Collegian
Page 14
The Mets In
By David Bruce
Collegian Sports Editor
A.L. EAST
New York- The Yankees were
perhaps Lhe busiest team this
winter. They aquired Rafael
Santana, Don Slaught, Jose Cruz,
John Candelaria, Lee Guctterman
and Jack Clark. If these players
perform well, especially the
pitchers, they will win the East,
just like Mattingly has predicted.
Boston- They made the biggest
single move, trading Calvin
Schlraldi and A 1 Nipper to the Cubs
for Lee Smith. This move will
likely solve the Red Sox’s major
problem; late-inning losses and they
will challenge the Yankees down to
the wire.
Toronto- Their only new arrival
is veteran hurler Mike Flanagan
from Baltimore. Most of the talk
has centered on a possible trade of
M.V.P. George Bell, who is
unhappy about his new position-
D.H. Also, the downhill slide of
former ace Dave Stieb doesn't help.
Detroit- Light hitting Gary
Pettis and journeyman Ray Knight
are the newest Tigers, and both of
them could be on the bench by
May. The loss of Kirk Gibson will
not be handled as well as Lance
Parrish's departure was last season.
Milwaukee- A strong, young
team who didn’t take part in any off
season trades. Their weakness is
stability, but with the most talented
starting staff in the division, the
brewers could finish higher than
fifth.
Cleveland- After the dissapoint
ing 'B7 season, the Indians acquired
Ron Kittle, Greg Harris, Bill
Caudill and Bill Laskey; all role
players or washed up stars. The
Tribe still has several young good
players; Joe Carter, Cory Snyder
and Julio Franco, and could suprise
a few people, even with the loss of
Brett Butler-who never really fit
into the team's plans.
Baltimore- The Orioles received
On To
by Jack Grow
Collegian Sports Writer
The 1988 NCAA Men's
Basketball Tournament has always
been a source of great upsets. A
team’s regular season record means
nothing in the tournament, one loss
and your out. This goes for
everyone from the number one team
in the nation to the last seed in the
tournament. Every year it seems
that one or two of the favored teams
get upset early in the tournament.
No matter what the rankings or the
computer picks predict, there is
always a surprise team in the Final
Four. This year is no different.
The only region that went
according to plan was the West
where number one seeded Arizona
played number two seeded North
Carolina in the regional final. Both
teams had little trouble getting
there, but Arizona (which had one
all of it's tournament games by an
average of 24 points) had no
problem controlling the Tarheels
and won the game going away, 70 -
52.
The Southeast region did
not go as smoothly. The first round
showed Auburn defeating Bradley
despite Hersey Hawkins usual
performance. Bradley was not seeded
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Joe Ersulak from Pittsburgh, but
what they really need are starting
pitchers. They are currently
undergoing a massive reorganization
of their farm system, but that won't
help them this season.
A.L. WEST
Oakland- The A's are the critic's
darlings of 1988. They obtained
Dave Parker, Bob Welch, Matt
Young, Don Baylor, Glenn Hub
bard and Ron Hasscy to strengthen
an already competitinve team. They
are definitely the best team in the
West, but the best team doesn't
always win the West.
Minnesota- The Twins weren't
involved in any major deals and the
defending champs are still weak in
starting pitching. If rookies Jeff
Bumgarner and Steve Grasser don't
help, they will not bo able to stop
the A's.
Seattle- This season’s suprise
team, the Mariners dealy heavily
during the winter, getting Glenn
Wilson and Mike Jackson from the
Phillies, Steve Trout and Henry
Cotto from the Cubs, and Ken
Dixon from the Orioles. If these
players contribue as much as the
front office hopes, and they will,
this will be the most talked about
team of the nseason.
Kansas Citv- The Royals traded
for Kurt Stilwcll and Floyd Bannis
ter, but the bullpen is still a ques
tion mark. If cither Ted Power or
Dan Quisenbcrry succeed, they will
contend, otherwise they will drop.
