September 1993 - Vol 7 Num 7

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See You In October from the cover of this edition of Sports Spectrum magazine. ll's not a big omission, but we think it wi ll make a huge difference to you. It's the word October. As in September-October.

You are looking at the result of an important step for Sports Spectrum- this is the first monthly edition of our publication. For the first 7 years of the life of this magazine, there were 6 months each year when it didn't appear-6 1ong, dull months.

Not anymore. Now only 4 weeks will go by between issues, not the 60 days that dragged on in the past.

We don't want to wear out our welcome by visiting with you too often, but we do want to use the extra issues each year to build on the relationshi p we feel can onl y grow stronger, now that we will be slopping by more frequentl y.

So, grab a Gatorade, kick off your shoes, and dig in to this first monthly install ment of Sports Spectrum. But read a little faster this time, because we're coming back at you in just a few short weeks.

OMETHING IS M ISSING

Questions People Ask Do you ever wonder why the folks who create magazines do what they do? And why they don't do things differently?

I do.

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When I scan National Geographic, I wonder how they decide what part of the world to cover, and I puzzle over what some subjects they cover have to do with geography. When I read Sports Illustrated, I try to figure out how they can put it all together so fast.

From reading my mail each day, I know that Sports Spectrum readers also play the Monday morning quarterback game with us. And I'm glad you do. Reading with eyebrows raised is important.

Curiosity is vital and desired.

Inqu iring minds can't help but want to know.

Take a look at some of the questions people ask us-and notice the answers.

Where do you find olll abow the people youfeature ? It's a mixed bag. First, our staff consists of relentless sports fans-some get into racing, some into baseball, some into basketball. But it all adds up to a bunch of people who monitor sports closely. Second, our readers send us ideas. "You have 10 cover my cousin, he plays for the Mariners." Or " I just heard so-and-so speak at our sports banquet ..." Third, we try to keep in contact with people who are around the athletes-chaplains, sportscasters, other athletes-who can tell us whom to consider.

Why don' 1 you ever cover bowling? Or water polo? Or ... ?

In some sports it's hard to find the kind of athlete we are looking for. We try to cover the major sports first and fill in with the ones that might not have as large a following. We will cover any legitimate sport.

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Can / write for you? First, are you a writer? If we consider anyone to add to our list of writers we use, we first must know that he or she is an established writer who has some published work that we can review.

How long have you been around? The magazine began in Cali Fornia in 1987 when Ralph Droll inger and Julius Erving teamed up to create Dr. J' s Sports Focus magazine. Three name changes and a move to Michigan later, Sports Spectrum still tells you what is important in sports ... and Iife.

What's your circulation?

Sports Spectrum has moved over the 50,000 paid subscriber mark and is continuing to head upward.

We appreciate you and all of our readers-we're glad to have you on our team.

I'm sure you have other questions about what's going on at Sports Spectrum. If you do, let us know. Your questions are important to us.

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Life Goes On The story of Gene Stallings includes love for family, others, and by the way, football

by Allen Palmeri

Dave Branon, managing editor Sports Spectrum

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No Ordinary Joe At every level, Joe Carter has succeeded, but he hasn't let it go to his head

A Sports Spectrum Interview

Photography Credits: Cover J ohn Cordes/Focus on Sports; p. 2 (top) AI Tielemans/Duomo, (bollom) J ohn Cordes/Focus on Sports; p. 3 (lop lefl) Jell Hornback , (bollom lefl) Aflo/AIIsport , (right) Mike PoweiVAIIsport; p. 6 Kent GidleyiUniversity of Alabama Athletic Department; p. 7 AI T ielemans/Duomo; p. 8 Bob Rosato; p. 9 Bob Rosato; p. t 0 (left) Gary Newkirk!AIIsport, (right) Vern Biever; p. I I J. Sebo/Atlanta Braves; p. I 2 (both) Stephen Dunn/AIIsport; p. I 3 Kalamazoo College; p. 14 John Cordes/Focus on Sports: p. 15 Focus on Sports: pp. 16·17 Jim Commentucc~AIIsport; p. 18, 19 Toronto Blue Jays: p. 20 Stephen Dunn/AIIsport: p. 21 Robert Walker: p. 22, 23 Jell Hornback; p. 24 Denise Bennell; p. 25 Vernon Biever; p. 26, 28, 29 Allo/AIIsport: p. 27 Courtesy of Jennifer Hudler: p. 30 Mike PoweiVAIIsport.

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20 Out of the Trap Until she changed her course, Barb Bunkowsky found little to smile about on the pro golf tour

by Karen Rudolph Drollinger

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Open Court

Teams to Watch

Ace returns from Sports Spectrum readers SS Fan Poll

AlA Fantasy Baseball Camp, Mike McCoy's New Mission, Helping in the City

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Clippings Sports news worth a second look Introducing Waddy's World

10 Leaderboard With Gi ll Byrd, Sid Bream, Reggie White

12 Stats Central compiled by Rob Bentz

13 The Swirsky Report

by Chuck Swirsky

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ALetter from Japan

Front Row

Former St. Louis Cardinal Rex Hudler of the Yaku lt Swallows has found Japanese baseballwith all its differences-to his liking

by Jennifer Hudler

Taking you on th e scene in the world of high school football

by Ken Walker

Volume7. Nuniler 1 SPORTS SPECT RUM MAGAZINE A DISCOVERY HOUSE PUBLICATION. PUBLISHER Dave Bumham, MANAGING EDITOR Dave Branon. MARKET· ING'PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom Felten: PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Rob Ben1z. ART DIRECTOR Steve Goer. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laurie Nelson: ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS lisa Quist, Beverty Flynn; ADVISORY COMMITIEE Chock Swirsky, Sports O~rector, WGN RadiO, Chicago; Otck Mason, President, Discovery House Publtshers; Ralph Drollinger, President. Sports Outreach America; Kyle Rote Jr.. TV sports convnentator; COVER PHOTO: John Cordes!Focus on Sports.

SPORTS SPECTRUM is produced 12 tlf118S a year by Discovery House Publishers, which is afftliated WJth Radio Bible Class, a nondenominational Christian organization whose pur· pose is to lead people of all nations tof311h and matunlyin Jesus Christ by teaching prinOples from the Bible. Printed in USA. Copyright 0 t993by Discovery House PubliShers. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 61ble quotatiOns, unless otherw-ise noted, are taken !rom the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATK>NAL VERSION. Copynght Cl 1973, 1978, 1984. lntemahonal Sble Society. Used by permission of Zondervan B1ble Publishers. SPORTS SPECTRUM subscrlptJOnS are available 101' St 8.97/twelve 1ssues or $23.97.outside the USA (m US lunds) by wnllng to SPORTS SPECTRUM subscriplions. Box 3566. Grand Rapids, Ml 49501·3566, by call11"19 toll free 1·800·653·8333. or by send1ng a FAX to 1·616·957·5741.

S PORT S SP E C TR U M • St.::P r E MB E R 1 993

30 Legends Catching up with Neil Lomax

by Tom Felten

31 Airing It Out Let's make the games fun again for the kids

by Dave Branon

For Subscription Services,*

CALL TOLL FREE:

1·800·853·8333

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major league manager throw a temper tantrum at reporters.

It is clear that what these athletes do-children imitate. That's why I wish the NFL and NBA would make a rule that players on the sidelines should keep their pants pulled up. P.S. Thank you for your publication. It's a cool drink of water in this desert.

- DOUGLAS MA NN Rockville, MD

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ll:e ep Making Points I agree wholeheartedly with the point of your article, "They're Doing What At Halftime?"

(May/June 1993). The message sent to all of us and especially young people by the acts of simulated sex and mind-numbing noise is that we are seeing elements of decay in a culture. Only our voices raised in protest can stem the tide and balance the negative flow of the "anything goes" mentality.

However, I must be fair and defend the women who cheer at Knicks and Nets games. They are professional and not vulgar. Their athleticism is impressive. They demonstrate that dance or cheering does not have to be inappropriate.

We need to speak up and let the influence of our dollars spent be heard. We must affect the decision-making process of the owners and management, who only see black ink .as the priority.

I hope you continue to write articles like your open letter to sports executives.

- TOM ROJTKAMP Levittown, NY

A Cool Drinl~ I am sending you this fax per your request in "They're Doing What At Halftime?" We are constantly being bombarded with young athletes who seem to not be able to handle the pressure of their profession. Recentl y I saw a 4

Thanks so much for the article on halftime "entertainment." I enjoy going to watch the Sixers play.

