UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, March 5, 1996
3B
Elbow to the head sidelines Gretzky
Player's return to Edmonton triggers cheap shot by Oiler
The Associated Press
EDMONTON, Alberta — After less than two games with the St. Louis Blues, Wayne Gretzky was injured following a hard hit to his head that his coach called a cheap shot.
"Hopefully, he'll be back soon," St. Louis coach Mike Keenan said Sunday after Kelly Bucherger elbowed Gretzky and caused a concussion during the Blues' 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
was not immediately clear how long he will be sidelined.
Gretzky probably will return to St. Louis for further tests, and it
"Of course it means the ultimate in terms of our franchise and c u l b , " Keenan said.
Gretzky was acquired Feb. 27 from Los Angeles for three young play-
"He was out cold." Keenan said.
"There's no question about it. He
the struggling club to a sellout for the third straight game.
Gretzky, the NHL's career scoring leader, is rarely injured. Some say that is because of an unwritten rule in the league that finesse players are off limits for rough play. He did miss the first 39 games of the 1992-93 season with a herniated disc after being checked from behind during the 1991 Canada Cup.
was pretty
groggy when
we came in at
the end of the
period. He
looks better to
menow."
ers and two draft choices following months of on-and-off negotiations and rumors of possible trades to other teams, most notably the New York Rangers.
He had played just one full game with the Blues since the deal, scoring in a 2-2 tie with the Vancouver Canucks. He set up another goal by Al Macnnis in the first period of the game against Edmonton.
Mike Keenan
St. Louis Blues head coach
Gretzky's return with the Blues created a stir in Edmonton, where he led the Oilers to four Stanley Cups in the late 1980s. A last-minute rush to the box office lifted
No medical personnel confirmed that the 35-year-old center was unconscious. St. Louis trainers reported before the end of the game that Gretzky had a
severe headache.
Neither referee Mick McGeough nor linesman Mike Cvik penalized Buchberger, but St. Louis defenseman Murray Baron immediately goaded the Oilers' forward into a fight.
Keenan, saying Buchberger should be disciplined, planned to send a videotape of the hit to Bryan Lewis, the league's director of officiating.
Randa had a Royal fade
Buchberger said he never intended to hurt Gretzy, but merely raised and folded his arm as the two players met.
The Associated Press
HAINES CITY, Fla. — On paper, the Kansas City Royals' plan looked good for Joe Randa last year.
It would provide Randa with 200 to 250 at-bats and groom him as the third baseman of the future, while resting 37-year-old Gary Gaetti in 1995.
And if the Royals needed any more evidence that Randa was ready, he hit .318, the sixth best average in the Arizona Fall League in 1994.
Randa appeared ready to step in at Kauffman Stadium. Randa had excelled at each minor league level, hitting .295 at AA Memphis in 1993 and .275 at AAA Omaha in 1994. With his glove, he led American Association third basemen in total chances, putouts, assists and double plays in 1994.
So phase in Randa and phase out Gaetti.
Gaetti, however, threw the plan awry, hitting 95 home runs, one shy of the Royals' record, and driving in 96 runs in 1995. His loud bat kept Randa on the bench.
"Gaetti was playing so well and was such a big part of the offense, I could understand why he needed to
be in the lineup," Randa said. "He was a big RBI guy. Without him in the lineup, we were a lot weaker. He was the offense."
Randa had started only seven games and had just 26 at-bats entering June.
Randa rusted on the bench with a.146 batting average (7-for-48) when the Royals sent him to Omaha on July 4.
Randa hit .275 in 64 games at Omaha and was recalled in September. He ended up hitting .171 in 34 games with the Royals and returned to the Arizona Fall League, hitting .275 with 24 runs and 23 RBI in 41 games. He played all four infield positions in Arizona.
Gaetti has since signed with St. Louis, and Randa once again has his eye on third base.
