The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 22

D2 THE JOURNAL-NEWS, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1987 IN THE NEWS IN THE BLEACHER BY STEVE MOORE PEOPLE lfT Trftune Uedw Swwm. tat KfV; Former NC grid stai Fenner not murderer Prosecutors in Upper Marlboro, dismissed murder charges against former North Carolina football star Derrick Fenner in a drug-related shooting Monday, but said they would go ahead with a separate drug and weapons case against him. Sizzlers play their home games. "The legs seemed not to be responding as I would have liked them to." White, a 6-foot-3 guard, played 12 seasons in the NBA and was the most valuable player in the 1976 NBA championship series. The seven-time All-Star also had a brilliant career at KU and served as an assistant coach there in 1981-82 and 1982-83.

I September, he played in a special alumni game between Kansas and Kansas State and scored 23 points. On Nov. 4, he announced he would attempt a comeback and serve as an assistant coach and tutor to Lloyd Daniels, the 6-8 star from New York City whose vagabond career has led him to Las Vegas and trouble with drugs. However, in five games with the Sizzlers, White averaged 5.6 points a game, despite playing an average of more than 24 minutes a game. He also had a 44.4 percent field goal percentage.

"The young blood that flowed through young legs made it difficult," Killilea said. "He couldn't do what he wanted to do." Jo Jo's comeback comes to end at 41 The Associated Press Jo Jo White's basketball comeback, at age 4 1 with the Topeka Sizzlers of the Continental Basketball League, ended Monday, 26 days after it began. A former star of the University of Kansas and the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics, White said he simply did not have the legs to keep up with younger players and felt it was best to retire. He made the announcement after meeting with the Sizzlers' head coach, John Killilea, and the team's owner, BernieGlannon. White will leave the team, not only as a player but as an assistant coach.

However, he did not rule out the possibility of returning later as a coach or in some other capacity. Fenner had been arrested in June in connection with the fatal shooting of Marcellus Leach, 19, in what police called a "turf war" between rival drug factions. In a written statement, State's Attorney Alexander Williams said "investigators uncovered evidence that the murder of Marcellus Leach may have been just one of a series of crimes by rival drug factions." Williams said investigators Derrick Fenner Major charge dropped Jo Jo Whits: The legs were shot "Jo Jo White has never been one to kid himself," White said during a brief news conference in the Kansas Expocentre, where the "Mr. Hayes? Dr. Hippie will see your tennis racket now efts siriji)ir mmaiirketl 111 Milligan's award completes minor league sweep TODAY'S SPORTS ON TV BEST BET: Bobby Knight and the NCAA defending champ Indiana Hoosiers host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a maior early season college basketball battle.

Keith Smart, who hit the winning basket in last seasons Championship game against Syracuse, is back for another year and is the anchor of the Indiana team. This will be the Hoosiers first game after Knight pulled his team off the court last week against the Soviet National Team. Digger Phelps' team is led by New Jersey native David Rivers. The senior point guard is considereing among the best in the country and should give Indiana fits. Game time is 8 p.m., on ESPN.

TODAY 7:30: SC NBA Basketball: Detroit Pistons at New Jersey Nets 8:00: ESPN College Basketball: Notre Dame at Indiana MSG NBA Basketball: Seattle SuperSonics at New York Knicks 9:00: USA College Basketball: Oklahoma at Penn State 10:30: ESPN NHL Hockey: Winnipeg Jets at Los Angeles Kings Milligan said. "I think I bleed Mets blood. But in the long run, if I got traded I think I'd get over it." "If I had to go back to the minors that's what I'd have to do. It would be hard, though, after the year I had." The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder hit 29 home runs, drove in 103 runs and his .326 average took the International League batting crown. His .595 slugging percentage and .438 on-base percentage also led the Tides.

The Minor League Player of the Year awards selected by two different publications in a two-week span put one in mind of pro boxing's alphabet soup divisional title crowns. Hard to tell which carries the most clout. At least the Mets have struck a blow for unification by keeping both minor-league titleholders under the same organizational roof. Unlike Jefferies, the pure switch hitter who need only settle on what position he will play for the Mets someday soon, Milligan is a victim of numbers and physical limitation. He played just one game in the outfield last season and last played the outfield regularly in 1983.

