Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 23

Business Friday, Sept. 28, 1984 ABC looking for new angles with Cubs on playoff telecasts At AL series between the Detroit Tigers and the AL West winner, which begins Tuesday. Should Chicago make it to the World Series, NBC isnt planning to go crazy over the Cubs, or anyone else, for that matter. We plan to go back to the basics, letting the game take over, said Kevin Monahan, an NBC spokesman. Were going with two men in the booth Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola and two men on the pre-game show -Bob Costas and Len Berman.

No booths full of color men, no reporters the stands. Neither network plans to spend much time talking about Chicagos celebrated battle to play its home games during the day. The Cubs successfully resisted overtures to install temporary lights and play their home games at night, which would have made for better ratings and higher advertising revenues. Neighborhood committees Chicago formed to combat the idea and Illinois Governor Mark Thompson pointed to a state statute regarding noise levels at night in the area around Wrigley Field that would have made night games there against the law. All of which may matter to the network executives, but not to people like Lewun Telecasting a playoff game during the day instead of at night makes no difference in the quality of the telecast.

In fact, its probably easier during the day, Lewin said That story is like all the other Cub angles. The best features in the world arent going to make a difference if one of the teams gets completely blown out. If the Cubs and Padres go out and play a good series, well have interesting telecasts If they dont, we won't. CBS Radio's announcmg team for the National League will be Ross Porter of the Dodgers and Harry Kalas of the Phillies. Porter replaces Jerry Coleman of the Padres, who will be doing the games on KFMB San Diegos originating station The American League broadcast team will be Curt Gowdy and Bill White of the Yankees The National League games can be heard on KFMB with the Padres announcers and on KNX (1070) with the CBS announcers KSDO (1130) will carry the American League games.

Luis DeLeon is one of three Padres battling for two roster spots. dd man and Booker battling for final two roster spots DeLeon, Harris By John Maffei Times Advocate Sports Editor SAN DIEGO They all want it, but only two can have it And whats worse is they all know it. Manager Dick Williams decision on who wont suit up for the League Championship Series on Tuesday in Chicago weighs on them like a ton of bricks. Lately, every outing has been an audition. At stake are the final two spots on the Padres playoff roster The suitors are right-handers Luis DeLeon, Greg Booker and Greg Harris, none of whom figure big in San Diegos playoff picture, but none of whom wants to be the odd-man out.

DeLeon is the man who caused the problem. An elbow injury kept throw out the first ball before Game 2 of the playoffs Wednesday Dallas Green, the Cubs executive vice president and general manager, made those announcements Thursday at a Wrigley Field press conference. A lot of people, when I first came here, thought I was throwing out the old tradition, said Green And that's a lot of baloney We worked hard to get this done, and him sidelined most of the 84 season. He spent almost 75 days on the disabled list. But the Padres added him to the roster on Sept.

1 when big-league teams are permitted to carry as many as 40 men. But only the 25 men on the roster as of Aug. 31 are eligible for the playoffs. But it isnt that easy. If it was, Booker and Harris would be home free.

The exception to the rule is hen a man is activated off the disabled list If that man expands the roster, then the team must choose the 25 men it wants for the playoffs In San Diegos case, the decision may come as late as Tuesday af Ernie will be a part of the 1984 Cubs He will be on the bench the whole game Green paused, grinning I know the temptation ill be to throw him out there if we get trouble Banks, now 53, first came up to the Cubs from the old Kansas City Monarchs at the end of the 1953 season and starred until his retirement after the 1971 season He finished with 512 home runs and a 274 ternoon minutes before Game of the League Championship Senes. Weve still got a little time to evaluate the situation, Williams said, whose Padres are in Atlanta this weekend for the final three games of the regular season. Im sure were going to go right up to the last minute and see how these three people respond to certain situations. "This decision isn't really going to be critical to the outcome of the playoffs. In the playoffs, you go with your key people Booker, DeLeon and Harris will be the eighth, nmth or 10th men of the pitching staff and dont figure to pitch unless its a mop-up role Believe me, if you use all 10 lifetime batting average He won the NLs Most Valuable Player Award in 1958, when he hit 313 with 47 homers and 129 runs batted in He repeated as MVP the next year, hitting 304 with 45 homers and 143 RBI "I guess I stand here representing 39 years of Cub players who have not had a chance to be on a championship team, Banks said There has been a lot of frustra By Phil Taylor Kmght Ridder Newspapers While you watched the Chicago Cubs take the obligatory champagne showers after clinching the National League East championship Monday night, you might have thought that the folks at ABC were poppmg a cork or two as well.

After all, its ABC that will televise the Cubs NL Champion-, ship Series agamst the San Diego Padres beginning Tuesday in Chicago, and right now the Cubs are hotter than Dynasty, with almost as many plot lines. ABC producer Dennis Lewin calls them Cub angles. Theres the 39-years-without-a-pennant angle, 1 the Wngley Field-has-no-lights an-, gle, the Rick Sutcliffe-is-16-1 angle, the Ryne Sandberg-is-an-All-Amencan-boy angle. You know the ones That's the problem everyone already knows all the angles which is why Lewin is stopping short of doing cartwheels over the Cubs success Its terrific that the Cubs made it Its definitely better to have a couple of new teams to focus on like the Cubs and Padres rather than say, the Phillies and Dodgers. But doing fresh stuff on the Cubs isn't as easy as you might think.

