Sports
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, November 8, 1989
13
Orioles pitcher wins AL Rookie of Year
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — For Gregg Olson,
it was just too bad his last game
wasn't as good as his first 63
Olson, the relief pitcher who led Baltimore to one of the greatest turnovers in baseball history, hit a home run for Rookie of the Year yesterday.
Still, the memories linger from the last Friday night of the season. The Orioles went to Toronto for a three-game series, trailing the Blue Jays by one game in the American League East. In the opener, Baltimore led 1-0 in the eighth inning and seemed to be in the position to tie for the division lead when Olson's curve bounced away and the tying run scored with two outs.
"It was one of those things." Olson said. "Who's to say if I had made the pitch he wouldn't have hit it?"
The Blue Jays went on to win in the 11th innning, then won the next day and took the title. Baltimore finished with an 87-75 record, which is 33 more victories than it was at the time. The set the second-greatest improvement history behind the 1903 New York Giants.
"We had such a great season, I don't think these two games . . . it wasn't like we choked up and gave away those games," Olson said. "We fought until the end."
Olsen got 26 first-place votes and two second-place votes from a 28-member panel of the Baseball Writers Association of America for 136 points. Kansas City Royals pitcher Tom Gordon, who finished 17-9 with a 3.64 earned run average, got one first, 19 seconds and five thirds for 67 points. Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., batting .264 with 16 home runs and 61 runs batted in, in one first, two seconds and 10 thirds for 21 points.
"Gordon had a great year and you have to wonder what would have happened if Griffey didn't gotten hurt," Olson said. "The same with Junior Felix. I didn't want to get my hopes up."
Olsen was 5-2 overall with a 1.69 ERA and 27 saves in 33 chances. He struck out 80, walked 46, threw nine wild pitches and gave up 57 hits in 85 innings. Opponents batted 188 against him and left-handers hit just .125, the lowest in the majors.
Baltimore third baseman Craig Worthington was fourth with 16 points, followed by California Angels pitcher Jim Abbott with 10 points and Texas Rangers pitcher Kevin Brown with two points.
Olson, the sixth Baltimore player to be named Rookie of the Year, set a league rookie record with 27 saves, breaking the mark of 23 by Doug Corbett in 1980. Olson's save total was eight more than the rest of the league rookies combined this year. He stopped a three-year streak by Oakland's Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Walt Welts and became the first relief pitcher to win the league honor.
"I didn't know if I was going to make the team at all coming out of spring training." Olson said.
Olson, relying on one of the sharpest breaking curve balls in the majors, did not allow a run after July 31. In 21 appearances, the right-hander gave up 11 hits and struck out 23 in 26 2/3 innings, getting 11 saves.
When he was drafted from Auburn, where he was a two-time All-American, Olson planned to play for the U.S. Olympic team.
By Kate Lee
Kansan sportswrite
Scrimmage provides experience Lady Jayhawks work on intensity
Olson was the Orioles' first-round draft choice and fourth overall in June 1988 and pitched 10 to Baltimore later that season.
Led by sophomore Danielle Shareef's 20 points and 13 rebounds, the Blue team defeated the White team 59-44 in the Kansas women's basketball intrasquid scrimmage last night in Allen Field House.
The White team was led by senior Lisa Braddy's eight points in the second half. Braddy scored 10 points playing for the Blue team in the first
Keith Thorne/Special to the Kai
Coach Marian Washington said playing a scrimmage under game-like conditions was important for her young team.
"We put them in game conditions to get a different feel, to get them pumped up," she said. "It gets them through, and helps us help the rookie got the litters out."
Misti Chennault gets rid of the ball as Lynn Page guards her.
Shareef said the scrimage was a good chance to get into the flow of the
"We get a chance to combine the teams," he said. "People who are proudly matched."
Washington said she was not surprised by much last night and that she expected Shareef's scoring and rebounding numbers to be un.
"Danny's always been up there," she said, "She's going to be one of our kev rebounders this year."
Shareef said she had not planned to score as much as she did.
"I wasn't really even thinking about it," she said. "I just wanted to get a good scrimmage in, to work out the bus."
Shareef said she thought defense and intensity were important in the act.
