The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 5

SPORTS BUSINESS Page 15 The Salina Journal Tuesday, August 27, 1991 Saberhagen no-hits White Sox By DOUG TUCKER AP Sporti Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. Bret Sabe- rhagen was due for a great year. Instead, he pitched his greatest game. Saberhagen, who has always followed bad seasons with very good ones, threw his first career no-hitter Monday night in the Royals' 7-0 victory over the White Sox. Even before Monday night, Sabe- rhagen's career was punctuated by big awards.

He was the MVP of the 1985 World Series and a Cy Young winner in 1985 and 1989. "This is terrific, but there will never be anything better than the World Series. The World Series thing was an individual award, but this is a team game," Saberhagen said. But Saberhagen had never come close to a no-hitter. This time, he mowed down Chicago for the seventh no-hitter of the season with the help of a controversial scoring decision in the fifth inning.

With one out in the fifth inning, Dan Pasqua hit a line drive that sliced away from Kirk Gibson in left field. Gibson ran back on an angle toward center, jumped at the last second at the front edge of the warning track and the ball grazed off his glove, allowing Pasqua to reach second base. Immediately, before the official scorer made his decision, the hit column on the Scoreboard flashed from zero to one. But after watching several replays, scorer Del Black ruled it a two-base error on the poor- fielding Gibson. Saberhagen saw the Scoreboard show a hit, and never saw the change to an error.

But when the fans cheered, "you can pretty well tell by the crowd's reaction. I heard the crowd and I figured what happened," he said. When he reached the dugout at the end of the inning, Saberhagen saw for sure that his no-hitter was intact. Black said he called it an error "because I thought the ball was catchable. He was there waiting for Royals 7, White Sox 0 CHICAGO Raines If CoroZb Thomas Ib Ventura 3b Fisk dh Pasqua rf (Johnson cf Karkovicec Merulloc Guillen ss Totalt Chicago Kansas City ab bl 4000 4000 4000 3000 3000 2000 3000 2000 0000 3000 28 0 0 0 KANSAS CITY ab bl McRae ct Gibson If Brett dh 4210 4331 3121 Eisenreich rf 3 0 1 1 Benzingerlb 4123 Pecota 3b Maynec Howard ss 4 0 1 4 0 1 4 0 1 Shumpert2b 4010 Associated Press Bret Saberhagen tossed the fourth no-hitter in Kansas City Royals history Monday night against Chicago.

it. It didn't appear he was straining to catch it." Gibson and Pasqua agreed. "On a play like that, I put myself into the position to make the play and I didn't make it, so the error is appropriate, whether or not it would've been a good catch or not," Gibson said. Said Pasqua: "I hit it pretty well. I didn't crush it, but I hit it good enough to get a hit out of it.

But I guess the official scorer thought different." Royals manager Hal McRae preferred to avoid the subject. "I thought he overran the ball. I thought the ball sliced back over his head and he lost the ball," McRae said. "Well, let's not talk about it. It's something we shouldn't talk about it." With Pasqua on second, Ron Karkovice followed with a long fly that Totals 34 7 13 7 000 000 203 200 (3), KGibson (3).

3, Kansas City 8. (8), Pecota (17). (6). (1). Eisenreich.

IP ER BB SO Chicago Hough L.7-8 2Vi 8 5 5 1 0 Patterson 1 22211 Pall 3V, 2 0 0 0 1 Radinsky 1 10000 Kansas City Saberhagen 10-6 9 00025 Patterson (McRae). Hendry; First, Hirschbeck; Second, Phillips; Third, Cederstrom. hooked foul into the left-field seats. But Saberhagen (10-6) settled down and fanned Karkovice. Saberhagen struck out five and walked two.

