OCR Text |
Show Sportstacular Pago 2 September 27, 1979 Left me tieMI yy sM by John Peterson get as tired as I do with announcers and writers continually talking about professional athletes salaries? It seems that with all the statistical measurements that we use in the games we play, home is more important than salary figures. It is disgusting, distressing, takes away from the game, and worst of all, makes me very depressed when I compare what they make and what I make. Thats probably the big reason why I like the story of Do you Hugh Duffy so much. Hugh Duffy isnt exactly a household word today although he once was. So let me take a moment and introduce him to you. Duffy spent his whole life around baseball. His active playing career spanned over 20 years, around the turn of the century, and he was a manager, coach and scout from that time until the day he died. He is the only player to have labored in all three of the major leagues that baseball can count in its history, and he was anything but a hack. He is currently enshrined in Cooperstown, and is a legend among baseball buffs. In his later years, playing in Milwaukee, the talented little Irishman was so beloved by the largely German population there, that his name appeared on the roster once as 'Duffmier. During the 1894 season, Duffy did something that has memorialized his name forever. As a player with the old Boston Beaneaters, Duffy rolled up a batting hitting average of .438. Its the highest single-seaso- n performance in the history of baseball! After more than 80 years, with stronger hitters, livelier baseballs, and parks that offer more room for balls to drop in safely, Duffys record still stands. Today, young men who barely manage a .300 average can earn a great living in almost any major seven-figusalaries league city in the land. Six-an- d are not uncommon for players with averages over a hundred points less than that. It was a remarkable feat of hitting and the record could stand forever. But the part of the story I like best is what happened after he enjoyed such an outstanding season. Duffy did exactly what any of our modern-da- y re Ibouiti IrUaajlhi Dyffffy teresting to note the situation at the University of Colorado. Chuck Fairbanks, who was the center of a controversy several controversies, actually when he was hired away from the NFL Patriots to coach at Boulder, isnt having much luck to date. Despite his s contract which is paid by alumni and booster club groups, the Moses of Buffalo football hasnt led anybody out of the wilderness yet. So far, If schedule, Colorado is against a patty-cak-e theres a lesson anywhere in that story, it probably involves keeping interested and concerned but not very knowledgeable fans away from the decisionmaking processes that the administrators are paid to superstars would do after such a great performance. He went into the owner of the club, pointed out his contributions, and asked for a raise. Its an American tradition to want pay equal to what you can do, and Duffy wasnt out of line. Today, of course, there would be banks of television lights, reporters, analysts, and battalions of lawyers. Congress would get involved, as would organized labor. The whole thing would end up in court, and everybody would end up hating everyone else. But 1894 was a simpler time. It was .just Hugh Duffy baseballs greatest hitter and his employer. And Duffy merely wanted a raise. Did he get it? Well. . . yes, but it took a while. At first he was offered the job as team captain. More mega-buck- 0-- do. Actually, the whole Eastern Slope of the Rockies could be declared a disaster area this year. Former Weber State coach Sark Arslanian at Colorado State is also winless, the Air .Force Falcons have effectively had their wings clipped thus far, and Wyoming just picked up its first win last Saturday. Do you like daydreams? How about this: A pretty fair high school player is passed over in the recruiting by his hometown college, and goes away to school at a rivals campus. He comes back home and, the first time he picks up the ball, races for a long score against his home team and in front of mom and dad and all hik friends. It actually happened, you know. Doug Egbert, formerly of Ben Lomond High, went to Missoula to play football. As a freshman, with his team far ahead, he was put into the game against Weber State at Ogden and promptly ran 80 yards for a score. Egbert will be a senior this season, and figures strongly in the game plans when Weber and Montana tangle this Saturday in Missoula. responsibility, no more money. Duffy was happy with the honor for a while. But the whole scene started to grate on him. He was worth more, and by Heavens he was going to get more. Lode out Reggie, look out Catfish, look out Pete Rose, here comes a ticked-of- i superstar. Duffy bolted back into the owners office and this time he demanded a raise. His honor had been insulted, he wanted more money, and he was determined to get it. Sure enough, Duffy got his raise. Now keep in mind that this is 1895. Income tax is still twenty years in the future. Inflation refers only to air in a football. Dollars were a little more sound, and prices quite a bit lower. Still, .Duffys raise wasnt all that great. But his honor was satisfied. Hie best hitter ever in baseball was going to make more money. The man whose hitting record has stood up under the assault of more than 80 summers took the field in 1895 making more money than he had the previous year. A whole twelve dollars and fifty cents per. month more. An oxtm point or two Jumping forward a few years, but