The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 49

The Beacon Journal 1 Saturday, August 9, 1997, Page D5 Tribe report Score to be a final this year Veteran Indians radio broadcaster announces he will retire at end of season after 34 years on the air iBBBBlBStanfflfe "My wife asked me what I was going to do. I told her I wasn't planning to do anything, and I do that well." Pluto Losing Score is like losing a friend Continued from Page Dl feet soundtrack to the futile Indians' teams of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Sometimes, he had the Indians playing Boston, Kansas City and Baltimore all in the same game. Sometimes, he said, "And there's a two-hopper to Kuiper, who takes it on the first bounce." More than once, he said, "And there's a swing-and-a-miss, called strike three." Albert Belle was Gary BelL Matt Williams was Mitch Williams. Efrain Valdez was Efrem Zimba-list Jr.

But always, Herb Score was there, pressing on. You knew he loved the Indians, but he never said "we" when talking about them. That was the one rule he gave to his new partners, when they asked advice. You are a broadcaster, not a part of the team. Yet how can any of us think of Score as anything but a Cleveland Indian? Between his playing and broadcasting career, he was around for 5,000 of their games.

If anyone had a right to call the Indians "my team," it's Score. But he never did. To Score, no one was bigger than the game. Little talk That is why it's nearly impossible to coax Score into discussing his playing career at length. In the 1950s, he was Sandy Koufax before there was Sandy Koufax.

At age 22, he had a 16-10 record and led the American League in strikeouts. That was 1955, his rookie year. It seems significant that Score came to the Tribe the year after their last pennant (at least until 1995). He was supposed to be the next generation of great players, and in 1956, he won 20 games. But early in 1957, he was struck in the right eye by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald.

His career was virtually over, although he tried to pitch for several years. Score never blamed the incident for his quick decline as a pitcher. It's hard to know what he really thinks of his career, because he refuses to open up. Perhaps that was his way of dealing with it A strong Catholic, Score really does believe you must accept the things you cannot change. You couldn't help to think that Score seemed cursed, just like so many of the Tribe teams of his era.

He never saw it that way. "I've always considered myself lucky," he said. "I really mean that" And Indians fans were lucky to have him. letes in the booth. "But he brought me along slowly.

He taught me that sports is not life and death, and that you can have some fun with it I learned that if you're down by 10 runs, you talk about the other team. Some years we talked about the other team a lot" Score minimized the significance of the play-by-play voice. "Whether you're a player or a broadcaster, the game is what's important," he said. "We're just there to tell people about the game." Score's most memorable game? "Probably Len Barker's perfect game," he said. "I never saw one before, and I'll probably never see one again." Score has no elaborate plans for his retirement Next to being a player, Score has always acted as if he had the best job in the world.

"I told a friend of mine I was retiring, and he said, 'retiring from what? You don't do anything Score said. "Basically he was right" pregame ceremony before the Tribe plays the White Sox on Sept 7. Introducing Score to the media, Lehman mentioned that the Indians will be playing their game during this homestand, and that Score has been a part of more than 5,000 of them He began his association with the Tribe in 1952, when he was signed to a minor-league contract After his major-league pitching career, he became color commentator on Indians telecasts. He joined Bob Neal on the radio in 1968. "The fellow who influenced me most was Bob Neal," Score said.

"He could be caustic and sarcastic and he had a great dislike for ath by Sheldon Ocker Bmrm Journal slajjf miter Lou Holtz may never know what kind of influence he had on Herb Score, who has been the voice of the Indians for 34 years. "I was watching Holtz on television in the winter," Score said yesterday at a press conference to announce his retirement at the end of the seasoa "They asked him why he would want to step down from the best job in college football. "He said he didn't know why, but he just thought it was time. That's the way I feel. I've missed family birthdays, I've even missed a wedding.

