The Anniston Star from Anniston, Alabama • Page 29

Page UB The Annlston Star. Sunday, Aug. 30, 1987 84 Olympic team still a hit AP Photo Bobby Witt pitches for the Rangers Tho Olymplano Scott Boll wage, development director for the USBF. "Knowing certain players were going to be first-round draft choices, offered a lot of money and signed, "we shied away from them. We looked more for who weren't eligible for the draft." In his third professional season, McGwire said he can understand the desire of professional teams to get their draft choices signed and into the system as quickly as possible.

"The Olympics was a fantastic experience, but I did lose one year in the minor leagues," McGwire said. "I might have made it (to the big leagues) even quicker. If I had it to do all over again, it would be a tough decision, but I probably would have gone ahead and played pro ball (instead of going to the Olympics). Face it, this is my livelihood." McGwire, however, agrees with the rest of the Olympians that playing in the 1984 Games was a special experience. He developed close ties with the other players.

"I check the box scores every day to see how the guys are doing," he said. And he learned to cope with the media crunch, as well as the travel. In preparation for the Olympics, the 1984 team went on a 37-day tour of America. They covered 18,500 air miles and played 37 games, winning all five games they played against minor league teams. "Nothing we will ever do will compare to that travel and schedule," Witt said.

"The big leagues is cake compared to that. We were up at 5 a.m., catching a plane, going to a welcome luncheon in a city every day and playing a game. It was a grind." As an example, on consecutive days, the Olympic team played in Wichita, Cleveland, Detroit, San Antonio and Anaheim, Calif. There was not much time for individual instruction or development. "In all honesty," Marzano said, "I think the development was slowed down a little because we didn't play pro ball that year.

But there were benefits." Detroit general manager Bill Lajoie said the emphasis on winning as a team probably helped the Olympians. i "It got them out of the individual aspect of trying to compete for themselves," Lajoie said. "In college, young players are always trying to set school records and make an impression on scouts. Even in the minor leagues, they want to look good so they can advance. Gillick said, "that was a very good group, one of the better college groups I've seen.

I don't think we will have that quality of collegiate player again for some time." AS AN example, the U.S. team that competed in the Pan Am Games where the United States finished one of the top two (other than Cuba) and earned a berth in the 1988 Olympics at Seoul had only five players who were selected in pro baseball's June draft. Only one relief pitcher Cris Carpenter of Georgia was a No. 1 choice, selected by St. Louis.

Third baseman Scott Livingstone of Texas (Oakland) and pitcher Chris Nichting of Northwestern (Los Angeles) -were third-round selections; second baseman Steve Hecht of Oral Roberts was San Francisco's fifth-round pick; and pitcher Jim Poole of Georgia Tech was a late-round selection by Los Angeles. Hecht is the only one who has signed, getting permission from the Giants to take part in the Pan Am competition before reporting to the Arizona Instructional League in September. "WHEN RON. FRASER (the Pan Am coach) called us about Hecht, he said his asset was good legs," San Francisco scouting director Bob Fontaine said. "He said there wasn't the strength like that 1984 team, and to compete they had to construct a club that could run and do the fundamental things to offset the lack of power.

He expects the Olympic team to be along the same lines. That 1984 group may never happen again. It was an unbelievable collection of kids." There's another problem organizers face in putting together the 1988 Olympic team. The games in Seoul will not be held until late September, winding up the first week of October, two months later than in 1984. That means as well as missing the final half of a minor-league season, players who are drafted and signed by professional teams will also miss out on the Fall Instructional League, which runs from early September through the first week of November.

As a result, professional baseball is not going to give blanket approval for the United States Baseball Federation to use drafted players. The decision will be left to individual teams, the same approach taken with the Pan Am Games, where only a handful of teams including Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Kansas City granted permission. "It's obvious (things are different) based off the way this year's team was recruited," said By TRACY RINGOLSBY Dallas Morning News ARLINGTON, Texas With the temperature reading in excess of 100 degrees on the Arlington Stadium scoreboard one recent afternoon, Boston rookie catcher John Marzano stood in the sun-baked outfield during the Texas Rangers' batting practice, chatting with Bobby Witt and Oddibe McDowell. "There's one for your kangaroo court," Red Sox pitching coach Bill Fischer said to third baseman Wade Boggs. "Fraternization (with an opponent), and in that heat." "Yeah," said Boggs.

