uard E "r an E acking 'M' teams ERICAN Chicago at Houston 7, Get an early start on your Spartan-bashing. Check out N E NRK 'JMINESOTA , inc. ST anISa NEW YORKA 8, Teas at Atlanta 1, ~the Mcia field hockey team this afternoon. The Cleveland 4 ANAHEIM, inc. FLORIDA 0 Woomen face Michigan State at 4 p.m. at Ocker Field. TORONTO 6, NATIONAL Montreal 3I Baltimore 3 LEAGUE NEW YORK 0 BOSTON 5, MILWAUKEE 8, Philadelphia 4, Tampa Bay 4 Chicago 7 CINCINNATI 2 Thusday Detroit 5, SAN FRANCISCO 4, San Diego at S P ORS KANSAS CITY J Pittsburgh 1 LOS ANGELES, inc. September 24,1998 - THE RDuU TALLY YESTERDAY: 2-2 2HR 6 3 RUNS SCORED McGw]RE' - - - Mc(wtso: r YESTERDAY: THE. GRIND Sharat Raju Sup erman or not, Sosa will ty to save Cubs Iday marks the second edition of The Dailv Grind, a weekly column by Daily Sports Editors Shawt Raju and Mark Snvdev Look for it ever Tuirsday in Daily Sports. IG LEY FIELD - On Sunday, he wasn't Superman. He didn't leap over the Sears Tower in a single bound to 'save the day' He swung UWand missed, striking out twice and wan 0?-for-5. TIhree timea when he was at the plate he had a chance to hreak the game open and give the Cubs a win with runners on base. Each time, all 40,177 people stood up and urged, if not pleaded, for him to serge from his toll booth. We all cheered "M-V-P!" to the Dominican Republic's favorite son. And each time, we all sat back down and returned to our hot dogs or nachos, just thankful that he would get another chance in an inning or two. He's a real person with regular flaws and sub-par days. Days where he can't deliver his teammates to victory by himself. But before the final home game of the season at Wrigley Field, they honored Mr Samnmy Sosa with praises for being more than just an ordinary person. They said he carried the hopes of a team, a city and his home country atop his broad shoulders. They made mention - as has most everyone who has been talking about neball this year that he and Mark McGwire have saved the nations pas- se' from itself. People cheered Sammy, inking him as one of two Chicago figures who are now nationally known by merely the first name. Blue Angles flew over Wrigley and the dozens of Dominican Republic flags fluttering from the roof of the sta- diium - all to honor Sanmmy. Now, I don't know anything about Sammy saving baseball.' If it were up to me, baseball didn't need a savior because it won't ever crumble into obscurity. Baseball has been here before you and me and will always be here. It is naive to think that a decline in interest following the infamous strike of 1994 would ~se something as embedded into American culture as voting or law suits. Wfime would heal any wounds that baseball may have sustained. When time stood still at Wrigley on Sunday, after Sammy's praises were sung, he circled the field while the low-tech speakers blared the anthem from "Superman," the movie. He waved to his people -- be them teary-eyed or fanatic, sober or drunk, young or old - in that haven of broken dreams and hearts at the corner of Addison and Clark. For 90 years within those 'friendly confines,' Cub fans have had their hopes filled up, only to have them drained out once autumn retums. I've only lived for 21 of those bittersweet seasons, fortunately. Throughout those seasons, the Cubs have gone through many heroes to try to lift them- selves out of mediocrity. Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Mark Grace - they all came close to bringing a World Series back to my home. Vill Sammy be able to do it? Will it take a Superman, a mega-hero to the people in this city, this country and in his home country? Shortly, in the next three games, everyone will know the answer. Everyone will know if he pulled it off, if he led his team to the postseason afterlife. Such an occurrence is an anomaly to a Chicago baseball fan. Home runs don't matter any more. He has broken Roger Maris'record, along with many others. What good does any of it do? He should accomplish some- thing truly remarkable - bringing a World Series to the North Side for the first time since 1945. Will it be unfair if he can't bring a pennant to the Cubs? In an instant I want ray 'Yes,' but the next instant I realize that life isn't fair. If it were, the Cubs ould have played Detroit in the World Series in 1984. 1 wouldn't have to begin every season with unbridled enthusiasm of hoping to see a pennant contender. In the third inning of last Sunday's game, the rains came and washed the city clean for an hour or so. My best friends from childhood and myself saw it as a sign, that the Cubs would start anew and bring victory to the old ball- yard. The rain subsided finally, after an hour, washing away the familiar smell and taste of Wrigley. Hot dogs and beer, fresh-cut grass with a hint of sand were all wiped clean from the palate -just as the Cubs chances in that game. On this day, the home team didn't win. They don't always win, not in real See GRIND, Page 15A Sosa bombs two more MILWAUKEE (AP) - A day after he conceded the home run race. Sammy Sosa struck back. He hit home runs Nos. 64 and 65 on Wednesday, tying Mark McGwire for the record and breaking an 0-for-21 slump in the Chicago Cubs' 8-7 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals faced Houston on Weday night in St. Louis, where McGwire has hit a Busch Stadium record 33 home runs this season. The Cubs slugger, picking