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Show Page 8—THE HERALD. Provo, Utah Sunday, July 5, 1981 Payton Sure to Sign ‘Big’ Pact With Bears Eventually the term meaningless. Even though By RANDY MINKOFF UPI Sports Writer Payton is one of the greatest running backs in the history of the game no CHICAGO (UPI Walter Payton eventually will sign with the Chicago club is willing to surrender money and- or a first round draft choice for Bears for one of the highest salaries in Payton. the history of the National Footbal! League The risk would seem worthwhile con that one associates with the likesof the Los Angeles Lakers’ Magic Johnson or But makes about $450 000 a year, has no real choice butto sign with the Bears NFL the It’s the club. The owners don't want sign with any other NFL club to offend each other. You won't see one ownertryto take someone like Walter the club does not have to pay him as much for his services. Even when Payton's agent suggested the 5-foot-10 inch running back be paid $1 million a year not outlandish when compared pensation for NFL free agents makes away because they are afraid it might to some baseball or basketball salaries the 26-year-old superstar running back would stay with the teamthat drafted him out of Jackson State even though he technically is a free agent able to But the restrictiveness of the com Ed Garvey, executive director of the Players Association, said dilemmalies deeper than that doesn't begrudge players in other sports the large amount of money they the New York Yankees’ Dave Winfield. But because Payton who currently sidering Payton’s proven ability. There has never been any doubt that — owner George Halas promptlysaid that was too much. Payton does not want to leave Chicago, nor is he a greedy man. He happen to them Garvey said In any other sport, Payton surely would be making the megabuck salary make Look at Magic Johnson's contract (Johnson signed a $25 million pact with the NBA Los Angeles Lakers Thursdaynight.) It's great he can get that type of money” Payton said You never know when you're going to get hurt and be out. You don’t know when you're going to get hit by a bascball or something NEW YORK (UPI) televising Triple A games nationally sincethe strike started. Another reason is Rajsich’s faculty for hitting home — Television which has a way of accomplishing all runs whenever the games are carried Rajsich also has received exposure on Ted Turner's Superstation, WTBS. as well as on the USA networkand this has caused the Mets’ front office to get kinds of miracles is transforming minor leaguer Gary Rajsich into a household name Well almost Rajsich pronounced RAYzitch, plays rightfield for the New York Mets’ Tri. ple A Tidewater club in the Interna tional League, and leads the entire western hemisphere in home runs. He hashit 22 so far for the Tides and that puts him ahead of everybody else — in the majors, the minors and even the Little Leagues as far as can be determined Because of the baseball strike and the marvels of TV, Rajsich, a 26-yearold veteran of five previous seasons in the minors, has gotten more national attention the past three weeks than he has had the rest of his life. The big reason is because ESPN has been calls asking, “When are you gonna bring this guy up?” Bring him up where? With the strike on, there's noplace to bring him. even if that was what they had in mind Rajsich is playing with a sprained wrist and a jammed thumbat the mo- overwhelmed by all the sudden attention he has received especially after hitting five home runs and nearly 500 against Columbusin a recent nationally televised five-game series ‘It's staggering ' says the Youngstown Ohio, native whose brother, Dave pitches for Wichita in the American Association. ‘I've gone weeks.”’ ment. That has caused his average to Dave Rosenfield, Tidewater’s dive 20 points or so the past week, but general manager has been around hestill is hitting .301 and has driven in more than 20 years and says power50 runs for Tidewater. Last year, with wise Rajsich is the best hitter he has Tacoma. his .321 batting average in- ever seen in the league cluded 99 RBI and 21 homers. Until “The only ‘guy I can think who apthree months ago, he belonged to the proached him was Kenny Singleton.” HoustonAstros. They traded him to the says the Tides’ exec. ‘‘Ever since the Mets last April for outfielder John strike and our games began to be Csefalvay and the Mets assigned him to nationally televised, the fan response CLEVELAND (UPI) — To Carl Hoerig, it almost doesn’t matter if the All-Star the league staffs Hoerig runs the Cleveland Indians’ souvenir shop, and hereports that fans are still buying various items bearing the AllStar logo — T-shirts helmets, pennants ahd coffee mugs. The July 14 classic is in serious jeopardy because of the baseballplayers’ strike, but the souvenirs would then becomecollector’s items “We're selling fantastically.”’ said Hoerig. Others in Cleveland are not so happy with the prospectof no game. DaleFinley, head of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimatedthe loss would be about ~ $2.6 million. “We had bookedin about 1,311 roomsfor pact.”” Finley said that someofthe hotels have already started to sell those rooms to other visitors. “We're really coming up on the game and wecan'ttell the hotels to hold those rooms,"’ Finley said. But he added that roomscould be found if the strike is settled or postponed until July 30, as has been rumored. “We'll be able to adjust with additional properties,’ he said. ‘Wedidit during the (Carter-Reagan presidential) debate. It's ing apples and oranges. Other owners in other sports compete and don’t enjoy the luxury NFL owners haveof sharing a lucrative national television contract Garveylabels it a brotherhood. adding the NFL owners haveno fiscal incentive to win since they get their burgersor hot dogs. “I remember one bus trip in particular when I was in the Southem League." he says. ‘We were going from Charlotte to Memphis and the bus caughtfire. Got an OddBall? Popa Would Like It a ems forniture company NFL 13.871% “Effective June 30 through July 6. Federalregulations require a substantial penatty for early withdrawal and prohibit, compounding ofinterest during the term of deposit. 