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Show THE HERALD, Provo, Utah—Page 11 Jim Murray's Column: A Gutsy Beginning for Sutcliffe by JIM MURRAY (c) 1979, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — The time was April 8, 1979, the place. Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers, defending National League champions, were in big trouble The San Diego Padres, ofall people, had wiped out an early Dodger querque He had one more which. in baseball's revolving-do system of player-training. meant he could be sent down to the minor leagues one moretime with te. without being thrown player draft. subject to claim b other club Lasorda didn't want to start the season una furfeil. Su. he summoned Sutcliffe to the mound, and then lead, and tied the covered his eyes. He didn’t so much score, 5-5. They want Sutcliffe to save the game as to did this largely on just endit the philanthropy Sutcliffe did both. He didn't seem to of Dodger rel- find the San Diego lineup as awesome lievers, who is- as his predecessors did. They seemed sued more free to think they had been called upon to Passes than the boat show In the dugout, Manager Tommy Lasorda watched in growing horrow More than a game was going up in flames. The season was. A team without a bullpen is like a guitar withoutstrings. It can’t play In the bullpen wasonelone survivor. Richard Lee Sutcliffe was on the team, but not of it. He had one foot in the bullpen, and the other on a bus to Aibu- subdue the 1927 Yankees. Sutcliffe threw strikes at these Ping-Pong hitters. He gave them his best “Here. hit this, turkey." pitches. He didn’t see Babe Ruth standing there. just Ozzie Smith. In the 11th inning, the Padres loaded the bases with two out. Dave Winfield, everybody's choice as ‘'the next Henry Aaron," cameto bat. By now, Winfield was used to walks from Dodger relievers, who would rather milk a rat- catcher § mound to test ery What are you gonnadowith him’ he asked “If hehits it. he'll deserve it Sutcliffe told h Winfield struck out on three pitches Right then and there. Rick Sutcliffe became a major leaguer He won the gamein the 12th inning. his first major sourcefor the old Washington Senators. leave blank a year when there were no become the Babe Ruth tne batsmen hit good pitches he was expected to be Jim Lefebvre, a matter what their infield does solid hitter but lacking in speed. ended them certified candidates. The first award 1947. was won by Jackie Robinson. no less Willie Mays wonit So did Pete Rose. Johnny Bench. Tom Seaver and Willie McCovey Nevertheless, Henry never nte Bob won it. Nor did Roberto Clem season. But, more importantly. he won a place in the Dodgers rotation Almost the next day. the Dodgers scattered the bullpen that had scat- Gibson was overlooked Seven Dodgers have won it Jackie Robinson went on to the Hall of Fame Don Newcombe parlayed his Rookie of tered all those bases-on-balls. Lance the Year award into MVP and Cy Rautzhan was sent to Milwaukee Young honors. Jim Gilliam never Gerald Hannahs was given Sutcliffe’s bus ticket to Albuquerque Pete Broberg was released outright al a cost wear the uniform of the Detroit Tigers. heads thelist of candidates eligible for election to the Hall of dy became a kind of traveling while performing usefully as a power voters to gain election to the Cooperstown NY. Fame in January, according to the fastball. with a clocking in the 92 m.p.h. range. a curveball he can throw the ball. But being a major league pitcher is 10 percent throwingit up. and 90 perce.it toughing-it-out. It’s not the legs that go first, it’s the guts. The to be named by75 percent of the official ballot released Monday by the Baseball Writers Association of ment to it. Sutcliffe has a majorleague halfwayto the plate when helets goof America Kaline, a 297 hitter for 22 seasons with the Tigers is making his first appearance on the ballot and needs member of baseball's 3,000-hit club and one of the best players ever to When you join a club that includes shrine More than 400 members of the BBWAA have been mailed ballots great ones far outlast their fastballs Petulance has poisoned more pitchers than gopher balls. Many a a great football team. Wefootball peo- ple know we'replaying a great football team, and welook forward to the challenge.” Syracuse, 6-5, was criticized for accepting the bowl invitation to play MeNeese State, 110, but Maloney said the criticism didn’t bother him. “We don’t care what the New York Manager {Lasorda calls if bulldog” “being a A 100 mph fastball Kaline was considered one of baseball's finest all-round playersin his years with the Tigers. He batted over 300 nine times including an American League leading .340 in 1955 and amassed 3,007 careerhits. He also was a standout defensive player in right field and perennially ranked among the league leaders in And, if you're afraid to throw Dave Winfield fastballs with the loaded because you don’t want art your career with a grand. heme run, you not only won't make Rookie of the Year, you won't make rookie period. You'll make Albuquerque You have a hunchit wasa battlefield commission for Sutcliffe. And you have a hunch, 20 years from today. some spoLsNriet will be saying ‘Rookie of the Year? It’s a great honor Look at assists and putouts, Duke Snider former star outfielder for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, is the second choice behind Kaline for election Snider missed by only 16 votes iast year when Willie Mays was an overwhelming choice. Standard Makes Doors ! * Pre-hung Doors Chenier,’’ Greveysaid. ‘Here | was, playing hurt. the press was on meand then one of my own team- * Repairs of ail types Coach Dick Motta to bring him back. mates says this. Grevey wonhis starting job back from Phegley, a surprising second-year man who played little last “ButI think the guys realize my contribution now Sitting one the bench. I could see they weren't playing with intensity, playing from free throw line to season, with a 29-point showing in a narrow loss to New York last week. he followed that Saturday with 19 points against Central Division-leading Atlanta, drilling the game-winning shot at the buzzer. “It’s good to have Kevin back.” Motta said. ‘We missed him those 12 or 13 games hedidn’t play. Not just becauseof his scoring. but becauseof the way he seemstolift our team.” Grevey is happy someone recognizeshis contribution, because he thinks someof his teammates don't. press has to say, or anybody else,” Maloneysaid. ‘‘We wanted to come.’’ Theteam couldnotpractice outdoors in Syracuse due to cold weather and Maloneysaid that might be a disad' He still recalls bitterly a remark Bobby Dandridge made last spring when the Bullets’ guards were * Custom fit doors free throw line, like they do when I'm in there. It’s oneof things that doesn't show upin the box score."’ His injured legsfeellike ‘steel springs,’ Grevey said. ‘'They could go at almostany time. I don’t know how long I'm goingtolast.” But he is following a stretching program designed by University of Maryland track coach Frank Costello, who coaches world-record hurdler Renaldo Nehemiah, to increasehis flexibility. Bas * Door replacement * Doorlocks STANDARD BUILDERS SUPPLY 1480 Worth State, Prove 373-1063 ‘STOP ANDSAVE AT THE SIGH OF THE CARILLON SQUARE 301 E. 1300 $0. OPERATED BY P.N. HIRSCH & CO. an INTERCO tage. “It concerns me,” hesaid. ‘‘We did a little indoor work. and wedid all right as far as keeping our conditioning. We did a lot of running. But we didn’t get as much of an opportunity to practice ouroffense and practice our defense as we would haveliked to.” Syracuse quarterback Bill Hurley, who completed 79 of158 passesfor 1,276 yards and six touchdowns during the season, said his team’s offensive line may makethe difference. PRICES HAVE BEEN REDUCED UP T0 SID CARDON 1979-1980 PROGRAM 60% AND MORE CHOOSE FROM 4 SESSIONS #1 December 26, 27, 28, 29 12 January 5, 12, 19, 26 #4 March 1, 8, 15, 22 4 LESSONS and 4 PASSES SUNDAY 12705 NAA emer my a ac 1$5( JRTEE \ no blasted for their play against Seattle. “He said all we needed was a healthy Phil SUNJANCE oS SKI SCHOOL #3 February 2, 9, 16, 23 This is what set Sutcliffe apart from the rest of the Dodgerrelief this is what separated om the rest of the 1979 rookies qpouteliffe calls it -confidenc wait to get back.’’ Doctors told Grevey. who tore musclesin both legs the last eight months. not to play before the first of year. But the fifth-year veteran found it hard to watch the Bullets, playoff finalists the last two seasons,dip below .500. Ten days ago, he persuaded Syracuse Coach Reports Team Readyto Play McNeese SHREVEPORT, La. (UPL) — Syracuse Coach Frank Maloney acknowledges his team faces a challenge against undefeated Southland Conference champion McNeese State in the Independence Bowl this weekend. . “We're looking forward to it,” Maloney said Monday.‘We're playing ni with pitcher, enraged at a teammate’s er- the great players who have won it! ror, has sore-headed his wayoutof the Rose! Mays! The Robinsons' Seaver’ major leagues by serving up hitable And don't forget Sutcliffe’ pitches to “get even” for his shoddy (c) 1979, Los Angeles ‘limes Month on Bench Valuable to Bullets’ Grevey LANDOVER,Md.(UPI) — It took a month on the bench for Washington's Kevin Greveyto realize what basketball means to him. Greveyspentall of Novembersidelined with a nagging hamstring injury. That cameon topof problems caused by his brief contract holdout and memories of being blamed for the Bullets loss to Seattle in the NBAfinalslast spring — events that added upto take the fun out of pro basketball for him. “T was pretty di ‘ed with basketball. I was disappointed with 'y iny s and I was maligned by the press for us losing in the playoffs last spring,” Grevey said this week. ‘‘Then,after I signed my contract and came to camp, I had to beat out Roger Phegley for a job I had had with the world champions. “‘But sitting on the bench was pretty bad. I got to think about how muchI really like this daggone game.I waslike a caged animaloutthere. I couldn't support. Good pitchers just make sure Jackie and Frank Robinson, Richie Al- good to you if your pulse rate ist len, Pete Rose and Willie Mays, you A wicked curve is useless if vou re tend not to want to be an embarrass: afraid to throw it on three-indtwo for strikes. and, at 6 feet 7 inches, he is real MVPseven years in a another contest. He was chosen troubleshooter for incomplete infields National League Rookie of the Year around the league over a blue-ribbonfield Frank Howard won it but Big Frank Choosing Rookie of the Year is a storied Dazzy Vance won a dozen of them. He was the time base-stealing record. Later. Ted Rick Sutcliffe won The only won an MVP award but he should have Sutcliffe didn't win his place so much Dodger infielder Teddy Sizemore with his arm as with his stomach The won it and went on to a career taking Dodgers like people who challenge pitches so Lou Brock wouldset the allDaveWinfield Last week, than Rick Sutcliffe did Dodgers’ row to management of $50,000 his career in Japan Only a couple of prehistoric Dodger pitchers won more games as rookies modern-day hurler to do it was the Aar leage win, and the first of 17 that NEW YORK (UPI) — Al Kaline a Kaline, Snider Head List Of Hall of Fame Eligibles It is a dist anguished € ny of athletes and i would sometimes behoove the authors to press box lottery oath REGISTER TODAY AT WOLFE’S SKI DEPARTMENT aera ALES ARE FINAL ) REFUNDS OR WAYS aes |