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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1989)
The Battalion SPORTS 5 — Wednesday, July 26,1969 — Mack pleads innocent to drug trafficking charge, remains free on bond CLEVELAND (AP) — Ck-vr Land Browns fullback Kevin Mack pleaded innocent to dnig traf- fkkina Tuesday, and his attorney said Mack's cocaine rehabilitation would be completed in time for the team's exhibition opener. “Kevin Mack is not a drug traf ficker." Gerald S. Gold. Macks defense attorney, said outside court after Mack's arraignment. Mack. 26. who was arrested with two others June 28 at a street comer known as a drug dealing site, was allowed to remain free on $2,500 bond by Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court Judge Wil liam E. Aurelius. 1 he judge assigned the case to Judge Richard F. McMonagie. Gold predicted that a crowded court docket would mean Mack's trial would not begin until after the NFL season. Gold, who cautioned his client against commenting on the case, said the player's month-long drug rehabilitation program at the Cleveland Clinic was “going very well” and would be completed Friday. His completion of the volun tary drug rehabilitation program means Mack will be available to travel with the Browns to Bn tain for an Aug. 6 exhibition game in London against the Philadelphia Eagles. Gold said. Gold said he was uncertain whether Mack would face punish ment from the NFL or the Browns because of his drug use and arrest. Mack had a problem with cocaine but not an addiction, according to Gold, who denied Mack had cocaine in his posses sion at the time of his arrest. Kevin Byrne, a team spokes man. said the Browns plan to have Mack accompany the team to London if he completes the re habilitation program as sched uled. Asked how much Mack would work srith the team during its week in Britain, coach Bud Car- son said at the Browns' preteason • training camp. “I wouldn't imag ine much for ram except for some ball handling and conoitioning Joe Browne, the NFL's director of communications, declined comment on whether the NFI. would impose any sanctions on Mack. Mack was indicted July 10 on one felonv count each of cocaine possession, cocaine trafficking, possession of criminal tools, and using a motor vehicle for drug abuse. If convicted on all counts. Mack could face up to 20 years in prison Police have said thev found 11 packets of cocaine valued at $50 rath inside his car. Little League playoff freeze lifted HOUSTON (AP) — An order that temporarily halted all Texas Little League plavoff games didn't cause too many disruptions because only a few games had to be canceled, league officials said. State District Judge Arthur Les- her lifted the freeze Monday after lawyers involved in a lawsuit over an ineligible plaver agreed that the statewide ban could ne canceled and not affect the playoffs while the case proceeds. Lesher scheduled a Thursday morning hearing to consider a tem porary injunction. The next game tor North Houston National, the dis puted champion of District 25 Little League, is a Thursday night bi-dis trict contest. Little League Inc officials said the order didn't throw off the state plav- offs since Sunday games are rare and a minimal number of Saturday games had to be canceled. "We were lucky it hit on a week end," said Mike Witherwax, Texas Little Leaguedirector “Obviously , it had a little effect, but we're in good shape and on track right now." Lawyer Blaise Heanev. who filed the suit, said he will not seek to inval- ? ar - - while the order was pending because those games would not affect his case. "The games Friday and Saturday will stand." Heaney said. “We're not trving to hold the others in con tempt " Tne controversy began after North Houston’s B-5 plavoff win over the Northside National Little League All-Stars on Wednesday Northside filed a protest over the participation of North Houston plaver David Lezcano. who lives out side the team's eligibility area Little League officials in South Williamsport, Pa , agreed the bov was ineligible, disqualifying him from fu rther play , but they deter mined that Lexcano's play did not af fect the outcome mg. It was then that lames R. King father of Northside's Jason K filed the suit, which claims that Lez cano, 12. a center fielder, caught three fly balls, had two hits and scored two runs, King said the suit will teach the bo vs the importance of plaving by the rules. Alvarez shipped to minors after poor debut ARLINGTON (AP) — llie Texas Rangers' top pitching prospect went from stellar predictions to a cellar performance in his major-league de- Nmeteen-vear-old lefthander Wil son Alvarez, the youngest plaver in the majors, lasted onlv 26 pitches in Monday night’s loss to the Toronto Blue Javs. He didn't even get an out. And he won't even get a chance t,o redeem himself — at least not right away. Tbe Rangers announced Tuesday they had optioned Alvarez to Tulsa, their Class AA affiliate, and pur chased the contract of righthander Paul Wilmet from iriple-A Okla homa City. ‘This was mv first time, and ihe experience is going to help me out a whole lot when I go on." Alvarez said Mondav, before the denwMion was announced Alvarez was pulled by manager Bobbv Valentine after giving up consecutive walks that followed back-to-back homers by Tony Fer nandez and Kelly Gruber. Both home runs and a leadof f sin gle by Junior Felix came on l-and-2 ofi-speed pilches. Alvarez, at 19 vears, 4 months, is 123 days younger than Seattle's Ken Griffey J r., who reobtains the dis tinction of being ihe youngest plaver in the big leagues The 33,754 fans gave Alvarez a prolonged oration and Valentine patted him on the bac k and told him not to get down “I'd sav his fastball was outstand ing." Valentine said. “They didn’t even pul his fastball in plav Nobody got around on his fastball ’ Although the organization lost confidence in Alvarez after one ab breviated appearance, the Rangers aren't ready to give up on him just vet. Scouts sav Alvarez, who became the first plaver born in the 1970s to pitch in the majors in the 1980s. is expected to anchor the Rangers staff of the 1990s But that was of little consolation to the native of Maracaibo. Venezuela, who was called up from Tulsa on Fnda\ when Charlie Hough went on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his right shoulder. Alvarez, sitting solemnly and alone in the Rangers clubhouse a half-hour after the Rangers' 6-3 loss to Toronto, welcomed passing team- mates' pats on the