THE SIDELINES : Garvey to Aid Soviet Baseball

Steve Garvey and 28 other members of Amateur Sports Development USA head to the Soviet Union on Saturday to help build baseball participation in that country.

“Two years ago, I would not have imagined going to the Soviet Union,” said Garvey, an All-Star first baseman with the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. “This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of a great historical trend.”

The seven-day tour to Moscow, Leningrad and Sventemba will include a game at the new Olympic baseball center at Sventemba, as well as clinics and lectures to explain and demonstrate the sport.

In two years, the number of baseball teams in the Soviet Union has increased from eight to 64.