Evansville Courier and Press from Evansville, Indiana • 16

CS The EvanaviUe Tuesday April 3 1890 Teams to start season with 27 players By The Associated Press Darren Niethammer gets another chance to chase The Dream Baseball teams and players reversed course again Monday and decided to expand rosters to 27 players for the first three weeks of the season The sides reached a verbal agreement to expand rosters on March 19 the day they agreed to a new four-year labor contract But the roster deal collapsed last week when they couldn't agree an how it would affect outright assignments Teams will have to reduce to the normal minimum of 24 players and maximum of 25 on May A proposed change that would have lowered the five-inning requirement for starters to get a victory eras dropped "Ibis is going to take a big load off not just the pitchers but the whole team extremely said Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jim Gott Michael Weiner a lawyer for the uninn the outline for the agreement was made over the weekend in telephone conversations between union head Donald Fehr and Deputy Commissioner Stephen Greenberg Teams will designate up to three additional players to Player Relations Committee which will inform the union of the names The identity will not be made known to players agents or other Professional baseball is a business at all levels So last year the Texas Rangers did what any good baseball organization would have done They released a 23-year-old catcher who couldn't throw Thus Darren Niethammer spent last summer in Florida working in a sporting goods store instead of playing in the Clan A Florida State League tried last season to get on with another team made calls wrote letter" said Niethammer a North High School graduate and former University of Evansville player "Nothing ever He wound up playing for a semi-pro team in Orlando So there he was sell-ing tube socks and jockstraps receiving rejec- Niethammnr chance because he hit only eight big league home runs Marshall hit 137 in eight seasons with the Dodgers An investment group headed by Hollywood producer Tom Werner signed a letter of intent to purchase the San Diego Padres dub owner Joan Kroc said Terms of the transaction were not released but the price tag was reported to be $75 million The deal is contingent on approval of mqjor league baseball owners before it can be The purchase is expected to be completed within the next 45 to 60 days Joining Werner in the purchase are nine general partners eight from San Diego Werner 39 is a partner in Casey-Werner Co which produces Cosby and other highly-rated television series His personal fortune has been estimated at $140 million Under the deal Werner would be the managing general partner of the franchise Kevin twoout pop fly ingle in the ninth inning scored Hal Morris and gave Cincinnati split-squad 65 victory over Boston The run was tiie first allowed in four appearances by Cincinnati reliever Jeff Reardon Cincinnati won the other split-squad game against the Rex Sax 7-6 as Chris Sabo and Eric Davis had three hits apiece Righthander Ron Robinson was upset to find out he be the fourth starter in the rotation Robinson said he learned before his exhibition start Monday that lefthander Danny Jackson is scheduled to start the fourth game of the regular season That leaves Robinson and righthander Rick Mahler both of whom say they wont accept a bullpen assignment to compete for the fifth and final starting spot "I want to pitch here but I want to Robinson said "If I cant be a tarter here I guess I can start somewhere Manager Lou Piniella said lefty Tom Browning to start the season opener April 9 in Houston He said righthanders Jose Rfjo and Jack Armstrong will start the next two games Kelly Gruberib RBI-single in the seventh broke a 5-5 tie as Toronto defeated St Louis 7-6 Jimmy Key won his second game Milt Thompson had four hits for the Cardinals Lloyd McClendon doubled in the goehead run in the 10th as the Chicago Cubs beat Milwaukee 6-4 sending the Brewers to their fifth straight loss Ryne Sanderg started the inning with a single off Tony Fossas and ecored on double to left-center McClendon later scored on a sacrifice fly by Grog Smith Mitch Williams picked up the victory by retiring the final seven batters of the game AP Lsserphoto Tim Naehring hurdled Chris Sabo and threw to first base to complete a double play during their exhibition game in Plant City Fla Monday The Reds won 7-6 Normally players sent outright to the minors for a second time or players with more than three years of major league service sent outright for the first time can elect to become free agents Under agreement the union will allow teams to request advance waivers through Sunday and ask additional players to agree to waive their right to free agency if they are sent to the minors outright "If this is the first outright it still counts as the first Weiner said "The theory is that extra players dceigruitwri iiMitimiiil plym AimM be no better or worse off than they would have been at the end of spring training except for the obvious fact going to be better off in that going to get major league service and mqjor league salary for this expansion Fehr was disappointed the proposed change about innings for starting pitchers was dropped too bad It was meant to keep pitchers from trying too hard early in the season to go any kind of he said New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said meet with Don agent "sometime this to discuss a new contract "I don't know if well get it done but well Steinbrenner said "We have to meet first then take it from Mattingly a potential free agent after 1990' arid earlier this spring he would not negotiate a new deal during the season only before or