The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 28, 1999 - 7 'Thousands flee Russian bombings in rogue province GROZNY, Russia (AP) - Terrified civilians :ried to flee Chechnya by the thousands yester- day, driven out by a Russian bombing blitz intended to crush Islamic militants in the break- away republic. "I wish I were dead," mourned Tamara *yeva, whose house in Grozny was destroyed by Russian bombs. "I don't know what to do or where to go." Aliyeva joined tens of thousands of Chechens who headed for the neighboring Russian repub- lic of Ingushetia in hopes of finding refuge - only to find the border closed. In Grozny, Russian airplanes were raining bombs and missiles for the fifth straight day. Witnesses said oil refineries in Grozny were ablaze, blanketing the capital in black smoke. Russian jets also struck other cities and vil- lages throughout Chechnya, targeting suspected militant bases along with oil derricks and other industrial facilities. Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov claimed yesterday that 300 people had been killed in Grozny alone. Many Chechen refugees trapped on the Russian border were in a state of shock. "Where is my Mama?" 8-year-old Liza Temirsultanova kept asking between sobs. Her grandfather, Ayup Temirsultanov, said that Liza's mother, baby sister and two brother had all been killed by Russian bombs in Grozny yesterday. The bombing is aimed at weakening Islamic militants, who have twice invaded the neighboring Russian republic of Dagestan in recent weeks from their main bases in Chechnya. They also are blamed for a series of terrorist bombings in Moscow and other Russian cities that have claimed 300 lives. Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said yes- terday that the bombing of Chechnya would continue "until the last bandit is destroyed," according to the Interfax news agency. The strikes have rekindled fears about the possi- ble introduction of ground troops into Chechnya, despite a disastrous 1994-96 war in which Russian troops were clobbered by a much smaller guerrilla force. Chechnya has run its own affairs since winning de facto independence, but Moscow claims it is still part of Russia. Russia will rely on air raids to knock out infrastructure and "patiently, methodically destroy (the militants) from the air:" Putin said. If any Russian troops were deployed they would be highly trained and used only for "cleanup operations. Maskhadov, who says his government is not connected to the militants, said in a televised address Sunday that he would exert all his efforts to avoid full-scale war and called for a political dialogue with Moscow. Putin said the Kremlin was planning on a meeting between President Boris Yetsin and Maskhadov, but it wouldn't take place until the Chechen leader had denounced terrorism in his republic and \loscow was sure the militants couldn't use a meeting to their advantage. "We're going to hack away from meetings for the sake of meetines. from meetings tor the sake of gix ing militants time to lick their wounds and carry out strikes on us from another side.' Putin said atier meeting with Xetsin in the Kremlin. In a meeting Monday with Col. Gen. Konstantin Totsky. head of the Russian border serv ice, Yeltsin said Russia's borders must be strengthened so that weapons or militants cannot enter the North Caucuses. The Border Guards are patrolling both Russia's external borders and the internal border separating Chechnya from other Russian regions. Last game at The Corner goes by without incident, Tigers win 8-2 I TIGERS Crtinued from Page 1. forgotten,' Biondo said. One by one, the members of the Tigers all-time team trotted out onto the patch of grass and soil they will forever call home. Nearly every fan stayed to stand and cheer. "Before you stands 70 years of history, from Willie Rogell's 1930 squad, to Brad Ausmus from 1999," longtime Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell said, moments before the players clasped hands to form a iving timeline from the 440-foot mark in centerfield to t'ome plate. fter lowering a Tigers flag from the pole in center- d, the players forming the timeline passed it along hemselves until it reached current Tigers catcher Brad usmus. "It's a great honor to get to present this flag to you, Brad," said Eldon Auker, who pitched for the Tigers from 1933-38. "Each of us has touched this flag today, as this ballpark has touched not only the players, but the many millions of fans to ever watch a game at Tiger Stadium." During the game itself- a 8-2 Tigers victory - the ers of the present wore numbers of the Tigers voted to the all-time team. At first base, Tony Clark wore Hank Greenberg's retired No. 5, shortstop Deivi Cruz wore the No. 3 of his hitting coach, former shortstop Alan Trammell. In centerfield, Gabe Kapler patrolled the same turf Ty Cobb once did, his back devoid of any number as Cobb's was. In the bottom of the eighth, Tigers designated hitter Rob Fick - recently called up from triple-A Toledo - launched a grand slam to the foot of the light tower on Aright-field roof.. The blast, hit by a Tiger of the ure, will stand as the final hit, home run and RBI aver in Tiger Stadium. "Do you believe in fate?" Trammell asked after the postgame ceremony, "I do." The Detroit Police Department had 150 officers patrolling the stadium and surrounding area following the game, although fans were relatively peaceful and no rioting occurred. "It was like a family atmosphere," said Chuck It doesn't better. And Continued from Page 1 home som Places like Tiger Stadium don't just when you a come along every 88 years. These are that. Every places meant for memory-making. No a new feeli one's upset that an 88-year old struc- never existe ture is closing. No one's upset that the thick the pai Tigers are trying to make more money ings. to field a better team. Either wa Last night was sad because people experience who came here for the first time 40 shared with rs ago and people whose first visit An intersec s last year let this place get into even Michig their hearts for another reason. We saw a For some, it was Kirk Gibson's profession o homer in Game 5 of the 1984 World ticed for 10 Series. For some, it was just the people We saw ti they came with. Or one person. And left with