
##3000061 <p> N.B.A. Hawks Streak Past Lakers Dominique Wilkins scored 34 points to spark Atlanta over Los Angeles , 111-102 , last night . It was Atlanta 's franchise-record 18th consecutive victory at home . It was the fourth loss in the last 25 games for the Lakers , who had won three games in a row and 9 of their previous 10 on the road . It was the sixth time in nine games that Wilkins had scored 30 or more points . ( AP ) Bulls 129 , Kings 82 : Michael Jordan scored 34 points while playing three quarters as Chicago scored its eighth consecutive victory . The Bulls , 22-3 at home , have won 17 straight at Chicago Stadium , while Sacramento lost for the 25th time in 26 road games . ( AP ) Hornets 122 , Pistons 114 : Mike Gminski scored 5 of his 25 points in the last minute , leading Charlotte to its first victory over Detroit . The Hornets , who shot 59 percent from the field , scored the most points against the Pistons this season . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reynolds scored 7 of his 14 points during a 14-7 spree to start the fourth quarter and Scott Skiles had 25 points and 14 assists as Orlando won its third game on the road this season . ( AP ) 76ers 103 , Heat 96 : Hersey Hawkins scored 26 points and led a third-quarter comeback as Philadelphia rallied from an 18-point deficit . The 76ers have never lost to Miami , winning 10 times . ( AP ) Pacers 106 , Cavaliers 98 : Micheal Williams scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Indiana did not allow a field goal in the first six minutes of the period as Indiana won for only the second time in the last 16 games in Richfield Coliseum . Indiana , which has won five in a row , outscored Cavaliers by 18-3 at the start of the fourth quarter . ( AP ) COLLEGE BASKETBALL Princeton Clinches Ivy Tie Sean Jackson made two 3-point baskets in the final 2 minutes 12 seconds of the first half to lead Princeton , which clinched at least a tie for the Ivy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19-2 over all , 10-0 in the Ivy ) has won 11 straight games and 24 in a row at Jadwin Gymnasium . Jackson has scored 74 3-point baskets , breaking Matt Lapin 's school record . Columbia is 7-16 over all and 5-6 in the Ivy . ( AP ) GOLF Wyatt Ahead by 2 Strokes Jennifer Wyatt 's performance in the first round of the Hawaiian Ladies Open in Honolulu awed even one of the L.P.G.A. tour 's leading players . The defending champion , Beth Daniel , the 1990 player of the year , marveled after Wyatt shot a career-best six-under-par 66 amid brisk winds and on hard greens on Thursday . Wyatt held a two-stroke lead over Patty Sheehan , with Daniel and Ok-Hee Ku of South Korea three strokes back . ( AP ) Lietzke Leads Los Angeles Open : Bruce Lietzke shot an eight-under-par 63 to take the second-round lead in the Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club . Four players -- Ted Schulz , Andrew Magee , Davis Love 3d and Jeff Sluman -- were two shots behind Lietzke at the midpoint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disqualified : Gary Player and Bob Charles , International team partners in Chrysler Cup competition , were disqualified after hitting the wrong balls -- their own -- on the first fairway at Sarasota , Fla . Player and Charles said they were confused by a seldom-used alternate-shot stroke-play format . " The disqualifications helped give the United States team a 12.5-7.5 lead over the Internationals . In other matches , George Archer and Miller Barber of the United States tied Bruce Crampton and Brian Waites at 68 ; the Internationals ' Simon Hobday and Harold Henning edged Chi Chi Rodriguez and Charles Coody , 66-67 ; and Lee Trevino and Jim Dent beat Bruce Devlin and Roberto DeVicenzo , 68-72 . Each match at the Tournament Players Club at Prestancia was worth 5 points . The alternate shot format , a new addition to the Chrysler Cup this year , calls for each player to tee off , then hit his partner 's ball on the second shot . From there , each two-man team selects its best ball and plays it for the remainder of the hole , alternating shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stefan Edberg , looking every bit the top player in the world , breezed into the semifinals of the $1 million Eurocard Classic in Stuttgart , Germany , yesterday by beating his fellow Swede Magnus Gustafsson , 6-2 , 6-3 . Edberg needed only 61 minutes to raise his career record against Gustafsson to 4-0 . His semifinal opponent will be Jan Siemerink , a 20-year-old Dutchman who upset Andrei Cherkasov of the Soviet Union , 7-6 , 7-5 . Another Swede reached the semifinals when seventh-seeded Jonas Svensson beat Karel Novacek of Czechoslovakia , 7-6 , 6-2 . He will meet Guy Forget of France , the hottest player on the tour , in the semifinals . Forget , seeking his third title of the year , beat Goran Ivanisevic , 7-5 , 7-6 . The Frenchman , winner in Brussels last week and seeded sixth , needed 1 hour 38 minutes to beat the third-seeded Yugoslav and never lost his service . Using deadly passing shots , he broke Ivanisevic at love to take the first set . Ivanisevic saved a match point in the 10th game of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tie breaker . But he made two errors at the net and Forget clinched the match . ( AP ) Lendl and Chang Gain : Top-seeded Ivan Lendl and fifth-seeded Michael Chang rolled to straight-set victories last night , advancing to the semifinal round of the $750,000 Volvo Indoor tournament in Memphis . Lendl powered his way past Darren Cahill , 7-6 , 6-3 . Chang topped Jeff Tarango 6-3 , 7-5 . Today , Lendl will meet the 11th-seeded Derrick Rostagno , who rallied to defeat Cristiano Caratti , 6-7 , 6-2 , 6-0 . Chang will meet seventh-seeded Michael Stich , the defending champion , who defeated Mark Koevermans , 6-4 , 6-2 . ( AP ) N.H.L. Gretzky Leads Kings Wayne Gretzky scored a goal and set up four others to lead Los Angeles to a 6-4 victory over the Jets at Winnipeg . The Kings lead the Calgary Flames by 4 points ahead in the battle for first place in the Smythe Division . ( AP ) Red Wings 5 , Oilers 5 : Steve Yzerman scored his second goal of the game with 4 minutes 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grant Fuhr , playing his first home game since being reinstated after a suspension for drug use , allowed five goals on 26 shots . ( AP ) 
##3000062 <p> National Football League scouts today will get their long-awaited look at Rocket Ismail , Notre Dame 's flanker-slotback-kick returner , who is favored to be the No. 1 choice in the draft . Scouts have found tracking down Ismail as difficult as defenses did throughout his sparkling three-year Irish career . <p> Ismail is one of 29 underclassmen who entered the draft , which will be held in Manhattan on April 21-22 , and is only one of the nearly 340 college players who will be selected . But his private workout today on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend , Ind. , is expected to draw scouts from each of the league 's 28 teams and show why he was worth the wait . <p> Two weeks ago , Ismail skipped the N.F.L. 's Scouting Combine -- an annual event at which draft hopefuls are prodded and poked and timed -- but scheduled a workout for scouts for the following Tuesday . He canceled that session , rescheduling for today . He was quickly labeled by an unidentified N.F.L. person in a published report as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said by telephone from South Bend yesterday that he was shocked at some of the criticism he has received . <p> " This is really weird , " Ismail said . " They said I 'm a prima donna because I did n't go to the combine , but when I first announced that I was going to enter the draft , I said then that I would n't be able to make the combine because I 'd be running on the Notre Dame track team . Nobody said anything about it then . I had run a meet that weekend of the combine , had to fly to Pittsburgh right after that for a banquet and then I had to go to another one in Buffalo . By the time I got back here , I was exhausted . I knew I could n't perform . I apologized for the inconvenience and politely asked to do it this week . <p> " Not in any way was this intended for a ' you guys got to do what I want ' thing . I 've said before , I 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be considered so highly for the N.F.L. I do n't know what else I can say about this . " Fast Time on the Track <p> Even though Ismail did not attend the combine in Indianapolis , he was only a few miles away , in West Lafayette , Ind. , on the Purdue track . In that meet he ran the 55 meters in 6.07 seconds , the fastest indoor time in the event in the world this year . News of his time spread through the combine like wildfire . <p> " I really do not see how it is possible that anyone can call Mr. Ismail a prima donna after his distinguished service to Notre Dame throughout his career both on and off the field , " said Ed Abram , Ismail 's football agent , who is based in Oakland , Calif . " The N.F.L. has to realize he is still a student who is committed to the track team and to the university and that he is being pulled in every way by everyone for something . Why castigate a kid who wants to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . They really have a certain way of doing things and they want it done their way . " <p> What do Ismail and Abram expect will be among the scouts ' first request today ? To time him in the 40-yard sprint , of course . <p> " And they 're right , " said