But the Dream Team (cheerleaders) almost ruins the evening for me. As a woman, I feel embarrassed, exploited, and degraded. I was told that the routines are choreographed by someone from an Atlantic City casino. Those routines belong in A.C. and not at a family event!

to say personal prayers. What a witness ! Way to go, Aggies !

-MARK WOMACKS Rosalia, KS Pron~.oting

Pray er Your article on Betsy King (March/April 1993) prompted me to write and share my thoughts about the uses of prayer in meeting the demands sports places on me. I am chairwoman of a sports marketing committee for Jacksonville, and I have been successful in tackling my challenges through prayer.

Leading athletic administrators, sport event planners, and coaches in their effotts to develop and mar-

- GINNY GAINES

Thanks, Tom, Doug, Ginny, and the 200-plus other SS readers from 40 states around the US who responded to our article protesting vulgar and offensive entertainment at sports events. As promised, we have made copies of your signed letters and coupons and shipped them to the league offices of major pro sports and the NCAA. Let's hope for a cleaner, more enjoyable time ell the old ball game. -Ed.

"Way To Go, Aggies !"

I am writing to express my appreciation for the Texas A&M baseball team. I altended the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. After taking batting practice, the A&M team gathered by their left field bullpen to have a team prayer. After the team prayer, several players remai ned S POR TS S P ECTRU M • SEP T E M B E R

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ket their sport or organization is indeed wrought with immense demands. The challenges have often been met by my turning to seek the advice of the Lord!

I use prayer several times a day to guide my actions and words.

Thank you, Betsy, for reinforcing the instances of the power of prayer!

-MARGY LANG St. Augustine, FL

to Us Send your thoughts and questions about this magazine, or the sports world in general, to this address: Sports Spectmm Letters Box 3566 Grand Rapids, MI 49501-3566.

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Sports N"ews Worlh a Second /L,oo/k

Blount and His Boys FOR MEL BLOUNT, li fe after football hasn't meant big bank accounts and lazy clays by the pool.

In the book The Cross Bums Brightly by Blount and Cynthia Sterling, the picture emerges of a man who realized that a Hall of Fame career with the Steelers was simply an introduction to the rest of his life. Everything that went into Blount's becoming the best cornerback in football was j ust training for his more vital work: Helping troubled young men with the Mel Blount Youth Home.

As you read The Cross Bums Brightly, you will grow angry with the racism of people who tried to

prevent Blount from operating his youth home in the Pennsylvania countryside. And you will admire his ability to keep bouncing back from the attacks.

Family and faith a•:e important to Blount. His deep respect for his parents is clear, as is his strong faith, which matures as the trials of his work keep him in constant touch with God. It is his faith in God that keeps him going when so many forces try to shut him clown.

If you're looking for the marks of greatness, you' ll find them in this story of one retired MVP who is using the rest of his life to make life worth living for some most valuable young people.

- Dave Branon

LET'S BE HONEST. The Danny Thompson Award in baseball

spirit" on and off the field. In 1990 Dravecky gained the award for doesn't rank high among spo1·ts courage in dealing with the loss of big-media events. Nothing like the his career because of a cancerous Heisman in oollege football. BUL this pitching arm. Through books and oould change. See if you don't agree fi.Ims, the world knows the Dravecky that the Thompson deserves a lofti· swry of ·trust and reverence for er place based on the Lord.'

Then there is its focus on etei'· Long -time sportswriter nal human values. Watson (Waclcly) Spoelstra, Orel Hershiser, the Brett Butler. a scribe for the Detroit News 1989 Thompson. He LA Dodgem center for 30 years and founder sang hymns w the fielder, is the 1993 of Baseball Chapel, takes an Loro on the bench Thompson Pecipi- inside looh at an All-Star event. while pitching his em. He accepted way w classic WoPld the award at a Baseball Chapel sel'Series success. His spiritual impact vice hours befoi'e the Baltimore Allis Ll'emendous.

Star game. Valiant Dave Dravecky Years ago, Andre Thornton SUI'v:as the speaker. In his Thompson faced as a black kid with hate in his acceptance, Brett said, ·ram the heart. He turned w God and became Lord's pavm, w be used by Him.' a Cleveland home run hitter. He was the 1978 Thompson. Now Butler. 36, has been around bigleague clubhouses for 13 years. Nine Andre and his vlife Gail head an NaLional League seasons and four in Ohio omreach Lhat wuches the lives the AmePican. He's an excittng outof 2,000 young people every year. field performer and 008erunner. He Perhaps you ask. .."Who in the was batting .303 at the All-Star bi'eak. world is Danny Thompson?" He came up as a young Oklahoman in Brett is a mature Christian who oommands respect. He's noL pushy the early 70s and caught on as the with his faith. Wl1ePever he speaks, Minnesota Twins' shorl8top. Rod his message is humbly presented: "I carew and Tony Oliva were teammates. In 1973 he LOCk the springbowed and prayed to the Loi'CI as a: tmining physical with the others. kid. I kept Him in my back pocket.

An eye if\iury while playing in The team docwr wok him aside...

Cleveland mane me think again. I "your white cell oounts are a little gave my baseball w the Lord. Now I high.' There were further tests.

Eventually theyoung infielder mane surrender wHim each day. I LI'Y w do things w make Him happy.' an anxious phone call. "Doc, this is Danny. What did you find out?'

Often he ands, "God's pmmise is that you will go w heaven if you ask The solemn response: ·You've got Him inw youI' life." He urges listenleukemia.' ers w look at Revelation 3:20.

Therapy Wall difilcult and painful, Butler is the seventeenth player but Danny played four moi'e seaPecognized by the Thomyson A·Nard sons with the Twins and Texas for showing ·'exemplaiy Chi·isLian Ranget'S. His playful sense of SPORTS SPECTRU M • SEPTE MOE R 1 9 9 3

humor prevemed any buildup of clubhouse despair. Some players asked privately, "Danny, how can you be so loose knowing you have leukemia?" Danny's measuPed reply: "! accepted Jesus Christ, and my fULure is in His hands. He knows my problems. He'll let me know when my time comes."

Danny died at age 29, 2 weeks before Christmas in 1976.

Larry Hisle, Toronw batting coach, can't pUL Danny OUL of mind.

They were friends and roommates with the Twins. Hisle says reflectively, "I mentioned w Danny that I han to find myself a roommate. He smiled and said, 'Wl\Y not me?' I've been in OOseball for 20 years, and that was my most ef\ioyable Lime eve!'. We wei'8just like family. He showed more ChPistrlike ways than anybody I've seen. Danny lived his life the way most people wished they oould."

Note the Pacial significance. Hisle is black, Thompson was white.

With Danny around, players wned down their profanity. Hisle says, "I can't I'8member Danny ever cussing."

Now Brett BULler carries on the Thompson tradition. BretL LOCk over on July 13 at Baltimore's Omni Hotel. The chapel service drew a modest 150. Opening prayer was offered by Baltimore manager Johnny Oates. Pitchers John Smoltz of Atlanta and Bryan Harvey of Florida Pead Bible pas· sages. DPavecky spoke of spiritual maturity. He said, "I've learned Lhat a close relationship with the Lord usually comes in the valley. That's where fertile soil is. You don't find much growth on a mountain wp."

Baseball is essentially a nocturnal pastime. It's a wugh call for players w shov1 up before noon.

Chapel was at 11 a.m. Mark Langston, Joe Carter, and Rick Aguilera we1'8 there for the American League, which later claimed il8 sixth stroighL All-Stal' vicwry with a 9-3 blov1out. National Leaguers included Andy VanSlyke, out with a bPoken collarbone. D 5

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For Crimson Tide head football coach Gene Stallings, life goes far beyond football and national championshipsthanks in large part to his son

By Allen Palmeri ~ To understand lllabama head coach Gene Stallings, one must first understand his 31-year-old son John Mark.

That's because Stallings is more than just a 58-year-old football coach who learned the game under the legendary duo of Paul "Bear" Bryant and Tom Landry and then last winter won the national collegiate championship in spectacular fashion.

In trying to understand Stallings, the easy thing would be to talk about his coaching, which led the Tide to nine Southeastern Conference victories in I992-a feat that sets him apart from every other coach in conference history, including the Bear. And it would be easy to talk about a 23-game winning streak and the steamrolling 34- I3 conquest of defending national champion Miami in the Sugar Bowl-a victory that crowned the Crimson Tide as undisputed NCAA football kings with a 13-0 record.

The hard thing, it would seem, would be to talk about John Mark.

But Stallings makes it easy. He will freely discuss the difficulties of raising a son with Down's Syndrome, a condition that occurs when a baby is born with an extra chromosome in each cell.