"The reason I went out was to get work in at second base if Gary would sign back," Randa said. "Turns out he's not here, and I won't see much time at second base, which is the way I'd rather have it anyway because I'm a natural third baseman. But the more positions you play, the more valuable you are."
LA may have Nomo pitching problems
Former Rookie of the Year throws near perfect debut
By John Nadel
AP Sports Writer
VERO BEACH, Fla. — "Hideo Nomo said it was no big deal. All he did was come within one pitch of throwing three perfect innings in his first appearance of the spring.
"Yes, I'm satisfied, but the exhibition season just started," Nomo said through an interpreter after retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 5-2 Sunday. "It was nothing special. I would say things are coming around pretty smoothly."
Nomo combined with winning pitcher Joey Eisench and Mike Harkey, who got a save, to retire the final 20 Houston batters. Both Eisench and Harkey pitched two perfect innings.
pitching coach Dave Wallace said of Nomo. "He threw the curve ball well. He's a unique guy. He knows when he's got to be ready and he's going to be ready."
After Ramon Martinez allowed
three hits and
a run in the
first two
innings.
N o m o
pitched the
third, fourth,
and fifth.
last season, said he concentrated on his fast ball.
Pinch-hitter Ken Ramos took a called third strike to start the third inning before Brian Hunter hit the ball over the lefthence on a 3-1 fast ball to
"I just tried to give him a fast ball, he let a home run," Nomo said of the pitch to Hunter.
Brett Butler hit a two-out. two-run
score a home run. Then, Nomo retired the next eight batters, finishing with three strikeouts while throwing 32 pitches.
single in the seventh inning to snap a 2-2 tie as the Dodgers made it two wins in as many games.
Nomo, the NL Rookie of the Year
The Astros, 1-1,
got their first run
in the second on
consecutive singles by Derek
Bell, Derrick
May and Sean
Berry to start the
inning. Martinez
then pitched out
of trouble,
thanks in part to
a double play in which new Dodger shortstop Greg Gagne was the middleman and made a fine pivot.
Gagne made an even better play on the final hitter Nomo faced,
going deep in the hole to flag down a grounder hit by pinch hitter Ricky Gutierrez before turning and throwing to first.
"He likes making a good first impression," said Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza, who had two of his team's six hits. "He surprised the heck out of me. It's good to see that."
Gagne admitted he surprised even himself a little on the ball Gutierrez hit.
"It's a tough play; it's a fun play to make," Gagne said. "I just try to see the ball off the bat and go get it, make the play. Each day I go out there and feel a little bit better and stronger."
Butler blooped his game-winning hit on a full-count pitch from losing pitcher Jeff Tabaka with the bases loaded.
"I hit the dog out of it, didn't I?" Butler said jokingly. "It was typical me. I tried to put the ball in play. It was a little high, I shouldn't have swung. I should have walked. But I'll take it."
Braves players looking for improvement
The Associated Press
Poor regular season numbers push some to perform better
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeff Blauer grumbles when a reporter approaches him to ask a couple of questions.
"What do you want to talk about?" the Braves shortstop demands.
The implication is clear: Don't ask the him about 1995, a season of individual misery amid all the excitement of Atlanta's first World Series championship.
Blauser, who hit 211, isn't alone. Several Braves — including starting pitcher Steve Avery, centerfielder Marquis Grissom and rightfielder David Justice — find themselves on the spot, eager to prove their disappointing numbers of last season were flukes.
"I feel like I turned it around at the end of last year," said Avery, who was 7-13 with a 4.67 ERA during the regular season but managed to win one game each in the National League Championship Series and the World Series. "It's just a matter of carrying over that part of the sea."
son instead of worrying about what happened earlier in the year."
Grissom was acquired from the Montreal Expos prior to last season, giving the Braves their first leadoff hitter since Brett Butler was traded away.
totals in both categories since his rookie year. Like Avery, though, he did manage to turn it up in the postseason, setting a major-league record with 25 postseason hits.
