University Daily Kansan / Thursday, October 4, 1990
Sports
11
Brett wins batting title
The Associated Press
CLEVELAND — In the end,
George Brett was a big hit.
Bret became the first player to win batting titles in three different decades, holding off Rickey Hender-sen the last day of the season yesterday.
Brett did not start for Kansas City in the final game but entered as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning and had a saffron fly. He singled in his next at-bat, raising his average to 329, and Bo Jackson pinch hit for him in the ninth in Kansas City's 5-2 loss to Cleveland.
Henderson need to go 3-for-3 or 4-for-5 to surpass Brett. Instead, he went 1-for-3 for Oakland against California and then left the game.
finishing at .325.
"I made the task awful difficult for Rickey," Brett said. "I'm glad I don't have to go through it anymore. It was stressful, not physically, but
Brett won his first title in 1976 at 333 and repeated in 1980 at 390, after flirting with 400 most of the year.
Brett drove in Kansas City's first run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth after John Wathan, Royals manager, scored two inning runs to Russ Mornar started the inning with a double, and Wathan, following a pre-game promise, had杰夫 Schultz bunt him to third to make Brett's at least riskless throw. Mornar scored 70% of the score "dresser Mornar"
game, wasn't happy with the way the Royals finished.
The Royals wound up 75-86 and sixth place in the American League West, far behind Oakland.
In the seventh, Brett lined a single to right field off reliever Mauro Gozzo.
center on Valley schools
Brett, who sat out Tuesday night's
"They were frustrating times for a lot of us. I was not happy with the year I had. We got dumped. We went on the hallow start! I was hitting 220 and 230." Brett said.
Cleveland's Sergio Valdez went six strong innings and got his fourth win in his last five decisions.
Doug Jones worked the ninth and got his 43rd save, extending his own team record.
Team works on defense
Rv Rob Wheat
Kansan sportswriter
Last season against Iowa State former quarterback Kelly Dohnehock rocketed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jaqueline Jaywalker first possession.
Football
running back Tony Sands soared over the hard hitting Cycling Cone defense line for a 1-yard touchdown on the Jawhaves' second drive.
With Kansas leading 14 at the end of the first quarter, it looked like the Jayhawks would earn their first Homecoming victory in five years.
Then the bottom dropped out of the game. Iowa State scored 21 points in the second quarter and held on to win 24-20.
Saturday, the Kansas defense doesn't plan on allowing the Cyclones to score as quickly when they play them in Ames, Iowa.
Defensive lineman Gilbert Brown said Iowa State would see a new defense Saturday, one with positions filled by several Jayhawk heavy
"We're much bigger this year," Brown said. "We feel stronger with Dana Stubblefield, Gary Oatis and Lance Flachbarth. Having Curtis
Moore around again brings back the attitude.'
This year Kansas has five players who each weigh about 300 pounds.
rown said that he was still angry about the defensive performance during last year's loss and that the team had been working hard in practice so it could keep the Cyclones in check.
"First we are going to stop the cheap touchdown," Brown said. "Then we'll look to stop the long jump." So, we have to be, we have to Stop Blaise Bryant
"We didn't play to our potential in the first half. We feel that if we play the whole game like we did that we would be better, wear, that we should come out on top."
All-American running back Blaire Bryant was the leading rusher in the Big Eight Conference in 1989, and is the conference's leading scorer.
Last season against Kansas Bryant gained 62 of his 96 first half yards in the second quarter. He scored the Cyclones second touchdown on a 30-yard run and finished the day with 162 all purpose yards.
bryant is Iowa State's strongest offensive weapon and has gained a total of 367 all-purpose yards this season, even though he missed a
Gilbert Brown KU football player
game with a shoulder bruise
'We feel that if we play the whole game like we did that second half last year, that we should come out on top.'
Last season, turnovers killed a Kansas comeback. But tight end Chad Fettel said the Jayhawks had lost six turnovers in turnovers this week in practice.
"We have been working on that really hard this week after Oklahoma." Fette said. "It is a problem that has to be corrected, and we should see some improvement during the game."
Fette is the Jayhawks' leading receiver with 13 receptions for 193 vards.
Fette said a victory on the road against Iowa State would mean much more to the Jayhawks than coming close to beating Oklahoma.
