South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 21

Sun-Sentinel. Tuesday. March 31. 1992 5C REFEREES SPRING TRAINING 8 OFFICIALS' STATEMENT FIVE THAT MATTERED Five critical officiating decisions during the Heat's season: Clayton making push for Uribe's shortstop job The evidence suggests NBA officials have been open-minded this season while working with the Heat. Of the 52 officials who have worked Heat games this season, only nine have records with the Heat worse than two games below .500.

And It even would be difficult to find a conspiracy for the Heat's 0-6 record In games officiated by former New Jersey state trooper Bob Delaney. Delaney has worked three games in buildings where the Heat has never won (Philadelphia, Utah and Indiana), as well as a game in Charlotte and home games against the Celtics (early In the season, before they were beat up) and Clippers (late In the season, after the arrival of Larry Brown). Conversely, the Heat Is 3-0 in games officiated by Steve Javie. But the three games Javie worked were a home date against Philadelphia, when Charles Barkley did not play; a home game against Indiana, which extended the Heat's Miami Arena winning streak against the Pacers to three; and a game in Milwaukee, which completed a two-game season sweep on the Bucks' home court. HEAT 1991-92 RECORD WINDERMAN WITH NBA OFFICIALS SPRING TOUR San Francisco Giants 0 JU 0 A it i 1 Official w-L Pet.

Official W-L Pet. Steve Javie 3-0 1.000 Tommy Nunez 33 .500 Luis Grille 2-0 1.000 Jim Kinsey 2-2 .500 Blane Fieichelt 2-0 1.000 Bill Oakes 2-2 .500 Bruce Alexander 1-0 1.000 Ed T. Rush 2-2 .500 Joe Borgia 1-0 1.000 Bill Spooner 2-2 .500 Lee Jones 3-1 .750 Darell Garretson 1-1 .500 Paul Mihalak 3-1 .750 Woody Mayfleld 1-1 .500 Ronnie Nunn 4-2 .667 Bill Saar 1-1 .500 Dick Bavetta 2-1 .667 Jim Capers 2-3 .400 Joe DeRosa 2-1 .667 Jake O'Donnell 2-3 .400 Jess Kersey 2-1 .667 Greg Willard 2-4 .333 Ed Mlddleton 2-1 .667 Jimmy Clark 1-2 .333 Tom Washington 2-1 .667 Mike Costablle 1-2 .333 Gary Benson 3-2 .600 Joey Crawford 1-2 .333 Bernie Fryer 3-2 .600 Terry Durham 1-2 .333 David Jones 3-2 .600 Ron Olesiak 1-2 .333 JackNies 3-2 .600 Derrick Stafford 1-3 .250 Ed F. Rush 3-2 .600 Hank Armstrong 1-4 .200 George Toliver 3-2 .600 Hugh Evans 1-4 .200 Don Vaden 3-2 .600 Joe Forte 1-4 .200 TommieWood 3-2 .600 Hue Hollins 1-4 .200 Ted Bernhardt 4-3 .571 Wally Rooney 1-4 .200 KenMauer 4-3 .571 Mark Wunderlich 1-4 .200 Dan Crawford 3-3 .500 Nolan Fine 0-3 .000 Ron Garretson 3-3 .500 Mike Callahan 0-4 .000 MlkeMathls 3-3 .500 Bob Delaney 0-6 .000 By TIM KEOWN San Francisco Chronicle PALM SPRINGS, Calif. If appearances mean anything, it seems like a very easy decision.

On one side, there's Jose Uribe a step slower, a year older, the same hitter. On the other side, there's rookie Royce Clayton bigger, stronger, faster. Evidently it's not as easy as it looks. San Francisco Giants manager Roger Craig said recently that choosing between Uribe and Clayton is the toughest decision he will make this spring. Craig said he won't name the starter until just before the end of spring training.

However, if the 22-year-old Clayton wins the job, Craig said he wants to put him in the lineup and leave him alone. "If we decide he's going to be the guy, the only way I'd like to see it is if we let him go," Craig said. "I want him to keep his confidence. "We should put him in there for 30 to 45 days and not worry about him. Give him a chance to fail and recover don't just have him fail and send him out." This is the second straight spring somebody has shown up with designs on Uribe's job.

It's also the second straight spring the Giants' management has made every attempt to accommodate the newcomer. One thing is certain, however; Clayton is no Mike Benjamin. "He's going to be an above-average big league player," Craig said. "Whether it will be this year, we haven't decided." Clayton hit a two-run homer to center field in a recent 9-6 win over the California Angels. The ball traveled more than 400 feet.

