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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1987)
Tuesday, September 1, 1987/The Battalion/Page 15 Young faces help Pirates develop winning formula ang fOrml PITTSBU R G H (AP)— It's not i lire sale, not a Thrift sale. BCeneral Manager Syd Thrift nsists the wholesale changes he’s nade dealing away nearly all of ught the team Btsburgh’s veteran players aren’t Dr its season ;l es ig ne( ;i to save money, but to Louis in two jaw f- aC e. i OK,” Whitt IThrift insists the Pirates, not bothering leaded for their fourth consec- throws. idve last-place finish, are going to the Raiden art winning with young talent, ems and some idt keep losing with old players, lems by the ’ to." ■ 'We’re making this a better bal- iree intercep- Sib. We’re bringing the talent irs and Steve n ” he said. iff two times, iLately, the Pirates have been ie of not being vinning. ith my receiv-■They carried a six-game win- his has gottoiiiig streak at home against At- lere are going Sta Monday night, f people who |Since April 1, 1 hrift has traded moving vansiWay what many would consider id everything h< heart of the Pirates — and, Tom) LandryStainly, the heart of their pay- i for this type 'ol [ don’t knov Jl he team’s fot harrassedasbliyers — Tony P ders. I'm nathR Don Robinsi iow because . Sy —are gone, a ot the luxun esjimated $3 iries. Iln their ph Beball’s yoi owest-paid « highest-paid i, Rick Reus- on and Johnny dong with their illion a year in test Sary Jeter. £ ern, all with itperience. ■teran plaven arred on the in ship team >r league perhaps team that has mate and only two players, Andy Van Slyke and reserve outfielder Terry Harper, who make more than the big league average of $425,000 a year. Seven players make the major- league minimum of $62,500 a year. Not only has the wheeling-deal ing Thrift dealt or discarded other veterans such as Jim Morri son, Larry McWilliams and Bill Almon since March, 13 players currently on the 24-man roster weren’t there a year ago. Only two Pirates, pitcher Bob Walk and Harper, are over 30, and Walk, who joined the team in mid-season 1984, finds himself the senior Pirate. In the last eight months, Thrift has traded away the Pirates’ two best starting pitchers, Rick Rho den and Reuschel; Robinson, their bullpen stopper; their most popular player, three-time All- Star catcher Pena, and Ray, one of baseball’s most consistent hit- “Our philosophy has been to get good, young talent for veteran players,” Thrift said. “We’re not trading for financial rea- sons.We’ve given up talent, but we’ve got talent in return.” UT hopes to continue success against Tigers AUSTIN (AP) — The last two times David McWilliams was across the field from an Auburn football team, he was the de fensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns and remembers fondly the way his defense jelled against the Tigers. “I remember Jerry Gray mak ing about 400 tackles that day in 1983 and about as many intercep tions,” said McWilliams, who makes his debut as the Long horns’ head coach Saturday at Auburn. “And in 1984, I was so im pressed with Bo Jackson and how hard he ran even after he had in jured his shoulder and even though we did a pretty good job at stopping him,” he said Mon day. This year, McWilliams isn’t sure what to expect. But when nis young Long horns take the field against the fifth-ranked Tigers, he hopes his team can use the game as a confi dence builder — win or lose. “I think it’s a tough opener to have,” McWilliams said. “The players know they have to work narder. They know who they’re playing. At this time, I think it is a isitive point to open with an Au- >urn. pos bur 'Well, no matter what the score, we have got to come out of there with some confidence,” he said. This will be the seventh meet ing between the two teams, with the Longhorns winning all but one. Texas has won the last two games in 1983 and 1984, and those were also season-openers. The Longhorns originally were scheduled to open the season with Brigham Young on Sept. 12. But when Southern Methodist was barred from football for 1987 and canceled its 1988 season be cause of recruiting violations, Texas worked out the early date with Auburn. It will be the Longhorns’ ear liest start since 1980. If there is any pressure for McWilliams to E roduce success early, the new ead coach said he hasn’t felt it. “I’m not basing my whole ca reer on one game,” said McWil liams, who replaced fired coach Fred Akers. “I want to win this one for the players. We have an 11-game schedule and Auburn is not the only team that we are playing. We have a game each week and that is the most important game we play. Even if we beat Auburn, we have 10 more games to play. Noonan finally ready to help Dallas ■LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Relieved . anxious, Lincoln’s Danny Noo- nship too k a plane to Dallas Monday (uarterback en( jj n „ a 41.day holdout with * lh ? 