UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, September 6, 1996
5B
Miracle returns centerfielder
Cancer can't stop Dodgers Brett Butler
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Brett Butler believes in miracles. From his perspective, he is one.
Barring the unforeseen, Butler will be back in his customary leadoff role and in center field tonight before a capacity crowd at Dodger Stadium when the Los Angeles Dodgers open a 10-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Such a development will be a new beginning for Butler and also will cap a most incredible four months for him and his family.
Butler, 39, last played in a game on May 1 against Colorado. He said he was going to have his tonsils removed in his hometown, Atlanta, and would miss about three weeks of playing time.
As he spoke, saying he had been bothered by a sore throat since spring training, a plum-sized lump was
visible on the right side of his neck. The rest of his odyssey has been well-documented. Butler had the tonsillectomy, discovered he had cancer, had an operation, then underwent radiation treatments.
After coming to terms with what happened, thanks in great part to his religious faith, Butler decided he would return to the Dodgers before this season ended — not next year, this year.
Arguably, he was the only one who thought he could do it. The Dodgers obviously didn't, and understandably so.
First, the team picked up Wayne Kirby when rookie Roger Cedeno failed in center field. Later, it traded for Chad Curtis, whom it counted on as an everyday player and leadoff hitter.
"Think about it; I'm coming back after two surgeries and 32 radiation treatments," Butler said. "People said, 'You can't do this, or you can do that,' and here I am."
"I want people to know that I felt their prayers, and I felt their love. I believe God answers prayers. I want to acknowledge that in some capacity. This is an opportunity to show off my faith. I am a disciple for Jesus. Now, I'll be able to measure my success from the lowness of my career."
Butler rejoined the Dodgers in Montreal Aug. 26 and has been in uniform since then, providing inspiration on the bench. He also has been working out and early this week pronounced himself ready to go. He said he plans on playing regularly for the rest of the year.
Manager Bill Russell agreed
"Butler is going to play every day, but we'll have to see how much he can play and how well he is playing." Russell said. "I'm not going to put him out there too long if he's not doing the job, obviously. He'll let us know, too. This is the time of year you go with who's hot, who's
playing the best."
Not only is Butler returning, but also he is being thrust into a tight pennant race, just like New York Yankees pitcher David Cone, who amazed everyone with seven no-hit innings on Monday in his first outing since May 2. Cone underwent surgery for an aneurysm in his pitching shoulder.
Butter couldn't possibly do as well, could he?
The Dodgers trail NL West-leading San Diego by one game and are a half-game behind Montreal in the wild-card race. Every game is important, but Butler has plenty of experience in pennant races.
"No way I would have tried this if we didn't have a chance to win a world championship," Butler said. "To me, the whole thing is a miracle."
His teammates agree.
"He's playing for a pennant contender, he's playing with more pressure and is being asked to do more than any of us has had to do," Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros said. "What he's done is incredible."
Boston Bruin retires after suffering injury
The Associated Press
BOSTON — The 50 goals were not so special. Cam Neely topped that total two other times. But the fact that the bruising Boston Bruin forward did it playing only 49 games in 1993-94 told the story of his career.
Injuries always forced their way into Neely's career, even in the midst of his greatest accomplishment. And when Neely made his retirement official yesterday, it was no surprise that an injury forced him to do it.
"Although I've been preparing myself for a long time for this afternoon to arrive, it certainly doesn't make it any easier to be here," Neely said tearfully, explaining that the degenerative condition in his right hip will prevent him from making another comeback.
"Unfortunately, today I must face the worst case scenario." Neely said.
Forward Neely says tearful good-byes
Neely's retirement had been expected ever since he missed the final 25 games last season. But it didn't completely sink in for him until about a month ago, when he pulled up lame after racing his 10-year-old brother-in-law home from a movie.
Still. the words didn't come easily for him
"I kind of realized that if I can't run to the corner, I probably can't play professional hockey," Neely said.
Sam, the Legends restaurant in the FleetCenter of Boston, standing between a picture of the 1986-87 Boston Celtics and one of the Beatles, Neely grabbed the podium with both hands, wiped his eyes and his crooked nose, choked back tears, paused a full 30 seconds and said, finally, that he would not be back.
"This may sound strange, but I feel extremely fortunate that I got 13 years to play in the best league in the world, to play with the best ... with the best defenseman in the world," he said, breaking down at the reference to teammate Ray Bourque. "So I consider myself very lucky."
General manager Harry Sinden followed, lauding Neely's stature as hockey's top power forward and lamenting the injuries that repeatedly shortened his seasons. Neely's agent, Jay Fee, read a letter from Bruins great Boby Orr, who was himself forced to retire by an accumulation of injuries.
