The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 41

SPORTS Cos Angeles. (Timee San Diego County Wednesday, July 31, 1985 CCyPart II) Mike Downey No Martina, No Chris No Interest? Players Reject Pension Offer by the Owners Sides Appear to Be Far Apart; Ueberroth Weighs Own Bid By KENNETH REICH, Times Staff Writer The baseball owners made a pension offer to the players' union Tuesday, but the union's reaction was that, if anything, it made a major league strike next week more likely. Although the proposal signified that, after eight months of sparring, the sides are finally talking about issues, it was clear that they remain far apart on the numbers. Based on recent salary trends, the owners' proposal, which would peg annual pension contributions to the level of annual player salary increases, would decrease the annual pension contribution. The owners have been paying $15.5 million a year.

The union is asking that the pension contributions continue to be one-third of what management gets from national TV. Under terms of baseball's new TV contract, that would amount to $60 million. Union leaders Donald Fehr and Marvin Miller said that if the owners intend to stick by Tuesday's proposal, a strike next Tuesday is inevitable. Meanwhile, Commissioner Peter Ueberroth said that he may make his own proposals. Ueberroth said in an interview that he had met separately with both sides Monday and Tuesday to explore their positions and determine what avenues may be open.

He said he has not determined what, if anything, to propose, but said again that he will be representing neither the owners nor the players but the millions of fans who do not want a strike. Over the weekend, Ueberroth had said he would not allow a strike. Tuesday, he said that a strike would represent an emergency for the 30 million Americans who listen to baseball on the radio, many of whom are retired or sick people unable to get out personally to attend games. He said that they would lose a cherished part of their lives for an indefinite period. Ueberroth was asked whether there was a possibility that he would ask President Reagan to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, with its 90-day cooling off period, against a strike, a period long enough to last beyond the World Series.

Ueberroth did not answer specifically. But in order to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, the President would have to find that a baseball strike would "imperil the national health or safety." That would seem to be somewhat farfetched and the first reaction from the U.S. Department of Labor Tuesday was that a baseball strike would not fit that criterion. As Ueberroth edged toward full involvement in the dispute, the union's Miller said that in a two-hour meeting with Fehr the commissioner had been "very vague" and that "everybody wonders" what he is up to. He characterized Ueberroth's weekend speech about not allowing a strike as "bombast." Barry Rona, a negotiator for the owners, said that he had no idea what Ueberroth plans to do.

Please see TALKS, Page 9 In the Hewlett PackardWomen's Tennis Assn. Computer Singles Rankings as of 23 Jul 85, to quote the computer printout precisely, the No. 1 player in the world is Evert Lloyd Chris. No. 2 is Navratilova Martina.

No. 22 is Louie Peanut, No. 42 is Smylie Elizabeth, No. 62 is Schropp Myriam, No. 82 is Gerken Barbara, and No.

102 is Gildemeister Laura. Some of these women are in the vicinity this week, playing in Slims Virginia. The problem with women's tennis, of course, is No. 1 and No. 2.

If Lloyd or Navratilova are entered in a tournament, no one else has much chance of winning. If Chris and Martina do not enter the tournament, no one much cares who wins. The players care, though. Mand-likova Hana, who is ranked No. 3, certainly cares.

So does Shriver Pam, who is No. 4. Both are playing in the Virginia Slims of Los Angeles, which is continuing all week long at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach. Friends and relatives of the players also care who wins, as do tournament organizers, coaches, sponsors, sneaker makers and particularly devoted followers of women's tennis. And more people should care, because the tennis being played is first-rate, and the effort being put forth is worth watching.

You go out there and watch these women play, some of them with rackets the size of guitars, and you go home thinking that you have just seen some fine tennis. But unless you have a personal or vested interest, you are sadly indifferent as to who wins. You do not stay awake nights wondering how the Virginia Slims tournament is going to turn out. You do not check with Jimmy the Greek for odds on Zina Garrison vs. Rene Uys.

You do not sit in saloons arguing with bartenders over who's got the better backhand, Eva Pf af or Bettina Bunge. In person, you might root for an underdog. Or you might root for the popular and effervescent Shriver. Please see DOWNEY, Page 11 PATRICK DOWNS Los Angeles Times At 37 and in his 17th preseason camp, Charger receiver Charlie Joiner still considers himself a rookie. San Diego Sportscene Dave Distel ON THE BUBBLE Anyone Can Be Cut That's the Way Joiner and Chargers Look at It "I don't think I've ever thought I had a club made," he said Tuesday.

