Baseball
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Divisional playoffs
Sports
A controversial call in the 12th inning allowed the Cleveland Indians to win 4-1 in Game 2 of the A.L. Championship Series against the New York Yankees. The series is tied 1-1.
Because of a rain delay, the results of Game 1 of the N.L. Championship Series between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres were not available at press time.
Pro Baseball
Thursday
October 8,1998
Section:
B
Manager Jim Leyland signed a record 3-year $6 million contract with the Colorado Rockies.
SEE PAGE 6B
College Football
Page 1
No. 5 K-State ventures away from home for the first time this season to take on No. 14 Colorado in Boulder.
SEE PAGE 3B
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Commentary
October brings World Series, hockey season
The weather is changing, and so are our sports. The World Series is right around the corner, and the first puck is about to be dropped in a new NHL season. It's time to say goodbye to the diamond and hello to the rink.
■ Hockey: If the NHL truly wants to become a major player in the world of sports, there is no better time then
hit a player in the world of sports, there is n the present. With the NBA expecting to lose regular season games because of the labor strike, hockey will have the opportunity to take center stage.
Detroit is poised not only to take center stage but also to make history. The Red Wings will attempt to be the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to 1983. The talented and experienced Red Wings should prevail in the West — but not without a serious challenge from the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. The Stars are stacked,
Kevin Wilson
Avalanche: The sheer especially with the addition of longtime St. Louis Blues' sniper Brett Hull, and the Avalanche never can be counted out as long as it has Sakic, Roy, Lemieux and Forsberg.
In the East, the Philadelphia Flyers appear to be the team to beat. Former Florida Panthers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck was signed in the off season to shore up Philly's porous defense, and superstar center Eric Lindros once again is expected to lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup. Standing in the team's way, though, are the Buffalo Sabers, led by two-time league MVP goalie Dominick Hasek, and the defensive-minded New Jersey Devils.
Hasek, and the designers. The Red Wings and Flyers are the favorites for a reason. Look for them to square off in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Flyers skating away with the trophy in six games.
Baseball: Do you think the TV executives at Fox are sweating the possibility of a Cleveland and San Diego World Series? With large market teams from New York and Atlanta still alive, I have a good guess about whom they are rooting for.
they are roosting on the field. And, make no mistake, they will get their wish. The Yankees and the Braves will make it to the World Series because of their superior pitching, not their star-studded line-ups. New York has the deepest staff in baseball, and Atlanta has one of the best starting rotations of all-time. In the playoffs, pitching is the key to success, and both teams have plenty of it.
Now that the regular season is finished, it's time for me to hand out my awards.
National League MVP: Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs. Sorry Big Mac, but this is no brainer. The Cubs would have been 20 games out of the wild-card race if it had not been for Sosa's magical season.
AL Cy Young: Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays. Clemens won the AL Triple Crown of pitching (wins, ERA and strikeouts) for the second consecutive year and didn't lose a game since the end of May.
NL Cy Young: Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres. The trio of Braves pitcher counteract one another, and Hoffman gets the tentative nod over his teammate Kevin Brown because of his out-of-this-world 53 saves. Whenever the Padres handed the ball to Hoffman, he delivered.
been for Gosta Singer, American League MVP: Juan Gonzalez, Texas Rangers. The Rangers made the playoffs, and Gonzalez was the main reason why. He led the AL in RBI with 157 and doubles with 50. hit .318, scored more than 100 runs and smacked 45 homers. What else can you say?
Kansas volleyball spikes UMKC team
Wilson is an Des Moines senior in journalism
The Kansas volleyball team said that the Jayhawks were broke a three-match losing not satisfied with their per-streak last night by defeating performance.
University of Missouri-Kansas City three games to none (15-9, 15-12 and 16-14) in Kansas City, Mo. The Jayhawks improved to 11-5 overall and 10-2 against nonconference opponents.
Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Garrity makes a diving block on the ball during practice. Garrity started her first collegiate game against Central Oklahoma on Sept. 25. Photo by Jay Sheperd.
"We played to about half of our potential tonight," Rohde said. "We can't afford to play like this. We have some big matches coming up, so maybe we looked past them. But we need to be
Although Kansas posted only five more kills than UMKC, it committed 14 fewer offensive errors. As a team, the Jayhawks blocked 17 attacks, compared to UMKC's four.
Despite the disparity in the statistics, setter Laura Rohde
With the strength of the Big 12 Conference and two top 25 teams on the horizon, the Jayhawks have a tough road ahead.
They travel to No.16 Texas A&M Friday and to No.13 Texas Saturday.
more consistent in the future."
Soccer goalie proves her skill
Garrity nets several saves, team's support
By Brad Hallier Kansan sportswriter
Waiting.
WARNING.
That is what Katie Garrity is doing. The sophomore goalkeeper from Southlake, Texas, has been patiently standing by for a chance to prove herself in the nets.
Problem is, this is the second consecutive season that she has backed up junior Jen Fecke, so her chance may not come until Fecke graduates.
Garrity earned her only collegiate start Sept. 25 against Central Oklahoma.