"Looks like $100 for Olympic overkill." After a 3-hour-52-minute game in Milwaukee, Witt sent word through the clubhouse boy to Brewers catcher B.J. Surhoff that it was too late to go out, but he would be ready for lunch the next day. In Seattle, Mariners pitcher Scott Bankhead pulled up in front of the Rangers' hotel shortly before noon one day, waiting to take Witt and McDowell on a tour of the Puget Sound. Theirs is an Olympic bond developed during the summer of 1984 that transcends professional loyalties. Twenty of the best collegiate players in the country were brought together three summers ago, made a barnstorming tour of America, then represented the United States in the Olympics at Los Angeles.

They won the silver medal in baseball, a demonstration sport that year. NOW, THEY are taking professional baseball by storm. All 20 of them were drafted by major league teams 18 going in the first rounds of the 1984 and 1985 drafts. Only one is out of the game second baseman Flavio Alfaro, Atlanta's fourth-round selection in 1984, who retired after failing to get above the Class A level. And 15 already have made their major league debuts, including Oakland power-hitting sensation Mark McGwire, who has already broken the major-league record for home runs by a rookie.

Professional baseball took a gamble in 1984, allowing major league teams to draft and agree to terms with players, but allowing them to play in the Olympics as long as they did not actually receive any money until after the Games. At the time, there was a fear that the development of some of the players would be retarded, because they would miss the professional competition in the summer of 1984. That fear, however, has been dispelled. "Face it," Toronto General Manager Pat I were is wnar nas Happened to the members of the 1984 U.S. Olympic baseball I team, wnicn won a silver medal In Los Angeles: Player Pot.

School Drafted Currant am SidAklnt RHP So. Car- No.aToxas Flavlo AHaro 2B Diego St, No, 4 Atlanta Retired Don Aupurt RHP Chapman (AAA) Scott Bankhead RHP N. Carolina No. 1 K.C. Seattle Bob Caffwy Fullertoo St, No.

1 Montreal BurHtigtort (A) Will Clark 1B Miss. St. No I S. Fran. San Franclaco lyDkeDuWW RHP Bradley No.

1 St tou. Pmtburflh Gary Green SS Okla. St. No. 1 S.

Diego Vegas (AAA) Chria Qwynn OF S. Diego St. No. 1 l.A. lot Angel John Hoover RHP Fresno St.

No. 1 Bait. Charlotte (AA) Barry Urkln 28 Michigan anclmiBtl Shane Mack OF UCLA No. 1 S. Diego San Diego John "Mariano 'C; Boston Oddibe McDowell OF Ariz.

St. No. 1 Texas Texas Mark McGwire IB S. Cat No. 1 Oakland Oakland Pat Paclllo RHP Seton Hall No.

1 Cln. N'vllle (AAA) Cory Snyder SS SVU B.J. Surhoff N. Carolina No. 1 Mil.

Milwaukee Billy Swift RHP MeM Calgary (AAA) Bobby Witt RHP Oklahoma No. 1 Texas Texas. I i 'H v. If x' I "censes sow I Star Photo by Kan Elklni Unhappy in Atlanta, Bob Horner took his baseball talents to Japan Horner is no 'Devil, 9 Rem" Choice Models riot included! rfoaranrp smnffps only to hut he's big in Japan selection in stock! By CLYDE HABERMAN The New York Times TOKYO So it turns out that Bob Horner is human, after all. Back in the spring, alot of Japanese baseball watchers weren't so sure.

