The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • 58

r-Ty-Hy rryW'y r--1 I 1M' -'HH ALSO IN THIS SECTION: CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW PAGE 01 THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1990 Wasem says he, program got shafted By I lowie Stalwick Staff writer Jim Wasem had prepared himself to expect the worst concerning Eastern Washington University baseball, and that's just what he thinks he got the worst. Wasem, who coached the underfunded Eagles the past nine years, said he learned of the school's official decision to drop baseball and wrestling when he heard it on a local television newscast Monday night. Wasem said the news surprised him in more ways than one. The coach had originally said only a near miracle could save his program, but he said a conversation with Athletic Director Darlene Bailey last Wednesday gave him renewed hope. She had so much furor raised from people who didnt want it i dropped, I thought she was caving in to the pressure, Wasem said.

She said, Im going to go to the president and ask for 12 full rides (scholarships) and a SI 50,000 budget. Bailey says Wasem misunderstood her. According to Bailey, she only discussed with Wasem what type of funding would be necessary to make the Eagles competitive, then relayed that information to Felder Friday. Throughout this process, Ive been trying to educate our administration about what it would take to fund a baseball program that would be competitive in the Pac-10, Bailey said. It was Bailey who recommended May 30 that baseball and wrestling be dropped because of a projected $175,000 shortfall in the 1990-91 athletic budget.

On Monday, Felder followed through on Baileys recom- i mendation. Easterns baseball and wrestling programs were extremely underfunded for an NCAA Division I school. Baileys recommendation to drop the sports, particularly baseball, created an uproar. Mondays official decision to eliminate baseball and wrestling permits Eagle athletes in those sports to transfer to any college and become eligible immediately. Wasem has been trying to place his players at other schools since May 30.

Wasem and J.D. Sollars, Easterns football recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach, said all three Eagles who play baseball and football may transfer to a school that offers both sports. The three are shortstop-cornerback Jackie Kellogg, who redshirted as a freshman in both sports this past Please see EASTERN: D3 Foreman worth a few chuckles, and admiration He probably has a harder jab than Buster Douglas and a harder body than Buster Mathis but beyond that it's tough to draw conclusions about the resurrection of George Foreman. It was enough for me that on Saturday night at Caesars Palace Curious George plowed through the latest stiff of the month, a willing target named Jose Adilson Rodrigues. It took longer to say Jose Adilson Rodrigues than to knock him out.

It was a boost to old fat guys -everywhere but if any of us believe that this puts Foreman on equal footing with Mike Tyson, then we probably have to believe in that other popular fat guy, too. Santa Claus. Remember the rope-a-dope, Muhammad Alis fight plan 16 years ago in Zaire? George was the dope. Still, any man who has learned how to laugh at himself and win has something going in a sport that needs all the help it can get. Ever since Floyd Patterson went down for the last time the heavyweight division has been ruled by tiresome windbags.

The years have given us too many championships and too few champions. Foreman has come back as a jabbing counterpoint to heavyweight turmoil, a reminder to a leaner and younger America that here is an unlikely hero who traded youth for a mountain of cheeseburgers and lived to tell about it. George is Slapsy Maxy in his prime, Rocky Graziano in the twilight, a man who never misses a meal or a chance to make fun of somebody who cries out to be made fun of. Namely, himself. His hands may not be that fast but his food is.

He has beaten the best of them to the paunch. Thats enough for me. Im a fan. Im a fan who wishes George could continue defying Father Time by wading through every young tough boxing can throw up but reality gets in the way. The toughest guy in the world aint fortysomething.

Once upon a time thats how most fairy tales start Foreman had one of the the worlds great bodies. Now at 41 and weighing in at somewhere between 250 and beyond the limit of conventional bathroom scales, he has evolved into an avuncular Rocky of the 90s. He looks like Uncle Fester. His head looks like a third glove. OK, but its a wise man who parries criticism with the ease of a pittypat jab.

George has taken the tack that sticks and stones and possibly a Tyson hook can hurt but names, well, the best defense is humor. Thats at least part of the definition of genius. Youve seen the Foreman quotes. They were saying I only fought guys who were on a respirator. Thats a lie.

They had to be eight days off the respirator. I was so poor I tell everybody we had to leave out one and the r. We was po You know where my money went. I put it in my mouth. Say what you want about me.

