University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, July 19, 1989
Sports
13
KU coach finds baseball a success
by Barbara Kollmeyer Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
Dave Bingham is an authority in his field of study, although diplomacy is not in his gameplan.
"I really don't know that much about politics, I know much more about baseball," Bingham said, with a slight smile.
Bingham, KU baseball coach, never claimed to be a diplomat. When he innocently told a reporter, "Cuba needs a paint job," he didn't expect the trouble it would cause him.
Bingham served as an assistant coach for the United States baseball team in the Friendship series in 1983. He asked what he thought of the country.
"I said that it was kind of a shame over there because some of the homes needed a paint job, that was one of the comments I made, that Cuba looked like it needed a paint job.
"It looked like the Latins had just kind of stood still since the revolution in 1859, because they hadn't painted the beautiful homes.
"This went on the wire 'Cuba needs a pain job.' I didn't expect for it to come out, it was just a couple of seconds and then the Cuba was behind the times," he said.
"The press really gets you sometimes."
However, Bingham's coaching abilities not given him opportunities not all college coaches have.
At the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, South Korea, he was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal. In 1984 he was an assistant coach for the silver medal Olympic team in Los Angeles. He assisted U.S. national teams in international competitions in 1979 and 1983.
"I'd been at the right situation at the right time and at the right place
and it gave me a chance," Bingham said.
Bingham always knew he would be involved in baseball, although he said he was sidetracked at times.
"As a kid I wanted to do two things, play at the University of Arizona and I wanted to play pro-baseball," he said. Bingham did play at the University of Arizona from 1967-68, while studying architecture.
"In the second year of architecture school, the guys were sleeping in bunks they built above their desks, sleeping a couple of hours and then working on their projects," Bingham said.
"I didn't want to do that because I was an athlete and I wanted to give all of my energy to baseball," he said. "I also required certain sacrifices."
"I did well enough in college, but flunked a class every Spring semester that I played baseball, mainly 7:30 a.m. classes," he said. "Not that much, but the education was on baseball and my academics would suffer." Bingham said.
After moving to Emporia, spending two years playing baseball and getting a bachelor's degree in physical education. Bingham got his first play professional ball and fulfill the other half of his childhood dream.
After playing one year of minor league ball he returned to Emporia State in 1971.
"I didn't play well initially," Bingham said. "They released me at the end of the year and I had a chance to go back if I wanted to, but there were other things I wanted to do." Bingham said.
"I didn't think that I had a chance to play in the big leagues after evaluating the talent and seeing who was playing against," Bingham said.
Bingham said it was a difficult decision to make, but he never looked
"In baseball, you only have to control yourself, but in coaching you have to get everyone ready to play, and you need to have the right attitude," he said.
back. He returned to Emporia State to get his master's degree in physical education and student teach the baseball team at Emporia State.
Bingham became coach at Emporia State in 1973 and latched onto what he thought was a winning program. He took the Hornets to the College World Series five times and won championship in 1978. Bingham built a reputation as a tough but well-liked coach at Emporia.
"He is still the most respected man in Emporia," said Dick Nibarger, sports information director at Emporia State.
"Nobody argued with him, every one listened. His discipline was there for a reason," he said. "He is still a living tradition and a winner."
After 14 years without a losing season, Bingham took the coaching job at KU in 1878, and experienced his first of two losing seasons.
"I knew what I was getting into at KU, but it's been difficult to handle losing," Bingham said. "It's the frustration of losing and I get frustrated easily with that, and I'm not a good coach in that sense.
"The one thing that I've had to learn is to slow down and not get nearly as frustrated with our inabilities," he said. "I felt many times at Emporia that I could just manage the game and win it."
"Here, it's much more of a teaching and coaching situation and the managing end of it is going to be a lot later," he said.
Despite the frustration of losing, Jeff Spencer, Enid, Oka. junior and KU firstbaseman, said that Bingham confident and positive on the field.
