The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 26

4-Sports The Tampa Tribune, Wednesday, October 5, 1994 Owners ask to delay start of free-agency period BASEBALL 2. Johnson A Tribune Wire Service Report NEW YORK Baseball owners have asked players to delay the start of free-agent filing until Nov. 30 and for an immediate 45-day freeze on signings, lawyers on both sides said Tuesday. The proposal was made Monday to union head Donald Fehr. Under the collective bargaining agreement that expired Dec.

31, which still remains in effect, free-agent filing is scheduled to start Oct 15. "The idea is to stop the train before it leaves the station," management lawyer Chuck O'Connor said Tuesday, the day the new expanded playoffs were to begin. "We don't want to create two different classes of players who signed under two different economic systems. I think it's a constructive step because it allows people to concentrate on the principal issue resolving the dispute." Under the current system, free-agent filing begins either the day after the World Series or Oct 15, whichever is later. About 170 players are eligible for free agency but the total may decrease as clubs exercise 1995 options.

The Major League Baseball Players Associa- said. However, it would appear that Baltimore is a long shot to get him because the Athletics desperately want to keep La Russa and the Boston Red Sox also have expressed a keen interest in the three-time American League manager of the year. Regardless, the Orioles are expected to announce their choice by the end of next week. Himes reassigned to Arizona CHICAGO Larry Himes was removed as general manager of the Chicago Cubs and reassigned as director of Arizona operations and a special assignment scout Himes will relocate to Arizona to oversee the club's new spring training site in Mesa, said the Cubs' new president, Andy MacPhaiL Himes also will scout spring training, the Arizona Fall League and the American League as part of a two-year contract extension. "I anticipate that our new facilities will be utilized 12 months a year, and I feel that Larry is the perfect person to ensure they will be the best in baseball," MacPhail said.

from law firms; universities, including at least one in New England, wanting to discuss teaching positions; a "sizable number of national associations;" and a few national corporations. Mitchell, 61, turned down an appointment to the Supreme Court earlier this year, choosing to remain in the Senate to preside over an effort to enact health care reform He said he didn't "rule out public service" as he contemplates life after the Senate. Johnson to interview for O's job BALTIMORE Davey Johnson gets his chance today to convince the Baltimore Orioles that he's the best man to fill their vacant managerial position. Johnson will be the eighth candidate to interview for the job created by the dismissal of Johnny Oates on Sept 26. Johnson has an advantage over the other applicants in that he is the only one to have managed a World Series winner the 1986 New York Mets.

The Orioles also would love to speak to Oakland manager Tony La Russa about the opening. "That was our intent from the outset," Angelos tion has said it believes owners will attempt to impose their salary-cap proposal sometime between now and Dec. 20, the last date to offer initial contracts for 1995. If the owners put a salary cap in place without an agreement, players predict the strike will continue next spring. Owners also proposed putting a freeze on contract negotiations and lawsuits.

Only two contracts have been agreed to since the strike began, both with the Cincinnati Reds: outfielder Thomas Howard for $1.35 million over two years and infielder Lenny Harris for $1 million over two years. Mitchell preparing for interview WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, retiring at the end of the current session of Congress, said he'll soon be ready to meet with major-league baseball owners looking for a new commissioner. The Maine Democrat said he also expects to listen to a variety of potential job offers in the coming weeks. He said he's received overtures Himes Eagles take wing after suffering the devastation of Brown's death Gary coming home, signs with Dolphins I' From Page 1 Pro Football I A look at where some of the key players from the Philadelphia Eagles of the early 1990s are now: Player Pos. Current teamstatus Keith Byars RB Miami Dolphins Cris Carter WR Minnesota Vikings Jeff Feagles Arizona Cardinals Mike Golic DT Out of football Ron Heller OT Miami Dolphins Terry Hoage Arizona Cardinals Wes Hopkins Retired Keith Jackson TE Miami Dolphins Seth Joyner LB Arizona Cardinals Jim McMahon QB Arizona Cardinals Mike Pitts DT New England Patriots Mike Quick WR Retired Clyde Simmons DE Arizona Cardinals Andre Waters Arizona Cardinals Reggie White DE Green Bay Packers Jerome," Pro Bowl defensive end Reggie White said.