after Steinbrenner said he minnori a from agent Jim Krivacs early Monday but would try to contact Krivacs today Davey Johnson solved the on the New York Meta by relegating two of his most popular players to lesser jobs: Bob Ojeda to the bullpen Dave Magadan to the bench And both players admitted they were devastated by the moves Ojeda a 32-year-old lefthander and the senior player on the team lost his job because he was one of six accomplished starting pitchers competing for jobs in a five-man rotation The Mets manager said the switch to the bullpen was temporary but he had no ultimate solution to the ofsix starters and conceded: "Bobby becomes the swing Ojeda said his agent had already informed the front office that Ojeda was to a trade although he was not demanding one "As a competitor a right cross to the Ojeda said devastated The hammer felL But as a member of the team Til do the best job I Magadan a lefthanded hitter who waited three years to inherit the job at first base thought he had made it last October when the Mets did not renew Keith contract But two months later they traded Juan Samuel to the Dodgers for Mika Marshall a power-hitting first base-man and outfielder "And Magadan said Monday "was when I felt Magadan a BOO hitter six times in seven years as a professional lost his Baseball Salukis off to hot start play UE today By GORDON BNOCLHAIIOT Courier staff writer tion after rejection playing with guys who weren't even good enough to cany his tube socks and jockstrap Baseball what a glamorous life "In '89 he was coming off of an arm problem (surgery for a rotator cuff said Marty Scott the Rangers' director of player development "It was a case of him not being able to perform In spite of always liking the way he swung the bat if you cant play a position Then yon cant take up a roster spot At least not when you're 16th-round draft choice which is what Niethammer was in June 1987 First-round draft choices are bonus babies 16th-round draft choices are baseball's foster children (major league teams) draft a thousand every June and a thousand get released every said Jim Brownlee baseball coach at UE The 24-year-old Niethammer wasnt released that quickly He played one season of rookie ban in Florida and about a half-season with Gan A Port Charlotte Fla in 1988 before hurting his shoulder He hit 295 with one home run and 20 runs batted in But he was abandoned every bit as unceremoniously as those whose professional careers last only three months a lot of Niethammer said last week when he still know if he would have a full-time baseball job this summer you're not one of their top picks big-money picks you kind of get put on the back burner only reason I came back this year is I know I can still compete My arm is stronger I think throwing better than I threw in Last weekend Niethammer learned his professional baseball career will be extended he made the Port Charlotte team as reserve everything first baseman left fielder catcher designated hitter worked hard came in here and won a Scott said Said Brownlee: as good an athlete as had here When he was here he could have been anything he wanted to be" What he was from 1984 through 1987 was a career 287 hitter who drove in 113 runs and hit 24 home runs 35 doubles and six triples in 627 at-bats Good numbers But Brownlee is convinced he could have done more work habits were terrible Just Brownlee said "He has enough ability to play in the big leagues but a lot more that goes into Even Niethammer admits hard work his forte in college "There were a lot of other things to he said then it was easy That's changed Now you have to work a little harder to And surviving is exactly what Niethammer has done in making the Class A tawi No more no less got to make up for lost said Scott "He's got a spot on the dub but got to impress test if going to make it to the big The Rangers were Organization of the Year in 1989 and their minor league system is well-stocked with catching prospects So Niethammer will have to hit his way to recognition and do it while playing only part-time Although 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds Niethammer shown much power professionally Few players rattle the fences in the Florida State League where ballparks are big and home run totals are small but only a good excuse if you are 18 or 19 and one of those big-money guys It even three years ago that Niethammer became a professional baseball player not so long is it? was just excited to have the chance I think twice about Niethammer recalled came in I signed and took off for Florida a week easier for the hitters to The Salukis are hitting 349 and have a 307 earned run average UE is batting B00 but has a 678 ERA SIITs success is a turnaround from last season when the tradition-rich Salukis were 26-38 That was worst record in his 20 years as haul coach But Jones surprised this team has raced to such a good start "I think we had better athletes than our record indicated a year Jones aid "I told the kids who came bade to forget about last year Sam Riggleman the pitching coach got in in February of last year and know the players Now they understand him and the things trying to Designated hitter Boyd Manne leads the Salukis with a B00 average and has 16 runs batted in First I man Kurt En debrock is batting 395 All-Missouri Valley Conference center fielder Doug Shields is hitting B75 with two homers and a team-high 22 RBIs Senior second baseman and cleanup man Tim Davis is batting 338 with 21 RBIs and senior right fielder Brad Hol-lenkamp is hitting 362 with 13 RBIs A key for the Salukis has been the addition of reliever A1 Levine a junior college transfer who has a 2-0 record five saves and a IBS ERA Sophomore George Joseph who combined with Levine