It leaves people like John Mark mentall y impaired, yet free enough to laugh, smile, talk, and perform tasks into their adult li ves. The secret of Stallings' success has been his ability to turn this difficulty into joy.

"It's a growing ex perience," says the father who happen s to be the

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.A Such good f r iends. Whe the r h e ' s c e le brating a victory with Tony Johns on of

the Crim s on Tid e or s h a ring a quie t mome nt during practice with s on John M a rk , Coach S t a llings follo w s the credo, " Alwa y s H a v e G ood Frie nds ."

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.._ End of the Bear Hunt_ With the success that Gene Stallings has had as coach of the Crimson Tide, fan s have finally begun to accept the fact that football life can go on without Paul " Bear" Bryant-

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coach. " It was a hard, tryi ng time earl y, bu t then his rewards are little rewards. There are a lot of heartaches associated with it. He's got a bad heart. Something's going to happen one of these days. That's going to be a bad time for me. But then I know he's going to heaven, so l can appreciate that. " He's just part of the family. He does things and l do things."

Those who know Stallings best know that he is more of a family man than a football coach. No one questions which comes first. With Stallings, it is always his wife, Ruth Ann , hi s four daughters- Ann a Lee, Laurie, Jacklyn, and Martha Kate- and the son he lovingly calls " my main man." These are the people who define him. "l don' t know of a finer person with a finer family than Gene Stallings," Landry says.

When President Clinton in vited Stallings and his team to the White Hou se for a visit on March 25 , Alabama Senator Richard Shelby made it a point to be there. It wasn't just good politics. Shelby said he came simply because of " the great things that this team has accomplished and the things that Coach Stallings and his fami ly stand for." Senator Phil Gramm of Texas made similar points, painting the Crimson Tide as a team that represents basic American values.

Stallings stands for unconditional love. John Mark was created to receive that love, as well as to give it in his own innocent way. The power of that love goes beyond words. Few people know this better than Ben Walker.

Walker is a baseball writer for The Associated Press.

Based in New York City, he traveled to New Orleans to do a story before the Sugar Bowl. He chose to do it on Stallings and son. Walker simply wrote what he saw at a practice in the Louisiana Superdome- the genuine bond that gleams when father and son make eye contact. The Associated Press Sports Editor judged it their top feature story.

"I kept telling myself, 'Get out of the way,' " said Walker as he recalled the process of writing about the coach and the son. " I' ve been working here for 10 years, and I got more positive letters about that story than I've ever gotten before."

Alabama's players struggle to describe adequately the bond between the coach and the son- a bond that, since the time it was dynamically captured in a United Way television commercial, has captivated the nation. " Th ey have a special relati onship," says running back Derrick Lassie, who ended his Alabama career by earning the Sugar Bowl Most Valuable Player award.

"Coach really loves his son, just like any father would love his son. But there's something a little different there. He really takes care of Johnny, and Johnny's a beautiful kid. He's a reflection of Coach Stallings."

Fullback Martin Houston, whose fearless blocking helped make Stallings' ground-ori ented attack run smoothly last season, echoes Lassie.

"When God says He does everything for a reason, He doesn' t put any more on us than we can handle," Houston says. " Most men couldn ' t handle having a Down's Syndrome child. Just seeing him with his son, I see how happy he is, and here I have a perfectly healthy son . ... I see all these guys who have healthy children and don't do anything. l just want my son to grow up to respect me as

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his fat her, but also for the person that I am. Coach Stallings is a good example of being a good father."

Houston's son, Xavier, is 2. Last season, Houston took him to the Alabama senior breakfasts on Thursday mornings, a time when Stallings likes to kick back and tell stories about Crimson Tide folk heroes like Joe Namath and Lee Roy Jordan. Houston and Xavier used to sit next to Stallings at those functions.

At the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) breakfast in New Orleans on the day before the Sugar Bowl, Stallings introduced Houston as a speaker. This gave the coach an opportunity to praise the parenting skills his fullback displayed on those Thursdays. " l see how Martin is sort of tender with his little boy," Stallings said. " He's kind with him."

Kindness scores touchdowns with Stallings. When John Mark got his pictu re taken with President Cl inton, the President made sure to autograph a copy and have it sent to the Stallings. "I appreciate that," says the coach.

As much as he appreciated the Presidential kindness, Stallings appreciates his friendship with General Colin Powell , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, even more. Powell dropped by an Alabama practice this past spring to visit with the coach. Stallings proudly wears a Joint Chiefs tie clip that Powell gave him that day.

And of course Land ry, th e coach who took then assistant coach Stall ings to th ree Super Bowl s, also ranks hi gh on hi s li st. Sta llings proudl y fl ew to California in April to receive the 1993 Landry Award, which honors men and women who are an inspiration to America's youth. The winner is a person who provides leadership and inspirati on through strong Christian commitment and who distinguishes himself through the integrity of his personal life and career.

Landry used to marvel at the heart of his assistant coach. " I remember when we were in training camps in Californi a, we'd work almost 7 days a week. You'd look around duri ng our time off, and Gene would be gone. He'd be over at the hospital, cheering up somebody. He is really known for that. He has a sensitive heart for kids-one of the best I've seen."

The Stallings that Landry knew back then is the Stallings that Tuscaloosa knows now. He's worn a path f rom hi s offi ce on ca mpus up Bry ant Dri ve and Uni versity Boulevard to the doors of DCH Regional Medical Center, the hospital where John Mark was born in 1962 and where Bryant died in 1983.

"He is such a caring, dedicated, wonderfull y concerned person," says Lucy Jordan, who served as DCH director of community development. " He's a wonderful friend, counselor, mentor, whatever."

When Alabama athletic director Cecil "Hootie" Ingram says that Stallings visits hospi tals " more than most preachers," it isn't a j oke. Jon Shoulders, youth and family minister at the church Stallings attends, confirms it.

"The greatest thing he does for this congregation is his hospital visitation," Shoulders says. "He's there j ust about every morni ng at that hospital. If we have a person we know is in the hospital, I call his secretary and he'll be by that day to see him or her. One of our members recently had surgery in Birmingham . He took time to dri ve up there, right in the middle of spring practice, and see him.

It made him feel fantastic. It really boosted his recovery."

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It isn't just the hospitalized people of Alabama that Stallings makes happy. Able-bodied Crimson Tide fans, who suffered as Ray Perkins and Bill Curry tried to coach behind Bryant, took an instant liking to Stallings when he was hired in 1990. Here was a man who played for the Bear at Texas A&M and coached under him at 'Bama. A big man wi th a square jaw, slow drawl, and confident way about him , Stallings even looked the part. When his Bear-like system of ground-control offense and tough defense produced the Tide's first national title since the six won by Bryant, the Stallings legend was born.

"My hat's off to Alabama," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden says. "If Bear Bryant were a young coach today, he'd be copying Gene Stallings. The guy can coach."

Stallings has been known to deflect such statements toward his collegiate mentor by saying things like, "Alabama people love Coach Bryant, and they'll tolerate the rest of us as long as we win games."

Bryant used to tolerate the faith of an assistant he li ked to call "Bebes," but just barely. When Alabama started an FCA chapter in I964-a group that would evolve into the longest continuous program of its kind in the country- Stallings became the first assistan t to attend meetings. Bryant was somewhat bewildered.

After Stallings had taken the head coaching position at Texas A&M, he received a call from Bryant one day.

"Bebes, you know what is the worst thing that has happened to our football team? It's the FCA. Those players are doing nothing but hugging on one another, loving on one another, and they won't hit anybody." Bryant left Stallings to ponder those assorted Bear facts.

After the season, which turned out to be one of the best that Bryant ever had, the Bear called Stallings again.

"Bebes, you now what is the best thing that has happened to our football team? It's the FCA. It has brought such a oneness and closeness to our team. We were unified because of the influence it had on our squad."

Stallings tells the story as often as he can to reinforce how crucial Christian fellowship has been to Alabama's winning tradition.

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Unlike Colorado coach Bill McCartney, whose statements about the biblical viewpoint on social issues have sparked controversy, Stallings has managed to avoid bad press, despite his faith. He feels that coaching in the Bible Belt helps him.

"Bill's a neat guy," Stallings says of the Buffaloes' coach. "I' ve never had to make a decision, one way or another, li ke he has . He was in a situation where he took a stand. I' ve never been in that position, but I would have done the same thing Bill did."

When Stallings gets worked up, he can start to sound a bit li ke McCartney. Inch him toward an opinion on the growing fai lings of American culture, and his in·itation becomes quite apparent.

