Astros can hit, too
THE BATTALION
Friday, april is, iqso
Page 13
Aggie Lacrosse team captain Carl Hayes sizes up a Notre
Dame opponent earlier this year. The Ags host a 3-game series
this weekend. photo by Dave Einser
lacrosse team has
r big weekend ahead
i§ The Texas A&Vl lacrosse team will
hbst a three-game series against
teams from the University of Texas,
SMU, and the University of Houston
atthe main drill field this weekend,
is time■§Saturday the Ags begin their busy
Judsoni^weekend when they take on SMU at
that co®]. Ip. nr
e tkeePfOh Sunday, the Aggies begin a
:r Coii^douhte-header at 2 p.m. when they
jgie victt meet the Cougars. After that game,
1:30 pis the Ags will play arch-rival Texas at 6
p.m. The two teams last met in Au-
jn, constin, where the Ags won in triple
; to OwOvertime, 13-12.
IAWcMBDefenseman Curt Jones is in bis
team iil
daylyn ^
lez.
first semester with the Aggie lacrosse
team, and though he’s never played
against Texas, has a pretty good feel-
ing of what it will be like this
weekend.
“Everyone is really getting
psyched up for the Texas game,’’
Jones, a junior management major
said. “But we’re not looking past
SMU.
“They (Texas) are about the third-
best team in the conference, behind
us and Texas Tech. We should be
able to beat them, but not by much
because we’re having a big party
Saturday night.”
By RICHARD OLIVER
Staff Writer
When Houston Astro right fielder
Terry Puhl sent the second pitch of
the 1980 baseball season off the right
field scoreboard for a home run,
many of the 33,000 in attendance at
the Astrodome breathed a heavy sigh
of relief.
One of the big questions during
the off-season was the power of the
Astros. Many felt last year’s success
was a fluke, and a team with strictly
pitching couldn’t win a pennant.
That is probably true, although
Houston came within U/z games of
giving it a try.
Puhl’s shot signified a hope that
this season the Astros’ dormant bats
would come alive again, and the U/z-
game deficit would reverse itself.
While most skeptics agree the Dod
gers and Reds have the best shots at
Houston, there is no doubt the
Astros are fielding a much stronger
team to start this season.
Doug Rau, the star Dodger pitch
er who is currently marooned on the
disabled list after elbow surgery, said
before the opening game April 10 he
believes the Dodgers are more offen
sively potent, but the Astros are still
the team to beat.
“When you look at our infield,
player for player, we have more pow
er,” he said. “This team (the Dod
gers) has the potential, and we have a
lot to overcome. Beating these guys
(Houston) is going to be the deter
mining factor.”
Craig Reynolds, the Astros’ short
stop who was the only ballplayer Bill
Virdon assured a starting position
prior to spring training, agreed.
“The Dodgers have the power,’’
he said. “When you look at it in pers
pective, though, we don’t need the
power, and they do.”
There is a point there. The Dod
gers have long made or broke their
season on the potent bats of their
offensive stalwarts: Cey, Monday,
Garvey, Baker and Smith. They
were brilliantly backed up on the
mound by the likes of Rau, Don Sut
ton, Tommy John and Charlie
Hough.
However, the tide has turned, and
the Dodgers are a struggling team.
Perhaps their most consistent pitch
er, Tommy John, left via the free-
agent draft two years ago. Sutton
stumbled through a disappointing
1979 season, and Rau’s surgery will
sideline him until at least July.
Reggie Smith, the most consistent
Dodger, was injured most of the
1979 season, and his return will help,
but it may not carry the pitching
slack. Off-season writers’ predictions
labeled L.A. as the team to beat out
Houston this year, but thus far, the
threat hasn’t materialized. It’s been
L.A. a la 1979.
Rau, a graduate of Texas A&M
University, said some off-season ac
quisitions may help.
“We re stronger than last year.
We got Don “Stan the Man Unusual”
Analysis
Stanhouse from Baltimore, and
Dave (Goltz) to boost our starting
rotation. The hitters aren’t going to
lie down, either. We have every
thing going, it should be better.”
So far, Stan the Man Unusual and
Goltz have been plastered by oppos
ing batters. Although seven games
don’t make a season, the Houston
series may be an omen of things to
come.
Goltz was hammered in Houston’s
5-2 opening series victory, and in
two appearances, Stanhouse
couldn’t stop anything. So much for
Dodger bullpen power.
The opening game saw several
Astro changes. For the most obvious
change, Puhl and Jose Cruz both
slammed home runs. Houston hit
only 49 during the 1979 season.
