The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 3, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 2, 1981 Page: 8 of 8

                                
PAGE 8—THE NORTH TEXAS DAILY
Wednesday, September 2,1981
Manager's miscues
makes fan figure firing fair
Writer claims Frey struck out his own side in All-Star Game mixup
By JERRY PRICKETT
Special Writer
The firing of Jim Frey as the manager
of the Kansas City Royals is typical of
baseball. When something goes wrong,
such as the team failing to win the pen-
nant, World Series or get an invitation
to ABCs “Superteams” competition,
someone has to be blamed.
Equally typical is the hiring of Dick
Howser to replace Frey. Howser lost his
job with the Yankees after Frey’s Royals
beat New York in three straight games
last year in the playoffs.
Only in baseball can a manager go
from the top of his profession, such as
going to the World Series, to being fired
the next year.
Normally the person blamed in
baseball is the manager. Owners and ad-
ministrators cannot be expected to put
the blame on the players. They have
already spent too much money for video
shots of the bums "Coming Alive" or
some other silly phrase.
Sportscope
Every year the Astros are going to
“take off,” the Cardinals are going to
“fly high,” the Angels are going to
“soar,” the Yankees are going to “bomb
the Bronx,” the Bluejays are going to
“build a nest," the Mariners are going to
“sink with guns blazing” and the Cubs
are going to “be unbearable,” ad
nauseum.
Come World Delirious time, 1 am sure
the Rangers will have a phrase “Ride the
pine with the Rangers” and invite fans
to watch the Series along with the
players from the bleacher seats in
Arlington Stadium, where they will in-
stall a giant TV screen.
The managers take too much blame
for players’ disabilities.
This is not to say that I disagree with
Frey’s firing.
One thing I do know is the way Frey
botched up the All-Star game for the
American League. Any manager who
ends up having a pitcher attempt his first
major league at-bat in the All-Star game
deserves to be fired.
That is what happened when Dave
Stieb came up in the ninth and in-
gloriously struck out. I can’t fault Stieb.
At least he got a foul ball.
I realize explanations can be given to
protect Frey. Fred Lynn was injured, so
an early replacement had to be made.
That doesn’t matter. Basically, a
manager should consider such pos-
sibilities when he makes any move in any
game. Any manager who doesn’t isn’t
doing his job, just as any banker who
doesn’t check his deposits and
withdrawals. Either way, sometimes
they are going to end up out of the
money just because of negligence.
Of course, sometimes a manager will
get lucky. If Stieb had hit a home run, it
might have been different. People would
have laughed at Frey’s luck. Some of the
wise, such as network announcers, might
have gone as far as to say Frey knew
about Stieb’s power in the minor leagues
and was gambling the pitcher would
throw him a fat one.
Fat chance. Baseball is a mental game,
not tiddlywinks or slot machines to gam-
ble with.
The gambles in baseball that should
be taken include whether to steal or hit-
and-run or bunt. Good baseball strategy
or even gambling docs not include being
forced to let a pitcher hit in the ninth in-
ning of the All-Star game.
Frey made his mistake in the biggest
limelight baseball has had, the return
from the longest called strike in baseball
history. Although the players played
poorly, the errors and misplays of the
All-Star game do not stick out in most
memories. The miscues were just strike
two. It was Frey who struck out in the
bottom of the ninth.
Frey will probably get a job soon, as
most fired managers eventually do. Fie
may have made his mistakes with
Kansas City, just as he did in the All-
Star game.
Errors, passed balls, hanging curves,
missed signals and bad calls are all an
accepted part of baseball. All of these
can be explained much more easily than
a manager’s mistake.
Managers may take too much blame
for situations they cannot affect, such as
Reggie Jackson hitting less than his
weight or Fergic Jenkins throwing
another gopher pitch. You know, the
type of pitch someone has to go out of
the stadium for.
