University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, October 8, 1986
13
Mets to meet Astros in playoffs tonight
United Press International
HOUSTON — In a state where good guys have long battled bad ones, the villainous New York Mets open the National League playoffs tonight against the Houston Astros.
Houston's Mike Scott, a favorite for the league's Cy Young Award, opposes Dwight Gooden in a battle of right-handers at 7:25 p.m.
About 45,000 fans in the Astrodome and millions more in the Western Hemisphere will be rooting for the Astros to win the best-of-seven series and the resulting World Series berth.
The Mets won 108 games this season, in the process high-fiving themselves into disrepute. Not many people west of Paterson, N.J., appreciate their curtain calls, their shows of emotion and their arrogance.
"I hope we are cocky and confident," New York Manager Davey Johnson said, "because I think that helps."
Scott approached the matter of New York curtain calls as delicately as he could.
"They don't bother me any more than other clubs," Scott said. "They are a good club and when the fans call them out, you have to go. It can be drawn out. When you hit a home run when you are winning 10-0 to make it 11-0, that may be a bit much. But if you hit a big home run, there's nothing wrong with that."
both clubs worked out at the Astrodome yesterday, and Johnson did nothing to change his club's image. He even won some style points. After all, a brazen outlaw can inspire some grudging affection. Call him Davey The Kid.
Johnson hinted, in a rare second guess of an opposing manager, that Houston's Hal Lanier is making a mistake if he omits left-hander Jim Deshaies from the starting rotation.
He called Mets center fielder Len Dykstra the best leadoff hitter in baseball, apparently forgetting Rickey Henderson.
either."
He also took a swipe at Houston catcher Alan Ashby. When asked whether Mets catcher Gary Carter could throw out runners, Johnson sneered, "Well, Alan Ashby ain't no day at the park,
The Mets are as good as they are arrogant. Maybe more. They offer the best starting four in the majors, superstars in first baseman Keith Hernandez and Carter, and a 1-2 leadoff punch of Dykstra and Wally Backman that can bury a team in the first inning.
However, anyone who has ever seen even one Western should recognize the characters in this baseball morality play.
The bad guy, in this case, the New York ballclub,
comes to town. With his moustache and narrow
eyes, he bullies the home folks, preys on widows
and maybe sells some phony stock.
Suddenly help appears. It's the good guy. He minds his business except when pushed. But he can win, and his competence can be chilling. That's the Astros.
Of course, those movie bad guys never had to hit Gooden. Though not up to his 1985 Cy Young form. Gooden nevertheless this year went 17-6 and 2-0 against Heuer. He's also 8-1 against the Astros.
Pitchers duel expected between Angels, Bosox
United Press International
BOSTON — Game two of the American League playoffs today pits two exceptionally tough and resilient pitchers.
Both California's Kirk McCaskill, 17-10, 3.36 ERA, and Boston's Bruce Hurst, 13-8, 3.99 ERA, overcame physical setbacks to emerge as big winners.
McCaskill is the Angels' No. 2 starter, but he is considered by many their best. The 25-year-old Kapscusk, Ontario, native has emerged as a master of control in his second season.
Two years ago, McCaskill played hockey for the Winnipeg Jets minor league team. But then in the spring of 1984, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound was approached by California general manager Mike Port, who persuaded McCaskill to switch to baseball.
"Look at all the different things that have happened to him this year," Angels manager Gene Mauch said yesterday. "He pitched five innings the other night after getting smoked in the leg with a line drive. He pitched six innings one night with a blister on the big finger of his right hand. He pitched nine innings one night when we didn't know if he could start because of a leg muscle pull.
"One time, he was so sick he hadn't slept all night, but he came to the hallpark, got some medication, went back to the hotel and slept for three hours, and pitched seven or eight innings. I'm not saying his experience as a hockey player gives him that toughness, but he's got it in him."
"He's showed a lot of character. There were about three different times last year when he said to
himself. 'Hey, if I don't pitch well tonight, I'm gone.' He knew it, and he pitched well. That shows more than just pitching ability. The makeup of a guy who can play hockey isn't bad for a guy who wants to play baseball."
Hurst must have some hockey player in him, too. The 28-year-old left-hander not had posted a winning record in four previous major-league seasons. On May 31, he suffered a groin injury and was placed on the disabled list. Since coming off the disabled list, he has been unstoppable.
In September, he was named Pitcher of the Month with a 5-0 record and a 1.07 ERA.
"We've worked the whole season to be here," Hurst said. "I've just had an especially good month. In fact, since I've come back from the injury, I've pitched well the whole second half. I just want to contribute for a couple more weeks."