"When I first met Coach Bingham.
Spencer also attributed Bingham's coaching abilities to his ability to read his players.
confidence spewed out of his pores," Spencer recalled. "He thinks he's invincible."
"He can take any baseball player and know what he's thinking for a year, he said. "That's why he's so good."
However, Bingham does not believe that he can read his players' minds. He said because he had dealt with the 17 through 21 age group for so long, he knew what they were going through.
"I've been around those kids, that age group, for 16 years as a head coach," he said. "You can see and read their body language because people will tell you about themselves if you'll let them."
Bingham has few hobbies besides baseball. Even in the summertime he's at the ballpark watching some of his games on the Maupinour Travelers.
His wife, Janet Bingham, with whom he has two children, said being married to a coach was difficult at times.
"I get perturbed with him at times when we go down to the ballpark, get home, and he wants to watch baseball on TV," she said. "He's always been really important to it; it's always been really important to him." I think he retires as coach.
Bingham said that he had a long way to go with his team, and that he had not achieved his desired coach-to-player relationship yet.
"They've been too frightened of you," he said. "They've paid a lot of respect to me, much more than they should have.
"Our expectations were high, we pushed them and made them work, and instead of accepting that as a blessing, we got frightened by their inabilities."
Despite two losing seasons at KU.
Dave Bingham
Bingham said he was still glad to be coaching at KU.
Bo's 3-run homer helps beat Brewers
By Gary Putton Kansan sportswriter
other colleges," he said. "It's a diamond in the rough, a well kept secret, that's for sure."
by Gary Patton
Bo is back
"KU stacks up pretty well against
In his first swing since Thursday, Bo Jackson stroked a 450-foot, first-inning, three-run home run last night, powering the Royals to a 9-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Pitcher Mark Gubicza, 9-7, benefited from Jackson's slugging. He scattered nine Brewer hits in nine innings, striking out eight batters. It was his ninth complete game of the season, a major league high
Jackson's welcomed return to the starting lineup came after missing five straight games with a re-aggravated thigh injury. He had two more assists with a single and a triple in Royals' 1889 club high with 5 RRIs.
"Guby pitched a good game," manager John Wathan said after the game. "He had a lot of base-runners, but we have seen that before. He battled and got through it and we scored some runs."
George Brett score of four of his team's runs, scoring a 1989 club high for runs scored in a game Brett, batting .368 in his last 19 games, went three for three and knocked in two runs.
With Brett in the on-deck circle, Brewers manager, Tom Treebelhorn, made a questionable move in the seventh inning. He ordered a one-out intentional walk to Kevin Seitzer, loading the bases. Treebelhorn's strategy for a double play backfired when Brett responded with his two-run single to center-field.
"Brett is swinging the bat well," Wathan said. "He is seeing the ball and hitting to all fields. He's having fun again and so are we."
Catcher Mike Macfarlane,
relieving Boone for the night,
also joined in the Royals fun.
He broke the game's 4-4 tie with
a run-scorning double in the sixth
of losing nipper Don August, 9-8.
After Macfarlane's hit, the Brewers never challenged the Royals lead again. The Brewers have lost six consecutive games.
One run came on a solo shot by rightfielder Rob Deer in the second inning. Deer recaptured the top spot in the American League
The game started as a seesaw affair, with the Brewers matching the Royals four runs in the first five innings.
"Welcome back Bo Jackson," Wathan said. "It's funny, after he hit it, I looked up and saw the flag blowing to right and wondered what would happen if he hit one that way. Then he blasted it."
Jackson had tied Deer for the home run lead one inning earlier.
But Jackson's big night back in the line-up was the talk of the Royal's clubhouse.
homerun race with his 23rd home run of the season.
The Royals, now 53-40 on the season, continue to lead the major leagues with the best winning record at home. With last night's win over the Western Division-leading California Angels and Oakland Athletics. Both teams won last night's games.
