The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 42

A iii' 1' WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1993 OBITUARIES 7 The Indianapolis Star Mane 11 set for back JMjj aiiw surgery tations for him to be back are very realistic," said Dr. Terry Tram-mell, the orthopedic wizard from Indianapolis who will assist Morris. "It's nothing unusual for pelvic trauma but until I see what we're going to find I can't really say anything for sure," Trammell said that the surgery Involves cleaning and repairing a cavity in the lower back that has been filling with blood and fluids. Mansell's back had to be drained daily during the race at Long Beach, April 16-18. "It takes two weeks for a wound to heal but we can put him back in a race car fairly quick," continued Trammell.

"We can make the race car so it doesn't hurt him but he wouldn't be able to feel the car. World champion will miss rookie testing but will be allowed to make it up when he recovers. By Robin Miller STAR ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Nigel Mansell will be recovering from surgery instead of running in the Rookie Orientation Program this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But the much-publicized newcomer is still expected to compete In next month's 77th Indianapolis 500. Mansell, who leads the IndyCar standings after three races, will undergo back surgery today in Florida to repair damage inflicted when he crashed April 3 at Phoe nix International Raceway.

"I have been in considerable discomfort since Phoenix," Man-sell said in a prepared statement from his home in Clearwater, Fla. "I am relieved that my latest set of X-rays have identified the exact problem and we are going to correct it properly." Dr. George Morris is performing the operation and the defending world driving champion will likely be recuperating at Morton Plant Hospital for five or six days. The Speedway opens May 8 and it's hoped Mansell will be at the wheel of his NewmanHaas Lola early in the first week of practice. "If everything goes as planned, without any problems, our expec "If he drives by the seat of his pants, he's got to be able to feel the car.

I asked Nigel if he drives with his butt and he does. So we'll just have to wait and see how quickly he heals, but I want to see this thing work out so he can run here." The United States Auto Club, sanctioning body for the Indianapolis 500, usually makes the ROP mandatory for a first-year driver. But USAC granted Mansell special dispensation and he will be allowed to take his rookie test upon arrival. "In recognition of Nigel's accomplished status in the racing world and in view of his recent See MANSELL Page 2 File Photo IN SURGERY: IndyCar season points leader Nigel Mansell will miss Saturday's rookie orientation. Shoemaker Back At The Derby Pacers to use rotations to attack Knicks muma i mil num.

Hall of Fame jockey making first trip to big race as a trainer. -a" i-r4cT' 1 Lir By John Nelson ASSOCIATED PRESS Louisville, Ky. Right now, Bill Shoemaker has horse racing on his mind, not lawsuits. Shoemaker, the Hall of Fame rider who has been confined to a wheelchair since an auto accident April 8, 1991, is making his first trip to the Kentucky Derby as a trainer. And, he Is trying to ignore the article In Sports Illustrated that said his lawsuits against the state of California, where the accident occurred, have transformed him "from a tragic, sympathetic figure Into a target of public condemnation." "I'm not thinking about it," Shoemaker said Tuesday in a conference call from his barn at Hollywood Park.

"I'm going to Chur- Full of Hope: Mark Hennig is training Personal Hope for Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Page 5. chill Downs to try to win a horse race, I'm not worried about all that other stuff. That comes later on. "Right now, it's Just running a horse race and winning." Shoemaker trains the lightly raced Diazo, owned by Allen Paulson.

Dlazo was fifth In the Arkansas Derby on April 17 after winning his previous two starts, allowance and maiden races at Santa Anita. "I'm going to be happy to be there. I haven't been there in a while," Shoemaker said. "The last time I was there I think I rode in the Derby." That would have been In 1988, when he rode Lively One to a 12th-place finish, two years after becoming the oldest Jockey, at 54, to win the Derby, on Ferdinand. He is now 61.

"The main thing I'm trying to do now is to win the Derby. That's why I'm going back there," he said. "It looks like there are six or seven different horses that could win it. Prairie Bayou is the favorite, and he probably should be. He looks like the horse to beat to me." Shoemaker, a quadriplegic, returned to the racetrack as a trainer less than six months after his accident and now has about 25 horses in training.

"You never knew when something like this is going to happen," Shoemaker said. "You get a bunch of 2-year-olds and you never know how they're going to de- Hill wants to be aggressive against body-slamming opponents. By Dan Dunkin STAR STAFF WRITER As teams fine-tune for the NBA playoffs, coaches tighten their player rotations. The New York Knicks' Pat Riley will exhaust eight streamlined bodies. The Indiana Pacers' Bob Hill, not exactly steering a Ferrari into the first-round series which begins Friday, may keep the wheels from flying off by opting for mass substitution Grand Central Station-style.

If the Pacers hope to stay vertical against the body-slamming Knicks, they'll have to bring Just about everybody to the scorer's table and often. "The rotations could be a little quicker, but I'm gonna try and play more guys," Hill said. "They're gonna play eight guys. We need to be the aggressor in this series. If we get the kind of effort that we have to get to win, they're not going to be able to stay out there as long." Riley has settled on chisled Anthony Mason, antagonistic Greg Anthony and mid-range assassin Rolando Blackman as his relief warriors.

