Standard-Speaker from Hazleton, Pennsylvania • 20

a. jj baseball Joe Maddon is carving his niche in oety District 11 title In his Junior year (1971), he was a shortstop and a pitcher. But when he went to Lafayette, Leopard coach Norm Gtgoa switched him to catcher, a move that may have helped to determine Maddon's future. "The positioo of catcher can aid you," Maddon said. "You're watching what everybody else is doing.

You're able to observe things that others cant see. I would always be testing myself, learning the different situations" After be left Lafayette with one year of credits to complete for his degree, he signed with the Angels. He played for three years at Quad Cities, 111., in the Class AA Midwest League and Salinas, In the Class A California League, before a burned-out arm forced him to leave the Angels after the 1978 season. "I was fortunate to play for good minor-league managers," Maddon said, "like Chuck Cottier, the New York Mets' third-base coach; (former major league catcher) Chris Cannizarro, and Moose Stubing. the manager of the Angels' (Class) AAA team at Salt Lake City.

That's partly why I haven't had any surprises as manager. I was, more or less, a bullpen coach. Managers placed responsibility on me. I prepared my mind for managing." No matter what sport Maddon became Involved with be was also quarterback for the Mounts' football team he gave his coaches the impression trial he was destined to become a leader. "I thought there was a possibility that be might become a manager," Morgan said.

"I saw the traits there for that. He had a lot of instinct. Somewhere down the line, I thought this might happen." Although be knows he is not ready to unseat Gene Mauch as the California manager, Maddon also realizes that be is young, In a business that rewards experience. "My first goal was to make it as a player," he said. "But I lost that when my arm went dead.

I'd like to stay here another year or two and then move up. That's my plan. "I'm getting good feedback from my bosses. I BjRICHSCARCELLA Railetac High School baseball coach Ed Morgan remembers a game in 1972 at Pottsville, In tus third season as coach of the Mountaineers, he was impressed by the amount of poise one of his 18-year-olds showed. "One of our infielders faked a tag on one of the Pottsville players," Morgan said.

"And the runner slid in and hurt himself, not seriously, though. At the time, faking a tag was legal. "So their coach comes running out, arguing that it was a bush play. He's going on and on. Then Joe (Maddon) walked over and said, 'C'mon, coach.

He's just a Nine years later, when the 27-year-old Maddon sees one of his players make a mistake, he must remember to tell himself, "C'mon, coach. He's just a rookie." After playing at Hazleton, Lafayette College and in the California Angels' organization, Maddon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Maddon 9 E. 11th is in his first year as manager of the Angels' Idaho Falls rookie team of the Pioneer League.

He is the youngest manager in professional baseball. "It's tough sometimes when you have to repeat yourself on the simplest things day after day," Maddon said last week from Idaho. "It could be frustrating." Especially when you have 11 18-year-olds on a roster that includes Wayne Larker, 23-year-old son of former Beaver Meadows ballplayer Norm Larker, and Dick Schofield son of the former major leaguer and the fourth overall pick in the amateur draft last June. "Oh, yeah. I still love it, said Maddon, who also heads the scouting for the Angels in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

"You can teach and teach. But once it takes effect, it feels great. Once they do start putting things together, it is very gratifying." As it must have been at the beginning of the season when the Angels were 8-2. But now, with Idaho Falls at 21-34, including 6-25 on the road, and nine games tram first place with 15 left in the season, Maddon finds himself telling bis players bow to deal with defeat "You try to teach them the; cant get up after good performances," Maddon said, "and they cant get down after bad ones. There's always tomorrow.

Consistency is the key to the game. "It's so much a mental game. Eventually, things have to come naturally. When you start thinking on the field, that's when you start to make mistakes." Like missing the cutoff man, backing up bases, the little things of the game that are called fundamentals. But another side of baseball has to be taught, too.

That's how to deal with the 12-hour bus trips to road games in Canada, the cheap hotels and the loneliness of being away from home for the first time. "The biggest adjustment for players is the indoctrination into the organization," Maddon' said. "The rules and regulations, the dress code. You'd be surprised by bow many little things they don't know. "You're also dealing with kids away from borne for the first time.

I have to teach them bow to adjust to life itself and also to baseball, bow to prepare themselves to come to the ballpark and play a game everyday." That's an area in which Maddon has some background. He worked at the Charity Home In West Hazleton from January to June in 1980 as a counselor. "It taught me to understand the problems of young people," Maddon said. "It taught me more patience." So did Morgan. Maddon said the Mountaineer coach "taught me how to relax" while playing.