'I the Dallas Cowboys. ' Ider* ••^■yhe Cowboys’ No. 1 draft pick, *• who became the team’s longest B)kie holdout, signed a contract Sunday afternoon in Dallas and re tained to Lincoln Sunday night. BTih glad it’s over and I’m ready npa Bay * or jo[go,” Noonan said Monday. “The •rback, .hat Walsh 1 year or t ■ve Young for . ®^Bwboys are tough to deal with Jl-America kV {j c . n j t comes to money. Other guys, ig was a SLi \f{ke Sherrard and Randy White, and took plt®, e ou{ f or 30 d a y S or so and ed 47 tinies;.)Ty eventually got what they i while throvii| v i n |. e( j wor ked for me, too.” id eight t0Uu MNoonan, an All-America loseguard at Nebraska last season, ^dt what he wanted when he agreed k surgen m Q a G<MitraG t t j iat w ju p a y a p_ only eig U -jT^i Ie i g m i]ii 0 n total for . vear vetCJS^ f 7 “c , our one-year contracts. ■‘I don’t feel like a millionaire. But rvffirJhink I might go out and buy my nter hre v' lr L t car now,” said Noonan, who ■ rancis and v J 0esn - t own a car ar * t ar !r , anl J f‘My wife (Penny) and I have a : end ot t ie pj c ^ ef j out [ n I3 a ll a s, just a half , JJlock away from the Cowboys’ of- talented )^~ lc j es she’s as ready to get to Dallas e receiver ue leader in" 1 1,570,(1* Tensive lineE—. Charles Halt 1 he former Lincoln Northeast all stater missed the entire Cowboys’ training camp at Thousand Oaks, Calif., and will probably not be a starter when the season begins Sept. 13. Dallas head Coach Tom Landry said Noonan will probably play in the Cowboys’ final exhibition game Saturday with Houston. The holdout was centered around the amount of money Noonan would be paid, plus arguments about a fifth-year option and other payments, the former Cornhusker said. The No. 1 draft choice denied re ports from the Cowboys’ manage ment that he wound up with the same contract that was offered five weeks ago. “They dropped some of their de mands about the option year and I feel the holdout was worth it,” Noo nan said. “I had complete trust in my agent (Condon) and he worked out the best possible deal I could get. “I would have loved to have re solved this earlier. It got to the point where I was thinking about getting a T-shirt that said ‘No. I haven’t signed yet.’ But the Cowboys fans and all the other interested people can rest assured, that I’m a Cowboy now.” Noonan was to check in for a physical examination Monday af ternoon and begin practices with the team on Tuesday. “I’m looking forward to getting started,” he said. “It’s been almost nine months since I’ve been involved in any serious contact and I’m ex pecting a lot of soreness even though I feel I’m in the best shape I can be in. “All the way home (driving from Kansas City Sunday night), I thought about the moves and the practices and the things I’ll have to do to get the job done. There’ll be a lot expected of me and a lot of pres sure on me, but I like that. “I know they’re anxious for me to get there. I talked with Randy White (Cowboys All-pro defensive tackle) and a few other guys on the team the other night in Dallas and they all wished me luck with the negotiations and said they were hoping I’d get there soon,” Noonan said. Landry said that he was pleased to finally get Noonan with the team. “He’s missed a lot and he’s way be hind, but we will be able to use him in pass-rush situations early in the season until he learns our defense.” Noonan said that should not be a problem. “I understand the basics of their defenses, but learning the schemes for certain situations will take some time,” Noonan said. Landry and Gil Brandt, Cowboys’ director of player personnel, com pared Noonan to White. “He’s got size, speed and quickness you look for in a defensive lineman. I think he’s very versatile,” Landry said. “He looks a lot like Randy White coming out of college as far as his skills, size and quickness,” Brandt said. hicago DWP puts away Houston 4-3 Mus(tang)l! joes out to K : to practice not to bew , „ rl . , f HOUSTON (AP) — Ryne xhell oneoei jt anc [b er g’ s first-inning home run ransferand* I sta bli s h e( J a single-season Chi- 189, when 3 ^ 0 recorc j f or homers and the snsive endBK F; u b s defeated Houston 4-3 Mon- JJlay night, sending the Astros to e is desertet .^ e j r season _high sixth straight trd to workc: I ig to get rej [y isn’t intoil ’ Sandberg’s home run, his 15th, The noise the gave the Cubs 183 for the season. . place was fithicago’s previous record of 182 •king withei [vassetin 1958. I The National League record program k [or a 162-game season is 207 set e nation got in 1966 by the Atlanta Braves. It’s hard tot® Chicago rookie Les Lancater, o this.” w-1, allowed two runs and six hits Lobert McDaff in 7‘/3 innings, and offens 1 Lee Smith pitched the final 1% try as part' for his 32nd save. I It was Smith’s 449th appear- Ince for the Cubs, tying Don ■Iston’s club record for pitchers. Houston’s Danny Darwin, 8-9, ||>itched one inning and allowed Bwo runs on four hits before leav- ing the game in the second with a Hmlled muscle in his left midsec- Hion. In the second, singles by Jody gbavis and Luis Quinones brought fin Jeff Heathcock in relief of jpparwin. After a single by Dave Marti- ffiez loaded the bases, Davis llcored on Sandberg’s ground out. I’ Chicago took a 3-0 lead in the third when Jerry Mumphrey tripled and scored on Keith ■Moreland’s sacrifice fly. The Cubs made it 4-2 in the Sixth on an RBI single by Lancas ter. | The Astros scored two runs in ||he fourth on an RBI single by |Kevin Bass and a sacrifice fly by Ibenny Walling. Houston made it 4-3 in the heighth when Gerald Young sin gled, moved to second on a ■roundout, and scored on Alan Ashby’s single. I The Astros entered the game Second on the NL West, 3!