The Battalion
SPORTS
9
| Friday, October 19,1989
The Battalion
Tom Kehoe Sports Editor 845-2688
Baseball’s NL
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Alan
Lehmann
Sports Writer
Believe it or not, something nice came
from the tragedy in San Francisco.
Since game three of baseball’s World
Series will be postponed until Tuesday,
Giants fans get an extra week to prepare for
the pain of losing to the Oakland A’s.
Not that the average San Franciscan will
be too broke up about losing to a team from
just across the bay. As wishy-washy as most
Californians are, they’ll probably just claim
to be Oakland fans anyway.
The sad reality for National League fans
is that the American League is dominant
and will be for years to come.
Oakland was the best team in baseball last
year, despite slumping and dropping the
Series to the Los Angeles Dudgers. The AL
has won the last two All-Star games.
As I said two weeks ago, Oakland will win
this year’s Series — not that it took a genius
to figure that out. But, since the A’s
whipped the Giants in the two pre-quake
games, they are only two games from a
sweep of the best-of-seven affair.
Why will Oakland win the Series?
Because they come from the better
league. When you come from a tough
neighborhood, you either grow up or give
up. The A’s have grown up in the toughest
neighborhood in baseball, and are now the
bullies of the block.
The AL West was the only division in the
major leagues to boast four teams with win
ning records. Kansas City and California
See Lehmann/Page 10
Thomas evokes ‘Johnny Rock ’ memories
By Richard Tijerina
Of The Battalion Staff
It’s the return of “Johnny Rock.”
William Thomas isn’t the first Texas
A&M football player to star at linebacker
while wearing No. 11 on his jersey.
Former All-American Johnny Holland,
the Green Bay Packers’ first-round draft
choice in 1987, wore the same number for
the Aggies.
The similarities don’t stop there.
Holland was All-Everything for the Ag-
S es. As a senior, he was their leader on de
nse — leading the club in tackles and
sacks.
No. 11 is back again in 1989, wreaking
havoc on opposing backfields and quietly
leading the team in tackles (58) and sharing
the team lead in sacks (5.5).
But there’s a new name on the jersey
now, and Thomas, a junior from Amarillo
Palo Duro, said this season’s defense is
starting to look pretty familiar to A&M
fans.
“We’re getting to be the same defense
that A&M’s known in the past,” Thomas
said. “We’re coming up and hitting pretty
hard and making the big plays when it’s
time. We’re being the same old A&M de
fense.”
That same old defense is because of some
great talent A&M’s had at the linebacker
position in the 1980s — Holland, Larry
Kelm, John Roper, Dana Batiste and Aaron
See Thomas/Page 10
1989’s No. 11: William Thomas closes in on a Southern
Mississippi runner in A&M’s 31-14 win at Kyle Field.
photos by Jay Janner
1986’s No. 11: Johnny Holland moves in for a tackle in
a 28-12 loss to Ohio State in the 1987 Cotton Bowl.
Slocum: Showdown with Baylor crucial to conference race
By Clay Rasmussen
Of The Battalion Staff
More than just bragging rights to the
Brazos River are at stake when Texas A&M
visits Baylor this Saturday in Waco.
The loser of the game might find them
selves at home on New Year’s Day, instead
of in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Momentum heading into the second half
of the season and the possibility of elimina
tion from the conference race are up for
grabs to both the Aggies and the Bears.
Baylor Coach Grant Teaff said this week
end’s game probably will eliminate either
Baylor or Texas A&M.
“There are four eligible teams for the
Cotton Bowl with one or no losses,” Teaff
said. “One of us will probably be eliminated
after the Baylor-A&M game.”
Texas A&M Coach R.C. Slocum sees it
pretty much the same way.
“When you get to this point in the season,
you walk out on the field and say ‘This is it.
One of us has got to go and the other one
gets to stay,”’ Slocum said. “Whoever wants
to stay the most, will.”
If the Aggies are to be the ones to stay in
the race, they must do the same things
they’ve talked about all year.
“We need to eliminate the long plays and
turnovers,” Slocum said. “If we aon’t give
up the big plays or turn the ball over to Bay
lor, we’ll have a chance to hang in there
with them.”
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Other than eliminating the big plays and
turnovers, Slocum must be wary of over-
confidence.
Coming off big wins against Louisiana
State and Texas Christian, the Aggies
played flat in Washington and struggled
with Texas Tech. They lost both games.
Texas A&M was ranked in the Associated
Press’ Top 20 before each game, and was
knocked out of the polls after the losses.
This week, A&M is coming off a 17-13
upset over the previously eighth-ranked
Houston Cougars. A&M’s defense domi
nated the Cougars and effectively shut
down quarterback Andre Ware and the
Run-and-Shoot offense.
“There’s something that’s really frighten
ing about doing that (getting overconfident
of Houston win),” Slocum said. “If you’re in
the sales business and all you talk about is
the great sales you made last week, there’s
not much chance of you making any sales
this week.
“You’ve got to stay hungry. You can’t
dwell on success very long.”
The Aggies (ranked 23rd in AP’s Top
25) can’t afford to take the Bears or quar
terback Brad Goebel lightly just because of
Baylor’s 66-10 loss to Houston three weeks
ago.
Goebel is creeping up on former Baylor
quarterback Cody Carlson’s career passing
records and is second on career pass com-
See Showdown/Page 10
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