Sports
Tuesday, July 20,1993
The Battalion
Page 3
10,1993
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KYLE
BURNETT
Sports editor
When I
agreed to take
the job of
sports editor of
The Battalion,
it was my un
derstanding
that I just had
to report about
sports, not play
them. So you
can imagine
my surprise
when I was
suddenly put
in charge of or
ganizing a co-
rec softball
team.
I thought this would be no big
deal. After all, how difficult can a lit
tle organizational work be?
Wanting to get this over as quick
ly as possible, I hung up a sign-up
sheet in the old snoozeroom and do
ing what every good editor should
do, I passed the rest of the responsi
bilities to someone else.
So now it was set. All I had to do
was show up at the field. So the first
game came along and we. The
Muckrakers, lost miserably to the
Nymphos, 11-3. I certainly did my
part to aid in our defeat. I hit two
pop flies to center field and when a
ball was finally hit to me in deep,
deep left field, I missed it, giving the
batter a two-run triple.
I didn't take it so bad, though.
After all, it was I who had stressed
to all the Batt staffers that all they
had to do was show up because we
stunk. We were just there to have
fun. Surprisingly, in our miserable
defeat we still had a good time.
Well, in order to not repeat my
less-than-impressive first perfor
mance, I went straight to the batting
cages and worked on the old swing.
I was ready now. "No more of this
pop fly crap," I told myself.
So the next game rolled around
and there I was, mitt in hand and
ready to take on our worthy adver
sary, Godspeed.
One small problem, though- we
had one too many guys. So instead
See Burnett/Page 4
Ryan leads Rangers to 5-3 victory
By CHRIS WHITLEY
The Battalion
ARLINGTON- Most 46-year-old
pitchers would find it difficult to suffer
both hip and foot injuries, sit on the side
lines for 72 days and return to action
throwing 96-mph fastballs.
But then there's Nolan Ryan.
The long-awaited return of the Grand
Old Man of Baseball on Monday night
did not disappoint the sell-out crowd of
40,676 at Arlington Stadium as Ryan pro
pelled the Texas Rangers to a' 5-3 victory
over the Milwaukee Brewers.
For the future Hall-of-Famer, Mon
day's win was a culmination of a frustrat
ing two-and-a-half month sabbatical on
the disabled list because of a strained left
hip he suffered in a game on May 7. That
was coupled later with a boating accident
which required seven stitches in his foot.
Ryan said after the game that there
was a time during his leave when he
wondered if he could
finish his 27th and final
year in the major
leagues.
"Tonight was a spe
cial night for me be
cause three weeks ago,
I didn't know if I
would pitch again this
year," Ryan said. "I
didn't know if I did,
when I would pitch. So
tonight was a big
night."
Ryan
Ryan (2-2) lasted five and two-third in
nings, allowing only two runs off three
hits. He registered six strikeouts, increas
ing his career record total to 5,684. It was
Ryan's first win since the season opener
on April 9, his first win against the Brew
ers since he recorded his 300th win in
1990, and his 321st win overall.
His notorious fastball topped out at 96
mph, serving notice to the Brewers and to
himself that the heat was back.
"Overall, I was very pleased with my
performance," Ryan said. "I had good
velocity tonight. Being off that long, I
wanted to come out And throw strikes."
Ryan received some much-needed
help from the Rangers' high-powered of
fense— in particular, Julio Franco. Texas'
designated hitter had a 3-for-4 night with
2 RBIs.
Franco started off the game with a
crushing solo homerun to center field in
the first inning to give the Rangers the
early lead. He later made a key single on
a hit-aftrd -run play in the fifth, moving
David Hulse from first to third base.
Rafael Palmeiro then singled in Hulse,
giving the Rangers a more comfortable 4-
2 lead.
But Nolan did his part as well. He re
tired six batters in a row before leaving
the game in the sixth inning. Having
reached 91 pitches, Ryan decided that
was the best time to leave the game.
"I was ready to come out," Ryan said.
"I felt like if I stayed much longer I
would have gotten into a deficit and that
might affect my next start. And really, I
had accomplished what I had hoped to
tonight."