"We circled the calendar right after we played them last year." Fette said. "Right now they're probably at about the same stage as us, so if we beat them on the road, of course it will be a big win for us."
Handball combines skills
By Derek Simmons
Baha Hamil and Jim LaPoint are trying to teach people a game.
Kansan sportswriter
The game is played with a ball about the size and weight of a cantaloupe, but that is its only distinctive characteristic.
The rest of the game can be reflected in terms of other, more familiar sports. Players dribble, pass and set picks as in basketball. Penalties for roughness are assessed using soccer's card system and enforced using hockey's two-minute benching penalty. To score, a player must throw the ball past a goalie into a soccer-style
What is the name of the game?
Team handball.
Hatem Bachar, graduate student, takes a shot in handball.
"The sport is unique in America, but not the skills," said LaPoint, faculty sponsor for the KU Team Handball Club. "We don't grow team handball players in the United States. We have to convert basketball players and volleyball players."
Basketball players are perfect for the game if they can learn to adopt to the rules. LaPont said.
"The main objective of this sport is to have fun," he said. "After you have fun, then worry about winning."
"They come in with years of training that say they have to shoot the ball or pass it as soon as they pick up a dribble," he said. "In team handball you can take three shots, and then take three more steps."
Inter-team violence seldom takes place, said Hamil, KU coach and a former international player.
A player near the goal area then attempts to throw the ball past the gaile for a point.
The object of the game is to advance the ball by dribbling and passing toward a goal at the end of a 131 by 65 foot court.
"It's a really rugged game," LaPoint says. "It seems in football or baseball, players are out for two weeks if they get a hangnail. This is a pretty physical game, and no nobits if they're hurt."
"When the game is over, team
handball is a social sport along the lines of rugby. You go out and have a beer with your opponent."
The sport came to the United States in 1959, when the United States Team Handball Federation was created. In 1922, team handball was introduced to the sport, and since then the sport has been struggling for recognition
Robinson Center houses the only team handball court in Kansas. Permanent lines for the court were added when the floors were refinished during the summer, and Hamil said he hoped he could couse enough interest in the sport that it would be in constant use.
Kansas has had a team handball club since 1985. In the team's first tournament, it won the Midwest championship in Colorado Springs, Colo.
In its most recent tournament, Kansas hosted and again won the championship.
The team will play Oct. 27 in a Chicago tournament.
One former Kansas player, Robert Lockwood Jr., is headed for the U.S. National Handball team.
Hamil encouraged interested students, faculty and staff to come to practice on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Fridays at p.m. in 215. Robinson
Two-time All-American tennis player Eveline Hamers practices at the tennis courts behind Allen Field House.
Dutch player values education and tennis
By Juli Watkins
Kansan sportswriter
Eveline Hamers came to the United States two years ago to attend college and play tennis, a combination unavailable to her in the Nether
Hamers, a junior and a business major, is a two-time All-American, and is the only woman from the University of Kansas ever to receive an Eagle.
Hamers, from Meerssen, Netherlands, said that in her homeland, higher education meant that one strictly went to school. Competitive jobs are not offered after high school, except on the professional level.
Hamers is also the No. 9-ranked singles player in the nation. The ranking, from the Volvo Tennis/Coleman Tour, was No. 14. KU tennis player has ever received.
'Although tennis is a big part of Hamers' life, she said there were
"People just go to study, and quit sports." Hamers said.
more important things to consider.
Hamers said she wanted to continue her education as well as play tennis, a sport in which she was first introduced. Before she left for the United States.
"I heard they needed players over here." Hamers said. "I just talked to the Kansas coach through my friend and decided to come over."
Former Kansas tennis player Sven Groeneveld, also a Netherlands native, told Hammers about the tennis program at Kansas.
"like school," she said. "It's so hard to play sports only. You get injured and then you're done. There's a lot of time if you do it if you finish school."
The transition from the Netherlands to college life at KU has not been a difficult one for Hamers.
"A lot of people would say I am very independent to come over here like that. It was not hard."
"I miss it sometimes," she admitted. "But I go back every summer and I'll go back this Christmas."
Hamers said she planned to hammer her education in the Netherlands after finishing at KU and perhaps go into international business.
She has found the first two years of her schooling in the United States to be much easier than at home.