"He personified the relaxed but intense ballplayer," Morgan said, "which, at the same time, is tough to do, Joe was probably the most knowledgeable player I've ever had. Few kids had the inclination to the game like he did. "He had the attitude of wanting to learn. He was receptive to anything I might tell him." When Maddon played for Hazleton, which won its hope to move up to the majors eventually Joe Maddon New BB playoff format announced Standard-Speaker FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1981 Page 20 Sipe unhappy with Qui tween teams with the two best records overall," added pitcher Doc Medich. "Teams that play well all year shouldn't be penalized." Kuhn admitted that "various other possibilities such as a bye (for a two-time division winner) were considered, but nothing else besides the bye was considered seriously.

"We felt a bye would take a team out of action for eight days and it could take several more teams out of action. It was possible that all four divisions could have been out of action for eight days." Kuhn added that since baseball "must have set dates scheduled for the playoffs," and that those dates had to be set almost immediately, giving a team a bye "didn't seem like the way to go." The commissioner also had to consider baseball's committment to television that there would be playoff games on certain dates. "Basically we will run an early afternoon game, a late afternoon game and a night game, say at 1 p.m. EDT, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.," he said.

"Of course, each of the slots can have two games. "And if the timing was right, there could be four games on in one day The divisional playoffs will start Oct. 6, with the league championship series opening Oct. It and the World Series scheduled to begin Oct. 20.

circumstances, a team could benefit by losing particular games. Kuhn was harshly criticized by Cincinnati Reds President Dick Wagner. "As the architect of the split season and the leader in promoting this recent decision, the commissioner must take full responsibility," said Wagner, whose team finished second by a ilf-game in the NL West to the Dodgers in the pre-strike season. "It was a situation that required surgery and was treated with bandaids. The change is simply an easy way out and whitewash by baseball's leadership.

The integirty matter was not addressed fully, as it might have been. Apparently other considerations are more important than integrity "We began considering a new structure at the time of the All-Star Game when we first heard of the flaw, which I call the 'Baltimore said Kuhn. What concerned Kuhn was that a first-half runnerup, say the Baltimore Orioles, might be too far behind in the second-half to win that portion of the division race. But, by intentionally losing games to the Yankees, the Orioles could help ensure that New York wins the second half, too. And, if the the Orioles wound up with the second-best overall percentage in the AL East, they too would make the playoff s.

"We had the answer by the end of last week," said Kuhn, "with the players being given it on Monday. They went through theiMiecessary procedures and, I am told, overwhelming approved the new plan." The executive board of the Major League Players Association was polled by telephone on Wednesday. The new format calls, for the second-half runner-up to host the double-winner in the first game of the divisional playoffs. The next four games would be played at the field of the two-time division champion. "The adjustment of the Division Series was made solely to eradicate any possible question of integrity, which must be preserved at all times," said Major League Baseball's statement.

"There was no intention of changing the basic split-season format." Several members of the Texas Rangers, who were second to Oakland in the AL West in the first portion of the season despite losing one less game than the A's, weren't happy with the new plan. "I don't like it," said pitcher Jon Matlack, the team's player rep. "it makes the first half meaningless except for the first place teams. Oh, well, it makes it more interesting to make up the rules as you go along." "They should have the playoffs be By BARRY WILNER AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) Major league baseball announced a new split-season playoff structure Thursday, with division runners-up in the post-strike season advancing to the divisional playoffs if the same team wins both halves. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn was heavily criticized in some quarters for the new format.

An announcement made by Kuhn, American League President Lee MacPhail and National League President Chub Feeney, said, "This revision eliminates the outside possibility that a club losing a game or games toward the end of the season would thereby qualify as a wild card team for the new Division Series." Both the original split-season format -conceived at the end of the 50-day players' strike and the new plan call for division winners each half of the season to meet in a best-of-f ive divisional playoff. The New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, all first-place teams on June 12, when the strike began, were declared first-half winners. The division playoff victors will advance to the league championship series. The survivors go on the to World Series. The original plan called for the team with the second-best percentage for both entire season to qualify for the playoffs if the first-half division champ also won the second half.

But there was a problem with this plan: under the right "puff piece" that describes Sipe as a quarterback and talks about his love of 'surfing. The story appeared with four photographs in the magazine's sports section. "The article does not pass itself off as an interview," said Peter Wolffe, Oui editor in New York. "It's a very complimentary profile." One of the quotes was attributed with the phrase, "Sipe once confided to a reporter." Others are not qualified, however. Playboy recently sold Oui to Goshen Litho Co.

of New York. The September issue, was the last one put out by the original staff. KENT, Ohio AP) Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Sipe, whose passion for privacy is no secret to any of his fans, is perturbed that Oui Magazine ran an article about him in its September issue. Sipe, 32, said Wednesday at the Browns' training camp at Kent State University that it's not the content of the article that bothers him. He says he wasn't interviewed by anyone from Oui, a men's magazine until this month owned by Playboy Enterprises Inc.