"The thing that bothers me is, we're so permissive on everything. For example, nobody's ever wrong anymore; it's just using temporaril y bad judgment. We're just ge tting away from wrong is wrong and right is right. That bothers me."

Considering his status as a role model, it can be easily argued that Stall ings is waging effective warfare against this tide of relativism.

"I sign a jillion autographs. If it's a kid and I've got time, I' II put on there, 'Always Have Good Friends.'

There's something about associating with good people."

Stallings remembers his old mentor Bryant as a man who touched countless li ves and made them better. But how would he like to be remembered?

"I would like to be known as a coach who was fair, who knew what he was doing and had compassion for the players, and who appreciated the honesty and the integrity of the game. And I like to see the players succeed. I like to see an average player turn into a good player.

"My real joy is seeing how my children turned out."

Including John Mark, the coach's main man and a key reason that as life goes on for Gene Stallings, it conti nues to be a li fe of sharing with anyone who needs him. 0

Freelance writer Allen Palmeri lives in Mississippi, where he is sports copy editor for the Biloxi Sun Herald.

Not AI-.Nays Coach of' the Yea:r FoR GUIDING ALABAMA to a 13-0 record and the national championship In 1992, Gene Stallings became a consensus choice as Coach of the Year. In accepting that award, this became his consensus quote: "Only in America can you end up being fired twice and win a national championship and be Coach of the Year."

Stallings' head coaching career began with seven seasons at. his alma mater, Texas A&M. He was fired in 1971 with a 27-45-1 record. His second attempt at head coaching came with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals of the NFL. He was fired from that job in 1989 with a 23-23-4 record.

It was as an assistant coach, though, that Stallings first achieved sideline success. His loyalty to two coaching legends laid a solid foundation for success (a 31 -6 record as head coach going into the 1993 season) at Alabama.

808AOSATO From 1958-1964, he assisted Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama. Bryant had h h h 1 d t T A&M A d f 9 On top.

The Sugar Bowl victory on New Year's Day .

• a I so b een Sta II mgs coac w en e p aye a exas . n rom 1 72lr d h Tid . h 1985, he assisted Tom Landry with the Dallas Cowboys. gave 5 ta mgs an t e e 23 stralg tv 1ctor 1es.

It's been nearly 10 years since Paul Bryant died, but Stallings likes to keep his memory alive. "I tell more Coach Bryant stories than anybody. I'm not in competition with him. All I' m trying to do is win a few games."

Landry likes to sit back and smile as he watches Stallings work. " I call him from time to time, and he's always upbeat. He's right where he ought to be. As he said himself, he thinks he can make a bigger impact on athletes at the college level-and that's true."

- Allen Palmeri

SPORT S SPEC TRUM • SEP TE M 13E R 1 993

9

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••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

• Athletes Who are Leading by Exantple

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• Gill Byrd Leading the Charge JOHN ELWAY AND GILL BYRD.

Number one draft picks a decade ago. One the focus of a national media frenzy before he played a down of NFL football. The other destined to quietl y endure 7 losing seasons his first 9 years.

Denver's star quarterback sti II draws plenty of attention. But thanks to two consecuti ve Pro Bowl appearances and the 1993 Bart Starr Award for Gill Byrd, Elway's San Diego defensive nemesis is beginning to capture some headlines of his own. One banner at Jack Murphy Stadium proclaimed him the league's leading interceptor of Elway passes.

"There's a mind game going on out there," says Byrd of his twice-annual duels with Elway.

"Football is a chess game; the pieces are real players and the coaches make their moves.

"Football's 75 percent mental and 25 percent physical. If you don't know where you' re going, you can 't be effective, no matter how much raw talent you have."

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The veteran cornerback knows his directions. His 31interceptions since 1988 top the NFL. And in the past 2 years, 6 of his I0 swipes have come at Elway's expense.

The fleet-footed San Francisco native doesn't slow down off the field either. He's the chairman of the "Hire a Youth" jobs program, he supports a food distribution effm1, and he contributes to a community resource center.

Byrd is also a board member of Athletes and Business for Kids, a group that stresses antipornography, anti-drug, and stayin-school messages.

Small wonder that his teammates have voted him "Most Inspirational Player" fi ve · times- and his NFL peers chose him for the Bart Starr Award.

"In my opinion, that has a higher place than a Pro Bowl appearance," Byrd says of the Bart Starr, which signifies outstanding character and leadership.

"The Bart Starr Award exemplifies what life is all about. The Pro Bowl is here today and gone tomorrow .... The titles you get in this game are going to be long forgotten, but the testimonies you

leave won't be."

Testimony. It's the key to Gill's career. After firstround money and status didn't satisfy, Byrd accepted Jesus as his Savior in 1983.

He's now the prime mover in introducing teammates to Christ and challenging believers to be more mature.

"Gill takes his Christian walk seriously," says Chargers' chapel leader Shawn Mitchell. "He has a heart of compassion in reaching people with the gospel."

"I think a lot of guys watch my life," says Byrd. "They know that Jesus is real to me and that I'm not going to compromise."

- Ken Walker

S P O RT S S PeCTRU M • SE P TEMBER 1 9 93

• Reggie White

.. .

Why Green Bay?

The Reggie White NFL Tour finall y ended last April , the hopes of teams across the country were dashed as the most soughtafter defensive end in league history landed in Green Bay. From Washington to San Francisco, fans were hoping to see Reggie signing in front of their logo.

Fans weren' t the only ones disappointed. Spor1swriters hauled out the sour grapes when White didn' t sign on their home team 's dotted line. Some questioned his stated desire to play in the Super Bowl, while others wondered about his commitment to helping inner-city citizens. They complained about White's decision to play in Green Bay, a city with 96,000 people and no major innercity problem. They seemed to suggest that White's "commitments" were smokescreens he used to enhance his contract.

Reggie White is a man who

: WHEN

·•

................... . thinks things through, and anyone who wants to evaluate his decision to play for the Packers needs to follow his thinking process. "I came out and said I wanted to go to a team that I felt was going to win," White admits, discussing what went through his mind as the teams courted him. "San Francisco and Washington probably provided that opportunity faster than some of the other teams. But God showed me I couldn't make a decision on that basis. I had to decide where He wanted me to be."

But Green Bay? Surprised analysts need to know why. "I never thought He would want me to be in Green Bay. I wanted to be in a city that had an inner city, and Green Bay doesn't have that.

That's why I counted Green Bay out at first. But a friend shared with me, ' Don't worry about the ministry. God will take care of the ministry.'

"There were times when I went in my prayer room and cried because I wanted to make the right decision. I knew deep in my heart that San Francisco and Washington may not be right. It ended up that they weren't."

White is aware that not everyone is impressed wi th this kind of talk, for he remembers that "when I said I would let God make the decision, a lot of people made jokes about it." It may not be wise to take pokes at a guy who goes 6'5" and 285 pounds, but White neither backs down nor retaliates. He calml y states, "I owe them no explanation. I know what God is doing in my life."

As a result of White's handsome new contract, he now has the "time and the finances to try to create opportunities for people in the inner city. The only way I' m going to help meet those concerns is by providing for their needs and helping to build character. I think the finances will coincide in help-

ing to provide housing and educational facilities and jobs so people can have hope. That's what we have to do as Christians-take care of one another, and those who are hurti ng."

Whether or not Green Bay becomes a Super Bowl team with Reggie White, there is no doubt that he, the Packers, and lots of needy Americans will be the winner in th is deal.

-Dave Branon

• Sid Bream A Gene..ous Hand FOR THE HUNDREDS OF TOURISTS

on the San Diego boardwalk one summer afternoon, the two ragged teens were small change in the wallet of life.

With hands out, they were looking for their next meal. Ignored and avoided, the boys became increasingly discouraged until one man paused to hear their tale.

On that day, the Braves' Sid Bream dug a little deeper as he

reached into his pocket, absorbing their troubles with giving hands like he would a hot grounder down the first base line.

"What are you doing away from home?" he inquired.

When one boy lifted his arm to display the slash marks from his dad's whippings and explain why he was living on the streets, Sid was moved to listen, to help, and to offer the reason for his concern.

"I was helping them to show them how much God loved them and how much He loves me," explains Bream as he discusses the incident. "God has given me a sympathetic heart for the teenagers who have been abused and are out on the streets."

Such incidents might never make the major league box scores, but for Sid those opportunities are just as meaningful as helping the Braves go for a third straight World Series appearance.

After stints with LA and Pittsburgh, Bream feels at home in Atlanta, especially after scor-

S P O R ' r S S PECTRUM • S E PTE M BE R 1993

ing the pennantwi nning run in the seventh game of the 1992 National League Championship Series. The photo that captured the moment, he says, "may well be what Sid Bream will be remembered for."

