The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 79

IF The Citizen, Ottawa, Wednesday May 15, 1985, Pages F1-P20 Business Newsmakers General news c)iflJllJuU. Phillips, Walker don't fit in Riders' plans, waived through CFL We're just trying to keep up to the other the price. I'm not resentful and I know a By Tom Casey Citizen staff writer Walker Phillips happen in our offence." Walker, 31, led the CFL in rushing '82 and '83, gaining almost 2,600 yards and scoring 29 touchdowns in those two seasons. In 1983, he rushed for 1,431 yards to set a single season Rider rushing record. Last year, plagued by a foot injury, he ran for only 257 yards.

"Let's just say he burned a lot of bridges behind him," Holtby said. "I thought we could close a couple of trades (Hamilton and Saskatchewan) for him but they never materialized. When we put him on waivers I didn't get one call, not one call. He's now a free agent and can go anywhere he wants." Last season Walker pouted when he wasn't returned to the roster when he recovered from a broken foot and was replaced by rookie Tim McCray. He walked out of practice in protest but came back a day later.

When he was conflict of personalities was a factor. This is not the first time Skip has been cut. Montreal, Toronto and Saskatchewan have also dropped him. "What I deplore is the timing. I'm very disappointed.

We wasted four months in trying to get a deal elsewhere. They knew all winter that Skip wasn't in their plans. "I only can hope I can reach Skip before he leaves for Ottawa. The players are asked to report for May 22 and Skip usually leaves for Ottawa at this time." Holtby said he would have preferred to waive Walker earlier "but I wouldn't have been doing my job as a general manager if I didn't wait until the last possible moment to try to get a trade. But no one showed any real interest in (Riders, page F2) (Related story, page F7) teams.

Phillips was informed three months ago that he wasn't included in this year's plans and was advised to try to make his own deal. Today he is being put through a series of tests by the National Football League's Buffalo Bills and a contract offer may be pending. Walker and his agent J.I. Albrecht realized late last year that they wouldn't be welcomed back. "I knew Ottawa was trying to trade him but at least I expected them to bring Skip to training camp that's the big surprise," Albrecht said from Halifax.

"As I remember the contract, there was a bonus for reporting to camp and in a way I can't blame Ottawa for unloading him now. "It was a judgment call and I respect that. The kid who replaced him (McCray) played well and he'll cost Ottawa half Two years ago offensive lineman Rudy Phillips and running back Skip Walker were among the best in the Canadian Football League. Today they are among the ranks of the unemployed. On Tuesday Phillips and Walker cleared CFL waivers by the Ottawa Rough Riders, along with quarterback Dave Marler and veteran deep back Billy McBride.

The purge was expected. Riders' general manager Don Holtby had been trying to trade Walker and Phillips since Joe Moss took over as head coach in December. "Walker isn't the kind of back Joe wants for his run-and-shoot offence," Holtby said. "We're looking for more of a receiver and for Skip to be successful he needs to carry the ball 25 times a game. That won't eventually back in the lineup, he refused to run back kickoffs.

Phillips, who won Schenley Awards in 1982 and '83, was one of only two import offensive linemen in the league last year. Moss wants to go with an all-Canadian offensive line this year. "That has been the trend in the CFL for the last three years and we're only now catching up to the others," said Moss. "This is not a reflection on Rudy. He's a good guy and a good player.

1 1 1 fi 7 j. I 1 a-- f. I i Flyers 2, Nordiques 1 By Tom Casey Citizen staff writer Astros clobber Expos Astros 10, Expos 0 HOUSTON (UPI) After pounding out a season-high 17 hits, Houston second baseman Bill Doran thought the Astros should have been a little more conservative. "We should have saved some for tomorrow night," Doran said after the Astros whipped the Montreal Expos 10-0 Tuesday night. Craig Reynolds, who had four hits, hopes the Astros can continue to produce this way.

"We're starting to hit the ball well now, and that's a big relief for the bullpen," Reynolds said. Montreal manager Buck Rod-gers said his team has to forget Tuesday's debacle. Rookies Ron Mathis and Mark Ross combined on a seven-hitter and Jerry Mumphrey led the attack with three singles and three RBI. Mathis, 2-1, pitched seven innings, allowing five hits while walking one and striking out two. Ross, just recalled from Tucson of the Pacific Coast League Monday night, pitched the final two innings.

Houston jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second. Phil Garner lined a one-out double off loser Steve Rogers, 2-3. Mark Bailey walked and Reynolds scored both runners with a double just inside the right field line. Denny Walling doubled to centre to open the Houston third and moved to third on an infield out. Mumphrey singled to left, scoring Walling.

