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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Thrusday, July 2, 1998
Rodeo leaders change in four events
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 2 -- The first official night of the 116th
edition of the West of the Pecos Rodeo produced new leaders
in four events, while three defending National Finals Rodeo
champions scheduled to perform at tonight's show.
Defending NFR team ropers Speed Williams and Rich Skelton
and 1997 NFR All Around and saddle bronc riding champ Dan
Mortenson highlight tonight's competition, which begins at
8:30 p.m. at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena. Former world
champion ropers Steve Purcella and Steve Northcott, along
with steer wrestler Steve Duhon also are among tonight's
contestants.
Six-time NFR All Around cowboy champion and current leader
in the world standings, Ty Murray, had a rough return to the
West of the Pecos Rodeo after a two-year absence due to
injuries. Murray's bull, `Strokin', forced him off by
running up against the north stands of the arena just before
the eight second time limit. He also was shaken off by
`Shake Down' in the bareback competition before scoring 69
points on board `Mony Mony' in saddle bronc riding.
South Dakota cowboy Bud Longbrake rode `Smoke' to a 79 point
score and the first day lead in that event, while another
former champ, Craig Latham, scored 72 points on `Guitars and
Cadillacs' for second place in the standings.
In bareback riding, William Pittman of Florence, Miss., took
the lead by scoring 81 points on `No Satisfaction' during
Wednesday's show, six points ahead of Shane Call, who picked
up 75 points for his ride on `Copenhagen Magic'. Aaron Burch
is third, with a 71 point ride on 'Tutti Frutti."
Chris Littlejohn's 83-point effort during Tuesday's
pre-rodeo bull riding session held up Wednesday night. Ross
Coleman of Motalia, Ore., had the night's best score, a 77
point effort on board `La Grange' to close out the first
section of bull riding. Corey Navarre had the next best ride
of the night, scoring 73 points on `Locomotion,' though that
still left him behind Gilbert Carrillo, Jim Bryant and Mike
White, who had 76, 75 and 75 point rides Tuesday.
The other new leader Wednesday came in the ladies' barrel
race, where Dena Kirkpatrick of Post came within .03 seconds
of the arena record with a 17.24 second time. She displaced
Tuesday's leader, Corley Cox, who had a 17.65 time, while
Debbie Kirby of Hubbard and Carissa Allred of Stephenville
took over the third and fourth spots, with 17.89 and 17.91
times.
There were fewer changes among the leaders in the roping
events.
J.D. Yates had a pair of firsts during Wednesday's
rodeo. His 12.7 time was tops among steer ropers and left in
fourth for the average, with a 26 flat time, while he and
Jay Wadhams tied Beau Compton and Fred Davis for first in
team roping, at 8.8 seconds. They're sixth and fifth,
respectively, in the overall, where Brett Boatright and Kory
Koontz lead with a 15.6 combined time, and Rowdy Rieken and
Shawn Darnell are .4 behind in second place.
Trevor Brazile leads the overall in steer roping, with a
23.2 time, while 12-time NFR champ Guy Allen is just behind,
at 23.4 seconds.
Casey Callahan did take the lead in steer wrestling, with a
4.6 time to go 8.7 seconds for the average. D.L.
Funderburgh's and Ted York's 4.2 times still lead the second
go, while Keith Webster is second in the overall, at 8.9
seconds.
In calf roping, five-time world's champion Roy Cooper holds
the lead midway through the second go-round, while first
go-round winner Chad Hagen is tied for second place after
Wednesday's show. Cooper has a combined 21.6 time, while
Hagen is at 23.3 seconds combined. Stran Smith also has 23.3
on two goes.
Marty Jones holds the fourth-place spot with 24.4 seconds.
Fifth is Jim Brown of Waco who competed Wednesday. He totals
24.8 second.
World Champion Herbert Theriot had fastest time at 11.2 to
move to sixth place at 24.9 seconds on two goes.
Wednesday's show had some of the best weather in recent
years for the opening night of the rodeo, with cloudy skies
holding the temperature down to the mid-90s at starting
time. The final three nights of the West of the Pecos Rodeo
will also begin at 8:30 p.m., with the average leaders in
the roping events returning for the finals on Saturday.
All-Star skips Wood, Jordan, Palmeiro
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK, July 2 -- Kerry Wood didn't mind, Brian Jordan did
and Rafael Palmeiro expected it.
All three players were passed over Wednesday when All-Star
game reserves for both leagues were named for next week's
game at Coors Field in Denver.
Wood was among the most noteworthy omissions by NL manager
Jim Leyland, who selected five of his former Florida
players, but couldn't find room for Jordan, the NL's leading
hitter.
``What are you going to do?'' Jordan said. ``What are you
going to do?''