The bio sheet for the Braves calls him a "tireless volunteer in the community" because of the time he spends work ing with groups like the Salvation Army.

It also could have added his efforts for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program or listed his contributions to the Bethany Christian Services crisis pregnancy home.

He downplays such unselfishness, emphasizing, "money can't bring happiness," and acknowledging, "money, power, and big houses aren't going to mean much when our li ves are over and we're standing before Christ."

Bream's platform as a pro athlete gives him innumerable requests to speak at youth functions. "What I try to communicate is how I want to surrender everything to the Lord so that God can use me the way He wants to."

He and wife Michelle, whom he met at Liberty University, agree on trying to instill character and responsibility in their two sons.

"We want to teach them that work is valuable," he says. "But most of all, we want to teach them that God should be the top priority and to love our family. Those were the best lessons I learned from my parents."D -Karen Drollinger 11

STATS

CENTRAL

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• Keeping Score ofFascinating Rwts and 'Ierrlflc Compiled by Rob Bentz

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• Tal~e Eveavbody Rasmussen, and Kevin Willis).

Out to the Ballga~ne Last season was not a record year Sure, the Colorado Rockies set a for skyscrapers in the NBA. In new opening day attendance 1989-90, 41 players 7 feet tall or record when 80,227 ~&:::::::::;;::;;;;;;r------;jt<' larger ran the NBA fans crammed into • Quotebox hardwood.

Mile High Stadium.

Detroit Tigers . A Daffy But Colorado pitching coach wasn't the only winBilly Muffett, on Da"aft In perhaps the ner in the attenBill Gullickson's strangest draft, dance game. Major delivery while he the NFL's 2-day : It's college League Baseball was rehabilitating draft process : football time saw an overall from shoulder and threw many for a again-time to increase in opener knee surgery. loss. Let's look at brush away the cobwebs attendance. Around "He's just out of and concentrate on what you · the American the wild and the whack, mechaniknow about the gridiron. wacky from this League, an average cally, a little bit. year's NFL Draft. increase of 2,849 But, you know, 0 Which active Division I·A ! Although the fans attended openeverybody gets coach has the most victories?

1993 PAC-I 0 had but one ing day comout of whack once a. Lou Holtz/Notre Dame 1992 Top 10 team pared to and a while. It's not · b. Bobby Bowden/Florida State (Stanford), the In the National just ballplayers." league had more c. Joe Paterno/Penn State League, the differd. Tom Osborne/Nebraska players drafted (31) ence was dramatic. @ Which I-A quarterback threw Even without the than any other circuit. for the most career TDs? addition of the ! More offensive guards were Rockies and the taken (II ) than quarterbacks. a. David Klingler/Houston b. Ty Delmer/Brigham Young Florida Marlins, ! Heisman Trophy winner Gino c. Jim McMahon/Brigham Young attendance grew an amazing Torretta was the 192nd pick. In 57,249 fans. Add to that the just a few months, the former d. Andre Ware/Houston 4D Name the school with the Rockies' record-setting crowd Miami QB went from being the most Heisman Trophy winners. and the 42,334 that saw the number one player in all of cola. Ohio State b. Michigan Marlins take the field, and you've lege football to being the fifth c. USC d. Notre Dame got an increase of 179,810 openquarterback taken in the draft. ing day fans.

• Looldng foa" a Lot of Big Men In the NBA's 1959-60 season, big men were a premium. Only two players 7-feet or taller donned NBAjerseys, Wilt Chamberlain and Walter Dukes. Granted, the league had only eight teams, but compare 1959-60 with this past season and anyone can see that the NBA has really grown up.

During 1992-93, 36 players who stood 7-feet tall or taller manned the rosters. In fact, there were 10 teams that had more 7-footers than the 1959-60 NBA, including the Atlanta Hawks, who had four of them (Randy Breuer, 7'3"; and 7-footers Jon Koncak, Blair 12

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• One, Two, Oa" None at All Chuck Knoblauch of the Minnesota Twins wears two and so does Milt Cuyler of the Tigers. Dave Winfield of the Twins and Ozzie Smith of the Cardinals don't wear any. But the majority chose only one, What are we talking about?

Ear flaps.

Major League Baseball players are urged to wear a helmet with two ear flaps, but are compelled only to wear the single ear flap.

Then how does Winfield get away with a napless helmet? Any player who was playing in 1982 and didn't wear a helmet with ear flaps then doesn't have to now.

Perhaps that's because, as they say, the hearing is the first to go. <4 What 's the flap ? Winfield is the last of a dying breed, but the added plastic doesn't seem to bother Twin-flapped Knoblauch.

S PORTS S PE C TRUM • S E P TEM BER 1993

OOnly one team has ever been crowned national champion after a victory in the Holiday Bowl. Name that school. a. Navy b. Penn State c. Brigham Young @ Which school has the most Rose Bowl victories? a. Washington b. Ohio State c. Michigan d. USC <D Who was runner-up to Mike Rozier for the 1983 Heisman Trophy? a. Herschel Walker/Georgia b. Steve Young/Brigham Young c. John Elway/Stanford d. Doug Flutie/Boston College @ Who is the only two-time winner of the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker? a. Brian Bosworth/Oklahoma b. Percy Snow/Michigan State c. Derrick Thomas/Alabama d. Chris Spielman/Ohio State G) What team has a losing record in bowl games? a. Notre Dame b. Oklahoma c. Michigan d. Penn State Q) Which Bowl has the largest seating capacity? a. Gator Bowl b. Cotton Bowl c. Sugar Bowl d. Orange Bowl 4ID Which of these players won the Heisman Trophy as a junior? a. Vinny Testaverde/Miami b. Barry Sanders/Oklahoma State c. Tim Brown/Notre Dame d. Bo Jackson/Auburn ·q·Ql ·e-6 '::l·S ·e-L ·q ·9 ·p-g '::l·j? 'P·S ·q·c '::l·l :sJaMSU'o'

7Hvia fro"' the World of Sports · • A Coach Even Geo..ge

Steinba'enne ..

Would Lil'e It seems nobody likes to win more than The Boss, George Steinbrenner. Perhaps nobody

A Going out strong. George Acker retired after the 1993 season with one of the most phenomenal records in all of college sports.

except George Acker, coach of the Kalamazoo College men's tennis team. In his 35 years at the Division III school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Acker has racked up some nearly unbelievable numbers.

A 534-23 1-2 dual meet record is impressive, but better yet is Kalamazoo's dual meet record against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference foes. It stands at 209-1 . That's one loss in the MIAA in 35 years.

That output has produced 35 straight conference championships. Add Ihat to 20 straight years of MIAA titles before Acker arrived, and you have an unrivaled tradition of 55 straight conference titles.

Outside the MIAA, Acker has also made a name for himself.

Kalamazoo College has won the Division III National Championship 7 times and never finished lower than fifth in the tournament's 17-year history.

If only The Boss could find a manager with credentials like that.

•• How many games did Adolph Rupp win as a college head coach?

Chuck: The legendary coach of the Kentucky W!ldcats won more games at the Division I-A level than any other coach in college basketball history. His 875 victories and only 190 losses gave him a very impressive .822 winning percentage. Rupp coached the W!ldcats from 1931 through 1972, winning six National Championships.

•• How many times has England captured the World Cup of Soccer?

Chuck: England won the World Cup Tournament in 1966 for their only title. Not only was it the only time the Brits won the World Cup, but it was also the only time the tournament was held in England. The British team defeated West Germany 4-2 in the finals.

•• How many times did , Richard Petty win the Daytona 500 when he started from the pole position?

Chuck: Although "King Richard" won the Daytona 500 a record seven times, he held the pole position only once. In 1966 Petty started at the pole and finished the . rain-shortened race in the winner's circle. Both his polewinning speed of 175.165 mph and his winning average , speed of 160.627 were Daytona records.

•• Are NHL players Claude Lemieux, Marlo Lemieux, and Jocelyn Lemieux related to each other?

Chuck: Claude (New Jersey) and Jocelyn (Chicago) are

brothers, but the Penguins' Super Mario isn't related to either of them. Mario is the brother of former Blues, Nordiques, and Penguins center Alain Lemieux. Alain played for those teams from 1981 to 1987.

Q:

Has Andre Agassi ever been the number one ranked tennis player in the world?

Chuck: No, Andre's highest ever placement in the IBM/ATP Tour Rankings is third. The Las Vegas native peaked at No. 3 during the week of November 7, 1988 .