"If we can combine those two, we'll be great all year," she said. "Defense is the ultimate. You can't
start your offense until you get the ball on defense."
Washington said she saw some things that the team would have to work on before the season begins Monday with an exhibition game
“Passing and blocking out are things we've got to work on,” she said. “We're not our inside games tougher in intensity and being much more aggressive.”
against New Zealand.
Bengals star could become a councilman
Miami Heat wins first game, beats N.J. Nets
The Associated Press
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Reggie Williams was well on his way to parlaying his name recognition into a city council election victory last night.
With 46 percent of precincts reporting, Williams was recording the fourth highest vote totals in an at-large election for nine city council seats.
With 193 out of 418 precepts report-
ing that fire caused 7.4 per-
cent of the ballots counted.
The top vote-getter among the nine Cincinnati city council members is designated the mayor. All nine seats were up for election yesterday, with 20 candidates running.
Political ads on Cincinnati television stations the past two weeks showed game films of Williams "working for Cincinnati" and scenes of him talking to teen-agers about drugs and social commitment
Williams, 35, was completing a 17-
month interim term after being appo-
tended to fill a vacancy on the
council in June 1988.
With several veteran council members running, Williams was not expected to be among the top vote-getters. He only had to place among the top nine to retain his council seat.
"I'm considered the wild card," Williams said. "No one really knows how I'm going to finish. The polls are saying you're going to finish in the middle of the pack, which would be a significant accomplishment."
Nebraska defeats volleyball team
The Kansas volleyball team lost to
Nebraska last night in Lincoln, Neb.
15-5, 15-2, 15-3. The Jayhawks are 12-
6 overall and 7 in the Big Eight.
 Their next game is Saturday at Iowa
State in Ames, Iowa.
The Associated Press
"I have to get up for football." Williams said. "I have to get up for City Hall. I have to get up for the family. I have to get up for the community services. I look at it as a continuum of energy necessary to be the best citizen I can be."
Williams did not run as a Republican or Democrat, but as a member of a Cincinnati party known as the Charter Committee.
Williams, in his 14th NFL season, all with Cincinnati, has said this would be his final year in the league. He said he had been a struggle to accommodate the demands of pro football and being a councilman.
The Heat, a second-year NBA expansion team, dropped its first 17 games last year and its first two season. The Nets had won their first two, including a 110-90 rout of the Heat in Miami last week, and could have been 3-0 for the first time in their history.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kevin Edwards scored 15 points and Tellis Frank and Rony Selykaly each added 14 as the Miami Heat held off two late charges and beat the New Jersey Nets 83-77 last night for their first victory of the season.
The Heat led 73-61 midway through the fourth quarter when New Jersey rallied. A free throw and two baskets by Chris Morris sparked a 9-0 spurt that cut the gap to 73-70.
Edwards interrupted the charge with a with a free throw but New Jersey's Deminis Hopson made a layup after a steal by Lester Conner, bring the Nets with 74-72.
Miami sealed the victory by scoring the next six points as Edwards and rookie Glen Rice made baskets around two free throws by Rory Sparrow, giving Miami an 80-72 lead with 2:33 remaining.
CHICAGO — Michael Jordan connected on a slam dunk with 1:05 remaining, breaking a tie and lifting the Bulls to a 117-115 victory against Detroit, their first home victory against the Pistons since Jan. 16, 1988.
Chicago 117, Detroit 115
The Bulls had lost seven straight to the Pistons and seven in a row in regular-season play against Detroit since April 3, 1988.
Jordan had 40 points, with his key basket coming
to Scott Pippin snatched the ball from Isaiah
Thapar.
The Central Division rivals continued to play extremely physical basketball. Top draft choice Stacey King threw a punch and missed Detroit backup forward Scott Hastings midway through the third quarter and was ejected.
Washington 118, Atlanta 114
ATLANTA — Bernard King scored 15 of his 19 points in the third quarter and grabbed a key offensive rebound with 12 seconds left, leading the Bullets to a 118-114 victory over the Hawks.
The Bullets led 118-114 with 12 seconds left when Washington's Mark Alkario missed a shot and King rebounded. The Hawks had a chance with 4 seconds left, trailing 116-114, but a corner jump hit by Cliff Levington bounded off the rim.
