Wednesday, August 5, 1987/The Battalion/Page 5
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Sports
rwins’ Niekro: manicure on mound is needed
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Those
|esky fingernails can be a real prob-
m for a knuckleball pitcher, Joe
Niekro says.
I Thus he always has taken his per
sonal manicure set to the mound.
“I’ll be honest with you, I always
rry two things out there with me,
i emery board and a small piece of
'Sandpaper,” the Minnesota Twins
pitcher said after the umpires
fcarched him on the mound at Ana
heim Stadium Monday night and
■iscovered his grooming aids. He
was thrown out of the game for de-
fttcing the ball.
I “I’ve done that ever since 1 started
Birowing the knuckleball,” Niekro
said. “Being a knuckleball pitcher, I
sometimes have to file my nails be
tween innings, so I carry an emery
board with me to the mound.”
He needs the small piece of sand
paper, the 42-year-old Niekro ex
plained, in case the emery board gets
soggy.
“Sometimes I sweat a lot and the
emery board gets wet,” he said. “I
use the other as a backup.”
Some pitchers in the past have
been accused of doctoring the base
ball to give it erratic movement and
make it harder to hit. In 1980, Rick
Honeycutt was suspended for 10
days when a thumbtack was discov
ered taped to a finger.
Niekro was searched and ejected
in the fourth inning of the Twins’
11-3 victory over the California An
gels, and now faces the prospect of a
10-day suspension and a fine.
The umpires confiscated the base
ball that was in play at the time, plus
five others that had been used ear
lier in the game, and are shipping
them to American League President
Bobby Brown.
Bob Fishel, the league’s executive
vice president, said Tuesday that it
would be a couple of days until the
balls are examined and any action
taken.
California Manager Gene Mauch
predictably suggested that Niekro
was using the emery board and
sandpaper on more than his finger
nails.
“Those balls weren’t roughed up,”
Mauch said. “Those balls were bor
derline mutilated. He did a job on a
couple of ’em. I mean, those balls
were hurting.
“I noticed Palermo (second base
umpire Steve Palermo) pocketed a
ball earlier in the game and I
thought, ‘They must know some
thing,’ ” Mauch said.
Home plate umpire Tim Tschida
halted play in the bottom of the
fourth and first examined Niekro’s
glove. Then, as 39,983 fans watched
at Anaheim Stadium, Niekro was or
dered to empty his pockets. Sur
rounded by the umpiring crew, he
flipped his back pockets inside out,
bringing his hands over his head in
the process.
The umpires then saw the emery
board lying on the grass.
“The balls are checked after every
inning of every major league game,”
umpiring crew chief Davey Phillips
said. “We were aware of what we
might have because we had collected
several balls that had been scuffed in
the same manner at the same place.”
Despite the ejection of Niekro,
who was replaced by Dan Schat-
zader, the Twins went on to handily
beat the Angels.
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t oms’ Lott ineligible Cowboys 7 Rohrer reports to comp
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I AUSTIN (AP) — The University
of Texas declared defensive back
|ames Lott, a likely Longhorn
starter, ineligible Tuesday, saying he
had accepted a cash loan from sports
jffigent Lloyd Bloom.
httalk UT Athletic Director DeLoss
days Ik |)odds said Lott, a senior, is ineli-
ible to play football pending a re-
iew of his case by the National Col-
legiate Athletic Association.
I In a letter to the NCAA, Dodds
#ii $aid Lott admitted signing a prom-
F CK SOI T note f° r an $BOO loan from
lllvftloom. The letter asked that the
WjCAA review the case to determine
whether there was a violation of its
/II Hdes.
I “James’ situation is different from
_ - ihose of other players who have
nrmeen publicly tied to those agents,”
'^■IB)odds said. “As best we can deter-
Bnine, he did not sign a contract or
®Miegotiate a contract.
I Bloom and partner Norby Wal
lers are being investigated by a Chi
cago grand jury that has been
looking into their dealings with
ore than 60 college athletes.
Lott, of Refugio, was projected as
starter for the 1987 Longhorns at
4 j u ,«' orner ^ >ac ^- Although he was
1 ’^••edshirted last year in football, the 6-
. , dot, 184-pound senior competed in
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ken to;: |p SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) —
sticallvii Richard Rosenthal, a retired banker
lly sb itvith no experience as an athletics
dministrator, was named Notre
ame athletic director Tuesday.
Rosenthal, 54, of South Bend,
played basketball at Notre Dame and
Captained the team in his senior
year. He succeeds Gene Corrigan,
who resigned last month to become
commissioner of the Atlantic Coast
Conference.
( I “I can assure you I think the most
important thing I can do in this job is
to ensure the integrity of a great,
( great athletic program,” Rosenthal
'Said. “If we do that, we need never
apologize for losing.”
| The appointment was announced
by the Rev. E. William Beauchamp,
executive vice president of the uni
versity and chairman of Notre
ame’s faculty board for athletics.