/2 games behind San Francisco. Broncos, Seahawks and Raiders appear to head tough AFC West From The Associated Press It has become a law of nature in the NFL — you can’t have every thing. If you have a powerful offense, you’re doomed to have a mediocre defense and vice versa. For more than a decade, the Denver Broncos thrived on a stingy, gang-tackling defense while the of fense often stumbled and fumbled. The biggest change in the Bron cos this fall will be new faces on de fense. Adding to Reeves’ worry was the tendency of the Broncos’ undersized defense to wear down. In the last seven games of 1986, including two playoff games and the Super Bowl, Denver yielded more than 30 points per game. The Broncos went into the draft looking primarily for size at outside linebacker and fullback. I hey got neither. Top pick Ricky Nattiel, a speedy wide receiver and kick returner from Florida, has caught everything thrown his way, and he gives Elway another deep threat to go with Vance Johnson and Mark Jackson. With no significant changes at running back, the offense will con tinue to depend on Elway, who came of age in leading the Broncos 98 yards in the closing minutes in the AFC championship game victory over Cleveland. Seattle ended 1986 as the AFC’s hottest team, winning its last five games and outscoring opponents by an average of 33-15. But that was af ter a four-game losing streak and the Seahawks missed the playoffs. The Seahawk fortunes rose and fell with quarterback Dave Krieg. In the last five games, Krieg completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,288 NFL owners and players predicting strike, cite free agency as main disagreement WASHINGTON (AP) —The ex ecutive committee of the NFL Play ers Association, discouraged by a lack of progress in contract negotia tions with NFL management, set a strike deadline on Monday but would not reveal the date. “We will do what we have to do to reach a fair agreement,” NFLPAl ex ecutive director Gene Upshaw said. “With that in mind, the executive committee unanimously agreed on a date in which the strike would be.” The current collective bargaining agreement expired at midnight Monday. But the earliest the union can strike is Sept. 15, after the sea son’s first weekend, because its man datory 60-day notice of intent to strike was filed on July 15 with the National Labor Relations Board and the 28 NFL teams. Upshaw said the nine-man union executive committee would recom mend the date to the full board of player representatives on Sept. 8 at Washington. He said he wanted the players to consider the date before revealing it to the public. Jack Donlan, chief negotiator for the owners, has said he expects the players to set the walkout following the third weekend of the season, at which point they would have the minimum amount of time required to qualify for a year’s pension. “I’m hoping that’s the date they have in mind,” Donlan said Monday. “We’ve got a whole lot of issues to get through. I don’t think we could get through them in a week or two.” Negotiations last took place Aug. 14-15 after which union representa tives went on the road to meet with players in training camps. “Due to both of our schedules, we knew there wasn’t much hope of our getting together,” Upshaw said. “I decided to go on the road. ... I vis ited eight or 10 teams in that two- week period to inform the players of the lack of progress because their was so much misinformation about the progress that was being made at the tables.” Negotiations for a three-year con tract are at a stalemate, Upshaw said. “Eventually we’ll get down to bar gaining,” he said. “We intend to bar gain with the other side, we intend to reach an agreement with the other side.” The union is seeking im- yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. But during the losing streak, he was benched for inconsis tency. The Los Angeles Raiders, fresh off a thrashing of the Dallas Cow boys on Sunday, will use their de fense and the offensive skills of Mar cus Allen - and possibly Bo Jackson - to try and regain Super Bowl form. Like the Seahawks, the Raiders’ quarterback situation has not been settled. Marc Wilson has failed to take the offense to the heights that Jim Plunkett did and Coach Tom Flores has yet to make a firm com mittment on a starter for the opener in two weeks. The San Diego Chargers, mean while, are still trying to regroup un der new head coach Don Saunders who replaced Don Coryell at mid season last year. provements in several areas, includ ing guaranteed contracts, increased pension benefits and, most impor tantly, a free-agent system that does not involve compensation. Donlan has said free agency is the main impediment to an agreement. The owners also are seeking a salary scale for rookies and mandatory drug testing. Upshaw said: “We predicted things that management would do, and they’re doing that.” Donlan said using free agents is “just one of the options we have. We wouldn’t try that without a full meet ing of all the owners.” Donlan expressed hope that the two sides can get together soon to iron out their differences. “We’re re ady to negotiate any time, any place,” he said. In 1982, a 57-day player walkout eliminated seven games from the schedule. Commissioner Pete Ro- zelle has said that strike cost owners around $150 million. The NFLPA also called strikes in 1970 and 1974, although those walk outs didn’t last nearly as long and the impact on the game wasn’t nearly as dramatic. Texas A&M Weightlifting Club Membership-$30. 00 for entire fall semester Free Weights, Dumbbells, Stone Exercise Ma chines, Monark Exercise Bikes. Supplements, T-Shirts, Wholesale prices. Personalized In struction Available. Located on Campus Rm 256-G. Rollie White Cols. 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