He has played strictly first base for Ponce. Ahead of him at first base on the Mets' depth chart are Keith Hernandez, Dave Magadan, Lee Mazzilli and Gary Carter. With that All-Star pecking order, Milligan will find it hard enough to get in spring training ground balls with the A team, forget about getting many swings in a game. Should he remain in the Mets organization, however, he could be a prime candidate as a right-handed, pinch-hitter with power. His 1987 home run total more than doubled his previous minor league high of 13 homers in 1985 for Jackson as Milligan blossomed this season.

"I know I had to put up a big year or get out of the game," Milligan said. "I just never put the kind of year together like I did this year to show I could make it in the big leagues." Now it's just a question of getting a chance. By Jim Corbett Staff Writer NEW YORK Next week's winter meetings in Dallas could provide Randy Milligan, the surprising 1987 star of the Mets' Triple-A Tidewater affiliate, with an escape from minor-league limbo. The 26-year-old slugger joins Jesse Orosco, Mookie Wilson and Rafael Santana as expendable yet valued players the club can package in trades to fine-tune a team that is set at every position but seeks bullpen and bench help. Milligan, the International League Most Valuable Player who just missed winning the league's Triple Crown, received The Sporting News version of the Minor League Player of the Year Award Monday.

Gregg Jefferies, the club's Texas League MVP, received Baseball America's version of the same award two weeks ago. The Mets thought enough of Milligan to place him on their 40-man roster this winter, preventing another team from drafting him next week and preventing Milligan, eligible lor free agency after seven minor-league seasons with the Mets, from going elsewhere. As much as he would like to remain a Met, Milligan realizes it is in his best interest to be traded. Ideally, such a trade would be to an American League team since he fits the first baseman-DH protype. "The way my chances look with the Mets right now I feel a trade would be best for me," Milligan said by phone from Puerto Rico, where he is stinging the ball for the Ponce Lions.

Milligan saw such a second chance granted only two weeks ago when the Mets traded his Tidewater teammate and roommate Terry Blocker to the Atlanta Braves for a player to be named. In a sense, the center fielder who has a chance to start for the Braves was also Milligan's minor league cellmate. Like Milligan, Blocker was a prisoner of the talent-rich organization. He was good enough to play in the majors, but not with the Mets. "With a new organization it gives him new life," DODI'S LINE FOOTBALL COLLEGE Favorite Points Underdog (Friday) BYUx 11 Colorado St.

(x at Melbourne) (at Pasadena, Ca.) Southern Cat 3 Michigan St. ORANGE BOWL (at Miami, Fla.) Oklahoma 2 Miami-FIa (Sat. Jan. 2) HALL OF FAME CLASSIC Dave Brown vows not to change had "uncovered substantial evidence to indicate Mr. Fenner was not present on May 23, 1987, at the location of the murder The record-holding tailback had been scheduled to go to trial next week.

He still faces narcotics and handgun charges from a second arrest in April on cocaine and handgun charges from an unrelated incident. Fenner set an Atlantic Coast Conference record as a sophomore in 1986 when he rushed for 329 yards against the University of Virginia and was the conference's leading rusher last season. He was suspended from North Carolina in fall 1986 for academic problems but was enrolled in summer school when he was charged in the shootings. Colleges: NC coach Crum resigns The Associated Press North Carolina football coach Dick Crum resigned ending two weeks of speculation over his status. A statement released jointly by Crum, UNC Chancellor Chris Fordham and UNC Athletic Director John Swofford said Crum was given the option to continue as head coach.

"However, Coach Crum and the university have reluctantly determined that it is in Crum's best interest, the best interest of the players that he recruited, and the best interest of the university for him to submit and for the university to accept his resignation effective January 31, 1988," the statement said. According to the statement, Crum and UNC officials have examined the UNC football program and concluded that the program "no longer enjoyed the full support of all elements of the university community." Baseball: Thornton hangs 'em up The Associated Press Andre Thornton, a power hitter who had the misfortune of spending many of his most productive years in the middle of a weak Cleveland Indians lineup, has retired. "I think it was understood that I was no longer in the plans of the ballclub," Thornton said. "It would be very difficult for me to again feel the juices thai I felt at the beginning of last season." Thornton, 38, said it was possible he might stay with the Indians in some front-office job, although no specifics of such a position have been worked out. He said he has no desire to coach or manage.