Notes from the clubhouse
by Gary Patton
- The Royals continue to boast the best home record in the major leagues at 32-11 (744), including a six-game win streak at home. - Last night's starting pitcher, Willson Wilson, leaves League's pitcher of the month in June, compiling a 4-1 record and a 2.34 ERA. Since June, his four starts have resulted in two losses, one no-decision, and last night's win. He also pitched a scoreless in last week's All-Star game.
Royals Report
■ Brett is the club's bestest hitter, hitting safely in 16 of his last 19 games, with homeruns in three of his last six. During this stretch he has 28 hits in 76 at-bats for a .368 average. This hot streak has raised Brett's season average to .368.
The Royals have won 14 of their last 17 games with George Brett, Danny Tartabull and Bo Jackson in the startling lineup. Only 29 of the season's 93 games have had all three players starting.
Willie Wilson did not start for
the second consecutive game because of the flu. Before his layoff, he was enjoying his hottest hitting streak of the season, hitting safely in nine of his last 11 games, for a 342 clip. He entered the game after two innings, pinch-hit a single to right field, and scored a Georgie Brett base hit to center.
ON DECK
**Bucky Biancalana, a Royals infielder on the disabled list this season with congenital back problems, is making plans for a broadcast career as a sports announcer. Last night he made an audition tape in the Royals press box as a rookie. The team's manager's, he has injury and performance troubles since his 1986 season. He started at shortstop for the 1985 world championship team in the World Series. He said he hoped to be back playing again before the end of the season. Tom Hendrick, KU instructor, was Biancalana's partner in the 1986 Hendrick said the infielder would make an outstanding sports announcer.
Today
Royals vs. Brewers
7:35 p.m. Royals Stadium
Thursday
Royals vs. Indians
7:35 p.m. Royals Stadium
Friday
Royals vs. Indians
7:35 p.m. Royals Stadium
Royals vs. Indians 1:35 p.m. Royals Stadium
Royals vs. Red Sox
6:35 p.m. Fenway Park
Saturdy
Royals vs. Indians
7:05 p.m. Royals Stadium
Tuesday
Sundav
West W W L Pct. GB -
California 54 38 147 -
Kansas City 53 40 170 %
Texas 52 40 543 %
Seattle 45 47 489 %
Chicago 45 37 489 %
Chicago 36 57 398 %
East W 3 L Pct. GB
Baltimore 43 48 L 367 (79)
Toronto 46 48 489 (8)
Boston 43 48 489 (8)
Cleveland 43 48 473 10
Detroit 43 48 363 20
Detroit 43 38 363 20
American league
National league
East W L Pct. GB
Montreal 53 40 1.47 72
Chicago 49 43 433 3½
New York 48 43 453 7½
Oakland 48 43 157 17
Pittsburgh 38 51 427 13
Philadelphia 51 54 400 15½
West W 1 W L Pct. GB
San Francisco 56 37 46 .22
Houston 53 41 41 .54 %
San Diego 54 48 489 10 %
Los Angeles 43 50 48 12 %
Atlanta 43 50 44 12 %
KU athletes, coaches to compete in Olympics East, West, North and South teams will compete in Oklahoma City for the gold
by a Kansan reporter
Kansas coaches and athletes will compete in the Olymnes this week.
The festival began in 1978 and is held each non-Olympic year. The
They won't be in Barcelona, Spain, but in Oklahoma City, Okla., at the Olympic Sports Festival.
A spokesman from the Olympic committee said they expected 4,200 athletes to compete in 35 events this year. The festival is open to any amateur athlete.
two-week event will be held July 21 to July 30.
The athletes are divided into four squads, North, South, East and West. Kansas swimming coach Gary Kempt will coach the West swim team. Kansas assistant track coach Rick Attk will coach the West track sound.
Three Kansas athletes will compete. Craig Watche, distance runner.
will be in the track competition.