Im old, Im fat. Im bald. But one thing youve got to say: Here I is! Someone said if George wants to come back as the prodigal son he better stop looking like the fatted calf. I said I didnt know they knew so much about Sunday School. Then I looked in the mirror and, boy, they were only saying that because its true.

Accepting that, bring on the next fight even if it has to be another King-Arum doubleheader with Tyson and another convenient target. Foreman and Francesco Damiani are to go at it on Sept. 8 in Las Vegas, with Tyson and Alex Stewart in the feature. Alex Stewart? Oh well, Damiani is the toughest hurdle in Georges 22-bout demonstration of middle-age power. I remember him as a banger and a north-south kind of plodder who will leave himself open to the thunder in Foremans gloves.

I look forward to Georges next appearance. Maybe its the reminder of the power that was. Maybe its the chance to watch an old guy whos still hungry. Or maybe its just the violence. Foreman can joke all he wants, Ill listen, but the combination he used to take out Rodrigues was a jab-elbow-cross.

Foreman caught Rodrigues with an elbow. I felt sorry for Adilson Rodrigues. Here was this old man doing a number on his face and nobody seemed to care that none of George Foremans flab resides in his elbows. If they were like me they were caught up in the admiration. Mieskes grand slam revives Indians walk, but he was fully aware of Cardenas talent.

Hes an impact player, Glynn said. Glynn and Royster had considerable praise for both teams, particularly the hitters. Spokane outhit Yakima 15-10 Tuesday, and the clubs combined for 43 runs and 54 hits in two games. The Indians made the trip to Bellingham without three of their opening night players third baseman Paul Gonzalez, and Tirson Perez and Jeff Huber, pitchers who were added to the roster for the first two games. A last-minute arrival in Spokane who remains with the Indians is Kevin Farlow, a shortstop from Cal State-Fullerton.

As expected, the parent San Diego Padres promoted Gonzalez after one game and demoted Perez and Huber. Gonzalez has joined the Charleston (S.C.) Rainbows in the Class A South Atlantic League, and Perez and Huber will play for the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Padres in the rookie-class Arizona League. Pitcher Ted Devore, attempting a comeback after a one-year retirement, flew to Scottsdale to work his way back into shape. hit a career-high .281 as a senior at Maryland this spring. His game-winning hit was a looping single that he sliced to right off Jorge Cantres, who entered the game in the 10th.

I just fought off a fastball, Meury said. I didnt rip it by any means. I guess itll look like a seed in the box score. Garrett Beard, who briefly provided Yakima with a 3-2 lead by ripping a two-run double in the third, keyed a four-run seventh by lining a two-run single to left off Spokane reliever Rob Hays. Yakimas 7-5 lead grew to 10-5 one inning later when the Indians intentionally walked Beard with two out to load the bases for Daniel Cardenas.

The Bears cleanup hitter had struck out three times, but he crushed a piped 3-2 fastball by Bruce Bensching for a double to left-center that cleared the bases. Hed struck out three times, so I wasnt surprised they did that (intenionally walked Beard), Royster said. But Daniel Cardenas is an RBI guy. Hes been an RBI guy all his career, so I didnt mind having him up with the bases loaded. Spokane manager Gene Glynn poked fun at himself for ordering the intentional his fourth of the night, was a wicked one-hopper off Branconiers right thumb that forced him out of the game.

Yakima manager Jerry' Royster then looked to Perez for relief, but all he got was anguish. Perez walked Darius Gash on five pitches to force in a run, then fed Mieske a high fastball that got a whole lot higher as it left the park in the direction of Montana. Mieske, who tied a league record for outfielders by recording three assists in Mondays season opener, scored three runs. He walked twice and doubled in the 10th. Hes got such quick hands, Meury said.

Hes a disciplined hitter. I can see him moving up fast. Every facet of his game is polished. Hes a great defensive right fielder, and hes a gamer. Big Bill Ostermeyer sparked the Tribe early with two of his four hits.

He stroked a two-out, two-run, bad-hop single in the first and a two-out, two-run, 400-foot homer in the third. You love having guys like Matt and Ostermeyer up there at the plate, Meury said. Meury is a slick-fielding shortstop who by Howie Stalwick Staff writer The Spokane Indians seemed to have run out of gas, so they were thankful to see Pedro Perez arrive with gas can in hand. And a blow torch. Matt Mieskes grand slam off Perez tied the game in the eighth inning, and Mieske scored the winning run on Bill Meurys lOth-inning single to give Spokane a wild 11-10 victory Tuesday night at Indians Stadium.