to blank third-ranked Miami Fla 1-0 will start the first game of doubleheader for SIU He is 2-0 with a 271 ERA Tom Strabavy who is 1-1 with a 378 ERA will pitch the second game UE will counter with Brent Baker and Brian Gibson Baker (4-2) leads the Aces in wins and ERA (392) Gilon is 0-1 with a 736 ERA "I know Jim Brownlee does an excellent job with his Jones said of the UE coach "They have good running peed and like to make things happen As soon as he gets everything together be a good ballclub They always play well against us Well have our hands Two Memorial High School products JefTBreivogel and Pat Schulz are the leading hitters Breivogel a senior shortstop is batting 419 with two homers and 10 RBIs Schulz a freshman left fielder is hitting 400 and has stolen eight bases Jones has led SIU to nine NCAA Tournament berths including three trips to the College World Series After struggling to a 7-12 start University of baseball team has recovered to win two ofits last three games But UE could have trouble continuing its resurgence when it hosts Southern Illinois University in a doublehaad-er today at 1:30 at Bcese Field The Salukis (18-3) won 18 straight victories before losing at Southwest Missouri State 7-6 in 10 innings Sunday Both marks are SIITs beet since 1973 when it began the season 21-2 and won 19 straight "Our pitching staff has kept us in every SIU coach Itchy Jones said "With the good defense had all year and with good pitching Murray State coach to visit Lamar staff and wfee reports SPORTS BRIEFS From From AP wire reports COLLEGE BASKETBALL fsj Turfway Pick-Six hits $1 35386 The Pick-Six at Turf way Park has rolled over to $135386 and could grow three times that by post time tonight at 6 Ellia Park Operations Manager Bob Jackson Monday he expected the pool tobe around 1400000 by race time Thursday will be the last day of winter meet which means the Pick-Six pool will have tobe paid out that evening to the best Pick-Six ticket turned in The doors will open at Ellis Park which simulcasts races at 4:30 pjn Grics to teach at 9 Star Camp Central baseball coach Paul Gries has been named to the staff of the second annual 9 Star Baseball Camp June 25 and 26 in Noblesville The prestigious invitation-only camp is designed to showcase the best high school underclassmen For information contact Cries at 477-9875 Murray State coach Steve Newton scheduled a visit to the campus of Lamar University today following reports he has been offered a dual job as athletic director and head coach at the east Texas school Newton and his wife Kathy will be in Beaumont Texas for a campus visit said Craig Bohnert sports information director at Murray State "It is our impression that an offer has not been tendered at this Bohnert said Monday Murray State athletic director Michael Strickland said Newton has talked with Tmr president Dr Bill Franklin Newton was in Denver for the NCAA Final Four and unavailable for comment on a story in The Paducah (Ky) Sun that he had been offered the job Leonard Hamilton lured from Oklahoma State by what he described as unlimited potential at the University of Miami became the new basketball coach Hamilton 41 said the derision to accept the job was a difficult one Miami averaged just 2J100 spectators for home games and has yet to earn a postseason tournament berth since resuming basketball in 1985 after a 15-year hiatus Hamilton had a 5663 record in four years with the Cowboys They were 17-14 last season with seven losses to Top Ten teams and reached the second round of the NTT Hamilton succeeds Bill Foster who resigned Marshall coach Dana Altman was hired as head coach at Kansas State where he waa an assistant for three years Altman will replace Lon Kruger who is leaving the Manhattan Kan school after four years to become head coach st the University of Florida Contract details remain to be worked out but reports are Altman probably will receive a five-year contract with a base salary of about $80000 a year plus incentives for NCAA Tournament appearances income from a summer camp and money from radio and television shows Marshall last month was placed on two probation by the NCAA for rules violations North Carolina State was given permission by the UNC Board of Governors to file suit if necessary to force coach Jim Valvano to resign Valvano was unavailable for comment but his attorney Woody Webb of Raleigh said: "I think without precedent for a university to sue its conch We will continue to negotiate in good faith as we have up to An improptu survey of coachea at the NCAA Final Four showed 77 percent believe instant replay should be a part of the officiating pnww in the final 10 seconds Fifty-nine percent thought the NCAA Tournament should be expanded to include all unH 71 percent voted to move the 3-point line hack to the international distance of 20 feet 6 inchf Maanwhile 35 percent thought players hmiM receive between $100 and $200 per month beyound what is allocated for tuition housing school supplies laundry and meals Eighteen percent voted for up to 1 100 and 29 percent said the players should not S' The Dream probably seemed closer then before The Chase had officially begun Now Darren Niethammer is st the back of the pack For a while at least The Chase continues English ban Ban Johnson LONDON Ben Johnson will be barred from Grand Prix and other invitational track meets in England even after his two-year suspension for steroid use ends in September The Amateur Athletic Association which governs the sport in England said the ban would apply to any athlete found guilty of drug use by national or international federations Don column appears in The Courier every Sunday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday receive any money Material.