The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 90

pi! ft 28 Classified Ads Crossword Comics THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1991 They're Blue On the Bayou Dallas Marches Past Saints BOB HERSOM Reasons Whe Miners Are Finer IRVING, Texas (AP) Hurry back, Troy Aikman, or Stsve Beuerlein may take the Dallas Cowboys to the playoffs without you. Beuerlein, the former Raiders quarterback, threw two touchdown passes Sunday and directed four other scoring drives, lifting the Cowboys to a 23-14 victory over the fast-sinking New Orleans Saints, who have lost four in a row. "It fun to be a part of this," said Beuerlein, who had drifted into Al Davis' doghouse with the Raiders and was traded in August for a fourth-round pick. "I even surprised myself with some of the moves I made out there." The Cowboys, who can control their own wild-card destiny by winning out, increased their record to 9-5 in AP Laesrphoto tries to escape during the Cow Mew Orleans QB Stave Walsh from Dallas' Russell Maryland boys' 23-14 win Sunday. Detroit's Barry Sanders outruns New York's Lonnle Young for a 51-yord TD scamper during Sunday's NFL game in the Silverdome.

Giants Disappear From Playoff Picture Houston, KC, LA Clinch in AFC; NFC Up for Grabs and NFC record. Both teams can make the playoffs by sweeping their final two games. Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas are 9-5, while San Francisco is 8-6. The 49ers aren't likely to make the playoffs if they don't win their final two games, against Kansas City and Chicago and could still fail with a 10-6 record. The Cowboys play the Eagles and Falcons in their final two games.

Dallas can make the playoffs by winning both. If Atlanta beats Seattle and Dallas, it will win the West. If the Eagles beat the Cowboys and Redskins, they also make the playoffs. The same is true if the Saints beat the Raiders and Cards. The Associated Press Five AFC teams are in the playoffs, along with Washington in the NFC.

And the defending Super Bowl champions are gone. When Atlanta beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-14 Sunday, hours after the New York Giants lost to Philadelphia 19-14, the NFL champion Giants (7-7) were eliminated from playoff contention. While the Giants were disappearing, Houston, Kansas City and the Los Angeles Raiders were clinching post-season berths in the AFC. The Oilers routed Pittsburgh 31-6 to take the Central crown, their first. The Chiefs edged San Diego 20-17 in overtime and loss to clinch the home field throughout the conference playoffs.

Miami, 7-6 heading into tonight's game against Cincinnati, can make the playoffs by winning its final three games. The NFC is far more muddled. Only Washington, which has won the NFC East and at 13-1 has clinched the home field throughout tho conference playoffs, is in. Chicago and Detroit are tied atop the Central at 10-4, with the Bears holding the edge in division tie-breakers with a better division can do no worse than a wild-card berth. They trail first-place Denver by one game.

The Chiefs are tied with the Raiders, who lost 30-27 in overtime to Buffalo. The Raiders, however, secured a wild card when Cleveland and the New York Jets lost. But the Jets (7-7), Browns (6-8) and Seahawks (6-8) remain alive for a wild-card berth. Cleveland and Seattle must win their last two games to have any chance. Buffalo already had clinched the AFC East and needs one more victory or a Houston Seven free agents with seven interesting, and sometimes intriguing, backgrounds have signed 88er contracts tor the 1992 baseball season.

The signed seven, all with at least seven pro seasons behind them, are right-handed pitchers Kevin Blankenship, Steve Fireov-id and Bob Sebra; left-handed pitcher Tom Drees; outfielder John Cangelosi; first baseman-catcher Russ McGinnis; and in-fielder-outfielder Chuck Jackson. They have signed Triple-A contracts with the Texas Rangers and will attend major league spring training as non-roster invitees. All seven are expected to play for the Niners next summer. Last summer, McGinnis ripped the 89ers as a hitter and Fireovid ripped Oklahoma City as an author. i McGinnis, a Bartlesville Sooner high school graduate and two-time All-Big Eight catcher at Oklahoma, was the most sensational visiting hitter at Hampton Park (aka All Sports Stadium) last summer.

