Bob Nieman

The vague feeling that the big old two-story frame house with the covered wooden porch would look more appropriate in the Midwest is confirmed with a ring of the doorbell. "Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame . . . " the doorbell chimes, deep in the heart of Texas. But there is no answer to the chimes. The note on the door says that Bob Nieman has gone fencing and will be back soon. True to his word, Nieman is back soon. He has been to fencing practice and to the stables.

Bob Nieman knew that to have any chance at a modern pentathlon medal, he would have to build up points before the 4,000-meter cross-country run, the final of the 5 events. As it was, he started the run fourth, 31 seconds behind the leader and 5 seconds behind third. Nieman didn't pass any of the competitors who started ahead of him Thursday morning on the course that went winding through the hills in Olympic Park.

Bob Nieman knew that to have any chance at a modern pentathlon medal, he would have to build up points before the 4,000-meter cross-country run, the final of the 5 events. As it was, he started the run fourth, 31 seconds behind the leader and 5 seconds behind third. Nieman didn't pass any of the competitors who started ahead of him Thursday morning on the course that went winding through the hills in Olympic Park.

The vague feeling that the big old two-story frame house with the covered wooden porch would look more appropriate in the Midwest is confirmed with a ring of the doorbell. "Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame . . . " the doorbell chimes, deep in the heart of Texas. But there is no answer to the chimes. The note on the door says that Bob Nieman has gone fencing and will be back soon. True to his word, Nieman is back soon. He has been to fencing practice and to the stables.

Ex-Dodger scout and former major-league outfielder Bob Nieman, who batted .295 in 12 seasons with seven major-league teams, died Sunday in Corona. He was 58. Funeral services for Nieman, who is survived by his wife, Patricia, and five stepchildren, will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Waverley Church in Santa Ana. Burial will follow at Fairhaven Cemetery in Santa Ana.

They call Mark McGwire "Big Mac," but in St. Louis, Cardinal fans are cheering a new member of the "Mac Attack." Last week, Keith McDonald, 27, became only the second player in major league history to hit home runs in his first two at-bats, joining Bob Nieman of the St. Louis Browns, who did it on Sept. 14, 1951. McDonald's first homer came Tuesday night as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, on a 2-2 pitch from Cincinnati's Andy Larkin.

Bob Nieman made his third Olympic team at the age of 40 Wednesday, winning the U.S. Olympic team trials in the modern pentathlon. "It feels wonderful, finally," Nieman said. "They all thought I was nuts." Nieman, who won the U.S. National Pentathlon championship in June, finished first in the trials with a combined event total of 10,598 points. He defeated second-place Mike Gostigian by 40 points after five days of competition in riding, fencing, shooting, swimming and running.

Baltimore pitcher Scott Kamieniecki experienced discomfort in his neck and was scratched from his scheduled start today against the Texas Rangers. "He's better today than we was yesterday, and yesterday he was better than he was the day before," Baltimore Manager Ray Miller said of Kamieniecki. The Orioles already have starters Mike Mussina and Jimmy Key on the disabled list, so Scott Erickson and Doug Drabek are currently the only healthy pitchers in the five-man rotation.

Geraldo Guzman made his long-awaited major league debut look easy. Guzman, a former carpenter, scattered four hits over eight innings Thursday night to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros and a three-game sweep at Houston. "He's been pitching in Latin ball, and there you are pitching for your country and city," Diamondback Manager Buck Showalter said. "I've been allowed to go down there and you can cut the tension with a knife.

Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights and rent control, long the dominant organization and dominant issue in Santa Monica politics, will have to compete for voters' attention in the Nov. 6 city election with issues of growth and homelessness. The more complex political agenda was acknowledged, in effect, by the tenants' organization known as SMRR at its endorsement convention last weekend.

Ex-Dodger scout and former major-league outfielder Bob Nieman, who batted .295 in 12 seasons with seven major-league teams, died Sunday in Corona. He was 58. Funeral services for Nieman, who is survived by his wife, Patricia, and five stepchildren, will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Waverley Church in Santa Ana. Burial will follow at Fairhaven Cemetery in Santa Ana.

The first two doping disqualifications of the Seoul Olympics were announced Thursday, and both appeared to be the product of extremely illogical thinking on the part of the penalized athletes. Mitko Grablev of Bulgaria, who won the gold medal in the 123-pound weightlifting class Monday night, was found with furosemide in his system.

Bret Hemphill, a switch-hitting catcher, batted .313 in 74 games last season with the Angels' triple-A team in Edmonton. He made two trips to the majors, playing in 12 games with the Angels. But one season later, Hemphill's former teammate at Edmonton, catcher Bengie Molina, starts in Anaheim, and a disappointed Hemphill has taken the staircase down to the Angels' double-A Eastern League team in Erie, Pa. It has left Hemphill wondering what went wrong.