The Indians began their first Northwest League road trip Wednesday, a five-day visit to Bellingham. Spokane returns home next Monday for a five-game homestand with Southern Oregon. The Indians were left for dead by many of the 2,546 spectators Tuesday when they blew a pair of early leads for the second straight night and fell behind 10-5 in the eighth. Ah, but Perez was still to come. Perez quickly put an end to 3 innings of shutout relief work by Paul Branconier when he took the mound in the bottom half of the eighth.

Spokane loaded the bases with one out on a walk to Steve Siebert and singles by Jim West and Keith McKoy. McKoys hit, REVIEW Falloon weighs national team, Chiefs would have liked to see the game Virginia Crow, 89, self-described basketball fanatic, explaining how a flood near where she was living in Sha-dyside, Ohio, caused her to miss Detroit's 92-90 NBA title-clinching victory over Portland last week. TV HIGHLIGHTS llUel do everything possible to keep him here BOBBY BRETT, Chiefs owner 4:30 p.m.: Bowling, St Charles Bob Cat Senior Open (ESPN 9) 4:35: Baseball. Cincinnati at Atlanta (TBS 12) 6: Boxing, Tapia vs Valenzuela, junior bantamweights (ESPN 9) 9: Motorcycle racing, AMA Supercross Series (ESPN 9). MORNING BASEBALL' D2 American League Oakland 12, Detroit 7 New York 5, Milwaukee 4 Baltimore 3, Cleveland 1 Toronto 11, Boston 0 Chicago 2, California 1 Seattle 3, Kansas City 2 Texas 8, Minnesota 0 National League Philadelphia 7, Pittsburgh 2 New York 6, St Louis 3 San Diego 4, San Francisco 3 (1 1) Montreal 3, Chicago 2 Cincinnati at Atlanta Houston at Los Angeles Northwest League Spokane at Bellingham QUOTABLE "I was home by myself sitting in my easy chair waiting for the game to come on All of a sudden I noticed the furniture was moving around and I couldn't understand that I felt water on my feet Well, I thought, I'm going to have to get up from this chair or it get up over the top of me I really Brett concerned star may opt for Olympics By Dan Weaver Staff writer Pat Falloons hockey career is at a crossroads, Spokane Chiefs owner Bobby Brett said Wednesday.

Falloon, the Chiefs leader in assists and goals last year and the 16th-leading scorer in the Western Hockey League with 1 24 points has two options. Brett says he can stay Falloon with the Chiefs or join the Canadian national team to compete in international amateur tournaments such as the Olympics. Falloon, a center who grew up in Foxwarren, joined the Chiefs in 1988-89. He turns Spokane Coliseum. Wed like to make the Coliseum press box more efficient and add for lack of a better term sponsor boxes, he said.

Brett was hesitant to call them luxury boxes, given the condition of the aging Coliseum, but says hes excited about possibilities. Under terms of the hockey clubs Coliseum lease, the Chiefs would pay for construction, which would be modeled after the new sky boxes at Indians Stadium, only smaller. They would be of plywood-type construction and wouldnt be nearly as expensive as the ones at the (baseball) park, Brett added. A new coliseum is at least three years away, he replied, and early returns from baseball indicate that boxes are tremendously popular with corporate Spokane. Brett said the Indians have sold three sky boxes for the season at $2,500 each.

Other boxes arc available for the season, or for $100 per game. SPORTS LIST Autograph prices for seven baseball 18 on Sept. 22. We expect Pat back, Brett said. Well do everything possible to keep him here.

Brett pointed out that the 92 Winter Olympics are a long way off. If Pat has the year here everybody expects hell be one of the top 10 picks in the NHL draft in the world, he said. He could very well be in the National Hockey League in 1992." Falloon has been invited to compete for a spot on the Canadian team in the Goodwill Games later this summer, Brett added. Brett, who also heads the Spokane Indians baseball dub, is looking at adding sponsor boxes to the stars 1 JoeDiMaggio 530 2 Ted Williams 525 3 Pete Rose 515 4 Steve Carlton 511 5 Steve Garvey 59 6 Willie Stargell 58 7 Maury Wills 55 SOURCE: Sport Fmiuim SyidcaM Pi li I.