"I don't take that approach. If I think like that, maybe I won't perform as well as I should or work as hard as I should. I have to think like a rookie or a free agent, like a guy trying to make the club." Understand that this man has caught more passes (657) than any other man in NFL history, and that this man has played in 164 straight games, and this man has been voted his team's most inspirational player for five straight years. How's that for (a) production, (b) dependability and (c) leadership? However, these are transitory times for the Chargers. These are times when fresh new faces abound.

Rolf Benirschke, the placekicker who campaigns to save Please see SPORTSCENE, Page 8 To say Charlie Joiner will not last forever is an untruth. He already has. At least it seems that way. If the average National Football League career lasts four years, Joiner has been an old-timer longer than most players have been players. At 37, the Chargers' wide receiver is in his 17th preseason training camp.

Yet, he is a rookie. That is the way he sees it, because that is the way he has always seen it. He was a rookie, when it meant something to be a rookie, back in the days when a rookie signed for what he could get and quivered when a veteran glared his way or a coach barked his name. He is not a veteran looking for a second childhood, rather a professional looking for a mental edge. SECRETS OF THE Padres Win, Royster 's Key, Everyone Happy Almost ORGANIZING COMMITTEE By TOM FRIEND, Times Staff Writer ATLANTA On the surface, there was so much significance in the Padres' 5-4 12-inning defeat of the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night.

For Jerry Royster He had come up with one out in the top of the 12th with Tim Flannery on third and Tony Gwynn on first. He then lifted a sacrifice fly to left that turned out to be the game-winner. And Royster used to play here. For nine years. Everywhere he went, people patted him on the back.

Everyone here seemed to be on first-name basis with him. "And, you know, the people were happy it was me who won the game," he said. "They didn't boo me. They cheered." For Roy Lee Jackson After Craig Lefferts walked Dale Murphy with two outs in the bottom of the 12th, it was Jackson's game. He's all the Padres have to show for Alan Wiggins right now.

He replaced Lefferts, walked Bob Horner, but then got Terry Harper to ground out. It was his first save as a Padre. "Oh yeah, it meant a lot," he said. "Because if you come through successfully, you feel like you've contributed." For Tony Gwynn and Tim Flannery Flannery led off the 12th with a single, and Gwynn then singled, moving Flannery to third. That set up Royster.

And for a team that's still five games behind the Please see PADRES, Page 9 Going for Gold Takes New Twist Record Profit By KENNETH REICH, Times Staff Writer The Los Angeles Olympics returned a profit of $222,716,000, more than any other sporting event in history. Distribution of the money, which was described as surplus to satisfy federal and state laws on tax exempt groups, soon began according to a formula that had been agreed upon with the United States Olympic Committee in 1979. Forty percent went to the USOC, 40 to Fourth of a six-part series. Excerpted from the soon-to-be-published book "Secrets of the Organizing Committee." Southern California and 20 to the national sports federations, which regulate amateur sports in America. The 40 share going to Southern California was, according to the 1979 contract, to be devoted entirely to amateur sports.

Within months of the declaration of the surplus, however, the sports foundation formed to dispense the money over a period of many years changed its bylaws to allow the use of some of it for the arts, and the legal way was cleared for further such changes. The Games were financially successful in part because they were put on with only Please see SECRETS, Page 4 Dodgers Win It in 9th, 4-2, on Marshall, Sax Home Runs By GORDON EDES, Times Staff Writer For shock value, this had to rank with the "Texas Chainsaw Massa-ere. The Dodgers, three outs away from losing on a ninth-inning run by the Giants, won, 4-2, on two home runs in the bottom of the ninth. The first was hit by Mike Marshall on the first pitch thrown by Giants reliever Greg Minton in the bottom of the ninth. That tied the score, 2-2.

The game-winner was hit by second baseman Steve Sax, his first of the season and second in two years. It came on a 2-and-0 pitch from Giant reliever Mark Davis, a high fly ball that cleared the 370-foot sign in left. Giants outfielder Jeff Leonard watched in disbelief, Please see DODGERS, Page 12 no Mf "7T TWaiMfcaBiilMIMiliMlltfaiMM Associated Press Atlanta's Rafael Ramirez scores when he beats the throw to Padre Terry Kennedy. Time Running Out on Walton Bill Walton's three-month fling with free agency will end today, and it appears that he will remain with the Clippers. Please see Page 2.

Scott Ostler's Column Trainer George Menefee and cinematographer Mickey Dukich, who have been around for a few seasons, pick their all-time Ram teams. Please see Page 3. Angels Lose in 1 0 Mike Davis' RBI double in the 10th drove in Dave Kingman with the winning run as the Oakland A's defeated the Angels, 5-4. Please see Page 11..