The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 26

THE COURIER-JOURNAL LOUISVILLE, KY. TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1990. PORTS Agreement reached; baseball finally gets word: Play ball! mm EH 'x' yys-yyyy-myyyy Salary aibiration eBgbiSty for 1 7 percent Sit? 9V of the players with 2-3 years. Those made up," commissioner Fay Vincent said. "And we expect there will be considerable effort made to avoid having the asterisk next to the season." Sunday's agreement was announced like other major peace treaties, at Versailles the Versailles Room of the Helmsley Palace hotel.

Then Fehr was asked whether the fight was worth it for just 15 players, the estimate Sunday night of those to be affected by the arbitration settlement "Sure it was worth it for 15 players," he said, perspiration dripping from his unshaven cheek. "If the union is going to do its job, the players have to support each other. even if it's only a few people in a small category." The union won salary arbitration for about a sixth of the players in the two-to three-year group. For months, owners refused to move off their position that they would not go below the three-year level. On Sunday, the union came back with a proposal that would make 25 percent of those players eligible in 1990 and set a sliding scale for the rest of the contract, with 40 percent of those players eligible in 1992.

See IT'S 'PLAY BALL' PAGE 3, col. 3, this section From New York Times and AP Dispatches NEW YORK At 12:30 p.m. Sunday, baseball players union chief Donald Fehr walked into the baseball commissioner's office. About 17 hours later, the union chief walked out with a deal. Just like that, baseball went from war to peace.

As a result, fans holding tickets for Boston's April 9 game against Detroit at Fenway Park can see the first pitch of the 1990 season. It wasn't supposed to be that way. The season was scheduled to start April 2 with three games in the American League and three in the National League. But after announcing a contract agreement and an end to the 32-day spring-training lockout, officials said opening day would be pushed back a week. Each team will have 158 games scheduled, but negotiations continued toward a 162-game schedule.

Officials pursued the possibility of adding a week to the season, delaying the start of postseason games. The decision on the extra week will depend on whether CBS, which holds rights to the postseason games, would be able to adjust its October schedule. "We are hopeful these games can be players must have been at least 86 days on the roster the previous season. $1 00,000 rrinimum salary for major league players. Annual $55 rrdfion contribution by owners to the players' pension fund Within 90 days, basebal wil announce plans to expand to two more National League cties.

Rosters stay at 24 players; expand to 25 in 1991; and stay at 25 through expansion. isiii Players stream into training camps Local economies in Florida and Arizona were hit hard by the lockout, which resulted in 362 of 410 exhibition games being canceled. Extra split-squad games are being added to make up for the abbreviated practice time. Fans gathered in the rain at the New York Mets' camp in Port St Lucie, where Strawberry was the first arrival shortly after 8 a.m. Players were anxious to get back to work, even though equipment trucks See BASEBALL PLAYERS PAGE 3, col.

6, this section will be created to extend training camp another week. The spring-training schedule may be difficult to juggle. With the exhibition season to run through April 8, several teams are trying to rework plans that had included games in Des Moines, Memphis and Oklahoma City. The annual Freeway Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels, scheduled for March 30-April 1, has been switched to April 6-8. The Mets-Yankees home-and-home series scheduled for March 31 and April 1 was moved to April 7-8.

From New York Times and AP Dispatches Orel Hershiser, Darryl Strawberry and Dave Stewart led a stream of stars into spring training yesterday as camps began opening in Florida and Arizona just hours after owners and players yesterday signed a four-year contract at 5:54 a.m., ending a 32-day lockout Workouts are to start today in most camps, and exhibition games will begin Monday. All spring-training games that were scheduled through March 29 will be played. After that a new schedule if ASSOOATEO PRESS Oakland relief ace Dennis Eckersley got in some throwing under the observation of pitching coach Dave Duncan, left, as players began reporting to spring-training camps. of L's top project two words long: Jerome Harmon Ball State having a ball as it bounces into the national spotlight RICK BOZICH SPORTS COLUMNIST miffed by a 62-60 NCAA Tournament loss to a team from the MidAmerican Conference. Ball State? There's not a player in the of rotation who even considered a recruiting visit to Ball State.