The closest he had ever come to a no-hitter was a series of five two-hitters. Saberhagen's pattern of good seasons in odd-numbered years and bad ones in even-numbered ones was interrupted when he went on the disabled list from June 13 to July 13 with tendinitis in his right rotator cuff. Saberhagen got a standing ovation from the crowd of 25,164 when he took the mound to start the ninth, and quickly finished the fourth no-hitter in Kansas City history. Leadoff batter Tim Raines grounded out to second, Joey Cora flied out to right and Frank Thomas grounded out to second, setting off a celebration in the middle of the field. Steve Busby, with two, and Jim Colborn were the other Royals to pitch no-hitters.

Saberhagen joined Nolan Ryan, Tommy Greene, Mark Gardner, Dennis Martinez, Wilson Alvarez and four Baltimore pitchers in throwing no-hitters this season. Osborne sees 1983 in '91 Cornhuskers Osborne By TOM VINT AP Sports Writer LINCOLN, Neb. Coach Tom Osborne is seeing visions of 1983 when he looks at this year's Nebraska Cornhuskers. Osborne told Big Eight Skywriters Monday that his 1991 squad may have the best quality at the skill positions Nebraska has had since its record- breaking team of 1983. All-American quarterback Turner Gill and Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier led the 1983 Huskers to a No.

2 ranking after a one-point Orange Bowl loss to No. 1 Miami. Osborne also had All-American guard Dean Steinkuhler and All- American receiver Irving Fryar on a team that averaged 546 yards and 52 points per game. While senior quarterback Mickey Joseph may lack Gill's passing arm, Osborne said Joseph is the type of player who makes things happen on the field, just like Gill. And Joseph's supporting cast in- Nebraska Cornhuskers By The Associated Press Head coach Tom Osborne (19th Year).

Lost year's record 9-3 (5-2 Big Eight). Returning lettermen Offense 35. Defense 18. 1991 schedule Utah State; Colorado State: Washington; at Arizona State; at Oklahoma State; Kansas State; Missouri; at Colorado; at Kansas; Iowa State: Oklahoma. Strengths l-backs and tight ends labeled as among best groups Osborne has coached: also quality at fullback, defensive ends, inside linebackers, safeties; more experience at quarterback and more size in offensive and defensive lines.

Weaknesses Lost six players off defense to NFL so fill-ins lack experience and speed to match those lost: time will tell if added size and strength in lines can control line of scrimmage against likes of Washington, Colorado and Oklahoma. eludes All-Big Eight guard Will Shields and star potential in wingback Nate Turner; I-backs Scott Baldwin, Derek Brown and Calvin Jones and the best group of tight ends Osborne said he has ever had William Washington, Johnny Mitchell, Chris Garrett and Daryl Leise. There's more quality at fullback with the top three players back, wide receiver with Jon Bostick and Tyrone Hughes, and in the line with the positions averaging 20 pounds more than players of a year ago. "The biggest problem right now is we need to get more fluid, jell better," Osborne said. "We're not a well-oiled machine as yet.

We've got a lot of talent." Joseph has emerged this fall as the top quarterback after coming out of spring No. 2 behind fellow senior Tom Haase. Haase and Keithen McCant are close behind, however, Osborne said. Baldwin this week also edged past Brown as the top I-back in fall, despite Brown's better speed and cutting ability. Baldwin had split time between I-back and fullback in the spring but went back to I-back when Leodis Flowers, the Big Eight's No.

3 rusher in 1990, was dropped from the team over the summer. Flowers had personal problems that resulted in his missing several practices prior to the Citrus Bowl last season, then missed more workouts in the spring. Eight starters return from an offense that was second in the nation in rushing, 13th in total offense and sixth in scoring a year ago. "Offensively, I didn't ever think we were a great football team (last year)," Osborne said, noting that the two returning starters he had then were the fewest he has had on any of his 18 teams. But, the coach said, the team with Joseph and Mike Grant splitting quarterbacking starts did better than expected.

