University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, October 30, 1991
SPORTS
13
Take the chancellor out to the ball game
By Ben Grove Special to the Kansan
Kansas Chancellor Gene A. Budig has played golf with Joe Djaggio.
before Budig came to Kansas, he and the baseball legend played four or five games.
"Probably because I know him very well." Budig said.
Of all the autographed balls in his baseball collection, Budig said recently that the one signed by DiMaggio meant the most.
When Budig was president of Wes Virginia University, DiMaggio gave the school $100,000 for medical research.
"He is a very successful businessman," Badig said. "We would play golf together four or five times a year, and we would talk about baseball. He would discuss other ballplayers—Ted Williams, Yoiver Berra, Bob Feller.
"He is a distinct credit to the game. He is the game's most effective ambassador."
DiMaggio's signature is just one of many autographs the chancellor has. At one point, Budig made up his own all-time, all-star lineup. He included such players as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Nolan Ryan. Budig has an autographed baseball from everyone in his lineup.
Budio and Billy Martin
Budig's love for the game of baseball has very much been a part of his life since his boyhood and has led him into friendships with more than one major-league baseball personality.
As a young bat boy for his hometown McCook College in Nebraska, Budg met Billy Martin, who was a soldier then. Martin would play second base for the semi-pro cats When he on leave. The deceased Martin later played for and managed the New York Yankees.
"He was a split personality," Budig said. "Before and after games he was almost gentle. He was especially receptive to young people and took time to be with them and talk about baseball.
"On the field he was a driven person. Winning was the only important thing. I knew and liked both sides of Billy Martin."
Budig said that Martin's constant high level of emotion might have been responsible for some of his managerial difficulties.
A link with the family
"It was the only time we had together," he said. "It was a time to talk about issues. It was a time for family."
Baseball was a link between Budig and his father.
Occasionally, Budig's sister and brother would go to games with Budig and his father.
"Perhaps that is why it is known as the American pastime," Budig said. "It represents family interests now as never before."
Budig played in little league, midget
league and later in an American Legion league and then during his early college years. He did not play during high school because his school did not have a baseball program.
"I had dreams of being a professional baseball player." Budig said. "That was not to be, but that doesn't diminish the attractiveness of the game to me." Baseball's changing face
Baseball's changing face
Budig has noticed some changes in the game.
He keeps a calendar featuring old stadiums around his office and said, "It is painful to see the elimination of the old ballparks."
He spoke of Comiskey Park in Chicago and others in Baltimore, Cleveland and Detroit, where there are plans or steps being taken to tear down old ballparks.
"They have been razed for economic considerations," Badig said. "Economic necessities have changed the game. Salaries have gone off the chart."
We noted that this year baseball took in more money than ever before and that major league ball was operating under a $14 billion television contract.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
budig said he was aware that the public had become somewhat resentful of the salary situation. However, the resentment hasn't kept fans at home, Budig was quick to point out.
"Americans have an unshakable lover for the game." Budig said.
But that does not exempt baseball players from their responsibility to be role models, he said.
Chancellor Budig's all-stars
Chancellor Gene A. Budig's all-time baseball all-stars. He has baseballs autographed by all of the players.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Source: Ben Grove
He said Pete Rose, who was indicted on gambling charges, never short-changed anyone on the field.
"No one played with greater intensity than Pete Rose, "Budig said. "He did fail the game with his off-the-diamond score, but he paid a high price for his indiscretions."
Budiq and the Jayhawks
With so much to say about the game of baseball, it's almost easy to forget that Budig is the chancellor at a Big Eight Conference university. For Budig, baseball can be just as serious subject as his job. Occasionally, the two cross paths.
Bob Frederick, Kansas athletic director, said, "I'd say that he probably mentions baseball to me once a week in some form or manner.
Frederick said that the chancellor's interest in baseball was an obvious plus for Kansas' baseball program.
"No. 1, he attends games," Frederick said. "No. 2, he is willing to speak to various student athletes during the recruiting process. No. 3, the fact that he is such a baseball fan is probably comforting to Dave Bingham, the baseball coach."
