Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday October 8 2003 — B3 Waftoro still HONOLULU (AP) — Shortly after being drafted by die Los Angeles Lakers Luke Walton discovered that being the son of a Hall of Famer only goes so far Walton ran into new teammate Karl Malone' at a Los Angeles Sparks WNBA game “and he told me I’m going to have to get him coffee early in the morning every day so he can read his newspaper" Walton said “I’m sure it’s going to be whatever they want I’m going to have to do So I’ll just take it as it comes” Such is the life of a rookie even one with a famous name who’s on a team stuffed with superstars intent on winning a : fourth NBA title in five seasons Walton is one of four sons of Bill Walton and the first to make it to an NBA training a rookie' despite pedigree camp After his standout career at Arizona the Lakers took Walton in the second round of die June draft the '32nd pick overall Walton is dearly a chip off the big redhead He looks and sounds like his father although his hair is brown not red Not surprisingly he likes the Grateful Dead although he’s not as hardcore a Deadhead as Bill Walton “I’m not like my dad but yeah I like the music” said Walton 23 “That’s all we heard until we woe like 12 until we started listening to our own music” So yes Walton is following his father’s big footsteps But he’s also hoping to stand on his own and the Lakers think he’s capable Coach Phil Jackson doesn’t i iiraa i see that many similarities between Luke and Bill Walton “We talked a little bit of Grateful Dead lingo but that’s about it” Jackson said “His This is a dad was a kid who handles the ball He shoots about the siune as his dad They’re both good passers that’s the one thing They see the court well” and Luke Walton is 235 pounds If he plays well in camp he could see some time at small forward since Rick Fox is rehabbing from foot surgery “He’ll make the team this year” Jackson said “We pretty much committed to him as a ballplayer because we think he’s got a good chance” ' Walton who grew up in San Diego might be more prepared to contribute sooner than some rookies “So far it’s been great for me” he said “I’ve had a lot of Support and I’ve met a lot of people in the business before I got here so it’s kind of been an easier transition for me” Luke Walton got some simple advice from his father before leaving for training camp “Just work hard and listen team every day from die opportunity I have with the coaches and players Fm with and tty to make the best of it” he said “Luke has got a great chance and it’s a (beam come true for him to play with such a great franchise with all those great names and such an unbelievable coach” Bill Walton said in a phone interview “I could not be happier for him or more proud of hi 41” Luke Walton knows it’s inevitable he’ll be compared with his father but he’s prepared to shrug it off Bill Walton said there’s no comparison “He’s much better Oh absolutely Better in everything and I’m not his coach I’mjiqt his dad” he said After his brilliant career at UCLA Bill Walton had NBA career because of nagging foot and ankle si1 ties game1 but it isn’t enough in ninth CHICAGO (AP) — Sammy Sosa's homer sent dramatic game-tyin- g Held a into tizzy and Wrigley momentarily rescued the Chicago Cubs But the power generated from Sosa’s first postseason homer wasn’t enough Tuesday night in the opening game of the NLCS Mark Guthrie gave up a homer to Mike Lowell in the 1 1th inning and the Cubs — bidding for their first World Series appearance since 1945 — were left to absorb a © v tough 9-- 8 loss “It was full of emotional twists” Cubs manager Dusty Baker said © “I’m sure everybody is emotionally exhausted at this point" © Sosa was Tuesday and this postseason when Ik con- nected to deep left off Marlins closer Ugueth Urbina with one on and two puts in the ninth Sosa knew where it" was headed immediately doing his ‘ as he left the batter’s box V photo - hip-ho- p in the air ds he watches his two-ru- n through with two outs “Coming Sosa Cubs jumps Chicago slugger Sammy was in Marlins homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Florida everybody ready to go home” Tuesday Sosa said Game 1 of the National League Championship Series ' go-ahe- ad i 1 coming off the bench to help the Boston Celtics win the NBA title left-hand- er : ' Florida would use Gabe Kapler in center field NEW YORK (AP) — Red Sox cento replace Damon Kapler batted 291 ter fielder Johnny Damon was in 158 from an Oakland hospital after coming to the Red in his Sox midseason and instead of Tuesday joining Boston general manager Theo y teammates in New York went to Boston to see a neurologist Epstein would not rule out Damon Damon’s concussion is expected to “I’m not saying it’s a loss yet” he said “Let’s wait and see” keep him out for at least part of the American League Championship Playing without Damon for any Series against the Yankees length of time would have a major He was injured in a frightening colliimpact on Boston’s chances against the Yankees sion with second baseman Damian n “It would be tough” second Jackson in Game 5 on Sunday night Todd Walker said “He’s a big and was unconscious for several min-- : utes before being removed on a stretcher part of this team Without him it would be difficult From what we hear Manager Grady Little tried