Beauchamp praised Rosenthal’s
long-standing support of the school
nd said his experience in business
nd personnel management will
ompensate for his inexperience
while he learns the job. “Bottom line,
1 was looking for somebody I could
be act ^ work w ith comfortably, as well,”
eina® Beauchamp said.
track and field, where he is consid
ered a world class athlete. He is a
two-time NCAA indoor high jump
champion and won the NCAA’s out
door nigh jump in 1986.
Bill Little, UT sports information
director, said the loan was made last
September. Dodds’ letter to the
NCAA said Lott accepted the loan
from Bloom while the agent was in
Austin to talk with another Texas
player.
“Bloom loaned him $800 and Lott
signed a promissory note on the
loan,” Dodds said.
Lott has one year of eligiblity re
maining in both football and track.
Dodds said that while the school’s
decision Tuesday applies to football,
it would be extended to track if a
rules violation is verified.
Texas is scheduled to open its sea
son Sept. 5 at Auburn.
The Austin American-Statesman,
in a story published Tuesday, quoted
Lott as saying he did nothing wrong.
Lott also reiterated his claim that he
has had only phone conversations
with Bloom and Walters.
“I knew they were writing a letter
to the NCAA asking for (clarifica
tion),” Lott told the newspaper. “Did
I accept a loan? No, man. . . . Did I
sign a note? No.”
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“There are many specific things in
the athletic department that will be
new to me,” Rosenthal admitted. He
acknowledged having no experience
negotiating contracts such as the lu
crative television rights deals the
university routinely signs with net
works for basketball and football
games.
He condemned professional
sports agents who contact college
players, jeopardizing their eligibility,
and said players should avoid such
contacts.
Rosenthal praised the range of
Notre Dame athletics, including
money-making sports such as foot
ball and basketball, as well as non
revenue sports such as fencing, and
the women’s sports program.
The football team has greater
strengths than its 5-6 season in 1986
indicates, said Coach Lou Holtz, who
is entering his second season. The
basketball team, coached by Digger
Phelps, reached the third round of
the 1987 NCAA tournament before
losing to North Carolina.
“I know of no other university
that has a more complete and total
program,” he said.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -
Holdout linebacker Jeff Rohrer re
ported to Dallas Cowboys’ training
camp on Tuesday but said he would
leave again if he couldn’t get the
contract he wanted.
“I picked up my key so I guess you
can call that reporting,” Rohrer said.
“I’m here and if they want to kick me
out of camp they can. I want to get
my contract settled and play foot
ball.”
Rohrer reported to camp five
days ago and is subject to the NFL’s
“John Riggins rule.”
Rohrer, who is in the option year
of his contract calling for $192,000,
reported to training camp last
Top seeds
advance in
Volvo play
STRATTON MOUNTAIN, Vt.
(AP) — Top-seeded Ivan Lendl,
Wimbledon champion Pat Cash and
No. 4-seed John McEnroe each ad
vanced Tuesday with first-round vic
tories in the $315,000 Volvo Inter
national Tennis Tournament.
Lendl beat Vermont native Marc
Flur 6-4, 6-3; Cash, seeded third,
rallied past Kelly Evernden 6-7 (7-2),
6-2, 6-4; and McEnroe beat Jona
than Canter 6-3, 6-2.
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In a later match. No. 2 Jimmy
Connors played Greg Holmes.
The weather atop Stratton Moun
tain was hot and windy, causing
some problems for the top seeds.
“It was a bit hard,” Lendl, the de
fending tournament champion, said.
“I didn’t control the ball very well. It
kept flying.”
Cash and Evernden also had trou
ble with volleys in the wind.
“It was difficult to get my timing
at first, with the altitude (1,900
feet),” Cash said.
Both he and Evernden were able
to hold serve throughout the first
set, forcing the tiebreaker that Cash
eventually lost by double-faulting on
set point.
Cash took the second set easily
and broke Evernden’s serve twice in
the third set to go up 4-1. Evernden
fought within 5-4, but Cash scored
four straight points, including a
well-placed corner shot, to take the
match.
“I just tried to keep the ball in my
court,” Cash said. “The balls were
zinging around everywhere. I just
tried to be consistent.”
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Thursday then left.
If he had stayed out five days Dal
las could place him on the reserve
list and he couldn’t play for any
other team the remainder of the
year.
“You need a slide rule to figure
this out,” said Rohrer, a six-year vet
eran from Yale. “It’s complicated.
I’m here because of the Riggins rule.
I plan to stay around a few days and
see if Joe Bailey can work me into his
schedule.”
Bailey, a team vice president, han
dles negotiations for the Cowboys.
“I hope we can get something
done on the contract,” Rohrer said.
“I don’t want to leave, then
comeback, then leave. I don’t want
to be a yo-yo on a string.”
Club President Tex Schramm said
Rohrer’s sudden appearance “irri
tates me. I don’t know if we’ll nego
tiate.”
Schramm added “a trade is a pos
sibility and he (Rohrer) hasn’t been
on the market.”
