Banner Graphic, Volume 17, Number 31, Greencastle, Putnam County, 7 October 1986 — Page 6

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THE BANNERGRAPHIC, October 7,1988

sports

Clemens, Witt ready to open championship

BOSTON (AP) Roger Clemens, who led the major leagues with 24 victories this year, says he’s “always ready to go out there and pitch” and tonight will be no exception when the Boston Red Sox take on the California Angels in Game 1 of the AKMERICAN League playoffs. “My arm’s 180 percent,” Clemens replied to questions about the right elbow bruise suffered when he was hit by a line drive last Wednesday night. “I’m going to go right after people. It’s up to me to go out there and go get ’em. “I’ve pitched my share of big games this year and I’ll be trying to do the same as always: take the momentum away from the other team. I want to establish momentum for us, get our guys in the dugout thinking about hitting. ” California’s Mike Witt, who was 18-10 -2 against Boston also said he would try to pitch his norma’ game. “I don’t worry about left field (the short wall), who’s up or whatever,” the 6-foot-7 right-hander said. “I’m going out there to win, even though I lost two games here this year. I’ve pitched well here, but the wins haven’t come. I just want to go out there and pitch the same way.” Witt downplayed the matchup against Clemens, who was 3-0 against the Angels during the regular season. “My thinking is that I’m not facing Roger Clemens,” Witt said. “I fee) I’m facing the Boston hitters.” Clemens had similar comments when asked about facing 40-year-old slugger Reggie Jackson, who has earned the title “Mr. October” for

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Hitting may be key to Mets, Astros success

HOUSTON (AP) Houston reliever Dave Smith thinks the Astros’ National League playoff series with the New York Mets will come down to hitting. The Astros and Mets enter Wednesday night’s first game of the best-of-7 series with the top pitching staffs in the NL, ranking 1-2 in earned run average. New York’s Dwight Gooden, the 1985 Cy Young Award winner, will oppose Mike Scott, who pitched a nohitter last week to clinch the division title for Houston, in the opener. The firepower doesn’t drop off in the second game when Houston’s Nolan Ryan is to face New York’s Bob Ojeda. “When you have piching staffs like ours and the Mets, they kind of balance each other out,” Smith, a member of Houston’s 1980 NL West champions, said. “I think our pitching staffs are both outstanding so it will come down to the difference being hitting.” The Mets have higher batting averages in their lineup, including Wally Backman, Len Dykstra, Keith Hernandez, Ray Knight and Mookie Wilson, all of whom finished above .289 and were among the league leaders in hitting. The Astros counter with Glenn Davis, Denny Walling, Kevin Bass and Jose Cruz, who overcame a slow

his postseason feats. “Reggie is in a class by himself,” Clemens said. “He’s Mr. October and he’ll be a major force for them. But I can’t think of just him. I have nine guys I have to concentrate on. ” Jackson, who hit one homer this year against Clemens, has mixed feelings about facing the hardthrowing Boston right-hander who lost only four games while compiling a league-leading 2.48 earned run average this year. “I look forward to facing Roger Clemens and I don’t. Here’s a guy who is the best pitcher in baseball in 1986. He’s probably a Cy Young Award winner. He’s Mr. Pitcherright now. “But he’s also an automatic hype for the game. He gets you up for a game.” Jackson took batting practice Monday with his left hand bandaged. Manager Gene Mauch, who said he was told that Jackson bruised his hand throwing “a left hook” against the dugout wall in Texas Saturday night, said he expected his slugger to be readv. AL batting champion Wade Boggs, who missed Boston’s last four regular-season games because of a right hamstring injury, also worked out Monday and said he would be at third base for the opener of the best of-7 series. Boston catcher Rich Gedman, who suffered a painful shoulder bruise when hit by a foul tip Saturday, also threw and promised to be ready. Chilly weather with temperatures in the 40s was forecast for tonight, but neither Clemens nor Witt was bothered by the probability.

start this season to lead the Astros’ charge to the division title. “They have to contain the top of our order,” Mets catcher Gary Carter said, referring to Dykstra, Backman and Hernandez. “If those three guys are kept off the basepaths, it will be tough for Darryl (Strawberry) and I to drive in runs.” Walling and Bass led the Astros in hitting with .311 averages and Davis drove in 101 runs and hit 31 homers becoming only the second Astro to hit more than 30 in a season. Jimmy Wynn hit 37 in 1967 and 33 two years later. Bass hit .300 for the first time in his career and has been consistent through ut the season. Game 2 will be played Thursday night in the Astrodome, while the next three games will be played Saturday, Sunday night and Monday in New York’s Shea Statdium. Both teams come into the playoffs with five-game winning streaks. The Mets won 14 of their last 18 games to tie the 1975 Cincinnati Reds with 108 victories, the most since divisional play started 17 years ago. The Astros won 15 of their last 19 games for 96 victories, a club record. Scott, completing his most successful season, led the major leagues with 306 strikeouts and was the NL ERA leader at 2.22. “I couldn’t be more ready to pitch,” Scott said.

