Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • Page 9

Dort Conpirto Jfrtop-flouroal. Tuesday, August 24, 1993 Section Baseball2-B TV listings5-B Comics6-B Ii Ryan be back on mound DIGEST Cowboys release third-round pick IRVING Mike Middleton, a third-round draft choice from Indiana, who had trouble converting from cornerback to safety, was among roster moves announced Monday by the Dallas Cowboys. Coach Jimmy Johnson made nine Jnoves including the placement of cornerback Clayton Holmes and tight end Alfredo Roberts on the Injured reserve list. Holmes, who has a knee injury, and Roberts, who has a foot injury, will not be able to fielding a ground ball in the third inning of Saturday night's start in Baltimore. He is 5-3 with a 4.53 era and has missed two lengthy spans ith a torn cartilage in his right knee and a strained right hip.

Ryan said he wanted to work through his injury problem. He said: "My attitude is. if I can help the team in even one or two starts, then that's what I want to do. Having to dealwith discomfort or to work to come back doesn't bother me. That's part of the job." Ryan made it plain he was committed to pitching again and would resist ending a career like on the injury list.

He announced before the season that this would be his farewell campaign, but injuries have sidelined him. "I'm tired of dealing with injuries, and those are the things you have to deal with at this stage of your career," Ryan said. "I'd rather be out there helping the ballelub on a regular basis rather than constantly having to deal with injuries and trying to come. back from them." Since his latest return from the disabled list. Ryan had helped lift the Rangers back into the race.

Ryan started the season healthy, but after two starts he underwent surgery April 15 to remove torn cartilage in his right knee. He returned May 7. but injured his hip that night ARLINGTON (AP) Nolan Ryan, playing his 27th and final season, will pitch again, the Texas Rangers said Monday after baseball's all-time strikeout and no-hitter record holder was checked for a rib cage injury. Dr. John Conway said the 46-year-old right-hander has a strained muscle in his left lower rib cage.

Conway said Ryan is expected to miss his start on Thursday against Boston but believes he will be able to pitch again by early next week. An X-ray of the rib cage was normal, the doctor said. The Rangers will not place Ryan on the disabled list. Ryan sustained the- injury while L. play for the Cowboys, this season.

Other cuts included two-year veteran tight end Greg Ryan i Rangers ex-owner has died against Kansas City. He then spent 72 days on the disabled list the longest stint of his During the rehabilitation period, he ran into further trouble hen he cut his foot near his ranch and received seven stitches. He returned July 19, posting a 4-1 record before Saturday's injury. Ryan left in the fourth inning while experiencing pain on the mound. To that point, he had given up only one hit.

but it was a grand slam by Mike Pagliarulo after Ryan had issued three walks. After that. Ryan retired seven straight batters before taking himself out of the game. I UT eager in rehab Tyler leaves school for treatment center AUSTIN (AP) University of Texas guard B.J. Tyler has withdrawn from school and checked himself into a drug and alcohol rehab program run by San Antouo Spurs coach John Lucas, school officials said Monday.

Tyler, who said he was not suffering from alcohol or cocaine abuse, refused to specify the problem he termed "minor." He checked into the John Lucas Treatment Center in Houston on Friday. "I am admitting myself into the John Lucas Center in Houston," Tyler said in a release. "My reason is not for cocaine abuse, alcohol abuse, but instead to rid myself of a minor problem that could prevent me fron reaching my potential as an athlete and more importantly as a man." UT head basketball coach Tom Pendcrs said Tyler was suffering' from depression. Tyler, who averaged 17.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists after playing in only 1 3 games last season because of a broken foot, is expected to re-enroll at Texas and be eligible Briggs of Texas Southern, two-year iguard Melvin Evans of Texas Southern, second-year tight end Todd Young of Penn State and free agent running back Judd 1 Garrett of Dallas currently has 63 players 'under contract. The Cowboys must Yeduce the roster to 60 players on Tuesday and on Aug.

30, the club reduce the team to 47 players. Learn to Swim program available The Sports Complex, located on and Avalon streets, is offering year-round Learn to Swim pro--gram. The lessons will be offered in "various weekly formats and will be available for all age groups. The Sports Complex and the East Texas Piney Woods Chapter of the American Red Cross ensure all participants will taught by certified Red Cross instructors. The indoor pool facility is heated.

FORT WORTH AP) Eddie Chiles, former owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, is dead at 83. He died Sunday night of natural causes at his Fort Worth home. He had been in failing health for several years. Enormously successful in the oil business, Chiles thought when he bought the Rangers in 1980 from Fort Worth businessman Brad Cor-bett that he could apply oil patch wisdom to baseball. He instituted sweeping changes in the Rangers' approach, supervising 'T i i 1 it i 1 Is' 1 4, 1 Vw the segmenting of baseball and busi ness operations and trying to insti tute a management approach that had served him well in business.

