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THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1974
Page 9
Texas Pro Baseball Outlook
... Rangers still at bottom?
ly. 1974,
:d Amji
Jmission
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By TONY GALLUCCI
A couple of managerial chang
es in Texas major league base
ball teams are responsible for
;Loel Passe’s annual statement
I that this is indeed the “Year of
| the Astros” and Bob Short’s sale
of the Texas Rangers to a group
I looking for a winner.
In what is becoming an annual
event for the Astros, the replace-
! ment of managers, Preston Go-
z has taken over the helm
from fiery Leo Durocher.
Durocher removed himself
’from the job after less than a
iyear somewhat due to pressure
BATTALION SPORTS
ANALYSIS
from the powers that be and
somewhat from the less than ex
pected fourth place finish.
Billy Martin takes over where
Whitey Herzog left off with the
Rangers and has brought in some
fresh talent that won’t turn the
franchise around but might help
win more than last year’s 57
games.
Athough both managers are
expecting the most from their
teams, the sages who make their
annual predictions in various pro
baseball magazines and numbers
of city newspapers are expecting
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little more than last year offered
from either ball club.
Houston’s Astros are generally
picked to hold up the third posi
tion behind Cincinnati and Los
Angeles, considered to be about
equal in potential.
The Astro’s mediocre finish
last year, 17 games behind Cin
cinnati, should be slightly im
proved this time around.
Houston fans will be missing
some familiar faces when the
season opens at the Astrodome.
Jim Wynn, Jerry Reuss, Jim
York were disposed of early this
year and yesterday Skip Jutze
and James Rodney Richard were
cut to make the 25 player limit.
Gomez sent Wynn to Los An
geles in a trade for disintegrat
ing Osteen. Gomez might have
thought twice about the trade if
he had a time machine to let him
know that Cedeno would be cool
ing off in a jail cell for awhile.
The Astros weakest fielding
spot is right field where one-
deep Bob Gallagher spends his
time.
All-stars Cedeno, Doug Rader
and Lee May hold down three of
the other spots in the strong de
defensive lineup.
The pitching outlook is fair to
good, depending on whether Lar
ry Dierker, Don Wilson and Dave
Roberts can regain form. Osteen
more or less replaces Reuss giv
ing a boost to the mound on the
basis of his 16-11 record with the
Dodgers, but some feel he has
seen his peak pass on.
The hitting outlook is about
the same; enough to win the
league, but needing help from
the defense. The loss of Wynn
whose average fell (slightly) to
.320 (worth second in team bat
ting) didn’t help matters a bit.
The Astros are looking to the
Mays (Milt and Lee not related),
Bob Watson and Cedeno to carry
the load.
The Texas Rangers look to
vastly improved and slightly ex
perienced pitcher David Clyde to
draw the crowds, power-hitter
Jeff Burroughs to bring in the
runs and pitcher Ferguson Jen
kins to bolster a strengthening
pitching crew.
The baseball writers feel how
ever that the larger crowds,
higher scores and stronger pitch
ing will not better the Rangers’
) MAZDA
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sixth place finish of last year,
although they see the possibility
for a better winning average
than last season’s .352.
Burroughs pounded out 30
homers last season, had 85 rbi’s
and a .279 average at the plate.
His ability inspired Bob Short
(while still major owner) to
shorten the rightfield fenceline,
to give the righthander an equal
chance at all the walls.
Look for the Rangers to be
weak at third base or short stop
whichever position Toby Harrah
does not field, first base, one of
the outfield positions (Bur
roughs, Cesar Tovar and who
else ?) and at catcher.
Disregarding an above average
starting four, look for hitting to
be less than major league qual
ity.
While the Astros could make
waves at the top of the National
League West, look for either the
Los Angeles Dodgers or Cincin
nati to duel either Pittsburgh or
the New York Mets for the NL
title.
The Oakland A’s are a solid
choice in the American League
West which they share with the
Rangers among others. Either
the Boston Red Sox or the Balti
more Orioles should take the
East and possibly the AL ticket
to the World Series.
Hargett jumps
to WFL’s Hawaii
Former Texas Aggie great Edd
Hargett has agreed to terms with
the Honolulu Hawaiians of the
World Football League.
Hargett has one year remaining
on his contract with the Houston
Oilers. He has been a taxi squad
member on the team since being
traded from New Orleans before
last season.
Hargett never played a down
for the Oilers in regular season
play after playing second fiddle
to Archie Manning at New Or
leans.
Aaron opens
against Reds
CINCINNATI <dP)—Hank Aa
ron was put into the opening
game lineup by Atlanta Manager
Eddie Mathews today, and the
40-year old slugger said he would
play against Cincinnati.
The first game of the 1974 ma
jor league baseball season was
scheduled for 2:30 p. m., EDT.
Conditions appeared to be ideal
for Aaron to break Babe Ruth’s
hallowed home run record of 714.
Aaron needed only one homer to
tie the mark.
The temperatures had climbed
into the mid-60s by late morning
at Riverfront Stadium under
bright clear skies.
evin s
orner
Mike Schraeder
By KEVIN COFFEY, Sports Editor
Baseball, just like any other sport, often comes down to a game
of breaks. Good breaks and bad ones. Tuesday, the Aggies got a large
share of the latter when junior second baseman Mike Schraeder collided
with center fielder John Woods. Schraeder ruptured his spleen and his
services are lost for the rest of the regular season. With some luck,
Schraeder could be back for the playoff if the Ags hold on to the
Southwest Conference lead.
Coach Tom Chandler said
an injury can often spur a team on
because of added determination.
“We’ve been behind in
games and haven’t panicked,”
Chandler told the team yesterday.
“I don’t see why we would panic
now.”
Chandler said that this 1974
bunch exemplifies togetherness
more than his past teams. “When
one guy is down, someone will
pick up the slack,” the Aggie
coach said. “WeTl have to battle
harder now and we can’t expect
to win games by just throwing our
gloves on the field. We don’t have
any easy games left, we’ll have to
fight.”
Chandler’s point of picking
up the slack has been shown all
season. During the teams trip over
spring break, Jim Hacker couldn’t buy a hit while A1 Thurmond
couldn’t make an out. Hacker would hit a shot right at an enemy fielder
while Thurmond’s bloopers fell for doubles. Against TCU Hacker found
his just reward by pounding Frog hurlers for seven hits while Thurmond
went hitless in 10 attempts.
Bate for Schraeder
The job of filling in for Schraeder falls in the lap of Sandy Bate.
This is a break of the good variety as many teams don’t have an
experienced player like Bate available.
Bate has seen almost all of
his action this year as the desig
nated hitter. He filled the role
well, hitting .333 on the season.
Schraeder was hitting .364.
Bate has fielded one ball
this year. He is making up for the
lost time now on the practice
field. Yesterday the Lufkin native
came to workout with a new glove
and promptly fielded 400 ground
balls to break it in.
“Sure will miss Mike
(Schraeder) and I’d be a liar if I
said any different,” said Bate.
“All I can do is give it my best
shot and work hard to get ready. I
don’t think the team will let this
get us down. We’re more deter
mined to break it in.”
Bate is a three year let- Sandy Bate
terman. His class of seniors have
won more games at A&M than any other group.
Senior Pitcher Jackie Binks said the pressure of picking up where
Schraeder left off falls on the seniors and rightfully so. “If we (seniors)
can’t pull the team through this, well then we don’t deserve a •
championship,” Binks said. “We just have to bow our necks.”
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