Sports
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, October 3, 1989
11
Football veteran boosts teammates Coaches view Baker as role model
By Gene King
Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
Not many students stick around school after they earn a degree.
Fifth-year senior John Baker, a tight end for the Jayhawks, goes out for a pass during practice.
Fifth-year senior John Baker graduated in May with a degree in business administration. Baker, though, isn't just staying around to take some more classes for a minor in psychology.
He has a different goal in mind.
As a starting tight end and co-captain, he the Kansas football team, Baker wants to help turn the program around.
After redshirting as a quarterback his freshman year, Baker made the move to tight end the next year. He has definitely seen some of the lows of Kansas football.
"I want to establish that Kansas can play with anybody in the Big Eight." Baker said.
Tight ends coach Reggie Mitchell said that if anyone could motivate the team to win. Baker could.
Baker also is looked upon as a leader on the playing field.
"John is the guy you can always count on catching the ball," quarterback Kelly Dohohe said. "He's got hands. He hasn't dropped many balls."
If it is a crucial situation, it's almost guaranteed that Baker will be in the same. Mitchell said.
With the outside threats of receivers Quintin Smith and Kenny Drayton, Baker plays an important role in the Kansas offense.
"It is a plus for us to have Baker," Mitchell said. "When the linebackers drop off, he can fill in front of them."
Kansas has thrown long on many occasions, but the short passes to
the defense were excellent.
"When John catches balls, it means that receivers down field will be open," Donohoe said. "That's important for us."
With 11 receptions this season, Baker is now 11th on the career list with 64 receptions during his two-and-half years as a tight end for the Giants.
Used primarily as a possession receiver, Baker hasn't had the opportunity to pile up the yardage on one long pass, but he has moved up on the career reception chart.
Against Oklahoma, Baker led all receivers with total yardage. He caught five passes for 53 yards. One catch from the end zone gave him his first touchdown of the season.
"He made a good catch," Donohoe said. "I've got a lot of confidence in him."
Mitchell said that Baker could be among the top in the Big Eight.
"He's got the potential to be as good as anybody in the conference," he said. "We're not unhappy with his abilities and we are playing as well as he can be."
Besides his consistency on the field, Baker has been equally good in
"He is everything Coach Mason has emphasized since he has been here." Mitchell said. "He already
He doesn't really see himself as a coach when he gets through playing for Kansas, Baker said.
Baker said he thought his days were numbered as a player.
"Every time I go out there, I think to myself, 'this is the last time I get to play this team,'" he said.
ing, and he is going to play as hard as he can. he said.
When he leaves the field for the last time on Nov. 18 in Columbia, Mo., after the Missouri-Kansas game, he hopes that he leaves a message and an attitude behind.
Saturday will be his last homecom-
"I want us to be in every game," Baker said. "I want the younger players to understand that from now on, it is going to be a dogfight."
Injury update: Smith Holland will
probably be out for the season with a knee injury, Coach Glen Mason said.
Holland, who did not play in the Jayhawks' first four games because of an injured knee, moved into the starting offensive line for the Oklahoma game, but left early in the game after sustaining a dislocated kneecap.
Mason cannot redshift Holland this year for medical reasons, since Holloway's son is in the hospital.
Golf team trails after two rounds
By a Kansan reporter
The Kansas men's golf team is in 16th place with a score of 636 after yesterday's round of the Butler National Collegiate Golf Tournament in Oakbrook, Ill. Oklahoma State leads the tournament with 599, followed closely by Tulsa, 601, and Oklahoma 602.
Results from Kansas golfers: Sean Thayer, 78-75-153; John Ogden, 79-75-16; Len Johnson, 77-85-162; Jon Bruning, 79-86-165; David Koenan, 84-87-171.
KU Crew rows to fourth place at meet
Men's soccer wins twice on the road
By a Kansan reporter
In the second game, four Kansas players -- forwards John Rhyden and Steve Hodes and midfielders Dan Stoke -- scored two goals each.
"On Sunday we played better, but Murray was missing a few players," club president John Weist said.