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Two of the four teams that will participate in Wednesday's Putnam County cross country meet are Greencastle and Cloverdale. The meet will be run on the CHS course beginning at 4:30 p.m. Members of the Tiger Cubs (above) are from left, front row; David Brown, Bill McCaffrey, Kevin Mazur, Suzette Williams, Melissa Dean, Amy Tucker. Second row: Mike Smith, Shawn Tharp, Jarrod Kendall, Jon Hurst, Art Buis, Bob Chandler, coach Charlie Dob-

Mississippi St., Stanford in unusual places

By The Associated Press While there was no surprise in the continued ranking of Miami as No. 1, the inclusion of Stanford and Mississippi State among the Top Twenty is a rarity to be sure. “It shows us that Stanford football is heading in the right direction,” Coach Jack Elway said Monday after his Cardinal made The Associated Press’ Top Twenty for the first time in five years. “We knew at the start of the year that we would be good, have a winning season and possibly go to a bowl game.” Elway said beating Texas in Stan-

It's here! This time of year is the best for sports

By KEITH E. DOMKE Banner-Graphic Sports Editor I know the nickname is already spoken for, but I’ve always considered myself to be a Mr. October. The reasons are simple. OCTOBER USUALLY BRINGS to an end the long, hot, sweaty days of summer and waves in the crisp, mild, but cooler days of fall. I enjoy watching the leaves show off their beauty by changing color and a relaxing afternoon outside on the front porch on a sunny, 70-degree day sipping some apple cider is hard to beat. But, there is another reason why October is my favorite month. It’s the best month of the year for sports. Now I know folks can argue that point with me as there are other months that are packed with excitement. I, myself, almost have to think twice in choosing October over April as the beginning of a new baseball season and The Masters are all held within that 30-day period. BUT THE 10TH month of the year is No. 1 with me. The football season is well under way while the baseball season prepares to close its doors on another campaign. For the avid sports man, it’s as sweet as it can get. In what other month can one find the World Series preceded by the League Championships in both the American and National leagues, high school football sectionals, the opening of basketball practice on all levels, the heart of the football schedule in college and the pros -- the list is almost endless. In the list of my top 10 favorite sporting events, the World Series is second only to The Masters. Baseball has always been one - if not the one -- of my favorte sports and the Fall Classic means time to put almost everything aside except for the television and the World Series.

son. Members of the Clovers (below) are from left, front row: Chuck Haywood, Tony Baxter, Scott Haywood, Jeff Mannan. Second row: Coach Vince Faulkner, Jimmy Smith, Darin Price, Greg Bayer, Brian Allee. The other two schools in the county, North and South Putnam will also participate. Their team pictures appeared in the Banner-Graphic earlier in the season. (Banner-Graphic photos by Keith E. Domke)

Rankings in scoreboard

ford’s season opener was a con-fidence-builder. “Its nice to be ranked and thought of in that manner, but really we can’t worry about that right now,” Mississippi State’s Rockey Felker said of his Bulldogs, also ranked for the first time since 1981. “I hope that at the end of the year we will be somewhere in the rankings. And that will tell us what kind of a year we had.” Stanford, 4-0 after beating San Diego State 17-10 Saturday, entered

Bench Press

AND BEFORE THAT, the League Championship Series’ in both the NL and AL provide excitement and entertainment beyond most other sporting events. The fact that for the next two weeks, three best-of-seven series’ will be played to determine the best in the sport takes a front seat even to Roy Hobbs’ pennant-winning, light-breaking homer in the bottom of the ninth during the final scenes of The Natural. But, Hobbs heroics is what baseball and October combine to do at this time of year. It’s thrilling, it’s overwhelming, it’s goose-bumping. And, combining it with football -- another one of my favorites -- and the fact that Hoosier Hysteria opens another run, makes October become one great moment after another. It’s paradise having pro football on Monday night, baseball Tuesday through Thursday, high school football on Friday, DePauw football and pro ‘baseball on Saturday and the Indianapolis Colts and pro baseball on Sunday. (There will be a break on the 10th, however, because my fifth year wedding anniversary comes around and I do want to live to see the sixth.) SO, WHO DO I pick to win it all? Who will cap-

the rankings at No. 18, one spot ahead of 4-1 Mississippi State, a 34-17 winner over Memphis State. Clemson, 3-1, also got on the board as No. 20 after beating The Citadel 24-0. Miami, which reached the top of the rankings last week after beating Oklahoma, routed Northern Illinois 34-0 for its fifth consecutive victory. The Hurricanes received 55 of 58 fir-st-place votes and 1,155 of a possible 1,160 points from a nationwide panel of sports writers and sportseasters. Second-ranked Alabama also raised its record to 5-0 by whipping Notre Dame 28-10. The Crimson Tide received 1,084 points.