Still, too much can be made of the
misfortune of managing. Few jobs
provide the opportunity to play games
with your employees, and most that
do — such as being a general or a col-
lege president—generally aren’t much
fun.
Managers should have no complaints
about their jobs. Even when they are dis-
missed, their contract is usually paid off.
A new manager sometimes can shake up
a team. Don’t worry Jim, come the end
of the season, owners will have other fish
to Frey.
thank you!
The University Union extends a
special thanks to the following for
helping to make the 1981 registration
packet a success:
Wisconson Sleepers
Bay City Seafood
McDonald's
Long John Silver's
Pizza Hut
Texas Heroes
Dallas Morning News
Crossroads
Schuessler Sounds
Broken Spoke
The Wash House
Captain Nemo's
Dallas Times Herald
Denton Record-
Chronicle
Chanello's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Sassafras & Co.
Cedar Rail
JR Pockets
Samir's Sandwich
Texas Pickup
Burger King
Gazebo
Christian Students
& Grandy's Country Cupboard
‘Additional Packets Available at
Information Desk, 3rd Floor Union
Q Q'
i ® o
■■ w&V*
*4:30-6:30
PICNIC SUPPER
^fOR DORM STUDENTS
•5:00-9:00
Michael Trautman
THE FRENETICS, AND
PRESENT COMPANY INCLUDED
(Free Watermelon, and Snow Cones)
*6:45-7:30 Entertainment for Kids of
All Ages.
*9:00-12:00 Happy Hour at the RBL
Featuring SANTEFE (No Cover)
*9:00-12:00 Maple Hall Street Dance
Co-Sponsored by Union Program Council and RHA
Sports Briefs
PEP RALLY
7
Photo by BILL JONES
Junior Mike Howell attempts an extra point in scrimmage
NT athletics, Tyler await word
in quest for conference affiliation
NT will not know the outcome of the conference
proposed by Head Coach/Athletic Director Bob Tyler
until a meeting can be set up during November or
December, Tyler said Tuesday.
After initial responses to the proposed conference,
an Aug. 10 meeting was canceled because several of the
schools invited wanted to further explore the idea.
It was expected the next meeting would have been
held sometime in late August, but Tyler said that
because of the College Football Association meetings
and possible ratification of a television contract with
NBC, the meeting has been postponed again.
Tyler said he has received some encouraging
responses from the six schools invited to the Aug. 6
meeting. Schools in the proposed conference include
Tulane University, University of Southern Mississippi,
Memphis State University, Arkansas State University,
UT-Arlington and the University ol 1 ulsa.
NT is heading the drive to form the new conference,
and Tyler said he is not sure when, and if, the con-
ference will be formed. “Depending on the other
schools' schedules, it could be two, three or even four
years before we begin conference play,” he said.
As soon as a decision on the conference is made,
Tyler said NT will “get out of the leadership role and a
group of directors will be appointed ”
NT initially tried for conference affiliation with the
Southwest Conference, but has not been accepted.
Tyler has not given up hopes on joining the SWC, say-
ing, “We are politely standing at the door of the SWC.
But, we will have to increase attendance before we can
even be considered.”
Tyler said conference affiliation would solidify the
football and basketball teams schedules which would
create money-making rivalries, reduce travel distance
to games and create revenue sharing among conference
members for money received from televised games and
bowl games.
Ali plans another boxing return
NEW YORK (AP) — Three-time heavyweight
champion Muhammad Ali said Tuesday he would
return to the ring Dec. 2 against Trevor Berbick of
Canada in a bout that will be staged in the Bahamas.
Although no contracts have been signed, Ali said a
verbal agreement has been reached with Berbick, who
lost a 15-round decision to World Boxing Councii
champion Larry Holmes last April in L.as Vegas.
The announcement came 11 months after Ali was
stopped by Holmes in a title fight that seemed to end
the former champion's career. Now 39, Ali had been
unable to obtain a license to box in the United States
until about a month ago when he was granted one by
authorities in Columbia, S.C.