When left fielder Terry Francona had trouble picking up the ball, Mumphrey went to second. Bailey singled in Mumphrey to make it 4-0. Houston added three runs in the fourth on an RBI single by Walling and a two-run single by Mumphrey. The Astros extended their lead to 8-0 in the fifth on Jose Cruz's RBI single. Houston scored two runs in the eighth when first baseman Dan Driessen muffed Ross' bases-loaded grounder, forcing in two runs.

Anton Stastny across the face. Brother Peter catches up to Hospodar and cross-checks the Philadelphia defenceman from behind. Hospodar gets two minutes. Peter gets five. "OK, Peter deserved the major but what about Hospodar?" Bergeron replays the clip again.

Then he curses. "Look at that cross-check. Then he slashes Anton. "Why doesn't the league step in? Is that the kind of hockey they want? It has been that kind of hockey throughout the That kind of hockey leads to frustration. "Frustration leads to something worse.

Something ugly can develop. This is disgusting. But I'm proud of my guys and I have to respect the Flyers. It's still up to the league." Tape replay No. 3 saw Philadelphia defenceman Doug Crossman hold Peter Stastny's stick as the two players skated from one side of the rink to the other.

Said Peter Stastny after the game: "I am so frustrated that I am lost out there on the ice." "No wonder we have to score goals with our skates," said Bergeron. "We can't use our sticks." Michel Goulet had a goal, which would have been the equalizer, disallowed with two minutes and Reuter photo Quebec's Mario Gosselin watches Murray Craven's game winning goal sail into net QUEBEC CITY Move over Roger Neilson. Michel Bergeron has replaced him as the National Hockey League's Captain Video. Bergeron was so upset with the work of referee Kerry Fraser following a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday at the Coli-see that the Quebec Nordiques' coach felt only pictures could tell the true story. The win gives the Flyers 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Wales Conference final.

The sixth game is scheduled for Thursday in Philadelphia. Bergeron ignored the traditional post-game press conference to put together a video-tape highlight package. "Look at that look at that," he yelled in the Nordiques' video room as Philadelphia's Ed Hospodar speared Quebec's Peter Stastny in the mid-section. "And, no penalty. Can you believe it? "This is horrible hockey.

Peter is one of the five best players in the league yet because of that stuff Hospodar has been just as effective as Peter in this series. And, get this, Fraser is supposed to be our best official." Then Bergeron rolled replay No. 2. This time Hospodar slashes After a poor game Sunday, Philadelphia goalie Pelle Lindbergh bounced back with a strong performance. Jean-Francois Sauv6 gave the Nordiques a 1-0 lead midway through the second period climaxing some nifty passing while Quebec enjoyed a two-man advantage.

Then he hit the post with four minutes to go. Quebec completely shut down the Flyers for the first 40 minutes. Gosselin didn't have to make a tough save until the 18-minute mark of the second period. Joe Patterson scored a power-play goal for the Flyers early in the third period to tie the game 1-1. Murray Craven's winning goal was on the soft side and it came with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

The Nordiques got trapped on a two-on-one and Quebec goalie Mario Gosselin had the shot go off his shoulder. Although the Nordiques lacked their usual zest, the Philadelphia defence played well, especially Mark Howe. 10 seconds left in the third period. Philadelphia coach Mike Kee-nan thought the goal was called back because of a hand pass. But Fraser explained: "Goulet turned his skate to direct the puck into the net." Fraser had perfect position to make the call and Bergeron didn't complain.

Hospodar was indifferent about the incidents. "If Quebec wants to take penalties that's fine because penalty killing and power plays win playoff games." Oilers smash playoff records in romp over Black Hawks mark. Teammate Jari Kurri tied a playoff record with his third three-goal game and also added two assists. He now has 14 playoff goals. Edmonton, which broke out of a 3-3 first-period tie with four second-period goals, also got scores from Mike Krushelnyski, Dave Hunter, Lee Fogolin, Mark Mes back in the lineup, played hard for 20 minutes.

But they were finally overwhelmed by the Oilers who scored seven straight goals in the final two periods. Edmonton's 10 goals gave them 36, most ever in a playoff series, and the teams' combined 15 gave them 59 to break the two-team total for a six-game series. pair of defeats in Chicago with an offensive performance that tied and broke several individual and team playoff records. Coffey's points were the most by a defenceman in a single game. His ninth goal tied Bobby Orr's record for most by a defenceman in one playoff year.

