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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 1989)
*4 The Battalion SPORTS Thursday, July 20,1989 ‘Infamous pitch’ in 1986 tarnishes Moore’s career Lt’BBtX.K. Texas (AP) — For mer All-Star reliever Donnie Moore was among the best ballplayers that Texas ever produced. The Lubbock native dominated on his home soil at every level from Little League to the majors. Moore died Tuesday. Police in Anaheim. Calif., said Moore, de spondent over his failing career and marital problems, shot his wife seve ral times before turning the gun on himself. Tiring once into his head. He was S5. He earned his high school team to the Texas state title and his mllege team to a national championship. He signed with the Chicago Cubs in 197S and flourished in the mi nors, too, earning a spot on the Texas League All-Star team while pitching for Midland two years later. Moore's winning wavs continued into the major leagues, where he emerged as the American league's premier stopper in 1985, saving SI games with a career-best 1.92 earned run average. He was named the Cali fornia Angels' most valuable player. But nothing in his upbringing on the ballfields of Texas taugm him how to deal with the tormenting memory of one infamous pitch. "He was just a strike from getting the Angels in the series." lamented Walt Mt Alexander, who covered much of Moore's amateur career as a reporter for l.uhbtnk Av- alanchc-Joumal\^ the early 1970s. “I hate that that's how he’d be re membered." Moore threw his final pitch last month for the Omaha Royals. Kan sas City's Triple-A affiliate. He was released June 18 after compiling a 1- 2 record with a 6.49 ERA. Plagued by arm injuries. Moore told Omaha managerial Rende that he was relieved that the team was let ting him go. While his baseball talents were dis solving, so was his marriage. He and his wife. Tonya, whom he married in 1973, had separated last year Moore was released from the An gels in 1988, two years after he ear ned California to within one strike of the 1986 World Series. "Everything revolved around one . . . pitch," California veteran Brian Downing said. With the Angels ahead three games to one in the best-of-seven American League plavoffs. Moore had a 5-4 lead, with two outs and two strikes on Boston's Dave Henderson in the top of the ninth inning of Came 5. But Henderson then hit a Moore forkball for a two-run homer that gave the Red Sox a 6-5 lead. The Angels sent the game inttgrx- tra innings, and once again Hender son victimized Moore, with a sacri fice fly in the top of the 11th that lifted the Red Sox to a 7-6 victory. Boston went on to win the pennant. “I never ever saw the guv be cred ited for cause you bos r getting us to the plavoffs be- all you ever heard about, all ever read about, was one pitch." wning said. The heartache was foreign to Moore He led Lubbock Monterey High School to the Class 4-A state championship in 1972, pitching in all nine of the team’s plavoff games The following year he went 18-1 in taking Ranger Junior (College to the National Junior College tourna ment championship, after which he signed with the Cubs. Rozelle resolves owners’ dispute SCHAL’MBURC. III. (AP) — The NFL resolved Wednesday — at least temporarily — what Com missioner Pete Rozelle called the worst split in his 30 years in office by starting over in its search for Rozelle's successor. Nonetheless. Jim Finks, the New Orleans faints president and the original choice for the job. seemed to be in stronger po sition than ever to get it. Rozelle resolved the dispute by appointing a new six-member committee to replace the one that recommended Finks and only Finks for the job. Eleven teams then blocked rinks from getting the 19 votes he needed for the job At the same time Wednesday, the owners approved the forma- tiuon of a new international league, to sun play either in the spnng of 1990 or a year later. The later date seems more likely. The new selection commmittee contains two of the 11 who blocked Finks — Minnesou's Mike Lynn and Seattle's Ken Behring; the co-chairmen of the old committee. Kansas Citv s La mar Hunt and Wellington Mara of the New York (Hants, plus Al Davis of the Los Angeles Raiders and John Kent Cooke of Wash ington. It is the first major committee assignment in 12 years for Davis, who was a minority oLone while he was suing the NR. over his team's move from Oakland That seemed to bode well for Finks — Mara. Hunt, Cooke and Davis all voted for him the first time and Lynn also supported him right up to 20 minutes oefore the ballot. Nonetheless. Rozelle said the new committee will rec ommend more than one candi date. “Oh. yes," Lynn replied when asked if Finks remained a viable candidate and the echo was simi lar from almost everyone else. “Everyone on the new commit tee is an announced Finks sup- K er, " said Ed McCaskev of the ago Bears “I think Finks is very strong right now," said Victor Kiam of New England, one of the 11 votes that blocked Finks' election. "I think a lot of the owners that voted against him liked him as a candidate, they just didn't like the process " In 1975, he went 14-8 for Mid- Cone tosses 4-hitter; Astros fall, 8-2 game ' ' He would pitch parts of 13 sea sons in the nwyor leagues, his peak coming in 1985jwhen he tossed two perfect innings in the All-Sur game. He was 43-40. with 89 saves and a lifetime ERA of 3.66. Tonya Moore. 35. was listed in se rious condition in the intensive care ward Wednesday at Kaiser Perma- nente Hospiul in Los Angeles. She suffered at least three gunshot wounds in the upper chest and stom ach. Doctors said her condition was im proving. NEW YORK (AP) — David Cone pitched a four-hitter for his fourth straight victory and Darryl Strawber- ? r’s 20lh home run sent the New ork Mets over the Houston Astros 8-2 Wednesday night. Glenn Davis hit two solo home runs, making him the first player in Houston history to get at least 20 homers in five consecutive seasons. (one, 7-5, struck out eight and walked none. He pitched his fourth complete game in 19 starts. Jim Clancy. 5-7. has lost three consecutive decisions. He began the game with a 7.17 earned run aver age in his last five starts, and gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings Clancy retired the lirsi 10 batters before Dave Magadan singled With two outs, Clancy narrowly missed on a 2-2 pitch to Strawberry, and Straw berry hit the next delivery far over the right-field fence fot a 2-2 tie. The Mets lead the major leagues with 86 home runs, including 12 in the last 10 games. Gregg Jeffenes opened the fifth with a single and took third on Mackey Sasser’s single. Kevin Elster, batting just .203. followed with a high bouncer that deflected off the glove ot leaping Craig Keynolos ft and a 3-2 lead or an RBI single Cone then bunted, and Reynolds threw the ball past third base for an error that allowed another run to score. After Juan Samuel sacrificed, Magadan hit a sacrifice flv. Jetteries hit a run-scoring single in the eighth off Dave Smith after shortstop Rafael Ramirez dropped a popup for a two-base error. Sasser added an RBI double, his third hit, and (Vine singled him home >INY ADS. BUT REAL HEAVYWEIGHTS WHEN RESULTS REALLY COUNT. l o matter what you've go to say or sell, our Classi fieds can help you do the big job. 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