Rangers manager Kevin Kennedy said:
"He was outstanding. He did everything
we had hoped he could do. He had great
See Ryan/Page 4
Venetoulias balances soccer, football careers
By SUSAN OWEN
BILLY MORAN/The Battalion
Venetoulias
The Battalion
Terry Venetoulias is doing a balancing act.
Texas A&M's powerful placekicker is being recruited
by the U.S. Olympic soccer team. Over the summer,
Venetoulias has received letters saying he's been nominat
ed for selection to the team. But, he says, though he'd
love to play for the U.S. Olympic team, his last year of eli
gibility at A&M takes precedence.
"I couldn't just back out right before two-a-days and
say, 'Sorry, I'm going to go play soccer now,'" he says.
Balancing soccer and football is nothing new to Vene
toulias. A&M football fans know him as the all-confer
ence kicker who scored A&M's only points in the 1993
Cotton Bowl, and whose last-second field goal saved the
Aggies from being outscored by Texas Tech in A&M's
closest game last season.
But he didn't take up football until pretty late in the
game. Eleftherios Venetoulias, whose father played pro
fessional soccer for Greece, has been playing soccer since
he was three years old. "I didn't kick a football until I
was a junior in high school," he says.
Since little league and All-State soccer in New York,
Venetoulias has played for Texas teams ranging from the
SouthTexas Select Team, at age 12, to high school soccer at
Deer Park, to the semi-pro Houston Dynamos, at 16, and a
Houston Indoor League championship team.
When he was 13, Venetoulias was chosen for the Un-
der-16 Greek national team and spent three months living
and traveling in Greece, playing other European teams. /
Venetoulias says he thinks it was last summer while he
was playing sweeper and stopper foi 1 the semi-pro Hous
ton Hurricanes that Olympic scouts took notice of him. In
addition to Aggieland city-league soccer, he is playing for
the Hurricanes again this summer, attending classes at
A&M and driving to Houston for games and practices.
One might wonder how football fits into all this. The
answer is that it almost didn't.
"I guess the turning point in my life was when I was
16," Venetoulias says. He was playing for the Dynamos
and was invited to play for a Division 1 professional team
in Europe. On the verge of flying to New York to sign the
contract, he reconsidered.
"My mom talked me into at least finishing high
school," he says. "She said, 'If they want you now, they'll
want you after high school.' Then all of a sudden, here
comes football."
He began playing football as a junior at Deer Park. "To
me, it was just fun going outside and kicking footballs,"
he says. "I thought I was just having fun but I guess other
people thought I was doing pretty good." A senior All-
American and the state's top placekicker, he began to look
at colleges and furthering his education.
"I started to realize soccer and football might not last
forever," he says. "I didn't really worry about it too much
until after my senior year, though. I just wanted to play
and have fun."
He visited several schools during the recruiting
process and says though he knew little about A&M he
liked the friendliness of the school and the loyalty of its
fans.
One factor in his eventual choice of A&M may have
been his memories of going with his mother to the Texas
A&M-Alabama game on December 1, 1988 at Kyle Field.
Though Alabama dominated the game and won 30-10,
Venetoulias noted that the A&M fans stayed through the
entire game, singing and cheering.
"Nobody left, nobody booed," he says. "I thought, this
is ^ really neat place."
It reminded him, he says, of playing in the Europe Cup
when he was 13 and seeing the adtowded stands of soccer
fans singing and cheering on the 13-, 14- and 15-year-old
players. "The stadium was packed, people dancing and
drinking and hollering," he says.
Venetoulias says he'd like to work around the A&M
football schedule and practices to play soccer for the U.S.
when he can. If forced to choose, though, he says, "I'd
definitely stay here with football."
NFL owners, players adjust to changes in free agency system
By MARK SMITH
The Battalion
As football training camps start to get underway.
National Football League owners try to make last-
minute free agency acquisitions to fill the holes in
their roster.
For example, former Texas A&M fullback Doug
Carter became familiar with free agency with an in
vitation to the Houston Oilers training camp in San
Antonio on July 21.
"Doug came in as an undrafted rookie free agent,"
said Bob Schranz, assistant director of media rela
tions for the Oilers. "The rules for that are slightly
different (than for veterans.)"