Portland led 52-50 at halftime, but Wiggins hit an 18-footer, tying the game and Houston went on to outscore the Trail Blazers 28-10 in the period.
quarter in franchise history. They scored nine points in a quarter on Dec. 12, 1972 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Houston 109, Portland 86
HOUSTON — Mitchell Wiggins scored eight points in the third quarter as the Rockets coasted to a 109-88 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Milwaukee 106, Boston 100
It was the Trail Blazers' second-lowest scoring
MILWAUKEE — Fred Roberts scored 26 points and Ricky Pierce had 14 of his 21 in the fourth quarter, including a key basket with 24 seconds remaining, as the Milwaukee Bucks won their home opener over the Boston Celtics 106-100.
Pierce's biggest basket of the game was a jumper from the left side that gave Milwaukee a 103-100 lead. Larry Bird's two throws plus a shot from the right second led before Boston to within 101-100.
But after Pierce's basket extended Milwaukee's lead to three points, Bird missed a three-point shot with 12 seconds to go and Roberts made a free throw. The Buckets scored just before the buzzer for the Bucks' final point.
Bird and Kevin McHale scored 18 points each for the Celtics, who lost for the first time after two victories to open the season. Milwaukee also is 2-1.
Seattle 128, Charlotte 88
SEATTLE - Michael Cage led a 13-0 first-quarter spurt with seven points as the SuperSonics routed the Hornets 128-88.
Steve DeBerg, former starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, saw the future of the team Sunday.
Pelluer was obtained from the Dallas Cowbirds earlier in the season after quarterback Ron Jaworski was injured and DeBerg had regained the job.
Alan Morgan
Associate sports editor
With the score tied 6-1, the Sonics held the Hornets scoreless for 4:03 and built a 19-6 lead. Charlotte never came closer than 11 after that.
Although Schottenheimer has said emphatically throughout the season that he disliked changing quarterbacks, he ignored this sentiment for Sunday's game.
Coach Marty Schottenheimer finally made a much-needed quarterback switch when he replaced DeBerg with Steve Pellier as the starter for the Seattle Seahawks game.
Dog days of DeBerg end in KC
In addition, he was developing a
sure-footing over all over
inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Apparently, Schottenheimer realized that no matter how well DeBerg had performed in the past, he was longer an effective quarterback.
He watched it from the sideline.
It was about time.
Looking at DeBerg's performance in 1988, one can understand why Schottenheimer was so insistent on having him start.
However, a statistic not shown by these impressive figures is the Chiefs' dismal 4-11-1 record, which placed them last in their division.
His 1988 statistics in the Chiefs' recordbook read as the second-best season for a quarterback in Kansas with 224 concussions, 414 attempts and 2,935 yards.
In his first performance as starting quarterback this season, Pellerman for 67 yards, which included a touchdown run, and passed for 80 yards, completing seven of 13 attempts.
Schottenheimer's rule was correct. But DeBerg proved to be the
Throw out the statistics. The Chiefs, 4-5 on the season, won.
The game did demonstrate that Pellier is a positive addition to the team. Schottenheimer said at the beginning of the season that the starting quarterback should not have to take the season looking over his shoulder.
Pelluer did have an impact on Sunday's game. His ability to run the ball gave the offense a new dimension. But he was not the sole reason the Chiefs defeated Seattle. Running back Christian Okoye and an always-impressive defense contributed to the victory.
It easily could be argued that the Chiefs won because of Pellier's performance. But more important, it was what he did not do.
**Alan Morgan is a Holton senior matoring in Journalism.**
He did not earn the dubious honor of throwing more interceptions than touchdown passes. DeBerg earned that distinction in his first stint as starter this season. Jaworski replaced Deberg after the fourth game.
Manning will return to drills by Nov.15
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Clippers forward Danny Manning, who has been working out on his own to rehabilitate his left knee, has been cleared to practice with the team beginning Nov. 15, General Manager Elgin Baylor said.
Stephen Lombardo, who performed the surgery, told Buyler last weekend that Manning would be able to begin regular drills on the 15th. The team has not determined when Manning will return to the active roster.
Manning toe the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Jan. 4, and underwent reconstructive surgery Jan. 15.