But Harmon was more interested in his favorite subject Jerome Harmon. "If I'm back, I'm going to give it my all, and if I decide to go up to the next level, I'll give it my all there, too," Harmon said. The Jerome Harmon situation needs some immediate rephrasing: If of decides it will ask Harmon to return, he'll be expected See HARMON PAGE 2, col. 1, this section Eyes glazed, shoulders slumped, Felton Spencer sat silently in the Huntsman Center locker room and cut the tape on his ankles as a University of Louisville basketball player for the final time Saturday. He looked like a man searching for a punching bag.

Craig Hawley, another senior, weaved among his teammates and quietly loaded his equipment bag. As a player who watched this team find a comfort zone with defeat Hawley did not appear shocked by Saturday's events in Salt Lake City. And, holding court nearby, Jerome Harmon sat, drawing smiles a crack that the next locker room he visited might be as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. would know about us," said coach Dick Hunsaker, whose voice still carries the leftover wonder from a weekend of beating Oregon State and Louisville. "Ball State? I mean, Ball State? Cmon.

But we're in the Sweet Sixteen. In the new arena (ready in two years) I hope they put an emblem of Indiana on the floor, so people know where it is." Saturday was special. When the Louisville game was over, students flooded campus streets, climbing on traffic lights. One main street was shut down. Some women students stripped in celebration.

At the center of this tremor is a team seeded 12th See BALL STATE'S PAGE 2, col. 3, this section By MIKE LOPRESTI Gannett News Service MUNCIE, Ind. Who's the only team from the holy basketball land of Indiana left in the NCAA Tournament? Not Indiana. Not Purdue. Not Notre Dame.

Ball State. And don't they eat that up with a spoon at a school of low profile, little recognition and an alumni list that includes David Letterman. The Cardinals now are the tournament's longest shot. "All the attention is centered on us now," forward Paris McCurdy said. "They have to sit back and watch us instead of us watching them." "If Letterman didn't crack a joke about us, no one Laugh, laugh.

You wonder how a player who could not stop Chandler Thompson or Billy Butts would handle the assignment of chasing Byron Scott, Hersey Hawkins or laugh, laugh Michael Jordan. But at least we know where Harmon's thoughts were on an afternoon when at least a few of his teammates seemed BOYS' SVEET SIXTEEN Winning Record Streak Litrating First-round matchups at Freedom Hall School Setting a tone Curry wants UK's spring drills to make a lasting impression Litkenhous Ratings tab Fairdale to meet Holmes for state title at a championship level, and that's what we're going to be watching for," said Curry, who inherits 13 starters and 32 lettermen from retired coach Jerry Claiborne's 6-5 Fairdale 29-4 11 86.9 Covington Holmes 32-4 17 81 .3 1 0Q Clark County 25-6 25 76.6 Henderson County 27-4 19 74.3 Apollo 29-4 8 73.8 2:30 Clay County 29-1 21 73.5 7 30 Jessamine County 24-5 14 70.3 Boyd County 26-6 8 70.1 9:00 North Hardin 25-7 3 69.6 Paducah Tilghman 25-8 7 66.2 Belfry 24-7 9 65.5 1:00 Bowling Green 22-11 5 64.5 2.3q Male 17-12 6 63.5 Danville 22-5 6 63.4 7:30 Shelby County 20-9 6 61.7 QQ Leslie County 25-6 6 58.7 WEDNESDAY Jessamine County (70.3) vs. Paducah Tilghman (66.2). Covington Holmes (81.3) vs. Boyd County (70.1).

Clark County (76.6) vs. Belfry (65.5). North Hardin (69.6) vs. Shelby County (61.7). THURSDAY Apollo (73.8) vs.

Bowling Green (64.5). Fairdale (86.9) vs. Male (63.5). Clay County (73.5) vs. Danville (63.4).

Henderson County (74.3) vs. Leslie County (58.7). By PAT FORDE Staff Writer Bill Curry is taking the Head Shoulders approach to his first spring football practice at the University of Kentucky. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, right, Coach? "First impressions are long-lasting," Curry said yesterday. "This will set the pace for our program.

