Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 15

Birmingham Post-Herald Wednesday August 2 1989 ii'U Sports update C2 5lfO Horse racing C3 Major league baseball C4 Business C6 Don ft look for WLAF next year Unless there is a dramatic last-minute shift the World League of American Football will not begin play until 1991 Tex Schramm the president of the new spring league had hoped play would begin next March But that nope is now dimming Several owners were opposed to starting the league until 1991 Now there are some problems in Europe tying up loose ends Abo negotiations with television networks are going slowly Only ABC seems to be showing much interest Regardless of the starting date Birmingham remains a strong contender for a franchise Jockeys held in check by i fight reins By Chet Fussmau Psat-Hcnld Raportar In two montha of racing at the Birmingham Race Comae nearly twice aa many jockeys have been suspended than during the entire 1987 season Four of the top 10 jockeys have been given "days" -seven- or 10-day suspensions and taro of the leading Jockeys Emilio Gomes and Toby Bomer have been suspended twice If it looks as if the stewards are being excessively harsh on the jockeys well looks can be deceiving Because so far nobody is complaining Twin-trifecta debuts at Race Course without a winner Story page C3 'Tve never heard of a rider who got days and was glad about said veteran rider Jimmy Ifosdey who was sus- pended for seven days last month redly Tve heard very few complaints think the stewards have been fair I know when I got days I deserved The latest to be given an unwelcome vacation is Stephanie Young who begins a seven-day suspension tonight But even her agent Kit Carson all that bitter yesteray Ttto better to be hard on the riders" Carson mH let them slide" Chief steward Robert Stovall knows the feeling of being both a suspender and a suspendee He was a jockey for 25 years and remembers being suspended only five times still feel like the first time it was at the old Jamaica track in New York I deserve Stovall said "The other times I did" Stovall now sits in the opposite position At the Race Course the decision on whether to take disciplinary action against a rider who impedes the progress of another horse or foils to keep his or her horse on a straight course lies with Stovall and stewards Robert Wingo also a former jockey and Sam Lata The three stewards watch each race from their booth atop 1 the Race Course and are surrounded by television monitors that replay the races from various camera angles Qn days after a race in which an inquiry or objection is Iddged the stewards show the film to the participating jockeys pointing out riding highlights and mistakes was a rider for 2 5 years and I still learn something new watching the films" Stovall said Though are being handed out with far more fro- qudncy this year Stovall who held a similar position at I the Birmingham Turf Club in 1987 says the stewards being any more critical of the riders "To some degree been more lenient to other degrees maybe a little more Stovall said I really haven't heard many Please turn te JOCKEYS page C3 jockeys who has been suspended twice by stewards at the Birmingham Race Count Chadwick vows to make the most out of trade life PAUL A' FINEBAUM still feel like in good said Doe Newton executive vice president of the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce (WLAF) folki have told us done all we can do The ball is now in their court" BUT EVERYONE ISNT THRILLED: Although the WLAF has received widespread support in Birmingham it has not received a ringing endorsement from Alabama coach Bill Carry Asked recently about a team coming to Birmingham Curry said: they want to put a franchise here they are going to do it whether we like it or Curry said like to be the only show in town But if other people want to have a footbaU team that's their business whether UAB or a pro franchise" COMING HOME: In recent days there has been much talk about Auburn assistant coach Pat Ssllivsi moving his family had: to the Birmingham area to allow his children to attend Mountain Brook High School Sullivan has been criticized for the move by fans who say he has turned his back on the Auburn community But there to another side to this stay The reason Sullivan is moving his family has nothing to do with his son playing football at Mountain Brook rhas serious problems with the Auburn school system Sullivan has declined to elaborate oblems But (are very good BOBBY AND THE BRONCOS: Nearly a month after being taken in the supplemental draft former Alabama star Bobby Hamphrey and the Denver Broncos are still involved in contract negotiations But Jerry Albaeo agent said yesterday he expects the two sides to read: an agreement shortly Humphrey is asking for a four-year deal worth roughly 3 million (including a bonus) The stumbling Mock appears to be how the money will be deferred feel they made Bobby a good Albano said we just need to work out the problems which I think we will Right now everybody 1s on hold but I expect Bobby to be playing in Denver NO WORD YET ON WOODSON: The waiting game at Alabama continues in the saga of quarterback Daaay Woodson Last week Curry said the announcement from the NCAA could come any day But now Alabama officials say it could come closer to the start of fkll practice in two weeks Of course the NCAA ruling could prove moot if Woodson does not make his grades It has been reported that Woodson was struggling in the classroom On the subject of adversity Curry told a story last week worth repeating Thereto a great story about a fellow trying to make a point to an Alcoholics Anonymous Curry said shows of clear them two containers of 1 purewal drops a worm into the water It swims around happily and then climbs up to the top Then the guy drops the worm into the alcohol and it dissolves on the spot He asks the group what kind of lesson they learned from what they had just seen and one fellow jumps up and says The leseon is if you drink enough you have any BaalFtnebamtopinkmcommentaiyon sports events issues and personalities Mondays Wednesdays and Saturdays By Rubin Grant FoaHtaald lUverUr Ray Charles no longer to playing The Hoover Met practically a miracle he played there at all this year Ray Charles Chadwick almost was killed in an automobile accident earlier this year -He came back to pitch for the Birmingham Barons the resident team at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium He had a 2-1 record with three saves and a 291 earned run average in 11 games