The Miami Herald from Miami, Florida • 389

Sports U4 No practice is perfect it4 As much as they like their shuffleboard the women of Cypress Chase Condominium in Lauderdale Lakes have their priorities in order Unlike their male counterparts who are known to practice their disc-sliding for hours on end the women -c clinched their fourth-consecutive West Broward Shuffleboard League title with minimum practice time "We don't have that much time" Coach Sylvia Laiken said And they don't need that much practice After all the women of Cypress Chase won the league title in 1977 '78 and '79 as well as in '81 '82 and '83 They captured the 1984 title by winning both halves of the regular season which eliminated the need for a post-season playoff and gave them time fornore important things "We don't take it as seriously as the men" Iaiken said While men's teams are out working on their St Petersburg blocks Laihen and her women have been spending their afternoons knitting booties and lap rugs for senior citizens who are shut-ins or in nursing homes While the women average almost 70 years old all of them have been blessed with good health she said Other members of the team include Agnes Coppeto Millie D'Angelo Madeline Favilla Judy Fordin Mary Kasper Sylvia Levy Mary Petrone Ruth Reisman Toby Taylor and Fannie Turetsky The same team has been shuffling 1 along for nine years "1 have no coaching philosophy" said Laiken who will be treated to lunch by her team next week "I just encourage them and 'maw them and the) are great" Pinstripes bring Brown great relief Pinstripes -4isz bring Brown c-------y p- 4i ie great relf :::0 i 4 i 'z like 1 1 1: 1 'i 7 1 --4 1 2 44 :::::4 l' --i' 'f-: l' 4' "171-s1 I 4T i tr i 1 't 4: i i 1 0g ''14 i -iii 7 i 37 7 i -'1-'' 7 I 1 i k0 i i 1 J-1''t ti'' f' -ir44- A''' mi 7 tt ii 0 el i L' i ei 1 4 ii 2 i 1 i By GRANT OVERSTAKE iletuld Stun 44 titer Uncle Bob and Aunt Dare Lass drove all the way from Georgia to Fort Lauderdale to see their New York Yankees nephew Curt Brown play the New York Mets Saturday Brown's sisters Lisa and Susan and his parents Dodie and Bill sat directly behind home plate at Fort Lauderdale's Yankee Stadium Marjorie Curt's new bride also was there Brown sat on the bullpen bench near the first-base line popping bubblegum and waiting for another chance to prove he belongs in the major leagues But when Yankees' starting pitcher Ron Guidry began to tire Manager Yogi Berra called reliever Dave Righetti not Brown It was just as well Righetti was tagged for three ninth-inning runs and the Yankees lost 4-1 "I've got to be patient" a smiling Brown said afterward "It's a part of the job" Going into the last week of spring training Brown 24 of Margate has proven he can do the job The righthander has pitched seven scoreless relief innings in exhibition play His fastball has been clocked at 84 miles per hour which is about average in the major leagues Of the 14 pitchers still on the Yankees' roster 10 will make the team Brown's chances of staying with the club are good because two pitchers are injured and may not be ready in time for the regular season which begins Tuesday If Brown is cut he and Marjorie will pack up their belongings and their husky named Saber into their Chevy Blazer and drive to Columbus Ohio where Brown will patch for the Columbus Clippers the Yankees' Class AAA farm team "It looks like we might have to use him" Berra sail "If we don't use him now we know where he'll be and we can go get "Realistically I'll probably go to triple-A but I won't be depressed" Brown said "If I don't make the team now at least I made it to the final cut I'm just happy I got the chance" Brown is as excited as a kid on Christmas morning He was traded to the Yankees in December after five frustrating years in the California Angels organization The phone call from the Yankees came while he and Marjorie were putting up their first Christmas tree It rang in a new start for Brown who spent last season in an ice-blue funk while playing for the Class AAA Trappers in frigid Edmonton Canada "He lost his confidence" Dodie his mother said "He was mopey His disposition was just terrible After he was traded his whole attitude changed It was like somebody had said 'You're going straight to heaven'" Brown agreed "It's just like heaven for me to be home for spring training" he said "Every time I've pitched it's just like I've had my oh rooting section It helps out a lot" Brown clearly relishes his role as a major league reliever "It's a great life" he said His attitude is somewhat different than it was before his first little league baseball game 19 years ago when his father couldn't get him out of the car Dad finally had to pickhim up and carry him out on the field Dad didn't have to coax him again "About the only advice I ever gave him was 'Keep the ball low' the elder Brown said Brown graduated from St Thomas Aquinas