Page 8
THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9. 1980
Reflections
by Richard Oliver
Slavens looks to 1981
to better 11-1 record
All-Star game is big debacle
I wonder what Houston Astros’ manager Bill Virdon must have felt
in the top of the ninth inning while coaching the National League
All-Stars from the first base coaching box.
On the mound, Chicago’s Bruce Sutter was mowing down the
American League’s finest, and the National League bench was
already buzzing over the plays and memories that had been made this
Tuesday evening.
As Virdon probably moved his gaze down the National League
dugout bench, he saw soiled uniforms and happy grins, undoubtedly.
But when he reached the end of the dugout bench, one spotless white
uniform could be seen — none other than the first place Astros’ Jose
Cruz.
Cruz, the consistent, exciting Houston left fielder who after several
premiere seasons had finally reached one of the pinnacles of baseball,
sat unused and most likely disappointed — the only National League
regular who didn’t see action.
If one remembers last year when the only unused player in the
All-Star game was Houston’s Joe Niekro, it hardly seems fair. Even
then, more than one baseball fan wondered quizzically what the Na
tional League’s winningest pitcher was doing sitting on the bench
throughout a game that is billed as being a contest of the major league’s
best.
Perhaps it can be argued that not playing is all part of the game. But a
ballgame that is supposed to give the fans a representative sample of
the best ought to do just that.
Cruz is enjoying his finest season ever, batting fifth in the league
with a .315 average, and performing almost flawlessly in the field,
committing only two errors this season so far.
Undoubtedly, the National League coach’s reasoning leaves much
to be desired. Not to mention the fan’s picks, which are already
under fire from the players and coaches.
The Houston Astros, with the best pitching staff in the National
League, were represented by only J.R. Richard in this year’s “classic.”
What a sensical selection process (he said cynically).
The fact that Cruz was left as the only regular on the bench, repre
senting the second Astro to reign in that capacity in the last two years,
is not the primary fault.
The primary and principal fact remains that the best players in both
leagues are not being selected by the fans, or the coaches. The All-Star
game is not a classic confrontation of the best of both leagues pitted
against one another, it’s simply become another novelty money
making failure for the major leagues.
It’s too bad the “best of both leagues” were sitting at home watching
it on the tube.
by RICHARD OLIVER
Sports Editor
For Robert Slavens, the 1980
Texas A&M University baseball sea
son was a good one. But the lanky
right-handed pitcher is not satisfied.
Instead of taking the summer off to
lounge on the beach and forget about
athletics for awhile, Slavens grabbed
a suitcase and took off along with
fellow freshman teammate Joey
Szekely for the Central Illinois Col
legiate League to play for the Danvil
le Roosters.
“I have some improvements to
make,” he said Tuesday. “Right now
I’m working toward making myself a
better player.”
For Coach Tom Chandler’s Texas
Aggies, an improvement by Slavens
could mean a Southwest Conference
title.
In 1980, the 6-foot-8 Slavens sur
prised everyone with an 11-1 record,
allowing only 2.92 runs per game and
anchoring the “Fabulous Freshman”
trio whicb also included Rick Lueck-
en (9-5, 2.70 E.R.A.) and David
Flores (4-2).
His presence in Danville has
caused a stir also. He went 4-1 in the
first half of the 54-game summer sea
son to lead the Roosters to the first
half championship.
“He’s pitched real well,” said
Roosters’ coach George Latinovich.
“He’s helped us tremendously.”
Szekely, the catcher who shared
duties with Doug Teague during the
season, is also aiding Danville, hit
ting over-. 300 as catcher and desig
nated hitter.
“I thought by far we were the best
Robert Slavens
team the first half,” said Slavens.
“Joey’s playing really well. In the last
game I pitched, he hit a bases-loaded
double, and the game before that he
had a home run.”
Slavens said despite his success,
the competition in the Central Illi
nois League isn’t as good as he s
used to.
“I don’t think it’s quite as good as
the SWC,” he said. “There’s a lot
more runs scored. The hitting is
pretty close to the SWC, but the
pitching isn’t as good. There’s good
batting, but the pitchers aren’t Keith
Creels (of Texas) or Steve Kruegers
(of Arkansas).”
Last season’s success hasn’t
spoiled Slavens.
“I’m working on my pitching,” he
said. “Really, I’m working mostly on
control and hitting the spots a little
better. Also, I’m working on a
straight change-up.”
Although Slavens is mostly con
centrating on improving himself as a
player, his main thoughts center on
next spring at Texas A&M.
“We should have stronger pitch
ing,” he said. “Rick and David Flores
have pitched for a year, and we’ve
been through it once.”
After last year’s Aggie success, six
Aggies were lost — Simon Glenn,
Mike Hurdle, Teague and Randy
Woodruff to graduation, and Bryan
“Twig” Little and Harry Francis to
the major league baseball draft.
The loss of Little will hurt the
Aggies most, he said.
“We’re going to miss him a whole
lot,” said Slavens. “You can’t really
replace a guy like Twig. What a ta
lent. ”
Major League Standings
National League
American Leagut
Re
Fast
W L
Pet.
GB
East
W L
Pci.
Montreal
42 34
.553
N.Y.