on his favorite pitching staff, home- red against Milwaukee in the fifth and sixth innings, giving him 12 against the Brewers this season. Sosa's No. 65 gave him 11 multihomer games this season, tying the major league record set by Detroit's Hank Greenberg in 1938. Sosa hit a solo shot to right field with one out in the fifth off rookie left-hander Rafael Roque, who also gave up McGwire's 64th homer. With two out in the sixth, he hit a 2-2 fastball 410 feet to straightaway center off rookie right-hander Rod Henderson. There was no mad scramble for the record-tying ball - it bounced off the bleachers and back onto the grass, where cen- ter fielder Marquis Grissom retrieved it and tossed it toe infield. Shortstop Mark Loretta then rolled it to Sosa in front of the Cubs' dugout. Both times, Sosa took a quick curtain call to chants of "Sam- my! Sam-my!" Mired in his worst slump of the season, Sosa said he was concerned only about getting the Cubs to the playoffs, while all McGwire had to worry about was swinging for the fences because the Cards were out of the race. "He's the one going to finish up there a little bit higher than See SOSA, Page 15A Sammy Sosa salutes the crowd after yet another home run. Sosa bombed two Vesterdaiatontie Magk Mc~wire - again. CIash of the Titans Jones goes to limit for defense By Mark Snyder Daily Sports Editor When Dhani Jones steps on the field Saturday against Michigan State, he'll know the importance of the game. After all, his education about7 MichigansState week began tong before last Sunday's film session about the Spart s. "I think hving lbs. tiversity of Michigan mize and blue blood in my family knd of gve me unde~r the ipression of wha the rivalry meant Jones said. "Throughout my life, my , parents have always read that, in my body, there is this great rivalry, between Michigan and Michigan But to Jones, who said "you need tox prepare i110 percent, 200 percent, bthe game goes far beyond the basic in trastate rivthlry phase.Ie contend that it's about the intensity on the field and the additional level of concentra- tion necessary throughout this week. Nothing his parents told him,, though, could have prepared him for his first Michigan-Michigan State . game two years ago in Michigan 5 Stadium. se PesTs "When I came here, I knew what When Sedrick Irvin lines up against Michigan this weekend, he won't just be tak (the game) was going to be about, ho.Ing on the defense, he'll be facing half the state - Wolverine fans. said But "I didn't know how hard ophy. Criticism - like that of ESPN up of great athletes and we're coming they'd be hitting. I kind of found that analyst Lee Corso who questioned of age as a team. We're becoming a out the first play of the game." Michigan's toughness this week - better team as we progress. Each Jones' spirituality and general glee just fuels Jones. week, we constantly set in our mind, for life -- last winter, he organized a "I think you have to take what we have to get better." snowball fight outside of West Quad everybody says and take it into your During Michigan's first two games, - translates into his defensive philos- system," he said. "Our team is made See JONES, Page 17A Swervin rvin won't sneak u again By Sharat Ra u Daily Sports Editor The ball is pitched to him, stand- ing in the backfield with his hands on his knees. He grabs it and cuts up between right guard and tackle. A couple yards upfield, he sudden- ly darts to the left. A linebacker clos- es in - he swings right, quicker than the earth-bound would-be tackler. Finally, a quick safety brings him down, behind the primary line of defense after a sizable gain. That's 'Swervin' Irvin,' Michigan State's elusive tailback Sedrick Irvin. And when he's swervin', it's unnerving for the opposing team. "He's a great tailback," Michigan linebacker. I played against him last year. He's fast. Sometimes he eludes you in certain fashions. Because he does that he's kind of a hard person to get a hold of." If you do manage to get a hold of him and get the ball back, your offense better score. Because if you have to punt - bad news -- you've got to give it to him, again. And if the punt is bad, look out. Irvin scored a touchdown last year and averaged 13.6 yards per return. "Irvin is a great back," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. Irvin has been a hard person to get a hold of since he stepped on cam- pus at East Lansing. In his freshman season, Irvin set the Michigan State single-season rushing record, compiling 1,067 yards See IRVIN, Page 17A The Big Game Who: Michigan vs. Michigan State What: A football game When: Saturday, 12:10 p.m. Where: The Big(ger) House Why: Because all Spartans need to be reminded of their inferiority on a yearly basis How: Through the use of a stitched pigskin, 100 yards of grass, and some very large men .. ~aIi " CATCH THE GAMES OF ALL SPORTS! GIANT BIG SCREENS & 30 MONITORS Over 25 Beers on Draft Including: Bel's, Newcastle, Guinness & Youngs POOL TABLES & DARTS fl1 .. "A ("IM.1( TI-4i 3 R .- AT iOB F AiR'98 Tuesday, October 6,1998 Michigan Union 12:00noon - 5:00pm explore internships or information contactC ? On line pre-registration Sept. 4-30 3200 SAB (7341764-7460 www.cpp.umich.edu Global telecommunications is driving the Infomation Age. And wel'e driving global telecommunications. 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