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Sports
Tuesday, September 15,1992
The Battalion
Page 5
SVTINUJO
Robinson's
life deserves
recognition
Double Trouble
ith all
of the
DON
NORWOOD
Sports Writer
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W
troversy sur
rounding ma
jor league
baseball this
year, it's a
wonder that
any of the pos
itive occur
rences during
the season
have received
any attention
at all.
Robin
Yount's 3,000th hit, the Atlanta Braves'
run for another National League West
pennant and Tony LaRussa's miracle
worker act in Oakland have all been
reminders of yesterday's game, one
that was unencumbered by inflated
television contracts and gargantuan
egos.
But how ironic it is that, with such a
desire by those around baseball to wax
nostalgic over the game, the anniver
sary of one of the most important
events in the history of professional
sports is passing without even an off
hand acknowledgment.
Forty-five years ago, Jackie Robin
son walked onto Ebbets Field for the
first time, carrying the weight of an en
tire race and the future of America's
pastime on his formidable shoulders.
To some players, Robinson is a
hero, and deservedly so. To many oth
er major leaguers, though, Jackie
Robinson is a name that is nothing
more than vaguely familiar, someone
they should know about but can't re
call.
Considering the idea that some cur
rent major leaguers, both black and
white, do not know who Robinson is is
mind-boggling. A former star running
back at UCLA, Robinson was one of
the most talented athletes ever to step
on a playing field in our country, a
two-sport standout when Bo and
Deion were gleams fn their fathers'
eyes. And no other major league base
ball player has had to labor under the
type of pressure Robinson did, as he
had to battle opposing players, fans
and owners. That's a highly signifi
cant and important legacy, one that
lives on to this day.
Unfortunately, many people today
either have forgotten about the hard
ships experienced by black baseball
players in the first half of this century,
or they are simply uninformed. As
Hank Aaron eloquently pointed out in
his autobiography, "I Had a Ham
mer," black players in the Southern
League frequently received death
threats describing how they would be
shot during the game from the outfield
bleachers.
Even in the 70's, when Aaron was
See Norwood/Page 6
Junior covers
two positions
for Lady Aggies
By DON NORWOOD
Sports Writer of THE BATTALION
If you think volleyball looks like an ex
hausting sport, try viewing it from Genny
Wood's point of view.
Wood, a junior from San Antonio, has
been pulling double duty for the Lady
Aggies during the young season, playing
key roles at both setter and outside at
tacker.
As if that were not enough to worry
about, she is also one of only two team
members to play a total of 30 games
throughout Texas A&M's seven matches
this year.
Those 30 games have seen Wood dive
headfirst into her new job. Besides lead
ing the team in assists, assist average and
service aces, she demolished her old per
sonal record of five kills in a game with
11 against Southwest Texas, and is only
three behind team leader Elizabeth Ed-
miston in digs with 86.
What it all amounts to for Wood is ac
cepting a tremendous amount of respon
sibility. So far, she seems to be handling
it with aplomb.
"I enjoy playing both positions,"
Wood said. "It's been different going
from totally running the offense to run
ning it and being a part of it. You have to
think about what will be open and what
will work.
"I enjoy doing everything. I enjoy for
coach (head coach A1 Givens) to be able
to utilize me both ways. I don't mind do
ing it all. I just love playing the game."
Although her college experience has
only come at setter in the past. Wood's
high school and club days provided her
with a chance to be an all-around star.
The former San Antonio Player of the
Year finished her career at Clark High
School as a AAAAA all-stater and two-
time all-district performer, and earned a
spot in the National Elite Camp in Col
orado Springs, Colo.
Junior Genny Wood digs a ball off the floor in a victory for
the Lady Aggies during the 1991 season. Wood has
become a valuable part of the A&M volleyball team this
season, playing both setter and outside attacker because of
a new offensive format.
Those credentials are impressive
enough to speak for themselves. But
even though her prep experience is hard
to match. Wood said life as a two-posi
tion star at the college level follows a
more long and winding road.
"I was a hitter and setter in high
school," Wood said. "If you didn't know
what shot was open, you'd just hit it as
hard as you could. In college, there's a
lot more thinking rather than just natural
ability."
But natural ability helps greatly. And
in Wood's case, that natural ability is
something Givens is happy to feature
with his 5-2 Lady Aggies.