"When you are forced away from doing something you love ... it is almost unbearable," Orr's letter said. "The hockey will certainly miss you, and I will miss watching you."
"He was one of the finest body-checking forwards the league has ever known."
Harry Sinden Boston Bruins' general manager
play for the Boston Bruins. All of us understand your disappointment."
A first-round draft pick by Vancouver in 1983, Neely was traded to Boston in 1986. With the Bruins, he posted up in the slot like a basketball center, waiting for a pass while defenders tried in vain to move him away.
"They didn't really talk about power forwards until Cam came to Boston. That whole package of coming down the wing with the toughness he had," said Bourque, who attended the news conference. "His presence was phenomenal. He's a guy that took up a lot of space on and off the ice."
Neely scored more than 35 goals in each of his first five years with the Bruins, breaking 50 in 1989-90 and '90-91 before injuries began to take their toll. The next season, he played in just nine games, missing the first 38 with a thigh injury and the last four months with problems in his knee.
Rehabilitation also took up the first 60 games of 1992-93. The next year, while resting his knee as necessary, he scored 50 goals in his first 44 games; only Wayne Gretzky has scored 50 goals in fewer games.
During the lockout-shortened 1995 season, Neely played in 42 games and last season he missed 32.
for as long as possi- "He was the finest body-checking forward the league has ever known. And on top of that, he was able to score 50 goals a year," Sinden said, adding that the team will not assign Neely's No. 8 jersey to any other player, at least for this year.
Neely, 31, had 396 goals and 299 assists in his 13-year career. He has been told he will need an artificial hip, an event he hopes to put off for as long as possible.
"This is one of the most fabulous players the game has produced. This is a different type of player than we've seen in this league. I'm not saying he was Bobby Orr, or Wayne Gretzky, or Mario Lemieux. But this was a type of player that they weren't."
County attorney seeking to revoke Phillips' probation
Hair Experts Design Team
INLCINOL, Neb. — A county attorney asked a judge yesterday to revoke Lawrence Phillips' probation and resentence him for the Sept. 10, 1995, assault of Kate McEwen.
Phillips must return to Lincoln for an Oct. 10 arraignment, where Lancaster County Judge Jack Lindner will determine if Phillips should receive a harsher sentence, jail time or pay a fine.
Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said Phillips may have violated his probation order in June when he was arrested in California on suspicion of drunk driving.
On June 13, Phillips was arrested in Los Angeles on
The Associated Press
suspicion of driving under the influence. He has not been convicted of the charge.
If the judge believes there is reasonable evidence that Phillips violated probation, a new arraignment and trial could be ordered.
"He was ordered by the court to not engage in unlawful acts," said Lacey, who at times has criticized coach Tom Osborne and other Nebraska athletic officials for their involvement with the legal system. "He signed the probation order and agreed to its terms."
Holland Plaza 23th & Iowa • 841-6886
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Phillips gave up his senior college season and left Nebraska in January. Since then, he has paid restitution to McEwen and was ordered to attend a domestic violence counseling program. Court records indicate that Phillips has paid McEwen $248 for medical expenses and paid a real estate company $111 for damage to the apartment where the assault occurred.
Lawrence Phillips
The former Nebraska tailback, who helped lead the Cornhuskers to two consecutive national championships, plays for the St. Louis Rams. When Phillips was sentenced for the assault in December, he was told by
Phillips' probation was scheduled to expire Nov. 29. The probation order said Phillips could be required to spend the last 30 days of the sentence in jail. However, the judge said at the hearing last December that the jail sentence would be waived if probation was completed successfully.
December, he was told by Lindner to keep clean.
Phillips' off-field problems continued earlier this week, when it was revealed that McEwen filed a civil lawsuit against Phillips in Missouri. McEwen seeks unspecified damages for alleged abuse during their two-year relationship.
KU Fencing Team meets in 212 Robinson at 5:00 p.m. on Tues. and Thurs. A free 12 week instruction class begins on Tuesday, September 10th at 5:30 in the above location.
For more information call John at 832-9963
Eve McHigh Photography 1995
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PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS
ATTENTION,
STAR TREK
FANS!
Join us as we welcome Dr. James Gunn to the Mt. Oread Bookshop on September 6, at 1pm
KU Bookstores
Level Two, Kansas Union
University of Kansas
For more information call the
ML Oread Bookshop at 864.4431
Celebrate Star Trek's 30th Anniversary with the release of The Joy Machine. the novelization of a neverbefore-seen story treatment from the original show.
10 4
Dr. James Gunn, KU Professor Emeritus of English, has produced this novelization based on the outline by late science fiction legend Theodore Sturgeon, author of Amok Time and Shore Leave, two of the most beloved original episodes.