St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 33

ore SECTION CLASSIFIEDPages 7-16 GENERAL NEWSPage 16 Nov. 1, 1986 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Tom Daicfe Doeps Wheatley Commentary MISL Keeps Trying Where NASL Failed liever as a setup man for Todd Worrell. Maxvill mentioned no specific players. But it would seem logical that the Cardinals would have interest in Montreal third baseman Tim Wallach, San Diego center fielder Kevin McReynolds (who may be unavailable), Pittsburgh catcher Tony Pena and Cleveland third baseman Brook Jacoby.

Maxvill, who has spoken to 11 teams in the last week, said most teams wanted pitching but the Cardinals, pending the disposition of Bob Forsch, may not be able to deal any. Forsch, a 14-game winner this season, is expected to file for free agen-See CARDS, Page 2 Clark said he had had no trouble with his thumb since the season ended. But be said doctors had advised him to wait until January before swinging a bat. There were those who wondered why Clark had not come back late in the season, but he said he was following doctors' suggestions not to risk permanent harm. "If you go out and play hurt, you can embarrass yourself and the team," Clark said.

"I embarrassed myself enough when I was healthy." General manager Dal Maxvill said that the club still will try to find one more righthanded hitter to go with Clark and that the Cardinals also were interested in a righthanded re- Alan Knicely his unconditional release and bringing up five minor leaguers righthanded pitcher Scott Arnold, lefthander Jeff Fassero, first baseman Mike Fitzgerald and outfielders John Murphy and Dennis Carter. None of the five has played as high as Louisville, but they would have been exposed to the draft at the winter meetings if they hadn't been protected. As for Clark, the Cardinals may have got a bargain. Last spring, they were willing to offer him more money and more than one year. But at that time, Reich and Clark weren't interested in the offer, and on June 24, the injury settled the matter.

sive numbers to take into a free-agency situation next year. "This is a way of giving everybody a chance to get their feet back on the ground," said Clark, who hit .237 with nine homers and 23 runs batted in before being hurt in late June. "It's giving me a chance to regroup. "They're being fair to me, and it doesn't put any pressure on them." Reich and Lou Susman, a member of the Cardinals' board of direclcrs, reached agreement some time ago. But the announcement was delayed until Friday, pending some ironing out of contract language.

The Cardinals also announced they had cemented their winter roster at 39 players by handing utilityman By Rick Hummel Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark, out nearly two-thirds of the season vith torn ligaments in his right thumb, agreed to a one-year contract Friday at the same money for which he played this year $1.3 million. Earlier this year, Clark was seeking a longer-term contract and could have become a free agent this offseason. But he said that his agent Tom Reich, had decided that Clark would be better off if he signed for one year and tried to play a full season without injuries. Then Clark, who will be 31 in nine days, would have more impres-- Another pro soccer season, indoor variety, is fast upon us. Too fast, some critics would say.

Im not one of those "woe-mon gers," as Steamers President Tom Bowers calls them. I like pro soccer, mainly because my three young heirs like pro soccer. If they didn I prob ably wouldn't. Multiply that attitude by an entire country, and you have the challenge facing pro soccer after fil 20 years in the United States. The Steamers team is a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League, now starting its eighth season.

The MISL, as Bowers keeps reminding, is not the North American Soccer League, which started the alleged soccer SSr. A Mizzou's Last 'Streak' Included Win Over ISU boom 20 years ago. The NASL played outdoors and now extinct, a fate the indoor game is jr -X. threatening to avoid. Three of those NASL teams are alphabetic trans-plants into the 12-team MISL.

"We kid our NASL teams that M.rc. x-ff ALEX ESPINOZA has rewritten Cyclones' record SC MIZZOU'S CLAY is a nominee for Lombard! Award Page SC they are not allowed to use the term 3V 'jMmi. 'NASL' at our meetings, because ev erything that they did was wrong, Bowers said. "You hear some of the nightmarish stories, like transfer fees for $300,000 for a single player. Buf we can learn from their mistakes.