He ran off managers and got involved in some bad trades. The Rangers never clicked, and Chiles kept getting madder and sadder. With the Rangers, Chiles discov ered that fielding a winning major league baseball team could be one dry hole after another. AP LaserPhoto He sold the club in 1989 to the Houston Oilers running back Lorenzo White, a holdout since the start of training camp, talks with the media after signing a one-year contract worth $1 .53 million on Monday. current owners, led by George W.

i hite returns to Oilers, Bush, son of former President George Bush. "It was a very emotional '-decision ''for me to sell the team, but it had to be done;" Chiles-said then. "I just wish we could have won a lor the second semester, Pendcrs said. Tyler, a senior considered one of the most explosive point guards in the miss am against Louisiana State, a a signs one-year contract- Chiles pennant." Tyler "I think the greatest regret Eddie probably had is 'I said once I signed, I'd put it behind me and concentrate on my Lorenzo White not bringing a championship base ball team to the Metroplex," said Fort Worth attorney Dee Kelly, a longtime friend who served as legal counsel to the baseball team and owned a minority interest at the time For more information on class Schedules contact the Sports Complex at 903-757-7055. Co-ed Softball action on slate I COMO-PICKTON A co-ed Isoftball tournament will be held I Friday-Saturday, Aug.

27-28. Entry fee is $100 per team. T-shirts will be given 1-3 jndivduals. Anyone interested may call Doug "Tarrant at 903-488-2610. Tech schedules game against Penn State LUBBOCK Texas Tech has reached an agreement to play Penn Stale on Sept.

9, 1995, in University Park, Pa. -The game replaces Cal State Ful-lerton on the Red Raiders' schedule. Fullerton dropped its football program. A game against New Mexico originally scheduled for Sept. 9, 1995, has been moved to Oct.

28, 1995. Other non-conference games for Tech in 1995 are against Missouri and Arkansas State. Holt among cuts by Dolphins DAVIE, Fla. The Miami Dolphins on Monday cut 13 players, including Issac Holt, a cornerback on last year's Super Bowl champion team, the Dallas Cowboys. Holt was cut despite intercepting a pass in each of Miami's first two exhibition games.

His 37-yard TD return clinched the Dolphins' 19-10 win over Washington. However, he was beaten for a touchdown in last Friday's game with Denver. The moves leave Miami with 64 players on the active roster. The team must be at 60 by 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Ex-'Horns assistant hew UTSA link boss SAN ANTONIO Greg Martin, an assistant golf coach at the Uni-. versity of Texas the past two years, has been named head coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Martin assisted Texas coach Jimmy Clayton as the Longhorns made two top-ten NCAA finishes, placing fifth this past season. Ex-Eagles safety signs Chiefs pact KANSAS CITY, Mo. Free Stephen F.

Austin and Florida. He would be eligible for UT's fifth game against Connecticut Dec. 15. Pcnders said Tyler became depressed by having to sit out most of last season with the broken foot at a time he was being heralded as one of the best backcourt players in college basketball. "I noticed a change.

He was down and very upset," Penders said. "He wasn't happy. And it was a very traumatic thing. It was the first time he had ever been hurt and that Chiles was the chief owner. "I think he got a lot of trouble in the press over the Rangers, whicji lie didn't deserve.

Eddie didn't know anything about baseball and he admitted it but his motives were HOUSTON AP) Houston Oilers running back Lorenzo White, a holdout since the start of training camp, signed a one-year contract worth $1.53 million Monday and. said he plans to make up for lost time. "I gave it a try to get more but he (owner Bud Adams) said he was not givng any more and he didn't," White said. White led the Oilers with 1.226 yards and x'aught 57 passes for 641 yards last season to earn his first Pro Bowl berth. He was seeking a one-year contract worth $2 million; "I thought what I was fighting for was right." White said.

"I have the stats to prove that I should be up there with the leading running backs in the league. They are all outstanding but Lorenzo White should be there too." The Oilers stuck to their original offer of $1.53 million, minimum for a transitional player under the new contract guidelines. White said he'd be ready to play in Saturday's final exhibition game in the Astrodome against the Seattle Scahawks. "I've never lacked confidence in like to cause trouble. "My thing is I just want to play football.

I think I'm an important part of our offense." Running-backs coach Frank Novak is looking forward to White's arrival. "I think two weeks is the minimum time Lorcwo needs to perform the same way he did last season," Novak said. "He needs a preseason game to get ready. "He needs to work on his reads from a blocking point of view and a running point of view. If players didn't need time to get ready, we wouldn't have a preseason." It is too late for White to be able to perform a peak efficiency against New Orleans, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said.