This year, Agassi has been ranked in the No. 7 and No. 8 spots behind Goran Ivanisevic and Ivan Lend! and in front of Michael Stich and Michael Chang.

Apparently image isn't everything.

Q:

What year did the Cincinnati Reds move from Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium?

Chuck: The Reds made the move from 29,603-seat Crosley to 52,952-seat Riverfront in 1970. Although the move was popular because of increased seating, the loss of the old ball park left baseball without some e[\joyable quirks. Gone, for instance, was the terrace in the outfield, a sloped area that served as a warning track. But the new seats were needed, for the Reds immediately began putting people in them. In 1970, the Reds hosted the All-Star game and the World Series in their new park.

Q:

If Dean Smith of North Carolina is considered to be such a great coach, why has he only won two NCAA titles?

SPOR T S SPECc RUM • SEP TE M BER 1 993

CHUCK SWIRSKY,

host of Sports Spectrum radio, is also sports director of WON Radio in Chicago where he does Cubs and Bears pregame reports.

Chuck: Smith is regarded as a top recruiter and an excellent bench coach. He works hard to develop good relationships with his players, and he has taken his team to the Final Four nine times.

The only coach with more Final Four appearances is the legendary John Wooden.

Besides, Coach Smith has more victories than any other active coach. His record is 774 and 223. Dean Smith is truly a class act.

Know It All?

If not, ask Chuck to answer your sports questions. Send your question to The Swirsky Report, Sports Spectrum, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 4950 1·3566.

SSSaturday

Sports Spectrum radio with Chuck Swirsky is heard live each Saturday at noon Eastern time on more than 200 stations across the country. Call 1-800-598-7221 to find out where you can hear the program.

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SPOR T S SPECTRU M • SEPTEM B E R 1 993

COVER

STORY

NO ORDINARY With his bat and with his life, Joe Carter has proven to be far different fro~n your average person

W

hen Joe Carter took

the throw from Mike Timlin to retire Otis Nixon for the final out of the 1992 World Series, his display of pure elation was understandable. Despite averaging 24 home runs, 26 doubles, and 87 RBI over 10 years in the majors, Carter had been denied something that came so easily to him in his teenage years- championships. Finally he had reached the pinnacle of baseball success, and he deserved the chance to celebrate. Having tasted World Series glory and having continued to lead the Blue Jays' offense throughout this season, Carter has arrived as one of baseball's true superstars.

Sports Spectrum talked with the Blue Jays' classy slugger about a wide range of issues, from success to faith to racism.

Joe and the Jays. When Carter joined Toronto v ia a trade in late 1990, he finally found a team that could pitch as well as he handles the bat.

Sports Spectrum: You 've had personal success wherever you've gone. You've put up big numbers in Cleveland, San Diego, and Toronto. How do you keep that personal success in perspecti ve?

Carter: I realized at a young age that as quickly as you can get to the top, you can come down. Baseball has a way of humbling you so much.

One day you hit 3 home runs and drive in 10 runs, and the next day you strike out 3 or 4 times and make a couple of errors. That really humbles you. You can' t be too proud in this game because there's no "!" in the word "team." You don't worry about the "1." You just go out there and put forth your best effort.

SS: You give your team a I 00-percent effort on the fi eld. You do the little things that make a good player a great player. continu ed on p age 1 8 SPOR TS SPEC T R U M â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTE M BER 1993

15

NO

ORDINARY

.JOE

Cartel': Well, it really doesn't take too much. You you play the game. You have to be able to realize why go out there, you play hard for 3 hours, and you have you lost, accept why you lost, and try not to make those the rest of the day off. That's not asking too much. mistakes again. I try to tell little kids that if you learn God gave me a lot of talent to play this game, and from your mistakes, that makes you a better person.

I' m not going to do Him any injustice by going out I don' t put so much emphasis on winning. I put there and not giving it my best effort. I know there are emphasis on going out there and playing hard and havprobabl y about 2 or 3 million people who would love to ing fun. No matter what you do, you' re not gonna trade positions wi th me. please man. You may hit 2 home runs and everybody's SS: How do you compare yourself in terms of your happy, and then the third time you come up the people skills with other players in the league? Where would say, "Come on, hit another home run." These people you put Joe Carter among a McGwire or a Fielder or want too much. So that's why you have to go out there other players in the game today? and satisfy yoursel f and just say, " Hey, I played hard Cartel': I don' t look at it as if I'm a great ballplaytoday, I gave it my best. And whether I win or lose er or a so-called superstar. I look at myself as a person that' s reall y immaterial." I look back at my years in Cleveland. We weren' t winning there, and I had just as who's been blessed by the Lord to have the ability to play the game of baseball and do it success fu lly. I much fun as I did while winning here in Toronto.

SS: Throughout your career, you have clearl y testienjoy being consistent, going out there and doing the things every single day, year in and year out. But it's fied of your fai th in Jesus Christ. At what time in your what I expect. You know, when you're on the Lord 's life did you realize that you needed to have that personal relationship with Him? Was anyone instrumenside you should expect the best. Not sell yourself short for anything. But I feel my numbers stack up with anytal in leading you to Christ?

Cal'tel': Well, I grew up in a body irr baseball , th e Fielders, the Christian home. My father drove McGwires, anybody.

SS: Stati sti cally at least, you' re a the Sunday sc hool bus. I went because my parents wanted me to, team leader for the Blue Jays. Do you As children, most of us had dreams not because I felt something in my consider yourself a leader? Do you have a specific role on the team? of a career as a major league base- heart. My whole li fe was centered Cartel': I ' m j ust one of 25 guys around athl eti cs : baseball , f ootball player or an astronaut or a ball , basketb all , track, go l f. playing th e game, hav ing fun , and pcliceman-something that playing as hard as I can. And if that's Twenty- four hours a day, 365 days seemed glamorous. Joe Carter did being a leader, then yeah, I guess I fit more than dream about it. He did it. out of th e year I was pla yin g sport s. It wasn' t unti l I went to the category.

But early in his life, he learned that On the field , I'm a happy-go-lucky high school that I started reali zing the likelihood of his making it to the that there's more to life than j ust person. I may get upset now and then, top was very small. but that's expected in the frustrations playing sports.

"We had aYMCA program After we won the state champiof baseball. I firmly believe that you where we were gelling the awards onship in basketball my sophomore go out there and give it your best every at the end of the Little League seasingle play, every single pitch. You try year, there was a feeling like, " Hey, to do things to help your team win the I'm on top of the world, we won a son," Carter recalls. "There were ball game, giving yourself up and not state championship. Everybody is about 800 kids in the auditorium, being a selfish ball player. That's one and the speaker got up and said, 'If going to be proud of us." After we thing I can say that I do very well is one of you guys in here makes it to won the championship, the feeling being unselfish. I'm not a selfish ball was gone after a week. In a similar the big leagues, you will be one of player. I believe that if you do your situation that same year, we got beat the rare ones. Because there's in the finals in football and the feelpart on the team and look for ways for about one in 900 players who even ing remained with me for the longest the team to win instead of being sucget drafted, and less than that to cessful indi vidually, you' re going to time. It remained with all the people. make it to the big leagues.' I was They talked about it for the next 5 or reap more rewards. about 9 years old. I looked around SS: You mentioned that you want 6 months. That's all you heard. But and said, 'Well, everybody else to do what you can to help the team¡ now that I won a championship in win. It seems that you have always basketball no one talked about it. can go home, because I'm going been around winning. You won at the They talked more about losing than to be that one guy.' And I believed high school l evel and now at th e they did about winning. that. I never let anybody tell me After hi gh school , I attended major le~gu e level. Can you put into what I couldn't accomplish. I said, words what winning means to you?

Wichita State University and it was 'You don't know me. You don't there that I met my wife- who was Cal'tel': Well, I spent 6 years in know my heart.'"

Cleveland where I didn' t win. I spent a a Christian. My roommate Kevin I wonder if that YMCA speaker year in San Diego where we didn' t Scott was a football player. He was ever knew that one of the little boys a good football player, but he took win. So I know the feeling of both in his audience wasJoe Cartera hit and almost became paralyzed. sides. But you have to put winning in one of the rare ones. perspecti ve. It really doesn't matter.

So he had to give up football.

-Rob Bentz I' m a firm believer that it doesn't matHere's a guy who ate, drank, and ter whether you win or lose, it's how slept football. And once he lost foot-

.------One Who Made It

4 High impact. In the past 40 years, only Hank Aaron {854), Willie Mays (797), Frank Robinson (776), and Ernie Banks (773) have knocked In more runs over a 7-year span than Carter, who between 1986 and 1992 drove home 772 runs.