back witn hall- smiles of acknowledgment and an occasional shrug Alvarez avoided the media, lelling team officials he didn't want to talk to reporters because his English was limired But in an interview with the Asso ciated Press, Alvarez spoke in Span ish and said he wasn't discouraged by his shaky debut He said he was nervous at first, "but I saw that 1 can pitch here in (he maiors This game will help me " Catcher Jim Sundberg said Alva rez slowed his delivery somewhat when he threw his curve and changeup. which scouts sav are his best pitches. Hogs’ fullback arrested on traffic violations FAYETTEVILLE. Ark (AP) — Arkansas junior fullback Terrence "juju" Harshaw, arrested early Sun day morning on charges of speed ing, driving while intoxicated and having an altered driver's license, faces arraignment next week in Fayetteville Municipal Court. Harshaw was traveling at 63 miles an hour in a 35 mph zone, officials said. Razorback football coach Ken Hatfield sard he had not talked with Harshaw vet. "But. I wsftsmd well go from there." * R M • Hatfield said there is one rule players are expected to abide by — that they do nothing to embarrass the University of Arkansas “I feel very strongly about DWIs and DUlt, I don't care if its by one of our players or not. That's like being a loaded gun. I think there should be stringent penalties for that. “He (Harshaw) certainly didn't do anythins to endear himself. I'm just (hankful nobody was hurt.” Harshaw. the team's fourth lead ing rusher last season, carried 78 times for 306 yards and scored four '>fr b • • > • touchdowns in 1988. Harshaw is the second person with ties to the Razorback program to be in trouble recently with Fayet teville authorities Tony Cherico, a former Arkansas noseguard who is now a graduate as sistant under Fred Akers at Purdue, pleaded innocent Monday to a charge of theft of property. Chenco, at the University of Arkansas attend ing summer school, was arrested last week after a three-dav investigation into a theft ai a Favettrville clothing store. ” • TANK HFNAMAUA by Jell Millar & Bill Hinds Aluminum bats, turf and domes: Where is baseball headed? Ahhh, don't you just love baseball in the summertime? 'the players lake the field. The first batter is up. He swings on the first pitch and clangs the ball into left field. Huh? Clangs? What is this, a joke? No. actually, it may be reqlity in the future. Major League Baseball is considering allowing players to hit with alluminum bats To me, that really is a joke. It would benefit the hitter, but it would take away from the game. The traditional sound of the crack of a wooden bat sending a ball over the fence would be gone. Sure, the hitters will send more over the wall, but we’d see batting averages skyrocket. Pitchers have enougn to worry about already . Besides, we’d probably see a lot of lawsuits because of dented cars that were parked past centerfield. The broken bats would be no more. We’d see every ball go farther and harder than if hit with a wooden bat. Tradition alone should take precedent in this decision. It just would cnange the game. Robbie Scichili Sports Writer And what about baseball parks in general? There are no two tnat have the same proportions, measurements and size. Oh sure, the base pads are always 90 feet apart, but have you ever looked at how different the home run walls are? A batter can hit a home run in Boston's Fenway Park where it would be a foul ball in Seattle's Kingdome. Some parks have a tendency to give up more home runs than others simplv because of the wav thev were built Some parks have roofs while others do not. Minnesota fans have forgotten even what a rain-out is. These parks make me mad. There's no wind. The temperature is alwavs the same. T here's no sunny afternoons for fans to get a good tan in die outfield seats Almost sounds un-Amencan. doesn’t it? There are domes. T here are stadiums T here are parks. Could we please figure out w hat we want to call the edifice that houses a baseball game? Then fielders have to deal with the tvpe of field they 're playing on. At least there are only two choices here: grass or astroturf. But which one is better? I vote for grass. First of all, the problem with turf is that it can literally turn what would be a single on grass into a triple. Have you ever seen a ball flv into the right field corner and stop? It reminds me of Speedv Gonzales teasing Sylvester the Cat. Those poor outfielders Thev have to change their strategy every time they plav a different team because of the difference in fields. Then again, sometimes I don't feel sorry for them with all the money they're getting. Any team oul there want a hard working redhead to chase any trail that comes his way? The designated hitter. Is this a good description.- A better one might lie ' washed up oki man who can't field anymore.“ ( )r teams could put up a sign on the dugout that says: pitcher loo chic ken to hit. Seriously though. I feel that ihe designated hitter is something baseball can do without. If pitchers can field, thev should h't as well. Why don't we just have one hall of the team field and the other half hit? Even though there is an arguement over the designated hitter, you'd think that Major League Baselrall would come up with a standard for the league But no, thev want to complicate things up even more bs making pitchers hat in the National league while designated hitters pick up the slack in the American league. This creates even more problems. Take Bruce Hurst for example. Boston traded him to San Ihego during ihe off season. The only swings Hurst look in Bdlton were’ at flies in the clubhouse. Now Hurst is struggling to even make contact with the hall wnen up to bat. I don’t think he'll he thieatening to pass Kevin Mitchell in the home run derby anytime soon As much as I hate to admit it. baseball will continue in < hange as time goes on The game is such a thrill to watch, but these difTerent conditions of plav cause the (rue essence of the game to be lost at times I here shoiild be a standard for all baseball parks m the league to have the same type of field, the same distance to the outfield walls and the same tvpe of dimensions. The American league needs to cut this designated hitter idea and make every player hit. Let’s say Adios to the domed stadiums and make all of the parks outdoors with natural grass After all, how can we expect the level of plav to be authentic when the conditions of plav are artificial? 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