Corvallis Gazette-Times from Corvallis, Oregon • 17

Cowo'l'i. Scutoy, iv 21, 497917 I Also in this section: TV, COMICS, OREGON-NORTHWEST NEWS, GENERAL NEWS Pinkston follows Keeter to Nevada-Las Vegas Li l) i 1 i I Pinkston for two seasons of American Legion baseball in Corvallis. In fact, it was Pinkston who nailed down the final victory of the American Legion state championship series for Corvallis in 1977, baffling Roseburg with an assort- ment of breaking pitches." t- "Paul has good stuff and he can win at this level," said Keeter. "He has some adjustments to make because he is facing extremely good hitters." "Pinkston transferred to Nevada-Las Vegas after pitching for two seasons for Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. He "is pitching for Nevada-Las Vegas' semipro baseball team this summer and will make his pitch to make the Rebels' 25-man varsity roster during a By Randy Hammericksen Of The Gazette-Times Lonnie Keeter and Paul Pinkston have added a little Oregon flavor to the baseball program at the University of Nevada-Las VegasrT Keeter Corvallis American Legion baseball coach in 1976 and 1977 assumed his new position as an assistant baseball coach at Nevada-Las Vegas three weeks ago.

And his first project for head coach Fred Dallimore was to lure a pitcher to UNLV from Oregon. It took a week: And Pinkston a former Corvallis High School two-sport athlete was that pitcher. "Fred asked if if I knew of any pitchers from Oregon that might be able to help said Keeter by telephone from Las Vegas this week. "Pinkston was the only pitcher I recommended." Keeter wasn't taking a wild guess in prjecting Pinkston as a pitcher for Nevada-Las Vegas. Keeter coached already," said Pinkston." But there is a lot of difference pitching on this level than on the community college level.

"I've faced hitters in the top five slots in lineups and all five hitters were betteMhaaanyJiiUer XeverJaced in junior college in Oregon. "I'm just trying to keep improving," Pinkston added. "I'm trying to get ready for the fall. Because everything depends on the fall. That's when I have to make it" Pinkston is currently regarded as a walk-on player at Nevada-Las Vegas.

He apartment with Keeter and his wife, Paige, and he has a general maintenance job at the university. "I go to work at 6 a.m. each day," said Pinkston. of the other baseball players are out there, too and that makes it nice. But it gets to be 100 to 115 degrees out -there.

We work foj a while and then we hide for a while to (Continued on page 18) V'Y 1 Jil 40-game tail progranvstarting in September Pinkston won 10 games and lost two for Umpqua last Lonnie Keeter Paul Pinkston spring. "I'm a little over my head as far as adjusting to the sun in Las Vegas, but I feel my pitching has improved Legon edges Albany, 2-1 Chuck Boice Forth Gmntfr-Tims Dangler's message ignites Tate LA sports writer becomes famous DICK MILLER doesn't look like a sports celebrity and the name wouldn't register with most fans outside of Los Angeles, but last week he came within a couple of inches of being the most controversial sports figure of the month and gaining an informal spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Miller is a sports writer for the LA Herald Examiner and one who has covered major league baseball for many years. He also happens to be the official score keeper for California Angels' home games and in that capacity flashed "ERROR" on the scoreboard as fireballer NOLAN RYAN KtntnnaA tn baan a vavtrt-hpAolrintJ fifth A hitter going in the eighth inning against no less than the New York Yankees. It was a potentially momentous game from a baseball history standpoint and the great pressure of the moment had to befreatly heightened by the fact that the game was being watched by tens of millions via ABC and -elaborated upon by no less "a mouth than HOWARD COSELL.

Writer Miller, explaining his call the next day in the Herald Examiner: "It was a II million game for Nolan Ryan. 'I got $50, insulted by the Angels' general manager, phone calls from around the world, obscene gestures from the visiting dugout and Anaheim Stadium an several strangers inquired about my ancestory. "I'd still make the same call. Error for RICK MILLER, a no-hitter for the Express (Ryan) going into the ninth inning of last night's 6-1 victory over the Yankees at Anaheim Stadium. And I still can't get a raise from LEE MACPHAIL.

"You've got a tough boss of the American League said with a grin after my ruling on a line drive to centerfield in the eighth inning by JIM SPENCER glanced off Miller's glove and I ruled it an error for the Gold Glove centerfielder. "I won't work any more Ryan games for under 11,000," I told him. If REGGIE JACKSON hadn't singled cleanly in the ninth i By Randy Hammericksen Of The Gazette-Times Albany's American Legion baseball team had right-handed pitcher Steve Tate of Corvallis teetering on the edge of destruction during the initial two innings. But Tate after listening to an inspirational message delivered to him by assistant coach Dave Dangler of Corvallis found himself in the third inning. And Albany's bats were never heard from again.

Tate allowed two hits and a run in the first inning and blanked Albany on no hits the rest of the way as Richey's Markets of Corvallis edged Draper Brothers, 2-1, in an important Area 3 game Friday night at Taylor Field. The victory solidified Corvallis' hold on first place in the Area 3 standings with one week remaining in the regular season. Richey's Markets improved its league record to 8-1. Lebanon is in second place at 8-2 and Albany follows at 6-3. Tate a slender right-hander who figures to be the ace of Corvallis High School's pitching staff next spring used well-placed fastballs and an effective curveball to no-hit Albany during the final six innings.