In 10 games here for the Iowa Cubs, McGinnis hit .441, drove in 10 runs, scored 12 times and had a .618 slugging percentage. Overall, in 20 games against Ni-ner pitchers, McGinnis hit .372 with 17 runs batted in and 22 runs scored. It's about time the 89ers signed him. Fireovid is a different, but no less interesting, story. Last summer, during Fireovid's 14th pro baseball season, his book, "The 26th Man," was published.

In it, he burned a bridge or two in Oklahoma City must stand for bridge in somebody's language). On page 49, Firevoid wrote: "I sat by Chris Marchok or the flight to Oklahoma City, and he showed me his travel guide. He has this thick catalogue which lists places of interest in the fifty states. 'There can't be much in there Jbout Oklahoma I said. "It is, 1 know, the home of the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Yee-ha, It's i good place, too. to buy rhine-Stone shirts and large Chevy belt buckles." Last summer I found the passage interesting because Fireovid ivas born and still lives in (yee-ha) Bryan, Ohio, (pop. 7,879 in 1980). This summer I'll find the passage even more interesting with fireovid likely playing baseball tor Oklahoma City. I hope Fireovid is a good guy a bad sense of timing (and uunor).

I know he's a good pitcher. He's had the second-best j'arned run average in the Association the past two seasons (2.90 and 2.63), and he led the gague in wins (13-8) in 1989. (The 6-foot-6 Drees may be an Wen more intriguing prospect. In 1989 he throw threo no-hitters in fie Pacific Coast League, Yes, and two came in consecu-jve starts in May. two other pitchers have ad that many' no-no's in a pro ieason, and they came in Class A 1952 and in Class in 1908.

Among the other 89er free-agent iJgneos: pitched a one-hit-or in his only Buffalo start (gainst the Niners last summer. an 89er in 1984 and "85, ri Montreal's strikeout leader 1987 including 14 Chicago 3ubs one day at Wngley Flold. Cangelosi, as a non-rostor invito to the Chicago White Sox pring camp in 1986, beat out Ru-iy Law and Daryl Boston for the (farting center field Job. And then 10 broke a 76-year-old American iioague rookie record with 50 sto-on bases. Jackson has a career batting iVerago of .293 in eight minor Queue seasons, To tho Beers' seven signees, I ay, Yee aw, never mind.

Cavs Win, Don't Get Big Points BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The Oklahoma City Cavalry grabbed a much-welcomed road victory Sunday afternoon, but Cavs coach Henry Bibby was not pleased, Oklahoma City, leading by as many as 19 points in the first half, held on to post a 106-102 win over Birmingham in front of 714 fans at Harris State Fair Arena, but the Cavs collected just 4'a standings' points. "We're happy to win the game; but this was a six (standings) point game," Bibby said on his post-game radio interview. "At the end of the first quarter they throw in a 40-footer to tie it, and then we didn't Angels Boost Outfield With Phillies' Hayes MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) The California Angels made the big noise at the winter meetings Sunday, getting Von Hayes in a trade from Philadelphia a few hours after general manager Whitey Herzog launched a face-to-face tirade at Dajiny Tartabull's agent.

The Angels, who traded Devon White to Toronto in the opening deal of last year's meetings, again made the first move. They sent two top minor leaguers, pitcher Kyle Abbott and outfielder Ruben Ama-ro Jr to Philadelphia for Hayes. Hayes, 34. has been on the trading block for several seasons. He played only 77 games last year because of a broken right arm sustained when he was hit by a pitch from Tom Browning, and batted just .225 with 21 RBI.