Chuck Schmidt , executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Detroit Lions . " I think it 's obvious he 's fast and everybody knows about his times , but how fast is he really ? The scouts want their own times . They want their own everything . Remember , he was a junior , so though scouts saw him play , they did not pay the close attention to him that drafting and investing millions in him would warrant . " Patriots Have No. 1 Choice <p> They also want agility drills , to see his hip movement and to see how he adjusts to the football when catching it . <p> " Especially to see him catch the ball in a lot of different ways , that 's a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patriots ' general manager . New England , by virtue of its 1-15 finish last season , has the No. 1 pick and the inside track on Ismail . <p> Abram said the bottom line was that whatever the scouts want , Ismail would give . Ismail , however , is picky about one point . He wants a Notre Dame assistant track coach , John Miller , to hold the stopwatch in his timed sprints . <p> " People in the N.F.L. want to know how fast I am and I do n't mind showing them , " Ismail said . " I 'll go out there . But I believe in Coach Miller and I will believe his time only . " Advisers Lined Up <p> Ismail said the worst was behind him . Deciding to enter the draft and giving up his senior season at Notre Dame and then seeking representation were especially taxing tasks , he said . With special counsel from Heygood Images Productions , a multimedia concept company founded by Ralph Wiley , who is also a Sports Illustrated writer and a close friend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L. Edwards of San Francisco for legal counsel and with the Pro-Serv management team based in Washington for special marketing . <p> Only one team can get Ismail and it will likely be the team that selects first , so why are nearly all 28 traveling to South Bend to scout him ? <p> " We select 10th and we have no chance there , " Schmidt said of the Lions ' first-round draft position . " But you go because there is always the possibility of trading up and falling in love . " <p> Schmidt said he has had no trade talks with Jankovich , but Cleveland and Denver have talked with Jankovich about a deal . And Dallas and Atlanta are hotly pursuing the top pick . New England would want all three of Dallas 's first-round selections ( Dallas has the 11th , 12th and 14th ) . Atlanta has considered offering Shawn Collins , the wide receiver , and its first-round pick at No. 13 . <p> " We 're very much in the appraisal stage on what our needs are , how to go about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Jankovich said . " We 've had a moderate number of inquiries , but I do n't want to get into that . Everybody plays these things close to the vest , just as we do . " <p> Regardless , Ismail will jog , sprint , catch , chat and be scrutinized heavily today . Scouts want to look into his eyes and talk with him at length and find the character first-hand that they have heard so much about . When it 's over , if the Rocket blazes , the wheeling and dealing for him could intensify on the spot . <p> " These guys are sitting around playing poker , " Abram said . " We just want to deal with the winner . " 
##3000063 <p> The fight was one month away , and he was getting ready . <p> At 5 A.M. Monday , Michael Gerard Tyson , former heavyweight champion , sat in the passenger seat of a blue Dodge Voyager minivan that was proceeding along Flamingo Road at 45 miles an hour . <p> One year ago this month , Tyson lost his aura of invincibility and his title when he was knocked out by Buster Douglas . Victorious fights in June and December , and the birth of a son , Damato , in May , occupied much of his priorities . But with a potentially dangerous fight on the road back , against Razor Ruddock , Tyson , on this morning , was silent and distant . The only sound was the morning news coming from the dashboard radio : <p> " The so-called peace talks in Moscow are over . " <p> Against the dark sky , the neon lights from the casinos flickered their invitations -- " Try Our Fabulous Lobster Tail $7.99 . . . . All House Drinks $1 . . . . Win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ van crossed Las Vegas Boulevard , the celebrated Strip . Then Richie Giachetti , Tyson 's trainer and the man behind the wheel , turned into a parking lot of the Dunes Hotel and Casino and stopped a few steps from the golf course at the rear . <p> Tyson was out of the van and , without so much as a word , vaulted a low concrete wall and was off and running . Wearing a checkered blue and white knit cap , a blue sweatshirt , black sweat pants and gray size 13 running shoes , he moved along the periphery of the course , avoiding through familiarity with the topography the danger spots that darkness obscured : the ruts , the angled crevices , the upright course markers , even the squishy mud patch in which he once lost his shoe . A Personal Record <p> " I know this course like the back of my hand , " he said to a reporter running with him . <p> Tyson covered 2.3 miles of mostly flat surface , talking occasionally and listening the rest of the time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sprinted across the parking lot to where Giachetti , in a white cap and gray sweatsuit , stood . Giachetti clicked his stopwatch and told him : " Eighteen minutes 35 seconds . You broke the record . " <p> By record he meant it was the first time since Jan. 4 , when Tyson started training for the Ruddock bout , that he had run the course in under 19 minutes . <p> " See , " Giachetti told Tyson , " you needed a rabbit . " Renewed Interest <p> At 5:30 A.M. , the Dodge was heading up the Strip . Tyson spotted the neon sign in front of the Mirage , where on March 18 he will fight Ruddock . On the sign , a cartoon gloved fist zoomed toward the traffic below , then the words " TYSON vs . RUDDOCK " appeared . <p> " I like that , " said Tyson . " I lost interest in seeing my name . But I like that now . " <p> The next stop was the Las Vegas Sporting House on Industrial Road , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a white long-john shirt and did sit-ups on a slant board . A woman in red shorts and a striped halter top watched a while before needling him : " Boy , somebody is tough . " <p> Tyson looked up and smiled , then asked Giachetti : " How many 's that ? " <p> " Ninety six . " <p> The fighter did four more sit-ups and stopped . <p> " Ten more , " said Giachetti . <p> Tyson gave him a final 10 . When he got to his feet , the woman was there . <p> " Hi , " she said . " How are you ? " Upper-Body Workout <p> A Stairmaster Gravitron is an exercise machine designed for upper-body work . Tyson did dips , pull-ups and more dips on it . But with four weeks to go until the Ruddock bout , Giachetti had him refrain from the weight-lifting exercises he had done up to now , for fear of tightening his muscles . <p> " The Gravitron is O.K. , " Giachetti said . " It works against the body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minivan was on Joe W. Brown Drive , where Tyson asked to stop at a convenience store . Outside the place , a man he knew was speaking on a pay phone . When the man caught sight of Tyson , he covered the mouthpiece and complained that his girlfriend , on the other end of the line , was giving him trouble . <p> " Join the club , " Tyson told him . <p> Inside , Tyson bought copies of Life , Time , Vogue and Premiere . Then Giachetti drove him to the townhouse in which Tyson lives when he is here , a two-floor brick , stucco and wood structure situated on the edge of a golf course just minutes from the Strip . <p> The house was owned by the fighter 's promoter , Don King , but was renovated to suit Tyson . What used to be a garage had been converted to a gym that was equipped with exercise machines , boxing equipment , a Detecto scale and a 21-inch Sony color television . The bathroom in the hallway just outside the gym had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and took a carrot stick and a slice of orange that he nibbled on the way to his second-floor bedroom and a morning nap . A Late Breakfast <p> By 10:20 A.M. , he was awake , had eaten breakfast ( oatmeal and bananas , chicken sausages , corn sauteed in olive oil with onions and pepper , fresh pineapple slices , apple juice and water ) and was watching an old black and white film featuring Nat ( King ) Cole and Eartha Kitt on the 45-inch television screen in the living room . <p> But as technicians from ESPN set up their equipment for an interview , Tyson retreated to his second-floor bedroom to continue his viewing of the film on the 30-inch television screen there . <p> The ESPN interview lasted somewhat more than 45 minutes , with the occasional break for Charley Steiner , the interviewer . <p> Afterward , as Tyson 's chef , Early Primus , sliced fruit and a reporter took notes , Tyson joked , " Do n't cut your finger off trying to show off for the guy . " <p> Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give him a ride . When the reporter rose to go along , the fighter said , " I 'll be right back " in a tone insistent on privacy . No Sparring This Day <p> By 2:15 P.M. , Steiner and a couple of reporters were awaiting Tyson at the Golden Gloves Gym . So was Arnold L. Beizer , a lawyer from Hartford . Beizer manages a fighter , Brian Jackson , 3-0 as a professional , who was scheduled to spar for the first