He began 1993 just 127 RBI short of 1,000 for his career. And despite a nearly month-long homer drought that lasted from June 27 to July 25 when he went deep against Nolan Ryan, Carter is on track to put together his sixth 30-plus home run year.

18

SPOR TS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SE PT E MB ER 1993

N O

ball, he turned himself over to God and he went from football to the Lord. And that's alii heard day in and day out. I said, "Now here's a guy who adored football , and lost it, and now he's still happy because he has God inside." And I said, ''That's what it is. There is more to life than just athletics, because I'm not going to play this game for the rest of my life."

It was while I was dating my wife, with her being a Chri sti an, that the writing was on the wall. I finally reali zed for myself-not what someone else had told me- but I realized for myself that Jesus was all I wanted in my life. In August of 1980, I gave mysel f to the Lord. That's all Christ wants us to do is sacrifice ourselves. Gi ve ourselves to Him, and in return we'll get a lot more than if we did it on our own. And I tell people now, " I know I'm not what I should be and wi ll never be until Jesus comes back. But at least I have someone on my side that when I stumble, He's there to help pick me up and keep me going."

SS: Can you tell me a little about your fami ly? Your wife and kids?

Carter: M y wife Di ana was born and r ai sed in a Christian home. We have three beauti ful kids, two gi rl s Kia I 0, and Ebony 8, and then Jordan our 3-year-old son, who was born on Chri stmas Day. It's a pretty normal house. We have our ups and downs, the family spa ts and everything.

But one thing we try to teach the children is to treat others as they want to be treated themselves. We try to give them a lot of love. We show them a lot of love. A lot of hugging and a lot of kissing, and things that let them know, " I love you," and ''I'm not afraid to show my love." If you teach them that way, I think they become more loving people.

When I grew up, there wasn' t a lot of hugging and talking in my family, but there was in my wife's family.

I see both sides and I definitely like the side better where there is a lot of love and talking. Good relationships.

SS: In terms of world standards, a baseball player has it all. You've got fame, you've got money, mi llions of people would love to be in your shoes. When you encounter other people in your profession who have it all, how can you express to them that they need the Lord?

Cal'ter: Often they feel that money is everything.

Once you have money and the fame, you don' t need anything else. But one day that money and that fame is gonna be gone, then what's left over? You can lose money, you can lose your fame, but when you have Jesus you can't lose your salvation. No one can take that away from you.

Teammates aren ' t gonna li sten to what you say.

They want to see some living. They want to see some examples. I try to carry myself in a way so they know there's something different about me. Living is a lot

ORDINARY JOE

more beneficial than trying to si t there and talk about being a Chri sti an.

55: Because you are on the road so much, I' m sure a lot of temptations come your way. How do you personally stay away from those things that could challenge you morally?

Cal'ter: You don't put yourself in those si tuations.

You don't go out to bars or go out and find the trouble areas. That's why I stay by myself a lot. I just try to keep my time occupied. I love to sit back and listen to some nice jazz music or mellow music and relax and be a normal person.

I' m not sayi ng th at I don' t fal l into temptation because there are a lot of things out there, and I'm no better than anybody else. There's nothing great about Joe Carter and there won't be until Christ comes back. That's one thing I always try to make perfect ly cl ear. I don' t wan t people to think that I'm a perfec t person because I'm far from that.

55: Y ou've had success throughout the high school level, at the minor league level and now the majors. Has there been a time when you've been treated favorably due to your athletic success?

Carter: Oh, definitel y! It happens quite a bit. You go to restaurants, you go to car dealerships, it happens time and time again because people want to be associ ated wi th a person they feel is famous. In thi s day and age it's not really what you know but who you know. But I don't look at it as, "Hey, we can go to this place. I know I can get in because I'm Joe Carter." No, I stand in line. I don' t go to places and try to announce who I am or what I do.

People are curious. They think there's something different about you. But once they get to know you, they realize that we' re all the same. It' s just that the Lord gave us a gift of one thing and gave you the gift of another thi ng.

55: On the flip side of the favori tism, rac ism is still a big issue in our society. Even though you' re one of the top players in baseball and very easily recognized, do you still have to deal with that on a personal level?

Carter: You still have to deal with i t. There are still some people who are ignorant of the situation and still think that color has a lot to do with a lot of things, which it doesn' t. But a lot of those people were brought up in the 50s and 60s when color was a big issue. But here in the 90s, color should never matter.

I f you' re qualified to do a j ob, it shouldn't matter what creed or color you are. People should look at you wi th just one color and that 's red, because everybody's blood is red.

I can't believe that here in the 90s we still have people being treated as if they had some kind of disease. The only thing that matters is what's on the inside.

SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMOCOA 1 993

Twilight already?

According to a story in USA TODAY, Carter is planning to say, " Goodby, baseball" after 1996. He plans to retire to a life of spending time with his children and helping around the house so Diana can pursue " whatever she wants to pursue." That wi ll be 14 years of big league baseball, of which he observed, "The Lord has really blessed me to play that long. I'll have no gripes about my career because I've had a great time." <111

19

20

SPORTSS P ECTR UM• SEPT E M BER 1 993

Once ensnared by the grind and the glitz of professional golf, Barb Bunkowsky has finally tasted true freedom â&#x20AC;˘ By Karen Rudolph Drollinger

BuNKY. BuNKO. BuNKER.

Moving up. Sev eral Top '1 0

Nicknames for a professional golfer named Bunkowsky?

fini s hes this s ummer (8th at the Sara L ee Classic, 7th at the Rochester Intern a tiona l , 7th a t the Big Apple Classic, a nd 3rd place

Not. And she's not Barbie, although decked out in

a t the LPGA Championship) h a v e move d Barb Bunkowsky into the Top 30 on the mone y lead e r lis t

her sponsor's stylish Van Heusen apparel she

for the second time in h e r caree r.

S he could bypass h e r best sea-

could model for Mattei.

s on, which w as 1991 .

She's just Barb. Barb Bunkowsky, an intense competitor scratching out her eleventh season on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour. An Ontario, Canada, native who picked up her first clubs at the age of lO, she belies the image of the iaid-back Canadian.

She willingly admits that there aren't too many things which happen to her on a golf course that are humorous. ''I'm a pretty serious person," she concedes. "That's the only way I can be to compete."

Her father, Larry, a club pro in Burlington , Ontario, taught her the game, and by the time she was 21 she had led Florida State to a collegiate national title.

Two years later she had her tour card, and picked up her only tournament win SPO RTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEM BER

1 99~<

2 1

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(the Chrysler-Plymouth Charity Classic) the following ble being on the sports pages." season. Tendonitis and elbow problems have hampered The grind includes arranging and rearranging travel plans, transitioning from her home life to the tour, and her intermittently, but she'll shrug those off.

Instead, she' ll dri ve a 9-iron to the heart. Fame and "obnoxious fans who might criticize everything from my finances may have been her customary companions, she choice of clothes to the way I'm playing." confides, but they certainl y didn ' t bring ful fillment.

Bunkowsky describes how just a few years ago she Nor did they bring enduring friendships. was heading down a cart path to destruction.

"The stress finally got to me. I was reall y li ving a After fin ishing her second round at the Nabisco Dinah Shore in Rancho Mirage, Californi a, the 5-foot-7 course of self-destruction from the age of about 16. I was a partyer, a drinker, and I was very promiscuous," brunette paused to talk.

"Today I was just hitting it all over the place," she she discloses, adding that her freedom to experiment says, perhaps referring to the bogeyed par 5 eleventh was actually an increasing bondage to pain.

"I al ways knew I was doing the wrong thing and I hole where she had to claw her way out from under a always knew God was talking to thick umbrella of trees, knocking a low line dri ve into the me, but I couldn't get over that hump and let God help me. wind and onto an undul ating " It was like, 'God, I' m having green.

"Normally, I wouldn' t have so much fun doing this other â&#x20AC;˘ CHARLES MECHEM JR., theLadies stuff, and yeah, You' re probably been able to hang in there. I Professional Golfers Association (LPGA) right, I don' t need this stuff.' would have been beating myself Commissioner. claims that the undisputed up inside. But now I can walk But as the years went on, I got unhappi er and unhappier and off a golf course and let it go. leader of women's Now I' ve got a different attitude unhappier. sports in the1990s and I can tell it. I' ve been play"I finally realized I couldn' t will be the LPGA. do it on my own anymore." ing better."