Defensively, Osborne said the chore will be filling the vacancies left by first-round NFL draft picks Mike Croel at outside linebacker and Bruce Pickens at cornerback, plus All-American Kenny Walker at defensive tackle. "I've read where we'll be slow on defense," Osborne said. "I don't think that's too accurate." Walker, with 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash, obviously will be lost, but defense ends Travis Hill, Jamie Liewer, David White and Trev Alberts will be as fast on the outside. Hill, a junior, started opposite Croel last season and may be as good or better by the time he is finished at Nebraska, Osborne said. Two-year starter Mike Petko anchors the inside linebacking corps that lost Pat Tyrance to graduation.

Osborne said sophomores Mike Anderson and Darren Williams are coming along well. Curtis Cotton, who backed up strong safety Reggie Cooper last year, takes his 4.4 speed to corn- erback this season. Part-time starter Tyrone Legette and two-year free safety Tyrone Byrd add more experience to the secondary. "I hope the net result will be that we're as good there this year as we were last year," Osborne said. Nebraska was seventh in the nation in total defense and scoring defense last season despite three staggering losses in its final four games.

"We lost our focus," Osborne said. He explained that many players lost heart when Colorado rallied to defeat the Huskers last Nov. 3. Nebraska never recovered, losing lopsided contests to Oklahoma (45-10) and Georgia Tech (45-21 in the Citrus Bowl). Osborne said the team has stressed unity to try to avoid such a continuing setback this fall.

Rader fired by Angels Rodgers takes overAL club ByJOHNNADEL AP Sportt Writer ANAHEIM, Calif. The Angels, who fell from first place to last in the AL West in a month, fired manager Doug Rader and replaced him with Buck Rodgers. Rodgers, fired as manager by the Montreal Expos on June 2, signed a three-year contract on Monday to take over a team that has failed to win a division title under Rader de- Rodgers spite the acquisition of such stars as Dave Winfield, Mark Langston, Gary Gaetti and Dave Parker. "This is kind of a dream come true, coming back to a place where you were born-type thing," said Rodgers, a member of the original Angels in 1961. "There's always bitter-sweet to every managerial change.

I got the bitter about three months ago. It's sweet for me today. "I'm going to come in here, listen to my coaches, and keep a wide-open mind. I think there are some outstanding players on this club. Why it's not a contender I don't know.

I don't expect to be a quick fixer. I'm going to be around here for a while." The Angels moved into first place by one percentage point over the Twins with a 44-33 record on July 3, but then lost 19 of their next 27 games to fall into last place on Aug. 4 with a 52-52 record. California has been in last place since, with a low point coming last Thursday when a 2-1 loss to Oakland put them 15 games behind the Twins. Rader, under contract through the 1992 season, was let go despite the Angels' three-game sweep of the Red Sox that left them 13 games behind Minnesota entering Monday night's game against the Tigers.

The 47-year-old Rader is the seventh manager to be fired this season, while Rodgers is the first of the group to be rehired. Other managers fired this season were the Indians' John McNamara, Don Zimmer of the Cubs, Nick Leyva of Phillies, John Wathan of the Royals and Frank Robinson of the Orioles. The Angels won eight of their final 13 games under Rader but it was their inability to beat the three-time division champion Athletics, who won 12 of 13 games against California, which proved fatal. "Doug is a guy that I respect quite a bit," Parker said before the Angels faced the Tigers. "The lack of success with this team was because we didn't execute.

"I don't think it had a whole lot to do with Doug. It's just one of those years where you get a bunch of good talent together and it doesn't click. The talent is here, but we lacked that chemistry that it takes to win." Said first baseman Wally Joyner: "Doug gave us every opportunity to be successful." Angels' general manager Dan O'Brien, who signed a contract- extension Monday through 1994, said Rader took the bad news as well as could be expected. "I don't think he was surprised, at least I didn't get that feeling," O'Brien said. "He reacted very well.

