University Daily Kansan / Thursday, April 2, 1987
Sports
11
Gooden requests drug counseling; will miss opener
United Press International
NEW YORK — The New York Mets Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden will enter a medical counseling program to evaluate drug abuse problems, the club announced yesterday.
A Mets spokesman said the disclosure of Gooden's problem resulted from a drg test Gooden himself requested.
"We became aware of the problem earlier this week." Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said. Asked if the club learned about Gooden's drug problem after a test had been administered, Horwitz replied. "Yes. If you remember, he volunteered to be tested."
Gooden repeatedly said he would voluntarily undergo drug testing to quiet rumors and speculation about his worsening performance as a plaver.
In a brief statement, the Mets said Gooden had conferred with Frank Cashen, club executive vice president and general manager, and Joe McLlvaine, vice president of baseball operations about counseling.
"There is some indication of past usage," Cashen said. "But the extent is uncertain and that will be up to company medical people to ascertain. Gooden will be evaluated and admitted on future remedial action."
Cashen said he discussed the situation with Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and National League President A. Bartlett Giannatto earlier this week.
Ueberroth told the club he was prepared to suspend Gooden immediately, but would withhold disciplinary action if Gooden fully cooperated in an appropriate treatment program and aftercare.
"We're disappointed," said Ed Durso, spokesman for the commissioner's office. "We're disappointed from two perspectives. One that we have an obviously gifted athlete who will now have a difficult process of
effecting a recovery from a drug use problem. And we're disappointed that, from our perspective, we do not yet have in baseball the most effective program we could have to avoid that kind of thing in the future — that being a proper (mandatory) testing program."
Gooden, 22, was still considered the pride of New York's outstanding pitching staff, though he had slipped from his 1985 form. He had won the National League's Cy Young Award with a 24-4 record.
Controversy has followed him for 15 months, since he mysteriously sprained his ankle while negotiating a contract with the Mets. Since then, he has pitched inconsistently and suffered a series of well-publicized personal problems
Although he probably would have pitched New York's Opening Day game Tuesday, Gooden has shown little of his former stature. As recently as last week, Gooden had failed to deliver his trademark hard fastball and was experiencing difficulty throwing his curve.
Gooden failed to win a single game in the postseason, prompting speculation over the health of his arm. After the Series, he missed a tickertape parade for the champions.
Before Christmas, in his hometown of Tampa, Fla., Gooden and four companions were arrested for brawling with police who had stopped their car. Police said blood tests had shown that Gooden, who was driving his Mercede, had been drinking.
On Jan. 23, a judge placed Gooden on three years' probation and ordered him to perform 160 hours of community service after the pitcher no contest to charges that could have landed him in jail for up to 10 years.
After the negative publicity, Gooden settled contract negotiations with the club, agreeing to a one-year contract for $1.5 million rather than going through salary arbitration.
Team without a win in over two weeks
By DAVID BOYCE
Paul Henry, KU pitcher, winds up for a pitch that became a Missouri Western home run in the first inning of a double-header at Quigley Field. KU lost the first game 7-1 and tied the second 9-9.
The Kansas baseball team is still searching for its first victory in over two weeks. The last Jayhawk victory came against Pan American on March 20.
Staff writer
Yesterday, Kansas lost its first game of a double-header 7-1 to the Missouri Western Griffons and played to a 9-9 tie in the second game, which was halted after seven innings because of darkness.
The Jayhawks will try to pick up a victory when they play Wichita State 3 p.m. today at Quigley Field.
Missouri Western, the NAIA team, had been unsuccessful against previous NCAA teams. The Griffons dropped two games against Kansas State on March 1 and came into yesterday's game with a 6-12 record. Griffons coach Dennis Minnis said he was pleased with the two games.
"Tuesday we played some of the worst ball I've seen played against Central Missouri State, but today I made a few changes on the infield and we won." he said.
Minnis started a sophomore at third base and freshmen at shortstop and catcher for the first time this year.
Coach Marty Pattin would not comment on the two games that dropped Kansas' record to 8-12-1 overall. The Jayhawks had lost six games in a row before playing to a tie.
In the first game, starter Paul Henry was still unable to find last year's form, which gave him a 9-6
Henry gave up a home run to the first batter of the game, Darren Lewis, and was never able to get on the bases in innings and gave up four earned runs.
record. He dropped his fourth straight game.
Kansas came out strong in the second game, taking a 4-1 lead after
four innings of play
Hugh Stanfield hit his sixth home run of the season in the fourth and had four RBI in the game.
"When I worked with a guy who worked with Jose Canseco (American League Rooke of the Year), he told me to close my stance." Stanfield said.
Stanfield also said that going to a 35-ounce bat gave him more meat at the end of the bat. Stanfield used a 44-ounce last year.
Despite the three-run lead entering the fifth, Kansas fell into its same pattern of being outscored in the later innings.
