St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 15

ST.LOUIS POST-DISPATCH -t SECTION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1995 1 BERNIE MIKLASZ COMMENTARY SP01TS "If Ozzie's there, if he's willing to work with me, I'd be more than willing. I wouldn't be playing the position today if he wasn't around playing shortstop." Clayton, a native of Southern Cali The Spelling Is On The Wall: Too Many Sports In the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, there's a story on a Scrabble tournament. SCRABBLE is a sport? What, are they going to put Scrabble in the next Olympics, along with ballroom dancing? How many points do I get for spelling L-U-D-I-C-R-O-U-S? OK, that's it. I've had enough. There are too many sports.

i if? i Clayton fornia, said he and his father went to Dodger Stadium when the son was 12 to see Smith and the Cardinals play. "Ever since then, when St. Louis came to town, I made sure we went and watched Ozzie," Clayton said. "When we left the game that night, I told my dad I wanted to play shortstop like Ozzie. God blessed me.

Now, playing in the same uniform with him is like a dream." Smith couldn't be reached for comment. Giants manager Dusty Baker said he told Clayton "to pick Ozzie's hrain and lot of times, they expect to see a reincarnation of Ozzie." After hitting .282 with 70 runs batted in in 1993, Clayton slipped to .236 in 1994 and .244 last season. Clayton explained the drop in average by saying his role was to drive in runs (he had 58 last season). "If you're that kind of player and that's your role, you put the other things by the wayside to help," he said. While he draws upon Smith as his model, Clayton said, "Basically, just say my style is Royce Clayton's style.

"As far as going out and trying to duplicate something he does in playing shortstop, you can't possibly do that. If you see a hint of Ozzie in me, it's not something that I've tried to do, but it's something that comes naturally to me." That Clayton was available was due largely to the Giants' intent to cut payroll. Clayton made $400,000 last season but figures to make close to $1.5 million this season because he is eligible for arbitration. "I'd heard about a number of teams," he said, "but St. Louis is a great opportunity." With Busch Stadium converting to grass, Clayton said, "That should make the transition that much easier.

I've played on grass my whole career." A confident sort, Clayton said, "I think the people of St. Louis are going to see the full uprising of my development and be able to appreciate it more in the process." While the Giants are paring salary, the Cardinals are willing to spend money. "All you look for is to come into a competitive situation," he said. See CARDS, Page 4 By Rick Hummel Of the Post-Dispatch Staff The Ozzie Smith Era didn't end officially Thursday, but it might as well have. Under most circumstances, Smith might even approve of his successor as shortstop for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals acquired shortstop Royce Clayton and a minor-league player to be named from San Francisco for three pitchers Allen Watson, Rich DeLucia and Doug Creek. General manager Walt Jocketty was quick to say that Clayton's arrival didn't mean Smith's career was finished. He said the starting shortstop would be determined in the spring. It seemed clear, though, that the Cardinals did not acquire Clayton to be a backup. Earlier this week, manager Tony La Russa said, "I haven't heard anybody tell me Smith's healthy enough to play.

He wasn't healthy last year." Smith, who turns 41 Dec. 26, hopes to play again next spring if his ailing right shoulder is proved to be sound. But Jocketty said, "We have to protect ourselves. Clayton is one of the top two or three shortstops in our league. He's got a chance to be a Cardinal for a long time." Unlike free agents Walt Weiss and Greg Gagne, who expressed uneasiness at replacing 13-time Gold Glover Smith, Clayton, 25, said he would welcome having Smith around.

He said Smith had his been his idol since he was 12 years old. "I have the utmost respect for Ozzie," Clayton said. "I feel honored asked to be coming in after Ozzie. If he decides to stick around, it can be nothing but a positive situation. Rather, too many non-sports claiming to be sports.

Too many faux athletes whining for publicity. Too many leagues. Too many teams. Too many players. If Jf Watson 4, It's time to downsize.

Why do we need 15 college football bowl games? Why should Chicago State be allowed to exist in college basketball? Can anyone name 10 members of the Ottawa Senators? If so, you need a life. And what's the deal with hockey, anyway? Why are roughly 75 percent of the players named Alexei, Sergei, Nikolai and Olaf? And is ESPN2 really necessary? When I become Czar, here's the new sports world order: National Hockey League: 26 teams? Not in my rink. All Canadian-based teams except Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are gone. Hart- (nrA Hollos Tomno Rot, PIJo DeLucia jearn as mucn as he can. He's going to a great manager in Tony and an outstanding batting instructor in George Hendrick.

I hope the city of St. Louis gives Royce a chance to be Royce. "It's hard to follow a superstar. A Associated Press Astros second baseman Craig Biggio, whom the Cardinals were courting as a free agent, has decided to remain in Houston. Washington and either Los Angeles or Anaheim are toast.

Now we have a cozy, compact 16-team league. Instead of having to pay $50 to see the Tampa Bay Lightning, you'll get to see the Blues play more games against Chicago and Detroit. And we can learn the names of the players. And all of those Igors will be replaced by toothless men nicknamed "Hound," "Bugsy," and "Battleship" the way it used to be in old-time hockey. No helmets.

And hockey season must end by baseball's opening day. Baseball: There ain't enough pitching and there are too many slap-hitting, $3 million infielders. So quit trying to save dead franchises. Pitts 1 I -'v I i A if" burgh, Montreal, Florida, Oakland, Seattle and San Diego are promptly eliminated. No more wild cards in the playoffs.

No days off during the World Series. Wrap it up by mid-October. College football: Toledo and Nevada in the Las Vegas Bowl? WHO CARES! Eight bowl games are plenty. No games before Labor Day. No redshirts.