Schramm said he didn’t think
Rohrer could report and leave, re
port and leave.
“We’re not interested in two-day
players,” Schramm said.
Asked if he would give Rohrer a
better renegotiated deal, said “if we
haven’t made our last offer to him
we have now.”
Mavs 7 Alford happy
to call Dallas home
DALLAS (AP) — “Mr. Basket
ball” of Indiana says he wants to
make a home for himself in Dal
las, but first he has to milk a cow
in Indiana.
Steve Alford, a two-time All-
American at Indiana University
who led the Hoosiers to the
NCAA crown last spring, came to
Dallas Tuesday for the first time
since he was chosen by the Maver
icks as the 26th pick in the NBA
draft.
The 6-foot, 2-inch guard said
he has gained almost 10 pounds
to make the transition to the pro
fessional ranks.
“I’ve got to work hard,” Alford
said. “Nothing would please me
more than to make this my
home.”
Alford — accompanied by his
wife, Tanya — said he was glad
Dallas had drafted him after be
ing bypassed by the Indiana
Pacers in the first round because
they felt he was too slow to be
taken as the 11th overall pick.
“It’s just a great break for me,”
he said. “This is a super organiza
tion — they know how to win.
Top to bottom, all the people
have been great. They’ve given us
a warm Texas welcome.”
Alford’s been busy with basket
ball camps and producing a train
ing video since graduation from
college. And he’s getting ready
for cow-milking duties as part of
his new contract representing the
Indiana Dairy Council.
Alford averaged 22 points a
game last season as the Big Ten’s
most valuable player and won In
diana’s MVP award four times.
“He’s gotten more out of his
abilities as anybody I’ve seen play
college basketball,” IU Coach
Bobby Knight said.
Alford said he went to Indiana
because of Knight’s program and
“He’s gotten more out
of his abilities as any
body I’ve seen play col
lege basketball. ”
— Coach Bob Knight
now is looking forward to playing
for Mavericks coach John Mac
Leod.
“He’s from Indiana, so I know
he’s a great individual,” MacLeod
said.
“With all the negative vibes un
der Coach Knight, it’ll be a great
transition to Coach MacLeod’s
positive program,” Alford said.
But like nearly all Hoosiers
who successfully complete
Knight’s strict regimen, Alford
values the experience.
Asked about the role as a point
guard he’ll likely be called on to
fill if he makes the Dallas team,
Alford said he wasn’t really a
shooting guard at Indiana.
“Coach Knight doesn’t really
have that in his offense,” he said.
“He’d really rather play with five
forwards.
“I took the shooting role that
Randy Wittman (now with the At
lanta Hawks) had — I was the
first 6-2 guy to play it,” Alford
said. “But I can handle the bas
ketball; I’m excited about getting
back to it.”
Simmons
undergoes
knee surgery
Texas A&M freshman running
back Randy Simmons underwent
arthroscopic knee surgery Mon
day at St. Joseph Hospital.
Simmons, one of the top in
coming backs in the country, is
expected to miss three weeks of
E ractice as freshmen Aggie foot-
all players begin fall drills Mon
day.
The injury may have been
caused by his participation in the
Whataburger All-Star game in
Fort Worth last Tuesday.
The surgery was performed by
A&M Team Physician Dr. L.W.
Coleman to repair damaged carti
lage in Simmons’ right knee.
“We’re glad the injury was not
as serious as it might have been,”
A&M Coach Jackie Sherrill said.
“Being an incoming freshman, it
will set him back a little bit. But
the injury was minor enough that
he should be able to come back
and contribute.”
Hough tutors
Candioti on
knuckleball
CLEVELAND (AP) — A sim
ple piece of mechanical advice
from Texas knuckleballer Charlie
Hough has turned Tom Candiot-
ti’s season around.
“He noticed that my wrist was
slipping off to the side as I threw,
causing the knuckleball to move
laterally,” the Cleveland right
hander said. “He told me to
straighten out my wrist, and he
got it to float more up and down,
in the strike zone.”
That small adjustment, sug
gested by Hough just before the
All-Star break, has helped Can-
diotti to a 2-1 record and 2.21
ERA in his last three starts. His
latest was a one-hit, 2-0 victory
over the New York Yankees Mon
day night that improved his re
cord to 4-11.
“Charlie Hough has taken an
interest in me, because there
aren’t many knuckleball pitchers
left,” said Candiotti, who has also
taken knuckleball lessons from
teammate Phil Niekro.
Candiotti, 29, used the
knuckleball extensively for the
first time during the 1986 season,
and it revived his sagging career
as he went 16-12 with an Ameri
can League-leading 17 complete
games.
Hitters wised up early this sea
son, however, when they realized
he was not throwing the pitch
over the plate consistently.
“I was throwing ball, ball, ball,”
Candiotti said.
Since the All-Star break, he’s
been able to get the knuckleball
over more regularly, and the In
dians’ new manager, Doc Ed
wards, has also given him more
leverage by letting him mix in the
fastball and some breaking
pitches.
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