The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 11

it (Ehr Annintnn Tuesday, April 14, 1987 Robinson was the trailblazer First black player withstood the slurs Oxford, Ann is ton favored ii Thursday's' county track meet Vt (' -V M-rv J. -2. T'- i 1 By STUART MASON Star Sportf Writer There should be little surprise In who wins this year's Calhoun County track meet. That is, if the winner happens to be either the Anniston Bulldogs, or the Oxford Yellow Jackets in the boys competition. "As far as the boys, I always think Anniston and Oxford are the favorites," said White Plains' Randy Sparks.

"They both have great athletes, but the difference is their depth. Now they allow you to have three kids in each event. It helps the larger schools, because we don't have the depth at the smaller schools." Last year Anniston won the boys portion of the track meet, while Oxford was second. In the girls portion, Oxford won and Anniston was second. "We have an advantage, because we have good facilities," said Oxford coach Tim Britt.

"Anniston is probably the favorite this year. Jacksonville has a good boys team, as does Weaver and Saks. White Plains, Anniston and Jacksonville are probably the favorites among the girls. I think nobody has a whole lot (among the girls)." Britt believes that very few county records will fall at the meet. "I DON'T SEE anything that will be broken," Britt said.

"From the times that have been turned in, I don't think any records will even be challenged." Weaver's Mike Allison has the best shot of breaking a record, in the discus. Allison already has a throw of 155 feet earlier this year. The county track meet record is 140 feet, 8 inches set by Donald Holmes of Wellborn in 1962. Anniston and Saks could challenge Cobb Avenue High School's 1970 record in the 400-meter relay (43.6). Both have run the relay in the 44-second range.

Michael Towns of Oxford also has a chance of topping the high jump record of 6 feet, 3 inches set by Ken Hightower of White Plains in 1983. "A boy from Jacksonville has jumped 6 feet, 2 inches," Britt said. "Michael Towns has also jumped 6 feet, 2 Inches and has cleared 6 feet, 4 inches in Maurice Bali-of Oxford appears to be the favorite In the 110-meter high hurdles and 330-meter intermediate hurdles. He has not been beaten in a dual match in the past two years. Rodney Wooten of Oxford, meanwhile, is unbeaten in the distance races.

SOME OF THE favorites among the sprinters are Joe Jones and Randy King of Saks, Cederick Woolverton and Gene Bailey of Anniston and Dante MaGrue of Oxford. White Plains' hopes appear to be in the hands of pole vaulter Diamond Dean and shot put thrower Scott Brown. "We have several individuals that will probably do well," Sparks said. "But as a team, we don't have enough individuals to accumulate many points." The top performers among the girls are Temera Seward of Jacksonville and Janet Hollingsworth of White Plains. Seward holds county track meet records in the 100-meters and the 200-meters.

She ran a 12.55 in the 100-meters last year, while she ran a 26 49 in last year's 200-meters. Hollingsworth holds the record in the 800-meters and the posting a 2:35 2 in the 800-meters in 1984 and a 5:24.58 in the in 1983. Hollingsworth topped her 800-meters' record by more than nine seconds this past weekend in the Mountain Brook Invitational and was 1 Vb seconds off of her mark. "I EXPECT JANET to do well," Sparks said. "The sprinter from Jacksonville; the Seward girl, should also do well.

Most of the good girls, though, have graduated." The county track meet will start on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at Oxford. The field events are scheduled for 3:30, while the semifinals in the 400-meter relay, the 400-meters, the 100-meters, the 200-meters, the 110-meter high hurdles, the 330-meter intermediate hurdles, the and relay will start at 4 p.m. The finals in the running events will begin on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. -i I I W1 ii'i Ifl- By JOHN NELSON AP Sports Writer NEW YORK In the spring of 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers traveled to Chicago overnight by train to play the Cubs in their first meeting of the season It was to be a special game, one in a series of firsts.

Jackie Robinson, a college-educated black man, was in a Dodgers uniform, playing baseball and changing the face of America. Robinson already had become the first black man to play in the major leagues, starting at first base for the Dodgers at Ebbets Field on April 15, 1947 40 years ago Wednesday. When the doors were closed at Wrigley Field, there were more than 47,000 in a ballpark meant to hold about 38,000 "The place was packed," Cubs outfielder Phil Cavarretta recalled, "and in those days, you know I don't mean to be degrading but black people very seldom came out to our games This particular day, when Jackie was there with the Dodgers, the place was packed, and over half of them were black people." This was a special day for black Americans in Chicago, just as there had been special days for blacks throughout the country during Robinson's first tour of the National League in 1947 Only later would all of America fully realize how special these days were. "THEY CHEERED for this man like he was the late Babe Ruth," Cavarretta said "When he came to bat, fielded a grounder or stole a base, there was thunder in the stands." Jack Roosevelt Robinson, the grandson of slaves, was born in Cairo, on Jan. 31, 1919, the fifth and last child of Mallie and Jerry Robinson, a plantation worker.