"Would it have turned out like this if he was still around? I don't know for sure, but I doubt it. Things probably would have been different" Things are very different with the Eagles these days. Two years after the bottom fell out Coach Rich Kotite, quarterback Randall Cunningham, cornerback Eric Allen and linebacker Byron Evans are the only members of the nucleus that remain with the team. Once, they relied on unbridled talent Now, they fight to get by on guile with an upbeat attitude that accompanied new owner Jeffrey Lurie. The leaders of what could have been remembered as one of the best defenses ever are gone.

Money was the final factor leading to the departure of White, Clyde Simmons and Seth Joyner. But that only came after the spirit was gone. "Philadelphia was home and the players on the team were my brothers," White said. "But, the way things worked out, there was no reason to stay." Dedicating the 1992 season to Brown, the Eagles went 11-5. But trouble was brewing.

When White became a free agent after that season, the rest of the NFL lined up to grab him. Braman and the Eagles decided not to make an offer and White signed with the Green Bay Packers for $17 million for four years. Tight end Keith Jackson, offensive tackle Ron Heller and running back Keith Byars also jumped ship for the Miami Dolphins. It became obvious Simmons and Joyner would follow when their contracts ended after the 1993 season. Braman made token offers, but they signed with the Arizona Cardinals and Coach Buddy Ryan, who Braman fired against the players' wishes after the 1990 season.

An era, that never really was, ended with the Eagles going 8-8 and lockers being cleaned out. Braman blamed the salary cap and fans blamed Braman's greed. A newspaper poll showed Braman was the least popular person in Philadelphia. Associated Press photo William Fuller led a revitalized Eagles defense by dumping Steve Young and the 49ers on Sunday. until someone is worthy of it.

Simmons and Joyner try not to talk about their Philadelphia days. Lurie claims he would never have let them get away and he wants to bring the franchise to the top. "The only thing I'm interested in is winning Super Bowls," Lurie said. "Like any business, I feel that you have to try to have the best possible team you can. You only go through life once and winning is the bottom line when it comes to football." But thoughts about what might have been still surface and that probably won't change until the Eagles win their first championship since 1960.

"It was great while it lasted," White said. "I try not to look back a lot because a bunch of things happened that were beyond my control. But it's hard because Philadelphia was great. That city deserves a winner." "The change came at a good time," Cunningham said. "Things were not good at all.

It made a lot of people happy." Enter Lurie, a movie producer, with $185 million (the most ever paid for an NFL franchise) and exit Braman in May. Defensive linemen William Fuller and Burt Grossman and kicker Eddie Murray were brought in, wide receiver Fred Barnett matured, and offensive tackle Bernard Williams and running back Charlie Garner were drafted. The Eagles, who upset the San Francisco 49ers 40-8 Sunday, are 3-1 and tied with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants for first place in the NFC East and the wounds are starting to heal. Brown's number (99) has been retired and Lurie said he won't give out White's number (92) A Staff, Wire Service Report MIAMI Cleveland Gary is returning to Miami. The former University of Miami running back signed a one-year contract Tuesday with the Dolphins after rejecting an offer from the Dallas Cowboys.

Gary played for the Hurricanes' 1987 national championship team and set a school record for receiving yards by a running back. He still catches the ball well, which was a selling point with Dolphins coach Don Shula. "Cleveland Gary has been productive in the NFL both as a runner and as a receiver out of the back-field," Shula said. "He'll give us depth at the halfback position following the injury to Terry Kirby." Kirby suffered a season-ending knee injury Sept 25. Gary was a first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams.

In 1992, he rushed for 1,125 yards, caught 52 passes and scored 10 touchdowns. In 1993, Jerome Bettis beat him out as the starter. The Cowboys thought Gary was going to sign a one-year contract as insurance for Emmitt Smith. The Cowboys offered Gary $162,000 plus incentives. Financial terms of his deal with Miami weren't disclosed.

It was the second time this year Dallas thought it had a solid backup to Smith only to encounter problems. The Cowboys announced they had finalized a deal with William Bell of the Washington Redskins only to learn their offer had been topped. Miami waived running back Aaron Craver to make room on the roster for Gary. RB Vardell has surgery, expects to miss season CLEVELAND Cleveland Browns fullback Tommy Vardell had left knee tendon and ligament damage surgically repaired and expects to miss the rest of the season. "I'm feeling fine and taking care of business," Vardell said in a statement released by the team after the procedure by physician John Berg-feld at the Cleveland Clinic.