High School in 1978 earning Honorable Mention By GRANT OVERSTAKE iletuld Mail Writer Uncle Bob and Aunt Dare Lass drove all the way from Georgia to Fort 1auderdale to see their New York Yankees nephew Curt Brown play the New York Mets Saturday Brown's sisters Lisa and Susan and his parents Dodie and Bill sat directly behind plate late at Curt's new bride also was there Fort Lauderdale's Yankee Stadium Marjorie i Brown sat on the bullpen benc neavraing for tthiefirst- base line popping bubblegum an another chance to prove he belongs the major leagues But when Yankees' starting pitcher Ron Guidry began to tire Manager Yogi Berra called reliever Dave Righetti notBroorvktmhR h- Brown II nwianstijust as well Righetti was tagge inning runs and the Yankees lost 4-1 "I've got to be patient" a smiling Brown said afterward "It's a part of the job" Going into the last week of spring training Brown 24 of Margate has proven can do the i ob The righthander has pitched seven scoreless relief innings in exhibition play His fastb allhas i been clocked at 84 miles per hour which about average in the major leagues Of the 14 pitchers still on the Yankees' roster10 will make the team Brown's chances staying with the club are good because two pitchers art injured and may not be ready in time for the regular season which begins Tuesday If Brown is cut he and Marjorie will pack up i their belongings and their husky named Saber n- to their Chevy Blazer and drive to Columbus: Dhio where Brown will patch for the Columbus Clippers the Yankees' Class AAA farm team "It looks like we might have to use him" Berra sail "If we don't use him now we know where i hell be and we can go get him' "Realistically I'll proBbarobwlyngo to tr iplfe-AI dbutlt won't be depressed" said I on make the team now at least I made it to the final rut I'm just happy I got the chanc e' Brown is as excited as a kid on Christmas morn- after five frustrating years in the Mg He was traded to the Yankees in December strting Califor Scoreboard WALTER MIC HOT i Miami Herald Staff VIALTER MICHOT Miami Herald Staff Curt Brown's time on the Yankee bullpen bench is part of the job Senior Men's Tennis League A1 Division inverrary 44-12 Tennis Club Blue 41-14 Jacaranda 29-24 Tennis Club Red 22-34 lAghtbouse Point 20-34 Holiday Park A-2 Division Woodman( 52-12 Diplomat 44-12 Inverrary 41-19 Plantation Central Park 4019 Palm Aire 22-34 Woodlands 19-41 Lauderdale West 1743 Welleby 1743 Wynmoor 15-44 B-1 Division Century Village 45-15 Inverrary 37-23 Environ 38-24 Plantation Community Center 35-25 Woodmont 33-23 Wynmoor 28-32 Sunrise Lakes III 25-35 Sunrise lakes! 22-38 Lauderdale West 7-53 B-2 Division Margate 524 Century Village 46-14 Wynmoor 36-24 Crystal Lakes 32-24 Sunrise Lakes 1fl 26-34 Sunrise 23-37- Plantation Community Center 21-39 Woodmont 17-33 Carriage Hills 1141 After an Angels' pitcher was injured in June Brown was called down to California They stayed in a hotel because they didn't know how long they would be there Brown won his first game and stayed With the team for 31 days lie appeared in relief on televised games against Boston Kansas City and Chicago But when the injured player returned Brown was sent packing Brown was called down again in September The Angels were 30 games out of first place but management refused to give Brown a chance to prove himself When the season ended last fall Brown was taken off the Angels' 40-man roster which meant he'd be playing in Edmonton again this year Ile called his agent and asked to be traded Then he rented a house in Margate and went to work part-time as a plumber in his father's business He and Marjorie were married in November In December the phone rang Santa was wearing pinstripes "It was the greatest present I could have gotten" Brown said "Now I want to be in the right place at the right time and get that one break" All-Broward honors He played for a season at Broward Community College before signing as a free agent with the California Angels in 1979 After rookie and Class' A seasons in Idaho Falls Idaho and Salinas Calif Brown was moved up to the Angels' Class AA team at Holyoke Mass Brown met Marjorie while window shopping at the Holyoke Mall She was standing behind the Merle Norman cosmetics counter When Brown moved up to Class AAA ball at Spokane Wash the following year Marjorie went with him He led the Pacific League with 15 saves in 1982 He was invited to the Angels' spring training camp the following year but did not make the big team Instead when the Spokane team was sent to Edmonton Brown went along It was so cold in Edmonton one night that the only people in the stands were Marjorie the manager's wife and a single die-hard fan Marjorie wore fur-lined boots thermal underwear blue jeans a ski coat and covered herself with a blanket "It was the most depressing place I've ever been" she said Thursday March 29 1984 RAW FINW IS.