I'm 64, and it's time to smell the roses." Score said the Indians offered him a three-year contract last winter, but he opted for a two-year deal that would have expired after the 1998 seasoa When he told Tribe executive vice president Dennis Lehman that this would be his last season, Lehman asked him to reconsider. Score refused. He also wanted to finish out his Pete Rose shared his time and autographs with fans at the Cuyahoga Falls Target store yesterday but refused to comment on his plans to apply for reinstatement to baseball amid reports that Cincinnati general manager Jim Bowden would consider hiring Rose to manage the Reds if his life suspension for gambling was lifted. autograph line more than an hour before Rose appeared with his entourage shortly after 4 p.m. As she inched her way to the table where Rose was signing store promotional cards and only store promotional cards she said he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

"He should be able to separate his personal life from what he did on the field, and for what he did on the field, I don't think there's any doubt he belongs," Faber said. Dick Bair of Akron went further. He said Major League Baseball has made a terrible mistake for banning Rose from the game for this long. "I think Pete did more for baseball than the world will ever know," Bair said, "and it's about time those people realize it" Beacon Journal staff writer Jim Carney and the Associated Press cmtributed to this report second and third. Lee Stevens then lined a two-run single to right, and for all intents and purposes the game was over.

The Rangers worked to get an insurance run, as Fernando Tatis bunted Stevens to second, and Stevens took third on a wild pitch. But Lopez closed out the inning without suffering further indignities. Then it was the Tribe's turn against Wetteland, though you'd hardly know it. Matt Williams struck out. Tony Fernandez grounded back to the mound, and Sandy Alomar went down on strikes.

The fans took over after that, booing their favorite team off the field. "We haven't been able to play the last three innings of a game the right way," Omar Vizquel said "Those are the innings when you have to play the best Those are the innings when you can't make mental mistakes." Over its last 22 games, Cleveland is 7-15 yet has lost almost no ground to either Milwaukee or Chicago, which resigned from the race by swapping most of its viable pitchers before the July 31 trading deadline. "I still think we're looking ahead," Vizquel said. "We have to kick ourselves in the butt and start playing better ball. Everybody has to pull together.

We all have to look at ourselves and be able to do better." Sturtze allowed the first five hitters to reach base in the first inning, when the Indians scored four times. But just when he was on the verge of being yanked, the next three batters went quietly, and Sturtze was on his way. Over the next 5V4 innings, he gave up only two more hits, a solo homer by Manny Ramirez and a single, leaving things to Bailes with one out and one on in the seventh. In 1 innings, Bailes walked two but didn't allow a hit or a run to earn his first win since June 3, 1992, against the Orioles as a member of the Angels. Bailes, who hasn't pitched in the big leagues since '92 and didn't pitch anywhere after 1993, was called up from Triple-A a few days ago and was making his second appearance in four years last night 4 sr f.

ur 1 "I mmm -i Rose Hits leader focuses on fans, not future plans Continued from Page Dl 1984 to 1989. After his final season as manager with the team, in a long, drawn-out affair that received worldwide publicity, Rose signed a statement admitting that he had illegally bet on football games and was suspended indefinitely. Subsequently, he has talked about having his suspension lifted, but he has yet to make such a request to acting commissioner Bud Selig. Rose also has said he has no ambitions about managing again. He told CBS SportsLine he's waited so long to apply for reinstatement because he wanted to make sure the timing was right "We don't want to apply for reinstatement and for them to take the letter and put it on the back burner," he said.

Bowden, who brought in Jack McKeon as interim manager after firing Ray Knight on July 25, said if Rose were reinstated and expressed interest in the Reds job, he would interview the all-time hits leader. "Number one, he deserves to be reinstated," Bowden said. "And once he is, I believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame and he should have the opportunity to manage." Bowden would get little argument from the fans at Target. Patti Simmons of Kent brought her 8-month-old son, Logan, to see Rose and get his autograph, and the former Reds superstar more than obliged. Reaching out over the autograph table, which was covered, of course, with a red cloth, Rose picked up little Logan from his mother's arms, sat the infant down in front of him on the table and smiled away as Simmons snapped the priceless picture for-her family.