"Obviously, they did an in-depth article on my character by rewriting other stories that have been published about me without ever talking to me which doesn't seem right," Sipe said. "I don't particularly like being associated with that magazine, but I know it's a Catch-22 siouation. The more I complain, the more it probably will sell. So they have accomplished what they set out to do, at my expense," said the 1980 National Football League's Most Valuable Player. Paul Engleman, a Playboy spokesman in Chicago, said the article does not say that Sipe was interviewed by the writer, a freelancer named John Hyduk.

But Hyduk quotes Sipe liberally throughout the three-page story. Engleman said he didn't know whether Hyduk requested an interview. "The reporter does not indicate he interviewed him, but I can see where you get that impression," said Engleman, who said it seemed the quotes were gleaned from other stories. "If that's the case, it's a pretty sloppy job," he said. Engleman described the story as a Braves hand Mets 6-4 loss 2 HHS teams joining the EPC Baseball Standings By The Associated Press, The Hazleton Area School Board last night approved the entrance of the Hazleton High School girls' basketball team into the East Penn Conference for the 1982-83 season.

The move came following a decision by the board earlier this year, allowing the Mountaineer wrestling team to join the EPC for the 1983-84 season. "They've (EPC athletic directors) have been waiting about six months for our decision on entering the league," Hazleton athletic director Joseph D'Andrea said last night. "I couldn't get any word from our board. We'll find out Thursday at the conference meeting at Bethlehem Liberty about the girls' (basketball) team. They already approved the wrestling team." D'Andrea said the possibility of other Hazleton teams joining the EPC has not been discussed.

He also said that the decision for the girls' team to move to the EPC dealt with the Mounts' schedule. "The competition was the reason," he said, "not that we've been burning up the Anthracite League. But the East Penn Conference is all triple A schools: The Anthracite League is very small. "We tried to line up North Schuylkill League teams but their schedules were filled. Our exhibition games were quite a distance away." Mountaineer wrestling coach Don Rohn said his team is changing its affiliation from the North Schuylkill League for the same reasons the girls' basketball team is.

"The East Penn Conference is much more competitive," Rohn said. "We'll wrestle mostly triple A schools there. Now we're competing against double A and A teams. Other than North Schuylkill, there's not much else in the league. "North Schuylkill As excellent.

But eight or nine matches are not very exciting for the fans. It's hard to get the kids up for those matches." Hazleton, which owns a 22-match unbeaten streak in the Schuylkill League and has won the league title two straight years, has compiled a 63-13 record in Rohn's four years as coach. "I would (ike to wrestle North Schuylkill every year," Rohn said. "It's a heck of a rivalry. It's nothing against the other schools, but they're smaller." NFL Exhibition Standings CFA to decide on NBC pact today ATLANTA (AP) Phil Niekro yielded six hits in seven innings and Glenn Hubbard hit his fourth home run of the season Thursday, giving the Atlanta Braves a 6-4 victory over the New York Mets.

Niekro, 5-4, survived a streak of wild-ness in the second inning, when the Mets got two of their runs, and led the Braves to their seventh victory in 10 games since the end of the baseball strike. Hubbard led off the second Inning with his homer, off New York starter Greg Harris, 2-3. Hubbard also drove in a run with a fielder's choice grounder in the third. The Braves got a run in the first when Brett Butler, called up earlier in the day from Richmond, reached on a rare fielding error by second baseman Doug Flynn, moved to second on Claudell Washington's grounder and scored on Bob Horner's bloop single to right. Hubbard's homer gave Niekro a two-run lead, but the Mets tied the score in the third when Niekro developed his spell of wildness.

