” Of the current Starzz, perhaps no one is more popular with fans than point guard Jennifer Azzi. While she was attending college at Stanford, Azzi once answered PGSOUIEmayiW Ta a knock on her apartment door, tofinda teen-ager and her par- oo ents standing there. “She wantedto go to Stanford, soher parents thought she oe ask me questions,” Azzi Ba such an innocent thing, ended uptaking her to someclasses, But that’s something Iprobably wouldn't do again.” Somefans’ overtures toward Azai have been more ofthe harassing nature, prompting the Starzz toask for extra security behind the bench for some road tobenice, but not too ai said, “If someone puts you up on a pedestal, they can get the wrong impression, 44 (Aeromerove 10). Mnescta 19 (Abroomove 5) Tota oute—Onanto ct 15 At8 PITCHERS and Quinlan’s streak had just barely reached 20. Quinlanman- aged hits in his 19th and 20th straight games on bloop singles __10_24 020 2 5 (3 314° 9 0 Oddly, both players took a day Brumleygavehim a dayoff, °=#«02~«*S 276 34 26 ao off'in the middle of their streaks, "Yale (Utah) _ Figgins’streak had reached 17 DannyBarnett (SLCC) games when manager Mike APitsburgh 9 253420 26 7 3 votes Drawing Lines: The majority i New York Cleveland turnovers, resulting in 22 Min nesota points, and shot just 38 percent. But the Lynx had 17 of their own turnovers and went " Hickory Asheville ofthe time, nothing but good ee ee Pet Washington C = ? SS___Butfalo ‘AANClveland OF Rancho Cucamonga A-Angels $ sports. q WNBA Chris Shelton(Utah) Expos 6 0 4 Zach Sorensen (Highland) Sam Swenson (Utah) Cc Reiss’ case, can get downright THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Scott Pratt (Tooele) 28 Damian Sapp (Pl. Grove) Reed Secrist (Viewmont) mn Wright (Dela) ofa brush heor she had with overeagerfans, which, as in MINNEAPOLIS Spokane Clinton aeameneh foundout whohewas.” Smith scored 25 points as the 18__ 38 OF OF Mike Tejada (BYU) Sa ae aoe yO Ends 5-GameLosing Streak _2¥é Jensen (BYU) & Mitch Jones (Orem) Shawn Norris (Alta) runs. Hehadeight multihit got my number in Los Angeles, Smith Scores 25 as Minnesota ae ) three homers, 10 RBI and 16 @ Continued from C-1 Svetlana Abrosimova,left, and Janell Burse as they battle for a rebound. HR RBI C OF Pro Players Orlando center Clarisse Machanguana, center, is sandwiched between Minnesota’s P John Buck (Taylorsville) Phil Downing (Skyline) Often Haunt ciated Press (Local Tie} EE =e and Figgins 20 before being stopped. Stalkers Tom Olmscheid/The UTAHKS INTHE MINORS HITTERS streaks in Triple-A this season, includingeightin thefirst five situation: bases loaded, oneout and Ryan Ludwickat theplate gamesofhis streak. He had 12 multihit games, includinga 4for the Rangers.Thelast time eea a Shieldshadfaced Ludwick was dune15. His batting average April 11 in Franklin Covey Field, jumpedfrom 298 to 343. whentheoutfielder, then with Figgins, ile, hit 378 the Oklahoma RedHawks, depos: Pro Debut iked closingfor the Blue Ro Stingers outfielder Robb ChoneFiggins haveput together the longesthitting with Quinlan going 21 games been a lot moreconsistent throwing that way. It’s my overhandfastball that’s getting hi with Obermueller’s wife. Man Hitting Streaks Quinlan and second baseman But overall, I'd say the majority ofthefans in the WNBAarejust great fans,” apm OAR STARTING AT whense loyalty Sao THR LEV = Ae |