The announcement came at a news conference much
more subdued than the usual affairs that surrounded
All in his prime.
The former champion said he was coming back
because "I love challenges. Don't tell me it can’t be
done. I'm out to prove it can be."
Ali said that if the Berbick fight falls through, he
had "several other contenders" lined up as possible
opponents He refused to name them.
“If I call their names, that makes them great,” he
said. “It gets them in all the papers. They read about
you in Russia and China, and they start saying, ‘I want
$12 million.’ ”
Ali’s attorney, Michael Phenner of Chicago, refused
to disclose how much money was involved in the Dec.
2 fight
“That’s between Mr. Ali and the Internal Revenue
Service,” Phenner said. “It’s in the millions. That's all
I’ll say.”
VISA'
Layaway
Margie" Rust Leather
$31 95
“Helen" - Rust, Gray, or Beige Suede
$44.95
"Birdseye"
Rust Leather
or Sand Suede
$41 95
Mon.-Sat
10 am 9pm
Golden Triangle Mall
566-6007
the
shoe string
Navigator" Cordovan or Navy Leather
or Sand Suede
$46.95
Karen" Wine or Tan
Perforated Leather
$45 95
NT’s cheerleading
squad was recently
honored as the best col-
lege squad in Texas at a
summer camp on the
SMU campus.
Cheerleader coor-
dinator Kenny Goss,
Euless graduate student,
said over 1600
cheerleaders attended the
week-long camp held the
first week in August.
Goss said each team
was judged on organiza-
tion, originality, and
form. NT was rated excel-
lent in all categories.
"It was quite an ac-
complishment, because we
had to beat out about 50
other schools,” Goss said.
"And that included all the
Southwest Conference
schools plus other teams
from this area.”
This year, the squad will
be made up of six females
and five males with an ad-
ditional mike man. Goss
will serve as the mike man
for this year’s squad.
Freshman cheerleader
tryouts will he next week
and Goss said anyone in-
terested in trying out can
pick up applications 2
p.m. Thursday in Music
Building 260.
“We thought we would
use freshman cheerleaders
this year to cover more
sporting events,” Goss
said. “The regular
cheerleaders just cannot
cover all the stuff that is
going on. And that’s
where these new
cheerleaders will help
out.”
There will be a pep
rally at 7:30 p.m. today at
the Library Mall.
The soccer team will
open up its season at 6
p.m. tonight at F'outs
Field against the Univer-
sity of Tulsa. Admission is
free with an NT ID.
The Residence Hall As-
sociation will sponsor the
first annual Mean Green
Ball Run Sept. 18. The
RHA will be running the
game ball from Denton to
Memorial Stadium in
Austin for the UT-Austin
game.
The run will be split
into nine shifts, one from
each dormitory, with each
shift running 25 miles.
For more information
call Jodi Brandeli, coor-
dinar of the event, at 788-
2147.
TONIGHT!
Library Mall
7 p.m.
•    Head Coach Bob Tyler
will introduce the players
•    Cheerleaders
•    Marching Band
•    Songleaders
Sponsored by the NT Music Dept
and the Student Association
A Steal of a Meal
The Rock Bottom Lounge now
offers a new luncheon menu made
up of your favorite Mexican entrees.
Opens Tuesday, Sept. 8
112 Daily
Happy Hour
5-8 and 11-12
Every Night
The Rock Bottom
Lounge
1st level, University Union
the UNION starts with
and you, and you, and you,
we’ve gone all out to cover a little
bit of everything and everybody .
the dorms, the dances ... the
fads, the frats . .. the games the
grads ... we’re a total coverage
yearbook...
ORDER YOUR 1981-82
NTSU Aerie Yearbook
3rd Floor Union Bldg,
(or)
Activities and Organizations
4th Floor Union Bldg.
Price $12.50, After Sept. 14 & 15
the UNION starts with
Go Bass or Go Barefoot.