Logan was dressed in a cute little Reds jumpsuit HERB SCORE Tribe broadcaster tenure with the Indians quietly, without anything like a victory tour of the American League. "I didn't want to do it this way," Score said, referring to the large number of reporters and TV cameramen in front of him. "I told Dennis that after my last game, hopefully the final game of the World Series, I would just say I'm finished and that would be it" But Score will not be allowed to slip into retirement that easily. During last night's game at Jacobs Field, Score received a standing ovation from the capacity crowd of 42,000 plus when news of his retirement was announced over the public address system. Score also will be honored in a Tribe Loss to Rangers is ugly, very ugly Continued from Page D5 "I take this loss," Jackson "It was my fault.

Don't blame it on the team. They battled for eight innings." Jackson started the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead. He gave up a bloop single to Juan Gonzalez then walked Will Clark and hit Ivan Rodriguez with a l-and-2 pitch to load the bases. "The last thing we needed was a hit batter in that situation," Manager Mike Hargrove said. "It put the tying run in scoring position, and that made things more difficult" For most of the season Hargrove has maintained that it was only a matter of time before former closer Jose Mesa would get his job back, though there were no promises that the time would come this year.

But Jackson's last two appearances, six days apart, have ended with him on the wrong end of the score against the same club. In those two outings, he has yielded six runs, four hits and two walks in one inning. "I stated all along that we would move Jose back into the closer role," Hargrove said. "That time might be getting close. But I don't know if the next time will be that time." Jackson thinks he's become a little rusty.

"I've had some problems with this team over the years," he said. "But I'm just not throwing the ball well. I have no excuse. But lately, I haven't been out there that much, and you can see the consequences of that." Lopez was rushed into the fray. His first pitch sailed high and wide, slamming off the glove of Pat Borders for a passed ball that scored the first run of the inning and left Texas with runners at Casey third of the last week, with a two-run shot in the ninth that carried 410 feet to right The Phillies got their licks in, too.

They actually outhit the Aeros, 14-13, getting a two-run triple from catcher Chris Tremie and a two-run homer by Dan Held, his 22nd, in the ninth. Tremie and Held each had three hits. -a .3 -V; i 'if3 ktJL if I ''V J' 17 A command performance by "He doesn't know Pete Rose now," his mother said, "but he will when he gets into the Hall of Fame." But first, Rose must be reinstated to baseball Patrick Courtney, an official in the commissioner's office, said he did not know if Rose plans to apply for reinstatement. If he does, Courtney said, the matter must be discussed first by baseball's Executive Council. Then, according to league rules, the acting commissioner, Selig, is empowered to make the decision to reinstate Rose.

"I think he served his time," said Jim Boscaljon of Wadsworth, who came to see Rose yesterday with a friend. "His hitting record speaks for itself." Rose broke one of the game's most cherished records, Ty Cobb's all-time hits record, on Sept. 11, 1985, and finished his career with 4,256 hits. Marcia Faber of Cleveland staked out her place in the store's opposite-field homer the next time up, flied out to the 395-foot mark in right-center his fourth time up and doubled in the ninth. Casey wasn't around back in May, when the Aeros came to Reading and scored a club-record 25 runs.

He's had a lot of catching up to do since coming off the disabled list in early June, and has. He has nine homers and 63 RBI in 59 games. "I guess Tm making up for lost time," said the 23-year-old Casey. "It feels good to be back playing. You don't realize how much you miss it when you're not playing.

"I've been here for a few weeks, and things are working out so far. We'd like to get some wins and get ourselves going for the month of August. Hopefully this will give us a little boost." The Aeros gave winner Maximo DeLaRosa a boost by batting around in the second inning, including a two-run double by Robin Harriss, who finished with three RBI, and an RBI single by David Miller. DeLaRosa gave up 11 hits, but kept the Phillies scoreless until the fifth to win for the second time First baseman slams two home runs and a double, drives in five runs as Akron crushes Reading 13-7 Beacon Journal photo Tribe shortstop Omar Vizquel gets the glad hand from teammate Matt Williams after scoring in the first inning. SLAMMIN' GOOD TIME Sean Casey's second-inning grand slam traveled out of Municipal Stadium, over the outer brick wall, and onto adjacent Centre more than 425 feet away.