By Andres Cavelier Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's soccer team beat Murray State in both games this weekend at Murray, Ky. On Saturday, Kansas beat Murray State 3-2, and on Sunday the Jayhawks demolished their opponents 10-0.
With only seven rowers, the Kansas men's lightweight eight finished second to St. John's last Saturday at the Head of Des Moines Regatta.
The Kansas women's team took first in the open eight race, while Kansas finished fourth overall in the regatta.
In the men's lightweight eight, 200 meters into the three-mile race, Chris Oster, Topea junior, jumped into the water to lighten the boat; his ear lock, which holds the ear to the boat, had broken.
"I started to fix it," he said. "Mark (behind him) told me to jump. I hadn't even thought about it."
Coach Dan Jewett said that jump
ing out was the smartest thing to do and that the boat did well for having rowed with only seven people.
"I heard about stories like this before, but I never saw it happen," said Chris Davis, Independence, Mo. junior. "That was pretty weird."
While St. John's won the race, Kansas A and B teams took second and third, respectively. The A tear finished 9 seconds in front of the B team and 15 seconds ahead of Kansas A team. The second straight year at the Des Moines regatta that Kansas finished second in the race.
In the women's open eight race, the Kansas A team won for the third consecutive year with a time of 17:46. The Kansas B team finished one minute behind in fourth place.
Megan Bugg, St. Louis junior, said that she was pleased to win again since she was in last year's winning boat.
In the women's open four, Kansas finished sixth, 1:17 behind Macaeser College of St. Paul, Minn.
Kansas placed fourth out of five teams, 1:14 behind St. Thomas, which took first place.
"I't to cough to row two head races (three miles) in a day." she said.
Bugg said this regatta was a warm-up for the regatta. Boston is the host city.
Jennifer Jewett, Dan Jewett's wife and Lawrence graduate student, won the women's open single with a time of 22:11, five minutes ahead of the rower from the Des Moines Rowing
Club.
kansas took part in six races, finishing fourth overall out of 25 teams with 36.5 points. The Des Moines Rowing Club won the regatta with 85 points, followed by St. Thomas University of Houston, Texas', and St. John's of Collegeville, Minn.
"It was the typical Kansas' first regatta of the year," Jewett said. "Overall, it was a successful week."
In the men's open eight race, Kansas State won in 15:42. Kansas B tied for second place with St. Thomas and Missouri, said Kansas S got surprised by K-State.
"I did not expect them to be that fast," he said.
Sports briefs
EVERT NOMINATED Chris Evert, who ended her 19-year career after last month's U.S. Open, became the first woman and first tennis player to be nominated for the Farewell to Sport Award, Pittsburgh's Dapper Dan Club announced yesterday.
The three other finalists are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mike Schmidt and Tom Landry.
ors a retiring athlete or coach who "best exemplified the ideals of competitive excellence and community service over the course of a distinguished career."
Former winners participate in the selection of their successors. The award will be presented at a dinner at Dapper Dan on Feb. 10.
The Farewell to Sport Award hon-
K-STATE PLAYERS: Although Kansas State has trouble getting much
respect, the Wildcats have supplied the Big Eight with three of the last four players-of-the-week.
Wide receiver Michael Smith was named the Big Eight's offensive player of the week, and defensive end-linebacker Maurice Henry was selected the defensive player of the week.
Smith caught four passes from quarterback Carl Straw for 78 yards
in the nine-play, 85-yard drive for the winning touchdown.
TOUCH JOB: Being manager or the New York Yankees is a tough job. So tough, in fact, that it's rare for one to make it through a whole season.
Recognizing that fact, two writers have come up with an award to honor one of the two or even three men "who serve as Yankee managers" each year.
Baseball managers want teams relaxed
The Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif., — Tony L Russa and Cito Gaston have a simple message for their clubs: go out and have fun.
The Oakland Athletic and Toronto Blue Jays had a mid-afternoon workout yesterday in preparation for the American League playoffs starting tonight.