Jerry Robinson left home for good when Jackie was 6 months old, and Mallie took the family west to Pasadena, the next year. They moved into an all-white section of northwest Pasadena, living in a two-story house on 121 Pepper St. It was there that Robinson first heard the word "nigger," and it was there that he learned how to fight back within the context of the games he would play later at UCLA and in major, league baseball. "Jackie was emotionally volatile," said Rachel Robinson, who married Jackie on Feb. 10, 1946 and was with him when he died on Oct 24, 1972 of complications from a lifelong fight with diabetes.

"He was always ready to take action. Maybe volatile isn't the right word, but he had a strong emotional reaction to things. He could fight back very easily, as he did at UCLA. He knew all the techniques for fighting back within the structure of the sport he was playing. "EARLY IN HIS career, the major stress he was under in baseball was not to react." Robinson's days at UCLA, where he was a standout football player and track star, and the time he spent barnstorming with a racially mixed baseball team were two things in Robinson's past said to have intrigued Dodgers' General Manager Branch Rickey.

Already a pioneer in the areas of minor leagues and talent scouting, Rickey was ready to blaze another trail. He wanted to get a black man into baseball, and as World War II began to work its changes on the world, he felt the time was right. He also felt that Robinson's history, his ability to operate in an all-white world, would serve him well as he broke baseball's color barrier. "At the end of the 1945 season, Mr. Rickey called Jackie over," remembered Roy Campanella, who would join Robinson in the majors in 1948 and catch for the Dodgers for 10 years.

"We were staying at the Woodside Hotel in Harlem, and we were playing a big league All-Star team in Newark that night. "Jackie had gone over to the Dodgers office, and he told me all about it. Charlie Dressen was managing the All-Star team, and he asked me if I'd come over the next day, and that was the first I heard of it." UNDER THE GUISE of putting together an all-black team he would call the Brooklyn Brown Dodgers, Rickey had signed the major league's first black ballplayer. He met with Robinson in his Manhattan offices for three hours, calling him every name that his strict Methodist upbringing would allow. It was a test, and Robinson passed.

Robinson would play one year for the Dodgers' International League team at Montreal before joining the Dodgers in 1947. "All of us who played with or against him are so respectful of him," said Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, who broke into the majors in 1949 with the Dodgers' crosstown rival New York Giants. "We knew what he had to go through. A lot of us experienced the same things. "They called us nigger.

'You're not gonna make they said. 'Coon, they called us. Anything derogatory," Irvin recalled. While Robinson was the trailblazer, the experiences of other early black ballplayers closely paralleled those of Robinson. "YOU KNEW YOU had to go play someplace," Campanella said.

"You'd be there on time, play, shower up and then go find a black hotel. You couldn't stay with the team. You did what you had to do. It's always difficult to know you're shunned and couldn't stay with your teammates. We realized we were being given a chance to perform, but we also wanted to prove we were gentlemen off the field as well as on the field." Campanella vividly remembers the first time he was forced to stay away from his teammates.

It was in his hometown of Philadelphia. "We weren't allowed to stay in the Bellevue Stratford Hotel," he said. "I told Jackie, come with me and stay at my folks home In North Philly. We couldn't stay with the team in three towns: Philadelphia, St. Louis and Cincinnati." Ih many ways, the Dodgers protected Robinson, especially In spring training.

Instead of touring the Sduth, as so many teams did, the Dodgers spent sprlfig In Cuba and Panama, then came north. "WHEN WE were with the Giants." Irvin said, "we (Please see Robinson on Page 2B) VVUat a i a J- i ey a 14 i 1 i 1 victory in fr .8. Lf ffrfn, t' '3v rter a t' Area we v'l irt. I thL.k we 1 t' Lie bid start." who cL'rped in wUJi i K.7I The Ked finlsheJ sercr.i t1 ty 10 garrs ta felt a Lke 1 kavl -i a t. 1 Davi3.

who raiEPd his avf rjs Is a i 8. I tif.ie we Ifft AtL.nta with a 4-3 1 1 vi Mrh ves not K4" Rfjua't-r a i e. v-e lust 13 in a ro at home. Vve Just t. .4 a 1 start l.t ypar.

