Thursday, October 22, 1987/The Battalion/Page 9
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By Doug Hall
Assistant Sports Editor
Come on George!
I You don’t really expect us to be
lieve that you’ve hired Billy “I didn’t
launch that doggie” Martin to man-
k ^ge your New York Yankees for a
Ifth time.
Certainly _________
ve’ve all heard
>f the revolv-
ng-door policy
>f major league
nanagers, but five times is too much
o handle.
After all, what’s Martin going to
lo in 1988 that he couldn’t in his
jrevious four stints at the Yankee
lelm?
Let’s ask the masked masher of
iissa
one vea
ponsibilitv -
j think lifer
‘ atl ^3 narshmellcow salesmen himself:
“I’m anx j ous to re t u r n as Yankee
nanager and I’m looking toward
(ringing an exciting and winning
earn to Yankee fans,” Martin said in
statement Monday.
But a winning team is not suffi-
ient for George Steinbrenner, a.k.a
he master-of-manager-disaster.
Lou Piniella, in only his second
I'ear of managing in the majors,
uided the Yankees to an 89-73 re-
:ord. A winning season by anyone’s
ccount.
Furthermore, the Yanks’ .549
inning percentage would have
>een sufficient for a first-place finish
n the Western Division of the Amer-
can League and and one game be-
tind the National League West
:hampion San Francisco Giants. At
lave one more
me with,” Wik
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ill his knees hoi
ev does a Ini
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igoodp
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lathe
fans
McMahon expects to win starting job again
llpark tempera
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f eet and toes a i
Twins third s
•aetti said.
tie 3 Tu
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jim
McMahon is not only ready to quar
terback the Chicago Bears again af
ter a layoff of nearly a year, but he
:xpects to assume his starting role
loon.
“I feel ready to play,” McMahon
aid Wednesday, “and if I do well in
Fampa Bay, I’ll expect to start the
following week.”
McMahon underwent shoedder
surgery last December. Although
ioctors told him it would be at least a
fear before he could play again, he
eported to camp last summer deter-
nined to start the opening game
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present, however, Steinbrenner’s
Stooges happen to play in the major
leagues’ most competitive division —
the American League East.
In comparison to the Detroit Ti
gers, Toronto Blue Jays and Milwau
kee Brewers, 16 games over .500
meant a fourth place finish for the
Yankees.
What undoubtedly prompted
Steinbrenner’s promotion (?) of Pi
niella to the general manager spot
was the Yankees’slide out of first
place in August and September.
In early July, Piniella’s team was
locked in to a two-team race for the
division title with Toronto. Detroit
was still recovering from an abysmal
start and Milwaukee couldn’t find an
even keel between winning streaks
and losing skids. Piniella, according
to those in the know, was expertly
handling the pressures of a mid
summer pennant race and the
mindless meddling of Steinbrenner.
But New York soon lost the serv
ices of spark-plug center fielder
Ricky Henderson and team leader
Willie Randolph, whose number of
managers is quickly approaching the
number of shortstops he’s teamed
up with.
The Yankees’ record, like its two
stars, went on a serious disabled list.
Meanwhile, Georgie was trading
the services of knucleballer Joe
Niekro to the Minnesota Twins (look
who’s in the World Series), relocat
ing pitcher Steve Trout (an unprofi
table trade) and spending untold
thousands of dollars in shuttling
players between New York and its’
Triple A affiliate in Columbus.
As the Yankees stumbled, Georgie
began to gripe. He blasted Piniella
for failing to receive a phone call at
the designated hour. He questioned
the will of players like Flenderson
and berated everyone who faulted
him.
Meanwhile he was preaching the
“bottom line” to his team.
As in win the pennant. Or else.
Piniella was probably glad to get
off the field and in to the office. At
least there he can claim he was in a
meeting when Steinbrenner calls.
As for Martin taking over — let’s
be serious.
Steinbrenner is just buying time
(like he tries to buy everything else)
until a more established candidate
surfaces. The latest word is that he’s
waiting for former Yankee shortstop
Bucky Dent to get rid of the rough
edges on the Tripe A level.
Martin apparently had been tell
ing friends for some time that he
would be returning to the Yankees.
A fact that undoubtedly didn’t sit
well with Piniella.
And if the 1987 season proved
anvfhing, it’s that quibbling between
against the Super Bowl New York
Giants in September.
“That was unrealistic,” said Mc
Mahon, who was placed on the in
jured reserve list until Coach Mike
Ditka said he would be activated this
week.
“So, I set my sights on week seven,
and this is week seven,” said McMa
hon, who earlier this week went to
Los Angeles to get final cleai ante
from Dr. Frank Jobe, who per
formed the surgery.
“Dr. Jobe was very happy with
what he saw, and the aim looks
good,” McMahon said. ‘Tt is
stronger, and the endurance that
wasn’t there in training camp is
there. I’m ready to play. I don’t
think he’ll (Ditka) will start me, but I
hope to get in the game this week.”
As for his starting job, McMahon
believes he is entitled to it whenever
he is ready, in place of Mike Tomc-
zak who started seven games last
year after McMahon was injured
and won them all, plus two this sea
son before the strike.
“I don’t think I did anything be
fore I got hurt to lose my starting
job,” McMahon said. “I leel the start
ing job is mine, but that’s not my de
cision.
“Tomczak has played well, but I
don’t feel I should be demoted. Mike
is playing better, and he’s going to
get better. But I can do things on the
field that he hasn’t gotten to yet.”
As for Tomczak, he said he’s
happy to see McMahon return.
“I’ve been pulling for him,”
T omczak said. “But the better quar
terback is going to play, and right
now I’m playing well. Jim has missed
almost a complete year, and I think a
lot of questions have to be answered
in his mind.”