Those include high salaries, (ran chise hopscotch, dizzying expansion and an overdose of foreigners. But the death of the NASL, and the labored breathing of the MISL, are due mainly to a logical theory that has come to an illogical conclusion The NASL plan was to tease Ameri IK can youngsters into playing soccer. These infected young players would V. grow up into cash customers for pro soccer. After two decades, 50 percent of that theory has proven to be 100 per By Jim Thomas Of tha Post-Dispatch Staff Dateline Ames, Iowa Oct.

29, 1983. On that date in University of Missouri football history, quarterback Marlon Adler tied a school record by rushing for four touchdowns as the Missouri Tigers won their second game la succession with a 41-18 victory over Iowa State. It has been awhile three years and 34 games, to be exact since the Tigers last won games back-to-back. That 41-18 victory over the Cyclones capped Missouri's last winning "streak" at two games. But the Tigers get another streak-building opportunity at 1:30 p.m.

today when Iowa State visits Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. Last week, an impressive defensive effort helped Mizzou defeat Kansas State 17-6 and improve its record to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the Big Eight. "It seemed like we ran to the ball better and tackled better did a lot of things better," Tigers coach Woody Widenhofersaid. And with beatable teams such as Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State remaining on the schedule, Wi-denhofer sees an opportunity to salvage something out of this season. "This victory over Kansas State will help us, hopefully, get some momentum and will give us some confidence," Widenhofer said.

"But it really doesn't mean a thing if we don't beat Iowa State." As desperate as the Tigers may seem for victories, the Cyclones are even more desperate. These days, beleaguered Iowa State coach Jim Criner is feeling the heat from all sides. For one, there is the NCAA investigation of 34 allegations of rules cent correct. Soccer is booming at the C5 X- I I youth level. violations by the football program.

For another, Iowa State players have had enough off-the-field legal problems to keep Perry Mason busy for a lifetime, or at least for a summer's worth of reruns. Still, all those problems might be swept under the rug by Cyclones fans if their team was, say, 6-1 and headed for a bowl. But they're not. They are 4-3 overall, 1-2 in the Big Eight, and have been outscored 69-3 in their last two games. Home attendance may dip below 40,000 a game for the first time in more than a decade.

In his fourth season at Iowa State, Criner has yet to produce a winning team. Last year, the difference between a winning season and a losing one was a two-point conversion pass from Warren Seitz to Herbert "June Bug" Johnson with 1 minute 11 seconds left to play. That gave Missouri its only victory of the season, 28-27 over the Cyclones, who went on to finish 5-6. Criner, no doubt, has tried to remind his players of that defeat this week. "I think it should burn very bright in their eyes," he said.

"It had to be very disappointing for all those players who played, the players and the coaches." The rest of this year's Iowa State schedule includes probable losses to Nebraska and Oklahoma State and a probable victory against Kansas State. And the Missouri Tigers. "This is a critical game for us," Criner said. The Pittsburgh suburb that spawned me is an example. Soccer to us was something seen only in foreign worlds and in St.

Louis a redun dancy that our untraveled minds did not recognize. In the '60s, maybe a dozen high schools in western Pennsylvania of- fered the sport. I never touched a soccer ball until the NASL's aptly named Phantoms appeared in Pitts Star Struck AP Mike Scott, the split-finger fastball pitcher works out in Tokyo on Friday. The U.S. team of the Houston Astros, is the center of at- arrived on Thursday for a seven-game se- tention as a team of U.S.

major leaguers ries against a team of Japanese stars. 'iearuiies Fall PutogetioGg ommefts 7- son. He had 22 ooints in 23 eames and the third quarter as the Comets "Call him GretzKy," joked Comets goalkeeper Alan Mayer, in reference to hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky. Projected over a 52-game regular season, Margetic's preseason totals would reach 260 points, or 97 more than Steve Zungul's MISL season scoring record. Unfortunately, these games don't count.