51 27
.651
Philadelphia
41 35
.539
1
Detroit
42 33
.560
Pittsburgh
42 37
.532
IVi
Milwau
43 34
.558
New York
38 40
.487
5
Balt
42 36
.538
Chicago
33 43
.434
9
Boston
41 36
.532
St. Louis
34 46
.425
10
Clev
37 39
.487
West
W L
Pet.
GB
Toronto
33 43
.434
Houston
45 33
.577
West
W L
Pci.
Los Angeles
46 34
.575
Kan City
47 33
.588
Cincinnati
41 38
.519
4ki
Chicago
38 41
.481
Atlanta
37 40
.481
7V*
Texas
37 42
.468
San Francisco
37 43
.463
9
Oakland
36 45
.444
San Diego
34 47
.420
12V*
Minn
35 44
.443
Seattle
35 45
.438
Calif
29 48
.37*7
ggr Jarvis Er
pnt of Texas /
ing
iller, 51, ha
;llor of the Te
de Wells sai
he Executi
bard of Regen
Kial assistant
lem, efiectiv
iwith Dr. M
And what does Slavens think ab
out Robert Slavens next year?
“I’m working now toward making
myself better, ” he said. “There’s not
that much pressure up here. It’s
mainly learning about yourself, mak
ing yourself individually better.
“I’d love to have another 11-1 sea
son, though. ”
.Dr. Charles 1
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Intramural entries
begin tomorrow
NL wins 4-2 over AL
to claim 9th in a row
United Press International
LOS ANGELES — They staged a
Disneyland extravaganza prior to the
All-Star Game Tuesday night and the
players took their cue from it.
The hitting was strictly Mickey
Mouse on both sides and the defen
sive play of the American League a
little goofy. But, for the ninth year in
a row— and 17th time in the last 18
years — the NL came out on top in
the mid-summer showcase event
and, as usual, it was simply a case of
the winners playing better fun
damental baseball.
The NL went almost five innings
without getting a runner to first base
yet won the game, 4-2, because they
hit in the clutch, took advantage of
their opponents’ mistakes and got
the big out on defense.
The AL did none of the above.
They committed two errors — both
by second baseman Willie Randolph
— two wild pitches, one passed ball
and struck out 11 times, including
three times to end innings with a
runner on third base.
“It was very disappointing, espe
cially since I was managing the
club,” said AL Manager Earl Weav
er. “We went out and did everything
we could to win, but we just didn’t
not
Too TalF is
back in NFL
score enough runs ... there’s
much we can do about that.”
“We just played a solid game and
took advantage of their mistakes,”
said Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey, whose
solo homer and single earned him
the game’s Most Valuable Player
award. “We have a great team and
lots of depth.”
Griffey was certainly not the only
hero. Winning pitcher Jerry Reuss of
the Los Angeles Dodgers and reliev
er Bruce Sutter of the Chicago Cubs
also played key roles in the victory by
turning in strong efforts. Reuss
pitched only one inning but struck
out the side while Sutter, the win
ning pitcher in the previous two All-
Star games, worked the last two in
nings to get the save. Over the last
four innings, the AL got only one hit
— a single by Randolph in the
seventh inning.
“I’m supposed to come in with a
lead and hold it,” said Reuss. “That’s
the way it’s supposed to work. It was
an honor to be here and to play with
these guys.”
When Sutter came into the club
house after the game, the first man to
congratulate him was Reuss, who
thanked him for the save. Sutter
handed Reuss the ball and Reuss
said, “You saved it, you keep it.”
“You won it, you keep it, ” replied
Sutter. Reuss agreed to keep the ball
but only after Sutter autographed it
for him.
After logging a record number of
entries in the intramural tourna
ments the first summer session, the
Intramural department is now gear
ing up for round two.
Entries for the second summer
session open Thursday, July 10, and
some changes have been made.
Activities for the session include:
Three-man volleyball. Three-man
Basketball, Slow-pitch Softball, Rac-
quetball Singles, Tennis Doubles,
Handball Doubles, and Golf Dou
bles.
Softball entries this session must
be limited to 70 teams, but addition
al entries will be accepted after the
tournament is full. The extra entries
will be placed in the tournament
when an open space occurs. The
Duncan softball fields will be used
while the Penberthy fields are being
shaped up for the fall.
One of the highlights of the sum
mer is a new softball division that
uses a 16-inch softball. This game is
different because it can be played
without softball gloves and is offered
for only CoRec teams.
There will also be CoRec competi
tion offered in golf, tennis and hand
ball, among other sports.
Although the softball entries are
limited, there is not limit on the en
tries in other activities. Entries will
close on July 14, and play will start
July 16.
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United Press International
DALLAS — Ed “Too Tall” Jones,
who retired from football a year ago
to enter the ring, Tuesday said box
ing caused him too many personal
problems and, with Coach Tom
Landry smiling over his shoulder,
signed a multi-year contract with the
Dallas Cowboys.
The contract was negotiated in
New York between the Cowboys’
director of player personnel Gil
Brandt and Jones’ agent, Don Cron-
son. Terms of the agreement were
not released but Jones said it was a
multi-year agreement.
Jones’ heavyweight career thus
ended at six wins and no defeats.
“After fighting a year I experi
enced many personal problems and a
few family problems and I felt I had
to take off awhile from boxing,” he
said. “I feel football is the best thing
for me now.”
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