Stevens Point Journal from Stevens Point, Wisconsin • Page 11

Scab 'Skins edge Dallas IRVING, Texas (AP) It was only fitting in the NFL's final replacement game that a former semi-pro quarterback was the winner and a 13-year veteran quarterback failed with the contest on the line. The Washington Redskins, without any regular starters, beat the Dallas Cowboys, who started seven veterans, 13-7 Monday night in an NFC East showdown for first place. Tony Robinson, a former Tennessee star who was playing for the Richmond Ravens in September, led Washington to victory after Ed Rubbert went down with a shoulder injury in the first period. Robinson completed 11 of 18 passes for 152 yards and Lionel Vital ran for 136 yards against a Dallas defense that included a frontline of veterans Randy White, Don Smerek, Kevin Brooks, and Ed Jones. Washington advanced to 4-1 and Dallas dropped to 3-2 because veteran Danny White couldn't produce with four downs from the Washington 20-yard line in the final minute.

"It is one of the most emotional wins I've ever been associated with," Washington Coach Joe Gibbs said. "Our (replacement) players kept us in the conference race. They were 3-0 in their three-game season." "I don't know where I'll be three days from now," Robinson said. "I was Just happy to be part of the Redskins' organization and play in a game." (See NFL page 12) Moncrief out 3 weeks MADISON, Wis. (AP) Star guard Sidney Moncrief may be off the court eight weeks or more after undergoing knee surgery today, the Milwaukee Bucks say.

"Help," coach Del Harris replied when asked for a reaction. Moncrief's absence magnifies the National Basketball Association club's cavity in the guard category. Craig Hodges and John Lucas remained unsigned free agents Monday and Ricky Pierce was still a holdout. "It really makes our people that are swing players know which area they are going to swing towards more," Harris said, mentioning Paul Pressey and Jerry Reynolds. He also cited Pace Mannion, "another utility guy hoping to make the team." Moncrief, who missed 43 NBA games last season because of knee problems, planned to be in Elmbrook Hospital in Elm Grove today for removal of a bone spur.

David Haskell, a Bucks medical adviser, said Moncrief made the decision after consulting Saturday with doctors, coaches and front office personnel. Moncrief was expected to keep his leg inactive for at least 10 days following surgery, and probably won't return to practice games for eight weeks and regular play for 10 weeks, the club said. Jack Sikma, Mike Gibson and Pressey had lesser injuries that were expected to keep them out of tonight's exhibition game in Green Bay against the Indiana Pacers. The spur prevented Moncrief from fully extending or flexing his left knee, the Bucks said. "Rather than have him limp along all year, he has decided to have the operation to give him the best opportunity to play with endurance," Haskell said.

"It's a fairly routine knee operation for athletes. It's not a common problem, however." "He can't function with this. He can't run, squat, or bend his knee," he said. "It's a disappointment for Sidney, the team and Bucks fans. But again, it's an opportunity for someone to take over and produce," Harris said.

Moncrief did not accompany the Bucks in Madison Sunday for an exhibition game against Seattle. He also did not play Friday in the preseason opener against Seattle in Bloomington, Minn. Until recently, Moncrief had been participating in one of the team's twice-daily workouts. Harris, who has concentrated on improving the Bucks inside game, said his attention has now been diverted to the backcourt. "Even though our need in the long run is to bolster our inside game, in the short run we have to concentrate more on developing guards," he said.

if; if 4 (AP photo) COACH JOE GIBBS of the Washington Redskins is carried off the field by strike-replacement players Keiron Bigby (left) and Mike Wooten after the Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 13-7, Monday night at Irving, Texas. Zendejas offers challenge to Del Greco for kicking job "This is a business, and players come and go. I took a stand and went on strike with everybody else, which I don't regret. He came in and did well. That's fate." Jim Melka, a linebacker from the University of Wisconsin, was one of the players named to the inactive roster as active-roster regulars returned.