McCaskill was activated April 30 last year and struggled to finish 12-12.
"There's a world of difference between last year and this year for me," he said. "I was intimidated by certain players and certain situations. It was something I was going to have to get over if I was going to succeed."
He said a game he pitched at Detroit was his turning point.
"My staying in the big leagues boiled down to staying in that game," he said. "I took a no-hitter into the seventh before Kirk Gibson hit a homer. But I won the game, and it was a big deal at the time for me."
Without doubt, today's confrontation will be the biggest deal in McCaskill's and Hurst's careers.
--hero.
Pre-Med Club Meeting Tonight!! 7:00 p.m.
Guest speaker will be:
Tim Shaver
from KU Medical School
East Gallery, 4th Floor Kansas Union.
Playoffs may have some unlikely stars
United Press International
Pankoviets, a 31-year-old utility player, spends most of his time on the bench waiting for his name to be called. But in the right situation, he could become another Brian Doyle.
HOUSTON — With a little luck, Jim Pankovits could be mentioned in the same breath as Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, Mike Scott or Glenn Davis, if only for a short period of time.
All interested may attend.
Remember him? Doyle was the scrawny second baseman who filled in for an injured Willie Randolph and helped the New York Yankees win the World Series in 1978.
In a pitching-rich series such as this one, the outcome could be determined on one swing of the bat, be it a home run, single or strikeout. In those type of situations, lesser-knowns sometimes become standouts.
Lopes is a 40-year veteran and Mitchell a 24-year-old rookie, but they are similar players. Both play several positions, have good speed on the basepaths and occasionally hit the long ball.
"That's what I'm hoping for," Pankovits said. "I hope there's an opportunity in there for somebody like me or terry Puhl. We've not gotten a lot of playing time."
Davey Lopes of the Astros and New York's Kevin Mitchell could do it.
Both also refuse to view themselves as the possible unlikely
"Your guess is as good as mine," Lopes said.
"Not me," Mitchell said. "I look up to (big-name) players like that. One will come on out on top and be the name. I'm just a role player."
The Mets Kevin Elster doesn't expect to get many at-bats against the Astros, but could play a key role with his glove.
Brought in as a defensive replacement for shortstop Rafael Santana, he could participate in a double play that gets the Mets out of a jam.
He also could wind up at the plate in a key situation in extra innings.
"If we go way into extra innings, it could happen," he said. "We've only got 24 men, and nine are pitchers."
Pitchers of lesser caliber than Gooden and Scott could turn into heroes in one-batter situations.
As one of two left-handers in the Houston bullpen, Jeff Calhoun expects to face Strawberry or Keith Hernandez somewhere down the line, perhaps while trying to stop a New York rally.
"I've already been going over situations in which that can happen," said Calhoun. "Hopefully, I can use that as a tune-up job on a similar situation in the game. I've been trying to think it through and anticipate what might happen."
Calhoun split time this season between Houston and the minor league, and said he was thrilled to just be in the playoffs.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
This controversial film is a gentle and reverent up-dating of the story of the Virgin Mary. "A celebration of the blessedness of life on Earth; it's one of the most tenderly religious movies ever made." - David Denby, New York Magazine.
7:00 p.m.
Tonight & Tomorrow
Coming this Weekend "Out of Africa"
Woodruff Aud.
$2.00
The Country Inn is now delivering FREE Every night from 5:00-10:00
Delivery Special $9.99
Keep in mind—
Are you tired of soggy delivered pizza? Now you have a better choice!
- 8 pcs. of chicken or 2 chicken fried steaks
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CALL 843-1431
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uno peso
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(That includes Cuervo Tequila)
In Concert (on our 3 big screens) 8-10 p.m.
THE ROLLING STONES
Step Into the Outrageously Funny World of AMERICAN BALLET COMEDY
presented by The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts Concert Series
Tickets on sale in the Murphy Hall Box Office
All seats reserved/For reservations, call 913/664-3982
VISA/MasterCard accepted for phone reservations
Public: $12.50 & $10; KU & K-12 Students: $6.25 & $5;
Senior Citizens and Other Students: $11.50 & $9
8:00 p.m. Thursday, October 9, 1986 Hoch Auditorium
"The humor — cockeyed, wacky and madcap — hit the bullseye!" The Dallas Times-Herald
Partially funded by the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, a Mid-America Arts Alliance program. Additional funding provided by the KU Student Activity Fee, Swarthout Society and the KU Endowment Association.
Half Price for Students