"I look forward to coming back in 1995." Vardell injured his knee on the third play of Sunday's 27-7 victory over the New York Jets. He was hurt when Jets safety Brian Washington crashed into him to break up a third-down pass over the middle. Coach Bill Belichick said he plans to place Vardell on injured reserve and add a player to the roster. Bucs' Turner honored for punt return for TD TAMPA Vernon Turner made Bucs' history Sunday and added to it Tuesday. Turner became the first Buc to return a punt or kickoff for a touchdown when he took a punt back 80 yards in Sunday's 24-14 victory against the Detroit Lions.

On Tuesday, he became only the second Buc to be named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Roger Jones became the first after his performance in a 17-10 victory against the Denver Broncos last Dec. 26. Turner's touchdown came with 4:48 left in the first quarter and helped spark the Bucs to a 17-0 lead. He returned three punts for 92 yards and also had a kickoff return for 19 yards.

PAT YASINSKAS Oilers nursing injuries, pride after 1-4 start HOUSTON Despite a partially separated shoulder, broken nose and gimpy knee and ankle, Houston quarterback Cody Carlson's condition is no worse than that of Oilers. They were a bickering, embarrassed, angry bunch following a 30-14 loss Monday night to the Pittsburgh Steelers. "I feel like we're the laughingstock of the league," safety Marcus Robertson said. "I'm embarrassed for the offense and the defense and the whole organization." At least the defense isn't criticizing only the offense, as it did earlier this season. There are enough problems for everyone now that the Oilers have dropped to 1-4, the same low they reached last season before reeling off 11 straight victories.

"The only thing we did decently was not give up," Coach Jack Pardee said. "We're struggling right now and we've got to fight through it" Pardee mercifully benched Carlson in the second The Oilers already were playing without starting running back Gary Brown, safety Bubba McDowell and cornerback Steve Jackson. On Monday night, Robertson and linebacker Al Smith scuffled in the locker room after the game. Torretta looking for work, wondering what happened By RICK WARNER of The Associated Press NEW YORK It was a sorry September for Gino Torretta. opportunity in the NFL.

He was scheduled to work out for the Pittsburgh Steelers today. "Hopefully, I'll have a job pretty soon," he said. "I've been throwing and lifting weights down in Miami, so I'm in good shape. I just have to find a team that needs a quarterback and is willing to give me a chance." Meanwhile, Torretta has to watch and wait "It's tough watching it on TV after all these years," he said. "I feel like I should be out there playing.

I was successful in college, and I know I can be successful in the pros. I've seen what it takes to make it in the NFL, and I know I can do it under the right quarterback. They want immediate results." Torretta, who completed nine of 20 passes for 75 yards in exhibition games, wasn't the only Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback cut by Minnesota. The Vikings also released 1989 winner Andre Ware. Winning the Heisman hasn't helped many quarterbacks make it in the NFL.

Last year's winner, Charlie Ward, wasn't even drafted. In fact none of the last seven quarterbacks who won the Heisman have become NFL stars. The last to do it was 1970 winner Jim Plunkett who led the Raiders to two Super Bowl titles. "I don't think it's a jinx," Torretta said. "In a lot of cases, it's just a lack of opportunity." Torretta is hoping for another snapped by Washington.

"I was really disappointed that the streak ended," Torretta said Tuesday during a visit to the Downtown Athletic Club, home of the Heisman Trophy. "It was something every Miami player took great pride in." Torretta also was disappointed when the Vikings released him in late August. He didn't get a real shot with Minnesota, playing in only one game his rookie year and seeing limited action in the 1994 preseason. "It's hard for a quarterback to make it in the NFL right now unless you're a high draft choice with a big contract," said Torretta, who was picked by the Vikings in the seventh round. "Most teams aren't willing to be patient and work with a young Cut by the Minnesota Vikings after their final preseason game, the 1992 Heis-man Trophy winner spent the month working out in Miami and looking for work.

His col a 7 Torretta lege team, the Miami Hurricanes, could have used him on Sept. 24, when their record 58-game home winning streak was Losing to Tampa Bay simply the ultimate indignity for Lions COMMENTARY By MITCH ALBOM of the Detroit Free Press TAMPA There is fertilizer, there is horse manure, and then there is the game the Lions played Sunday. Did I say played? I meant dis-played. They dis-played punts, they dis-played returns, they dis-played snap-counts. They even sent 12 men on the field and couldn't do anything.