Two years ago, just after Kansas had won a 10-inning game against Kansas State, splitting a series, Bingham excitedly ran onto the field.
"This guy was waving and yelling," Bingham said. "I didn't recognize him at first, but it was Chancellor Budig. He was over by first base, and he'd come on the field to congratulate us."
Budig said he anticipated Kansas being highly competitive in the Big Eight this season.
And of the 1991 World Series?
Budig said that Atlanta was a team that would be around for awhile, that would be around for awhile.
ers that would be around for a white.
However, his nick was the Twins.
Williams stresses player confidence
"I'm an American League person," he said.
Coach gives speech at Ellsworth Hall
By Ben Grove Special to the Kansar
Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams exploded at practice yesterday, but there was no evidence of it
when the composed
composed
later gave a
speech to
students
at Ellsworth Hall.
"We try to push them as hard as we can and give them as much confidence as we can," Williams said.
RoyWilliams
Williams was so frustrated with his team that he told them to come back for 11 p.m. practice "and be ready to run."
Such threats and explosions are not part of what Williams emphasizes in his coaching. Instead, Williams preaches positive reinforcement.
Williams told the Ellsworth crowd that it was just a threat and that he really only expected to work with the team about another 35 minutes to get ready.
"I'm big on confidence." he said.
Williams told several stories about how he learned the advantages of teaching his players to be self-confident. One story was from his days as an assistant coach under Dean Smith at North Carolina when the Tarheels were down in the 1982 NCAA championship game 62 to 61.
With less than 30 seconds in the game, the Tarheels came back to the bench to hear what Coach Smith had to say. Williams remembers the look of him as he realized that for the first time in the game that they could actually lose.
"It made me feel better. It was amazing to see how that look in their eyes had changed in just that last minute."
Williams said, "He [Smith] told them, 'We're in great shape. I'd much rather be in our shoes right now. They have nothing to do with it.'
The Tarbeels won after Michael Jordan, then a freshman, hit the game-winning jump shot.
In 1898, Williams said he continually reminded his team of how good it would feel to beat two second-ranked Louisiana State. He convinced his team, and his sometimes doubting assistant coaches, that Kansas would win.
Williams used the same positive reinforcement to coach Mark Randall, who was drafted in June in the first round by the NBA Chicago Bulls. Williams said that, at first, Randall needed confidence.
"Even when he'd go for a water break 'd tell him 'You did that better than anyone.' Williams said. "All we really did was try to build his confidence up. His ability was there. We just tried to make him confident."
As practice progresses, Williams said he was confident about the coming season and especially encouraged Kansas' experience on the perimeter.
Williams said Rex Walters, who played for two years at Northwestern before transferring to Kansas, had done the best job of preparing for practice and conditioning.
Williams said he knew that Kansas' opposition would hound sophomore forward Richard Scott from the onset and anticipated that Scott would elevate his level of play to meet that challenge.
"The only thing he has to do is please me, and, in the long run, I think he'll please everyone else as well,' Williams said.
"I won't know until after the first four or five games what kind of team this really is," Williams said. "I want to be known as a defensive team."
Williams also recognized the pressure of attention on freshman forward Ben Davis.
Freshman center Greg Ostertag will join Davis on the inside.
"He's going to get more blocked shots by accident than we will as a team," Williams said of the 7-foot-2 Ootertag.
Vuth Un, Leavenworth senior, completes his last incline-press repetition as Brent Manwarren, Dodge City junior, spots. The students are two of many who frequent the Robinson weight training rooms in the evenings.
Robinson workout
'Late Night scores one with recruits
Williams more concerned with quality, not quantity
By Jeff Kobs
Kansan Sportswriter
Two of the three recruits that visited Kansas during "Late Night with Roy Williams" have committed verbally to Big Eight Conference schools.
Basketball recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons of Lenoir, N.C., said 6-foot-7 forward Chris Davis would sign with Kansas during the early signing period.
"The word is he will sign Nov. 13th," Gibbons said
The early national letter-of-intent signing period runs from Nov. 13 to 20.
Jaron Boone, 6 a 4 guard from Salt Lake City,
also visited Kansas during "Late Night"
Mouth of Wilson, Va., the 19th best high school player overall.