Oiler replacements
return to previous jobs
HOUSTON (AP) — Steve Su-
perick will be back on the golf
course at Hilton Head, S.C. this
weekend as an assistant teaching
pro when the regular Houston
Oilers football team plays the At
lanta Falcons in the Astrodome
Sunday.
Dwain Turner likely will re
turn to high school coaching, and
Larry Joyner may re-enroll in col
lege to earn a degree in human
relations. Offensive lineman
Doug Kellermeyer may want to
work on his hobby as an amateur
opera singer.
But they’ll all remember the
experiences they’ve had the past
three weeks, helping the replace
ment Oilers compile a 2-1 record
during the three-game NFL play
ers strike.
“I’d like to play some more, but
it’s out of my hands,” said Super-
ick, who averaged 33.6 yards on
eight punts. “I made some money
that I wouldn’t have made doing
anything else.
“It doesn’t get much easier
than punting a football once a
week, but it’ll be nice to get back
to the golf course.”
Joyner, cut by the Oilers dur
ing training camp this season, still
has dreams of an NFL career.
“I wouldn’t take anything for
this opportunity that we’ve had,”
Joyner said. “I hope I showed
enough that maybe some other
team will give me a chance.”
The Oilers cut one group of
players Monday, following Sun
day’s replacement finale, a 21-7
loss to the New England Patriots,
and sent 10 more packing on
Tuesday.
The Oilers can keep as many as
85 players this week, but must de
clare a roster of 45 by Saturday
for Sunday’s game.
Kellermeyer, who owns an au
tomotive company in Phoenix,
Ariz., and running back Herman
Hunter were among the second
group to be released.
Hunter gained 121 yards on 28
carries in the replacement team’s
15-10 victory over Cleveland on
the Browns’ home field.
The replacement team won
back-to-back road games at
Denver and Cleveland, a feat the
regulars hadn’t accomplished
since 1981.
A total of nine players were cut
from the replacement offense,
while 10 were released from the
defense.
Major problems missing
from Cowboys’ practice
IRVING (AP) — There were
some empty “rhinestone” Cowboys
lockers at Valley Ranch Wednesday,
and more will follow as the replace
ment Dallas players feel the heat
from the veterans’ return.
“They shouldn’t be here,” player
representative Doug Cosbie said of
the replacements. “We don’t need a
lot of extra people around.”
Nevertheless, there were no big
problems on the first full day of a
mixed veterans-replacements prac
tice.
“I don’t see that much of a prob
lem,” said 14-year veteran John Dut
ton. “There was a lot of talk, but talk
is cheap. There is no sense in trou
ble. It wouldn’t help.”
Outspoken linebacker Jeff Rohrer
said there were a “few sparks and
stares,” but said the team was follow
ing Coach Tom Landry’s advice:
“Keep your personal feelings off the
locker and field.”
Of the replacement players, only
free agent wide receiver Kelvin Ed
wards appears to have a place on the
roster clinched.
“He’s the kind of young talent you
want to keep around,” Landry said.
“He’s shown a lot of ability to run
away from people and catch the
football.”
Edwards, a fourth-round draft
pick by New Orleans who was cut in
Marines
We’re looking for a few good meh.
Captain R. Mahany 846-9036/8891
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MSC Town Hall Presents
P F AA WORK
K.E«iVu t n u R
With Special Guest The dB’s
Thursday, November 19th, 8 p.m.
G. Rollie White Coliseum
Tickets $10 ■ available at
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general managers and field man
agers produces mediocre seasons.
Point of fact — Houston Astros,
CM Dick Wagner (recently fired)
and Hal Lanier. The Astros stum
bled 10 games under .500 and 20
games off last year’s pace.
Point of fact — New York Mets,
GM Frank Cashen and Davey John
son. The Mets also stumbled and
bumbled, despite making a late sea
son run at the title.
Counterpoint: San Francisco Gi
ants. GM A1 Rosen provided Man
ager Roger Craig with just what the
doctor ordered — three pitchers and
a quality third baseman.
Steinbrenner, on the other hand,
wields his scalpel much too freely. In
searching for the “bottom line,”
Georgie has once again cut the plat
form out from under the Yankees’
podium.
“Nothing Lou did hurt us in any
way,” Yankees first baseman Don
Mattingly said. “He did what he
could. He put the best players on the
field every day and made the right
moves. We just didn’t produce. We
didn’t play well when we had to. But
we never lost respect for Lou. Never.
We played hard for him.”
Such kind words were seldom
heard with respect to the fiery Mar
tin, who confronted his players more
times than Ollie North pleaded igno
rance.
New York deserves another
owner, not another manager. Espe
cially a fifth-time runaround.
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training camp, wasn’t taking any
thing for granted.
“I don’t even want to think about
it,” he said.
The replacement players were
working this week against the veter
ans and taking things one day at a
time.
“I feel I can do the job, make a
contribution somewhere, but it’s not
up to me,” said safety Johnny
Haynes. “It’s up to the coaches. I
really don’t know about my chances.
They haven’t kept a safety in a long
time.”
Haynes was spectacular in Dallas’
three replacement games, intercept
ing two passes in Monday night’s 13-
7 loss to Washington.
Offensive lineman Steve Cisowski
said “I’m going at it hard. I really
want to play for the Cowboys and I
might get a break.
“There has been a great camara
derie with the (replacement) play
ers,” he added. “We have developed
a lot of friendships over the past
three weeks. We have all become
real close.”
Defensive tackle Mike Dwyer, who
has been a Cowboys’ fan favorite be
cause of his enthusiasm, said, “I
think I played well enough to get a
close look the next couple of weeks.
I’m hoping.”
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