Melka had five tackles and a pass interception in Sunday's strike-replacement finale, a 16-10 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. "I wasn't worrying about winning a job. I was playing football," said Melka, a 12th-round draft choice of Tampa Bay in 1985. "I'll take it day-by-day. They asked me to stay.

I'll just do what they asked me to do and what happens happens." He and other team" players who remained with Green Bay shouldn't expect a friendly welcome when practice resumes Tuesday, some players said. "I'm here to play football but that doesn't mean I have to be nice. But I'm not going out of my way to show hostility," linebacker Brian Noble, a regular, said. "We've got a strong team unity we built and we're not going to let a few guys destroy it. I won't be extending a friendly welcome to them.

I won't have them to my house for dinner. "For most of them, it was a dream and now the dream is over. Hopefully I won't be depending on any of those guys in the near future, but when we're on the field we're there for a job and I hope everybody associated with the team will be professional about it." Replacement players who didn't make the inactive roster said their goodbyes, some tucking autographed footballs and team pictures under their arms. Tackle Keith Uecker, the only active-roster member to cross the picket line, came face-to-face with his teammates when he attended a meeting Monday. "He's lost some respect," a teammate said.

Coach Forrest Gregg said it was time to look ahead to Sunday's game. "Today is a day to put a lot of things behind us," he said. "I don't think any of us will ever forget these three weeks we've had the team. I don't think anybody will forget the strike the players, the fans or the media." "But after today I want them to get (rid of) strikes, union and management, all of that jargon that's been used the past month," he said. "I want them to start talking about tackling, blocking, catching the football, throwing the football and running the football." GREEN BAY, Wis.

(AP) Al Del Greco who walked off the job 3 weeks ago has returned to the Green Bay Packers locker room where his job may be challenged by a replacement place kicker who has displayed impressive accuracy. Max Zendejas kicked seven field goals without a miss during the NFL Players Association walkout and was one of the strike-replacement players invited Monday stay with Green Bay on an inactive list. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm still the kicker here," Del Greco said. "If they decide to keep me, which I hope they do, good. If not, I'm sure I'll end up playing somewhere." He said he realized the Packers couldn't let Zendejas go without giving him a chance after his perfect showing in three "I think the situation he was in and the position we play and as well as he did it, it was easy for everyone to relate to him and for him to become a name," Del Greco said.

"Maybe if we kick together we can get a better comparison. "As well as he did, I hate to think three years of me being here would come down to one week of practice," Del Greco said as regulars begin preparations for next Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. Capitals off to quick 4-2 start this year NEW YORK (AP) The Washington Capitals have a history of slow starts, but they're working hard to change things this season. "The work ethic on this team has been great," Coach Bryan Murray said following Monday night's 4-2 NHL victory over the New York Rangers. The Capitals' victory gave them a 4-2 record and moved them into first place over the idle Philadelphia Flyers in the Patrick Division race.

In the only other NHL game Monday night, Montreal beat Minnesota 5-1. "Right from the start of training camp, there seemed to be a different feeling on this team," said Dave Christian, who assisted on Garry Galley's tying goal and then scored the winner in the third period. "We haven't dwelled on the past." Murray calls this the strongest team he's had in Washington, in large measure due to the return of center Bengt Gustafsson after a year's stint in Europe, and to trades that brought center Dale Hunter and goaltender Clint Malarchuk to the Capitals. On Monday night, Gustafsson had the clinching goal into an empty net as Washington completed a home-and-home sweep against the Rangers. The Capitals had to overcome an early 2-0 deficit.

The Rangers had taken the lead in the first period on a power-play goal by Walt Poddubny and a shorthanded goal by Kelly Kisio. Mike Ridley started the Capitals' comeback with a goal at 10:39 of the second period when he scored on the rebound of a shot by Rod Langway. Galley tied it for Washington at 4:20 of the third period with a shot past John Vanbiesbrouck, playing in his (See NHL page 12) 16 strike-replacement players earn employment with Packers ers to wrap up their talk to sports media about the strike and "start thinking about the Detroit Lions. I want them to start talking about tackling, blocking, catching the football Teams were allowed a maximum of 40 players this week on the inactive roster. Gregg said that was more than he cared to coach.