California- The Angels acquired
Dan Pctry and Joe Johnson to boost
their pitching staff and Devon
White is an emerging star.-But with
Donnie Moore still rehabilitating
from a serious arm injury, the bull
pen is hurting and it could spell
diaster for the aging squad.
Chicago- The White Sox are in
the middle of a massive youth
movement, especially with the
pitching staff. Youngsters Rick
Horton, Jack McDowell and Melido
Kansas City!
very high, but many thought they
would be the "dark horse" of the
Southeast Region. The second
round provided another upset when
number six seed Villinova beat
number three seeded Illinois, 81 -
72. The third round saw Villinava
winning another shocker when they
defeated number two seed Kentucky,
80 - 74. Villinova senior Mark
Plansky played exceptionally well
and Rex Chapman of Kentucky was
effectively controlled. Villinova's
underdog run at the Final Four was
finally stopped by number one
seeded Oklahoma. The Sooncrs' run
and gun offense was 100 much for
Villinova as they fell 79 - 59.
In the East, the first upset
came in the first round when
defending national champion
Indiana lost to number thirteen
seeded Richmond. Richmond then
pulled off another upset in the
second round by defeating fifth
seeded Georgia Tech, 59 - 55. In the
same round, Rhode Island shocked
number three seeded Syracuse. The
surprises stopped in the next round
when Temple and Duke took care of
the underdogs to set up the predicted
final game. Duke's Billy King
proved why he is the best defensive
player in the country by holding
Temple star Mark Macon to six for
ma ui^u
Five
Perez will all be given a chance to
start this season. Dan Pasqua,
obtained from the Yankees, will
give them added power, but they are
still a few years, and a few players,
away.
Texas- How things change. Last
season the Rangers were a first
place pick, but due to an almost un
belicveably wild pitching staff, they
never got off the ground. New
players Steve Kemp and James
Steels won't help much and nobody
is picking Texas to win this year.
N.L. EAST
New York- The eighties version
of the Yankees, the Mets' only
weakness is internal turmoil. If
their clubhouse remains happy and
injuries don't strike every, starting
pitcher, the Mets will win the East
as easily as in 1986. Only change is
at shortstop, where rookie Kevin
Ister replaces Rafael Santana.
Pittsburgh- The Pirates were the
most improved team last season,
but now they arc expected to do
well and their young, talented
pitching staff will feel pressure for
the first lime. Though they arc
predicted second, the Pirates could
easily finish anywhere from first to
fifth.
St. Louis- The Cardinals are
hurting. Bob Horner is no
replacement for Jack Clark who
went to the Yankees. However,
pitcher Jose DeLeon will help and
you can never count Whitcy Herzog
out of any pennant race.
Montrcnl
saying that the Expos' weren't for
real last season and that they won't
be as good this season. Rookie
infieldcrs Luis Rivera and Johnny
Paredes will answer that question
as they will be in the spotlight this
spring. Also if Pascual Perez and
Dennis Martinez have seasons
anything like last year the expos
will contend.
Philadelphia- The Phillies
acquired Phil Bradley from Seattle
and brought back Bob Dernier from
Chicago. But Cy Young Award
29 shooting, to help Duke advance
to the Final Four, for the second
time in three years, with a 63 - 53
victory.
There were two major
upsets in the Midwest Region. In
the first round, number three seeded
North Carolina State was beaten 78
- 75 by number fourteen seeded
Murry State. In the second round,
number two seed Pittsburgh lost to
seventh seeded Vanderbilt, 80 - 74.
These two upsets allowed sixth
seeded Kansas to reach the regional
championship by defeating
Vanderbilt, 77 - 64. The final upset
of the region came when number
four seeded Kansas State took out
number one seeded Purdue 73 - 70.
This set up a showdown between
Kansas and Kansas State. Kansas,
led by Danny Manning's 20 points,
one the game, and the right to play
in front of the home crowd in
Kansas City, 71 - 58.
