Tallahassee Democrat from Tallahassee, Florida • Page 36

CDTaiurfsscij Democrat Thur. Jon 15. 1937 McGrotha I'm doing what I want to do, this ia my horn," mh Hiwr simply, Hi adversity brought mort From tO hi recent tsptritnrt with ht Hint, ht spokt "I'm gonna My It: Tht wumi part i probably living day to day -not knowing what's going to hap- Kn tomorrow," ht Mid. "I'llimatt. thi it tht kind of thing wt all fart.

"But who like to htar it? "I would rather bt an optimUt, I thing art gonna bt all right. That ttll you I don't want to hear any negativt stuff." ower ruta become mort religious ainct hia Hint. Awart of acuta awarenm of tht problem of other. "Itting al.lt to ait down with people and talk about their problem that's bttn good," ht Mid. "Thtrt art lot of people out there battling.

You feel bttttr about yourwlf after talking to them Tht rtactlon of people generally to hi Hint stunned Howser. "Did I ttll you thtrt wtrt 14.000 card and letters?" ht asked. "Did I ttll you wt had to bring in nint Kelly girl to help answer them? "I'eoplt from all over tht world, from all walks wrote from Sioux Falls, from Iavenworth. I had handwritten letter from Richard Nixon, George Hush, and Sadaharu Oh. So many." He could not belitve KanM people.

"Just amazing the number of folks that came up to me," ht Mid. "Now, I had took a lot of fans for granted, and tried not to be mean to "But I did not know there could be such a response as this from them." Howser suggests, from all of his experience, there is not a negative inclination left in him. "I am 50 years old, and I have had so much," he Mid. "I was never going to push it not push being a manager, or anything else. "Patience has been good to me.

The Lord has been good to me. I set s.ys i Ji? i Ut Hwr Mtd ihy didn't My fflui Thy cut that luub on their (-, kind. Mtd. knw ht wtan't feelinf right ytr, prior la th All Star im, "I knw I littt hit ht mv. "Thought mayht it wit tht II gm l.tn trk -tht trtM thin.

Trmt wwn't it." Then ramt tht July aurstry. "Wt knew aa Min aa 1 out of that ant, it would not bt good tnough." ht Mid. of tht tumor remained. Tht MKtmd urery, at Hunting-Ion Memorial in l'aadtna, in tarly December, ti rart, relatively new treatment a procedure Co introduce "killer cell" into tht area. Howwr underttanda only alxiut 50 people have ever had tht operation.

One that had wu tht wife of Tucker Frederickaon. Tht former NFL running back had phoned Howter, and apparently felt it had been helpful to hia wife. She had lived beyond the time predicted. Earlier, Howser had undergont extenaivt radiation treatment He say he wa the first in Kanaaa City to receive it twice daily. "I don't know whether it waa becauM I was that aick," he said, "or that healthy." He seema considerably encouraged by the latest surgery.

"You should tee the pictures of my second CAT scan," he said. cynical view of turh, ha start hesitantly on thi matter, too, and then abruptly speaks out "When you wakt up after four hours of major surgery, and tht doctor has tear in his eye a ht tells you what you'vt got now that will get your attention," Mid Howser. Ht mvs his minister in Florida was on tht next plant to Kansas City, but ht suggest ht did not havt a clone enough acquaintance with God. "I always held the Lord on my left side," ht Mid. "That is not where He ia supposed to bt.

Ht is supposed to be on your right aide. It makes a big difference. "It ia funny how quick the Lord can come to you when you are in trouble. Now that ia something I don't like to get into much. The Lord will go ahead and do what He's supposed to do.

"I can't explain all of it I wish I could. "I know it has made me stronger." Howser speaks with unusual candor of perceived blessings from this staggering adversity. "The relationship with my family and friends has been amazing," Sctrt'Dwnocfal Dick Howser and his wife have become closer since his illness and what could be when spring training starts. "We struggled along for a time," he said. "It was a struggle but it wasn't a struggle.

You kinda got used to it. "Nothing like taking a bunch of guys out there and being able to grind it out. "That's what it takes, you know." I Annual Yield JJ Rate P7 Compounded I Monthly JKJ back for 10 years and coached the New York Yankees, under four or five managers, at least. And that was all right "People ask me how I feel. "I feel great." He again maneuvered the subject to what was with his Royals, he says.

"It has done wonders for my marriage. "There was a thousand-to-one difference between the first and second the doctor used that eiact description. He showed the pictures to me, side by side." He says his doctors are the best. "Doctors don't tell you a whole lot," he said. "I think I understand that.

I think they are kind of badgered. "You know what, they are under a lot of pressure." Apparently, Howser does not feel great pressure. Asked about the worst part of "In baseball, you know, you are gone so much. Now Nancy and I are one-on-one. Nancy is a native Tallahasseean.

Howser adopted the city about the time he starred for Florida State's baseball team in the 1950s. "When 0pag oq I Annual Yield Compounded 7 1 Monthly mmSs I rTOO Focus The New Year Savings Continue! From ID The word cocky often seems to spring up. Martin says he likes it that way. "He just exudes confidence," says Martin. "You've got to be cocky to be a good pitcher.