After Mookie Wilson was hit by a Niekro pitch leading off the third, Frank Taveras beat out a bunt single. Hubie Brooks walked to load the bases with nobody out, and Dave Kingman's grounder scored the first run. After Ellis Valentine filed out, Niekro walked Lee Mazzilli and John Stearns to force In the tying run. National at AUanU NEW YORK ATLANTA abrhbl abrhbl Wilson cf 4 2 2 0 Butler If 4 2 11 Taveras ss 5 1 3 1 Wshgtn rf 4 12 1 Brooks 3b 4 0 0 0 Horner 3b 1111 Klngmn lb 5 0 0 1 Chmbls lb 4 0 1 1 Valentin rf 4 0 1 0 Murphy ct 2 0 0 0 Maiillll If 2 10 0 Hubbrd 2b 4 1 1 2 Stearns 3 0 11 Camp 0 0 0 0 Flynn 2b 3 0 0 0 Benedict 4 0 0 0 Jrgnan ph 10 10 Ramln ss 4 0 0 0 Harris 1 0 0 0 PNIekro 2 0 0 0 Hodges ph 1 0 0 0 Asslstn ph 1 0 1 0 Leach 0 0 0 0 Miller pr 0 10 0 Cubbag ph 1 0 1 0 Royster 2b 1 0 0 0 Bollano 0 0 0 0. Sesrsge 0 0 0 0 Miller 0 0 0 0 Staub ph 10 0 0 Marshall 0 0 0 0 Total IS 4 I I Total SI New York 002 100 010- 4 Atlanta 112 000 2D- E-Flynn.

Wilson, Taveras. DP -New York 1. Atlanta 1. LOB -New York Atlanta 6 3B-Wlleon3 MR -Hubbard (4). SB-Maullll, Stearns, Miller.

IP ER BB 80 New York Harris L.J 3 4 4 110 I-each 3 0 0 0 1 0 Boltano 1 I I I I 0 I fiearage 13 10 0 I 1 Miller I 0 0 0 1 I Marshall I 0 0 0 0 Atlanta PNIekro W.S-4 7 1114 4 Camp S.ll 1 1110 1 HHP -By PNIekro (Wllaonl. WP Searage Balk Harris 26. A 4.787, NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST Pet. GB St. Louis 6 2 .750 New York 6 4 .600 1 Chicago 5 5 .500 2 Montreal 4 4 .500 2 Pittsburgh 3 7 .300 4 x-Pniladelphia 2 7 .222 4 WEST Houston 7 3 .700 Atlanta 7 3 .700 ClnclnnaU 5 4 .556 14 x-Los Angeles 5 .500 2 San Francisco 5 5 .500 2 San Diego 2 8 .200 5 x-First-half division winner Thursday's Game Atlanta 6, New York 4 Only game scheduled Friday's Games San Francisco (Griffin 5-6) at Chicago (Kravec 0-3).

2:35 p.m. San Diego (Mura 4-0 and Lollar 1-5) at Pittsburgh (Bibby 4-3 and Rhoden 6-1), 2, Montreal (Gullickson 3-6) at Atlanta (Perry 6-4), New York (Zachry 6-7) at ClnclnnaU (Soto7-6), Houston (Sutton 5-7) at Philadelphia (Eapinosa 2-5), 8:05 p.m. Los Angeles (Reuss 6-3) at St Louis (Andujar 3-3), 8:35 p.m. AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST Pet. GB Detroit 7 3 .700 Toronto 4 600 1 Milwaukee 7 5 .583 I Baltimore 5 5 500 2 x-Ntw York 4 6 .400 3 Boston 4 4 400 Cleveland 4 1 333 4 WEST Oakland 6 3 .667 Sesllle 7 4 63 Chicago 4 600 Texas 5 4 .556 I Kansas City 5 6 455 1 Cslllornla 6 333 3 Minnesota 8 273 4 x-Flrst half division winner Thursday's Game Baltimore 1- Oskland 4 Cleveland 6.

Seatllt 5, 14 Innings Only games scheduled Frtday'i Games Chicago (BaumgartrnMor Lamp I) al Toronto IStlebSSI. I Kansas City IGura 51 al New York (Rlghettl SI), 8pm Teias (l)arwln 7 51 al Detroit (Lopei 411. Ipm Minnesota (Williams 151 at Mllwsukea (CsldwelllSl.a 15 pm Clevrlsnd (Wslts ill at Cslllornla (Forschl Jl, 10 30 Bslllmort Ipslmer 151 at Oskland (Kln(manS4l, 10 30pm Boston (Tudor 1-31 al Seattle I Par roll SSI, 10 33pm. By ED SHEARER AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) The College Football Association's showdown with the National Collegiate Athletic Association over football television rights comes to a head today when the CFA decides whether to ratify a contract with NBC television. Friday's vote will not be binding since CFA members will have the right of reconsideration.

The CFA'i executive board met Thursday night to go over the agenda but made no move on a proposal to change the reconsideration vote date from Sept. 10 to Sept. 1. "We're probably going to leave it up to the membership to vote on tomorrow," said Charles M. Nethas, executive director of the CFA.

