The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 49

The Indianapolis Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1991 Sports MCC adds two schools Duquesne, LaSalle to begin official competition next fall Expended f.JCC i.ralm Imichigan Storey piNNSYLVANIA --n 0uque8ne La sailed I Notre I OHIO i I ILLINOIS Wx-vter V' 1 indianaJxJ I i 'ill I Evansville slon of Duquesne and LaSalle located in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia respectively enhances the MCC's national image and changes the focus of the conference from regional to national. Present members are Butler, Dayton, Detroit Mercy, Evansville, Loyola (Chicago), Notre Dame and Xavier (Cincinnati). Notre Dame does not compete In men's basketball. DiEdwardo Indicated the MCC will continue to aggressively See MCC Page 2 ing With the seven current members in all sports beginning next fall. "The addition of Duquesne and LaSalle is consistent with our objective of seeking Institutions that are compatible with our membership private universities within major metropolitan areas with similar academic missions and athletics philosophies," DiEdwardo during a teleconference Thursday at Butler University.

He stressed that the admis- By BILL PICKETT STAR STAFF WRITER The Midwestern Collegiate Conference, with headquarters here, went east to pick up two new members Thursday and Commissioner Tucker DIEd-wardo has not ruled out going west for additional conference members. The MCC Council of Presidents, as expected, approved the admission of Duquesne University and LaSalle College, whose athletic teams will begin compet Alford ready for challenge Coaching career begins Saturday ASSOCIATED PRESS North Manchester, Ind. Steve Alford Is settling In as Manchester College basketball coach after a playing career that Included a national championship and a stint in the NBA. "What could be a better situation?" he said. "I'm 27 years old.

And to be a head coach at a college Is a great opportunity. This is what basketball should be about." Alford will coach his first game Saturday, leading wlnless Manchester against Kalamazoo. The team's STAR STAFF MAP Winfield, Viola find new homes second practice under the new coach drew about 30 spectators Wednesday to the gymnasium, where rarely more than 400 people show up for games. Alford -ifiw jf STAR STAFF PHOTO GUY REYNOLDS "We haven't had a winning tradition here for. 30 years.

And that's way too he said. "I'd like for the basketball program to get as much respect as our academic program. But it's a slow process." fe. Alford doesn't coach with the explosive temper of Bob Knight, for whom he played on the 1987 NCAA championship team. But Alford, too, sets limits for his players.

"I told them I wanted decent haircuts," he said. "And some of the guys had beards and moustaches. A couple of guys were wearing earrings. And there's nothing wrong with that, In and of itself. "But at this age, at this time in their life.

It all comes with discipline. And that's something they were lacking." After graduating from Indiana, Alford played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks under John MacLeod, now the coach at Notre Dame, and the Golden State Warriors. He doesn't rule out a return to pro ball. "I'm committed to this for the rest of the year," he said. "And If something happens after that, then I'd have to sit down and look at the situation.

But right now I'm having fun." He found too little of that in the NBA. "There's too many things outside of Just playing basketball that just don't make it fun from the lifestyle, to the money, to everything else," he said. Where did it go? By RONALD BLUM ASSOCIATED PRESS New York Frank Viola and the Boston Red Sox virtually completed a $13.9 million, three-year contract on Thursday, and Dave Winfield and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a $2.3 million, one-year deal. Rick Sutcliffe and the Baltimore Orioles completed a one-year, $1.2 million contract, and outfielder Jim Llndeman, who was eligible for salary arbitration, agreed to a $260,000 contract with Philadelphia. Viola was among 22 free agents who began the day with a midnight deadline to accept or reject salary arbitration offers from their former clubs.

Minnesota catcher Brian Harper, Atlanta reliever Alejandro Pena and Los Angeles second baseman Juan Samuel had accepted by early evening. Pedro Guerrero's agent said It was 99 percent likely that the first baseman would accept an arbitration offer from St. Louis and Daryl Boston's agent told the Mets the outfielder would accept New York's offer. Meanwhile, teams began announcing the players they would allow to become free agents by not tendering a contract before Friday's deadline. Seattle said It would not offer deals to pitchers Rob Murphy and Scott Bank-head, Philadelphia said it wouldn't give a contract to pitcher Joe Boever and Texas said it wouldn't make an offer to shortstop Jeff Kunkel.

The biggest news of the day was that Viola and Boston had come together on money. If not exact contract language. "We're very close to getting something done," Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman said Thursday evening. "Hopefully, by tomorrow, we'll have it finished." Viola, who last spring rejected a $13 million, three-year extension offered by the New York Mets, must pass two physicals for the deal to take effect. The 31 -year-old left-hander slumped to a 13-15 record last season.

"Boston was always one of Frank's top choices," said Viola's agent, Craig Fenech. Viola, who Just completed a $7.9 million, three-year contract, gets a $1 million signing bonus, $4.4 million In 1992, $4.5 million in 1993 and $4 million in 1994. He can earn an additional $100,000 per season for pitching in 235 or more innings. He becomes the fourth-highest paid pitcher In baseball by See WINFIELD Page 7 Broad Ripple Rockets forward Loren VanOyke (32) goes flying a loose ban during the Indianapolis girls city tournament Thursday, over the back of Cathedral's Caryn Jones as the two scramble for VanOyke was called for a foul on the play. Story on page 2.