"That game meant a lot," she said. "The team was very supportive of me that game. It felt good that the team trusted me in goal."
team it used match against Central While the match against Central Oklahoma was a scheduled home game, the game was changed to Perry-Lecompton High School when Super Target Field was deemed unplayable because of excessive rain.
"I was disappointed that we couldn't play at home, because I had friends that were coming to the game, but they couldn't find the field we played on," she said.
wip played. While the Jayhawks routed the Broncos that game 4-1, the game was in doubt for awhile. With the score 3-1, and Central Oklahoma gaining confidence, Garrity smothered a point-blank shot. Less than three minutes later, Kansas added their final goal. What was almost a 3-2 game was now 4-1.
"It was a good save, but I should have challenged the shooter earlier," she said. "My favorite save was a cross I caught in the first half. The entire bench shouted, 'Katie Garrity, from Southlake, Texas,' since it wasn't announced before the game. I've been told that I'm not good in the air, that I'm too short, so that save meant a lot."
"You can't fault her on the goal," he said. "The best thing about her is the team believes in her, and they trust her to be in goal."
Kansas goalkeeper coach Kevin Blokker said that Garrity played superbly against the Broncos.
Blokker, who played goalkeeper at the University of San Francisco from 1989-1983, said that he knew what Garrity was going through as a backup.
"I've been there before, and it's the toughest job on the team." Blokker said. "You have to prepare for every game like you're going to be the starter, but you end up on the bench. When the starting goalie gets pulled, the backup has to be ready in five seconds. Katie's mind set is positive. She trains hard everyday, and she knows her time will come. She needs to be ready when it comes."
While competition between Fcke and Garrity is intense, the two remain friends on and off the field.
"I love working with Garrity."
Fecke said. "We push each other in
training."
Garrity agrees.
"I work hard to make her better," she said. "We push each other to get better, and we're there for each other on bad days."
Garrity said that she was looking forward to the team's trip to Texas on Oct. 23-25 for matches against Texas and Texas A&M.
it's going to be really cool," she said. "My sister plays lacrosse at Texas A&M, and she is going to get a fan club for me. My whole family is going to be there. I would like to start, but I really don't expect to."
Life revolves around sports for Rohde
Senior setter Laura Rohde celebrates a point in a game during the Jayhawk Classic. Rohde says her competitive spirit affects everything she does. Kansan staff photo.
By Laura Bokenkroger
Kansan sportswriter
As far as Laura Rohde is concerned, everything happens for a reason.
From playing catch with her dad to becoming the starting setter on the Kansas volleyball team, Rohde said her life always had revolved around sports.
The Gatesburg, Mich., senior said she believed that each event in her life had occurred so that she would be exactly where she is right now.
"They taught me to be stronger, and they kept me out of trouble," Rohde said. "I know people who gave up sports and started doing drugs and other things, and that's just a road I wouldn't want to travel."
Rohde said she inherited her competitive edge from her father, Dale, a former Triple A first baseman in the White Sox organization.
"He didn't push me, but he was always there to catch if I wanted to pitch," Rohde said. "My dad is really knowledge-thirsty and when I got interested in volleyball, he went out and bought volleyball tapes so he could learn about it."
Rohde, whose first sport was T-ball, said she owed part of her love of athletics to her father's support and guidance.
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Rohde, who has played every position on the volleyball court, began her career as a setter in sixth grade. She was moved to middle hitter the next year but actually was recruited by colleges as an outside hitter.
leges as an officer.
Late in her freshman year at Kansas, Rohde was switched to the setting position. Although she had played the position before, Rohde said the transition was a challenge.
"I was excited at first," Rohde said. "But 'I'm definitely a perfectionist, and I wasn't seeing the results I wanted to see as fast as I wanted to see them. It
was frustrating, and I kind of wanted to go back to hitting, but I just had to be patient and work at it."
"She understands the mindset of a hitter, because she's had the same one," Bechard said. "She's very competitive and aggressive."
ronde's patience paid off. Going into her fourth season as a Jayhawk, she ranks second all-time in career assists and has had more than 626 this season. She has been named to the all-tournament teams at all three of the Jayhawks' tournaments this year.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said that Rohde's knowledge of other positions enabled her to be one of the best.
"I like setting." Rohde said. "I touch the ball in every possession, and I have a lot to do with what's going on. It's a lot of responsibility, and I'm glad that I get to end my last three years setting."
Although Rhode said that she missed some aspects of being a hitter, such as getting kills, she said that setting was the best position for her.
Rohde said that she would end her athletic career after playing for a club team in the spring. She will graduate in 2000, and she said she hoped to find a job coaching and teaching at the high school level.
The only question that seems to be left is where she will end up. Although she loves the mountains of West Virginia and Wyoming, the homefront's pull is strong.
Her brother and his wife are expecting a baby in November. The baby will share the middle name Christine with Rohde, who said it would be hard to miss watching her niece grow up.
Although Rohde's future is unattain, she said she was not worried because everything happened for a reason.
"I don't know what will happen but God has his reasons, so it'll work out," Rohde has his said.