Boone has committed to Nebraska, Gibbons said.
Garden City coach Jim Carey said "Late Night" had made an impression on Hancock.
The third "Late Night" visitor, Darrin Hancock, a 6-7 forward from Garden City Community, is considering Kansas, Gibbons ans.
"I think he had an excellent time," Carey said. "If he had to make a decision right now, Kansas would be one of his top choices.
"He likes coach Williams, and he likes Kansas." Carey said Hancock also was considering Kentucky and Georgia.
Gibbons said Kansas had a clear-cut advantage with Hancock right now.
"He had a great visit to Kansas," he said. "The word is he won't sign early, but that's not carved in stone."
Kansas can offer a maximum of three scholarships this year and five during the next two years.
Williams said during Kansas basketball media day that he would be happy to sign only two recruits this season if they were the right two.
Gibbons said if Kansas signed Davis and a player of Hancock's caliber, the Jayhawks would have
"There's no question about it," he said. "It's just what they need."
Last year, Gibbons ranked Kansas's recruiting class second in the nation behind Michigan's.
Spurs waive Pritchard
The San Antonio Spurs waived for mer Jayhawk Kevin Pritchard on Monday and released center Paul Mokesi.
SPORTS BRIEF'S
The moves leave San Antonio with 15 players, including Rod Strickland, who remains unsigned.
Teams have until 6 p.m. CST tomorrow to reduce their rosters to 12 players.
Bobby Cox became the first manager to win manager of the year in both leagues when he was voted National League Manager of the Year on yesterday by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Cox named NL's top manager
Atlanta, the worst team in baseball in 1990 at 65-97, finished 94-68 this year and won the NL West title for the first time since 1982. The Braves and the Minnesota Timberline became the first two teams to score their century to go from last to first.
Cox, the 1985 American League Manager of the Year with the Toronto Blue Jays, led the Bruins to their first playoff victory to Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966.
The Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers by one game to win the division, beat Pittsburgh in seven games in the NL playoffs and then lost to Minnesota in seven games in the World Series.
"It was just a great year to manage with this ballcub," said Cox, who began his second stint at Atlanta manager during the 1990 season. "I'm a very lucky guy."
ox got 13 first-place votes, 10 seconds and one third for 96 points, easily beating Pittsburgh manager Jim Leyland, who got 74 points. Leyland received nine votes for first, seven for second and eight for third.
Mariner name new manager
Bill Plummer became manager of the Seattle Mariners yesterday, a selection owner Jeff Smulyan said would show the franchise was seriously trying to improve after its first-ever winning season.
He called Plummer "the guy for this job."
"Hopefully, this sends a message that we're serious about taking this
thing to another level," Simulyan said during a news conference in the Kingdome. "We didn't feel that managing in the major leagues was the most critical criteria. As a matter of fact, we in many ways, it might be a liability."
Plummer, the Mariners' third base coach, replaced the fired Jim Lefebvre and agreed to a two-year deal worth about $300,000 per year.
Plummer, 44, is the Mariners' 10th manager in 15 years. He has no major league managerial experience but managed seven years in the team's minor-league system and is considered to be popular with the players.
From The Associated Press
Cornhuskers overcome errors to beat Jayhawks
Kansan staff report
Kansas coach Frankie Albizt said the Jayhawks played well in the first halves of the two games.
"The scores were close, and Nebraka was making errors," Alibitz said. "When they stopped making errors, the score just shot up."
The 10th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Kansas volleyball team 15-7, 15-8, 15-5 last night at Nebraska.
"If youcan't pass thenyou're in trouble," she said. "We had an awful practice yesterday, and I hoped the girls had gotten it out of their system. I don't know what happened."
She said she wain't happily with the way the team played, saying the Jay-ers had won.
VOLLEYBALL
The loss dropped Kansas to 21-5 and 4-4 in the Big Eight Conference. Nebraska remained undefeated and in first place in the conference. The Jayhawks are in fourth place in the Big Eight.
Kansas will travel to Ames, Iowa, to play Iowa State on Friday. The Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones in five games earlier this month.