Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 93

SPORTS Sunday, December IS, 1985 Albuquerque Journal Page 1,. Section Yankees9' Maris- Dies of Cancer THE ASSOCIATED PRESS a. i article after the 1961 season. "As an individual, I doubt if I could possibly go through it again." Maris, born Sept. 10, 1934, in Hibbing, began his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1957 and was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1958.

Following the 1959 season, he was traded to the Yankees, where he won the American League's Most Valuable Player awards in 1960 and 1961. MORE: See HOME RUN on PAGE H10 ill again earlier this fall. At "baseball's winter meetings this week in San Diego, a bloodmobile was set up to collect blood for him. Maris blasted his way into baseball history in 1961 by breaking one of the game's most revered marks, the 60 home runs hit by Babe Ruth in 1927. That season produced many emotional highs and lows for Maris and left an asterisk after his name in the record books.

1 "As a ballplayer, I would be delighted to do it again," Maris wrote in a magazine system, according to Jane Brust, a hospital spokeswoman. She said Maris' wife was at his bedside when he died. Yogi Berra, who had been his teammate on the Yankees, tried to visit Maris Friday, but was told the ailing former player was too ill. Maris lymphoma was diagnosed in November 1983. At that time a doctor said it had gone undetected for five years.

For a while last year, the disease was said to be in remission, but Maris became HOUSTON Roger Maris, who hit 61 home runs in 1961 to set major league baseball's single-season record, died Saturday after a two-year Jjout with cancer. Maris, who was 51, died at M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, where he had been hospitalized since Nov. 20. The former American League outfielder, who gained his fame with the New York Yankees, was being treated for lymphoma, a cancer which invades the body's lymph Yankees' Roger Maris To be buried Thursday Arizona Leaves Lobos Cold With Richardson Fighting For BoxiBUl By Dennis Latta 70-55 efeat By Phill Casaus Jsilh cjc) JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR WASHINGTON Though has never tied on gloves or stepped into a ring, the name Bill Richardson might long be remembered in professional boxing.

Rep. Bill Richardson, a Democrat from New Mexico's Third Dictrict, is sponsoring, pushing and campaigning for a bill that would create the United States Boxing Commission, which would regulate professional boxing. "Sir 'J! ft 1 Richardson's goal is to have a commission to control professional boxing without government having to do it directly. The commission would be established by the federal government and would send reports to Congress annually, but it would not an actual governmental agency. Amateur boxing is not included because Richardson feels it is properly regulated.

"I'm a boxing just four points and only one assist. "It was a good strategy. We've used it at times." Arizona took a 16-6 lead on Steve Kerr's jumper with 11:07 left in the first half, and though the Lobos cut the margin five points, Wildcats freshman Sean Elliott hit two straight shots to give Arizona a 28-19 lead. It got only worse for UNM. With its offense stuck in neutral the Lobos were 25-of-66 from the field Arizona began to score from everywhere.

Much of the damage was done from the outside, with guard Steve Kerr scoring on jumpers, almost at will. Kerr, the angel-faced bomber, had just 10 points for the game, but eight came in the second half, and each was a beautiful jumper that left the Lobos shaking their heads. "Their perimeter shooting had a lot to do with it," said Lobos coach Gary Colson. "I'll bet they shot 50 percent from 21 feet or better. They hurt us with second shots, too.

I like their perimeter people they'll be a tough team to zone in the Pac-10. But they might die by the sword, too." The Lobos fell on their swords early in the second half. Johnny Brown, who scored a team-high 17 points, scored to cut Arizona's lead to 34-24. Arizona's top point scorer was Elliott, a sweet-shooting freshman who scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half. The Lobos, who take next week off for finals week, got 10 points from Larry Markland, who started in place of Shawn Brooks.

Perhaps the best UNM performance came from 7-foot redshirt freshman Robert Loeffel, who banged his way to eight points in 20 minutes. TUCSON, Ariz Even in sunny Tucson, the New Mexico Lobos discovered life on the road is oh, so cold. Arizona froze the Lobos 70-55 Saturday night at McKale Center, a rear end-kicking that said volumes about both basketball teams. The confident Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field many from nosebleed range while the 5-2 Lobos found themselves undone by their icy touches and 17 turnovers. Arizona wasn't exactly Georgetown revisited.

Nevertheless, it wasn't pretty. UNM was beaten in the transition game, in the set-offense game, and everywhere else by the 'Cats. "Arizona's really a good team," said Lobos forward Mike Winters. "Really similar to teams in the WAC." Actually, the 5-3 Wildcats have been better than the WAC, at least in terms of what they've done this week. On Thursday, Arizona downed San Diego State, 72-66; Saturday night they controlled the Lobos completely before 10,508.

UNM still has never won in McKale Center. Arizona established itself early, mainly by stealing a favorite Lobo tactic a box-and-one defense. The Wildcats' victim, UNM guard Kelvin Scarborough, found himself dancing cheek-to-cheek with Craig McMillan. For all intents and purposes, Scar was taken from the offense he committed his third foul with 8:57 left in the first half. The Lobos foundered.