"I'm not cocky in a hotdogging way," Lewis says. "In a classy way you could say I was cocky." What everyone seems to agree MINOLTA MAXXUM 7QQP Anmtal VipM Z.O on is that he has the stuff to back it Compounded up. His fastball can push into the high 80s on the slower-speed radar guns, plenty quick considering big league average is only 85 or so. His curveball, a nasty thing that breaks wAF 50mm 1.7 Offer ends 117. Automatic Multi-Program mtx ir i i sharply down and away from right- i mm handed batters, is sometimes Selection and Body-Integral thrown as hard as 80.

Martin says Lewis' power comes from good pitching mechanics iLewis learned his delivery from his NIKON ONE-TOUCH father Larry, who is still the base ball coach at Muncie South (Ind. AUTOFOCUS, MOTORIZED! High School. "I haven't changed a thing since second or third grade," Lewis says. It will be interesting to see what sort of numbers he can put up in his junior year. Pro scouts will be have been able to do much with Lewis.

He was one of many reasons the Seminoles were a powerhouse last spring, kept from the national championship only by Arizona in the College World Series final. "He had the best arm we saw all last year," said Oklahoma State pitching coach Tom Holliday, whose team was eliminated from the CWS by a remarkable Lewis relief effort. The Seminoles were being routed by the Cowboys when Lewis entered. He threw five innings of one-hit relief and struck out eight, allowing his team to rally for a 6-5 victory. "Nobody came out and dominated us like that," said Holliday.

"We had a good-hitting club." As a starter or reliever, Lewis was nearly untouchable down the stretch last spring. He was the most overpowering pitcher in college baseball as both a starter and reliever in that span, even more impressive than teammate Mike Loynd, the Golden Spikes Award winner who tied an NCAA record by winning 20 games. Lewis stopped South Carolina in the Metro Conference Tournament final, going the distance and striking out 13. He beat Texas in the South II Regional in Tallahassee with 3 Vi hitless innings of relief, striking out eight and walking none. He saved the Omaha-clinching game against South Florida, striking out the only batter he faced.

He saved the Seminoles' CWS opener against Indiana State, striking out the only batter he faced. He helped eliminate arch-rival Miami, going the distance and striking out 11. Until Arizona finally got to him in the final, in seven post-season games, he had a 4-0 record, three saves, 44 strikeouts and eight walks in 28 innings and a 0.96 earned run watching closely, skeptical of Lew is' size (he is listed in the Seminole Monthly KJ.KJJ Offer ends 1-18. Sf mtwmwmwmvmm Annual Yield CI Compounded fj It I Monthly mJJ media guide at 5-foot-10). Lewis maintains that if he doesn't get a good enough offer that he will re turn to FSU for his senior year.

The incentive is certainly there for another big year. But exactly what turns on pro scouts has been something of a mystery around Seminole Stadium. "I thought Frank Fazzini (for mer FSU slugger) would go in the first round, and I thought Mike Loynd and Doug Little would go Big Print Processing of one roil of Offer valid only with coupon. Expires 11987 I Annual Yield JL-J I Rate on I Compounded ji I I Monthly VJSJ I Annual Yield jL Compounded higher than they did, Lewis says. "They said they thought they were going to go higher.

I'm not going to pop off and say anything. Maybe it's a jinx or something." To Lewis' chagrin, his size will be mentioned frequently as a factor to pro scouts who favor bigger and bigger pitchers these days. But Holliday says Lewis' frame reminds him of former North Carolina pitcher Scott Bankhead, a first-round draft choice in 1984 now with the Seattle Mariners after being a key figure in a December deal with Kansas City for young slugger Danny Tartabull. "Richie's size wouldn't be a problem to me, but the pro mentality will stereotype him," said Holliday. "But his attitude and carriage All Tripods and Gadget Bags In Stock! Offer ends 118.

Polaroid SUN 600 LMS average. In two seasons at Florida State, Lewis is 23-8 with nine saves and an average of 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. It's little wonder that Martin still feels comfortable with his Florida State pitching staff, despite losing Loynd (who will compete for a spot in the Texas Rangers' rotation) and the school's all-time win-ningest pitcher, Doug Little. He likes Lewis' attitude. Pre-set lens means no focusing! on the mound make him look like he's six-foot-four." $5) (5)95 I I Annual Yield JUJ I CJ2 aJ --AS II Rate r- fCrf I FSU From 1D Offer ends 118.

tSajP o.by FSU coach Mike Martin knows ha has a lnt rtf naur tamt Ma iuct ia ma i mm iTivii ili 11 mmr mm II i I 1 Hbmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii flip When you want a high CD rate, I combination of second baseman Edwin Alicea and shortstop Rafael Bornigal. "We've got a lot of good battles going on," said Martin. "We should have about 13 or 14 players fighting for jobs, and that's the way we like it." Seminole notes Martin said he was still unsure whether football star Deion Sanders will play baseball this spring. Sanders played much of last season before quitting the team. Among the big surprises of early practice has been the hitting displays of Brevard Junior College walk-on Mark Giordano.

Martin said he could force his way into the outfield picture. EXPERT PERSONAL FRIENDLY SERVICE GOVERNOR'S SQUARE MALL 1500 APALACHEE PKYVY. 878-8694 not sure if it will get the fine blend that characterized last year's unusual team that won with any combination of pitching, defense, hitting or baserunning. As Martin spends the remaining three weeks of practice on fundamentals such as handling bunts and situational baserunning, he has many decisions to make. He said th three biggest questions in his mind are short relief, the offense in general, and the chemistry, especially among the new middle infield "HOME Of MG MINT" I 37 unco I PICTURES I HI SERVICE I ON MOST HUM HOURS: MON -SAT.

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