3B BANK 5 NORTH 200 WEST PROVO 474-9500 MEMBERFDIC SOLID VALUES FOR YOUR HOME TO OFFER OUR EMPLOYEES A 3-DAY HOLIDAY 9 Pe WILL BE LOSED AY: Chateau Michelle A beautifl fr door that comes with paint oa ready tofe. Tated Office ) \ S Reneaary Feypelegpepi repert he mony, with Saeed Extra 895" STANDARD BUILDERS SUPPLY Handle set not included. tfon, has one wall of his downtown Columbusoffice covered with golf balls, every one of them different, and claims his collection has ‘‘just touched the surface.” Popa’s. collection includes balls stamped with the namesof such golting greats as Jack Nicklaus, Lee ‘Trevino, Arnold Palmer as well as former stars Doug Sanders, Jackie Burke,the late Tony Lema and many, many more. “That's really what started me,” said Popa, the tiead of Nicholas Popa and Associates,a public relations firm,‘‘trying to see how manydifferent names I could collect. Then pretty soonI started picking up old balls like the U.S. Nobby and Worthington.” From there, Fore added balls with corporate names on them, balls from different golf and country clubs around the world and those from the various jolf tournaments, such as the Bing Crosby National Ero-Am and the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic. Popa, a native of Omaha, Neb., and a graduateof Creighton University who cameto Columbusin 1940 ¢ a Unitéd Press bureau manager, now has more an 1,200 golf balls in his collection and it’sstill growing. also has quite a few personalized balls, with Sunday hackers’ nameson them,but says, ‘I don’t get into them any more. You can imagine how many of those you could get with wives buying them for cues Fee an avid golfer himself and the father-in-law of PGA tour player Ed Sneed, obtains manyof his balls from people with whom he plays, on a trade basis. He also hasfriends on the lookout for them «The oldest ball in Popa’s collection is an 1899 Spalding ‘‘Dot,'’ which had tiny bumpsonit instead of the dimples we knowtoday. It was given to him by a friend who was‘‘just happyto knowI collected golf balls and would put it in mycollection. “It's an interesting thing,” he said. ‘People will call me and say, ‘Do you have such and such a ball?" I don't keep an inventory. but I pretty much know which ones I have. “T can’t get involved in trading, because there aren't too manypeople whocollect on this basis. I know some guys whocollect golf balls. but I don't know anybody who makesthiskind ofeffort to have one of a kind.” sated because of the structure of the Prove Old World Elegance At Your Door Step By GENE CADDES UPISports Writer *COLUMBUS,Ohio (UPI) — Gotan old or unusual golf ball you don'tt want any more? Nick Popawill take it off your ha Popa, executive director of the Ohio Golf Associa- seem fitting that an athlete of Payton's talents should not be properly compen: Se THE CURRENT BONNEVILLE BANK SIX MONTH MONEY MARKET CERTIFICATE INTEREST RATE IS 375-4445 “We're planning everything whether 4 ballplayers show up or not,” said Robert Zion, director of downtownactivities for the Growth Association. The Theatrical Restaurant is a mecca for such baseball luminaries as George It can be rightly argued most athletes are overpaid anyway, but it does not 289 S. University tivities gameor no game. not a lost cause, so we'll be able to cope with it.” The Bears know the revenues will be the samme whether Payton wearstheir uniform or not. NEWYORK (UPI) — Steinbrenner Billy Martin. Yogi Berra and Howard Cosell, ard its owner, Buddy Spitz, said that he's also receiving cancellations. “‘T had reservations for all 500 seats in the restaurantfor the night of the 14th,” re said. “ButI've had 100 cancellations so ar. “It’s all local people. I expect the national people will cancel sometimenext week, when the gameis off for sure. but the local people are disgusted.” Officials from the Greater Cleveland Growth Assoviation are hoping that the strike is settled in time, but they're going ahead with a series of downtown ac- the players and the media,” he said.. “The cancellation of those roomswill cause a tremendousim- ammunition. the daily food staples are either ham- Strike Doesn’t Affect Souvenir Sales game is played or not. matter where the standings amount of money they get in gross RENT A HEAP from being an unknown player to being a better known one in only a few their squad finishes Without that incentive, quality players like Payton have to negotiate with little The trouble is comparing the NBA or The current cost of a hospital room is enough to Rajsich has been tremendous. Local- to send a patient into ly the people have been requesting him shock these days for all kinds of appearances. We also Hospital room rates have got a call from a man in Tucson who risen faster than any said he enjoyed seeing Gary play there other component of last season and wanted to knowif he’s medical care — from an hitting his homers only on TV. Another averageof $43 a dayfor a guycalled from Wichita saying Gary's semi-private room in 1970 brotheris a prettygood ballplayer = to $143 this year. ‘Gary, himself, is an dividual " Rosenfield adds. “He nave hard andis exceptionally cooperative He's a fundamentally sound ballplayer andI think he has a chanceto play in the big leagues.”” Day-Week-Month Rajsich would love that. He feels he has been in the Iron Lung leagues too $95 long those bush leagues whereall the road trips are made by bus and where RENT-A-CAR Tidewater The 6-foot-2 205-pound lefthanded hitting Rajsich is somewhat what is a major league baseball is like compar. Strike Great for Minor League Slugger By MILTON RICHMAN UPISports Editor share of the TV bucks But if Magic Johnson is worth $25 million in today's market player swho is the sixth all-time leading rusher worth? WATCH OUR ADS FOR GREAT SPECIALS COMING YOUR WAY ¢~ “THE HOMEFOLKS” Bil vav's LEADING HOME FURNISHINGS CENTER Il SAV-MOR AUTO CLINIC SN STATE SPECTION STATION #705 780 NORTH 400 WEST, OREM (114 blocks West of State on 8th North) 224-2221 HOURS:7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday GRANT G. MUHLESTEIN GLENN MITCHELL Grant has 15 years experience working for Provo School District, Owner of Grant's Garage, mechanic at Tri-City Ford and ConsolidatedTire. Glenn has 6 years experience. He has worked forL.C. 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