"He was playing good said Scarborough, who finished with 'A I Rep. Bill Richardson Wants boxing commission. I ,1 in- ni-ni-i nhn? T-5T---dr" 3 mm-Mmi i -ii 1 TT JOURNAL PHOTO MARK HOLM Driving on the Horsemen Academy's Joel Quinn dribbles toward the basket as St. Michael's players Bryan Press, No. 33, and Mike Esquibel set up on defense.

The Chargers defeated the Horsemen 53-46 in the Class AAA high school basketball game played at Academy. Story on Page H4. Broncos Keep Playoff Dream Alive fanatic," Richardson said during an interview in his Washington office. "I try to go to the major heavyweight fights. I've been a fan of the sport for many years." As a fan, Richardson saw problems with the sport.

And he's convinced something has to be done. "It really bothered me when the Korean Duk Koo Kim was killed in the fight with Ray Mancini. I was on the subcommittee for commerce, and boxing was under our jurisdiction. "Initially, I pushed for a national boxing commission. But it was felt that was too regulatory.

It was a governmental agency and was defeated soundly on the floor (of the House of Representatives). "I came back with a bill that is in between. The USBC is federally chartered but not a governmental agency. It will be taxpayer financed but with the provision that the money has to be paid back within two years," Richardson explained. Officially, it is HR 2127.

The bill is written in the proper form, which makes it virtually unreadable for the common man. As is customary, a summary of the bill also has been written in plain English as an explanation that can be understood. "There is a growing public perception that professional boxing needs to be 'cleaned up' that mismatches are frequent, that the health and safety of boxers is not a consideration of many promoters, that state regulation of the sport has proven inadequate and that existing organizations are not adequately addressing these problems," the summary states. "While congress has steered clear of regulating MORE; See RICHARDSON on PAGE H10 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS also could win the AFC West by beating Seattle next week and having the division-leading Los Angeles Raiders drop their last two games. "Our team played as hard and as tough as we can," said Chiefs' coach John Mackovic.

"We fought to the bitter end. As far as heart, this was our best performance." An interception by Chiefs' corner-back Albert Lewis, his second of the game, set up Todd Blackledge's 7-yard touchdown pass to Stephone Paige with 6:59 left, putting the Chiefs ahead 13-7. Elway completed three passes on a final drive that was capped by Sammy Winder's 1-yard dive over the top with 22 seconds to go, raising the Broncos' record to 10-5 and keeping them mathematically in the playoff picture. Kansas City fell to 5-10. "All I could think of was Joe Namath throwing six (interceptions), and I was one behind him," said Elway.

Denver coach Dan Reeves said the game was "a great example of a football team not willing to be denied, patting each other on the back and supporting each other. I'm extremely pleased with the way we hung together." As for the playoff picture, Reeves said, "We still have a chance. We know that at least two teams are going to have to win next week if we can win in Seattle (in the season finale)." The New York Jets' 19-6 loss to Chicago on Saturday means Denver can earn a playoff spot by winning next week and having the Jets lose to Cleveland. Miami and New England meet on Monday night, and the loser of that game would be in the same playoff situation as the Jets. Denver DENVER "It just wasn't," John Elway said in an observation that surprised no one, "one of my better days." The Denver Broncos' quarterback threw five interceptions Saturday, triggering widespread booing from a usually adoring hometown crowd.

But when it counted when the Broncos' playoff hopes were on the line in the closing minutes Elway. completed eight of eight passes, rallying Denver to a 14-13 National Football League victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Landrum, Unser First at Home f- tT i Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame Names Male Co-Athletes of the Year FROM STAFF REPORTS down to the final event of the season, the Beatrice Indy Challenge in Miami, before Al Sr. prevailed by the slimmest of margins one It was a magnificent year, nonetheless, for the younger Unser. He won two consecutive CART races at the New Jersey Meadowlands and at Cleveland finished in the top five nine times, and completed '85 by teaming with Al Holbert to win the Eastern 3-Hour International Motor Sports Association Camel GT sports car race.

Landrum, too, had a dramatic 1985. After a solid regular season in a part-time role, Landrum suddenly became a full-timer in the National League Playoff Series when a freak injury struck down teammate Vince Coleman. He responded with a 6-for-14 plate performance as ASSOCIATED PRESS Al Unser Jr. and Tito Landrum both finished 1985 with near misses; each fell just short of the ultimate championship in his sport. Both finished in first place, however, in a more recent competition.

Unser, at 23 years old one of the top Indy-car race drivers in the world, and Landrum, who starred in the baseball World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, will be honored Feb. 18 by the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame as the city's male co-athletes of the year. Unser is an Albuquerque native; Landrum, born in Joplin, grew up in Albuquerque. Unser participated in one of 1984's greatest sports dramas: the battle with his father, Al for the CART Indy-car points title.

The friendly fight came Al Unser left, gets a pat on the shoulder from his dad, Al after winning the U.S. Grand Prix in June. Landrum and Unser will be honored at the Hall of Fame banquet along with this year's three inductees: ex-Lobo basketball star Ira Harge, former UNM track star Ira Robinson and longtime Lobos golf coach Dick McGuire. the Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the World Series, the Cards collapsed after building a 3-to-l lead and lost to the Kansas City Royals.

But Landrum hit .360, homered and made some outstanding plays in the field. ASSOCIATED PRESS Tito Landrum watches his World Series home run go over' the fence..