Mason brings brute force and brazen athleticism to both forward positions. Anthony, now backing up Doc Rivers at the point, scored 42 on the Pacers in back-to-back games in December when Rivers was in-i Jured. Blackman, a four-time All-Star at Dallas headed for off-season back surgery, has gotten his Jumper healthy for one last run at a championship ring. Also available are the post defense and rebounding of ex-Pacer Herb Williams and the scoring mentalities of rookie Hurbert Davis and former Minnesota point machine Tony Campbell. They and ex-Indiana University star Eric Anderson likely will stay in their courtslde seats at Madison Square Garden.

Bench play crucial The Pacers bench has depth. Hill has often reached down not knowing what he would find. He's counting on consistency from swlngman George McCloud, Interior defense from LaSalle Thompson, the continued late-season emergence of rookie slasher Malik Sealy (a native New Yorker), solid minutes from playoff rookie Sam Mitchell and spot spectacular play from Kenny Williams, who saves his highlight footage for home games. McCloud's defense and passing are usually glvens, but his streaky Jumper must connect. He suffered through several slumps on his way to a career-best .4 ll percentage (.320 from 3-polnt range).

His Importance will be magnified If point guard Pooh Richardson remains limited by a calf tear. "Both teams are real deep," said McCloud, "In bench strength, I think we have the edge there. Our bench has been a little more of a focal point in getting the starters back playing well. We're used to playing catch-up ball. As opposed to If (the starters) get them down and a couple of guys in foul trouble, their bench guys really aren't used to playing catchup ball.

I believe that can play a major role." In the four meetings with the Pacers this season, the Knicks' bench outscored the Pacers' by six (100-94) and won the boards by two (52-50). In the Pacers' sole victory (100-94), the Pacer starters performed well enough that the bench could be outscored by 18. McCloud also will call on the Intangibles. See PACERS Page 4 Associated Press THE SHOE' RETURNS: Bill Shoemaker, confined to a wheelchair, returns to Kentucky Derby as a trainer. ra at i Pk5 a.

velop. But It happened very fast for me." Diazo will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux, and Shoemaker said he is the kind of horse he'd like to ride, if he could. "Desormeaux is very high on the horse," Shoemaker said. "I thought he could have won the Arkansas Derby very easily. De-sormeaux's been around the barn a lot, and he wanted to ride him back very badly.

So, yes, he would be a horse that I would like to ride." Shoemaker said Diazo broke poorly in the Arkansas Derby "and got a little rank. He used himself a little earlier than he should have, and he only got beat by a length and three-quarters. I'm really tickled with the way he ran." Shoemaker holds the Derby record for mounts with 26 and won four times. He knows it takes a Associated Press See SHOEMAKER Page 5 DERBY HOPEFUL: Diazo is washed down by groom Elias Anaya. IU women going after 7th straight Big Ten tennis title 4 r.

I AMERICAN LEAGUE Milwaukee 3 Minnesota 2 Toronto Chicago 9 Baltimore 4 Kansas Crty 4 Detrort 3 Seattle 4 Clewiand 0 New York 5 California 0 Oakland 7 'Boston 2 NATIONAL LEAGUE San Francisco Los Angeles 4 New York 1 Pittsburgh 6 Atlanta 2 Florida 4mOncinna8 3 Houston 9 St. Louis 2 Colorado fl Chicago 2 San Diego 4 Montreal 1 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION New Orleans Indians 4 and a strong candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year and All-America honors, both for the third time. Edelman, of Oswego, 111., Is only one of three Hoosiers singles players ranked nationally. She is No. 19, Jody Yin of Madison, N.J., is No.

38 and Rachel Epstein of East Amherst, N.Y., is No. 87. Edelman and Epstein are the seventh-ranked doubles team. Yin and Danielle Paradlne of Stonybrook, N.Y.,areNo. 31.

In four years at Santa Barbara and 16 at IU, Loring (467-101. .822) has become the winningest women's tennis coach in collegiate history. He was the first coach to See IU Page 2 would be starters guns going off and softballs coming over the net." Somehow It all worked out. IU eventually built new facilities. Loring quickly built a first-rate program.

Both will be on display Thursday through Sunday, when Indiana hosts the 1993 Big Ten women's championships. The Hoosiers 'are seeking their seventh straight league title. They have reigned 11 of the past 13 years. Eleventh-ranked IU is 21-2. Its losses have been to Duke and UCLA, ranked No.

3 and 4 at the time. Lone senior Deborah Edelman is 47-4 lit Big Ten singles matches Coach Loring has his Hoosier hosts ranked 11th in the nation. By Phil Richards STAR STAFF WRITER Lin Loring recalls former Indiana University athletic director Paul Dietzel dangling the promise of new facilities to lure Loring from his women's tennis coaching Job at California-Santa Barbara in 1973. IU was scheduled to host the Big Ten Conference men's tennis championships the next year and Dietzel said the Hoosiers' current facilities were too embarrassing for such an event. Loring was convinced.

He accepted Indiana's offer and Dietzel made good on his promise of not embarrassing the university. He gave the 1974 championships to Wisconsin. "The facilities were Just short of horrible," said Loring. 'Just short' because the nets and the fences were at least standing. But the first year of practice a couple net posts cracked right in the middle of practice.

They were rusted so bad they actually snapped from the tension on the net while we were practicing. "When I first got here and had recruits on campus I'd try not to even bring them to the tennis Loring Edelman courts, which Is kind of tricky. The only indoor courts were two over in the corner of the old field-house on that Tartan surface. Women's gymnastics was In there at the ttone, the track guys would be running around and there.