"This is good news," Baylor said. "It's still going to take time, but he has come along faster than I thought he would. You can tell that it's a boost for our team. We will need all of the players we can get to get this thing turned around."
Manning has been running race to three miles on the hard road near his Hermione Beach, Calif.
home, lifting weights three times weekly while also working on a Lifecycle and treadmill, and shooting and working out in a gym on his own several times each week, the team said.
His weight has held steady at 240 pounds, and he has told the team that his overall condition is good.
The team also announced that Manning, the first pick in the 1988 NBA draft, was elected the Clippers' player representative before the start of the season.
Meanwhile, forward Charles Smith did not play at Golden State last night because of a left grain strain that also affected his left hip.
Manning averaged 16.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 28 games last year before being hurt.
Smith aggravated the injury in
the second quarter of the Clippers'
103-88 victory against Boston Friday
night.
Smith is considered questionable by
the Court. Smith will be in the
Sports Arena.
FREE AGENT WHITE: Kansas City second baseman White, White and pitchers Richard Dotson of the Yankees and Craig McMurtry of the Rangers filed for free agency yesterday, raising the total of free agents to 78.
Thirty-six players remain eligible to file by Monday's deadline.
White, 39, hit .386 with two home runs, runs batted in. The Royals beat the Rays in all but rallion.
Dotson, 30, was 5-12 in 26 starts for the Yankees and Chicago White Sox with a 4.46 earned run average and made $900,000.
Mckmurtry, 30, did not have any decisions in 19 games with the Texas Rangers. He had a 7.43 ERA in 23 innings and was paid $275,000.
Sport briefs
EASON TO REPORT: The New York Jets' stalemate with Tony Eason ended yesterday with Tony disgruntled quarterback agreed to report, one week after he was injured on waivers by the NPL team.
Eason met yesterday's 4 p.m. reporting deadline set by Steve Gutman after speaking with the Jets' president twice during the afternoon. The 30-year-old quarterback will be in camp for today's practice.
After a week of not returning calls, Eason called Gutman yesterday morning at the urging of his close friend the quarterback Ken O'Brien.
"Kenny had a lot to do with me come back there," Eason said. "It
wouldn't have worked out without talking to him."
Esson, who began the season as the New England Patriots' starter but fell to four on the depth chart, was forced to take a substantial pay cut.
Other than the $68,750 forfeited for missing Sunday's game at New England, Gutman assured Eason he wouldn't be fined or suspended — options the Jets expressed to Eason in a registered letter last week — and said he wasn't claimed as trade bait.
RIDDICK ERRATIC: An incident that began when police saw injured Buffalo Bills running back Robb Riddick driving erratically along Main Street yesterday ended with Riddick being arrested and forcibly placed in a police car.
Riddick "did refuse to remain in his vehicle and did refuse to shut off the vehicles when told to by the officers," Connors said. He said Riddick also had run into a crowd that
Cnnors said the officers were going to cite him for driving on a sidewalk, driving left of pavement markings and obstructing traffic at an intersection when Riddick became abusive and "yelled obscene words" at them.
had gathered near the scene.
Ridlick, who led the Bills in rushing touchdowns last season with 12, apparently ignored police instructions to stay in his car after being pulled over at about 12:55 a.m., city police Inspector Kevin Connors said.
After being informed of his arrest, Riddick refused to go into the police car and "had to be placed in the rear of the vehicle." Connors said.
Police said Riddick, 32, submitted to a breath test for alcohol consumption which gave a reading of .05. The state's legal limit for drunken driving is .10.
In addition to the traffic violations, Riddick was charged with three counts of disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration, Connors said. Those charges are misdemeanors.
Connors said Ridlick was fingerprinted, had his mug shot taken and then was issued an appearance ticket for Nov. 14 in city court.
Riddick, who injured a knee in an exhibition game, is on the injured reserve list and is not expected to play again this season.
OHIO COACH FIRED: Miami (Ohio) University officials confirmed yesterday that football coach Tim Rose has been fired.
Athletics Director R.C. Johnson said Rose, 48, would coach the Redskins' remaining two games before the university began a nationwide coach. The Worcester skins still play Kent State and Western Michigan.
Johann assured the coaches that they could all be paid for the duration of their contracts through June 30, Rose said.