Baseball Revenues Close to $1.9 Billion in 1993

Baseball owners lost $105 million during the strike-shortened 1981 season and $206 million more in the succeeding four years, according to management documents obtained by the Associated Press.

But while the industry lost money from 1975 through 1985, it had operating profits from 1986 to 1993, according to the documents. Baseball’s overall revenues increased from $162.6 million in 1975 to $1.879 billion in 1993.

Documents of baseball’s finances from 1975 through 1991 were released last Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee, which has been examining baseball’s antitrust exemption. Figures for 1992 were obtained by the AP from management sources and 1993 estimates were provided by the owners’ Player Relations Committee.

No estimates for 1994 are available yet.

Boxing

Saen Sor Ploenchit of Thailand stopped Danny Nunez of the Dominican Republic in the 11th round at Bangkok, Thailand and retained his World Boxing Assn. flyweight title.

Nunez, 25, took terrific punishment in several toe-to-toe encounters during the scheduled 12-round fight.

Ploenchit, 23, pummeled Nunez for almost a minute when he had him trapped against the ropes in the eighth round, but the challenger came back in the ninth.

However, with strength spent, Nunez did little but stumble about the ring for about 45 seconds in the 11th round. He was knocked down and the referee stopped the fight as he stood up shakily.

The victory improved Ploenchit’s record to 18-0. Nunez (25-3) was the eighth-ranked challenger.

Tennis

Anna Kournikova, the 13-year-old Russian tennis prodigy, lost her bid to become the youngest Orange Bowl International 18s champion since Andrea Jaeger won in 1978 at age 13.

Marian Ramon, from Valencia, Spain, negated Kournikova’s defensive “moonball” style with penetrating topspin groundstrokes and was able to transform a 2-5 first-set deficit into a 7-5, 6-4 victory at Miami Beach, Fla.

Kournikova, a protege of Nick Bollettieri, has had professional representation since she was nine.

After the loss, she threw one final glance at her mother and rushed off the court.

Ramon, 18, is the second Spaniard to win the 18s in two years and the third in the last six years.

Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti, drawing on his Davis Cup experience, ended his junior tennis career by defeating doubles partner Gustavo Kuerten 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), for the boys’ title.

Horse Racing

Five jockeys were injured over the weekend during spills at Calder Race Course in Miami.

Apprentice E.C. Lopez remained in guarded condition Sunday in the intensive care unit of Hollywood Memorial with a broken cheek and broken bone in his neck, according to a nursing supervisor who refused to give her name.

Lopez, 23, was thrown to the ground Saturday when his mount in the 11th race, Glitter Ky. Moon, clipped heels and stumbled.