time with Tyson , a prospect that had Beizer excited . <p> But Beizer would not see his fighter throw a punch this day . When Tyson appeared a few minutes later , he peeled off a bandage from his left hand and showed where a callous-like growth between the fourth and fifth knuckles had been lanced by a doctor . The measure was prompted by the pain he had felt there during the previous day 's sparring . As a result , no gym work . <p> Just the same , Tyson was in a relaxed mood , reveling in his account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Silence of the Lambs , " which he had seen on Sunday . Then he was telling stories on himself about occasions on which he had tried to fool his mentor , Cus D'Amato . This was back when Tyson was 14 and obliged to heed a 9:30 P.M. curfew . One night while out on a date , he phoned D'Amato at 9:15 and told him he was waiting for a cab to take him back home . <p> " I figured that 'd buy me an extra half hour , 45 minutes with the girl , " said Tyson . " But Cus would n't go for it . He said to me , ' Get over here . Run . ' I ran three miles in brand-new clothes to get home . " A Champagne Tribute <p> Jay Bright , an assistant trainer who grew up with Tyson in the Catskill , N.Y. , home in which D'Amato raised Tyson , overheard the story and topped it with one of his own . <p> " We were back in Catskill after Mike won the title from Trevor Berbick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're riding around Catskill . He stops in front of a liquor store . I say : ' Give me the money , I 'll buy it . ' You know , people gossip . He asked me to get a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne . I did . Then he drove to Cus 's grave in Catskill . He uncorked the bottle , took a sip , I took a sip and he poured the rest on Cus 's grave . It was like the three of us were toasting his victory . " Then Mike began to cry . After a while , we sat there in the graveyard telling Cus stories . And pretty soon we were both laughing hysterically . " <p> After a private meeting with King , and dinner ( spaghetti with ground-chicken meatballs , shrimp scampi , broccoli , cauliflower , fruit cocktail and water ) it was back to the health club , where by 6:37 P.M. Tyson was riding a Lifecycle while listening to Run-D.M.C. on his headphones . Midway through his 30 minutes of pedaling , the young woman on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As she left , Tyson turned , raised his brow and smiled . <p> In the weight room , he did 110 sit-ups and more work on the Gravitron . Then he walked to a glassed-in room where an aerobics class mostly of women was taking place . <p> " My reward , " he said , smiling again , " for working out . " <p> It was 7:20 P.M. In the club 's snack bar , he had two health drinks while talking boxing -- mostly about old-timers like Battling Nelson and Joe Gans -- with Giachetti . <p> By 8:17 P.M. , his camp coordinator , John Horne , was driving him back to King 's place . An hour later , he would be asleep , awaiting that early-morning wake-up and another day to get ready for Razor Ruddock . 
##3000064 <p> Nick Esasky of Marietta , Ga. , thought that his signing by the Atlanta Braves late in 1989 was at long last a dream come true , a chance to return home and play in front of family and friends . <p> Fifteen months later , Esasky 's is a dream deferred . <p> A puzzling bout with vertigo has the first baseman heading to spring training next week wondering whether the illness 's effects will again have him feeling as if he is participating in a foreign game in which baseballs appear with shadows and ghosts , and where nausea and headaches are his constant companions . <p> Esasky was a coveted free agent after a strong season with Boston in 1989 , and the Braves signed him to a three-year , $5.7 million contract . But the vertigo forced Esasky to the disabled list nine games into the 1990 season . He has n't played since . Almost a year later , Esasky figures he 's seen anywhere from 30 to 50 specialists and tried almost everything from country cures suggested in countless letters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country visiting institutions ranging from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minn . He has undergone countless tests , including spinal taps and magnetic resonance imaging scans . New Exercise Program , New Hope <p> Exactly what caused the vertigo is still a mystery . <p> Still , Esasky approaches the coming season with hope , not that the symptoms will go away , but that a new exercise program that is retraining his body in the areas of coordination and reflexes will allow him to return to the Braves by opening day , April 9 . <p> " I 've had some improvement , " said Esasky , a wiry 6-foot-3-inch , 215-pounder with an affable smile and a wisp of a Southern accent . " I ca n't say that I 'll be ready the first day of spring training or the first day of the season , but the way I am now , I feel a lot better than I did last season . " <p> Obstacles still exist . Esasky does n't feel 100 percent on any given day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week another bout of nausea set him back . But despite the stubborn symptoms , and despite the club 's recent signing of another high-priced free agent first baseman , Sid Bream , Esasky 's confidence is blossoming , all because of a medical treatment that finally seems to be making inroads . <p> Esasky has been following a regime designed by Dr. Jeffrey Kramer , a neurologist and director of the Dizziness and Balance Center in Wilmette , Ill. , since last October . " Nick is much better than he was three months ago , " Kramer said in a telephone interview from Illinois . " He 's now taking batting practice where before he could not even do that . He 's doing things in terms of catching the ball he could n't do before . " <p> Asked if this could mean a return to the diamond , Kramer said : " It 's a little bit of a long shot , but I do n't see it out of the realm of possibility . If I did I would have told him that early on . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit .280 and play error-free baseball . I have every hope that he will maybe hit a few out . <p> Vertigo is the sense that one 's surroundings or self are spinning , either vertically or horizontally . It results from a disturbance in the inner ear that can have a number of causes , including viral infection , inflammation , minor head trauma and tumors . Dr. Michael I. Weintraub , the head of the department of neurology at Phelps Memorial Hospital in North Tarrytown , N.Y. , said that , as a generalization , more than 1 million people in the United States suffer from it sometime during their lifetime . Doctors differentiate between true vertigo and the general and common complaint of dizziness or faintness . Retraining Balance System <p> The hopes for Esasky are based on contrasts in tests performed during Esasky 's first visit to Wilmette and a visit last month . <p> Initial exams revealed abnormalities , such as jerky eye movement , and what is known as benign positional vertigo ( when Esasky 's head was placed in a certain position , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dizzy . ) Kramer said Esasky was also spatially disoriented . By the second round of tests those symptoms had become less severe . <p> " In the past , a patient was given medicine or told he or she had to live with it , " the doctor said . " We retrain the balance system . " <p> The retraining is necessary , Kramer said , because Esasky apparently suffered damage to his vestibular ( inner-ear ) system , one of the body 's three systems that help maintain balance . Esasky is working on strengthening the other two systems -- vision and the sensory fibers in the feet called the proprioceptive system -- to compensate . <p> Under the supervision of therapists at the Georgia Sports Institute in Austell who coordinated with Kramer , Esasky performs such exercises as walking on unfamiliar surfaces ( foam or thick carpeting ) or on balance beams . He does exercises to purposely make himself sick and dizzy . The idea , Kramer said , " is to initially make the patient feel very uncomfortable , but then become more comfortable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esasky has been advised to play Nintendo because the electronic game tests coordination and head-eye-and-hand movement . <p> Playing catch , integral to the program , challenged therapists when it came to Esasky . The ballplayer as patient needed to be challenged like any other patient . The solution : Esasky not only plays catch with different size balls , but also plays with his eyes closed at times . As he progresses , the size of the balls are reduced . <p> " As silly as some of the exercises look , it seems to be working , " Esasky said . " I still have some form of vertigo , but I can handle it . " <p> Esasky also can handle a bat again . " I started hitting about two weeks ago , two or three times a week in the cage , " he said . " I 've had some good days and not-so-good days , but half the time I 'd say I felt pretty good . I was n't forcing myself like I had to do last year . " <p> Season Reminiscent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ description of that nightmarish season is bizarre enough to have been lifted from Alfred Hitchcock 's " Vertigo . " <p> The troubles started just as the Braves were about to break camp last April . Esasky came down with the flu , or so he thought . He soon found himself