HERSHISER LEAVES JAPANESE TOUR

Orel Hershiser, the MVP of the NL playoffs and World Series, said Monday that due to an illness in his family he will leave the team of major league baseball players touring Japan after he plays in Tuesday's third game of the seven-game series.

Hershiser said he will return to California on Wednesday because of the illness of his youngest child, Jordan.Hershiser started Saturday's first game in the U.S.-Japan series and he allowed three hits and one run in four innings, but was not involved in the decision. Japan won the game 2-1, and in Sunday's game the final score was a 6-6 tie - a rule says that goodwill games will not be extended after nine innings - so the American stars are winless against the top players in Japanese pro baseball.