"I felt confident Genny would be able
to handle the extra work load," Givens
said. "She's not where we want her to be
now, but I think she will be.
"She's got all the shots. She just needs
to develop that (higher) level of confi
dence."
Wood's confidence took a hard blow
Sept. 11 in A&M's home loss in five
games to California. Completing a game
with no kills on 12 attempts and only 22
assists would tend to do that.
Being the realist that she is. Wood was
matter-of-fact in analyzing her worst
match of the year.
"I was not playing like myself," she
said. "I knew it, and the others around
me knew it. I knew I had to pick myself
up and try to encourage the others. It's
really the hardest thing to do.
"Against California, it was just one of
those days for me."
Her statements about that match ex
emplify the pressure Wood puts on her
self. But while that type of pressure
might seem oppressive, Givens described
it more favorably.
"She's real critical of herself," he said.
"She puts pressure on herself, but most
good athletes do."
"I think I'm my own worst enemy,"
Wood said. "It's good in a way because
I'm self-motivated. I don't need someone
to push me."
Wood's determination shows on the
court, both in practice and in matches,
where she seems to have an endless well
of energy from which to draw. That kind
of physical output is essential as the sea
son drags on and five-game matches be
come the rule rather than the exception.
"This is the strongest I've felt ever, re
ally," Wood said. "I worked real hard
over the summer. (A&M strength and
conditioning coach) Mike Jenkins worked
with me a lot. It's helped me to do the
different roles."
"Physically, there's no problem (with
Wood)," Givens said. "She's probably
our most fit athlete."
The Lady Aggies' tireless worker will
be a key player the rest of the season, as
1992 has seen A&M jump out to their best
start since their last NCAA Tournament
season in 1986. For Givens' crew to capi
talize on their fast start. Wood will have
to remain at the forefront. And no one
knows that better than Wood herself.
"For me. I've just got to concentrate
every day in practice," she said. "I have
high expectations for myself, and I've got
to be consistent at every part of my game.
"However the team needs me. I've got
to fill that spot the best I can."
Dolphins down Browns with late scoring drive
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — The Miami Dolphins
gave hurricane-weary south Florida a
welcome distraction Monday night, over
coming a furious Cleveland rally and
beating the Browns 27-23 on Mark Higgs'
1-yard touchdown plunge with seven sec
onds left.
Dan Marino drove the Dolphins 84
yards in 68 seconds to the winning touch
down, setting it up with passes of 22 and
18 yards to Fred Banks. A roughing-the-
passer penalty was tacked onto the first
reception.
Higgs' touchdown, his second of the
night, wrecked Cleveland's three-touch-
down fourth quarter. The Browns, trail
ing 20-3 early in the quarter, came back to
lead 23-20 on David Brandon's 32-yard
fumble return and Bernie Kosar's touch
down passes to Michael Jackson and
Mark Bavaro.
Bavaro, who missed all last season
with a knee injury, caught the go-ahead
pass on Kosar's dumpoff with 1:18 to
play, setting the stage for Marino's hero
ics.
The Dolphins' scheduled opener
against New England was postponed last
week while south Florida struggled to re
cover from Hurricane Andrew, which
ravaged the area south of Miami three
weeks ago.
The extra week off didn't seem to
bother Marino, who had used some of his
free time to help his teammates distribute
food and supplies to hurricane victims.
He completed his first seven passes, in
cluding a perfect 25-yard scoring pass to
Mark Duper and a 45-yard pass to Robert
Clark that set up Higgs' 7-yard TD run.
Marino also passed 47 yards to Tony
Martin in the third quarter, setting up the
first of Pete Stoyanovich's two field goals.
Marino completed 25 of 35 passes for
322 yards, leaving him eight completions
away from passing Johnny Unitas for
fourth place on the all-time completion
list.
Despite the loss, the fourth quarter
marked an encouraging turnaround for a
Cleveland offense that had allowed 11
sacks in a 14-3 loss at Indianapolis last
week.
Kosar completed 19 of 28 passes for
230 yards and was sacked twice — on
consecutive plays that stalled a drive to
the Miami 30 in the second quarter. His
60-yard pass to Jackson set up Cleve
land's first touchdown of the season,
Jackson's 6-yard catch midway through
the fourth quarter, and got the Browns
back in the game.
Miami's final drive was aided by the
knowledge that a field goal would tie the
game, because Matt Stover missed the ex
tra point following Bavaro's touchdown.
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