He claimed his 10th win against one loss this season. Albany touched Tate for its only run of the game in the first inning when Bryan Henderson singled and scored on a double to right-centerfield by Jason Bethel. A pair of walks had Albany in position to score again in the second inning, but Tate struck out John Thompson to end the inning. "I think Coach Dangler was a big factor in the outcome of the game," said Tate. "I was struggling in the first couple of Innings and he sat me down in the dugout and told me I had to go out and be more aggressive with my pitches.

1 "He said I was being too conservative against their good hitters and that I had to challenge them with my-, best pitches. I guess I needed to hear that because it helped me a lot." After the talk with Dangler, Tate was in control the rest of the way. And he had to be because Albany pitcher Mike Farmer with a year of college baseball behind him at Eastern Oregon College matched Tate's strong -pitching performance. Farmer allowed just six hits to a Corvallis team that has been hitting in double-digit figures nearly all season. Farmer struck out eight Corvallis batters and walked four.

"This was really a heck of a ballgame," said Corvallis head coach Dick McClain. "And it was an extremely important one for us to win. "We didn't have a bad crowd tonight, but there should have been 1,000 to 1,500 people to see this game. This is the kind of baseball you are going to see in the playoffs." The Area 3 playoffs will, start July 30. Corvallis, Lebanon, Albany and Dallas will be the four teams in the playoffs, with the league-champion meeting the No.L4 team in the standings and the No.

2 and No. 3 teams meeting in the other first-round best-of-three series. If one matched season records and the results of the season series between the two teams, Albany doesn't pear to belong on the same field with Corvallis. Albany has a losing season record at 17-24, while Corvallis is 37-6-1. It was Corvallis' fifth win without a loss against Albany this season.

"Albany has had some kids injured and they are just coming backsaid -McClain. Farmer- and-Ron Richardson have missed a lot of games. And those are two pretty good pitchers. "With everybody healthy, Albany was going to be a factor in the area. And now with these people coming back, (Continued on page 18) a score keeper who knew the unwritten rule.

Enough no-hitters are lost on the blooper hits that can't be scored anything else, without taking them away on hairline judgment calls. The opoinion of fans varied. One said that any of the three DIMAGGIO brothers not only would have made the catch, but would have made it look easy. Others thought it was a terrible call. Outfielder Miller: "I've caught that ball many times.

I thought I had it. When I went after it I thought I-had it. 1 looked down in the glove and it wasn't there. I've made that play Pitcher JUM BARR, whoiewed the play from the bullpen in the field: "We all thought he (Miller) should have caught it. He wasn't diving." As would be expected, Spencer took quite an opposite view with "The guy who make that call shouldn't be allowed to be an official scorer." Ryan later was quoted as saying the hoopla in the eighth inning upset his concentration.

Said he didn't want his big one to be tainted. He recalled ROBERTO CLEMENTE'i hit, which was a question of scorer's judgment. "I'd want it clean, not questionable," the Express said. "It just wasn't meant to be a no-hitter." Battered scorekeeper Miller closed off with: "Please excuse me. For the $50 1 still have to spend an hour making out the official report of the game.

It will show an error on the play," Pac-10 football note: The WSU Cougars have had four coaches in the past four years, JIM SWEENEY, JACKIE SHERRILL, WARREN POWERS and JIM WALDEN. Walden gave the Cougar backers what they wanted to hear when he said: "I'm here to fulfill my (four-year) He also has given them a surprising big charge of optimism for this fall It will be recalled that Sweeny quite a legacy an excellent group of recruits. Of the 15 were drafted by the pros and nine made the grade. Last year, only one was left. A fifth-year thrower by the name of JACK THOMPSON.

The throwin' Samoan and Walden, Thompson's fourth coach( hooked up for three wins. As Thompson headed off as the NFL's first quarterback draftee, there were some sighs of relief up and down the Coast.The Cougars had been pesky. On paper, they now appeared much softer and heading for some "rebuilding" years at or near the bottom of the Pac-10. But Walden goes for none of this. In Portland recently, he said the '79 Cougars could win six, maybe seven gamesL He's certainly not banking on much help from a schedule that includes both USC and.

UCLA plus a non-conferencevisit to Ohio State. He says last year's squad was very misleading. He was redshirting 16 freshmen, 10 sophomores and two injured veterans. "We took it on the chin last year because we were (Continued on 19) inning I might have marched into the Hall of Fame with Ryan. I'd be the one on the trial, wearing my tar and feather Cosell, of course, doesn't start from a very strong position in blasting the call.

But that doesn't deter him. A few years ago, before ABC became such a baseball factor, he talked of his dislike for the game and doubt has been expresed as to how much baseball he really has seen. Certainly, he's been around very little compared to the thousands -of games Miller has seen and watched carefully enough to score and report. And some viewers accused him of being pro-New York. They say Cosell would have added to his credibility if he least would have recognized one of the oldest rules of thumb of the grand old game.

Miller stated it quite simple: "Since the days of WEE WILLIE KEELER the unwritten rule is that in case of no-hitter late in the game the pitcher shall receive the benefit of the doubt." More than one no-hitter on the books had an assist from Gaiem-Ttnm fhofo by John CmAef Right-hander Steve Tate peering through a wire fence from Corvallis' dugout pitched Corvallis' American Legion baseball team to a 2-1 win over Albany Friday night. 3 vm 1 Lo Li vrx u-u U3 U2 l3 nrpr? -7 I I A A I I A COmPflnYRERLTY ti JOHNTERRILL BROKER 0 420 NW 2nd 754-6666.