The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 37

The Beacon Journal Sunday, July 24, 1994 0 Goodwill Games The Americans get off to a good start with victories in men's basketball and beach volleyball. Page D2. Basketball Who are these guys on Dream Team II, anyway? For starters, they're rich, brash and ready to prove they're just as good as the originals. Page D3. Golf Two record-setting days left Helen Alfredsson in control of the U.S.

Women's Open. Then she fell apart, opening the way for Patty Sheehan. Page D5. Baseball A corked bat may have given Albert Belle a slight edge but it could end up costing a whole lot more. Page D10.

American League Cleveland 11 Toronto 9 Chicago 2 Texas 1 First game Second game Boston 6 Seattle Seattle 5 at Boston Oakland 6 Kansas City 4 Baltimore 3 Detroit 1 Minnesota New York at Milwaukee at California National League San Francisco 4 Atlanta 8 tewYork2 St. Louis 5 Cincinnati 3 San Diego 7 Chicago 1 Philadelphia 1 Los Angeles Pittsburgh at Montreal at Houston Florida at Colorado 1 behind THE DIFFERENCE The Indians (56-38) trail the White Sox (58-38) by two games in the AL Central. TODAY White Sox (Fernandez 9-7) at Indians (Na 8-6), 1:05 p.m., SportsChannel. TOMORROW The Indians have a travel day to Baltimore where they start their six game road trip three games against the Orioles starting Tuesday and three against New York. Chicago starts a four-game stand at Kansas City.

People, Page 2 Trivia, Baseball, Pages 8-10 11 bad. Near-shutout by Grimsley also gets Indians within one game of Chicago and gets them on right foot with big road trip ahead Page 3 Horses, Page 11 in Friday night from Nashville to join the White Sox and start against the top-hitting team in the American League. "And I wasn't really nervous about being in the middle of a pennant race. Sure, I was nervous the first couple of pitches, but that's only normal. And I settled down quickly after that.

"But what hurt me, was that I was trying to be too fine when I was ahead and I didn't hit the See SOX, Page D10 No excuses for Ruffcorn, just logic for losing debut The Indians' Sandy Alomar is safe at second as Chicago shortstop Craig Grebek gets the ball too late to make the tag in yesterday's game. The Tribe won, closing the White Sox's AL Central lead to one game. JOCELYN WDJJAMSBeacon Journal paddies of Vietnam By Sheldon ocker Beacon Journal staff writer Undoubtedly, thousands of Indians fans felt an emptiness in the pits of their stomachs when the Tribe lost the opener of the weekend series against the White Sox to fall three games behind the Central Division leaders. But that was long ago, way back on Thursday night. After Cleveland dropped Chicago for the count 11-2 yesterday, Thursday almost seems like it belongs in a different century.

Instead of continuing a precipitous slide with six road games looming against the Orioles and LEW STAMP, Beacon Journal ii I 'VwsA 'J 3 I tit 4 i'm I a tx fay I Wd I to the fields of area high schools, Tony Kijanko has learned the lessons that help give him 1 RPOS LIFE EIN Yankees next week, the Indians trail the White Sox by a mere one game, with the finale of the series scheduled for this afternoon at Jacobs Field. "Did I think there was a chance one team might win six or seven of these games?" Manager Mike Hargrove said, referring to back-to-back, four-game weekend sets against the White Sox. "Sure I did. Didn't you? "Given our history at Comiskey Park, there was a good chance we could be in deep trouble. But I felt a lot different coming over to our See Tribe, Page D10 To hero again from goat? Browns think Percy Snow can be the kind of player he was in college By Ed Meyer Beacon Journal staff writer Browns defensive coordinator Nick Saban still remembers one of the key plays in Michigan State's season-long drive to the 1988 Rose Bowl championship.

It happened in the Michigan game. Saban was defensive coordinator of the Spartans, and his best player was middle linebacker Percy Snow of Canton. The hot back for Michigan in that game was a guy named Ler-oy Hoard, who now plays for the Browns. broke into the open on a run," Saban said, "and Percy ran him down from behind. Then we forced a turnover, got out of the tough situation we were in and went on A look at the first week of camp, Page D4.

