Pensacola News Journal from Pensacola, Florida • 29

Pensacola News Journal 5C Saturday, May 25, 1991 Royals make McRae fifth black manager in majors -A. mother to Brian, is confident the family can work it out. "If anybody can work it out, they can," she said. "They've already talked and established some ground rules." Brian McRae, a 23-year-old rookie who has shown great promise this year in center field, says his father taught him "just to work hard and be patient." The lesson now applies to father as well as son. "How I'm going to do a lot of things, I don't know," the 45-year-old manager said.

"But I'm going to start and I'm going to roll my sleeves up and fight. So we're going to get some things done. "I'll try to be a players' manager. I don't intend to be a guy that takes crap off of players, but I think as a manager you try to make it as easy as possible for those guys to play." McRae retired in 1987 with a lifetime .290 average, 191 home runs and 1,097 RBI in an 18-year major league career. Traded from Cincinnati to Kansas City in 1973, he is credited by many with defining the designated hitter position, an American League experiment in the early 1970s.

He led the major leagues with 133 RBIs in 1983. the individual that we wanted. We feel that he is an extremely intelligent baseball man. We are very happy to once again have him as a member of the Kansas City organization." The Royals would not discuss details of the contract, but The Kansas City Star said McRae's salary is believed to be in the $175,000 range for this year and about $225,000 for 1992. McRae had been offered the same job when Billy Gardner was fired with 36 games left in the 1987 season, but the Royals would make no promises for 1988.

He turned down the position, opting to wait for a better circumstances, and Wathan was hired. There are problems with this situation, too, namely the uncomfortable position of managing his son. But McRae knew a third call might never come. "For a while I was kind of reluctant to do it," he said. "But I felt that this was the second time around, that I almost had to take the job.

I don't see how I couldn't take it if I wanted to manage if I felt I was capable of managing. "And frankly, if I hadn't taken the job I would have really doubted myself." Johncyna McRae, wife to Hal and former Expos hitting coach said at a news conference before the Royals' game against the Minnesota Twins. "Without seeing the ballclub it's kind of difficult to determine what it needs. I was trying to find out what the Montreal club needed and I didn't follow this club at all." In addition to Brett, a former teammate, McRae has a close relationship with the Royals' center fielder. That's Brian McRae, his son.

Hal McRae said he hopes his previous relationships with the two he and Brett have remained friends despite going head-to-head for the 1976 batting title, which Brett won .333 to .332 on the last day of the season will help him as their manager. "I don't intend to manage anyone. I intend to communicate with everyone," he said. "It will make it easier for me to communicate with George." McRae replaces John Wathan, who was fired Wednesday. On Thursday night, McRae and Kansas City general manager Herk Robinson finalized the deal in Chicago, where the Expos were preparing for a series against the Cubs.

"He was the only candidate to whom we spoke," Robinson said Friday. "He was MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Hal McRae, whose aggressive, hard-nosed style personified Kansas City baseball during its glory years, was named the Royals' manager on Friday. McRae will manage an injury-ridden team that is 15-22, in last place in the AL West despite a $33 million free-agent spending spree and bearing little resemblance to the team he left in 1987. With George Brett, McRae led the Royals to five division titles, two pennants and the 1985 World Series championship. McRae becomes only the fifth black manager in major league history, joining Larry Doby, Maury Wills, Cito Gaston and Frank Robinson, who was fired as Baltimore's manager Thursday.

Asked if the hiring of a bladk manager was no longer news, McRae said: "It's not spectacular news anymore." Though promising to attack managing with the same determination he displayed in each game he played, McRae said he also will try to be patient while he familiarizes himself with the Royals players and learns the job that has, in effect, been reserved for him for the past four years. "First off, I'd like to kind of observe, and reserve my thoughts and opinions," the Pi Press Associated Hal McRae and his wife, Jo, stand outside a Chicago hotel after being named to replace John Wathan as manager of the Kansas City Royals. Pensacola's Whiten decides not to appeal 3-game suspension for brawl NOTES Craig will step down as manager of the San Francisco Giants is unfounded, general manager Al Ro sen said alter Craig was quoted saying his health has suffered from the team's poor start. Rosen said Craig hasn't told him about ill health, and remarked that Craig, dio, Jefferies said he was tired of getting buried in the press arid wanted the fans to know he always tried his best. Prior to the Mets' game against St.

Louis, Jefferies spoke to the media and tried to explain the letter. RED SOX: Jack Clark of the Boston Red Sox has withdrawn his appeal of a one-game suspension imposed while he was in the National League. As as result, Clark missed Friday night's game with Detroit. Clark, then with San Diego, received the suspension from NL president Bill White for picking up and throwing first base into the stands while arguing a call in a game last Sept. 26.

quitter. But the one thing that makes you think about it is if it affects your health. It has affected my health. This is the first year I've felt stress." Craig has suffered through sleepless nights and felt tightness in his chest. Rosen said he understood why Craig would feel stress, but repeated his assertion that Craig's job was not in jeopardy.