R-R-Razor back with Tribe for '92 said Shines. "I didn't want anyone to know about it. I had a job to do. I heard talk that Razor was losing it, but I knew If I was healthy I could still get It done. I had a good run In the second half." Shines' signing doesn't necessarily mean he will be a major contributor to the '92 Tribe, the Triple-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos.

Expos minor-league farm director Kevin Kennedy indicated when he was hired in October that he is more interested In player development than winning at the Triple-A level. Many players from the Double-A team at Harrisburg, are expected to make the Jump to Triple-A this year and that could leave playing time for Shines limited. On the other hand, a good spring training could put Shines in the Montreal picture due to the departure of Andres Galarraga, traded last month to St. Louis. "I'm not worried about that situation," Shines said.

"Obviously If I were called, I would be very happy to go. But my first priority is the Indianapolis Indians and another American Association championship." Regardless, Tribe president Max Schumacher said Just having Shines on the club will help the cause next year. By DAVE GARLICK STAR STAFF WRITER Razor Shines has re-signed with the Indianapolis Indians for the 1992 American Association season. It will be Shines' eighth year In a Tribe uniform. He was part of all four clubs that won consecutive AA crowns starting in 1986.

He played In the Pittsburgh organization in 1990, then returned to Indianapolis last season. "I figured we started something that we haven't finished," said Shines, noting the Indians finished second to Buffalo in the American Association East last year. "I think we are going to have an excellent team. On paper, I think we have to be favorites. "Plus, Pat Kelly (who took over the manager's Job midway through the '91 season) is a master at handling a team.

This can be a great season." Shines, 35, had a good year last year after a terrible start. He wound up hitting .251 with seven homers and 60 RBI In 136 games. What's more. Shines hit .302 after June 4. In May his average was well under .200.

"The first half of the year I was hurt," SCORES NBA Milwaukee 95 Orlando 87 Minnesota 93 LA Lakers 85 Houston 109 Sacramento 102 Seattle 119 Denver 106 COLLEGE BASKETBALL AP TOP 25 (19) Arkansas 91 Montevallo 70 (25) Louisville 90 Morehead St. 76 BIG TEN, STATE DIVISION I. CITY Evansville 80 Coastal Carolina 57 Memphis St. 65 Minnesota 62 1 I J-J STAR STAFF PHOTO ROB GOEBEL Indians first baseman Razor Shines will get down and dirty again next year. Rahal in, Patrick out as Indy-car team owner NE OF THE LONGEST runs in Indy-car I racing ended Thursday morning as U.E.

Pat Patrick officially surrendered and Robin a I MILLER It- I IlmorChevy the 1989 Indy 500 victory in happier days. "That engine was shipped to Italy while I was on a cruise with my family on the Amazon. I didn't hear about it until a couple months later In the CART meetings at Palm Springs. I got a hold of Chip (Ganassi) and he admitted they'd done it. It wasn't my deal but It was my team and my name." While Patrick struggled with the Alfa In 1990, Ganassi went on to form his own operation with Chevy power.

McGee will continue as Rahal 's team manager In '92 on a car powered by a Chevy. "It's a sad situation our sport is In when you let a supplier control the series." continued Patrick, who may now appreciate the feelings of CART'S "have-nots" since 1988. Rahal. who brings longtime chief mechanic Jim Prescott into the mix of Patrick's veteran crew, had made It known he wanted to own a team some day. "The idea has been a desire for quite a while and 1 was looking more towards 1993," said the two-time CART champion.

"But Pat offered me this opportunity and Carl is a very successful businessman I've known since our Can-Am days. This makes a lot of sense to me." But the 1986 Indy winner is still excited about driving. See MILLER Page 2 Bobby Rahal picked up the flag. As expected, Rahal unveiled his dual plan to be ownerdriver of the Miller Genuine Draft '92 Lola Chevrolet in the 1992 CARTPPG series during a press conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Patrick, who began fielding Indy cars In 1969 and became one of the founding fathers of CART, sold his shop, equipment, employees and CART franchise to Rahal and partner Carl Hogan.

"I'm gone and I don't plan to come back," said Patrick from his home In Jackson, Mich. "It's not how I wanted to leave this sport, but I do wish Bobby and Carl all the best." Patrick, one of the most powerful and successful car owners during the past 20 years, was more or less forced into selling his team after losing a game of hardball with llmor Engineering. Mario Illien, who along with Paul Morgan designed and developed the Chevrolet V-8 engine that has captured 60 of the last 63 CART races, didn't appreciate Patrick Racing's contribution to the Alfa-Romeo Indy effort. Patrick says his partner (Jim McGee, Morris Nunn and Chip Ganassi) sent a Chevy engine to Alfa In November of 1989. The Italian car manufacturers, in turn, used the Chevy as a guideline for their Indy engine which debuted in 1990.

Patrick Racing also hired engineer Tony Wil-shlre away from llmor. When Patrick's two-year deal with Alfa ran out this past season, he signed Rahal and applied for a Chevy. Illien turned Patrick down so he then approached Carl Haas, who agreed to sell his Chevys because he was switching to Cosworths In '92. But Illien made It clear that while Patrick might get Haas' Chevys, he wouldn't be able to get the electronic components necessary to make the engine function. "I'm out of racing because an arrogant little son-of-a-b in England Is still off about th Boston Tea Party," said Patrick, who gave the STAR STAFF PHOTOJEFF ATTEBERRY CarlHogan (left) and Bobby Rahal discuss their new Indy team with the press..