They know he can hit. The comparison may mean nothing, but consider this: Last year Uribe drove in 12 runs in 231 at-bats; this spring, Clayton has driven in 11 in 45 at-bats. "Clayton's made that decision very tough," Craig said. It seems the opposite is true, that Clayton has handed the Giants their shortstop for the next 10 years. The only questions that linger center on his defensive Ron Olesiak drew Kevin Loughery's ire earlier this year.

NOV. 30: Magic 105, Heat 99 With 9.8 seconds to play in the second quarter, Heat center Rony Seikaly wound up in a wrestling match with Magic center Greg Kite along the baseline. Although not cited for actually throwing a punch, Seikaly was ejected and suspended for one game. That ruling proved especially critical because the Heat was not informed of the suspension until after a Dec. 3 practice for what would turn into a 124-94 home loss that night to Portland.

DEC. 7: Sunt 109, Heat 108 After Phoenix took a 109-106 lead with 5. 1 seconds play, the Heat attempted to push the ball upcourt for a 3-point shot to tie it. But while attempting to foul before Bimbo Coles could launch a 3-pointer, Suns guard Kevin Johnson shockingly was called for a flagrant foul, which meant two free throws as well as possession for the Heat. Coles made both free throws, only to see Glen Rice's potential winning shot fall short.

"It could have cost us the game," Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. "We intended to foul, but not flagrantly." JAN. 25: Heat 103, Mavericks 101 Miffed over two quick foul calls, Seikaly turned to referee Ed F. Rush and said, "That's B.S." That also was the end of Seikaly's night as he was ejected with 3 minutes, 43 seconds to play in the first quarter. The Heat, though, rallied to win behind solid play of third-string center Alan Ogg.

FEB. 17: Knicks 104, Heat 102 After apparently converting a tip-in that would have given the Heat a seven-point lead early in the final period, swingman Keith Askins was called for offensive goaltending. The Knicks then began a rally that was capped by Mark Jackson's winning jumper with 1.8 seconds to play. The next day, on his weekly radio show, Heat coach Kevin Loughery said, "The official came over to me and said he blew the call." MARCH 3: Clippers 117, Heat 116 With 2.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the Heat ahead by one, Seikaly blocked a shot by Los Angeles' Charles Smith and gained possession, only to fall out of bounds. Despite apparent contact, Seikaly was called for traveling.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Clippers forward Ken Norman scored what proved to be the winning points. Loughery later said the play would have been ruled a "force out" in his playing days, but with that rule eliminated, the officials had to decide on either a foul or a travel. IRA WINDERMAN ability. He has a tendency to sit back and rely on his arm to do the work, and the result is more close plays at first than Craig would like. "He's working on that," Craig said.

"He and coach Bob Lillis have been working hard, and he's shown improvement." Craig has been intentionally vague this spring. The discussions of the three undecided starting positions catcher, shortstop and one outfield spot require a lot of reading between the lines. "I want to keep it the way it is," Craig said. "I like the competition." Even if Clayton fails, Craig said he'll be a more productive offensive player than Uribe. "The only thing I worry about is that if he hits .220 for the first month, he might start pressing," Craig said.

Clayton refuses to make any pronouncements. His diplomacy been good for a long time, and he's still good," he said) belies the perception that he is slightly arrogant. "If he makes the club, he'll be facing outstanding pitching every day," Craig said. "He's not going to be facing Double-A and Triple-A pitching like he is down here." Clayton might counter by saying he doesn't know the difference. He doubled in the game-winning run Saturday night against Cubs reliever Chuck McElroy, by all accounts a reputable big league pitcher.

"I don't even know who he is," Clayton said afterward. "I'm just trying to go out and do a job. I don't mean to sound like it doesn't mean anything, but the less I worry, the better off I'll be." mwm 3 San Francisco Giants Catcher Kirt Manwaring222 lifetime First base Will 29 HR, 116 RBI Staff photoSEAN DOUGHERTY Thorn said there is no mechanism in place to keep certain referees and coaches or players apart. The fact that Ed F. Rush did not work another Heat game for nearly two months after the Seikaly incident was merely coincidence.

For the final month of the season, when the playoff races tighten, the league attempts to place certain officials at certain games. "As it gets close to the playoffs," Thorn said, "you try to match up a little differently." Of course, don't try to ask the officials about the Heat, or, for that matter, about their favorite recipes. All referees are off-limits to the media, except for statements on controversial calls made immediately after games to pool reporters. Even then, the lead official speaks for all three officials, even if he was not involved in the play in dispute. There is one lead official, and the league makes it clear who is in charge.

But with the addition of the third official in '88-89, the league finds itself at a crossroads with some promising newcomers and some old-timers struggling to keep pace. "I think what we have to do is upgrade our people who come through the system," Thorn said. "I mean, some guys have been in the system for number of years and they are what they are. Some are journeymen, some are good, some not are very good." Drawing a consensus is just about impossible, although, according to Thorn, O'Donnell "has been our No. 1-rated official for the last four or five years." "That's the thing about referees," Thorn said.