"I've been playing well," Margetic said, "but it's because my team has good players and makes it easy for me." Margetic did most of his damage in ward Dale Mitchell also had three goals for Kansas City, with Margetic assisting on two of them. The Comets are 2-1 in preseason, the Steamers 1-1. The teams play again tonight in Des Moines, Iowa. And they play each other in the Major Indoor Soccer League season opener at The Arena on Nov. 14.

Margetic, a two-time MISL All-Star with the Chicago Sting, has 15 points in three preseason games five goals and 10 assists. He has been involved in all but three of the Comets' preseason goals. By Dave Luecking Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Pato Margetic is having a heck of a season in preseason. The Kansas City Comets forward, scored three goals and assisted on three more as the Comets ripped the Steamers 7-3 on Friday in an exhibition game at The Arena. The Steamers' annual Hat Trick Game, benefiting the Association For Retarded Citizens, drew a crowd of 3,123 and seemed appropriately named.

Two Comets scored hat tricks. For- missed considerable playing time because of a knee injury. The Steamers did little after taking the 2-0 lead, and didn't score again until the 12:01 mark of the final period. McBride said he was not concerned. He used three lines and had defender Albert Adade at a forward and midfielder Redmond Lane at defender as he tries to evaluate his players before trimming his roster to 19.

The Steamers have 23 players in See STEAMERS, Page scored five goals to take a 6-2 lead. The Steamers' had led 2-0 early in the second quarter on goals by Louie Nanchoff and Nebo Bandovic. "He played great," Steamers coach Pat McBride said of Margetic. "They really move the ball around. Margetic is a dominant player." Comets coach Rick Benben said: "He's been a great player since he came to the country.

We thought he'd be this kind of player." The Comets signed Margetic as a free agent in December of last sea lues on't Want Big Red ih Rookie Is To Get In Shootout burgh in my sophomore year. The Phantoms their archrivals should have been the Casper Wyo.) Friendly Ghosts practiced at our school. True to their missionary mission, they scattered soccer balls around like so many seeds. Our baseball coach grabbed one and had Us play after practice as a conditioner. Our version looked more like rugby than soccer.

But we were in the vanguard of a soccer revolution that swept the country, including football-crazy Pennsylvania. My old school started a team, became a state power and even hatched a Parade All-American. With soccer's grass roots sprouting like weeds, why Isn't there a cash crop of fans? The NASL, as Bowers insists, must answer for itself. Its primary bylaw was Murphy's Law. Maybe things would have been better with better management.

Or maybe U.S. adults just won't pay to watch low-scoring outdoor soccer. The MISL Is up against a different wall. In these last 20 years, many of America's young soccer players grew up to become soccer purists. Their game was the outdoor game, with twice the players and twice the surface of the indoor version.

The MISL wanted to create a simpler game with more scoring. What it got was a hybrid that resembles hockey without sticks, skates and fists. A friend of mine calls it "disco soccer." "It's soccer, but it is different," Bowers said. He tactfully sidesteps the rejection of the indoor game by many local purists. What he says is: "Maybe the Steamers relied too much on the soccer community in the early days.

We're not just going after the soccer community. In this business, you continually have to be going after new markets. You've got to market the thing." One potent market is feminine. More than 50 percent of MISL fans are females, "the highest percentage of any professional sport in the country," Bowers said. And the average Steamers fan is getting older.

That is slowly bringing the club out of the clutches of "the soda-pop crowd," as Bowers dubbed it. Bowers is relieved, to say the least, that the city is buying The Arena from Harry Ornest, whom the Steamers sued for $210 million for alleged breaches of contract. The Arena sale, expected to be final by Dec. 1, saved the Steamers from a stopgap move to Kiel Auditorium. The Steamers' rent will be less than the $14,000 per game charged by Ornest and more than the $5,000 pegged for Kiel.