to be lead-ohis about of condition the things are fairly good” rupbeat First baseman Kevin Millar said as man “We certainly feel like he’ll be ready important as Damon is to the Red Sox to play before the series is over” Little the team does not depend on just one said Tuesday “Whether he’s ready to or two players “It’s been amazing” he said play tomorrow we’re not sure right “There’s a lot of character and a lot of now He did suffer a pretty severe concussion out there and he was taking chemistry in this clubhouse” some more tests this morning HopeKapler said he noticed that almost immediately after signing with the Red fully he’ll be ready to get back in a Sox following his release Jjy Colorado couple of days” After stretches with Detroit Texas and In the meantime Little said he ed at-ba- ts ' base-ma- ff i TV ratings up for NEW YORK (AP) — Buoyed by the presence of the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox baseball's division on netseries was the highest-rate- d work television in eight years Fox Sports averaged a 75 rating for its five national broadcasts a 21 percent increase from last season’s 62 It was the highest rating since 1995 d when the playoff games were regionalized on the Baseball Network ami got a 104 first-roun- Despite the high ratings baseball was still beaten by the NFL on Mond day night Game 5 of the series got an 85 rating 102 for compared to a season-loABC’s coverage of Indianapolis at Tampa Bay Since 1996 no baseball playoff game in the first two rounds has beaten “Monday Night Football” in ratings Boston-Oaklan- w the Rockies — “not good teams” he said — the Red Sox experience has been completely new for him “These are guy& who love each other” he said “These are affectionate caring individuals guys who pull for each other and care for each other” They are also bonded by buzz haircuts: Damon is one of the last Red Sox with a full head of hair Almost all the others have shaved heads And that includes Little and Epstein “They even got me and Theo last night” Little said Damon’s injury shook the Sox when it occurred Pitcher Derek Lowe was one of the first players to reach the ' center fielder “I went out there” Lowe said “He had no idea what happened or where he was or why we were all looking at him When he came to he wanted to know if the ball was caught” As he was placed in the ambulance Damon waved a signal to his teammates that he was OK Still Little must prepare to be without him probably at least until Saturday’s Game 3 MLB playoffs However this year’s 20 percent edge for the NFL was considerably lower than last year when the Green football game (106) was 54 percent higher than Game 5 between San Francisco and Atlanta This year’s baseball game increased 23 percent from last year Fox’s five-gaaverage in the division series was also higher than the 65 for the NBA Finals and the 70 for NASCAR’s five highest-rate- d races on NBC or Fox The 21 percent increase is the highest for any sport the past year beating a 14 percent jump for the Bowl Championship Series college football games on ABC Three of Fox’s games involved the Cubs including the highest-rate- d national afternoon division series game ever on Saturday (60) and the second Bay-Chica- d game ever (98) for Game 5 on Sunday A ratings point on Fox represents highest-rate- 1067000 households or 1 percent of the nation’s estimated 1067 million TV homes Fox is in the third year of a contract with $2 5 billion six-ye- ar baseball Baseball’s playoff ratings on ESPN also were much higher than last year The nine games on ESPN averaged a 39 rating (3411000 households) and the four games on ESPN2 averaged a 28 (2388000 households) The combined average of 3047000 homes was up 52 percent from last year when the games were shown on ' ABC Family Game 3 between Chicago and Atlanta on Friday night got a 67 rating division on ESPN the highest-rate- d series game ever on cable in the out I was probably too aggressive I was just mad at myself for not getting the out” Baker even asked the umpires to put their heads together “I was told that he didn't have control of the ball I thought he had control of the ball and hobbled it on the transfer trying to throw it to first base” Baker said “And all the umpires I asked them to confer with each other and naturally they all agreed on the original call” The Cubs homered three times Chicago’s Alex Gonzalez tied the game with a tworun homer in the sixth Gonzalez drove a pitch from Josh Beckett just over the fence in right to tie it at 6 and recharge a crowd that had become eerily silent after the Marlins had wiped out a 4-- 0 first-innideficit : “Despite the way we started they © just kept Coming back coming back© That’s why they are here in the sec- ond round” Sosa said “They have a lot of heart for a young team” With Darren Baker bumping fists with the players as they were introduced Wrigley Field began to rock before the first pitch The Cubs had two triples a double and twb-ru- n homer from MoisesAlou in the first to take a 4-- 0 lead that starter Carlos Zambrano couldn't hold - i Continued from B1 g appearance this year batting for winning pitcher Ugueth Urbina and launching a drive over the center-fiel- d wall off Mark Guthrie ' The sellout crowd of 39567 started rocking as Moises Alou homered in a four-ru- n first But the Marlins who posted