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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2001)
Wednesday,^ i lestlay, July 18, 2001 Sports Page 3 y Coyle said d _* problem isoi-E I ly believe 1% 't ice mediantj _* don’t recoftirj -ugs.” _*rn about Rit lys is widesprj >oard of Ec. u resolution! jncling that non-medicals or problems. H too! board THE BATTALION For the love of the game? seball commissioner urges umpires to “hunt for strikes ^solution in 19)Mr'^^uring' the i regardingpsvcM Blast several school has betB-^years, all the iearly a dozen® 1 aceomplish- New Canaar.,W lts that have latthews and “PP^'y'] "» 'I'*-' i • ■Seball diamond — . . pU Kipkcns sur- : ycholop S t,.:*,i ngLol| s 11 ouble ' v ’ It tiBhrig’s consecutive >u receives sp games record, Mark McGwire and >m the schoolsBnniy Sosa shattering Roger Maris’ l»le to get, hr sinele-season home runs record and die la bel that has pitjehing mastery of Pedro Martinez, Tinotation, rati 1 ;®eg Maddux and Randy Johnson — saitl ..Matthew has e been overshadowed by juvenile it her son’s nan B nscnse emanating from the board- i- ■ ■ani. First, there was the 1994 players inaandistnctotK, -n ■ t ^ J I'mike. Iwo years ago, Major League llI ^ n , ®Bipires threatened a mass walkout, But MattnwOjy p or t | lc union to fragment and 22 >k cd manvott:m 1 pi res to i )e fi re d on the spot, th the school?* ybe most recent stain on baseball not threaten ■ mes directly from the office of the on from class. B lly thrilled ah.| lie said, “herd is an awareness] Id beacleard cen educariori commissioner. Bud Selig has decided that baseball games are too long and has found a way to shorten them. In a recent memo to the umpires, he told them to “start hunting for strikes” in order to speed up the game. Umpires that did not meet “standards” would be duly punished. Not surprisingly, umpires and many fans are appalled. “I’m not go ing to sit there and say that I see something that I just don’t see,” said 36-year veteran umpire Larry Barnett in a Tuesday interview on ESPN Ra dio’s Dan Patrick show. In response to Selig’s memo, Barnett, who has been the umpire supervisor for the last two seasons, retired. There are more than enough ways to speed up baseball games, but forc ing umpires to further damage the integrity of the game is not one of them. Actions like these from the commissioner’s office makes one wonder if the leader of the game understands it at all. Umpires are not without blame in the length of ballgames. Umpires have gotten away from the strike zone as defined by the rulebook, which is from the bottom of the armpits to the top of the knees. Umpires now say they have “my strike zone,” and pitchers and hit ters are to adjust accordingly. This is wrong, and should be stopped. Major League Baseball took steps in that direction this spring by requiring umpires to call what is be ing called the “high strike,” or a pitch two ball lengths above the belt. Um pires whined and complained, but most have changed their zones. If they are forced to call all pitches that meet the specifications of a strike in the rule book, Selig would not require a “hunt.” See Strikes on Page 6. RUBEN DELUNA/Th£ Battalion A&M to host 7-on-7 championship this weekend Michael Balhoff The Battalion universities; eport said,(i srrictive poll. I Fall practice is still a month away, but there will be plenty of footballs flying around College Sta tion this weekend. I Some of the best high school football talent in icitation Texas will convene on campus this weekend to nies whileond compete in the 7-on-7 state championship. Many ibited the:T of the state’s top recruits will be playing for their I n some a$o. Respective schools, including some players who student.'. have verbally committed to Texas A&M. ketinghadpB The 64 teams in the field advanced to this lev- to adopt: ’ e l by winning or performing well at one of 2 1 n-cam pus a: 9 regional tournaments held throughout Texas earlier in the summer. The 7-on-7 tournament was designed as a way for high schools to im prove their football programs during the sum mer months, and the event has grown larger during the last few years. Tournament director Bobby Burton said the A&M staff has been helpful in making sure the tournament is a success. Games will be played at three sites on the A&M campus: the Penberthy Intramural Sports Center, the O.R. Simpson Drill Field and die grass practice fields. “It looks like this year’s tournament will be the best and most attended 7-on-7 championship to date,” Burton said. “We expect at least 5,000 people to be attending the event on the A&M campus on Friday and Saturday.” The teams will compete in three round-robin games on Friday, with the top two teams in the six pools advancing to participate in a 3 2-team single elimination tournament on Saturday for the championship. The reexamining 32 teams will take part in a consolation tournament. The 7-on-7 touch-football format, complete with its own set of rules, makes for a fast-paced brand of football. The game is played on a 45-yard field with two 20-minute halves and a running clock. There is no punting, kicking, blocking or quarterback scram bling. In addition, the quarterback has only four seconds to throw die ball before losing a down. Highly-touted Xggie commitments Reggie McNeal of Lufkin, L’Tydrick Riley of Crockett and Brandon Leone of Oak Ridge will try to lead their teams into a title game berth at Kyle Field. McNeal, who is rated by some analysts as the top run/pass quarterback in the nation, helped his team win the Lufkin regional championship and a state berth. Riley is another versatile Top 10 Texas re cruit who has played quarterback, defensive back and wide receiver during his Crockett ca reer. Leone, who impressed A&M coaches with his play during their yearly summer football camp, is thought of one of the best athletes in the competition. s. ' Law and Wit ts doors to iW Jed by n of the depr cience and Cr 1 ill help tiW?: minority^- ey Martinez-'- ). COLLEGE 846-3343 yooo usa as call 764-n | E. Bypus 6 landango.com J \TTAL10) sified rtising Easy irdable eefive nation, call 0569 ALIOl in Chief 5 Editor idio Producer 'pinion Editor iphics Editor o Editor s Editor i; pons Editor (bmaster st. Aggielife EA . (sign Director ; 1554726) is iduring the fall andS"' ■' ugi Thursday during' iMUniien' Wednesday Hawaiian Tropic Model Search 2001 doors open at 9:00 $ 1.00 Mixed Drinks! j $ 1.00 Longnecks / $ 1000 in cash & prizes! Thursday Ladies, Lids & Longnecks 750 Mixed Drinks \ q_i i 750 Longnecks / *2.50 Chuggers ALL NIGHT ■jartment is managed -tisityin the D.vs*' ii the Department V i nOW Reed McOoreJ 845-33 1 3; Fat itotmail.com; Web T hertising does not I; 1 by The Battahw T jisplay advertising. 2 ■■ irtismg, call 845-Od' 3 IS Reert McDonald. * | S p.m. Monday »*t f Ladies 18 & up FREE Til 11 Ladies 21 & up FREE Til midnight Guys with Cowboy Hats FREE ‘til 10^ DON'T MISS OUT! July 23-27 Ages 8-12 meet from Sam to 1 Oam. Ages 13-17 meet from 1 Oam to noon. COST: $75 per camper. Space limited to first 20 golfers in each group. This clinic will cover all aspects of golf including: • Full Swing • Chipping • Putting ■ • Trouble shots • Rules • Etiquette Registration forms are available at the Texas A&M Golf Course Pro Shop or by calling 845-1723. Ihe lew MM (oil Course OPEN TO THE PUBLIC vie ec