Joe Morgan was back at second for
the Astros after a seven-year hiatus
in Cincinnati. He contributed with a
base hit and some flawless fielding,
not to mention enthusiasm. Prior to
the game, he could be seen roving
the Houston dugout backslapping
and encouraging.
The most notable change is the
dugout atmosphere. Last season saw
a Cinderella Astro team climb out of
the cellar to nip at Cincinnati’s heels
until the final week. This year, Hous
ton is favored. The team is excited,
and the confidence is there.
“We are the favorites, and every
one is ready to play ball,” Reynolds
explained. “With Nolie (Nolan Ryan)
and Joe (Morgan) here, and our
pitching, we know what we can do.
This team is ready.”
So far, “playing ball” has resulted
in a 5-2 record, including three-of-
four from L.A. and a two-game
sweep of helpless Atlanta.
As of Thursday, the team batting
average was a healthy .308, and the
pitchers are allowing a miniscule
2.18 runs per game. Houston is scor
ing five.
L.A., however, is 3-5, five games
out of first, and has for the most part
been shut down until a 10-4 victory
over San Diego Wednesday night,
and Thursday’s 6-4 decision over
Nolan Ryan and Houston.
Random, occasional victories over
the Reds and Astros just won’t cut it
for the Dodgers, and they know it.
In order for Los Angeles to make a
run for the flag again, it will take a
much better showing from the two
free agent wonders — Goltz and
Stanhouse. Neither has lived up to
their billing, and they are desperate
ly needed.
Ryan , the free agent drawing
card, has an over-6.00 E.R.A., the
worst on the Houston staff— but at
least he can hit.
•ALTERATIONS
IN THE GRAND TRADITION OF
OLD TEXAS WHERE MOTHER
TAUGHT DAUGHTEFI THE FINE
ART OF SEWING SO HELEN
MARIE TAUGHT EDITH MARIE
THE SECRETS OF SEWING AND
ALTERATIONS
"DON’T GIVE UP — WELL
MAKE IT FIT!"
AT WELCH'S CLEANERS WE NOT
ONLY SERVE AS AN EXCELLENT
DRY CLEANERS BUT WE SPE
CIALIZE IN ALTERING HARP TO
FIT EVENING DRESSES. TAPERED
SHIRTS. JEAN HEMS, WATCH
POCKETS. ETC
(WE RE JUST A FEW
BLOCKS NORTH OF FED
MART.)
WELCH’S CLEANERS
3819 E. 29th (TOWN & COUNTRY SHOPPING CENTER)
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
AVAILABLE
The MSC Council Office is now accepting applications for Officer
Application
for
V.P. for Finance
V.P. for Programs
Director of Projects
Director of Public Relations
Deadline is 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 21, 1980.
Room 216 of the MSC.
Astros bow to Dodgers
game
ALL
jail tear *
Spopenin
SaturJi! 1 ’' ‘
biniOllW United Press International
|LO s S ANGELES — Ron Cey hit a
;d Norjwofrun homer in the third inning
foni W and singled in a pair of tie-breaking
ing 11 runs in the eighth Thursday to lead
isttkiwlhe Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-4
;ason ^victory 0 v er t] lc Houston Astros in
front of an opening-day crowd of
45.17(1
ich Bill fll
With the score tied 4-4 in the
The Astros stole seven bases to tie
a club record, including three by Joe
Morgan.
SWEnsen’S
Gone Bananas Spetlal
Order a cone with any of our 4 Bananas
Flavors and get a Double Scoop (V2 lb.) for
the price of one Scoop (SA VE 51 * )
ANYTIME WE f RE OPEJ\
Culpepper Plaza • College Station
Open: 11:30 Mon.-Sat. • Noon Sunday
iTtTt i't iTTn
HAPPY HOUR
AT THE STUDIO
4 for 1
T T T
cm
rtinatiwtgntn, Steve Garvey singled and
a t {piDusty Baker doubled before Cey —
I who has seven hits in his last seven
ipial at hats ~ singled down the
fleld Jfne,'scoring both runners.
Is home run in .the third capped a
r-run outburst that gave the Dod-
s a 4-1 lead.
Jerry Reuss, 1-0, who took over for
frter Don Sutton in the seventh
Jiing, gained the victory, while
Jave Smith, 1-2, who relieved
i>lan Ryan in the seventh, took the
OSS.
he Astros opened the scoring
en.'leadpff batter Terry Puhl hit
■non S first pitch for a home run,
his second of the year. In the Los
Angeles fliird; Dave Lopes led off
with a single and .scored on Rudy
Law s triple. The Astros added a run
in the fourth when Luis Pujols sing
led home Jose Cruz, and another in
the sixth on an RBI single by Enos
Cabell.
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