They were calling him the Red Devil, sometimes the Rgmington. Blond Osre. a man of Brobdincnaeian size and oower. a hitter who merely had to think Of a home run and it Remington "Sportsman" 12 Auto Low recoil Handles all 2V, inch loads Vent rib Checkered hardwood slock and lore-end 'Cross boll salety Nos 5550. 5552 was as good as done.

Anyone would have excused the Japanese their zmington. MMXINTHf USA hyperbole, given the way Horner had stormed ashore figmington Remington Autoloader 1100 America's best selling autoloading shotgun Veni rib Low recoil 'Cross boll 'safety switch 'Fine detail timsh Nos 5236. 5336.5236,5338.5332 MAOiMTMf USA more-than-admirable number for a man who has played in only 56 games, having started the season late and then missing some action because of injuries. But setting records? Not this year. Then again, Horner said, "that's not my bag." Although the man has proved to be mortal, the Ho-Na Gensho shows no sign of fading, at least to judge from the Horner dolls, Horner T-shirts, Horner megaphones and other Horner paraphernalia that went on sale this week at a Tokyo department store.

OF COURSE, American ballplayers have long been a fixture in Japan. They are appreciated some would say merely tolerated for their power. Six of the nine leading home-run hitters in the Central League are Americans. (Horner is tied for seventh place.) In the rival Pacific League, Americans hold five places rfamong the top 10. In one vital respect, however, Horner is different.

Previous imports tended to be major league has-beens or never-wases. Horner is believed to be the first American to choose Japan in the prime of his career. Through nine seasons with Atlanta, he batted .278 and hit 215 home runs, including 4 on a single day last year. Just turned 30, he is young, with ample youth ahead of him. But Horner turned his back on the Braves as a free agent early this year, rejecting contract offers of $3.9 million for two seasons and $4.5 million for three seasons.

He also took his battle to court, joining in a lawsuit accusing American baseball owners of collusion to hold down salaries for free agents. Against that background, he was a relatively easy catch for Yakult. All it took was a one-year deal reportedly worth $2 million, by far the largest salary in Japanese baseball history. That is a lot of money for a man likely to play at most 95 games. It 'is also more than twice the amount paid to the top homegrown star, Mitsuhiro Ochiai, or to the previous reigning American star, a slugger from Oklahoma named Randy Bass.

fymington. mlngl 2V4" Chamber Vent rib America's best selling pump shotgun American walnut stock and fore end Nos 5206, 6974, 5198, 6976 MADf MTMIUS.A in early May to take up his station at third base for the Yakult Swallows of the Central League. Fresh from the United States and a contract dispute with the Atlanta Braves, he hit a home run in his first game. The next day he banged out three more. Game No.

3 produced nothing, mainly because opposing pitchers thought it made more sense to walk him three times. But in his fourth game Horner bounced back with two more shots over the fence. Six home runs in four games. Suddenly, all of Japan was talking not about trade surpluses but about this hulking import. Television commentators delivered impassioned lectures on how to get him out.

Publishers tripped over each other to put out magazines devoted to the Ho-Na Gensho, or Horner phenomenon. Battalions of photographers stalked the new Swallow wherever he went. In a matter of days his face became as famiiar as the prime minister's. PREDICTABLY, one could hear a few xenophobic mutterings, mostly well-worn twaddle from some sports circles about how foreigners should be banned because they were ruining the Japanese game. There arose, too, a conviction that Japan's single-season record of 55 home runs, held by the great Sadaharu Oh, was doomed.

Well, it is nearly September, and Oh has nothing to worry about. For sure, Horner is still hitting homers. He has 22, a fymington. kmmumhhb men cnamDer nain Darrei 2Vi Inch chamber "Plain barrel Remington 870 Pump Shotgun Double action bars for smooth dependable operation 175 f2 MAOfMTHf USA AMNISTON PLAZA SHOPPINO CWITtlll WAl-MAJIT'l ADVERTISED MtftCHAMMM fOUCY-H our InMndon hav vry ivniMd item Mock Howtm, du to iny unfoTMMn rMton. an advwttMd Ham not vtHtH tor purcruM, Vraf Marl imu Rain Cnaok on raquaO.

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