Instead, he managed to hit just 258 and steal 29 bases, his lowest
scrutiny is Justice, who often finds himself in the spotlight for his off-the-field actions. Justice hasn't come close to matching his 1993 season, when he placed third in NL MVP voting after hitting 40 home runs with 120 RBL
"it kind of evened out if you count the playoffs and World Series."
Last year, Justice managed a solid year — 253, 24 homers, 78 RBI
said Grissom, who was slowed by a bruised foot for much of the year. "I had a decent offseason, but I'm not totally satisfied ... I hit .258. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. I'm not making any excuses."
Another player facing increased
and hit the game-winning homer in the final game of the World Series. Also, he can point to a shoulder injury that plagued him for the first six weeks of the season.
"I think David is capable of hitting a lot of home runs and driving in a lot of runs for us," general manager
John Schuerholz said.
Since all four players on the spot are making big money, they will make easy marks for the fans if they don't turn things around — especially Blauser and Avery.
After hitting a career-high .305
with 15 homers and 73 RBI in 1993, Blauser slumped to .258 with six homers and 45 RBI two years ago and still received a $10 million, three-year contract.
At one point last season, he was dropped from second to eighth in the batting order, switching places with light-hitting second baseman Mark Lemke.
"I have not gone to India and holed myself up in a cave for six weeks. I've got to start from scratch," Blauer said.
Despite his poor year, Avery went to arbitration after the Braves tried to cut his salary. He felt the team was overlooking the 18 games he won in both 1991 and '93—and the arbiter agreed, awarding him a $200,000 raise to $4.2 million.
Pitching coach Leo Mazzone still considers Avery one of the top hurlers in the NL, noting his ratio of hits (165) and walks (52) to innings pitched (173.1) is normally good enough to win.
"All Steve did last year was have bad timing once in a while on a high changeup with two on and two outs." Mazzone said. "He very easily could reverse his record."
Former K.C. King remains jailed
Charles Whitney held on charge of abducting a White House aide
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Former NBA and North Carolina State player Charles Whitney was ordered yesterday to remain jailed on charges he kidnapped and robbed a White House aide at gunpoint.
U. S. Magistrate Patrick Attridge found during a preliminary hearing that there was probable cause to hold Whitney for the alleged crimes against Mark Fabiani, the White
House spokesman in the Whitewater affair.
Police said Fabiani had just left a subway stop in Alexandria, Va., on the night of Jan. 26 when he was accosted by two men and forced at gunpoint to get into their car.
Fabiani was driven into Washington and forced to use his bank card at two automated teller machines to withdraw $1,600.
The robbers also took Fabiani's Rolex, his briefcase and a cellular telephone, but those items were returned — along with $10 for a cab ride home — after Fabiani withdrew the cash.
He was released unarmed. Authorities are still searching for the second man.
He was released unharmed.
During the hearing, police testified that Whitney, 38, gave a videotaped confession. Attridge is expected to hear additional evidence on Friday from Whitney's attorneys who want to have him released to participate in a drug treatment program pending trial.
Whitney, known as "Hawkeye," was the first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Kings in 1980.
He played 70 games in two seasons with the team, averaging 5.8 points, before a knee injury ended his career.
He began his career starring at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., and was one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's premier players at North Carolina State in the late 1970s.
The Associated Press
OVERLAND PARK — Tickets for the 1997 Women's Final Four sold out in less than a day, marking the earliest sell-out ever in the history of the event.
Tickets went on sale by telephone at 11 a.m. Saturday. All tickets were sold by 4:30 p.m. that day.
The 1997 Women's Final Four will be played March 28 and March 30 in Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of more than 16,000.
Women's Final Four is a sell out
20% OFF all reg. priced Jayhawk & Big 8 clothing & gifts!
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday March 4 - 8, 1996
not valid on computers, sale items or special orders.
Kansas Union 864-4640 • Burge Union 864-5697
http://www.rock-chalk.com/kubookstores • e-mail jayhawks@union.wpo.ukans.edu
---