incredibly fatigued and plagued by dizziness . He lost the ability to visually perceive objects properly . By the time the season started baseballs were appearing with shadowy ghosts , much like images on a television with poor reception , a sensation that Dr. Weintraub said occurs often in vertigo patients and results from the poor fixation of the eye . <p> " At times I 'd catch the ball , but did n't know how it got in my glove , " Esasky said . " It was like I was playing a foreign game . " <p> Constant headaches , often dull throbs , but sometimes as painful as migraines , set in . Nausea caused Esasky to lose weight . As temperatures rose during the day , Esasky 's energy would dip . Driving caused anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . <p> All of this took a tremendous toll , on mind , body and the player 's game . After just 35 times at bat in the regular season , Esasky had only six singles and a .171 batting average . It was a serious slump for a .251 career hitter who was coming off a career year ( 26 doubles , 5 triples , 108 runs batted in and 30 home runs for Boston in 1989 ) . " My reactions were all off , " Esasky said . " I was guessing , and guessing all wrong . " <p> Esasky 's defense was just as alarming . The player who had never committed more than six errors since 1984 , committed five errors in nine games . Balls , appearing to have halos or hazy tails , streaked by Esasky or ticked off his glove . Esasky feared the worst : a line drive headed for his face that he would not be able to stop . <p> At first , Esasky and his family -- most of whom live in the Marietta area -- thought his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rustiness resulting from a lockout-shortened exhibition season . After nine torturous games , the ballplayer knew better . He finally sought out Russ Nixon , then the Braves ' manager . " I told him ' something weird 's going on , ' " Esasky said . <p> Esasky was sent home for tests . His final game was April 21 . <p> " I felt bad for the Braves , " Stan Kasten , the club 's president , said last week . " I felt worse for Nick Esasky . It was rare for a player to leave a winning team just so he could play at home . Nick did , though . Then this happens . " <p> Many Specialists , Many Opinions <p> By Esasky 's estimate , 30 to 50 specialists have since poked , prodded and tested him . At one time , Esasky said , Lyme disease symptoms were detected . But there was never the full array . More important , the treatment for the disease -- intravenous antibiotics two times a day -- did not end the vertigo . The vague @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , type unknown , and if medicines do n't work , only patience will . <p> Esasky continued to seek out experts , often visiting two or three in a week . Neurologists , ophthalmologists , psychiatrists , allergists , chiropractors , oral surgeons and orthodontists , he gave them all a try . " Spinal taps , MRI scans : you name it , he had it , " Kramer said . " They never came up with anything . " Eventually Esasky stopped using the various medications he had been given because he was tired of the side effects they produced . <p> By the end of the 1990 season , Esasky , his wife , Vicki , and his three children were worn out from the testing and the fear of the unknown as one foreboding possibility after another -- including brain tumors , aneurysms and multiple sclerosis -- were sought but not discovered . <p> Like the harrowing play on the field , the search also took a toll . " My 7-year-old daughter kept asking if I would get well if I went back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a son , said with a sad smile . " My kids knew I was sick , but they did n't know why . They kept asking , ' Are you going to play again ? ' " <p> By the end of the season , Esasky wanted to pull back from the medical maze , but the Braves ' chairman , Bill Bartholomay , led him to Wilmette and Kramer 's center . Bartholomay , who lives in Chicago , had seen a local television report on the Dizziness and Balance Center . He remembered that friends had been helped there . The Braves asked Esasky to give the center a chance . <p> Search for Cause Takes Back Seat <p> One of the first things Esasky heard in Wilmette was that the search for a cause was over . " I told Nick I do n't care about the causes anymore , " Kramer said . He was satisfied that Esasky 's condition was not life-threatening . He was also satisfied that there was no degeneration ; Esasky was no longer getting progressively worse . So finding a cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three months later , Kramer says , " I know he 's made great progress . Now , all I can do is also wish him a little bit of luck . " <p> As for Esasky , he 's both contemplative and hopeful in the final days leading into spring training . " The dream was almost ready to come true , " he said . " I got my family and baseball in the same spot . I 'm realistic , but it still can be a reality for me . April 9 -- opening day -- that 's the date I 'm looking forward to being ready . " Chart : ' Esasky 's Career Statistics ' lists Nick Esasky 's statistics during his 8 year career in baseball ( pg . D13 ) 
##3000065 <p> As a podiatrist , the most common question directed towards me is " What is the best shoe ? " The consumer is looking for a shoe with excellent biomechanics , good comfort and fit , high fashion , longevity and a competitive price tag . The expectation is that the shoe will enhance performance . <p> I am asked to access foot type , style and level of play , playing surface , fashion taste , and comfort level . I must match these to a shoe that will keep its wearer injury free while getting him or her to the Boston Marathon or the United States Open for $45 or less . A formidable task . <p> The best way to achieve this objective is to educate the consumer so that he or she can participate in the selection process . In a 1984 Swiss footwear survey , the Berne Grand Prix Study , approximately 3,000 runners were asked to rank shoe selection criteria in order of importance . Orthopedically ( biomechanically ) correct construction headed the list . Following in order were : fit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cost , appearance , and endorsements by famous runners . <p> In this article , these criteria are examined with respect to new high-tech running , tennis , basketball , golf , and aerobic and cross training shoes . <p> There are certain criteria common to most performance shoes . Stability , cushioning , flexibility and durability are opposing technologies . Highly cushioned shoes tend to be somewhat unstable while flexible shoes tend to wear out faster than stiffer ones . Despite these dichotomies there are certain purchasing tips of use to the informed consumer . <p> Stability is the ability of the shoe to resist excessive side-to-side motion . A shoe is considered stable when it has a noncompressible heel counter and reinforced uppers ( via banding , motion control devices , heel cradles or stabilizers in the lacing system ) . Shoes should be able to resist distortion to twist or torque . Grasp the heel in one hand and the toes in the other and rotate in opposite directions . <p> Cushioning is the ability of the shoe to dampen shock . It is much harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a " bouncy " feel when on the foot . You should feel no shock in the foot or the leg as you jump across a hard floor on one leg . Try to land on the heel and the ball of the foot on successive jumps to test cushioning in different areas of the shoe . <p> Manufacturers would have you believe that cushioning with air , gel , various foams or polyurethanes , or exotic technological advances like " energy return " are important , but there is little research to support their claims . In the Swiss report , Dr. B. Marti concluded " none of the well- known brands shows any advantages as far as running injuries are concerned . " <p> Shoe flexibility is most critical in the forefoot . Place the shoe on a solid surface and lift the heel while pressing the forefoot on the surface . The shoe should " break " or bend easily across the toes or forefoot . Compare various brands and models . <p> Durability is very difficult to access in the store . Many manufacturers claim long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laboratory testing by rubber manufacturers shows that carbon rubber outsoles are the most durable , but this is another area where the buyer should beware . Experience is the only true test of the longevity of an outsole . <p> You can test fit and comfort using a few specific guidelines . Make sure you have a thumbnail 's distance between the end of your longest toe and the end of your shoe ( about 1/4-1/2 " ) . The ball of your foot should be at the widest part of the shoe . When tied snugly there should be no shift of your foot in the shoe when walking or stopping short . Fit the shoe at the end of the day ( your foot is most swollen then ) , and with the sock or foot covering you use during sports . Remember , if the shoe is tight in the store it is unlikely to stretch out and feel better at home . <p> For hard to fit feet some manufacturers offer width sizing ( New Balance and Easy Spirit among others ) . Flat or low arched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) border of the shoe while high arched feet require stability on the lateral ( little toe ) . Cushioning is important for all foot types , but it