The Final Four match-ups
are Kansas vs Duke, and Oklahoma
vs Arizona. Both pairs are fairly
equal, and these last few games
should be the best of the
tournament. After picking Syracuse
to win the championship, the only
prediction that I will make now is
that the winner of the Kansas -
Duke game will go on to be the
National Champion. Both teams
have previous Final Four
experience, and I think this
experience will be the deciding
factor in the championship.
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winner Steve Bedrosian is hurt and
their starting staff will suffer.
Chicago- The Cubs traded their
bullpen savior, Lee Smith to
Boston for two troubled pitchers;
Calvin Schlardi and A 1 Nipper.
They also gave up Steve Trout and
Keith Moreland but gained Goose
Gossage. Their arc too many holes
and questions for the Cubs.to win.
N.L. WEST
San Francisco- Obtained Brett
Butler to replace Chili Davis, who
went to California. The Giants are
strong in every department and will
win if they stay healthy.
Cincinnati- The Reds got
pitchers Danny Jackson and Dennis
Rasmussen to help solve their only
problem, starting pitching. If either
Mario Soto or Jose Rijo pitch
effectively this season, and they
both have thrown well this spring,
the Reds will contend, if they both
pitch well they will win.
Los Angeles- Another team who
is undergoing a facelift, the Dodgers
have acquired Alfredo Griffin, Jesse
Orosco, Jay Howell, Don Sutton,
Kirk Gibson and Mike Davis all
without giving up Pedro Guerrero.
The defense will still be woefully
weak and Bob Welch will be
missed, but L.A. will start the
comeback this season.
Houston- The Astros will have a
new starting shortstop this season,
Rafeal Ramirez. They also regained
pitcher Joaquain Andujar, but the
offense is still non-existent. They
will lose too many games on the
road to contend.
San Diego- The Padres traded
Goose Gossage for Keith Moreland,
who promptly landed in manager
Bowa's doghouse. Their question
mark is pitching, if youngsters
Mark Grant and Jimmy Jones
improve, the Padres will also.
Atlanta- Manager Chuck Tanner
critics arc
has again found himself managing
the worst team in the majors. The
Braves arc praying that rookies Ron
Gant, Tommy Greene and Derek
Lilliquist (what a name) will make
immediate contributions or WTBS
will become the cable equivalent of
Sominex.
But that's not all. More
predictions.
A.L. Champ- Oakland
N.L. Champ- New York
Editor’s Note
The following is an article by
"The Sporting News"
columnist Art Spander. The
Collegian Sports Editors decided
to print this article because it
clearly defines the purpose of a
sports journalist. This purpose, of
course is to tell the facts no matter
who gets hurt. We, the editors,
hope this brilliant bit of journalism
clears up any misconceptions you
may have had about what gets
printed and why we print it.
SAN FRANSISCO--
Journalism, an Englishman
contended, largely consists of
saying "Lord Jones is dead" to
people who never knew Lord Jones
was alive.
Sporting journalism, on the
contrary, largely consists of saying
"die Yankees are alive" to people
who already know the Yankees are
dead last.
There aren't many surprises
in the sporting world.
A schedule is made up
months in advance. Minds are made
up years in advance. A majority of
fans never wants to be confused
with facts.
The intricate framework on
which spectator sports is
constructed consists entirely of
emotion. Try persuading a Cubs
fan, for example, to change his
loyalty to the White Sox.
Television feeds on these
emotions. It shows us what we
want to sec and tells us what we
want to hear.
The home team trails, 6-0,
in the eighth. While the writers are
composing obits in the press box,
the TV announcers are having a
hard time composing themselves.
"Never over until the last out,"
someone advises.
A few weeks ago, Debi
Thomas, a.k.a. America's
Sweetheart, went out to win the
How Dare We Stir Fans’
Emotions With Facts.