Craig has led the Giants to winning records his previous five seasons, including National League West Division titles in 1987 and 1989. METSt New York Mets infielder Gregg Jefferies, upset over criticism by some of his teammates, issued a letter to explain his side to the fans. In the letter, sent to WFAN ra would hate to see the action taken by the Board of the Hall of Fame because of me somehow dampen the induction festivities in July for my friends Gaylord Perry, Rod Carew and Ferguson Jenkins. "Likewise, it would be just awfu-lif any sort of voting protest by baseball writers because of the amendment directed at me would directly or indirectly affect the voting for my former teammates and good friends Tony Perez, Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers." The Hall of Fame's board of directors voted last February, over the objection of Lang and many of his colleagues, to remove from the ballot any player banned for life from baseball. Rose was barred in 1989 for betting on baseball games.

GIANTS: The notion that Roger By The Associated Press Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Mark Whiten of Pensacola decided Friday not to appeal the 3-game suspension given to him by American League president Bobby Brown. Whiten was dealt the 3-game suspension along with Chicago's Jack McDowell for their part in last Friday's bench-clearing brawl at Comiskey Park. Whiten will miss the entire weekend series with the California Angels. McDowell, who is appealing his penalty, threw a pitch behind Whiten, about waist high, one pitch after allowing a home run that put Toronto ahead 4-3 in the fifth inning. Whiten then charged the mound and hit McDowell with a roundhouse punch in the left eye, pre- cipitating a bench-clearing incident.

After a 5-minute melee, Whiten and McDowell were ejected. HALL Of FAME: Pete Rose has asked baseball writers not to use the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in July as a vehicle for protesting changes in the balloting procedure. In a letter to Jack Lang, secretary of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Rose also asked the writers not to boycott the voting. "Election to the Hall of Fame is the ultimate honor a baseball player can receive," Rose wrote in a letter dated May 17 and received by Lang in New York on Friday. "I Craig "doesn't look sick to me." Just before Thursday's 6-2 loss at Cincinnati, dropping the Giants' to their worst-ever start, 12-28, Craig said, "I don't like to use the word I'm not a Allen makes move at Winter Haven Congratulate your favorite graduate! Partially torn rotator cuff.

"When that came back, I thought, 'Oh, Allen recalled. "It made me say, 'No It's ruined a lot of careers. The doctor said don't worry about it too much, it's nothing serious, I've done this surgery before." Verdi and pitching coach Lee Stange kept a close eye on Allen's progress, counting his pitches and working him in long relief. A 106-pitch stint last week may have signalled his return. Allen said he's 85-90 percent back.

Now if he can only help Winter Haven improve on its abysmal 40-94 campaign last season. Said Verdi: "To get the hell out of the basement for the first time that would be something Academic et all the folks see your favorite graduate's photo and story. On Sunday, June 2, 1991, we'll run a congratulatory announcement ad with 1991 graduates' photos and brief descriptions of their school activities. Put your graduate on this page for just $30! All you do is fill out the coupon below and send us a photo of your graduate. After the ad runs, you may pick up your photo from the Classified Department.

Why not order extra tear sheets of this page and send one to all the relatives! Call 435-8670. odds in a couple of different ways. He is a survivor, the only remaining player on West Florida's 1989 NAIA World Series team still in professional baseball. He is also a free agent. Not drafted out of West Florida because of injury problems his senior year, he was signed by Red Sox scout Milt Boiling two years ago because, as usual, the organization needed pitching.

Allen realizes the Red Sox would rather their draft picks succeed the ones they paid signing bonuses and placed high hopes on. But if a free agent works out, that's wonderful. And the organization can save some money, too. "You see people sometimes get a chance ahead of you, that maybe you have done better than in the past year," Allen said. "Because they were drafted and you're a free agent.

You see some funny things as far as people moving." Another thing that makes Allen's emergence impressive is his return from the rotator cuff surgery. Those three words have struck fear into a long list of professional pitchers. Allen originally thought it was tendinitis. The pain was impossible to pitch through. After range of motion and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests were performed on his arm, he heard the dreaded diagnosis.

FROM1C thinking of himself as the staffs ace. He is 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 29 innings, and back in the starting rotation. His rehabilitation from arthroscopic surgery on his rotator cuff last November is nearly complete. But the ace? "In a way I guess you could say, but I'm the kind of person that if I go around saying that, i then it makes me seem like I'm putting myself above everybody else," Allen said. "I'm just trying to go out and do my job." Verdi, in his first year at Winter Haven, a Class A team, said Allen has been "outstanding.

Both his starts have been tremendous." Allen's breakthrough has been the development of a changeup to go along with his fastball and hard slider. "I've been relying on the fastball for the first five innings, I'll show them the slider, then I start using the change," he said. "I've gotten some big outs with the changeup." And outs become bigger and bigger when your team's batters are hitting .202. Now the Red Sox are up to .216 with only 85 RBI in 36 games, but pitching has prevented a total collapse. i Allen has been a key part of the staff.

To do that, he's had to battle the Actual Ad Size Hurry! Last day to order ad Wednesday, May 29th. We will mike every effort to return your photo. Plea write your name and addict on the back of the photo. No guarantees. Graduate's Name Year Round Greyhound Rating Niahttv 7:45 P.M.

fExcsnt Sunrtaval Please print a brief description of school activities, awards, or a congratulatory message below. Matinee Races 1:15 P.M. Mon. Fri. Sat.

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