He said he understood. Any other conversation he and I had was personal." Vets cut as NFL teams reach limit By DAVE GOLDBERG AP Football Writer Dexter Manley, Dave Duerson and a host of other one-time heroes were sent packing on Monday, the NFL's unkindest day of all. The league's 28 teams got down to the 47-player limit by ridding themselves largely of two rookies-free agents and veterans who tried to hang on for another season. "The toughest decisions I have to make are always with veterans that have contributed to the success we've had in the past," said Miami coach Don Shula, who cut linebacker Barry Krauss and cornerback Paul Lankford, who combined for 22 years of NFL experience. For some, like Manley, who is trying to come back from a drug suspension, it could be the end of a career.

For others it may be a day off. Many are cut and brought back later in the week after teams place players they want to keep around on injured reserve. "It's like playing poker. You're trying not to show your hand," Denver coach Dan Reeves said. 'You've got to bluff For still others, it's a temporary interruption before they're signed by another team.

Bubba Paris, left tackle for the 49ers before being cut last week, was signed by the Colts on Monday. And for rookies, it may be a few days in limbo before they go to a developmental squad. That means they can practice but can't play unless they clear waivers again. One man who made it against the odds was Terry Long, the veteran Pittsburgh guard who underwent psychiatric treatment after telling police he attempted suicide following a positive test for steroids. He rejoined the Steelers last Tuesday and will See VETERANS, Page 11 Agassi upset in opener By STEVE WILSTEIN AP Tennis Writer NEW YORK Finalist one year, first-round flop the next, Andre Agassi spun out of control and away from the U.S.

Open, the victim of another stunning ambush. Aaron Krickstein, Agassi's tormentor on Monday, displayed none of the power and little of the precision that Pete Sampras showed in beating Agassi for the championship last year and winning his first match this year. Sampras turned his blazing serves and pinpoint control this time in the direction of Christo van Rensburg to win 60, 6-3, 6-2. So overwhelming was Sampras at the start that the crowd roared when Rens- burg raised his arms in triumph after finally winning the 10th game of the match. Krickstein didn't need to be that good against a player who self-destructed in the heat and glare of the stadium court.

It was only the second match of the tournament, less than four hours had passed since the first ball was struck, and one of the glamorous names in the game suddenly was gone in straight sets, (7-3), 6-2. "I don't know what's harder, to lose in the first round or to lose in the finals," said the eighth-seeded Agassi, who has more experience in the latter after falling twice in French Open finals. "But it's not the worst thing that happened. No one died out there." Agassi came dressed for a funeral in black and red. He looked thinner and paler after a summer of sickness.

Three weeks ago, he vomited on court during the ATP championships at Cincinnati. A week later, he did the same in an early loss in the U.S. Hard Courts Championships at Indianapolis. "It was a virus that gets affected by heat and exhaustion," he said, adding quickly, "But I don't want anyone to say I'm making Rather than suffering from any illness, Agassi said he was See AGASSI, Page 11 NCAA may act against KSU coach By The Journal Staff OVERLAND PARK The NCAA said Monday it would consider disciplinary action against a men's assistant basketball coach at Kansas State University who committed a recruiting violation. But the ruling said the assistant coach's conversations with a prospective athlete should not be considered tampering, a more serious offense.

The Overland Park-based organization did not name the coach. The NCAA prohibits any conversation concerning recruiting prior to obtaining a release from the student- athlete's original four-year institution. The NCAA said the assistant coach committed a "secondary violation" of NCAA legislation by having telephone conversations with Sean Robbins, a basketball player enrolled at Emporia State University. It said the coach acted "improperly" by telling Robbins that Kansas State would be interested in him if he transferred. However, the NCAA noted that the assistant coach did not initiate the.

calls, which were made by Robbins and his father. "No evidence was presented to indicate that representatives Kansas State encouraged the contacts," the collegiate sports body said. The NCAA eligibility staff concluded that Robbins should be permitted to resume participation in athletics in the event he enrolls at Kansas State in accordance with normal NCAA transfer regulations. That would require one academic year in residence before competition. An NCAA committee will review the case to determine whether to discipline the assistant coach, the organization said..