It was his second grand slam of the season, the first coming at Bowie June 8, the first day after being activated off the disabled list, HOW MANY OUTS? Kevin Riggs, batting second in the first inning, lost track of the outs after singling and was doubled off first on Casey's pop fly to shallow right field. A FIRST Right-hander Mike Badorek, who joined the Aeros on Thursday, makes his debut in the Cleveland Indians organization tonight. Badorek was signed from the Madison Black Wolf of the independent Northern League. The 28-year-old went 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 13 starts. He threw four complete games, Including one shutout UGLY- In losing 3-of-4 games at Norwich, the Aeros allowed 60 hits and 40 runs.

MAKE IT EIGHT The three Aeros added to the disabled list Thursday brings to eight currently on the list: RHP Jay Vaught, LPH Casey Whitten, RHP Erik Bennett, LHP Noe Najera, RHP Rafael Mesa, RHP Wilmer Montoya, OF Scott Morgan and Sean Mulligan. ONE OUT Aaron Royster, Reading's All -Star left-fielder, was scratched from the lineup just before last night's game after re-aggravating strained muscles in his lower back and side. Royster, who has 14 homers and 61 RBI, had started two straight games after sitting out 11 of the previous 12. PITCHING Today's matchup: Akron, RHP Mike Badorek (0-0, 0.00) vs. Reading, LHP SiMoCensale (6-3, 4.32).

MIKE DRAGO BY MIKE DRAGO Special to tlw Deacon Jimrnal Reading, Jim Thome didn't mind moving from third base to first this season in order to accommodate Matt Williams' arrival in Cleveland. A year or two from now, the Indians slugger might have to move back. The Indians have another jewel of a hitter heading for Cleveland, and the way first baseman Sean Casey is swinging right now, they're going to have to make room for him somewhere. "I guess that's their decision to make," said Casey after homering twice last night in the Aeros' 13-7 Eastern League victory over the Reading Phillies. "I don't know what they're going to do.

"I've just got to put up the numbers and see what happens." Casey added a few more numbers to his impressive totals, driving in five runs and going 3-for-5 to raise his team-high batting average to .396. tie nit a secona-inning grand slam that carried completely out of Reading Municipal Stadium and onto an adjacent street, some 422 feet away, giving the Aeros a 7-0 lead He hit an NEW LEADOFF HITTER Manager Mike Hargrove moved Brian Giles from the second spot into the leadoff position in the lineup last night His explanation: "We want to try to get more men on base earty in the game. We could leave it this way for a while." Giles said the last time he batted in the leadoff spot was Little League. "One day I went 5-for-3," he said. "I don't think batting leadoff will change anything for me." A NEW CAREER? In the wake of Herb Score's retirement announcement, Hargrove was asked if he would ever consider a job in broadcasting.

"I don't know if anyone would want to listen to my voice," he said. "I think everybody thinks about that idea at least a little bit. I would never say never, but if I did do it I would hope it would be a very long way down the road." OTHER STUFF Former Tribe pitcher Scott Bailes has been called up by the Rangers, but he probably will not start over the weekend as was previously thought. "The last time I started was 1987," Bailes said. "The most I pitched in Triple-A this year was three innings and that was only 19 pitches." Chad Ogea has been sent on a rehabilitation assignment at Buffalo and will start against Louisville tonight.

David Justice has switched numbers. He will now wear 23 instead of 33. His number with the Braves was 23, but Julio Franco had that number until he was designated for assignment last wgcK. SHELDON OCKER in three starts. He had plenty of support.

Chan Perry continued his assault on Phillies pitching, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. He is batting .389 with 18 RBI and 14 runs scored in 12 games against Reading. Ryan Branyan clouted his fourth homer in 18 games, and.