There are too many players standing around. And chronic losers (Missouri, Oregon State) must be demoted to a lower division to keep the powerful conferences more competitive. College basketball: No games before Dec. 15. No tournament junkets to Hawaii and Alaska.

There is no redeeming value in games involving Wofford or Arkansas Express, so they are banned. Real games, real teams. One more thing: Conference USA is disbanded immediately, unless the league changes the name and three-division alignment. The NBA: I am killing off the LA Clippers, Vancouver, Minnesota, New Jersey, Toronto, Miami, Indiana, Milwaukee and Sacramento. Now there will be no need for useless, dorky guys sitting at the end of the pine, collecting $1.7 million for playing 11.4 minutes per season.

Playoffs must conclude by the end of May. NFL: 30 teams is fine, because they only play once a week. But what about all the franchise moves? My ruling: Anybody who wants to go can relocate after this season. After that, they're all glued in place for the next 30 years, no exceptions. Indoor soccer: Gone unless the team owners agree to provide baby sitters and chaperones, so the adults can drop off the kids and not Mates Sympathetic As NFL's2nd-Best Receiver Misses Boat To Hawaii By Jim Thomas Of the Post-Dispatch Staff With two games to play, Isaac Bruce already has logged the eighth-best receiving season in National Football League history.

Even in the Year of the Receiver in the NFC, his 1,503 yards are second-best in the league. And the NFL's single-season record of 1,746 receiving yards, set by Houston's Charley Hennigan in 1961, remains within reach for Bruce. All that and a ticket will get Bruce into this season's Pro Bowl. Despite the marvelous season being put together by Bruce, he was snubbed in the Pro Bowl balloting. Bruce learned the news when coach Rich Brooks called the team up at the close of practice Thursday afternoon.

For Bruce, 23, it was like looking under the tree on Christmas Day and finding nothing zilch with your name on it. "I'm all right," Bruce said as he hurried off the field toward the locker room at the Mathews-Dickey Boys' Club. But he wasn't really all right. "I don't think there was a receiver out there who faced what I faced week after week," Bruce said. "The double-teaming, stuff like that.

Personally, I think I was the best receiver this year." But the players, coaches and fans who vote on the Pro Bowl disagreed. The four wide receivers selected in the National Football Conference were Michael Irvin of Dallas, Jerry Rice of San Francisco, Herman Moore of Detroit and Cris Carter of Minnesota. Among that group, only Moore (1,522) has more receiving yards than Bruce. Bruce's per-catch average of 15.8 yards is more than a yard better than anyone in the group. And although it's hard to quibble with the selection of Irvin, Rice and Moore, Bruce has 299 more receiving yards than Carter, whose per-catch average is a modest 11.7 yards.

"I've got to get a lot of carries like a running back," Associated Press Redskins coach Norv Turner, still looking for success in Washington, puts faith in young Heath Shuler. Turner Sticks With Shuler All The Way Bruce said sarcastically. "I guess they go by your catches instead of your yardage." Carter has 103 catches for 1,204 yards, compared with Bruce's 95 for 1,503. Bruce's teammates were sympathetic. "I really feel bad for the guy," defensive tackle D'Marco Farr.

"The guy was hungry. He did everything he was supposed to do. It's not like you're taking the guy's life away, but he's worked so hard to get some-See RAMS, Page 4 stay for games. Outdoor soccer: Snuff it again, before it grows. College sports: I'm terminating everything except basketball, football, volleyball, baseball and soccer.

Use the junk-sport funds for better libraries. Golf: The majors are great. For the other tourneys, make the fat-cat players put up their own money for the prize pool so they feel pressure to win. Tennis: See golf. Summer Olympics: Track and field, swimming, boxing, wrestling, basketball.

That's all. Winter Olympics: Hockey, skiing, speed skating and figure skating. I'm being kind here, because figure skating isn't a sport. Arena football: Time to find a job, men. Roller hockey: Don't even try to talk to me about it.

mm The Redskins, 4-10 entering Sunday's game against the Rams, are 7-23 under Turner and have yet to win back-to-back games. Shuler has been the object of boo-birds at RFK Stadium. Nonetheless, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke gave Turner a vote of confidence last month, saying, "I like him better than ever." Cooke, the former encyclopedia salesman, was even stronger earlier this month. "Norv Turner is going to be the coach of the Redskins for the rest of my life and I intend to live to be 100," said Cooke, 83. High praise considering that Cooke See REDSKINS, Page 4 Football Conference semifinals.

Since then? Their 11-35 record AG After Gibbs is the worst in football since the start of the 1993 season. Turner was brought in after the ill-fated 4-12 Richie Petitbon experiment of '93. After three seasons as offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, Turner was the hot foaching candidate of the '93-94 offseason. One of Turner's early decisions as head coach was to draft Tennessee's Heath Shuler the hot quarterback of the '94 draft. Now, almost two years into the Turner tenure, things are going Heinz ketchup s-l-o-w for Shuler and nice guy Norv.

By Jim Thomas Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Like Joe Gibbs, Norv Turner was born in North Carolina but grew up in California. Like Gibbs, Turner once coached at the University of Southern California. They both learned the passing game from offensive guru Ernie Zampese. Like Gibbs, Turner has led the Washington Redskins to prominence in the National Football League. Oops! Let's end the parallels right here.

Four years ago, with Mark Rypien at quarterback, the Redskins won the Super Bowl. Three years ago, in Gibbs' last season, they advanced to the National Inside College Basketball: Wimp's New Team Not Wimpy 3 Indians Sign J. McDowell 4 Spoon Has SLU Back To Basics 5.