the for everyone, part of that was the pos- secutive-ga sibility that they could come back. centerfield More memories could be made, but quips with f on the same canvas as the others. And then l le can take home the warning- man who hu track dirt, a seat, a paint chip and look overhang ab at it and know that it bore mute wit- Hours after t ness to the memories of millions of sat on the e others - including theirs. absorbing th As materialistic as we are, we think field. His arm we need a piece of the place to affirm his head was our memories. We don't trust our out at a wide minds to keep them. tory. What he But if you never took home that lions of othe seat, that armrest, or that urinal, don't the memory w rry. There's more than enough mind and the r t in this world. Having a piece of be uniquely h the place you loved doesn't mean you - Rick Fre like it more. e-mai Darany, a Birmingham resident. "People were cele- brating but people were respectful. It was like a funer- al for the stadium." Despite warnings that Detroit Police officers would arrest anyone removing items from the stadium, many fans couldn't resist chipping paint from the walls. John Gruse and Andy Ryba used an adjustable wrench to take a piece of stadium history home with them. "We worked for two innings to get the seat out," said Gruse, a Henry Ford Community College student. The pair snuck the seat out of the stadium by placing it beneath their shirts. "I've been a Tigers fan my whole life, now I've got a piece of history," Gruse said. Following the game, many fans removed dirt from the field, filling plastic cups and any other containers they could find. "I'll probably save it and give it to my kids," said Livonia resident Dan Plinka who, along with Dearborn resident Matt Pimp, carried two cups of dirt from the stadium. Michael and Cara Curry didn't just want to bring their son home a piece of history, they wanted him to experience it too. At seven weeks old, Joseph Curry attended his first and last game at the Corner last night. "We had been planning this since before Joseph was born," said Joseph's father, Michael Curry who pur- chased the tickets eight months ago. "I think he's the youngest fan here today at Tiger Stadium." When he found out that Tiger Stadium would be closing its gates, New York resident William McPharlin said he wanted to be sure he could attend the final game. "It was very emotional," McPharlin said, while car- rying two brimming cups of dirt yesterday. "We bought season tickets just to have tickets to this game." Two Tigers fans hefted a condiment sign from the stadium, and said they picked up the sign after it had been knocked loose from the wall. "We have stadium seats from the '50s we got from a garage sale," said the Wayne State University student who did not want to be identified. "We'll probably put (the sign) with the seats." Some of the stadium's youngest vendors worked the A WEEK OF X-TREME WOLVERINE PRIDE 'F t SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 2 GO BLUE! Tuesday Look for special drag lunchtime fun! COE UP: Drag nDg Thursda 1:and' ireoUP Friday 10:30Am§ :30 PmIn OBthe drag bet Kelreme on the awesome 30ofopt clin nwall. turbo orbitron. sulper joust and bungee rampolrne! I AP PHOTO Royals Hall of Famer George Brett hugs Tiger great Al Kaline as they exchange line-up cards before last night's final game at Tiger Stadium. crowded streets outside the stadium after the game, selling their SportsService shirts and hats. "It was fun and the last game was the funnest," said Troy Hardges, who was offering his hat to fans for $2. Home plate was immediately unearthed after the game, and whisked across town to a private ceremony at the Tigers' new home, Comerica Park. The installa- tion at the new park, televised on the Tiger Stadium scoreboard, drew boos from the fans whenever the park's corporate nickname was invoked. Trammell sympathized with fans upset that they would never again be able to return to Tiger Stadium. But as Ausmus pointed out, still clutching the flag that had crossed the hands of 70 years of Tigers history, "the people, players and memories of Tiger Stadium will never be forgotten. "See you next year." - Daily Sports Writers Stephanie Ofen and Jennifer Yachnin contributed to this report. Division of Student Affairs ithletic Department W www.amich.edu/ homecom mean you'll remember it it doesn't mean you took ething you didn't bring came, because we all did time we came, we left with ng. We saw a game that d before. Or we saw how nt really was on those rail- ay, we left changed by an uniquely our own and history at the same time. tion more profound than ran and Trumbull. chunk of land where the if baseball has been prac- 4 years. he dugout that Lou Gehrig lineup card to end his con- mes streak. We saw the where Ty Cobb traded ans. very few of us saw the ng on the railing in the ove the visitors bullpen. he finl game ended, he edge of an orange seat, e emptied stadium and ms rested atop the railing, beneath them. He looked expanse of green and his- saw, millions upon mil- rs had already seen, but he was creating in his feeling in his heart would is own. ernan can be reached via i at rickfree@unich.edu. 1________________________________I Imagine The Possibilities!i f inanlcial 8and1 travel servics. has cr~eate'd the id eal erivir01I4rel L 4~1 ()r ' (' creer'. Ready to experience the differ'ence? At irntr I'Apres's we ~ impol111 asse't. walt he 1'esjhecl they' 4de4serveY. A( vahI 1't1h4eir op i ins. WeV(-invest Itreeidil(I01resource4II4s anid time ' in their.4Idevelopme. 1&'i XXf ire ii iei ii up. 1not1 1)111 "e'll help you nmake it happen. \Xet-' WiIIiniIIg 1new hisiiCs iand s~ '1~ 1ieirlg ('stalsbed cW lonIS-Iier ~relationshlip~s Ilhr4)t i~C)1 liroin) i ii on 4Is inill-)1 products andI( service1s4''I''. II4I'res ne(verI'IbeeniI 8111 )( ' 4eX4 i 112111 114 e o oi urs. Are you... * a laleed. aririjioir ilr1 IeU'eri llII'wi i a -make-it-happen" sp1~~hir'it " sonwone who thives il a 185-paced. echalig'iig 4'Iivi l-oiiIIni'it " cwreri t1)o1make a difereiice? I )114 ''(~ II'vtrerayt he parIt o1' a winiing teater: Join us for our Campus Presentation: rThursdav. September 30th 4:30pmn - 6:00pm 'I i--AannouncementsI 3C . personall MIEW !' "'f A 1 u -'~~ ~ ~ INUMURN u1 a ''ff'lm E mss; « ..