Team President Hank Peters said the Indians would honor the final year of the four-year, $4.4 million contract Thornton signed in 1984. He hit .254 with 253 home runs and 895 RBI in his 5,291 career at bats. Of his 253 homers, 214 were with Cleveland, the most by any right-handed hitter in Indians' history. "During my career, I've been with only three hitters that could carry a club on their backs for a month at a time: Harmon Killebrew, Willie Stargell and Andre Thornton," pitcher Bert Blyleven said while he was with the Indians in 1985. "Andre just never had as good a lineup around him." Elsewhere, a stadium lease committing the San Diego Padres to play their home games at the municipally operated Jack Murphy Stadium until at least the year 2000 was approved by the City Council Minnesota Twins, claiming net operating losses of $22.79 million over the last three seasons, is exercising its option to terminate the team's lease with the Hubert H.

Humphrey Metrodome, Twins President Jerry Bell said. The Twins, the 1987 World Series champions, want to negotiate a new lease for the 1989 Floyd Caves 'Babe' Herman of the 'Daffiness Boys' Brooklyn Dodgers in the late 1920s, has died at 84 in Glendale, Calif. Hockey: 'Punch' Imlach stricken The Associated Press George "Punch" Imlach, who guided the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cup championships in the 1960s, remained in critical condition in Toronto's Scarborough General Hospital after suffering a heart attack at his home. Imlach, 69, was admitted to the hospital Sunday night. He remained in intensive care Monday, with his condition listed as critical.

Imlach, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984, was general manager-coach of the Leafs from 1958 to 1969. His Leaf teams won four Stanley Cup, including three in a row 1962-64 and in 1967, the last year of the six-team league. He was named general manager-coach of the Buffalo Sabres when they entered the league in 1970. He had a heart attack in 1972 and quit coaching but remained as general manager of the Sabres until 1978. He rejoined the Leafs as general manager from 1979 to 1981, when he had additional heart problems that necessitated a bypass operation.

Golf: European tour upgraded The Associated Press Europe's booming circuit, boosted by a second successive victory over the United States in the Ryder Cup, will have three new events in 1988 with prize money increasing by a third to $18.3 million, officials of the European PGA tour announced in Wentworth, England. Ken Schofield, executive director of the tour, said it will run for 38 weeks from early March to mid-November and again will be sponsored by Volvo, the Swedish auto company. Britain and Ireland will retain 13 of the 38 tournaments and the new ones will be in continental Europe. They are the Majorca and Biarritz Opens, and the Volvo Masters, which will be staged at the end of the season, probably in Spain. The Masters has a prize fund of about a million dollars.

Elsewhere: SMU probe widens The Associated Press Assistant state attorney general John Vasquez is scheduled to meet this week in Austin, Texas, witht Southern Methodist officials and discuss the investigation of the SMU football scandal. Attorney General Jim Mattox ordered the investigation earlier this year, following public revelations about the school's pay-for-players scandal. SMU was banned from playing football in 1987, and the school dropped its 1988 program as well. Armyy 6 Navy (at Tampa, Fla.) Arkansas 7 Hawaii Alabama l'i Michigan Miami-FIa 7 So. Carolina PEACH BOWL (y at Philadelphia) al Atlanta, Ga.) COLLEGE BOWLS Tennessee 6 Indiana Favorite Points Underdog NFL (Sat.

Dec. 12) Favorite Points Underdog CALIFORNIA BOWL (Sunday) (at Fresno, Ca.) Houston Pick San Diego San Jose St. 16 E.Michigan San Francisco Green Bay (Sat. Dec. 19) Washington 2'i St.

Louis INDEPENDENCE BOWL Cincinnati 4 Kansas City (at Shreveporl, La.) LA Rams 3 Detroit Washington 5 Tulane NY Giants 4 Philadelphia (Tues. Dec. 22) Dallas 10 Atlanta ALL-AMERICAN BOWL Cleveland 7 Indianapolis (at Birmingham, Ala.) Seattle Vi Pittsburgh Virginia Pick BYU Denver 7 New England (Fri. Dec. 25) LA Raiders 3 Buffalo SUN BOWL New Orleans 10 Tampa Bay (at El Paso, Tx.) Minnesota 2 Chicago Oklahoma St.

2Vi W.Virginia (Monday) ALOHA BOWL Miami Vh NY Jets (at Honolulu, Hawaii) BASKETBALL UCLA a Florida College (Tues. Dec. 29) Favorite Points Underdog LIBERTY BOWL Ohio St. 13'i W.Michigan (at Memphia, Tenn.) Boston Coll 7'i Harvard Georgia 8 Arkansas Manhattan 3 Columbia (Wed. Dec.