Miami's Dan Marino is ready to play, Page D4. 10 questions, PageD4. to win the game, 17-11. Naturally, coming against Michigan, it was our biggest win of the season. Percy Snow was really the catalyst of that team." Saban thinks he can push the former Canton-McKnley star, who recently signed with the Browns as a free agent, to be that type of player again.

But it will not be easy. Not much has come easily or gone smoothly for Snow the past three years, and training camp with the Browns will not be any different. "When guys come in under the conditions that Percy did," Saban said, "it's always been my philosophy that you have to start out at the bottom and work your way to the top, if you ever get that far." Snow's view from the lower rung of the depth chart, which must seem miles away from the penthouse view he had in 1990 when he was a first-round draft pick of the Chiefs, is hazy. Pepper Johnson is the starting middle linebacker. Then there's Richard Brown, who became the starter in 1991 after an injury to Mike Johnson.

Then there's Ed Sutter, who was picked up last year on waivers from the New England Patriots. It is doubtful that Snow will be able to unseat Pepper Johnson as the starter. Johnson was a starter last season, and with Clay Mat-See SNOW, Page D4 By Bill Lilley Beacon Journal sttffwrtier White Sox pitcher Scott Ruffcorn had plenty of excuses available after his first major-league start of the season. But Ruffcorn wasn't about to alibi even after the Indians took him for seven runs on nine hits in four innings en route to an 11-2 victory yesterday. Instead, he analyzed.

"I wasn't tired and I wasn't intimidated by the ballpark or the Indians," said Ruffcorn, who flew From the rice Tony Kijanko was a 19-year-old sergeant in Vietnam. By Milan Zban Beacon Journal slaff writer A pelting rain drummed against his steel helmet, but the only sound the soldier seemed to hear was the rapid beating of his heart. It was the monsoon season of late 1967. Tony Kijanko was lying in a rice paddy with a rifle squad somewhere in Vietnam. Instead of cursing the heavens, he looked up into the downpour and made a promise.

"Just get me out of here, Lord, and you can do whatever you wish with my life." Not long before that Kijanko had flunked out of Bowling Green State University in his first semester. "Pretty soon I was a 19-year-old sergeant in charge of other 19- to 22-year-olds," he said. "We were on the point, had taken a couple of hits (casualties), and I was scared to death," Kijanko recalled. "But He did get me out of there and through Him, I found a purpose in life. All I'm doing now is passing it on." That day was just one of several instances that helped to shape Kijanko.

His life has changed the course of many others on the athletic field, overseas and in the classroom. He has made a difference. Kijanko, 47, a former head football coach at Tallmadge High who is currentry an assistant at Stow, has become more, much more to troubled students who flock to him for solace and guidance. The experience in Vietnam, coming from a home with an abusive father and losing his first wife and their unborn child in a tragic auto accident failed to break him. It only fueled his de sire and capacity to reach out to others who couldn't cope and I In i 1 few iff Stow assistant coach Tony Kijanko needed someone who understood.

Quietly, without fanfare over the years, this friendly giant of a man (6-foot-6, 265 pounds), who once was considered a pro football prospect and had a tryout with the Cleveland Browns, has answered those distress calls. He has done it in much the same manner as the late Clem 6 I V. i sitive to the needs of others without seeking approval or accolades. It just came naturally. Seeking to honor those who carry on in the tradition of the late coach, the Beacon Journal established the Clem Caraboolad Memorial Award, honoring a coach and teacher who also is active in community affairs, someone who has made a differ "-(s "S4 ence.

Kijanko is the 1994 honoree, selected from a group of 13 nominated by area school officials. "This is very special to me," Kijanko said, "because I know the type of person Clem was. I played against him in high school and later coached against him. See COACH, Page Dll LEW STAMPBeacon Journal works out with Field High School's Ryan Moledor, one of the young athletes he mentors. Caraboolad, an outstanding coach, citizen, teacher and friend before his untimely death in January 1988 at age 43.

Caraboolad, who coached at Walsh Jesuit and at Hoban for the last six years of his life, was more than a coach. He was an educator, a motivator, a friend to all, dedicated to people. He taught by example and was sen.