This was after Tampa Bay sent 10 men on the field and couldn't do anything. Why not send the Little Rascals out there? Then we'd have a fair fight I should warn any Lions who might be reading this column and I can't imagine why they would, unless they enjoy a good cry to STOP RIGHT NOW! This will not be pretty! I am my city, and my city is boiling. We can only take so much losing to a team that dresses like a Creamsicle. Year after year, it's the same horror. Like being stuck in the movie "Groundhog Day." You wake up, and it's that deja-vu Sunday, against this same sickly Tampa franchise, the one that thought Vinny Testaverde was Joe Montana's first cous- the ever-honest Chris Spielman give his side.

I ask a question, then stand back, in case he decides to destroy something. "It's bieepjing black and white!" he said, his face going red after Sunday's 24-14 loss. "It's that simple! Either you want to win or you don't! We went from being a good football team to being a bad one in two freakin weeks! Nobody needs to make a bieepjing speech! What good does it do now? Save that rah-rah bleep for bieepjing high school BLEEPJ (Pause while he throws helmet and smashes locker.) "Look, either you win or lose. That's It There's no in-between! It's not a magic potion. It's how you prepare and how you play.

We are not playing good football now! We are not playing good football now!" You ever get the feeling Chris Spiel-man should be coaching this team? Well. Let us quietly leave him, because my health insurance doesn't cover death-by-linebacker. But Spielman is right. They are not playing good football, they are a losing team, 2-3 when people expected 4-1, and what burns the most Is that they should be a good team. They have the talent.

Any scout will tell you that So how, on Sunday, do we get this? Terrible passing, terrible pass rush, terrible, horrible special teams. And that's just the first quarter. The Lions had a punt blocked, a missed chip-shot field goal, a fumble near the end zone. And penalties? Here's the audio from Sunday: "Set, hut" Tweeet' WHAT, AGAIN?" The Chiquita banana plant doesn't see this much yellow. Detroit was flagged 12 times, including offside on a kickoff! Huh? The only thing sillier was Tampa's Craig Erickson calling a timeout when he didn't have any.

Knock knock. Who's there? Chris Webber! Was this football or a Bernie's Bloopers rerun? Of course, there was one great moment Barry Sanders breaking one for 85 yards. That almost made up for all the times he was yanked down in the back-field. Oh. Wait Did we mention the historic moment? Until Sunday, the Bucs had never, not since the day they were born and what a day that was, right up there with the birth of the Chia pet returned a punt for a score.

We're talking 1,319 punts without a score. Then Vernon Turner went 80 yards though the Lions for paydirt Ta-da! History in Tampa! That's the only history the Lions make these days. Scott Mitchell, after his worst game yet observed painfully that "we don't seem to want to make the full effort. You have to go all out. We're playing not to lose." And doing a lousy job.

So pass the brooms to clean up the TV sets we've smashed. You can believe one of two things about the Lions: Either they truly are not that good and we were wrong to expect wins over New England or Tampa, they're an 8-8 team, that's it Or Or they are under-achieving drastically, in which case what's happening under Wayne Fontes is worse than Buddy Ryan In Phoenix or Wade Phillips in Denver, because this team has more talent than those. Pick your poison. Clean up the mess. The only good thing about Sunday against the Bucs is that it's over.

Or is it? in, and here are the Lions, amazingly, incredibly and repeatedly going down in orange smoke. Wayne Fontes, the puppet-master of this disaster, began his postgame comments by saying, "We got beat by a better football team." Considering that football team was 1-3 coming in, and had been outscored 70-43, that doesn't say much for the Lions. "We didn't play well on special teams or offense. I'm the coach. Blame me." Don't worry.

We will. No offense to Wayne's happy head, but when a team has this much talent and is this inconsistent where else do you point? A coach's job is to prepare his team to go full-bore from the opening snap. The last two weeks, the Lions approached the opening snap as if it were the "snooze" button on their alarm clocks. I'm beginning to think the worst thing that happened to this team was beating Dallas on Monday night. It went from skinny Elvis to fat Elvis overnight.

Now, at times like these, I like to let.