BASEBALL Montreal's Carlos Perez is arrested for rape. Page 4
THE CHIEFS Marcus Allen nears another milestone. Page 3
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1995
SECTION B
Dreams can be revisited
I could see the heartbreak in his eyes. He had just come to understand that his childhood dream never would be realized. He wrung his hands together as he had years ago on the pitcher's mound. He mimicked the routine, matching his fingers to the seams just before the next pitch.
It has been five years since he played baseball. A duffel bag still sits in the corner of the garage. It's filled with old gloves and his 31-inch Easton aluminum bat. He still can pitch 85 mph and drop a curve through the bottom corner of the strike zone. I'm afraid to play catch with him because he throws the ball too damn hard.
He lives and breathes the sport. He rarely misses a game on television, and Greg Maddux is his God. He
even went to Kansas baseball walk-on tryouts last week. He just went to watch and sat in the bleachers. It was amazing to him to find everyone so young and the level of talent at the try-outs so low.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
These guys were pretty young, four years younger on the
average. A lot of them were right out of high school. Why hadn't he been here four years ago?
He was a better player than them four years ago. He is still a better player now, even after four years of neglecting his body. No sleep, no exercise and lot of beer and cigarettes have aged his body past his prime. He just couldn't take that first step out onto the mound again, and I wonder why.
I'm sure he is not alone in his heartbreak. I have heard way too many people sitting on bar stools tell me about their sporting careers. It is invariably in the past tense.
"I was an all-state tailback." Or "I used to hold the record in that."
I can't talk. I have caught myself more than once saying something like, "I used to be able to dunk in high school," or "I used to run five or six mules a day."
Now I'm just thankful that we walk down the hill for graduation. If we had to walk up it for the ceremony, I'd have to start training now.
I'm sure I'm not alone. I miss the competition of high school sports. KU intramurals have dwindled in quality and organization since I began here in 1991, and I rarely get the time to do anything on my own anymore. That's my excuse anyway, and I've been using it more and more lately.
My friend, the baseball player, would be the first one to tell you that the more time passes you by, the harder it is to pick up the ball again. I have to agree. You couldn't count the number of excuses I would give you if you asked me to play basketball, and I love basketball.
The most competition I get is playing pool, and you would think it was the Super Bowl if you saw it. I think that pool, and bar games in general, are so popular because they're the only form of competition a lot of us see anymore, and that is pathetic.
Sadly enough, this isn't the most depressing thing I have had to deal with during the past year. I'm 22 years old, and I am growing old. My back hurts every morning when I get up. Bones crack when I walk down the stairs. I am even making that noise old men make when they get off the couch.
I threw the football around Sunday after the Chiefs game, and my arm was still sore yesterday. I'm tired of all this, and I'm going to do something about it.
I implore you to do the same. Rise from your barstools and couches, put down.your pool cues and schooners, and turn off your Segas. Stop talking like Al Bundy. Go for a bike ride, or go play football in the park.
It doesn't matter what you do, just do it before it is too late.
As for my friend in the stands, pick up your glove and step onto the mound. You might find a lot of us behind you.
Tennis coach's professional stint benefits team
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
It wasn't too long ago when Merzbacher was a member of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, dealing with the daily grind of spending time on the road and playing the top players in the game.
When Kansas women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher talks to his players about life on the road or the professional tour, they listen.
Since Merzbacher was a child in Ohio, he had prepared for the time when he would be a pro.
"I always wanted to be a pro, right from when I started," Merzbach said. "I always wanted to be up with the big guys. It was what I did best, and I always envisioned myself in that position."
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
The path Merzbacher took to the pros was filled with successes.
In high school, Merzbacher won the 1983 Ohio state championship and came just three wins away from qualifying for the 1984 Olympic team. He participated in the Olympic trials with Kansas men's coach Michael Center.
Merzbacher then traveled to Minnesota, where he enjoyed his greatest success. He was a three-time Big Ten Conference champion and finished as the school's all-time win leader with 137 victories.
Kansas women's tennis coach Chuck Merzbacher has led the Jayhawks to three consecutive Big Eight Conference Championships. Before coaching at Kansas, Merzbacher was on the professional tour.
"College got me ready for the pros," he said. "The level of competition I faced and the coaching I got made me very prepared."
Percy Merzbacher's coach at Minnesota, Jerry Noyce, remembers Merzbacher as the best player he coached in 15 years at Minnesota.
"From college, his career progressed upward from that point forward," Noyce said. "He was a hard worker and a student of the game. It doesn't surprise me that he ended up a coach."
Unlike other professional sports such as basketball or hockey, there is no draft for players. The decision to turn pro is solely the player's.
"I just decided to pool my money together and go out there," Merzbacher said of his decision to turn pro in 1987. "I was ready and eager to give it a try."
Life on the pro circuit was not the glamorous life that people expect, Merzbacher said. A lot of time is spent on the road and in hotels.
"The travel bothered me the most," he said. "There was a lot of dead time. It becomes a long grind."
Merzbacher joined the satellite tour, which is a way for newcomers to earn enough ATP points to qualify for a Grand Slam event. Merzbacher said it was the desire to compete in a major tournament that kept the players going, not the money. He was often spending more than he earned in a tournament on the satellite tour, which wasn't very much.
In 1989, Merzbacher achieved what he said was the highlight of his career. He qualified for the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam events.
"I was so pumped for that match," Merzbacher said. "Just to
He probably would like to forget the result. He lost to Magnus Gustafson, then the No. 40-ranked player in the world, in straight sets in an opening round match.
say you were there and you did it is something to remember."