Wood, who tied a major league record with 20 strikeouts in a
nine-inning game this season, got the news he wasn't an
All-Star after striking out 13 in eight innings of a win
over Arizona on Wednesday.
One Cub who did go was Sammy Sosa, who has 33 homers. He
finished sixth among NL outfielders in the fan vote, but was
placed on the team by Leyland.
Despite having a banner year, Palmeiro didn't get a nod from
Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove, who made Boston's Mo Vaughn
the backup for starter Jim Thome at first.
``Some guys are going to be left out when you have so many
great players at one position, as we have at first base in
the American League,'' he said.
Leyland named five members of the 1997 World Series
championship team that were traded away in an offseason
payroll purge by Florida management. Moises Alou (Astros),
Kevin Brown (Padres), Robb Nen (Giants), Gary Sheffield
(Dodgers) and Devon White (Diamondbacks) will now join Edgar
Renteria, the lone representative from this year's club, for
a mile-high Marlins reunion.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees, snubbed by fans in the
starter's vote, had five players picked. However, 11-game
winner David Cone and Hideki Irabu, the AL's ERA leader,
both were left off, as were Boston's Nomar Garciaparra,
Chicago's Frank Thomas and Texas' Rick Helling (11 wins).
Cone might have been eliminated because he'll make his next
start on Sunday, and would not have been available to pitch.
``A lot of things aren't fair about the All-Star game,'' he
said.
David Wells, whose perfect game on May 17 is this season's
top moment, was among the Yankees chosen to represent the
team with baseball's best record. Shortstop Derek Jeter,
third baseman Scott Brosius and outfielders Bernie Williams
and Paul O'Neill also were selected.
Hargrove also has five of his players, with pitcher Bartolo
Colon, catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. and shortstop Omar Vizquel
joining Thome and outfielder Kenny Lofton, both elected as
starters.
Four Atlanta Braves were picked as reserves, giving them the
most All-Stars with six. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux were
selected for the pitching staff, Javy Lopez will be a backup
catcher and Andres Galarraga will be a backup first baseman.
Walt Weiss was elected to start at shortstop and Chipper
Jones was voted the starter at third.
San Diego will have five players on the team, including
pitchers Brown, Andy Ashby and Trevor Hoffman. Greg Vaughn
was selected as a backup outfielder and Tony Gwynn was voted
to start.
Leyland rounded out his pitching staff with Rick Reed of the
Mets, a replacement player three years ago; Philadelphia's
Curt Schilling; Cincinnati's Jeff Shaw; and Montreal's
Ugueth Urbina.
Pedro Martinez and Tom Gordon of the Red Sox were selected
for the AL staff, which also includes former Boston pitchers
Roger Clemens (now with Toronto) and Aaron Sele (now with
Texas). Other AL pitchers are Rolando Arrojo of Tampa Bay,
Troy Percival of Anaheim, Brad Radke of Minnesota and John
Wetteland of Texas.
Arrojo and Oakland outfielder Ben Grieve were the only
rookies selected for the game. The hometown Rockies, who
have outfielder Larry Walker in the starting lineup, added a
pair of reserves in third baseman Vinny Castilla and
outfielder Dante Bichette.
Backup AL infielders include Ray Durham (White Sox), Damion
Easley (Tigers), Dean Palmer (Royals) and Mo Vaughn (Red
Sox). Anaheim's Darin Erstad will be a reserve outfielder.
Banks, unions give line of credit to NBA players
NEW YORK, June 2 (AP) -- The NBA players union secured
several lines of credit from major banks and received
promises of financial assistance from the baseball, football
and hockey unions on the first full day of the league's
lockout.
The union also filed a grievance with arbitrator John
Feerick, who ruled in the Latrell Sprewell case, on behalf
of the 200-plus players with guaranteed contracts --
including 11 who were supposed to be paid this month.
On a busy day of developments in the labor stalemate, it
was also learned that CBS and Fox are considering televising
exhibition games involving NBA free agents if the lockout
lasts into the fall.
The heads of the two network sports divisions also have
talked about creating a new league if the 1998-99 NBA season
ends up being canceled.
``If you look at it, it's a lot easier to start a rival
basketball league than a football league,'' agent Mark
Fleisher said. ``The rosters are only 11 or 12 deep, rather
than 45 or 50 in football, almost a third of the NBA's
players just became free agents and arenas are easier to
secure than stadiums.
``Also, you have Michael Jordan unsure of what he'll do.
What if you offered him $100 million to join a start-up
league. You'd be immediately viable right there,'' Fleisher
said.
Pecos Enterprise
Mac McKinnon, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 1998 by Pecos Enterprise
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Pecos Enterprise