The six replacement players named to injured reserve were running back Lavale Thomas, tackle Jeff Drost, running back Kevin Willhite, defensive back Don King, tight end Don Summers and defensive back Tony Elliot. Willhite and Summers were injured Sunday and both needed surgery, Willhite on his finger and Summers on his knee. GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) The Green Bay Packers have invited 16 members of their strike-replacement team to stay on board while Coach Forrest Gregg asks his regular players to avoid hostilities left over from the NFL walkout. "We have mature adults on this team.

I think they are people who understand reason. I think leadership within this team will keep this thing in hand," Gregg said. The Packers said Monday that 10 members of the replacement squad that played three games during the strike were named to an inactive roster. Six more were placed on injured reserve. Those hired for the inactive list included Max Zendejas, who was named to the inactive list along with 325-pound offensive tackle Steve Collier, defensive lineman Lorenzo Freeman, tackle Bob Gruber, linebacker Jim Melka, safety Jim Bob Morris, wide receiver Lee Morris, center Vince Rafferty, wide receiver Patrick Scott and Zendejas.

Freeman began the season on the regular roster before being injured. When he was activated, he chose to strike but was assigned to the 'B' team roster, club officials said. The Packers will have to declare an active roster of no more than 45 by 4 p.m. Saturday for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions in Pontiac, Mich. Gregg said he wanted his play from both sides," Gregg said.

"That happens almost daily. One guy will get hot at another and that will probably happen. Out on field you can work those things out. "In the dressing room, you don't want any hard feelings. I don't expect them to automatically love each other.

I don't know how long this thing will last but I'm sure they will reach a compromise here where they both live together without any difficulty." The Green Bay replacements had a 2-1 record, including a 16-10 victory Sunday over the Philadelphia Eagles in overtime. Prior to the walkout, Green Bay was 0-1-1. Quarterback Alan Risher, one of the standouts among replacements, kicked seven field goals without a miss in the three games. The replacement players, who crossed the NFL Players Association picket lines during the 24-day strike, were told to begin practice today with the regulars. Although on inactive status, the replacements get the same pay scale as regulars.

Gregg said he expected no problems between the two squads who will share the same locker room. During the strike, regulars pitched eggs and insults at the replace-. ments who Gregg hired four weeks ago from the ranks of rookies and free agents, including some he had cut from training camp. "When we get on the field arid practice, there will be challenges Cords aim io turn fide on Iionie iurf Billyhs back! Martin new Yankee skipper, Piniella moved up to GM Tudor, the left-handed ace of their staff, who will pitch against Les Straker. Tudor would normally pitch the opening game of any featured series, but the Cardinals were forced to use all their pitching in the final two games of the playoff against the San Francisco Giants.

They were in danger of being eliminated in the sixth game last Tuesday, but turned their fate over to Tudor, who responded with a 1-0 shutout. After that, Manager Whitey Herzog chose to give Tudor plenty of rest rather than start him in the clamor of the Metrodome. So Tudor watched the first two games from the bench while the Twins mauled Joe Magrane and two successors in the opener, 10-1, and then mauled Danny Cox and three successors, 8-4. He was asked if he had learned anything from the experience, and replied: "I learned they can score 10 runs." The Cardinals arrived home by chartered airliner at 1:30 a.m., and Herzog told the players to go home and forget about any workout. Later, though, Herzog appeared in the stadium and said that he had no lineup tricks in mind to keep the season He said that Curt Ford would start in right field and Jose Oquendo at third base, filling in the gaps left by injuries.