is essential for high arched feet . Ankle sprainers are better off in high cut shoes ( high tops , three-quarters or five-eighths cut ) . <p> This article is aimed at allowing you to select a more suitable , quality shoe for your particular sport . Evaluating shoes is highly subjective . The lists below are not meant to suggest that shoes not listed are less worthy but , rather , the lists are intended to showcase more innovative models . <p> RUNNING <p> Running differs from other sports in that it is basically onedirectional and the foot strikes the ground more often . A proper running shoe should be able to attenuate shock over long distances for many months . <p> This is primarily the midsole 's job and it is the most important feature in a top-of-the-line running shoe . Midsole materials should be able to dampen shock thousands of times . The material must be firm enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dampen shock . Midsoles should also be lightweight and flexible . <p> No material can possess all of these qualities and therefore some compromises must be made . Some shoe manufacturers aim at superior cushioning , some opt for motion control , others lighter weight . For most runners , shoes that are a blend of cushioning and stability are the best bet . Motion-control shoes are required only for those runners with biomechanical problems such as overpronation ( excessive inward roll of the foot ) or runners who break down heel counters easily . Highly cushioned shoes are favorable for runners who have little to no normal biomechanics . Width sizing is available in New Balance shoes , although a few companies have regular and wide models . <p> For low-arched feet , look for shoes that advertise pronation control . High-arched feet need shoes for stability or motion control but with good cushioning . Lightweight running shoes ( those weighing 11 ounces or less ) are the latest fad , but they do not wear well when subjected to excessive mileage or burlier runners . Although weight reduction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newer lighter-weight models do so at the expense of cushioning or stability . Runners with mechanical problems and often injured runners should also avoid these shoes , except perhaps for competitive racing . <p> Shoes should be changed about every three to six months for the average runner ( running 20 miles per week or more ) regardless of how the outsole looks . The midsole loses its ability to attenuate shock long before the outsole wears out . Never change shoe gear unless you are dissatisfied with your current shoe or unless that shoe is unavailable . <p> TENNIS <p> Technology has invaded the tennis shoe market over the last 10 years . Years ago , tennis footwear was poorly cushioned and understabilized . Some manufacturers still place a premium on looks rather than performance , but more and more tennis models are becoming high tech . <p> In choosing a shoe , players must first consider their playing style . Shoes for baseliners should be stable from side to side , and have good cushioning and motion control in the rearfoot . Serve-and-volley players need shoes with some side-to-side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) are essential . All-court players need a blend of both , a shoe with rear-foot and side-to-side stability , but with good flexibility and overall cushioning . <p> Shoes that are higher cut ( three-quarters or five-eighths ) are good bets for people who sprain ankles or those with excessive biomechanical problems . Low-arched feet need better inside ( medial ) support while high-arched feet require better outside ( lateral ) support . Players who choose hard surfaces ( asphalt , rubberized concrete , etc. ) should opt for shoes with long-wearing outsoles and superior cushioning . Grass and clay ( or Har-Tru ) require shoes with softer rubber outsoles and more side-to-side stability . <p> The latest fad in tennis gear is the cross-training shoe . Many players pick this shoe for its lighter weight , bolder style , higher cut and the ability to cross over to other sports . While some cross trainers are adaptable to tennis , serious players should choose from models designed specifically for tennis . Change shoes every three to six months . <p> CROSS TRAINING AND AEROBICS <p> These two categories are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shoes produced for aerobics are not suitable for the rigors of that sport . Statistially , aerobic dance has one of the highest per capita injury rates of any sport . While there are many reasons for this , shoe gear is cited by many authorities as a major cause . Cross-training shoes were originally designed so that the athlete could have one shoe for multiple sports . While some cross trainers can fulfill this role , most are better suited for indoor use . This category may be better suited to aerobic dance than shoes designed for dance . <p> Good aerobic dance and cross-training shoes should possess excellent side-to-side stability , good motion control in the rearfoot and forefoot , superior forefoot flexibility and good overall cushioning ( especially in the forefoot ) . Weight is important but one should never sacrifice cushioning or stability for lightness of styling . <p> Most clubs convert surfaces to aerobics by placing wooden floors over poorly cushioned concrete bases or by carpeting over linoleum , concrete or wood floors . The shoe must provide for the lack of cushioning in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foot stability in many positions without excessive stiffness . For those with biomechanical problems , shoes with built-in motion control devices or higher cut models are essential . <p> BASKETBALL <p> Basketball shoes must dampen shock while eliminating excess motion . They must be flexible yet stable and have a higher cut while remaining lightweight . The outsoles must be durable while providing adequate traction . The shoes 's ability to retard ankle sprains , cushion landing and running shock , and their lateral stability are the most important criteria in protecting against injury . <p> High-cut or mid-cut shoes are essential for foot and ankle support while jumping . Cushioned landings require thicker midsoles , but not so thick as to cause lateral instability . Stability on the lateral ( outside ) border can be enhanced by flaring the heel or outsole on the outer edge . Well-banded or reinforced uppers can also provide lateral stability . <p> The latest fad in court shoes is the pump technology introduced by Reebok . It is touted to aid in stability while allowing for a more customized fit . Other companies use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sock-liner modifications and adjustable lacing systems to achieve the same goal . Look for a shoe that resists torsion ( twisting ) , whose cut is five-eighths or higher and is well cushioned . <p> Ankle-stability devices are useful for ankle sprainers or those with high-arched feet . Overpronators should look for shoes reinforced along the big toe side . Lighter weight is not always a plus , especially since extra weight has not been proven to retard jumping ability . <p> There has been some controversy recently regarding a shoe promoted to enhance leaping ability . Despite the manufacturer 's claims , only anecdotal evidence has supported these claims . On the flip side , injuries caused by the use of this " leaping " shoe have been reported . A shoe will last about six months for serious players . <p> GOLF <p> The last bastion of traditional shoe gear is slowly giving way to technology . High-tech golf shoes must perform two totally different functions . The shoe should help the golfer walk the course more comfortably while enhancing the player 's ability to swing and hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoe are rear-foot and mid-foot stability , forefoot flexibility and proper spike placement . <p> In the golf swing , the lead foot ( the foot closest to the pin ) and the trail foot have totally different demands . The lead foot must roll from its inner ( big toe ) border to the far outside border and support the entire body weight . The trail foot must transfer weight from the heel to the inner border of the big toe . The shoe must enhance these functions . In the lead foot , lateral stability is a must while the trail foot needs forefoot flexibility . The shoe must also be comfortable for five to 10 miles of walking . <p> Traditional golf shoes are tie oxfords with seven spikes in a V arrangement at the forefoot . New-styled golf shoes are designed like tennis or walking shoes and often have unconventional spike arrangements for greater lateral stability and forefoot flexibility . <p> Spikes can be used to aid in lateral stability by altering their placement . Adidas has a shoe that allows the spikes to be arranged differently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a right and left-hand shoe with different construction for a right or left-handed golfer . Weight-Rite shoes are wedged differently for a right or left-handed swing . All-weather shoes are made by many companies , as are shoes better suited to walking . <p> Charts : Listing different brands of atheltic shoes for different kinds of sports and activities such as : women 's aerobics , cross training , golf , basketball , tennis and running . Also , the lists for tennis , running and golf are further broken down into shoes that are designed to enhance specific kinds of performances , type of player or runner . 