"Different people like different officials. There are few consensus guys that everyone likes. Jake O'Donnell? There are people that hate this guy- "Now, on the other end, you've got two or three guys that most people don't think are very good. But some people think they are very good." So Thorn evaluates. Garretson evaluates.

General managers evaluate. And just about all agree that when it comes to officiating, it's easy to disagree. "There are guys, that in my mind, I know aren't very good," Thorn said. "These guys, they'll get ratings from the GMs that are unbelievable. To me, I'm saying, 'Are they watching the same games that I'm Second base Robbie Thompson19 HR, 48 RBI Shortstop Jose Uribe221 in 231 AB Royce Clayton.280, 36 SB in A A Third base Matt Williams34 HR, 98 RBI Left field Kevin Bass 233, 10 HR Mike Felder264, 21 SB Center field Darren Lewis 248, 13 SB in 222 AB Right field Willie Starting pitchers Trevor Wilson13-11, 3.56 Pitcher Bill Swift1-2, 17sv Pitcher Bud Black12-16, 3.99 Pitcher Kelly Downs10-4, 4.19 Pitcher John Burkett12-11, 4.28 Relief pitcher Dave Righetti24 saves Mike Jackson7-7, 14 saves The retort from the young official? "That's B.S." In the game of official vs.

coach, it often is who makes the disputed call that triggers those sideline outbursts. Veterans such as Jake O'Donnell and Jack Madden tend to win more respect than newcomers such as Woody Mayfield and Mike Costabile. "Perception-wise," Thorn said, "if you see certain guys out there, coaches say, 'Well, this guy's a good And he's allowed to make mistakes in games. Other guys, they'll say, 'This guy's not as And, therefore, the first thing he does, they'll go crazy." The NBA expanded from two to three officials per game in 1988-89 added 18 newcomers, 14 from the college ranks. At times, it appears some of the newcomers have yet to be issued whistles.

Thorn, however, offered an explanation for the paucity of such calls. "After every violation, the lesser-experienced guy, or the guy who's considered the third official, always goes in the slot," Thorn explained of the position along the far side of the court. "There are fewer calls from the slot. Most calls come from the lead official. The third officials have fewer opportunities to be in the ead.

If you're in the slot the majority of the game, you essentially have responsibility for the weak side." Still, Thorn would not dismiss the reluctance of some to make critical calls. "Some guys tend to call not as much down the stretch of games," he said. "That's true." When that whistle finally blows, the exchanges between coach and referee can come off as a series of never-ending passion plays. But there also is a respect, especially among veterans coaches and veteran officials. Before the Heat faced the Tim-berwolves in an Oct.

22 exhibition, Paul Mihalak walked up to Loughery, grinned, and said, "I knew you'd be back sometime." Mihalak is in his 22nd year of officiating; Loughery in his 17th as a pro coach. There is time to share a smile. Once, during a particularly tedious preseason game, Loughery turned to referee Hank Armstrong and quipped, "Well be here till midnight. Bars close at 12, don't you know?" It is not a 48-minute grind of animosity. Many officials will take advice to look for certain violations.

Some admit mistakes. And a few even understand the entertainment aspect of the game. When Mike Mathis works games at Miami Arena, he often is coaxed by mascot Burnie into riding a two-wheeled scooter during timeouts. And when Ronnie Nunn is in town, the Heat mascot somehow gets the stone-faced official to do ballerina schtick during breaks. But then the horn sounds and it's back to business.

Loughery's most frequent lament? "What's going on here!" The officials' most common retort? "Kevin, that's enough. OK?" FROM PAGE 1C Is it a blocking foul? Or is it a charge? They make the call fusion, other passionate confrontations. Part of it is the playoff race. But part also is the emotional nature of the game, 48 minutes constantly winding down, emotions constantly getting wound up. At times, it is coach vs.

referee. At other times, such as that night against New Jersey, it is referee vs. referee. It is interpretation vs. fact.

Emotion vs. judgment. For the Heat, with 10 games remaining, beginning with tonight's outing in Cleveland, each whistle, each violation, each foul takes on added significance. And that makes it as good a time as any to question the officiating in the NBA. Particularly: Does the league acknowledge that it has good and bad officials and does that affect assignments, especially when playoff spots are on the line? Yes.

Do younger officials tend to make fewer calls or defer to veterans? Yes. Is there a merit system in place or is seniority the only factor? Merit and seniority each carry weight. NBA Vice President Rod Thorn, a former player and coach, answers for the league's officials but also questions them. "From the time I started playing in '63-64, somebody has been grousing about officials, because somebody wins and somebody loses every night," he said. "I don't think they are any more vociferous now than in '63-64.