We weren't "ttlr blown os wera 1 oneTKil games." trlievts t. 3 yer wi'l ta is a We're goli'lj to tUer as a team a wa gut ta tach cUirr he sa'J Everyone is slatting to accept their tolea. I'm not to favorites, just ta win tall gansca. Some rr not l.ke it. but I don't care as Jorj as Cry ta Held," said Rosa.

v' A'-'anta suiter Zana Smith, -W, issued 13 hitat! two anJ struck out six in his second straight re' "'rof K7. gave op eight and six runs i 3 2 3 1 1 1 1- i start against t- It t'? consecutive start In whkh he has to TJi who had an f-18 ncori 1. sson, Lsst vi on July aip.st Saa Fri.r.clsca During Smith has gjiie 0-8, 'Ti's got od stuff and good velocity on his fast It's har4 to explain." sai4 Parker. "I west riht now you'd have to call hint hard luck pitcher, ii has notlUng to do with his stuff. A r.r.ith, who has a 6.SI earned run average la tv, srt3, ts Just my second pama.

It's a of time before I get It going. I Jn't fed Lite L. me Ct Chup hits are kind of me 1 i -s a r. '7, a ri.iv corLnj touV.9 Li Cine! i t- 2 2 t-e to Lj.piaz, who has I. Ij ia drove in a pair cf rurs 5ar out, whUe Jones, Cave 4 Ldi b4 tit ocm r.r:s." y-7 M-tsnJer Tin -X 2 aUoe3 six II C.iff-y.

CrLVey i Li a 3 boe run, his ikp-Jeff r' -ati's six it JLadJy first i ta "i r. a '3 CcU Caldwell, JSU batter Falcons Horner's Japan deal seems 'within reach' 'Things look good. To me, It's within Dob Horner JACKSONVILLE Sophomore designated hitter Craig Caldwell went three-for-three, Including a home run and two doubles, and knocked In four runs here Monday to lead Jacksonville State University to an easy 14-5 win over Montevallo. The victory Improves JSU's record to 20-8 overall, while the Falcons fell to 21-13. Caldwell, a native of Snellville, slammed a double In the second inning to knock in one run, ripped his fifth home run of the year with one aboard in the third and knocked in two more in the eighth with another two-bagger to lead the Gamecocks to the easy win.

In addition to Caldwell, the Gamecocks also got home runs from second baseman Harold Ragsdale, his ninth of the year, and first baseman Randy Cobb, his fourth. Senior righthander James Preston went the distance to run his record to 3-1 on the year. Preston allowed 11 hits, walked two and struck out four. Falcon starter Ronnie Rasp took to loss to fall to 0-1 on the year. Jon Underwood, Jim Karanassos and Cobb all had two hits apiece for Jax State, while Montevallo first baseman Chris Walker went four-for-four, Including a home run and a double, and drove In two runs.

Plnch-hltter Todd Griff Is also added a solo home run. The Gamecocks travel to Samford on Thursday, while Montevallo travels to Huntingdon today. ATLANTA (AP) Free agent Bob Horner has indicated he is set to sign a one-year contract for 11.3 million with the Yakult SwaUows of the Japan Central League. "Things look good," Horner said Monday from his home in Irving, Texas. "To me, It's within reach." The Infield er rejected offers of million for three years from his old team, the Atlanta Braves, and of $3.9 million for two years, with a club option on a third.

Since declaring himself a free agent, Horner has recieved only one other contract offer from a team in the United States, for $700,000 for one year from the San Diego Padres. Bucky Woy, Horner's agent, reached an agreement in principle last week with Yakult President Kasao Sohma and General Manager Itaro Taguchl. If final negotiations lead to a contract, Horner was expected to join Yakult within a week and begin playing two weeks after that. The SwaUows finished 49-77-4 last year. Their other American player is Leron Lee, a marginal player in the United States with the Dodgers and Padres in the 1970s.

He hit .319 with 34 home runs and 97 RBI last year in Japan. Horner played for the Braves for nine seasons, jumping straight to the major leagues out of college. "Bob's a free agent. He can sign anywhere In the world," said Braves General Manager Bobby Cox. "If he goes, we wish him well." The office of Commissioner Peter Ueberroth told the Braves there is no agreement with the Japanese major leagues for compensation in the event a free agent signs In that country.

5 Bob Horner.