The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 9

The Sallna Journal Sports Wednesday, August 16,1989 9 A dilemma of Biblical proportions Where does God fit in during a baseball story? By LOWELL COHN San Francisco Chronicle AN FRANCISCO I used to avoid discussions about until I became a sportswriter and started hanging around the San Francisco Giants. To cover the Giants is to learn all about Born Again Christianity. In the early part of this decade, observers viewed the Giants' so-called God Squad with irony bordering on contempt. The Giants were a terrible team, and it was easy for outsiders to say that men like Johnnie LeMaster and Gary Lavelle accepted losing as God's will. Critics said the God Squad's religion made them passive, and a lot of what Comment the players themselves said made them seem naive.

There are even more Born Agains on the Giants these days, but the public perception of them is entirely different. In the first place, we've grown accustomed to players talking about God at the drop of a bat. But even more important is the simple fact that the Giants are winners. If the Giants are in first place with all the pitching problems they've had, then the current God Squad can't be that passive, after all. Brett Butler once said to me, "You think because I've accepted Christ into my life, I'm passive." He laughed.

"I play hard," he said. "If Christ played this game, he'd slide right into the second baseman, and then he'd help him up. Christ was no wimp." It's been my experience that the Born Again Christians on the Giants sincerely try to live up to their religious ideals, and that men like LeMaster, Lavelle, Butler, Atlee Hammaker, Dave Dravecky and the rest are among the most reasonable and patient baseball players you'll ever meet. I bring up the subject of the Giants' God Squad because of Dravecky and the conflicts he's caused me and other sports writers. After his wonderful victory last Thursday, Dravecky stood behind a microphone and discussed his faith for at least five minutes.

art of me admired that. He believes he's found the fundamental principle of life and he wants to share it. He's generous. Also, he is trying to say that, while most people separate sports and real life, he wants to make them one whole piece. On the other hand, I have a deep belief that people don't have to listen to religious sermons if they don't want to.

If Dravecky had been on a street corner talking about his faith, I would have hurried past him without stopping. But last Thursday, he had me captive because I needed his story. I had the feeling, given half the chance, he'd have tried to convert everyone in the room. Later, in the pressbox, many writers were huddling together, asking, "Are you going to write about God? "Or, 'How much God are you going to put in your They weren't being facetious. They were puzzled.

I had to admit that it would be fair to write about Dravecky's faith. If you can write about how a player kicked a drug habit or bounced back from a disastrous marrige to explain what he's all about, you can write about some other player's faith. But I didn't mention God in my story. I kept my writing on a terrestrial plane. I decided that Dravecky's polite and well-meaning sermon was too personal, that it was strictly a private matter between him and the deity.

Perhaps I also thought it would have turned off readers. On the other hand, I know it's my job to give a true sense of what happened in that interview bring the reader right there to hear and see what went on. I didn't do that. So, here I am caught on the horns of a dilemma. Sportswriting wasn't supposed to be so complicated.

Going to bat for Jesus Journal graphic by Tim Fitzgerald and Holub Christian athletes who prefer to talk of their religion instead of the game pose a dilemma for sports writers who are attempting to cover the event. What the sporting world needs is more guys like Mike Reid in the locker room ByFURMANBISHER Cox News Service HAWTHORN WOODS, 111. Mike Reid, one of the iquiet people, was playing for the PGA Champi- ionship. The location, a place called Kemper Lakes, looked more like a flood than a golf course. Reid was in the lead, which brought to mind the years that Larry Nelson and Scott Simpson won the U.S.

Open. Reid moves about in life barely making a ripple. He is about as exciting as porridge. Comment He wears metal-rim glasses, and something about him is anciently professional. He speaks as if he's under oath.

There is little wear and tear on his lips. He has the smile of a patient facing a dentist with drill in hand. He hits a golf ball with the same style, little flair, undemonstrable, 80 percent of the time straight down the fairway. They call him "Radar," which probably is not something he would choose. Surely no' 'Great White Shark" or "Merry Mex" material here.

Check out his activities and gardening. He is a softspoken Mormon, but not one to wear his faith on his sleeve. Even when he had his whack at the Masters, and tripped over the 14th hole, there was nothing in his face that gave his innards away. As the world press would have it, Mike Reid and his fellow professionals should amuse them, arouse them, elate them, wring the agony out of their souls for them, anything but calm and self- composure. When Simpson won the Open at Olympic, and Tom Watson didn't, a battery of our press was seriously offended.