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Tiger Sharks lack depth in setback BLOOMINGTON-The Greencastle High School girls’ swim team brought home first-place finishes in seven of the 11 events Monday night, but still finished behind Bloomington North in a dual meet, 93-78. THE LOSS WAS the second of the year for the Tiger Sharks against five wins and a tie. “Our lack of depth and only having one diver hurt us a lot,” said GHS coach Paul Bretscher, who was without diver Jodi Billman because of illness. “But still, most of the team swam really well so I was pleased.” Carrie Nealon and Kim Hinkle were double winners for the Purple and Gray. Nealon captured the gold in the 200 and 500 freestyles while Hinkle touched the wall first in the 50 and 100 freestyles. Cristina Opdahl, Jody Gould and the 400 freestyle relay team were the other winners on the local side. Opdahl won the 100 backstroke while Gould was the top breaststroker. BUT ONLY HAVING four secondplace finishes is what hurt the Sharks as the 200 medley relay team, Opdahl, Kim Black and Lori Combs were runners up. Only two gals--Jenni Lancaster in diving and Gould in the 100 butterfly-swam good enough for thirds. Next action for GHS is Thursday in the McAnally pool against Danville. Bloomington North 93. Greencastle 78 200 medley relay-1. Bloomington North (2:03.53); 2. Greencastle (Combs, Myers, Gould. Steiner); 3. Bloomington North. 200 freestyle-1. Nealon (G) 1:58.06 ; 2. Ruesink (BN); 3. Hegarty (BN); 4. Black (G); 5. Shepherd (BN). 2001. M.-l. Jastremski (BN) 2:11.05; 2. Opdahl (G); 3. Park (BN); 4. Myers (G); 5. Harris (BN). 50 freestyle-1. Hinkle (G) 26.37 ; 2. Winchester (BN); 3. Costello (BN); 4. Combs (G); 5. Sampanis (BN). Diving-1. Terrell (BN) 170.10; 2. Raimsey (BN); 3. Lancaster (G); 4. Musser (BN). 100 butterfly-1. Jastremski (BN) 59 95 ; 2. Ruesink (BN); 3. Gould (G); 4. Napoli (G); 5. Weiser (BN). 100 freestyle-1. Hinkle (G) 57.39 ; 2. Hearty (BN); 3. Krothe (BN); 4. Steiner (G); 5. Sampanis (BN). 500 freestyle-1. Nealon (G) 5:23.3; 2. Black (G); 3. Shepherd (BN); 4. Hegarty (BN); 5. Boone (G). 100 backstroke-1. Opdahl (G) 1:05.99 ; 2. Combs (G); 3. Castellan (BN); 4. Park (BN); 5. Jackowiak (BN). 100 breaststroke-1. Gould (G) 1:16.78; 2. Winchester (BN) 3. Harris (BN); 4. Everson (BN); 5. Myers (G). 400 free relay-1. Greencastle (Hinkle, Black, > Opdahl, Nealon) 3:57.98: 2. Bloomington North; 3. Bloomington North.

Open recreation atMcAnally Center Open recreation at Greencastle High School’s McAnally Center will be available on 11 dates for the remainder of 1986, the school announced today. FIVE DATES in October-the 13th, 14th, 20th, 27th and 28thadults and students, for $1 and 50 cents, respectively, will be able to use the gym and pool facilities as well as the balcony for running purposes. In November, the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th and 25th are recreation dates while Dec. 8 is also open for the public’s use.

ture baseball’s most coveted prize? Well, to start in the American League, I like Boston in the championship series if Roger Clemens is 100 percent. If he’s not, it’s a tossup. Clemens went 24-4 and is sure to lock up the Cy Young and possibly the MVP in his league. Jim Rice, Wade Boggs and a lot of the rest have had banner years while California -- with the real Mr. October in Reggie Jackson - may be over the hill. This is the Angels’ last chance. In the National League, the Mets were the only preseason choice of mine that made it. The others (Reds, Yankess, Royals) fell through while New York won a league-high 108 games. HOWEVER, HOUSTON IS on a roll while New York has put it in cruise control since the AllStar break. Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry and the pitching staff have been mediocre at best since then while the Astros have been a hot club, especially the pitching staff. I go with Houston. Now, after both of those series’ go seven games, the Astros and Red Sox will meet in the series and both will be a little tired. The cool Fenway Park air will favor the Bosox while the spaciousness of the Astrodome will favor Houston. It should be a dynamite series, even if it’s California and New York that make it as all four teams are exciting and have all the tools to make it rememberable. BUT, AS THE calendar prepares to turn to November, ... I hesitate to even pick an overall champion because it should be so, so close. ... Houston will be king. In seven games, two or three of them going extra innings, the Astros will be baseball’s supreme team. It all starts tonight. Bring on the apple cider. Call me in two weeks.