Carter will not be eligible for unrestricted free
agency until he achieves veteran status, Schranz said.
"Once he acquires veteran status he gets unre
stricted free agency," Schranz said. "For example, if
Doug signs a one-year deal now, then next year he
becomes a free agent again, but the club has the op
tion to match any offer he gets."
The NFL has had its share of controversy over the
issue of free agency. In 1987 the players held a 24-
day strike to try and get free
agency from the owners. The
strike ended with the players ca
pitulating and without any major
changes in the free agency system.
The struggle between the own
ers and the players for free agency
has gone on for a long time.
MJ. Duberstein, director of re
search for the NFL's Players' Asso
ciation, said, "The players first
tried to get free agency as far back
Carter as 1956. They've been trying ever
since a players' association has ex
isted."
The NFL Players Association and the owners con
tinued to negotiate over free agency after the strike.
U.S. District Judge David Doty, who has overseen
the case since then, ruled in mid-1988 that the play
ers be eligible for some form of free agency.
In February 1989, the NFL introduced a form of
limited free agency called "Plan B." Under Plan B
each team could protect 37 players from free agency,
allowing the remaining majority of a team's roster
free agent status.
In April 1990, Freeman McNeil and seven other
players restricted by Plan B sued the NFL. In Sep
tember 1992, a jury struck down Plan B on the
grounds that it violated antitrust laws. Two weeks
later, four of the eight players in the McNeil case
were awarded unrestricted free agency.
"The victory in the McNeil case changed the way
the owners looked at the players," Duberstein said.
"It meant that the owners had to accept more
change."
In December 1992, the Players Association and the
NFL reached an agreement in principle concerning
free agency and other issues.
Duberstein said, "The agreement that the owners
and players reached is a partnership. An arrange
ment like this has never existed before. It's a mature
relationship between them.
"In a real essence it's a win-win situation. The
owners are guaranteed a profit and as revenues in
crease the players get more money."
Greg Ayola, director of communications for the
NFL, said, "It's a very exciting time. We're out of the
courts and the years of strife with the players are
over.
"We've forged a new partnership with the players
and everything looks very positive."
The seven-year contract provides free agency for
all players in the year their contracts expire, called
their option year, as long as they have been in the
league for five years. However, this rule will not ap
ply if a salary cap is in effect. The players have ap
proximately 19 weeks, from March 1 until July 15 of
their option year, to come to terms with another
team, or they have to return to their original team.
Each team can protect one star player from free
agency for the life of his career as long as he is
See Free agency/Page 4
Heartburn Sufferers Call Us!
Infected Bug Bites?
Individuals of any age with symptoms of impetigo (bacterial infection
of the skin, including infected bug bites) to participate in an
investigational drug research study using a cream with drug in it.
$150 for those chosen and completing the study.
Asthma Studies
Individuals, age 18-60 years, with mild to moderate asthma to
participate in a clinical research study for approx. 16-18 weeks with
an investigational medication in tablet form. Up to $700 paid for
participation.
Sinus Infection Study
Individuals age 13 and older with a sinus infection to participate in a
clinical research study for 3 to 5 weeks with an investigational
antibiotic in capsule form. $250 incentive paid to those who
complete the study.
BioLogica Research Group, Inc.
776-0400
RIGHT Grants for
- Graduate
Students and
Graduating
Seniors
If you're a U.S. citizen, you can perform
research abroad in the country of your choice.
To find out more, come to our Informational
Meeting (listed below), or come by or call the
Study Abroad Program Office at 161 Bizzell
Hall West (845-0544).
Wed. July 21,
from 4:00-5:00
251 Bizzell Hall West
Study Abroad Progrdms 1 fit Bizzell / lall West 845-0544
...yourself in Italy for a semester, basking in
the center of a culture suffused with masterful
works of art and architecture from all periods
of recorded time...then imagine
getting A&Jt. credit for this
Spring adventure •••
For more info:
251 Bizzell Hall West
Wed. July 21
10:30-11:45
ARTS 350
Art History
LBAR331
Renaissance Italy
u . HIST 489
History of Christianity
u LBAR333
Italy in American
Literature
ENGL 394
History of the
Modem Song
charge by