Bowers is mum on the exact amount. Season-ticket sales got a late start and are only about 60 percent of last year's total of 4,800. But with 28 ticket outlets double the number under Omest Bowers hopes to top last year's average of 10,200 fans per "7 game. The Steamelrs ranked fourth as See WHEATLEY, Page 5 On Spot By Bemie Miklasz Of the Post-Dispatch Staff 1 ax With E.J. Junior's sprained left an kle still the size of a grapefruit, the Cardinals have taken rookie Ron Monaco by the scruff of his neck and thrown him into the busiest intersection of their defense.

Now they'll see if he can make it across the street. A year ago, Monaco was a reserve linebacker at the University of South Carolina, and now he's a starting inside linebacker for the Cardinals. He'll take Junior's spot Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Busch Stadium. Just to make his first National who plays, scores. Ron Duguay, cast off by the Detroit Red Wings last season, has 11 points in 11 games.

Warren Young, cast off by the Wings this season, has six points in eight games. And Kevin LaVallee, purged by the Blues this summer, had a six-point game against the Devils giving him nine points in Just four games. "Kevin's got a terrific shot," said Blues goaltender Greg Millen, the ex-Penguin who will start in the nets tonight "He's got a hard, wicked shot. When he's got time to take his shot, he's one of the best in the league." The key to the Penguins, Plager said, is the attention that Lemieux draws to himself. Whoever plays the wing with Lemieux often finds him-.

self unattended. Duguay and Terry Ruskowskl (17 points in 11 games) can attest to that. Lemieux "Is such a great hockey player, he attracts so many players," Plager said. "He attracts a forward and a defenseman. There's somebody always left open.

He's strong enough, with two guys on him, to get the puck to the open man. Their power play is very good, because you have two guys watching Lemieux on the power play and three guys are open. "Last year in here, we watched Lemieux, watched Lemieux," he said. "Maybe you pay too much attention to him. There are other players who could hurt us.

(Mike) Bullard has had some big games against us." Last season, the Penguins riddled the Blues 8-4 In their only appear-See BLUES. PaseC By Jeff Gordon Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Blues special assignment scout Bob Plager was editing on Friday afternoon a videotape of the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the New Jersey Devils. "There's seven power-play goals," he said. "So far." Plager's breakdown of the game a wild 8-6 victory for the Devils told Blues coach Jacques Martin what he already knew. The Penguins, who engage the Blues tonight (7:35, KXOK, 630), like to force shootouts.

The Penguins (8-3) have scored the most goals in the National Hockey League, 54, and the most power-play goals, 14. Leading the team is center Mario Lemieux, who has 29 points in 11 games. The Blues (3-3-2) want to control these guys, not outscore them. And they don't want to try to match power plays with them. "Our last three games, we have had good defensive performances," Martin said.

"We have to bear down, be aware of our defensive responsibilities. We've got to be conscious of them." Thanks to Lemieux, the Penguins are a deadly threat with the man advantage, converting about 29 percent of their chances. With that in mind, Martin will employ an extra penalty killer, Pat Hughes, in place of Herb Raglan at rigH wing. The Penguins also are a well-rounded offensive team. Everybody Football League start a memorable occasion, the coaches have asked Monaco to assume Junior's defensive signal-calling duties.

Have fun, innocent rookie. "It's a hard responsibility for any i jv one who hasn't played a lot, said coach Gene Stallings. "It's going to be hard for him." So why is Monaco doing it? "He knows how to make all the adjustments up front, and (safety) Leonard Smith knows how to make the ones in the back," said linebacker coach Joe Pascale. "It's a tough situa tion for a first-year guy, but his apti AP Fired Up tude is excellent. You get a little stage fright when you first go out there, but he'll be QK." Frenchman Henri Leconte raises a fist in victory Friday after defeating Sweden's Mikael Pernfors 6-4-5-4 in the quarterfinals of the Paris Open tennis championships.

Pascate, you see, has been tutoring See BIG RED, Page 4.