12 Wednesday. July 9.1997 UN I V E R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N Cuban track star seeking asylum in United States SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Cuban hurdler Jose Perez has requested asylum in the United States, 10 days after leaving his team during a track championship in Puerto Rico, his lawyer said yesterday. Perez, 28, won a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the Central America and Caribbean Championships June 27 — then disappeared from his beach-front hotel. "I've been planning this for years," Perez said in a telephone interview from a home where he was staying with a Cuban immigrant family. "Life in Cuba is not life." He said he thought Perez had a 90 percent chance of winning asylum, despite new immigration laws that make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. Perez's lawyer, Sergio Ramos, said he submitted the asylum request Thursday to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. He said he didn't expect a ruling for at least three months. If rejected, Perez could appeal to an immigration judge in Puerto Rico, Ramos said. "If he's forced to return to Cuba, at the very least, his athletic career would be ruined, and he would never be allowed to succeed in anything else," Ramos said. Perez said he feared worse. "They'd throw me in jail," he said. "I've made them look bad." Boston's Cordero back on team after counseling CLEVELAND — The Boston Red Sox have stopped trying to trade Wil Cordero, and he's welcome to rejoin the team. Cordero, who was arrested last month on a charge of assaulting his wife, is expected back with the Red Sox tomorrow night when they begin a series against Toronto at Fenway Park. He has not played since June 25 when he was suspended by Boston. "We put him on waivers and teams asked about him, but we're not trying to trade him. He's a great player," chief executive officer John Harrington said yesterday. Last week Cordero agreed to undergo counseling. "With that taken care of, I have no problem having him on the team," Harrington said. "That's what delayed the negotiations. I was concerned some people weren't taking counseling as seriously as I was." Cordero, 25, was arrested June 11 after a fight with his wife, Ana, which left her with a bloody nose. Boston kept him out of the lineup for eight days before allowing him to begin playing again. The following day, the Red Sox learned that a previous wife had accused him of physical abuse, and they suspended him. Under the deal negotiated by the union and the PRC, the Red Sox agreed to reinstate Cordero following the All-Star break if the counselors gave their approval. Cordero, an outfielder, is hitting .300 this season with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 280 at-bats. The Associated Press American League wins Alomar earns MVP honors The Associated Press CLEVELAND — The hit did not move Sandy Alomar any closer to Joe DiMaggio. Instead, it won the game for the American League and restored some All-Star pride for Cleveland catchers. While National League hitters did little, Alomar the two-run homer in the seventh inning gave the AL a 3-1 win last night, ending its three-game losing streak. Alomar, who brought a 30-game hitting streak into the All-Star game, made the most of his only at-bat, earning himself the MVP award. The sellout crowd of 44,916 gave Alomar, who is just over halfway to DiMaggio's record hitting streak, a rousing ovation after his home run, which was enough to make him the first player to win the All-Star MVP award at his home ballpark. Alomar is the only player to homer in an All-Star game played in his hometown since Hank Aaron in Atlanta in 1972. The AL cut its deficit in the series to 40-27-1. Although Alo- mar stole the show, Kansas City Royals Jose Rosado's pitching wound up the winner. The win was Rosado's redemption for giving up the tying, solo home run to Javy Lopez, one of seven Atlanta Llopez's drive off the left-field pole tied the game at 1 and made Llopez the 11th player to homer in his first All-Star bat. players on the NL team, in the seventh inning. Before Lopez connected, the NL team had been held to one hit, which was a single by Jeff Blauser off Roger Clemens in the third inning. The fans got to see major rivalry. Walker, who leads the majors in batting at .398 and the NL with 25 homers, made his much-anticipated lefty vs. lefty match up with Johnson, baseball's most powerful pitcher. Johnson threw the first pitch over Walker's head. Walker, laughing, turned his helmet around, moved to the opposite batter's box and took a pitch right-handed for a ball. Walker then went back to batting left-handed and drew a walk. This was the first year that fans elected a designated hitter to the All-Star team, and they made a smart choice in Martinez. Martinez, batting .342 with 16 home runs for Seattle. The NL blew its first chance in the fourth. With runners on first and third and one out, Piazza tried to advance on Cone's pitch in the dirt. Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez made a quick recovery — throwing away the mask that contained a miniature Fox TV camera — and trapped Piazza in a rundown. After 102 contests, Lobo knows losing Win streak started in 1994-95 season The Associated Press PHOENIX — Even in individual sports, few athletes have had longer winning streaks than Rebecca Lobo. She played in 102 consecutive games without a loss. Then came Monday night when her New York Liberty were beaten 69-50 by the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. "She's a winner," said Nancy Lieberman-Cline of the Mercury. "I mean, Magic Johnson won a championship in high school, won one at Michigan State and won championships in the NBA. BASKETBALL "But to do what she's done over the last three to four years at that level and not lose ... show me somebody else who's done that." streak." In a losing locker room for the first time in three years, Lobo, a consummate team player, did not want to talk about her streak. "It just feels awful to lose, streak or no streak," she said. "We wanted to be 8-0. My streak never crossed my mind until you guys started mentioning it. I wasn't worried about it. Right now, all I want to do is start another Lobo's junior season at Connecticut ended with a loss to North Carolina in an NCAA regional final on March 26, 1994. Lobo's streak started with Connecticut's first game the next fall. By the time the season ended, Lobo and the Huskies were 35-0 and national champions. She then played on the U.S. national team that won 52 consecutive games. She won eight more in the Olympics and led the Liberty to a 7-0 start. On Monday night, Lobo, a 6-foot-4 forward-center, missed seven of 11 shots, including three attempts from 3-point range, and finished with eight points. She had five rebounds after pulling down 35 in the four previous games. Lobo did not go to the free throw line in a game in which 64 foul shots were attempted. She was so frustrated by the tripping and foelling she picked up a technical foul early in the second half. She declined to comment on the officiating, saying any criticism would increase the fine for her technical. "I said a curse word, and I deserved to get it," she said. "I lost my composure, and that was wrong." Football rules on spring play to be revised The Associated Press OVERLAND PARK — Hoping to reduce injuries, the NCAA plans to revise its rules for spring football practice. The proposed changes, which apply to Division I and II schools, are expected to be approved and take effect next spring. The NCAA said yesterday that a study showed the risk of injury was two to three times higher during spring practice than during fall practice. Three days of no-contact practices, with helmets only, including the first two days of practice. Four days of contact practices, full pads optional, with no tackling. Eight days of contact practices, with full pads, with tackling. No more than three of the eight tackling practices, including a spring game, can be devoted entirely to 11-on-11 scrimmages. Current rules allow 15 days of spring practice, of which 10 are designated for contact in full pads and five as no-contact in pads. Schools are allowed to determine how no-contact sessions are handled. The proposed changes were developed by an NCAA committee, the American Football Coaches Association and the Collegiate Commissioners Association. Royals consider move to national league As many as 14 teams could change divisions and leagues next year under the most radical of the plans discussed yesterday by baseball's realignment committee. "The major objective is to put teams together geographically so that it would enhance the rivalries," said John Harrington, the CLEVELAND — Kansas City could switch to the National League, and baseball's eight Pacific and Mountain time zone teams could be grouped together if the sport switches back from six divisions to four next year. chief executive officer of the Boston Red Sox. BASEBALL But Harrington said owners might change to a 16-team league and a 14-team league, with two divisions in each. In that scenario, Anaheim, Arizona, Colorado, Oakland, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco may be grouped in a "Pacific" Division. With the addition next season of Arizona to the NL and Tampa Bay to the AL, baseball's current plan calls for two 15-team leagues in 1998 with three divisions in each. "It's a longshot. It's a stretch. But it's possible." Harrington said on the field prior to the All-Star game. Among other possibilities: Montreal, Toronto and Detroit could be grouped together in a "Northern" Division. Houston and Texas could be grouped together in one division. Florida and Tampa Bay could be placed into the same division. Harrington said that if teams went back to two divisions in each league, the most probable scenario would be to have the division winners advance to the postseason along with two wild cards in each league. Harrington, faced with an Aug. 1 deadline for presenting next year's schedule to the players' association, said he still hoped to convince the Arizona Diamondbacks to switch from the NL to the AL next season. Owners voted in January to put Arizona in the NL and Tampa Bay in the AL. While the Diamondbacks are a natural fit in the NL West, the executive council's initial plan to put the Devil Rays in the AL East was blocked by the AL. That plan called for Detroit to move from the AL East to the AL Central and the Royals to move from the AL Central to the AL West. The Associated Press FINE LINE TATTOO, INC. & BODY PIERCING Family Owned & Operated Quality Work/Reasonable Prices 1000's of designs + custom work 1826 Mass. Lawrence ... 749-3528 29th Mass. Topeka ... 233-8288 REFOUND SOUND 1-913-842-2555 BUY-SELL TRADE 823 MASS. LAWRENCE, KS 820-822 Mass 841-0100 COME TO PAPA! 841-7272 1035 MASSACHUSETTS PAPA DELIVERS! NATURALWAY 928 Mass. Downtown Parking in the rear The Etc. Shop Students Against Drunk SEARCHING FOR A JOBTHAT FITS YOUR SCHEDULE? Students Against Drunk Driving has a great opportunity for dedicated people to do computerized calling. *Flexible hours 11 AM to 10 PM Mon.-Thurs. 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