three comeback wins over San Francisco in the opening round stormed back when Rodriguez rookie Miguel Cabrera and Juan Encar- - ' nacion homered in a five-ru- n third “These guys don’t quit and it was very evident today" McKeon pinch-hittin- said Braden Looper pitched the 1 1th for a save giving the Martins a win and a nice omen The last 10 teams to win the NLCS opener have reached the World Series After avoiding Barry Bonds in the first round McKeon said he would pitch to Sosa in this series And it was a good decision — up until Slammin’ Sammy took his find swing Sosa tied it with a drive to left field connecting off Urbina Sosa pointed to the sky as he touched home plate as much in joy as in relief The slugger with 539 career homers had been only with zero homers and one RBI in postseason play and his playoff slumps were starting to cloud his regular season accomplishments “I just tried to stay calm” he said “Coming through with two outs everybody was ready to go no-dou- bt home” As Sosa trotted to right field for the top of the 10th his fans in the d bleachers bowed and he doffed his cap Rodriguez put the Marlins ahead 6 with yet another big postseason hit a two-ru-n single in the ninth He delivered right after a disputed play that put the Cubs in jeopardy With runners on first and second and one out Luis Castillo hit right-fiel- 8-- VaDDU DUD When Sosa returned right field the bleacher fans he salutes before ' every game were more raucous than ever bowing and cheering as he took his position “I stayed to calm and tried to be patient and wait for the mistake” Sosa said “It was great to come back and help the club” But the glee ended quickly In the 1 1th Baker went to Guthrie who had given up a two-ru-n a homer Saturday to Atlanta’s Chipper Jones in Game 4 of the series Lowell’s long opening-roun- d (hive to center quickly quieted the crowd of 39567 The Cubs were plenty upset by a call in the ninth on a potential double play grounder that was hobbled by second baseman Mark Grudzielanek It opened the way for the Marlins to score twice on Ivan Rodriguez’s two-ru-n single Grudzielanek fielded the ball and tagged Juan Pierre in the basepath before relaying to first But second base umpire Fieldin Culbreth ruled that Grudzielanek didn’t have control of the ball as he tagged Pierre who was ruled safe at second The throw to first was too late to get Luis Castil- lo prompting an argument from ' Baker “I know I had control of it then I hobbled it" Grudzielanek said “I was trying to get the double play or - Boston outfielder out for at least a portion of ALCS star-cross- ed injuries In 1977 he helped lead the' Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA championship and was named the league’s MVP in 1978 In 1986 he received the NBA’s Sixth Man Award for ©SSI tootfi)©!? He Luke Walton had several ankle injuries at Arizona and redshirted his freshman season because of a stress fracture in the navicular bone of ' his right foot Bill Walton had a similar injury at the end of his career and had an ankle fused in 1990 When he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993 he wore sneakers with his suit because regular shoes were too hard on his surgery-scarre- d feet Luke Walton hopes to avoid the injuries that left his dad walking in pain “I do a lot of strengthening drills and exercises” he said “I ice a lot now hopefully so that my body won’t end up getting hurt I got a lot of advice from older people They all say ice now because it’s worth it in the long run” i ng ' a slow grounder to second base- - ' man Mark Grudzielanek He ed it cleanly but fumbled it as he tried to tag Juan Pierre and start an inning-endin- g double play Pierre scampered to second as the bases became loaded Baker © argued umpire Fieldin Culbreth’s call tono avail Baker said he thought Grudzielanek had control when he made the tagged Told the replays showed the ball was loose Baker said “Well the umpire was cor- rect” Rodriguez took advantage with a liner past Grudzielanek that broke a ll tie “It’s nice to start with a win" Rodriguez said “Now’ we’ve got to concentrate on trying to win tomorrow too” Alex Gonzalez with a history of clutch homers for the Cubs came through again with a two-p- ut two-ru-n shot in the sixth off starter Josh Beckett His opposite-fiel- d shot into the basket hanging off the right-fiel- d wall made it ll 6-a- 6-a- Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez had a couple of key contributions making two neat stops late in the game to keep it tied Down 4-- 0 in the third Florida' struck back in startling fashion — three homers in a span of only 13 pitches! And they did it against a pitcher who rarely serves them up — about one every 24 innings Pierre began the comeback with a one-otriple and Castillo ut walked That brought up Rodriguez the Marlins' star and brought out pitching coach Larry Rothschild to visit excitable Carlos Zambrano a righty who makes a habit of hopping around the first-rou- nd mound Rothschild had barely made it back to the dugout when er Rodriguez hit a liner into the field bleachers for a three-ru- n shot An out later Cabrera and Enc amadou connected for consecutive home runs Jeff Conine made the last out of the inning on a lazy routine fly The fans in shock after the Marlins’ power show still gasped when the ball left the bat left-cent- |