keeping the same its in- thought of . - Speaking of that game, the Montana coach had a little bit of a disadvantage in recruiting this year be was in jail. Its not actually as bad as it seems, though. The Montana prison guards went on strike last winter, and the governor called out the national guard. Montana Coach Gene Carlson is a Colonel in that body, and spent several weeks at the state prison supervising his troops. "JIUTAH WM7JL win, feature players Ogden fans saw what they wanted last Friday at the Dee Special Events Center, pro basketball at its finest. Even though stars like Pete Maravich, David Thompson, George McGinnis and others saw very little action, the NBA basketball treat was more than 0 enough. The victory was just icing on the cake. The Utah Jazz made their debut as the newest franchise in the league and the newest sports franchise in Utah, by holding off Denver in the final quarter and taking home a victory. Adrian Dantley, who the Jazz acquired from Los Angles for Spencer Haywood, was the consensus MVP for the evening. He went 12 of 21 from the field and 11 of 12 from the line to lead all scorers with 35 points in just 28 minutes of play. Pistol Pete Maravich threw in 20 points and played just half the game. His six straight points after intermission gave the 6,121 fans something to cheer about. The Jazz will travel to Houston, Texas for their next game then return to Utah to play the Rockets again, this time in Logan. The Logan game will be played at the Spectrum at 7: 30 p.m. on October 113-11- pre-seas- before being placed on waivers and quickly picked up by the Spurs in October of 1975. When Frank Layden and Tom Nissalke took over the Jazz basketball operations they looked at the free-agelist and decided that Bristow was the type of player needed to help make the Jazz a winning ball club. "I chose the Jazz as the team I wanted to play with for two reasons, Bristow said on the day of his signing. First the organization wanted me, and secondly, I like the people and . the attitude of the fans of Salt Lake City. Bristow played his college basketball at Virginia Tech University where he helped his team to the National Invitational Tournament finals in 1973. Bristow finished second in the MVP balloting of the tournament that year. Allan and his wife Etoila plan to make their home in Salt Lake City. nt ' pre-seas- 4. on Utahs Tommy Green Tommy Green begins his second year of pro basketball with the hopes that his playing time in his rookie year of 13.7 minutes per game gives him added experience for this season. Green was drafted in the second round of the 1978 college draft and heralded as one of the quickest guards in the college draft that season. After starting the season on the bench last year, Tommy finally worked his way into the lineup on spot occasions. By the end of the season Green was many times playing better than half the game for the Jazz. . Tommy dished out 13 assists in a Jazz win over the Philadelphia 76ers in January of last season. That figure was the second highest single game assists production on the Jazz team last year. Green played his college basketball at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In four years of college action, he averaged 11.2 points and six assists per game. Tommy dished out 200 assists during his senior year to help his team to a 23-- 5 record. Green makes his summer home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Player pre-vie- w . n The final clash is set against Los Angles on Monday, October, 8th at the Special Events Center pre-seaso- in SLC. The following rankings might be helpful to let fans - know how the NBA teams will align themselves this winter. on the Jazz Player pre-vieAllan Bristow Allan Bristow joined the Jazz during the past summer. He signed with Utah after playing out his contract with the San Antonio Spurs. The 7 forward hopes to help the Jazz with his tough defense and hustling style w 6-- of play. Bristow has been an important part of San Antonios success during the past four seasons. His ability to equally contribute both as a starter and off the bench makes him valuable to any team. Bristow also has limited experience at the guard position when situations dictated that he play in the backcourt. Bristow was drafted and signed by the Philadelphia 7fiers in 1973. He played for two years with the Sixers Sportstacular is creating big waves Were for real! Sports fan throughout the Ogden valley are finding that SPORTSTACULAR is for real and we are here to stay. Heres what some of them are saying: GORDON HATCH, OGDEN, Ive never seen any thing like it. Craig Hansen, CLEARFIELD COACH, Thats one of the best sports publications Ive seen in a long time. JOHN FLINT, CLEARFIELD COACH, I second what Coach Hansen had to say. UNIDENTIFIED ROY RESIDENT ON PHONE: I was getting a little worried when every Saturday I picked up the Sun Chronicle and wouldnt find any sports news in it. Then I heard about this SPORTSTACULAR and even took one off my neighbors front lawn. Once I saw that the Stahles were putting out a sports section like that, I renewed my subscription without hesitation. Sportstacular PubIMtad wkly by Stahl Publication, S3SI South 1900 Ray, Utah 14047. Artie I biquiriot Phona 02S-- 1 444. PUBUSHER AND MANAGMG J. HOWARD STAHLE Wt, EDITOR EDITORS GLEN ADAMS KEITH DUNCAN ADVERTISING MAN AGBt BONNE STAHLE PhanB2S-144- 4 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JOHN PETERSON 626-649- 0 BLISS FULMER 731-445- 3 GARY TOYN 745-379- 4 DAVE CARDWELL 621-119- 2 BRENT TAYLOR 825-597- 6 MONT ADAMS 825-481- 0 ' t |