How come this placid, religious man to interfere with the big story? Then to start speaking of Jesus Christ, when this was a golf tournament, not a tent revival? He was not treated kindly. After Larry Nelson won the Open at Oakmont, he was treated with ridicule in more than one sports section. How dare this bland, unemotional man take away the fun and good times they might have had in the press tent, again with Tom Watson? It troubled Nelson to no end, and he spoke of it. This was what his wife Gayle had in mind when, after he'd won his second PGA Championship, she whispered to him at the crowning ceremony, "Let's just enjoy this one." There's something admirable in the eyes of this ancient mariner about the athlete who can play his game and maintain his faith, especially with the temptations and the pressures of these times. It takes remarkable fortitude.

It isn't easy. The headline above Terence Moore's study of the Christian athlete in the Sunday edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution read: "Christian Players Afraid to Speak Out." Gary Gaetti perhaps carries his conversion from hellion to Christian a bit to the extreme. An entire afternoon spent in prayer must be exhausting. He is a case of the born-again, a somewhat dramatic result of injury and recovery. Jose Alvarez, the Braves pitcher, made his contact on the way to a tavern.

Some came up in Christian homes, but a majority of Christian athletes seem to have been moved by some personal experience. Dale Murphy was converted to Mormonism by Barry Bonnell on a plane flight when they were teammates. Golf is a lonely game, strange as that may seem. Each player is his own corporation, thriving or failing on his own. Many of them have found comfort and peace in a faith they never went looking for, but found in a chapel meeting.

I find it incomphrensible that the Cnritian athlete should find himself an object of resentment and ridicule in his own locker room. Can the preference be the exhibitionist, the guy with a dozen chains around his neck, the garish wardrobe, the mouth, the quip, the fast (See Dilemma, Page 11) Stillwell leads KC past Sox CHICAGO (AP) Kurt Stillwell has been on a hitting rampage since coming off the disabled list and he credits the surge to the fact he could still swing a bat and keep his timing. Stillwell drove in three runs with a pair of triples and Danny Tartabull and Mike Macfarlane each homered Tuesday night to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 10-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Although he missed 24 games with a torn muscle in his left knee and returned to action less than two weeks ago, Stillwell has hit safely in 20 of his last 22 games. In the last eight games he is 13-for- Royals 10, White Sox 6 KANSAS CITY CHICAGO ob bl ob bl 3000 Gallagher rf 5111 2121 Fletcher 2b 4020 CMortinez3b5 1 2 1 Fiskdh 4010 Mormon Ib 1001 Lyons1b Boston II Karkovicc LJohnson cf Guillen ss WWilson cf Eisenrelch cf Seltzer 3b Brett Ib BJackson II Tablerrl Thurman cf Tartabull dh Macfarlane FWhite2b Stillwell ss Totals 38 10 15 9 Kaniat City Chicago 2000 4110 4121 3120 4112 ER BB SO 4001 4120 5110 4011 1000 5221 4232 4220 2123 Total.

36 6 12 6 032 002 200 400 Guillen. LJohnson. Kansas City 1, Chicago 2. City 7, Chicago 7. FWhile.

2, Boston, Guillen. (15), Macfarlane (2). (3), CMartlnez (4). Mormon, FWhite, Stillwell. Seltzer.

IP Kaniat City Leibrandt 3 86612 5 30011 Farr 1 10000 Chicago Rosenberg 2 75511 McCarthy 1 201 3 Pall 1 5 3 2 0 1 Hillegas 1 2 0 0 0 2 Rosenberg pitched to 3 batters in the 3rd, Leibrandt pitched to 4 batters.in the 4th. Voltaggio: First, Barnett; Second, Ford; Third, Hirschbeck. 29 with a double, five triples and a home run. "I was fortunate I could keep swinging a bat and kept my time while I was injured," said Stillwell. "I have to give (coach) Mike Lum a lot of credit.

He's put up with me. I'm a tough student who is never satisfied." After the White Sox had scored a pair in the first inning, Tartabull hit his 15th homer to start a three-run second that included StillweLTs first triple, scoring Macfarlane and Frank White, both of whom had singled. "We came back twice in the game, we didn't quit," said Manager John Wathan. "It was an outstanding effort. It was one of our better balanced offensive efforts.