INTRAMURALS
By Ray Van Dusen
Collegian Staff Writer
Intramurals Director Bob Peck
has high hopes for the rest of the
intramural season. He has the
sports and events planned and ready
to go.
A host of different sports events
will be held including; tennis,
badminton and fast-pitch softball.
A lot of emphasis will be
placed on these three events,
hopefully showing some great
competition. Mr. Peck hopes to
have a lot of public participation in
photo by Carol Eck
Intramural Co-ed Volleyball
World Series- New York in five.,
AJL. M.V.P.- Don Mattingly
N.L..M.V.P.- Tim Raines
Olympic gold medal in women's
figure skating. She was competing
not only for herself, but, according
to the guys, trying to sell
automobiles and soup on the tube,
for the good old USA.
In " the fantasyland of
Hollywood, Thomas would have
achieved perfection, and the country
would have gone to sleep that night
dreaming of how she kept the world
safe from communism and
lascivious East Germans.
But Thomas stumbled early
on. Our "oohs" changed to "args."
The gold changed not to silver, but
to bronze.
So? So nothing. Third in the
world isn’t exactly chopped liver.
The trouble began the next
morning. Newspapers throughout
the land published a photograph of
Thomas looking something like a
cross between Buster Keaton and
Goldi Hawn.
The appropriate caption
might have been inelegant.
The picture was taken at the
exact moment when Thomas lost
her balance and, in turn, her
opportunity.
If the average picture is,
indeed,worth 10,000 words, this
one is worth 10 million. No long
explanations were required. You
didn't have to know your axel from
a hole in the ice. It weas the
skating equivalent of being caught
with your hand in the cookie jar.
Television could dress up the
error in sequins and excuses. Print
journalism gave it to us bluntly.
And the public was outraged.
The seminal thought was
this: "How dare you show us what
took place. We want to see what
should have taken place. Off with
your heads.”
It was an old story. If you
don't like the message, shoot the
messenger. Even sporting
columnists working in Calgary
were indicted for the choice of a
picture which they didn’t even see
until it was printed.
sports
these events.
Participation has been
moderately high thus far and this
trend continued with volleyball. "I
feel participation is going real well,
I had forty-five volleyball teams,"
said Peck, "that’s about four
hundred people."
Ending out the semester,
ultimate frisbee and a ping-pong
tournament are being planned, exact
dates have not been set
All of the sports except co-ed
volleyball and mixed doubles in
tennis will be separate men's and
women's teams.
Al. Cy Young- Teddy Higuera
N.L. Cy Young- Mike Scott
and broken hearts, of infielders
failing to pick up ground balls and
linemen failing to pick up a
quarterback’s signal.
Sorry, folks, but it's time to
grow up. Television executives
may feel it is their place in society
to make the news, but newspapers,
magazines and their ilk are
compelled to report it—as it
happens.
Editors who selected the
Thomas photo were not the ones
who nearly fell down. No more so
than the writers who explain why
the Cubs will finish last are the
ones who throw the pitches.
Debi Thomas had nothing to
be ashamed of. Neither did the
people who made the decision to
run her unflattering picture.
Sport is full of broken plays
I know the way Debi
Thomas secrificed and worked. I
know she’s from northern
California and was enrolled at
Stanford. I know she wants to be a
doctor. But she missed her triple
jump.
And until a revisionist
history of the XV Winter Games is
published, she'll always miss it.
What we're missing is
reality. If Debi Thomas or John
Elway or any other athlete comes
up empty on his or her biggest day,
what's left but consolation and
explanations?
The belief here is that before
the women's free skating program,
the ultimate performance,
Americans were prepared to fault
the imperious judges in this most
subjective of all Contests.
Katarina Witt would beat
Debi Thomas, and there . was
nothing we could do . except
castigate those who made another
judgement, that of printing a photo
which left nothing for the
imagination.
Lord Jones may be dead, but
our misconceptions of property will
live forever.