It's just that, right now, more people cover games, there are more radio talk shows, there are more newspapers. "There have always been complaints, there always will be. There are calls that upset me. There are calls that upset me every night. But that's part of it." In the Heat's four years, no call may have been as upsetting, as confounding, as the one made Jan.

25 against the Mavericks in the Arena. On that night, in the tenuous relationship between player and official, something snapped. Seikaly, upset over drawing two early fouls, turned to referee Ed F. Rush with 3 minutes, 43 seconds left in the first quarter and blurted, "That's B.S." Moments later, Seikaly not only had a technical foul, but a ticket to the showers. "I really believe Eddie Rush made a mistake," Loughery, would say on his radio show two nights later.

"Then he tried to correct it, and it was too late." The league would investigate but only to find out if Seikaly had left the court promptly upon his ejection. Four nights after the loss to Dallas, Ron Garretson, son of Darell Garretson, the NBA's chief of the officiating staff, was at Miami Arena officiating a game against Seattle. Losghery, animated.jas usual, jawed at Garretson. Record: 85-77 Manager: Roger Craig Welcome to the club: Dave Burba, Mike Jackson, Chris James, Rafael Quirico, Bill Swift Outta here: Kevin Mitchell, Dave Anderson, Terry Kennedy, Mike Kingery, Rick Parker, Mike Remlinger, Don Robinson, Jose Segura. Hot prospect: Royce Clayton When the disputes go beyond the innocent sideline chatter, when something goes Thorn acts as judge and jury.

But a missed traveling call, a blown 3-seconds violation, a charge-or-blocking decision are not going to affect an official's wallet. "You fine officials for blowing rules, you fine officials for not being in condition, you fine officials for not doing what you want them to do," he said. "But you don't fine guys for missing calls. Calls are missed every night. It's like fining Chris Dudley because he shoots 30 percent from the free-throw line.

"Some nights the subjective calls go in your favor; sometimes they don't." And sometimes officials lose their jobs. The league has dismissed nine officials over the past five years, said Thorn, who this year lists a staff of 56. Compared to the turnover rate of players and coaches, that number appears negligible. The criteria used for rating officials include evaluations from Darell Garretson, coaches, general managers and NBA observers. "But a lot of coaches get fired who I personally don't think should get fired," Thorn said.

"Coaches are in that type of profession. But to fire someone just because someone says you've got to fire someone, that doesn't make sense." The average NBA coach earns approximately $450,000. The average player earns $1 million. The NBA currently starts its officials at $38,500 on a scale that rises to $115,000 for a 24-year veteran. Like coaches and players, officials are briefed before the season on drug and gambling awareness.

Thorn said the salary structure is based on seniority. But the number of assignments is based on ability. "There's a maximum you can work, 82 in the regular season," he said of the figure that mirrors the schedule of each NBA team. "But that's maximum. Nobody works that.

The minimum is whatever we want to do. Like a coach controlling minutes, we control assignments." For most of the season, assignments are handled by computer, with certain restrictions, such as not working the same venue twice over a 10-day span and working with one team a maximum of nine times in a season. Will Clark is one of three major leaguers with 90 or more RBI in each of the last five seasons. The others are Joe Carter and Ruben Sierra.Clark's 64-game errorless streak was the longest by any NL first baseman last season. Willie McGee had the NL's highest batting average on the road day games artificial turf (.388) and against fly-ball pitchers Matt Williams led NL in home runs the last two seasons with 67, and was tied for second in RBI with Bobby Bonilla with 220, 10 fewer than Barry Bonds.

Robby Thompson set a Giants record for home runs by a second baseman with 19. Bud Black, who signed a $10 million free agent contract, led the NL in losses with 16. Bill Swift, the key figure in the Kevin Mitchell trade, is 20-35 with a 4.99 ERA as a starter. Scott Garrelts, who had Tommy John surgery last July, is not expected back until after the All-Star break. The Giants, who tied with the Cubs for highest staff ERA (4.03) last season, have used 18 starters in the last two years.

Rookie shortstop Royce Clayton plays like a Rolls, not a Clark is so happy Kevin Mitchell is gone, he wins the Triple Williams is so happy Kevin Mitchell is gone, he hits 40 home Giants have at least one pitcher with Roger Craig's Dave Righetti shows you really can go from Rags to Giants get off to a better start than last season's 12-28, worst start in the franchise's 1 09-year history. A mainr hear rnmnanu ci ioc Ri iH RlarL- tr rhanna -r--. vwvw wwm wiuvn iu viianyo 1113 11131 liaillO because his pitches are so Jose votes to send the Giants to St. are more bruised bodies on the Giant pitching staff than in the 49er training Swift is back in the bullpen by Mitchell hits 50 home runs in the Kingdome. Team song: Do You Know the Way to San Jos.