##3000066 <p> With all due respect to Aldous Huxley , John Schuerholz said , " It 's the new Brave world . " <p> Schuerholz is the new general manager of the Atlanta Braves , and in an effort to abandon last place , which the team has firmly held the last three years , he has spent an active off season adding players he believes can spur the Braves onward and upward . <p> That quest , of course , is No. 1 on the priority lists of 22 teams each winter because they are the ones that did not win division championships the year before . With many other general managers having joined Schuerholz in bids to bolster their clubs ' chances , a small army of players will head in new directions this week as they prepare to begin spring training . <p> Pitchers and catchers from 15 teams are scheduled to ache their way through their first workouts Friday . Their colleagues from the other 11 teams will begin in the ensuing four days . By March 2 , a week from Saturday , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ games beginning five days after that . <p> This spring the players will have a full six weeks of workouts and games . Last spring the players were locked out during the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and ended up with less than three full weeks of organized spring training . <p> Perhaps the player who will have the most difficult task finding his way to his new spring camp is Dwight Evans . After 18 years with the Boston Red Sox , Evans has joined the Baltimore Orioles . Rick Cerone , on the other hand , has become accustomed to traveling to new camps in the spring . In heading for Port St. Lucie , Fla. , and the Mets ' complex , he will be switching sites for the ninth time in the last 16 springs . <p> Some teams , like the Braves , have made such wholesale changes that they will have to give their players extra time to introduce themselves to one another . New to the Atlanta camp , for example , will be Terry Pendleton , Sid Bream , Juan Berenguer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deion Sanders , all of whom Schuerholz signed as free agents . <p> Joe McIlvaine , another new general manager , has been at least as busy as Schuerholz , but he has an advantage in getting the newcomers acclimated . The San Diego Padres train in Yuma , Ariz. , and it 's so isolated with so little to do that the players will have more than enough time to get to know one another . McIlvaine , who admitted he 's not a " stand pat " executive , is counting on the new players to have a positive influence on their new , young teammates . <p> Ticking off the people he has acquired , McIlvaine noted that Marty Barrett , " a guy who got shunted aside in Boston , is like Ray Knight . " <p> " He does n't have great physical tools , " McIlvaine said of Barrett , " but he 's a winning type of player . He 's been in the World Series . The Toronto guys " -- Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez -- " have been in the playoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to bring in some people who have had success and hope it rubs off on the younger players . " <p> McIlvaine has also brought in Jim Presley , Wes Gardner , Oscar Azocar and Scott Coolbaugh . The Blue Jays , with whom McIlvaine made a stunning December trade , grew tired of being a preseason pick and an end-of-season flop . Pat Gillick , usually the antonym of McIlvaine , shook up his troops by obtaining Joe Carter , Roberto Alomar , Devon White , Pat Tabler , Ken Dayley and some lesser-known players . <p> The Los Angeles Dodgers , one of the most active teams in the most active division , spent $30 million to create two-thirds of a new outfield with Darryl Strawberry and Brett Butler . They also added two veteran starting pitchers , Bob Ojeda and Kevin Gross . <p> " It 's a tough division , " Schuerholz said . " It seems every move one club made another club answered with a salvo of their own . We made some moves we felt would make us a substantially greater club , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> The Dodgers also invited another veteran pitcher , John Candelaria , and a veteran catcher , Gary Carter , to spring training , giving them a chance to put in one last year while possibly providing needed bench strength . Carter and Candelaria are two of a group of players , aging and otherwise , issued such invitations . <p> The group also includes Rich ( Goose ) Gossage , by Texas ; Ernie Whitt , by Baltimore ; Rick Dempsey , by Milwaukee ; Rich Gedman , by St. Louis ; Bob Boone , by St. Louis , and Darnell Coles , by Houston . This could be the final spring for some well-traveled catchers . <p> This will be the first spring with teams for other players , who are certain to have a greater impact than the invitees . <p> Vince Coleman , for example , will be relied upon to serve as the catalyst for a Mets ' offense devoid of Strawberry 's home runs . Hubie Brooks , returning to his starting place , is expected to replace some of the runs Strawberry produced . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young Minnesota starting rotation , and Kansas City will look to Kirk Gibson , perhaps no longer the offensive threat he once was , to provide the fiery leadership he has displayed in Detroit and Los Angeles . Mike Boddicker joins an already strong Royals pitching rotation . <p> After 10 years with the Yankees , Dave Righetti has gone home to San Francisco to lead the Giants ' bullpen , leaving his spot in New York open to perhaps Steve Farr . Scott Sanderson also has joined the Yankees ' pitching staff . <p> Tim Raines , the new left fielder for the Chicago White Sox , is in the American League for the first time , eager to show that Rickey Henderson is not in a class by himself . George Bell , on the other hand , has moved to the National League , adding a potent bat to an already strong Chicago Cubs lineup . The Cubs , in an uncharacteristic spending spree , also signed Danny Jackson and Dave Smith as free agents , establishing themselves in the view of many as the team most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> But what about the movement of a collection of players who finished No. 1 in offensive categories in the National League ? <p> Willie McGee , the batting champion , is in San Francisco ; Butler , who tied for the lead in hits , is in Los Angeles ; Jack Clark , who walked more than anybody , has left the league and gone to Boston ; so has Danny Darwin , who had the National League 's lowest earned run average . Carter , the leader in games played and times batted , has returned to the American League with Toronto , and Glenn Davis , hit by more pitches than anyone else , is in Baltimore . <p> Rob Deer and Mickey Tettleton are in Detroit , meaning the Tigers could create a gustier breeze than the Cubs get from Lake Michigan . Deer , Tettleton and Cecil Fielder , teammates now , were among the top seven strikeout artists ( they use not a brush but a bat ) in the American League last year . They struck out a collective 489 times last year . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tigers could save a lot of money on baseballs this year . What they ca n't hit wo n't leave the field . 