Hayes has not hit a home run since September 1990. Despite that, the Angels hope he can fill some of the power void left by Dave Win-field, who was let go after having hit a team-leading 28 homers, play smart at the end. "It's good to win on the road, but I kind of jumped them a little because we can't make mental mis-: takes like that. If it doesn't hurt you today it hurts you You have to lot the guys know you have to play smart and hold on to the basketball." Bibby was referring to the final See CAVALRY, Page 19 (Inn Phot by David MeOanltl A Horse of a Different Color San's Star, with Mike Ziegler up. outlasts Energetic Man and Cliff Berry to win Sunday's Horse of a Different Color Purse.

Entries had to be grey or roam. For more on tho final day of Remington Park's fall season, see Pago 15. Soe WINTER, Poo NFC Standings AFC Standings PF PA Horn Awsj APC 0 9-2-0 6-1-0 4-2-0 4-3-0 ,667 400 204 7-0-0 .638 360 876 4-2-0 AFC NFC 4-0-0 0-1-0 4-0-0 6-6-0 3-1-0 0-4-0 2-1-0 6-6-0 1-0-0 3-10-0 Away 7- 0-0 8- 2-0 4-3-0 3-4-0 2-8-0 6-1-0 4-3-0 3-3-0 3-4-0 NFC 3-0-0 3-1-0 2-2-0 1-1-0 0-3-0 3-4-0 4-6-0 3-4-0 6-8-0 1-6-0 4-0-0 1-0-0 1-10-0 260 207 4-3-0 ,357 100 273 4-4-0 ,071 133 320 0-7-0 Woek 15 Results Denver 17, Cleveland 7 Chicago 27 Green Bay 13 N. Eng. 23, Indianapolis 17, OT Dallas 23, New Orleans 14 Philadelphia 19, N.Y.

Giants 14 Houston 31, Pittsburgh 6 Kan. City 20, San Diego 1 7, OT Atlanta 31, L.A, Rama 14 Butlalo 30, U.A, Haiders 27, OT Dotrolt 34, N.Y. Jets 20 San Francisco 24, Seattle 22 Washington 20, Phoenix 14 Mlnn8ot at Tampa Bay Roundups, Page 18 Pol PF PA Norn ,039 4292 163 6-1-0 .043 246 107 3-3-0 .043 206 270 6-2-0 .600 240 243 4-3-0 .288 174 203 2-6-0 Central Olvltlon ,714 260 5-2-0 .714 a01 264 8-0-0 .462 248 241 3-3-0 .814 229 286 2-6-0 .164 168 300 2-4-0 Division 308 204 6-2-0 Mi 287 208 5-2-0 .871 313 211 6-1-0 .214 211 347 2-B-O x-Washlnuton 13 1 Philadelphia 9 ti i Dallas 6 i NY Giant 7 7 i Phoonlx 4 10 i Chlcaoo 10 4 Detroit 10 4 Mlnnoaola a Groan Bay 3 111 Tampa Bay 2 11 Atlanta NowOrloans 9 8 San Fran 0 I lARamt 3 11 4-1-0 2-2-0 2-J-O 8-1-0 6-2-0 2-4-0 2-4-0 1-6-0 8-2-0 7- 4-0 8- 6-0 2-8-0 2-8-0 6-2-0 2- 4-0 3- 4-0 1-6-0 0-7-0 x-Hounton Glavelond PHUburoh Cincinnati 3-3-0 3- 4-0 2- 8-0 0-6-0 4- 3-0 3- 3-0 4- 3-0 ,714 340 213 7-1-0 ,420 260 204 3-4-0 ,387 2S0 324 3-3-0 ,164 211 374 2-6-0 Wmi Olvltlon ,714 263 202 0-1-0 .843 281 203 6-2-0 .643 277 243 6-2-0 ,420 240 2S6 4-3-0 ,214 222 203 2-4-0 2-1-0 2-1-0 2-1-0 4-3-0 4-3-0 3-6-0 6-1-0 4 2-0 3-0-0 0-8-0 9-4-0 7-4-0 7-40 6-6-0 2-6-0 y-Danver y-Koniat City LA RukJirs Seattle Sn Dlogo 2-1-0 2-1-0 0- 2-0 1- 3-0 8-2-0 2-D-O 2-6-0.