Nelnas declined to speculate how Friday's vote might go. "Both numbers and names are important," he said, In the event of a close vote when the memberships convenes behind closed doors. The network has offered a four-year package worth $180 million to the 61- Milner for Montanez American Conference Eastern Division PF PA Pet. New Englnd 2 0 0 51 37 1 000 Miami 2 0 0 44 20 1.000 Y. Jets 1 1 0 53 28 .500 Baltimore 0 2 0 40 44 .000 Buffalo 0 2 0 24 34 .000 Central Division Cincinnati 2 0 0 54 37 1 000 Cleveland 2 1 0 611 55 .667 Houston II 0 20 37 .500 Pittsburgh 11 0 SS 67 .500 Western Division Oakland 1 1 0 31 50 .500 Kansas City 1 1 0 23 16 .500 San Diego II 0 41 40 .500 Denver 0 2 0 21 57 .000 Seattle 0 2 0 45 57 .000 National Conference Eastern Division Washington 2 0 0 43 23 1 000 St Louis 2 0 0 42 31 1 000 Y.

Giants 2 0 0 43 24 1.000 Philadelphia II 0 46 33 .500 Dallas 0 2 0 38 54 .000 Central Division Green Bay 2 0 0 15 31 1 000 Detroit 1 1 0 41 44 500 Chicago 0 2 0 7 3 .000 Tampa Bay 0 2 0 33 41 .000 Minnesota 0 2 0 19 47 .000 Western Dlvudo New Or lens 2 0 0 51 JO 1000 San Francsc 1 1 0 55 55 .550 Los Angeles II 0 54 56 500 Atlanta 1 2 0 47 61 .333 Friday's Games Los Angeles at San Diego, p.m. Saturday's Gamea Houston at Tampa Bay, 7 m. Miami at Detroit, 7 m. Cincinnati at Chlrago, 7 m. Buffalo al Cleveland.

7 30 p.m. Jets at Giants. m. Washington at Baltimore. I p.m.

8t Ixwls at Kansas City. 8 SSpm. Seattle at San Franc laco. m. Pittsburgh at Dallas m.

Atlanta al Minnesota. Green Bay at Denver. JO Sunday's Games New Orleans va. Philadelphia It Syracuse. I Oakland al New England, i m.

member CFA, with each school guaranteed at least SI million and two TV appearances during the 1982-85 period. The NCAA has said CFA members will be subject to disciplinary action If they adopt the CFA-NBC proposal, rather than going along with a $263 million deal over the same period that the NCAA has worked out with the other two major networks, ABC and CBS. feet that our plan is better for them than their own plan, not strictly In financial terms but in all respects," Wiles Hallock said Thursday after arriving in Atlanta to present the NCAA package to the CFA delegates Friday morning, Hallock, the commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference, Is the chairman of the NCAA Television Committee that worked out the agreement with ABC and CBS. Hallock declined to go Into detail about Just what he Would tell the CFA members, but said: "I will express some opinions relative to our plan versus theirs. I believe the two plans are very close financially once we negotiate the supplementary series to accommodate cable and other pay TV media." The CFA, formed on year after the NCAA voted In restrictions on scholarships and coaching staffs at Its 1975 convention, is composed of 17 major Independents and five of the nation's major conferences the Atlantic Coast, Big Eight, Southeastern, Southwest and Western Athletic.

PITTSBURGH (AP) Pittsburgh first baseman John Milner has been traded to the Montreal Expos In exchange for first baseman Willie Mon-tanez, the Pirates said Thursday. Montana, a .275 lifetime hitter, batted .177 with no homeruns and five RBIs In 28 games with the Expos this season. He originally was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies In 1965, and played with the Giants, Braves, Mets, Rangers and Padres before Joining the Expos lost year. The Pirates acquired the 31-year-old Milner In 1977 from the Rangers, along with pitcher Bert Blyleven. In 34 games this year, Milner was bat ting .237 with two homeruns and nine RBIs.

In 11 seasons with the Mets and Pirates, he compiled a lifetime .259 batting average. "Montanez hasn't played that much over there (this year), and from what we know about htm, he needs to play from time to time to keep sharp," Pirate executive vice president Harding Peterson said Thursday. "I think he's the kind of player who needs to play a lot to do the job, and for the makeup of our club, we need somebody who could possibly play more than what Milner played for us," Peterson added. The Pirates said the trade Is effective unmcdlatcly. Stanford football coach Paul Wlggtn started at both offensive and defensive guard for that team In 1954, 1956 and 1954..