The Griffons scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and in the seventh.
Kansas battled back and scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth and took a one-run lead into the last inning.
Designated hitter John Byrn had three hits while Stanfield, Smith and Darrel Matthews each had two hits
"I am feeling pretty good at the piano, but I wouldgladly trade my two pieces."
The Griffons, though, scored twice, which gave them a one-run lead. Kansas added its final run on an infield single by Stanfield that scored David Smith and ended the game in a 9-9 tie.
Although Kansas increased its hit total from two in the first game to 15 in the second game, some of the hits were made that they could not get the victory.
Kansas has outscored its opponent 42-35 in the first two innings in all games combined. But they have been outscored 117-59 in the last five innings combined.
"Coach knows we can play better," Matthews said.
Smith said Pattin was fairly angry with the team and had a few choice words for them in a closed-door team meeting after the game.
Pattin to finish out season,official says
By DAVID BOYCE
Staff writer
Marty Pattin will not return next year as Kansas' baseball coach but will finish out the season, Gary Hunter, associate athletic director officially announced yesterday.
Pattin said that he would leave Kansas with good memories about his experience as head coach, and that he had no regrets about his performance.
"Marty is one of the nicest guys
around, but we felt the baseball program was not progressing like we wanted it to," said Monte Johnson, athletic director.
"I'm proud of the fact that the program has been run honestly." Pattin said. "I think we've laid the groundwork. We'll come in and continue to improve."
Pattin's career coaching record is 116-144-1 in $ _{5}^{2} $ years of coaching. Pattin came to Kansas in 1982.
Pattin experienced his best season
as a coach in 1983, his second year at Kansas, when the team finished third in the Big Eight Conference with a 17-17 overall record.
This year the team is moved in a six-game losing streak. It is 8-12-1 overall and 0-4 and last in the Big Eight.
Pattin praised several groups for supporting him during his tenure at the university.
He said, 'People such as the Trombold family, Steve Renko, Jim
Shanks, Barry Robertson, Floyd Temple and many others have provided tremendous support.
"I've also worked with a great bunch of players along the way who've really helped make this job enjoyable."
Before becoming KU's head baseball coach, Pattin spent 13 seasons in the major leagues, including pitching for the Kansas City Royals. Series for the Kansas City Royals.
Johnson seeking quiet job that won't put him in 'a fishbowl'
Alan Hagman/KANSAM
Monte Johnson will leave the Jayhawks behind when he steps down from his position as KU athletic director. Johnson plans to return to private business.
By LAURA BOSTROM Staff writer
Athletic Director Monte Johnson sat at a desk neatly covered with files, papers and family photos. At 8 a.m. he was dressed as usual in shirtleeves and was chewing gum.
Though the quiet inner office hides the constant ringing of a phone, a stack of messages sits on his desk.
Johnson's recent decision to resign as athletic director has put him where he likes to be least — in a fishbow.
Johnson said he spoke of his resignation in November, but told Chancellor Gene A. Budig that he would wait until after the basketball season to resign.
"One of the most difficult things about the job of athletic director is the visibility," he said yesterday. "I don't like being in a fishbowl."
Johnson had a long history with the University before becoming athletic director four and a half
years ago. He received a bachelor's and master's degree from KU, played on the basketball team and worked for nine years in various athletic department positions.
Johnson intends to return to private business where he was before accepting his job as athletic director.
Del Brinkman, vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Johnson had brought stability to the athletic department, had improved facilities and increased private donations.
"He didn't have to have this job." Brinkman said.
Johnson said he turned down two other opportunities to be athletic director. He finally accepted a position at the University and was appointed to help the school a little bit.
The slow pace of a bureaucratic organization, such as the University, was very frustrating to him. He said decisions took many steps of approval before something could
hadden.
"In private business you make a decision, and you move on it," he said. "I'm too impatient."
Johnson said he had been working too hard, beginning each workday at about 6 a.m. and from working to 80 hours a week.
Another frustration was football
"Most all of his activities, work and social, were tied to the University." Brinkman said.
Another frustration was football.
"I want football to be a little stronger," he said. But he insists that students need to be more involved before it will get stronger.
"Students are the catalyst," he said.
He said developing student support for football is essential for the next director.
But now Johnson will leave the frustrations and the pressure. He will leave his fishbowl and return to the anonymity of a supportive alumnus and former player.
By ROB KNAPP
Staff writer
The national signing day for basketball recruits is less than a week away, but Kansas coaches are still unsure which current junior college players and high school seniors will be Jayhawks next season.
“it's kind of tough to tell right now.” Kansas assistant coach Alvin Gentry said yesterday. “After next week we'll know a lot more.”
Gentry said he expected several players to commit to Kansas on
Gentry left yesterday morning for Paducah, Ky., to pay a recruiting visit to Paducah Community College player Howard Chambers.