30) Indiana 9 Notre Dame HOLIDAY BOWL Kentucky 14 Cincinnati (at San Diego, Ca.) Iowa 13 Drake Iowa 6 Wyoming Oklahoma 2'j Penn St. FREEDOM BOWL BYU 2 Utah St. (at Anaheim, Ca.) Oregon 4 C. Michigan Arizona St. 5Vj Air Force Hawaii 2 Pacific (Thur.

Dec. 31) NBA GATOR BOWL Favorite Points Underdog (at Jacksonville, Fla.) Detroit 4 New Jersey S.Carolina Vh LSU Atlanta l'i Boston BLUEBONNET BOWL New York Pick Seattle (at Houston, Tx.) Houston I Denver Pittsburgh 6'i Texas LA Lakers 4'i Sacramento (Fri. Jan. 1) Portland lO'i Pheonix FLORIDA CITRUS BOWL Chicago 3 Golden State (at Orlando, Fla.) NHL HOCKEY Penn St. Vh Clemson Favorite Goals Underdog FIESTA BOWL Quebec 1-1 Vi Vancouver (at Tempa, Az.) Washington E-'j Edmonton Florida St.

3 Nebraska Minnesota E-Vj Toronto COTTON BOWL Los Angeles E-Vj Winnipeg (at Dallas, Tx.) Notre Dame Texas AM Todf ck f355' SUGAR BOWL Home team in BOLD (at New Orleans, La.) Odds by DODI, a pseudonym for Syracuse 1 Auburn a professional handicapper, appear ROSE BOWL here daily. and they (the referees) haven't bothered them," he said. "I think the league realizes I've served my suspension. I think they're professional enough that they're going to call the same game as when I played before." Brown also is likely to get some heat for a recent stand-up routine at a comedy nightclub in Philadelphia. His gags included a helmet with a hockey stick embedded in it.

"Now, this is a cross-check," he said. passive, either, he said. "I'm not out there to be looking for anybody," Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "But if somebody on another team is taking advantage of my players we can't be losing players. Other teams have to know they can't be messing with our players.

They know they're going to be facing some challenge if they do." But Brown has taken a step away from his previous fight-or-be-gone stance. "I've built myself into the kind of player that can play hockey, too," he said. "I'm not here for just one thing. "I'm going to play the same game I played. I had two goals in the first 12 games.

I'm helping defensively. I'm playing hockey." Keith Allen, the Flyers' executive vice president, and Gene Hart, the team's announcer, are among those who think Brown will be a marked man when he returns, especially with the referees. But Brown said he isn't worried. "There's been other incidents in the history of the league where guys have played for a lot of years The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA Nearing the end of a 15-game suspension for smashing an opponent with his stick, Dave Brown of the Philadelphia Flyers says he will not change his style of play nor worry about fans or officials. Brown was suspended after hitting Tomas Sandstrom of the New York Rangers with a vicious crosscheck Oct.

26. Sandstrom suffered a concussion. Brown will be eligible to return next Sunday, but, under the terms of the suspension, he won't be allowed to face the Rangers on Dec. 10 and 22. Is the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Brown repentant? It's hard to tell.

He called the skirmish "an unfortunate incident." "I won't talk about Sandstrom," he said. "It seems everybody has their own opinion." Will he change his style as hockey's enforcer? "I'm not all of a sudden going to change into a scorer," he said. He's not going to be looking for blood, but he's not going to be The Top Twenty teams in the Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, record through games of Nov. total points based on 20-19-18-17-16-15-U-I3-12-II-I0-M-7-6-5-4-J-2-1 and lasl week's ranking: Record Pts 11-0-0 1,090 PVS 20 1. Oklahoma (48) 2.

Miami, Fla. (61 3. Florida State 4. Syracuse (0 5. Nebraska 6 Auburn LSU 8.

South Carolina Michigan Slate 10 UCLA 11. Oklahoma State 12. Notre Dame 1 3. Clemson 14. Georgia 15.