before being traded late Monday night by the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red IHple-A team Pawtucket ILL of the 'International League The White Sox will receive a minor-league player to be named later in the deaL Goldis the White director of scouting and player development said the trade was made to give some younger pitch-'ers in their farm system a chance to pitcfa transition te taking said (Chadwick) missed spring training these other kids are improving and 1 trade to Mets ''ST LOUIS Mark Langston Danny Jackson Bob Ojeda John Tudor Dennis Martines a long list of pitchers who were even more successful once they went to the National League Trank Viola wants to be one of them Viola Joined his new teammates on the New York Mets yesterday less than 24 hours after the Minnesota Twins traded him back to the team he grew up rooting Toby Bomer is one of two Victorious Borens on brink of stole n-baso record Story page C3 Chadwick a 26-year-old right-hander was shoved into the background in the spring because he was bring in a hospital bed in his hometown Durham NC Early on the morning of Feb 12 the car Chadwick was driving was struck headon by a car driven by a drunken driver was with a friend of Chadwick recalled was coming home I was driving along talking We came around a curve and a guy was in the wrong lane In my lane to the right I go anywhere because there was nothing but trees and poles pun back in his lane because I was thinking he would get back over I much braked and went ahead and he me straight Chadwick suffered a broken neck a cracked sternum and a broken left wrist in the accident His skull was cracked but he was OK within a few weeks Please ten to CHADWICK page Cl sweet music Major league baseball inside: AL- Orioles lore twice C4 Nl: Met hits for cycle C4 Rose's days numbered? C5 Gooden who wears the No 16 Viola did with the Twins to not expected to return to the rotation until late August The Twins sent Viola the 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner to the Mets one minute before midnight trading deadline In exchange the Mets gave the Twins pitchers Rick Aguilera Urn Dram-mood Kevin Tapani and David West and a player to be named later Langston to 9-2 since moving from Seattle to the Expos for three pitchers on May 25 The first-place Expos are 28-21 since acquiring the left-hander capable of helping the way Mark Langston aid in Viola said Tve a 12 or 13 starts left this season and I have to impress anybody I just have to do the best job I can Jackson currently on the disabled list was the losingest pitcher in the AL over two seasons then became a 22-game winner with Qnchmati last season Ojeda new teammate and St Tudor each flourished after leaving Bostonand Martinez formerly of Baltimore and now with Hapless Clippers lose again: Ferry to play in Italy LOS ANGELES -ond overall pick in the added to the troubles of Clippers by signing a contract with an Italian professional team Ferry confirmed last night that he signed a one-year contract with Messaggero Rome of the Italian basketball league a unique opportunity living in Rome traveling throughout Europe learning a new Ferry language experiencing different cultures and representing one of the largest international conglomerates all while playing the game I the 6-foot-ll All-America forward from Duke said in a statement the 1 BA draft has the Los Angeles issued last night through his management company ProServ The signing was announced yesterday by Ferruszi the Italian agribusiness giant which owns Messaggero the Rome daily newspaper which to the main sponsor Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said his team still wants to sign Ferry after his stint in Ehirope we are disappointed that Danny Ferry chose to play his first pro season in Europe" he said in a statement we look forward to having Danny in a uniform should he decide to pursue a career in the Ferry did not knock the Clippers in Ms statement hut said he was surprised when they called his name on draft day was honored to be selected as the number two player in the draft by the Los Angeles dippers They are an up-and-coming be said I ires also a little surprised the Clippers drafted me because they have a talented pool of young forwards However any concerns I had became academic once II Messaggero made me this once-in-a-lifetime Charles Smith Danny Manning and Kenny Norman would have been main competition at the forward position when training camp opened Ferry also cited the European starts of the basketball careers of two current politi-cans in making his decision have long admired Tom McMillen who is my congressman in the House of Representatives as well as Senator Bill Bradley both of whom launched successful careen in the NBA and later in politics playing basketball in Ferry said Please tan to FeArY page CS Chadwick's on his way la Pawtucket to Viola's ears Montreal is the hottest pitcher in baseball with a 1H record The last time Vida was in Busch Stadium was 1987 and the Twins were playing the Cardinals in the World Series Lawless is going around in my said Viola who gave up a three-run homer to Lawless in Game 4 a Mg Viola however won Games 1 and 7 and was named most valuable player Viola said he was almost certain he would still be with the Twins yesterday especially when nothing had happened and the trading deadline was only a half hour away something told me still going on I just had this gut feeling when the manager called about the waiver in the trade clause or whatever and I figured something was he said As for Minnesota he said there were no had feelings baseball too short to worry about that It was a kind of tough year this year starting with the contract and then the trade talks the last couple of weds but I have a lot of food memories of Viola said Viola signed a three-year $79 million contract in the first week of the season He is the highest-paid player in baseball along with NL Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser Please tan to VIOLA page CS for Changing leagues a problem he said 'the only thing he wants to change are stats 'this season his and the Mets able to establish my three pitches fastball curve and change if I have those three working I pitch more to I uniforms than personalities If I have that A working I see a Mg he said Viola who will wear No 28 and start against the Cardinals tonight could be a huge difference for the Mete a team on a seven-game losing streak and without ace i Dwight Gooden who is recovering from a tokn muscle under his fight armpit.