"That's one of my raw nerves," La Russia said. "It seems like some media people say — unless in the clubhouse before dinner, when the players talking controversial stuff, putting the opponents down or bragging about themselves — that it's not an emotional clubhouse."
The A's, despite injuries to Joe Camuco, Dennis Eckersley and Walk Weiss, finished with a major-league high 19 victories and their second consecutive AL West title.
While Le Rusa wants his club to relax, the manager rejects criticism that the A's are too laid back.
"When you watch us play, there is no way this club doesn't have a lot of heat." La Russia said. "We slide as hard as anybody; we run the ball out as hard as anybody. I just don't think we talk as much as the writers would like us to."
Gatson said right-hander Todd Stottlemy, 7-7, will pitch Game 2, and then the Blue Jays will come back with left-henders Mike Flanagan and Jimmy Key at the SkyDome.
Dave Stewart, 21-9, is scheduled to pitch in Game 1 against 17-game winner Dave Stieb.
Gaston took over as manager for Jimmy Williams on May 15, but the move was supposed to be only for a few days.
"Ockland has a good righ-
tbanded hitting team, and Todd has been pitching well for us," Gaston said. "I know he's young, but I believe in a four-inan rotation."
"I've pitched a lot the last three years, but you have to to get here," said Stewart, who has three consecutive 20-game seasons.
Toronto general manager Pat Gilick said at the time that it was 99 percent certain that Gaston would not get the job.
Both pitchers have complained of having "tired arma" at times in the last month but are ready to go.
"In 1970, the Mets skipped over George Stone, and he had a good season for them. It's not worth hurting a pitcher, even for the playoffs."
Yankee jailed for sexual offense Polonia begins sentence for intercourse with girl, 15
MILWAUKEE — New York Yankees outfield Luis Polonia was sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $1,500 yesterday on the misdemeanor charge of having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
Polonia, who pleaded no contest in August to the charge of having sexual intercourse with a child, will report tomorrow to begin his sentence.
The Associated Press
Milwaukee County circuit judge Thomas Doherty also ordered Polonia to make a $10,000 contribution to the Sinai Samaritan Medical Center's sexual assault treatment center in Milwaukee.
"I made a mistake and I'm really sorry for it." Polonia said before the sentence was imposed. "I'm a mistake, my body can make the mistake I made."
Doberty said that although Polonia's relationship with the girl was consensual, the purpose of the law is to protect the naive "from predators, if you will."
His attorney, Dennis Coffey, asked that his client be moved out of Milwaukee County, preferably to Madison, where Poland played minor league baseball and has acquaintances.
Polonia probably will have work release privileges.
the country "and then think three, three or four times" and then not do it."
The judge said he hoped the sentence would send a message to young men like Polonia who travel around
Polonia, who was traded from Oklahoma to New York during the season, could have received a maximum of two months in jail and $10,000 in fines.
Milwaukee County assistant district attorney John DIMotto argued that Polonia used his celebrity status to lure the girl into having sex with him. He asked for the maximum sentence but said he was satisfied with the sentence handed down.
"I hope this message just goes beyond people with celebrity status," Mbito said. "I hope it goes out to all children who cannot take advantage of children."
Coffey said the imposition of a jail term could have a detrimental effect on Polonia's future because the player's visa from the Dominican Republic will be suspended. Polonia is allowed to do community service instead of jail time.
"I'm obviously disappointed for a lot of reasons," Coffey said. "I'm disappointed about the jail time. I'm not surprised." He added, "I'm not surprised beet all time."
Polonia slipped out a side door of the courtroom and was not available for comment.
Under Wisconsin law, an adult may not have intercourse with a child under the age of 16, even if the child consents.
A Yankees' spokesman said the team was waiting to hear from the attorneys before commenting. Coffey said the Yankees might also penalize Polonia.
Polonia was in Milwaukee for a series between the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers and was arrested Aug. 16 at the Pfister Hotel by police who were investigating a report that the girl was missing.