##3000067 <p> More than four months have gone by since the Yankees ended their dreadful summer of 1990 , but the memory endures , almost like a recurring nightmare . <p> Even with a new season on its way -- spring training camp opens this week in Fort Lauderdale , Fla. , and the season begins in just seven weeks -- the flashbacks are still horribly vivid . In Yankee lore , it will likely be remembered as among the worst seasons in team history . <p> But that was then ; this is now . So who can really blame Stump Merrill , the fourth Yankee manager in four years to start a season in Florida , for his sunny optimism ? <p> He has it , despite knowing that his lineup remains unsettled , that his pitching is no better than a year ago , that he needs more left-handed hitting , that the offense remains a significant concern . <p> " I 'm anxious , " Merrill said last week from his home in Topsham , Me. , where it had been snowing and raining . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the first day of spring will give the Yankees their first chance to forget the 95 losses and last-place finish of a year ago . But there are no guarantees they will avoid a similar fate . <p> " You play the games , and the results are there in front of you , " said Gene Michael , the general manager . " So I guess we were as bad as we were last season . But things can change . " <p> How much they change depends on a number of factors , among them whether Don Mattingly will remain free from his back troubles , whether Steve Sax and Alvaro Espinoza can recover from woeful offensive seasons , whether Kevin Maas can repeat his abbreviated rookie success and whether Hensley Meulens is prepared to play a full season in the big leagues as a left fielder . <p> And there is still the pitching to consider . <p> As camp unfolds , only four are assured spots in the starting rotation : Tim Leary , Scott Sanderson , Mike Witt and Chuck Cary , the only left-hander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading contenders for the fifth spot , and Greg Cadaret , who started six games last season , might emerge as a starter if no one else does . <p> Pascual Perez ? He is in the Dominican Republic now -- the team is hoping to avoid a recurrence of the visa problems he had last year -- and is still in a rehabilitation program for his right shoulder . If he pitches at all this season , the Yanks will regard it as a bonus . <p> " We do n't want to rush him , " Michael said . " It 's too chancy . We 're just going to cool it with him until he 's right . It 'll be a little time into the season before he can come back . " <p> The Yanks are strongest in the bullpen , but they lost Dave Righetti to free agency and are now asking Lee Guetterman and Steve Farr -- who had 24 victories and 3 saves between them last season -- to share the closer 's role . It is a risky move , but even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assume a major task . <p> Offensively , the Yankees are trying to come back from a season in which they finished last in the American League in team average , runs scored , hits , runs batted in , walks and on-base percentage . Their inability to beat right-handed pitching -- they were 39-68 against right-handers -- revealed a distinct lack of left-handed punch . <p> It is possible they could have a lineup that includes four left-handed hitters : Mattingly , Maas , Mel Hall and Matt Nokes . Efforts to acquire a left-handed hitter to platoon at third with either Mike Blowers or Randy Velarde failed , but Michael said he would continue his search through the spring . <p> Mattingly clearly is a key , and a tapered-down winter program will send him to camp in good shape . But there is still speculation that his hitting adjustments for his chronically sore back have robbed him of the ability to drive the ball as he once did . His daily progress in camp will be closely observed . <p> The Yankees brought back Frank Howard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to see if he can fix the offense . Sax , Espinoza and Bob Geren had exceptional seasons when Howard was around in 1989 , then slumped last season after he left . <p> Howard also might be able to assist Blowers , the third baseman who thrived in the minors but crash-landed in three chances in the Bronx . Velarde is back , and so is Jim Leyritz , who will probably end up as the utility specialist . <p> " Third base is up for grabs , " Merrill said . " If we had to go into the season right now , those same three would be going at it . " <p> The catching situation is only slightly brighter . Geren has an edge on Nokes defensively , but Nokes is left-handed and worked on his catching skills in the instructional league . <p> " It 's not necessarily a platoon , " Michael said . " The decision will be the manager 's , but we want to try and get Nokes in there . We 'd rather not say it 's one or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Roberto Kelly having established himself as one of the game 's best young center fielders and Jesse Barfield back in right . But left is less certain , unless Meulens takes his opportunity and shines . Some non-roster players -- Dion James , Pat Sheridan and Van Snider -- will contend for backup roles , and Bernie Williams , who is developing slowly but surely , will also be around . <p> The Yankees will give the job in left to the 23-year-old Meulens , who showed signs of offensive potential but was shaky in the field during a 23-game stretch with the team last season . If he wavers , Hall will likely join him in a platoon . <p> Maas , though , spent the winter campaigning for a chance to play the outfield , although the team sees him as a designated hitter because of his right knee , which he hurt in 1989 and still protects with a brace . Michael has indicated that Maas will get a long look . <p> " I see it as my way to get back in the field , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confidence . " <p> Some way , the Yankees will find a place for Maas , who hit 21 homers in 79 games . But he will need to prove that 1990 was not an aberration . <p> The Yankees , of course , will need to show that it was . But their attempts may be slowed by their own limitations . <p> " There are a lot of ' ifs ' , " Merrill said , " but we 've got a chance to make them O.K. There 's a chance Mattingly will be healthy the whole year . Meulens might be ready to come of age . If we had n't seen some of the young guys come up and play last year , the ' ifs ' would be in capital letters . " <p> They probably still are . But it 's spring , and for now , at least , the Yankees retain a large measure of optimism -- for however long it lasts . 
##3000068 <p> Outside , the wild winds and freakish cold of the last 48 destructive hours had abruptly ended , replaced by a soft breeze and a reignited sun . Kevin Elster opened the clubhouse door and walked into the bright morning , the sun performing a subtle sort of laser surgery on his reconstructed right shoulder . <p> Elster , the shortstop for the Mets who was lost to injury last season and then all but exiled by circumstance in the off season , tossed a baseball with his customary grace today . There again was no pain , and so there once more was no doubt in his mind . Elster , squinting into the sunlight , foresees another storm on the horizon . Indeed , the tempest raging in his heart and behind his eyes is already difficult to quiet . <p> " The Mets understand that I am not a player who is going to sit on the bench , " said Elster , who has been working out at the team 's spring-training complex here for the last week . " If I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I have no idea what they are going to do about that . It 's the nice part about not being in management . " Commitment to Johnson <p> Management , through its re-signing of Tom Herr , the veteran second baseman , and its absolute conviction that Gregg Jefferies will remain at third base , has evidently decided that Howard Johnson will be its shortstop . <p> It is an improvised arrangement dictated to a certain extent by the undetermined status of Elster 's shoulder . It is also one fraught with risks . Johnson , whose nearly impeccable performance at shortstop after Elster 's sidelining was nothing short of a revelation , is something less than a proven defensive commodity at the position . Jefferies , at the moment , rates as scarcely anything more than an average fielding third baseman , and Herr often looked infirm at second over last season 's closing weeks . <p> " They evidently want a shortstop who can hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases , if they can get away with it , " Elster said of the Mets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a pitcher on this staff right now . " <p> Those pitchers , along with the team 's legion of catchers , officially report here Thursday and will conduct their initial workout the next day . The regulars , a large contingent of whom have trained informally along with Elster here for days , will open camp on Feb. 28 . What follows will be the audition of a team that management redesigned amid the public claim that it was aiming for success through speed and defense . Problems With Fielding <p> " I 'll concede the speed , " said Elster , one of the most reliable and elegant fielders in the game . " But the defense is n't there . Their claims about it all are bull . It 's not a defensive club . Even the dumbest baseball fan can figure that out . " <p> And so Elster is calculating that the club 's game plan could change , and in fact alter itself radically . He believes they will ultimately , if not quickly , opt for his defensive talents , and that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have to get traded , " Elster said in evaluating the inevitable . " That 's baseball , that 's business . And I 'm by no means saying that it 'll be me that gets traded . And so I 'm going to be patient . But if it looks like they 're pleased with Howard at short , I 'm out of here . " <p> The prospect , if premature , is still hard to fathom . Elster , upon his arrival as a full-time player in 1988 , was projected by the Mets to be their shortstop for the next decade , a fielder of surpassing skills and a hitter with the promise to be a potent contributor . And with Bud Harrelson 's ascension to the manager 's job last season , his status was elevated further . Harrelson , who once personally cared for and maintained Elster 's glove , cherished the stability the shortstop gave his infield and bent over backwards to endure his exasperatingly inconsistent displays at the plate . <p> It has , however , all come unraveled . Elster 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , .231 and .207 in his three seasons -- degenerated from being a curiosity to an annoyance to the front office . His injury , one that required an almost wholesale cleanup of his shoulder , deprived him of his job . As well , his stature as a team leader endorsed by the organization hierarchy has eroded in the wake of what Elster himself admitted were the club 's questions about his influence on the team after his Sept. 4 surgery reduced him to a spectator . Not Enamored of Management <p> " I have not been talked to at all about all that has happened , " Elster said . " Communication is n't great with this organization . In fact , they are kind of cowardly when it comes to that . <p> " I have to live my life the way I want to , the way I have to . I ca n't concern myself with pleasing them . " <p> Asked if it would be a great mistake to trade him , Elster laughed but did n't smile . <p> " I ca n't say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems like every other trade they 've made in the last couple of years has been a mistake . I want to stay . I do n't want to leave . " <p> Al Harazin , the Mets ' executive vice president , said there was no plan in place for Elster 's departure . He also , though , stated bluntly that the organization 's chief concern was " not to jerk Howard Johnson around . " <p> " If we are convinced Kevin is fully healthy , the situation will be something that has to be addressed , " said Harazin , who avoided arbitration with Elster last week by signing him to a one-year contract for $625,000 . " He is not a utility player . We have to come to grips with that . I ca n't say what will happen . It 's an interesting kind of problem . " <p> Harazin declined to say whether Elster 's conduct off the field was in any way a concern of the organization . <p> " I do n't think it 's appropriate for me to comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values his friends on the team and who is returned the affection , is clearly suspicious of management . <p> " One of the reasons I stayed out in California was that I did n't want to hear it all , " Elster said . " I did n't want to read the papers . And I do n't want to talk to the front office . And I wo n't keep answering questions about my situation once camp opens . I 'll have one session with reporters and that 's it . I want my mind clear . " <p> The forecast for the future for the moment , though , is cloudy at best . 