And his points gave him 25, tying Denis Potvin's single-year playoff sier and two by Wayne Gretzky who was finally freed of his shadow, Troy Murray. Chicago got all its goals on power plays two by Darryl Sutter and singles by Murray, Steve Larmer and Denis Savard. The Hawks, coming off an emotional high from their home-ice showing and with defencemen Doug Wilson and Keith Brown Oilers 10, Black Hawks 5 EDMONTON (CP) Defence-man Paul Coffey had a record six points, including five assists, to pace Edmonton Oilers to a crucial victory over Chicago Black Hawks and a 3-2 lead in their National Hockey League Stanley Cup semifinal. The Oilers rebounded from a Garcia fuels Jays' win Alexander The Ingrate "now Mr. Consistent Jays 6, Angels 3 Jays' pitcher wins steadily with little flash, lots of savvy By Randy Starkman Citizen correspondent Cox laughed at Garcia's mock threat.

"He's going great right where he's at," he said. "He's knocked in some big runs for us." The Jays loaded the bases in the sixth on walk to Ernie Whitt, double by Barfield and walk to Tony Fernandez. Garcia followed with his single to left. Bill Caudill, the fourth Tornto pitcher, worked the final inning to earn his seventh save. The Jays took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Willie Upshaw's RBI double.

Garcia opened the inning with a single and one out later was forced at second on a grounder by Lloyd Moseby. Moseby stole second and Upshaw followed with a sinking liner to right-centre that ricocheted off Reggie Jackson- The next inning the Angels moved into a 2-1 lead on Bobby Grich's third homer of the season, a two-run shot to left which came after Jackson opened the inning with a single. TORONTO (CP) Toronto's Damaso Garcia has some words of warning for manager Bobby Cox. "I'm going on a hunger strike in two days if Bobby doesn't bat me fourth in the lineup," said Garcia, the Jays' leadoff hitter after his bases-loaded single in the sixth inning drove in two runs to snap a 3-3 tie in the Blue Jays victory over California Angels Tuesday night Garcia, who hit a torrid 8-for-13 with seven RBIs in Toronto's three-game sweep of Seattle Mariners last weekend, ripped his single off Jim Slaton, 3-2, with two out to make a winner of Doyle Alexander, 5-1. "One thing for sure is I have more confidence," Garcia said.

"When you have confidence at the plate, everything's going to be all right. "When you win it's nice. Winning is the key." in 46. a great arm and give him Doyle Alexander's knowledge, he might win 35 games," says catcher Buck Martinez. "He doesn't strike out a lot of guys and he won't pitch a lot of low-hit ball games, but he will win 'em all." Oakland outfielder Dave Collins, traded by the Jays in the off-season, is another Alexander admirer.

"He doesn't make mistakes," said Collins. "You know he's going to keep you in the ball games. He's just one of the smartest and most consistent pitchers around." For his part, the low-key Alexander downplays his know-how on the mound. "I do know what most hitters like to hit, but to me baseball is a game of execution. You have to be able to use what you know.

It also involves the way the whole team plays behind you." Alexander has pitched on seven different teams during his 13-year major-league career, including two stints with the New York Yankees. His last stint (1982-83) with (Alexander, page F3) TORONTO In baseball parlance, it's referred to as having a book on the hitters. The more astute the pitcher, the bigger the book. To listen to his teammates and opponents tell it, Doyle Alexander's book has more volumes than the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Alexander has been one of the most productive pitchers in the major leagues since the Toronto Blue Jays signed him in June of 1983, compiling a won-loss record of 29-13.

He has a career mark of 137-116. Doyle, a right-hander, has a 5-1 record this season with a 3.73 ERA, after the Jays 6-3 win over the Cahforia Angels Tuesday. His only loss was here last Wednesday in a 6-4 setback to Oakland, his second defeat in his last 15 outings. While certainly not the flashiest pitcher on the Jays' staff, Alexander is acknowledged as the most consistent. He does not possess Dave Stieb's fastball or Jim Acker's sinker, but he more than compensates with his pitching smarts and savvy.

"If you took a young guy with Rangers to fire Rader: report NT nAt.T as Tpi fAPJ Majority straight defeat by Texas and its ninth in 11 games, dropping the owner Eddie Chiles has decided to fire Doug Rader as manager of Texas Rangers, the Dallas Morning News reports. However, Rader, who is under contract through 1987, will manage the team until a replacement is found, the newspaper says. The Rangers' 4-1 loss Tuesday night in Detroit was the fourth Rangers to 9-21 for uie season, last in the AL West. Rader would not say late Tuesday if he had been informed of the decision, The News said. However, after the latest loss, he said: "I knew that (possibility of being fired) when I got the job.

I can't really say anything about it." CP photo Doyle Alexander delivers wins for Blue Jays.