Teias AIM 16. Tennessee 17 Southern Cat 18 lowa 1 Pitt 10-0-0 10- 1-0 11- 0-0 10-1-0 9-1-1 9-1-1 8-2-0 8- 2-1 9- 2-0 9-2-0 8- 3-0 9- 2-0 8- 3-0 9- 2-0 9 2-1 8- 3-0 9- 3-0 8-3-0 1,049 98S 914 904 803 7S 708 63S 573 473 417 405 374 371 271 146 125 AREA SLATE 82 8-3-0 20 Penn State Other receiving votes: Wyoming 55, Indiana 54, Alabama 51, San Jose State 14, Eastern Michigan 6, Air Force 4, Arkansas 4, Ohio State 2. Florida 1, Michigan 1, West Virginia 1. St. Rose-The King's, 8 p.m.

Mount St. Vincent-Webb Tech, 8 P.m. WOMEN St. Rose-The King's, 6 P.m. Pace-So.

Conn. COLLEGE SWIMMING WOMEN College of New Rochelle-Brooklyn MEN lona-Fairfield WEDNESDAY'S EVENTS COLLEGE BASKETBALL MEN Mercv-Fordham, 7:30 p.m. lona-Hofstra, 7:30 p.m. Nyack Holiday Tournament Includes: The King's WOMEN Hunter-Marymount, 6 p.m. Manhaflanville-Stony Brook, 6 p.m.

COLLEGE SWIMMING WOMEN Smith-Manhaftanville, 7 p.m. MONDAY'S RESULTS COLLEGE BASEKETBALL MEN Manhattanville 100, Post 89 Brooklyn College 94, SUNY Purchase 58 WOMEN College of New Rochelle 50, Marymount 43 The King's 63, Sacred Heart 50 COLLEGE SWIMMING MEN lona 66, Montclair St. 33 H.S. ICE HOCKEY Fordham Prep 5, lona Prep 1 Eastchester 8, Edgemont 6 New Rochelle 6, Nyack 4 Woodlands-lrvington 8, Ossining 2 TODAY'S EVENTS (All events 7 p.m. unless noted) COLLEGE BASKETBALL MEN ward, from the injured list.

Placed Trent Tucker, guard, and Bob Thornton, forward, on the injured list. Continental Basketball Association ALBANY PATROONS Signed Rick Carlisle, guard. TOPEKA SIZZLERS Announced the retirement of Jo Jo White, guard. FOOTBALL National Football League KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Released Carlton Thomas, cornerback. Claimed Greg Hill, cornerback, on waivers from the Houston Oilers.

HOCKEY National Hockey League MINNESOTA NORTH STARS Sent Dave Gagner. center, and Mitch Messier, right wing, to Kalamazoo of the International Hockey League. COLLEGE BOSTON U. Named Chris Palmer head football coach. BROOKLYN COLL Named Jay Sharin director of athletic development.

NORTH CAROLINA Announced the resignation of Dick Crum, head football coach. OHIO U. Fired Robert Wylie, offensive coordinator; Tom Hollman, defensive Hollman, defensive coordinator, and Chuck Martin, defensive tacklecoach. TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL American League CHICAGO WHITE SOX Assigned Ron Hassey and Bill Lindsey, catchers, outright to Vancouver of the Pacific Coast League. CLEVELAND INDIANS Placed Andre Thornton, first baseman-designated hitter, on the voluntary retired list.

National League ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Announced the purchase of the Savannah Cardinals of the South Atlantic League. Carolina League LYNCHBURG Announced the resignation of Frank Cappiello, general manager. Named Paul Sunwall general manager. BASKETBALL National Basketball Association BOSTON CELTICS Waived Conner Henry, guard.

Activated Kevin McHale, forward-center, from the injured list. MILWAUKEE BUCKS Placed Jerry Reynolds, guard, on the injured list Activated Dudley Bradley, guard-forward, from the injured list. MEW YORK KNICKS Activated Ray Tolbert, for SPORTS LIST WORST SHOOTING PERCENTAGE IN THE NHL, 1 986-87 1 Reed Larson, Bruins 12 goals209 shots (5.7) 2. Doug Wilson, Black Hawks 16 goals249shots (6.4) 3 Ray Bourque, Bruins 23 goals334 shots (6 9) 4. Al Maclnnis, Flames 20 goals262 shots (7.6) 5.

John Ogrodnick, Red WingsNordiques 23 goals244 shots (9.4) 6 Dave Andreychuk, Sabres 25goals255shots (9 8) 7. Larry Murphy, Capitals 23 goals226 shots (10 .2) x-Minimum 200 shots on goal i.T i..