"I thought about going home for good last year because it's hard for Dutch people to value American studies."
"I may play for a little while. Most likely it's not something I'll do. It's not my main goal right now, but I don't know how it will develop."
Before coming to Kansas, Hammers briefly considered turning professional, but she said the decision to concentrate on her education was a
As far as continuing her tennis career, Hamers is undecided.
"You work so much with it (tennis) that you have to like it a lot, but I would never want to just play tennis." she said.
has been an impressive one
Hamers' tennis career at Kansas
Hamers has a 1-91 lifetime record in the Big Eight and has won the Conference No. 1 singles title the last two years.
In addition to being named All-American twice, she advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championships and was the first foreign-born player ever to advance to the national singles semifinals.
Hanging in the office of women's tennis coach Michael Center is a sportsmanship award Hammers received earlier this year. The Heard/Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship Award, awarded by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association, qualified Hammers as a national finalist.
Center said Hamers' contribution to the tennis program was a perfect balance of athletics and academics.
"She's a very hard worker," Center said. "She's very disciplined in her studies and on the court. I think she's really helpful, that everyone else is trying to reach."
KU Waterski Club heads for nationals
Bv Derek Simmons
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas will travel to Monroe, La. Oct. 12-13 for its 11th trip to nationals in 13 years.
The KU Waterski Club took second place in the Midwest Regional Championships in Decatur, III., during the weekend, qualifying for the National Collegiate Waterski Championship.
Michigan State University placed first in the region, more than 1,000 points ahead of Kansas. Fewer than Western Michigan and Kansas State.
"We took almost the exact same team we took last year," said club president Matt Corbett. "We only knew of a couple, and the experience really paid off."
In the 11-team field, Western Michigan placed third and K-State fourth. The two top teams from each of five reigns advance to nationals.
Brian Shurtleff, Overland Park senior, won the trick ski competition and placed fourth in the jump by flying 93 feet. Tim Morpham, more equipped, placed eighth in the jump with a 90-foot effort and seventh in the slalom.
Kansas men placed first in the competition, while Kansas women took fourth. Team standings are not available for indication of men's and women's scores.
Of the five men who competed for Kansas, each placed in the top ten in at least one of the three events.
Mark Westhoff, Great Bend sophomore, took ninth in the slalom and Kirk Nichols, Baldwin City senior, took sixth in the trick ski, Corbett, Forest Lake, Minn., senior, took third in the jump with a 96-foot effort.
Two KU women placed in the top ten. Julie Gilbert, Tusa Okla, sophomore, took fifth in the 8K ski class with a score of 51.3 effort. Dani Roussel, Houston sophomore placed seventh in the slalom.
Corbett said that the finish was close.
Corbett said he did not expect the team to win the national championship.
"We won't have outstanding places, but we'll have a lot of fun," he said. "We'll get to ski against some world record holders, and that should be challenging, even if we don't beat them."
"It actually came down to the last skier," he said. "Tim Thelenberger had to stand up on his pass in order for us to go to nationals."
"I didn't tell him about it until Monday, and he said he was nervous then, two days after the competition. It's a good thing he didn't know."
Although every skier who made the top ten in the jump set a personal best at the tournament, Corbett said not once had their best day in every year.
"We all skied well," he said, "and where somebody didn't, somebody else picked up the slack."
Detroit's Fielder hits home run number 50
NEW YORK — Cecil Fielder became the first American Leaguer to hit 50 home runs since Roger Maki and Mickey Mantle hitting last night in the fourth inning of the final game of the season.
The Associated Press
The Detroit first baseman is the 11th player to hit 50 homers and the first since George Foster of the Cincinnati Reds in 1977. The feat has been accomplished 18 times.
Fielder, who walked and lined out in his first two at-bats, sent a 2-pitch from New York Yankees
rookie Steve Adkins into the first row of the upper deck in left field. He took four steps out of the, batter's box, watched to see if the ball would hook hook, and when it didn't, he began jumping up and down and pumping both fists in the air.
The two-run homer put Detroit ahead 6-1 and gave Fidelity 129 RBIs. He leads the majors in home runs and runs batted in.
Fielder had gone 2-for-21 since his last home run.
Fielder went 0-4-1 in each of the first two games of the season-ending series at Yankee Stadium.