Chambers, a 5-foot-10 sophomore point guard, averaged 26.6 and 10.9 assists a game for Paducah this season. He was the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 7 nominee for All-America honors and led his team to a 24-11 record and the Region 7 finals.
Chambers is one of several guards the Jayhawks are trying to sign, after speculation that early signee Antoine Lewis of Brooklyn, N.Y., may not meet NCAA proposition 48 requirements.
Wednesday, the first day that recruits can sign national letters of intent.
Last week, Gentry and members of the Kansas coaching staff visited Daron "Mookie" Blaylock and Lincoln Minor, a pair of guards at Midland Junior College in Midland, Texas.
Minor averaged 16.1 points a game and was a member of the Region 5 all-region and all-tournament teams.
Region 5 tournament Most Valuable Player and was named to the NJCAA all-tournament team.
Blaylock is 6-1 and led the Midland team with a 19.6 scoring average and 71 three-point baskets. He was the
While in Texas, Gentry also visited Mike Bell, a 6-7 forward at Lon Morris Community College in Jacksonville, Texas.
NCAA OKs movement of three-point line
NEW ORLEANS - College basketball conferences can experiment with a longer three-point field goal next season, and stiffer penalties will be levied for intentional fouls, the NCAA rules committee announced yesterday.
The 12-member committee approved an experiment with a 21-foot 9-inch line for a three-point shot, said Ed Steitz, secretary-of the committee. Currently, the line is 19 feet 9 inches long.
Keith Jackson, Southern Idaho's point guard, is also being recruited by
United Press International
The three point shot in actuality, though, will remain at its present distance in the NCAA for at least
another year. Conferences are being allowed to experiment with the distance if they wish to.
The longer distance would be the same used in Olympic competition, but it was not.
"I think you're going to find more and more outside shooting coming back into the game." Steitz said. "I think when the coaches learn how to offense this for 40 minutes . . . and they learn how to defense it, you'll find greater shooting percentages."
Conferences must petition the rules committee by Aug. 15 to be allowed to use the longer three-point distance, Steitz said.
The penalty for intentionally fouling, currently two free throws, next season will include giving the fouled team possession of the ball after the foul.
Until this year, teams trailing near the end of the game could intentionally fail in hopes a player would miss one or both of the free throws, enabling the trailing team to have a chance at grabbing the rebound. The new rule eliminates the chance for the rebound.
Other rule changes instituted by the committee included:
— A technical foul will be assessed against a coach of a team whose
bench players enter the court to participate in a fight.
- A reduction from technical foul to a timeout for a coach who questions a scoring or timing mistake when none occurred.
- In addition to the four rules changes, the committee approved the following:
- Establishing the 21-foot-9-inch three-point field goal.
— Creating a better-defined area for substitutes to sit in just before entering a game. The experimental area would be a defined box in front of the scorer's table. Currently, players can sit anywhere near the table.
Connolly leads KU to sweep of WSU
Staff writer
Wichita State pitched around the Kansas Jayhawks' leading home run hitter to get to Sheila Connolly three times yesterday. The strategy work-
8v ROB KNAPP
Kansas also won the first game 6-0 and improved their record to 15-13.
Connolly's three-run triple highlighted a six-run Kansas sixth inning as the Jayhawks beat the Shockers 11-7 in the second game of a doubleheader.
"I was frustrated after the first two times because I was ahead in the count, but then after bad pitches," she said. "I said, 'Why did you get the chance to redeem myself.'"
Connolly, who leads the Jayhawks with a 402 batting average, went 4-for-7 on the day. But Wichita State pitched around KU home run and RBI leader Kelly Downs to get to Connolly once in the first game and twice in the second.
Roanna Brazier led off the Jayhawks' sixth with a walk and went to second when Reenie Noble reached base on an error. Both runners scored on a double by catcher Gayle Luedke.
Kansas led early after scoring an unearned run in the first inning and four more runs in the third, but Wichita State came back and took the lead with three runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth of Jayhawk pitcher Reenie Powell.
Luedek came home on third baseman Sophie Rodriguez's single. After Sherri Mach grounded out, shortstop Cherie Wickham got to first on another Wichita State error. Left fielder Jill Williams grounded out to shortstop for the second Kansas out and Downs was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Connolly's triple.
Kansas had a strong pitching performance by freshman Brazier and shut out the Shockers in the first game.
Brazier went the distance, giving up only three hits and one walk while striking out nine.
The Jayhawk defense, which had averaged two errors a game in the first 26 contests of the season, did not commit a miscue behind Brazer.
Kansas got five of its runs in a second-innering burst off Wichita State pitcher Patty Bautista. Connolly opened with a single and scored on a double by Bauer. Luedke followed with a single, and both runners scored on a single by Noble.