GOLDEN UPSETS LASORDA OVERTHROWS CUBANS' DOMINANCE.

Byline: DOUG KRIKORIAN

SYDNEY, Australia - Tommy Lasorda did something Wednesday night that John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton failed to do.

He humbled the Cubans.

He made Fidel Castro choke on his cigar.

He made those who detested the Bay of Pigs outcome, the Mariel Boatlift and the departure of Elian Gonzalez rejoice.

Tommy Lasorda won two World Series and four National League pennants during his Hall of Fame managerial career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but nothing he achieved matched the stunning, 4-0 gold medal victory his United States team scored over Cuba before 14,107 spectators at the Sydney Baseball Stadium.

``This has to be the greatest moment of my life,'' said Lasorda after poised 21-year-old Louisiana right-hander Ben Sheets yielded only three hits. ``This is bigger than any World Series we won because only Dodger fans were appreciative of those victories. The Giant fans certainly weren't happy we won. The Reds fans weren't happy we won. But I'm sure everyone in America is happy we won this game.''

This just might be the most stirring Olympic upset since the American hockey team's ``miracle on ice'' at Lake Placid in 1980.

Like Babe Ruth, Lasorda called his shot.

He predicted before the Games that his team would beat the Cubans, who won the first two Olympic baseball competitions and are the perennial international world champions.

And, even more brazenly, he said he was motivated to do so not only for the Stars and Stripes of America, but also for all those Cuban refugees in Miami and points thereabouts.

It was obvious the fiercely patriotic Lasorda wanted to win one for capitalism, democracy and the American way of life, not to mention one for the Lasorda way of life.

And did he ever.

Tommy Lasorda is back on top after four years of being in the shadows since retiring as manager of the Dodgers in 1996, once again reveling in the glare of the national spotlight that he has missed so much.

And he deserves every handshake, every free meal, every laudatory word, every TV invitation he will receive from the Jay Lenos and David Lettermans in the upcoming months for orchestrating a miracle reminiscent of the one he pulled off with the 1988 Dodgers team that beat the heavily favored Oakland A's in the World Series.

He took a bunch of lifetime minor leaguers and promising youngsters, pumped them up with his well-practiced motivational spiels, dredged every ounce of energy and desire out of them, and prodded them to an 8-1 record in this tournament.

Their only loss came in the preliminary round to Cuba, 6-1. But Lasorda had his troops ready when it counted most.

``I've often said it's not always the most talented team that wins a game,'' he said. ``You can overcome almost anything if you want it more than your opponent. And we wanted it more tonight than the Cubans.''

Of course, it helped that Lasorda had on his side Sheets, a 22-year-old right-hander with a sinking fastball and flawless control who struck out five and kept the Cubans hitting ground balls to his sure-fielding infielders.

``Ben is like a right-handed David Wells,'' his catcher, Pat Borders, said of the first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999 who played at Huntsville and Indianapolis this summer. ``He has terrific control and terrific composure. Nothing bothers him.''

``I talked to Ben earlier today, and he said to me, 'Who are we playing?' '' said Lasorda, amid laughter. ``The guy is going to be a great major league pitcher. He has ice in his veins.''

Lasorda, holding court with a swarm of reporters in a conference room near his team's dressing quarters, was savoring the moment thoroughly, which is understandable.

He had done the impossible.

``There is not one guy in this room who thought we could beat the Cubans,'' he said.

No one spoke up in disagreement.

Indeed, it seemed farfetched that second baseman Brent Abernathy, center fielder Brad Wilkerson, left fielder Mike Neill, right fielder Ernie Young, designated hitter John Cotton, third baseman Mike Kinkade, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, shortstop Adam Everett, Borders and Sheets - these guys comprised Lasorda's starting lineup Wednesday night - would emerge victorious against a Cuban team overflowing with major league prospects.

``How sweet it is,'' Lasorda kept saying. ``No one gave us a chance. Everyone said we didn't have that good of a team coming into the Olympics. But everyone was wrong. And it's nice to see the players do this in front of the whole world to see. It's just beautiful.''

Lasorda kept saying that this was far greater than his World Series triumphs, far greater than anything he's done during his rollicking 73 years on the planet.

``Just look at that Cuban team,'' he said. ``They brought in three pitchers. The first one threw 93 miles an hour! The second one threw 97 miles an hour! And the third one threw 100 miles an hour! Those guys could pitch in the major leagues right now. A lot of their players can play in the major leagues. But we beat them.''

The Americans did in a dominant fashion, and you can be sure Lasorda could be the next mayor of Miami if he so desired.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Manager Tommy Lasorda, above, weeps as the U.S. baseball team receives gold medals Wednesdays. At left, wrestler Rulon Gardner of Colorado waves the flag after his upset of Alexander Kareline of Russia.

Jay Janner/Colorado Springs Gazette

Katsumi Kasahara/Associated Press

(3) Pitcher Ben Sheets, center, joins in the celebration after the U.S. baseball team beat Cuba, 4-0, to win America's first gold medal in the sport Wednesday in Sydney, Australia.

Joe Ledford/Kansas City Star