##3000069 <p> Orel Hershiser and Scott Bankhead each started only four games last year . Pascual Perez did n't make it that far ; he made only three starts . Todd Worrell was envious of all of them ; he did n't throw a pitch . Danny Cox tossed a few pitches in the minor leagues , but he did n't throw any in the majors for the second successive season . <p> Nick Esasky played nine games , suffering the most from a rash of season-shortening injuries and ailments that struck first basemen last season . Keith Hernandez played 43 games , Wally Joyner 83 , Glenn Davis 93 , Don Mattingly 102 , Pete O'Brien 108 , Randy Milligan 109 , Jack Clark 115 , Paul Molitor 103 . <p> Molitor a first baseman ? Yes , it has come to that for the injury-plagued catalyst of the Milwaukee Brewers . Injuries have chased him around the infield , from third to second to first . He played 37 games at first base last season -- between injuries -- and is set to start the coming season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to start the season . Some other players who were injured last season either wo n't be ready or do n't know if they 'll be ready . <p> Hershiser will probably attract the most attention because if he can pitch all or most of the season , the Los Angeles Dodgers will be much more formidable than they already figure to be . <p> After starting four games last April , Hershiser had to have reconstructive surgery on his right shoulder . He has worked his way back slowly , but he was encouraged last week when he threw to batters for the first time , tossing 25 pitches Monday and 38 pitches two days later . His next workout will be this week at the Dodgers ' camp in Vero Beach , Fla . <p> The Dodgers are one of 15 teams that will hold their first workouts for pitchers and catchers Friday . The other 11 teams open spring training in the ensuing four days . <p> Hershiser , who was the driving force behind the Dodgers ' last World Series championship season , in 1988 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to return to the starting rotation in the early months of the season . The Dodgers are n't counting on him from the start , but they do n't even want to consider the idea that he wo n't be able to pitch at all . <p> Tim Belcher is another Dodgers starter who is returning from shoulder surgery . But he has been throwing , and the Dodgers expect him to progress through spring training . <p> The Kansas City Royals are taking a similar approach with Mark Gubicza , who has been instrumental in some of their past successes . Gubicza was limited to 16 starts last season , undergoing rotator-cuff surgery July 2 . He believes he can be ready for the start of the season , but the Royals will wait and see . Like the Dodgers , the Royals have five other starters so they can afford to be cautious . <p> The Yankees are not the beneficiaries of such pitching luxuries , but that does n't mean they will rush Perez , whose season ended April 25 with his third start . He had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be ready when the season begins . <p> The Seattle Mariners will take no such precaution with Bankhead , a 14-game winner two years ago who had shoulder surgery last June . They established to their satisfaction that he could have pitched at the end of last season , but they chose to give him the extra rehabilitation time . <p> Four other Seattle pitchers had operations , and a fifth , Mike Schooler , missed the last six weeks because of a strained shoulder muscle . Of the surgical cases , Brian Holman ( elbow ) , Mike Jackson ( knee ) and Gene Harris ( leg ) are said to be ready to proceed through a normal spring training . Clint Zavaras , however , had rotator-cuff surgery plus a second , clean-up operation in November and will not be ready . <p> Worrell and Danny Cox , who both were once integral to the St. Louis staff , hope they will be ready to return to major league pitching . Worrell , the Cardinals ' No. 1 reliever , missed all of last season after elbow surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their bullpen opening day , but they would be happy to have him back any time this year . <p> Cox is no longer with the Cardinals . The 31-year-old right-hander has signed a minor league contract with Philadelphia , hoping he will be able to come back after having missed two major league seasons . He pitched 23 innings in the minors last year . Healing Update <p> Of the first basemen whose seasons were interrupted , most returned before the season ended , including Baltimore 's Milligan , who suffered a separated shoulder Aug. 7 but played three games as the designated hitter the last week of the season . Mattingly also returned in September after recuperating from a lower back problem . He says his back is sound and he plans to subject it to less wear and tear by restricting his pre-game workouts , but it has to remain a concern for the Yankees . <p> Joyner , who in spite of his curtailed season set and briefly held an arbitration record last week , played his last game for California on July 11 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kneecap , but he obviously looked healthy enough to impress the arbitrator . <p> Molitor was healthy at times last year , in fact all the time except for when he went on the disabled list April 2 with a broken right thumb , when he went on the disabled list June 17 with a fractured left index finger and when he tore a muscle in his left forearm Sept. 26 and had surgery two days later on the arm and his right shoulder . <p> The Brewers report that he can hit and run , but he has n't thrown since last year . Throwing will be his spring project , along with mastering first base , his last stop before designated hitter . <p> Esasky , playing in the National League with Atlanta , does n't have the luxury of being a designated hitter , but unless he overcomes the effects of vertigo , which shattered his 1990 season , it wo n't matter what positions are or are not available to him . <p> Then there is Hernandez , whose arrival in Cleveland a year ago was heralded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Indians . They experienced neither . <p> Hernandez suffered a strained left calf muscle May 26 , then reinjured the calf in his first game back June 17 . His season and the Indians ' hopes for what he could do for them finally ended Aug. 9 when he returned to the disabled list with a torn calf muscle . <p> This could be the end of the former popular member of the Mets . If he does n't show robust health and an equally robust bat this spring , he could find himself nudged into involuntary retirement . Lansford 's Troubles <p> Carney Lansford will not be ready for the start of the season , or perhaps for whatever Oakland does after the season either . He wrecked his knee in a snowmobile accident in Oregon six weeks ago and will spend the next six months or so rehabilitating it . The third baseman has also ruined his chances for securing a lucrative contract extension , but he at least will not lose his $1.15 million salary for this season . <p> Lansford 's guaranteed contract stipulates what pursuits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in force if he is hurt and unable to play . The contract forbids organized , competitive snowmobiling , but it does not specifically prohibit recreational snowmobiling . <p> The Athletics , on the other hand , have noted that the contract bans activities with a high degree of risk of injury . Traveling at 50 or 60 miles an hour at night on unfamiliar terrain , as they said Lansford told them he was doing , raised some question . Nevertheless , the club , recognizing the way Lansford has played for them , decided not to press the issue . <p> There would never have been any question if Lansford had been hurt in another recreational pursuit : boogie boarding . The contract specifically permits boogie boarding . What is a boogie board ? It is a poor man 's surfboard , used for body surfing . No Plaque for Miller <p> The late Larry Fleisher was recently elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame . The move was surprising because Fleisher was the head of the players ' union in the National Basketball Association , and union leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miller , whose efforts with Richard Moss in the first 10 years of the baseball players ' union made today 's $3 million salaries possible , was asked if he thought the veterans committee would ever elect him to baseball 's Hall of Fame . He almost laughed too hard to reply . <p> " If I were a nontrade unionist , an agent for a very compliant union , maybe , " said Miller , the union 's first executive director . <p> Then Miller added : " Just viewing what 's happened to Pete Rose , I would n't want any part of it . When I hear Bobby Brown and Lee MacPhail lecture on the morality of electing Pete Rose , my stomach turns . Brown gets on TV and says , ' We have these ethics and standards , ' and MacPhail backs these up , but nobody says , ' You 're not in a position to speak about morality . ' Both were involved in the worst kind of conspiracy baseball has ever seen . <p> " It goes beyond what the Black Sox players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have the advantages of the people we 're talking about about . Here you had 26 owners , the commissioner , the league presidents . . . . educated , well-off , privileged people in our society violated the collective bargaining agreement with their conspiracy against players . Worse than that , they agreed not to try to compete and improve their teams with free agents at the expense of others . That is fixing games . There is no other way to look at it , and these are the people who are judging Pete Rose . " 