Adonis Jordan, Kansas basketball
signee, will play basketball for the
West squad. Another basketball signee,
JoJo Witerson, will play team handball.
Doug Vance, Kansas sports information director, is media coordinator for the festival.
Swimmers compete in under-18 group at olympic festival
Swimmers lead pre-ceremony activities at Oklahoma's Owen Field in Norman
"I had sort of been envisioning this for a month or two," said the 18-year-old Zeditz, who took the first gold medal of the festival in the 200-meter individual medley. "I told my coach last week that I was putting all my marbles in the first event. I felt I had the best shot at that event and that all my strokes are feeling really good.
Those swimmers, who will be finished by the time the festival officially begins with Friday night's open ceremonies at Owen Field in Norman, Okla., are the elite under-18 swimmers in the nation. The leaders among the budding stars last night were local product Trip Zediltz and Paige Wilson of Athens, Ga. Both won three medals.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The singers, dancers, skydivers and former President Reagan won't appear for two more days. For now, the U.S. Olympic Festival belongs to the swimmers.
The Associated Press
"I wasn't expecting to win but was hoping and had a lot of confidence I would win."
Wilson won the women's 200 free-
style and 100 butterfly. She added a
bronze as part of an 800-meter free-
style relay team.
He later was second to Geoffrey Cronin of Sumyneva. Calif., in the 200 backstroke and took a bronze in the men's 400 medley relay.
"This has given me a lot of con-
fidence going into nationals," said
Wilson, who has had a rough year.
She broke a hand in the spring, which
would work to concentrate on
her kid. Then she had a leg
problem.
"I just started kicking last week again," she said. "I was really worried about my leg. I trained really well in the spring, but then every started happening. I just trained through it and tried to keep a positive attitude, and this has really boosted my confidence."
Particularly since she didn't expect much in the 200 free, swimming in the consolation heat to get more time to rest for the butterfly.
"I was surprised I won." Wilson said. "I'm not really a freestyle. My best race is the fly. I had no idea I was going to win."
One athlete who gave up his place here is bowler Ron Mohr of Anchorage, Alaska. Mohr withdrew Tuesday when he broke his right collarbone and arm during a bicycling training session when he swerved to avoid a moose.
Other winners on the first night of competition in the ninth festival were Brad Bachulis of Lake Oswego, Ore., in the 108 breaststroke, 15-year-old Amy Walker of Des Moines, Iowa, in the women's 400 Barb, Barbara Delfa of Etn. N.H., in the women's 600 Barb, Barbara Englewood, Colo., in the 50 freestyle, and John Kennedy of Middlesex, N.J., in the 400 freestyle.
Like Wilson, Walker was stunned she won. Her time of 4 minutes, 56.32 seconds was more than 15 seconds better than her personal best.
"I was nervous, and I just wanted to do well here," Walker said. "I didn't think I would place."
Mohr, 33 and a member of Team USA, will be replaced at the festival by Stan Wright of Birmingham, Ala.
LeMond still leader in Tour de France
The Associated Press
BRIANCON, France — Greg LeMond, the leader of the Tour de France after 16 stages, knows the most important is No. 17.
The leader with seven stages to go, LeMond finished fourth in yesterday's 6th stage from Gap to Branion to increase his overall lead to 33 seconds. He said today's stage through the Alps will all decide who will wear the yellow jersey following Sunday's final leg.
LeMond, the 1986 champion who is making a comeback following two years of misfortune and injury, said
No.17 was the toughest test in the 2,020-mile race.
"The most difficult stage of the Tour is going to be 'A lpe d'Huez.' LeMond said. "It will really separate a lot of people at the top. There are steep enough climbs you think you can't make them."
The 100-mile leg is marked by four climbs, three of which are off the scale of difficulty and steepness being rated "Out of Category."
That includes the final 6-mile climb to the 5,940-foot peak with 21 switchbacks.