What we've prepared for as a staff is to be totally organized, so the players can see that's what we expect from them." If nothing else, Curry and his staff are head and shoulders above most in anticipation. The former Alabama coach is approaching Day One of his on-field era at UK with such precision that he and his staff already have walked through a player-less practice. They've been to the practice field, assigned certain areas for different groups, done about everything short of synchronizing watches for today's 3:30 p.m. practice. "We expect everything to be done By BOB WHITE Staff Writer If the 73rd annual Kentucky Boys' State High School Basketball Tournament which opens tomorrow in Freedom Hall, goes according to form, Fairdale will battle Covington Holmes in Saturday night's championship game.

If form holds up, Fairdale will give Jefferson County its third straight title, succeeding 1989 champ Pleasure Ridge Park and '88 champ Ballard. That's all according to The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, which accurately picked PRP to win the 1989 tourney in Lexington. But 1989 runner-up Wayne County was tied for ninth in the Litratings among last year's Sweet Sixteen, so there are always some surprises. The Litratings predict a semifinal pitting high-scoring Holmes against Clark County, the 1951 state champion, in the upper bracket, with No. 1 Fairdale and red-hot Henderson County to tangle in the lower bracket.

Holmes has scored more than 100 points in nine games, Clark County is an excellent passing team and Henderson County has won 19 in a row. Fairdale, ranked No. 1 most of the season, boasts an 86.9 Litrating and is a heavy favorite to beat Seventh Region champion Male (63.5) in the second straight first-round game matching Jefferson County's two entries. PRP edged Jefferson-town 78-74 last year. Fairdale, the Sixth Region winner, was scheduled to play Male this season, but the game was canceled so Fairdale could play Lafayette in the Thorobred Classic Dec.

16 in Lexington. The Classic game was postponed by snow and never rescheduled, but Fairdale and Male finally will hook up at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Both coaches have seen the other team play. "Male's a lot bigger than we are and has two real good shooters in Chris Corn and Jason Osborne," Fairdale coach Stan Hardin said.

"Fairdale has super leapers," Male coach Maurice Payne said. "They can apply a lot of pressure, team in 1989. "We want to see the way you put your shoes on; the way you run on the field; the way you hit; the way you function when you're dog-tired, with a coach in your face screaming. We need to find out who our winners and our leaders are." The staff also will be trying to mix and match players and positions for the new offensive and defensive philosophies. The offense will take on more of a multiple-set, professional look, and Claiborne's trademark, wide-tackle six defense has gone the way of the brontosau-rus.

Three position changes already have been made: senior tailback Al Baker and redshirt freshman tight end Terry Samuels to fullback, and sophomore outside linebacker Dean Wells to the "Strike," or defensive See CURRY PAGE 2, col. 3, this section and they'll dunk the ball on you. We'll have to combat some of those things." Hardin took Fairdale to the 1983 State Tournament, but this will be Payne's first trip in 18 years in coaching. How does he feel? "I don't think I'm any more intelligent as a coach," he said. "I don't think the team worked any harder than some other teams I've had." Payne recalled that he had the regional favorite in both 1982 and 1983 when Winston Bennett was a junior and senior at Male.

"We went 25-4 and 29-3 in those years, but I didn't consider those years a failure because we didn't win," Payne said. "Things just fell into place this year. Maybe it was my time." Ernie Simpson, who coached Bowling Green to the Fourth Region title, now has guided three different schools to the Sweet Sixteen. He See FAIRDALE PAGE 2, col. 6, this section INSIDE Gathers lacked sufficient medicine Sports People Pro football NCAA TOURNAMENT RECORDS BY CONFERENCE Mid-Americnn (1) 2-0 1.000 West Coast (1) 1.000 Atlantic Coast (S) 91 .900 Southwest (3) 4-1 .800 Dickerson says his NFL career is over See Page 2 2 .2 2 3 3 .4 College basketball Thoroughbred racing Pro Scorecard See Page 3.