"It's past time," Gilbride said. "I fully empathize with Lorenzo trying to get as much money as he can, but I know what point he needed to come in to be at his best for the first game. I also know it's going to have an effect on him early in the season. "Lorenzo can still contribute right away, but not nearly as much as he would have had he been in camp the whole time." good and he was trying. He spent a Lorenzo," White said.

"I know I can come in and do the job. I'm not going to think about the contract. I'm going to come in and have a better year than last year. "My legs are in good shape because I've been stretching and running. The most important thing I have to do is to get used to the pads." Agent Bob Huebner told the Oilers last week that White would report if they put in writing that they would not designate him a franchise player or transition player after the season.

Owner Bud Adams declined. The Oilers would have the right of first refusal next season if they make White their franchise or transition player. "That's not something I'm concerned with," White said. "That's up to Bob. You know me.

I don't became all-consuming. He saw his basketball career going down the tubes. Then, he fell behind in his academics. There was a lot of pressure. Different kids handle things different ways." Pennie Goff, executive assistant at the Lucas Center, said the facility treats patients suffering from depression.

"We treat depression, gambling, anything that could be considered a disease of addiction," Ms. Goff said. Penders said Tyler began receiving treatment in a separate program in the spring, but felt the Lucas Center would be better suited to him. lot of money trying to develop a winning team." Tarrant County Judge Tom Van-dergriff, a former congressman and the man credited with bringing major league baseball to Arlington in the years when, he was the city's mayor, said the area owes Chiles a "lasting debt of gratitude." Members of the Rangers' team will wear Chiles' initials on the sleeves of their uniform jerseys for the remainder of the season, Bush said. The flag in front of Arlington Stadium will fly at half staff for the next three days.

Byrd plays big role on Gladewater defense WT--; By Joe Hale Sports Writer GLADEWATER He's an honor student in the classroom and a leader on the field. Mark Byrd, who's been a starter safety Wes Hopkins, who started 1 17 of 122 games with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1983 to 1992 defensive end at signed a contract with the Kansas each of the last City Chiefs. Carl Peterson, the Chiefs' presi dent and general manager, said Hop kins, 3 1 signed a one-year contract. prove a dogfight in this year's 16-3A race for two playoff berths. "When I was coming up we had guys like Stonie (Clark) and Delmonico (Montgomery) to show us the way, They were real strong leaders and gave us guidance," said Byrd.

"For whatever reason, I don't believe we had that type feeling last year. Olanda (Green) and I are doing all we can, hoping to revive it." Spectacular defense has been a staple of Gladewater's success over the vears. season playing against Spring Hill, Tatuin and Brownsboro. Now. he returns, along with Green, a linebacker, and Aaron Hoye from the secondary, to anchor the Bears' Oklahoma-look 50.

A defense that's ranked with the best around in both yards and points allowed through the years. "We're young, but we're optimistic," said Murphy. "We're trying to work hard, develop our skills and grow up. "I think players like Mark, Olanda and Aaron on our defense are people we're lookins to and District 1 5-5A preview White Oak QB Rashad Pruitt Gladewater DE Mark Byrd Gilmer OL'Eric Dean and Brent Bishop News-Journal Coaches Survey Marshall QB Brandon Walker D'field RB Chauncey Frederick East Texas preview Sunday Monday Today Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Hopkins had 999 tackles and 29 interceptions with the Eagles but was hampered by hamstring and "He worked hard and was able to get back by the end of the year. He's dependable and has a great sense of responsibility.

"I'd say he's an asset for our school and our football team and would be an asset to any business." When needed, offensively, he's able to step in and help on goal line and short-yardage situation's -'as. a tight end. The fact he's big and strong what Murphy calls a power-player with good savvy and technique hasn't hurt either. Both player and coach know there are no" free lunches and won't be anytime soon as Gladewater looks to improve on last year's 5-5 record. The Bears scrimmage Brownsboro this Friday, before opening the regular season Sept.

3 against Whitehouse. That's when the field becomes a classroom and students dressed accordingly in uniforms, like Byrd, will really be appreciated. tT, Byrd two years, is what his coach, Jack Murphy, refers to as a student of the game. "He's one of the ones we're counting on," Murphy explained between work knee injuries last season. From Staff and Wire Reports for the outs as the Bears prepare The 6-2.

195-pound senior is a welcomed sight after missing part of last year rehabilitating an injured shoulder. "I felt an obligation to work hard and get back. I know I'm not the whole 1993 football season. Byrd and the Bears are looking to carry on a rich football tradition, highlighted by an East Texas-best 11 -year playoff run, in what may counting on." Byrd's dedication to hard work, while rehabbing last season during the district race made a lasting impression on his coaches. team, but I feel I have something to contribute and wanted to do all I could." He not only made it back sooner th?" expected, but finished the 758-4812 1.