You cant pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV without seeing a Cubs feature, Lewin said To avoid repetition, Lewm is banking on doing fewer canned Cubs pieces and more stories that feature the immediacy of the game For instance, were going to try to put a piece together during Tuesdays game for Wednesdays telecast, Lewm said "Well either follow someone like Sandberg in the dugout and on the field, or do something on the Wrigley Field fans with the portable camera well have in the stands, depending on how the game goes. The Cubs-Padres series will feature an all ex-jock broadcasting team with play-by-play man Don Drysdale, color men Earl Weaver and Reggie Jackson and Tim McCarver as the roving reporter in the stands McCarver will interview any notable people in the stands, especially ex-Cubs, as well as spending at least an inning or two with the Bleacher Bums ABCs A1 Michaels, Howard Cosell and Jim Palmer will do the Cubs make By Bob Vanderberg CHICAGO Ernie Banks will be on a championship Cubs team, after all Mr Cub, a member of some of the more forgettable Cubs teams of all time and also a member of one of the most unforgettable the 69 club that blew an 8-game lead has been made an honorary member of the 1984 Cub team that No more late-week interviews for Joiner By Don Norcross I Vv SAN DIEGO Every professional athlete has his own little quirks Charlie Joiner is no exception Joiner will not conduct interviews with the media after Wednesday It's a superstition which began in the 1968 pre-season, his rookie year us a defensive back with the Houston Oilers One week Joiner held one of the ew York Jets he's not sure who without a catch The next week ew Orleans Danny Abramowicz burned him 1 think he caught 10 passes, said Joiner He just killed me. I had my feet all crossed up. I was falling down It was terrible And so Joiner decided there would be no more interviews after Wednesday Until last week A writer from Philadelphia came to San Diego to do a story on Joiner The Chargers tried to get hold of the writer to ask him to get to San Diego by Wednesday. They were unable to reach him, and he didnt show up until Friday.

Since he came that far, I figured Id be nice and courteous to him," said Joiner And so what happened? Joiner didnt catch any passes Monday against the Raiders, snapping a streak of 85 straight games during which he had caught at least one pass This week, Joiner went back to his o'd policy Donrd Cosennno T' I men on your staff in the playoffs, you are in some kind of trouble But Im not totally heartless I know what it means to these guys to be on the roster and pitch a game if the situation comes up Thats why we want to make the right decision The right decision wont be an easy one. Booker, DeLeon and Harris have all had their bright moments They also have been less than thrilling at times Up until Monday, DeLeon figured to be the man who would be discarded He had been ripped with regularity, allowing 12 homers in 42 innings not a good ratio In recent games he given Please see Odd Man page C5 tion for fans and players aLke Brickhouse who retired a- the Cubs full time TV voice after the 1981 season, was also presert at Thursday's press conference "This is my 50th year broadcasting he said but it -eems like only yesterday I was listening to Cubs announcers when I was Peoria Fifty years seems Lne 50 minutes catches for 432 vards represent his lowest tctao sir 1974 when he caught 24 passes nr 390 yards while placing with Cm cinnati So if Joiner isr aoproaeb-g Zampese and ash.rg the inev.u ble someone else must Has he lost if1 If he has I haven -potted said Zampese Ernie Banks an honorary member of their '84 team will meet the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series that opens Tuesday at Wrigley Field Not only that, but Banks, who will wear his familiar No 14 uniform and sit on the bench during the post-season games, will throw out the first ball Tuesday And long-time Cubs telecaster Jack Bnckhouse, like Banks a member of baseballs Hall of Fame, will Should the Chargers worry about Joiner? By Don Norcross ivr SAN DIEGO He caught 604 passes in his career Only two players in NFL history have caught more But he caught just one puss the last two weeks and was shut out by the Raiders on Monday for the first time in 85 games And because he 11 turn 37 16 days they are whispering things behind Charlie Joiner back They re wondering if he lost it They're wondering if 16 years of forearm shivers and clothesline tackles have finallv taken their toll Among those wondering is Joiner "I worry about it all the time said Joiner Any body mv age ho plays professional sports has to worry about it It a natural thing a normal thing In truth, Joiner qualities as a worry wart He has a close rela tionship with Ernie Zampese who has been with the club since 1980 and is now the assistant head coach charge of the passing game By Zampese's count Joiner comes to him three or tour times a year seeking assurance His first question is always the same Zamp, have I lost if I think he just wants verifica tion that hes still an integral part of the offense, which he is and has been all through the years said Zampese Joiner has yet to approach Zampese this season, despite hav ing caught just eight passes for lOs yards If joiner continues at that pace hell finish the season ith 32 catches The wide receiver- -Joiner Wes Chandler and Bobov Duckworth have caught 34 Our tight ends have' been very hot the last couple ot weeks We have to get the ball to them Joiner And Earnest Jackson t-had a marv elous three eeks How can you take the ball out ot then hands Joiner is the consummate team player He more com ei nod about the team winning said Zampe-e Please see Joiner page C7.