And in the fourth game, Wednesday night, he will pitch the left-handed Greg Mathews. The designated hitter is not used in the World Series in the National League ball park, so Herzog will lose the chance to play Pendleton except as a pinch-hitter. Pendleton strained muscles in his right rib cage while running the bases in the final game of the playoff, and since then has been on limited duty. He is a switch-hitter who knocked in 96 runs this season, but now he cannot play third base and can swing the bat only left-handed. He was used as the designated hitter against Bert Blyle-ven in Sunday's game, and got a single and scored a run.

But back home for the next three nights, Herzog said, he will appear only as a pinch-hitter. "We lose the chance to get four swings out of him as the designated hitter," Herzog said. "But I don't really think that's the way baseball's meant to be played. "It means you don't have to manage so much. You don't have to make nearly so many decisions or moves." One move that was still bothering Herzog was Blyleven's move to home plate.

During Sunday night's game, the manager of the Cardinals complained to the home-plate umpire, Lee Weyer, that the Twins' pitcher was not coming to a set position when taking the stretch with a man on first base. In effect, he was saying that Blyleven was quick-pitching in an effort to deceive the Cardinals' running game. "The third-base umpire told me he does it all the time," Herzog said. "That doesn't make it right, does it? If Peter Ueberroth, Bart Giamatti, Bobby Brown or the umpires can show me in the film room that Blyleven comes to a stop and I don't think they can then I'll say I'm wrong. "If they're going to let him do that, we might as well not even go out there." By JOSEPH DURSO N.Y.

Times News Service ST. LOUIS Stan Musial, the old hero of the St. Louis Cardinals, stood across the street from Busch Stadium Monday, not far from the life-size statue of himself, and considered the dangers facing the new Cardinals. "The Cardinals are a different team in this ball park," he said. "But our guys look tired.

They had to go seven games to win the playoff. Minnesota had four days to rest after winning theirs. It's been a long season, and it shows." For the Cardinals, though, the problem was how to keep the long season going longer. They came home early Monday with a crippled team, no victories and two rather smashing losses after opening the World Series against the Twins in the tumult of the Metrodome in Minneapolis. To survive, the Cardinals must win four of the next five games.

"We'll have the home-field advantage at last," said Tommy Herr. "But it's imperative that we win all three games at home. We don't want to go back there needing to win the last two." The Cardinals made a reputation as survivors this season when they endured waves of disabling injuries and heavy pressure from the Mets and the Montreal Expos and still won the National League pennant. Now, they will try to survive the final test when the Series is resumed here Tuesday night. They will still be playing without Jack Clark and Terry Pendleton, who led the team in driving in runs.

But they will finally be able to start John Steinbrenner's decision to hire Martin had been expected since last week, but Piniella's move to the pM post was a surprise. On Aug. 8 in Detroit, Steinbrenner issued a two-page statement in which he said he might have made a mistake by hiring the inexperienced Piniella as manager. The Yankees, who led the American League East by three games at the All-Star break, finished fourth this season with an 89-73 record. "Nothing Lou did hurt us in any way," Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly said.

"He did what he could. He put the best players on the field every day." This year, the Yankees suffered major injuries to their first two hitters in the lineup outfielder Rickey Henderson, with a right hamstring strain, and second baseman Willie Randolph, who had torn knee cartilage that necessitated surgery. They missed a combined 109 games. Piniella did not talk with Stein-(See Martin page 12) NEW YORK (AP) Only George Steinbrenner could knock the World Series and the end of the NFL strike out of the sports headlines. Billy Martin is coming back as manager of the Yankees for the fifth time.

Steinbrenner, ignoring the brawls and angry words that i forced Martin's four previous firings, brought Martin back Monday to replace Lou Piniella, who was promoted to general manager to replace Woody Woodward, who resigned. "I'm anxious to return as Yankee manager and I'm looking toward bringing an exciting and winning team to Yankee fans," Martin said. Martin's last dismissal by the Yankees came just before Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. The Yankees finished fourth in the American League East, nine games behind first-place Detroit, in Piniella's second season as manager. The Yankees were second in his first year..