Ryan to try for 300th
ARLINGTON, Texas — Nolan Ryan, who amazed the baseball world in 1989 with his unmatched strikeout pitching, said yesterday he would go for his 300th victory next season and would be disappointed if he did not get it.
The 42-year-old Texas Rangers' right-hander is 11 victories short of the 300 plateau, considered an automatic ticket to baseball's Hall of Fame. This year, his first with Texas, he won 16 games in his 23rd major-league season. It is his highest victory total since 1977.
Ryan recorded his 301st strikeout of the year Saturday in a three-hit, 2-0 victory against California, after pitching perfect ball for 75% innings. He became the oldest pitcher by 11 years to fan 300 in a season. He led the majors in strikeouts with 66 more than runner-up Mark Langston.
"I should get 300 if I stay healthy and pitch all season," said Ryan, who had a fastball clocked by a radar gun at 99 mph in one game this season.
Jayhawks show grit to Sooners
Saturday's Kansas football game against Oklahoma left many fans with mixed emotions about the outcome of the game.
Although I was disappointed that Kansas lost, I was excited that it played a tough game against the Soopers.
After looking back at recent Kansas-Oklahoma games, I was even more content with Saturday's game.
The final score of the game, against the 16th-ranked Sooners, was 45-6.
Those two headlines may have been the sincerest form of flattery Kansas has received during the past four years.
The headline in The Kansas City Star read, "Airborne Oklahoma whips KU," and even the headline in the Kansan read, "Sooners overwhelm Jayhawks with successful passing offense."
Alan MorganAssociate sports editor
In 1865, Kansas lost to Oklahoma by almost the same margin as this year's team, 48-6. The Jayhawks' overall record in 1985 was 6-6. But since that time, the games have been Oklahoma blowouts, 64-3, 71-10 and 63-14 in the years 1986-88.
If the Sooners "whipped" and "overwhelmed" Kansas last weekend as the headlines proclaimed, it would be hard to describe what Oklahoma did to Kansas during the previous three years.
Kansas was only down 17-6 at halftime, which easily could have been 10-10. A missed field goal, the first of the year from kicker Brad Fleeman, a missed extra-point attempt and a Kelly Donovan hoeumble at the Kansas 5 were crucial factors contributing to the Sooners' halftime lead.
Statistically, Kansas played a decent game against Oklahoma.
Kansas compiled 270 yards of offense against the Sooners' defense, which was ranked third in the nation going into the game, and Donohoe completed 11 of 24 passes for 142 vards.
Oklahoma did amass 539 yards of offense against Kansas during the game, and the third quarter was a dismal time for the 'Hawks as they compared to past years. Kansas played well against a good team.
The single greatest testament to the improvement of this year's team is the fact that for a large portion of the game, it was a game. The crowd of 44,500, the largest since Kansas played ebwahawk, was excited with the Jayhawks' scoring drive shortly before halftime.
And the Oklahoma players knew that they had played a football game, for a 71-10 track meet as was the case in the 1987 contest with the Sooners.
It may be a while before Kansas can beat a nationally ranked team without it being considered an upset, but as long as they can make it an honest contest and place some confidence in the team going into the halftime locker room, Kansas is headed in the right direction.
» Alan Morgan is a Holton senior majoring in journalism.
Recruit from Detroit leaves Missouri lineup The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Forward Daniel Lyton, who first said he would not play basketball at Missouri but later changed his mind, has left Columbia saying once again that he won't play for the Tigers.
The 6-foot-7 recruit from Detroit said that he left Mississippi on Sept. 25 and that he planned to attend a junior college in the Detroit area.
In August, Lyton said he would not attend Missouri. He changed his mind and arrived on campus two weeks later, saying he planned to honor his letter of intent and play for the Titers.
"I will not be returning to the University of Missouri. However, I have forwarded a letter to Missouri addressing the fact that I will not be returning," Lyton told Columbia radio station KFRU. "Assistant Coach Rich Daly and Coach Norm Stewart are in possession of the letter, which states why I won't be returning and everything."
The Missouri basketball program is being investigated by the NCAA for possible recruiting violations.