Tartabull started it all with a home run and he keeps swinging the bat well. Terry Leach gave us a big lift." Leach, 3-3, came in for starter Charlie Liebrandt after the White Sox had scored four in the fourth and pitched five scoreless innings. Warriors' Richmond hoping he can avoid a slide as sophomore HENNIKER, N.H. (AP) The sophomore jinx isn't going to bother Mitch Richmond. "No, I'm not worried about that," the 1988 NBA rookie of the year said this week while attending the Golden State Warriors' summer camp at New England College.

"I'm looking forward to another great year." Richmond isn't the only one planning a banner season. Warriors coach Don Nelson said Richmond will be more of a threat this year. "He'll be better," Nelson said. "You can tell. He's matured and gotten smarter as a player." The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Richmond agreed with Nelson on both points but said there is room for more.

"I want to be able to out-think guys on the court," he said. "Everybody's got skill in the NBA. To be great, you have to be smarter than everybody else on the floor." Although he was the fifth overall pick in the 1988 draft, Richmond took many people by surprise last year, averaging 22 points and nearly six rebounds per game. Nelson wasn't among those surprised. "We would have taken him third," Nelson said.

"He's just a great all- around player." Only three players in the last 10 years Michael Jordan, Terry Cummings and Ron Harper averaged more points in their rookie seasons. "Everybody's got skill In the NBA. To be great, you have to be smarter than everybody else on the floor." Richmond "Everything fell into place last year," said Richmond, a starter for the U.S. Olympic team in the 1988 Games at Seoul. "I was given the opportunity to prove myself and I took advantage of it." Richmond credited Nelson's confidence in him as the main reason why he was able to adapt to the NBA so quickly.

Nelson said he had confidence because of Richmond's ability. "He could do everything right out of college," Nelson said. Nelson said he also likes the fact that Richmond came to the summer camp, which normally is a gathering of free agents and rookies. "That tells you something about the guy," he said. "He cares about theballclub." Richmond said he came to camp partly because Nelson asked him, and partly because he doesn't want his competition to get an edge on him.

"I want to come in at the top of my game," he said. Dravecky collapses after reinjuring arm photo Despite being drafted fifth in the NBA college draft, many were still surprised when former Kansas State star Mitch Richmond won the Rookie-of-the-Year award last season. MONTREAL (AP) Dave Dravecky on Tuesday night fractured his pitching arm the same one on which he had cancer surgery 10 months ago and likely will be lost to the San Francisco Giants for the season. Dravecky, 33, hurt himself in his second start since a cancerous tumor was removed from Drawecky his left arm. He fell to the mound and was taken off the field on a stretcher.

He was conscious and holding his arm as he left. Dravecky was injured in the sixth inning. He was the winning pitcher in the Giants' 3-2 victory over Montreal. The Giants said Dravecky had sustained a fracture to the humerus bone, the biggest bone between the elbow and shoulder. That was the same bone that doctors froze when they performed cancer surgery on Oct.

7,1988. Dravecky will be lost for six to eight weeks, the team said. Because of rehabilitation, Dravecky will almost certainly not be able to pitch again this year. Dravecky spent Tuesday night at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He was to return to San Francisco this morning and be examined by Giants' doctors.

"It was a sharp, painful pop," Dravecky told trainers. "It was the strangest experience I've ever felt." Dravecky was pitching to Mont- real's Tim Raines when the injury occurred. Dravecky's pitch went wild and he suddenly fell to the ground. "When he went down he said, 'It's broke! It's Manager Roger Craig said. "When I first saw him go down, I knew it was something serious.

He's a courageous man. I've been in this game a long time, and I've seen a lot of things but I've never seen nothin' like Said Montreal's Hubie Brooks: "It sounded like a firecracker. I've never seen anything like it and I hope I never see anything like it again." Trainers and teammates rushed to the mound and surrounded Dravecky. Dravecky was sitting up on a stretcher as he was taken off and trainers were holding Dravecky's left arm. Dravecky took a three-hitter and 30 lead into the sixth.

Damaso Garcia led off with a home run and Andres Galarraga was hit by a pitch before Dravecky hurt himself. "The last thing he said was, 'Win this game, I want this Craig said. "It's almost like you don't win when something like this happens." Dravecky won his first start for the Giants, pitching into the eighth inning last Thursday in beating Cincinnati. He had begun his comeback with two strong games in Class A and had pitched for the Giants' Triple-A team in Phoenix before rejoining San Francisco..