"That was it," Merzbacher said. "That was my day in the show — my only Grand Slam and my dream realized."
Despite the accomplishment, Merzbacher soon realized he was not going to move up in the world rankings. He had played and lost to players Andre Agassi, Malavai Washington, Thomas Muster and Brian Shelton.
Shortly before the 1989 U.S. Open, Merzbacher retired from the game he loved. He said he had gotten the most out of the game that he could and decided to move into the coaching ranks.
athletics.
Now he wishes he had delayed his re-entry into Division-I
"If I had one regret, I'd say I wish I had played a couple of more years," he said. "It was tough at first not being able to compete like I had been used to."
After a three-year stint as coach at Northern Illinois, Merzbach came to Kansas, where he has led the Jayhawks to three consecutive Big Eight Conference championships.
"If there was ever someone who was out to be a coach, it was Chuck," Noyce said. "He always seemed to be studying the game and helping out his teammates."
The only reminder of Merzbacher's time in the pro game in his office is a framed poster of the 1989 Australian Open.
"There's been a lot accomplished here at Kansas that I'm proud of," he said. "But my time in the pros is something that will be hard to top."
On the mark
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Kansas senior golfer Jason Seeman marks his ball on the 1st Hole green at Alvamar Golf Club Monday during the Kansas Invitational. The Jayhawks are in first place after yesterday's opening rounds. Dan Rooney of Kansas is in first place individually and Slade Adams finished second. The tournament continues today. Full coverage and final results will appear in tomorrow's Kansan.
Big Eight volleyball coaches expect more parity this year
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
The feeling seems to be mutual among other Big Eight volleyball coaches; that the real competition will be for the third and fourth spots
For the Kansas volleyball team, the previews are over, and now it's almost time to start the feature presentation — Big Eight Conference play.
"I think that the competition is going to be strong all across the board," Oklahoma volleyball coach Miles Papst said.
But in this picture there might be more competition for the supporting roles than the lead.
ishers will be eligible to play in the conference tournament at the end of the year.
"Nebraska and Colorado are head and shoulders above the rest," Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said.
Here's a team-by-team look at Big
Colorado returns two All-Big Eight players, senior Leah Williams and junior Rachel Wacholder. The Buffaloes finished No. 13 last season in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association poll and No. 16 in the Volleyball Monthly poll, their seventh consecutive appearance in at least one of the final rankings. Colorado is 7-4 and will open against Nebraska tomorrow.
Eight volleyball this season. Conference play begins tomorrow.
Colorado has played inconsistently this season, Colorado assistant volleyball coach Pi'i Aiu said.
"We've played really well on two or three occasions and really poorly on a few occasions also." Alu said.
After last season's 24 wins, Iowa State will be one of the front-runners for the third spot in the Big Eight. With the return of nine letter-winners, including senior Stephanie McCannon, who led the conference in digs with a 4.73 average, the Cyclones hope to play in the Big Eight tournament again. Iowa State is 9-5 and will open conference play against Missouri tomorrow.
For Kansas, this will be the year that it tries to avenge last season, in which it finished fifth in the conference, just missing the Big Eight tournament. Senior Jenny Larson is the key player for this Kansas
"We've gotten better and better as the year goes on," Iowa State volleyball coach Jackie Nunez said. "We're starting to play more consistently."
squad. Larson ranks
squad. Larson ranks fifth on Kansas' career block assists chart with 168.
Kansas returns a young team, losing only one starter from last season.
Kansas, 5-8, will open at Oklahoma tomorrow.
"We've had some outstanding efforts at times, and we've
plete matches, Schoosewise said. "Some teams might look at our record and think that we don't have a very strong team this year, but the strength of our schedule will help us this year in conference play."
come close to playing some complete matches, *Schonewise* sets
The team has improved, Moore said.
Kansas' cross-state rival Kansas State has played well against nonconference competitors, including wins against Wisconsin. Coaching in his first season with the Wildcats last year, K-State volleyball coach Jim Moore led them to three conference wins, their best since 1990.
"But I will be looking out for every single team in the Big Eight," he said.
With the loss of four starters from last year's team, *Missouri* will try to improve from its wiliness mark in conference action last season.
Behind junior Colleen Pedrotti, who posted career highs in nearly every statistical category last season, the 2-11 Tigers hope to be competitive this season.
The Wildcats are led by last season's Big Eight blocking leader, senior Jill Dugan, and Kate DeClerk, who ranked fifth in the conference in hitting percentages. Kansas State, 10-2, will begin Big Eight play Friday against Colorado.
The Tigers open Big Eight play against Iowa State tomorrow.
"We'll play Nebraska and Colorado hard this year," Missouri assistant volleyball coach Michele Kohler said.
Nebraska, which has won 18 Big Eight regular season championships and 16 league tournament crowns, features an experienced and talented squad. Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit's squad is 10-1 this week against Penn State, Purdue and Pacific. Two-time All-American senior Allison Weston and second-team All-Big Eight selection Billie Winsett lead the 'Huskers' with
"I think this year is going to be pretty balanced in the conference," Pettit said. "Colorado is consistent, and every team is stronger than they were last season."
Nebraska will open conference action tomorrow against Colorado.
Oklahoma, which lost four starters from last season, will turn to younger players this year to take the squad to the Big Eight tournament.
"I think we're playing quite good right now for as young of a team as we are," Papst said. "Iowa State and Kansas State are going to be strong, but I think we're going to be a feisty team this year."
Oklahoma is 10-4 and begins conference play with Kaucas tomorrow.