Why? Barb recalls how she prayed Playing better may not always Market analysis, translate into bigger bucks for the with another tour pl ayer, asking he emphasizes. for God's forgiveness, inviting 35-year-old ve teran who has "Women golfers dropped to as low as number 64 Jesus Christ to be her personal may be the most on the women's pro tour money Savior, and committing herself sought-after demoto loving Him. list but is now hovering near her graphic category in the country," heexults "I was reall y mi xed up on all-time best of 28th place. Yet while rattling off some impressive statistics. things began to improve one glowhat religion is-like a lot of rious weekencl earlier this sum"Women make 90 percent of all grocery pur- others. You may feel that you have to give up everything. But mer when she fini shed third in chases. 91 percent of restaurant buys, 80 the LPGA Championship. With Christianity is loving the Lord percent of al l automobilepurchases and scores of 68, 70, 69, and 70 on and ex periencing his forgivealmost 55 percent of all golf equipment and ness. It's not a complicated list the Bethesda Country Club apparel." course in Maryland, Bunkowsky of do's and don'ts. People may Donna Lopiano. executive director of the finished just two strokes behind think you're not going to have Women's Sports Foundation, concurs. the winner Patty Sheehan to take fun anymore if you become a "Our research shows that women golfers Christian. But for me I feel so home $67,933. represent the fastest-growing segment in al l much more richly blessed."

But even when good things of women's athletics in the United States." like that don' t happen, As Bunkowsky is discussing Indeed, prize offerings at the Nabisco Bunkowsky feels that her "difall this-after her second round ferent attitude" translates into at the Dinah Shore tourney-a Dinah Shore. contested in Rancho Mirage, dee penin g maturit y. She's California, and oneof the 4 women's major golfer interrupts, asks her score, wrinkles her nose, and reveals becoming better able to handle events, have grown froma total purse of life's bunkers and sand traps. ¡ $110,000 in 1972- thetournament's first that Barb has missed the cut for That gives her the courage to th e fin al two rounds of th e year- to $700,000 this year, with the win$700,000 tournament, one of the talk about her developing faith ner alone taking home$1 05,000. in God. women's major championships, But perhaps themost striking endorse"It 's tough being in the limeby one stroke. ment for the women's game comes from light. There's a lot of temptaBarb absorbs the news li ke a Dinah Shore herself. tion. It can be lonely. The first Brawny paper towel, then refo"Their sportsmanship, sense of humor, cuses and safely squeezes out few years were such a noveltyunfailing kindness, and helpfulness to us her frustration. and glamorous an d fun and overwh elmin g," Bunk owsky "Before, I'd go straight to the hopefuls is a shining tribute to them," she bar and have five drinks or find acknowledges. enthuses. "You can watch those flawless "And then it becomes a grind swings and superb putting styles and learn the nearest guy. I used to think and I have to think about how I everyone would be talking about something every lime." can moti vate myself. It's a real -Karen Drollinger me and I'd feel so humiliated if I job- it's just a little more visihad missed an easy putt," she

The Sport of the 90s?

.A Roller coaster. During

a career that has had her In the winner's circle (champion of the 1984 Chrysler-Plymouth Charity Classic) and in the poorhouse ($4,600 in earnings In 1989, a year in which she missed 3 months of play because of a pinched nerve and tendonitis), Barb Bunkowsky has discovered the secret to keeping her personal life on the level.

22

<.

LPGA

SPORTS SPEC TR U M â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTE MBER 1 993

O UT

OF

attests. "But now I have peace. " It's a tough life out here. It 's not easy . It 's ve ry co mpetitive. But I know that God loves me and th at's th e most important thing. My fiery personality was so driven [toward success) that I was mi serab le off the golf course. I' m a rea l fighter, a fired-up kind of person. I' m very opinionated, and I expect a lot of mysel f and others," she explains, adding that her coach, Warren Bottke, has encouraged her during her struggles. " He does n' t push me aside. He understands me.

He knows I've been dea ling with a lot of stuff the last few years," she says, mentioning, for example, her difficulties in quitting smoking. "Back then, I was frustrated before I even we nt out on the course, but Warren was a Christian and understood what was go ing on and stood by me."

Although 13arb confesses that she hasn' t hit every fairway in learning what it means to fo llow Christ, she's ada mant that she's going to keep trying. One way, she says, is by surrounding herself with friends who share her faith. Another has been by attending the tour's Fellowship Group meetings led by Cris Stevens of Alternative Ministries.

"I've gone to Cris a million times for help. You can tell her the worst thing you've ever done and she's like, ' no big deal.' It's like you're telling her about where you went to dinner last night!"

In add ition, Bunkowsky is beginning to understand- through a recent church retreat- that to fight dai ly battles and respond correctly she needs to spend time in what she calls her "morning offering."

"My good friend Sandy [Brisbane] has helped me learn the importance of a morning devotion and praying together," she relates, noting, "I'm trying to li ve in this world and deal with it. It wasn't until I met Christians that I realized that people reall y cared for me. I' ve prayed and asked Him to put Christian women friends in my life, and it's happening.

"In the lockerroom, you hear all sorts of bad language, and 5 years ago that might have been reall y neat letting out a curseword every moment. But not anymore. And I can say now that I finally feel like a com-

TH E

TRAP

plete person. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn ' t gotten saved and had all these great people around me. I thin k I'd feel used by the system."

Barb is cautiously putting into practice some positive principles. That includes developing deeper relatio nships wit h women , a desire to be sex uall y pure unti l she meets her marriage partner, and sloug hi ng off perfectionistic patterns.

She' s cand id, both about her past dating life and her new set of val ues.

When asked how being a Christian influences her choices, she commun icates her changed mindset by explaini ng triumphantly that she has rediscovered the importance of stay in g sexually pure.

"Before I was a Christian, it was a very tough thing.

You can beco me very promiscuous if you' re not a Christi an, because yo u' re lonely. I'm glad I'm a Christian because it gives me direction. I want to stand by my values.

"Now, I' ve got such a neat circle of friends. I'd love to get ma rri ed and wind down my schedule. I love being around home and sometimes I lose my competitive edge a little bit. I'm so thankful for what God has provided for me. That's why I'm not as upset when I miss a putt. Now I just thank the Lord and real ize that He's in control.

"I' ve been so worried for so many years about meeting the right person and getting married. Now I'm realizing I don' t need others to make my life complete.

And I'm sure God knew that and didn't put a man into my life until I got that concept straightened out."

Barb's blossoming faith in God has been tested, both on the course and off, yet she remai ns confident.

"I can get caught up in that lockerroom attitude about wondering what the players think of me. Do they think I' m a loser now?" Barb divul ges, then concludes, "That's stupid thinking and doesn' t fi t me now. I know God loves me and I hang on to that, because otherwise I would dri ve myself crazy. I'm learning what it means to follow Jesus Christ in everything. J want to experience His freedom." D

-<4 Straight shooter.

After more than half the 1993 tour season, the Canadian native had earned a 20th place ranking in hitting the fairways and a 15th place ranking In putting average. This straight shooting has helped Bunkowsky to climb into t he Top 10 among women golfers In Top 10 finishes for the year.

Karen Rudolph Drollinger is a freelance writer who lives in Blue Jay, Califomia.

S P O R TS S P ECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTE M BER 1993

23

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Taking You On the Scene in the World of High School Football

A Friday Night Family

By Ken Walker URING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBA LL'S autumn inaugural

in early September, thousands of fans will flood into Paul Brow n Ti ger Stadium to hail their team.

The 8 o'clock kickoff will force them to miss the escapades of America's favorite nerd, Steve Urkel.

Nevertheless, "Family Matters" is an appropriate name for Massillon Washington football. Thousands of communities support their high schools, but few do it in the style of this northeast Ohio city of 30,000.

Perhaps you've heard of the unusual nature of high school football in Massillon.

• The tykes whose first football arrives in thei r hospital crib.

• The crowds of 6,000 traveling to away games.

• The mid-1980s controversy over a coach's ouster swirling into national headlines.

Hearing about Massi llon football, however, is nothing like experiencing it. My first exposure to this phenomenon began an hour before kickoff. My brotherin-law Dennis, a former Booster Club president, has a close-in parking pass. In bumper-tobumper traffic, that's no small piece of paper.

As we watched the other early arrivals, we saw the families.

Footballs in cribs? Crawlers attend games here. As we start through the thickening parking lot, we stop to admire two newborns. My sister-in-law grins at one, "How old is he?"

"Four months," smiles his proud mother, and Sandie laughs, "You're not going to see much football tonight." Mama 24

and babe will be among the few.

We enter the west stands and thread our way through a mushrooming crowd before weaving our way to the other side. I'm glad we have plenty of time to reach our seats.

It's like a family reunion, starting with the program. On the cover are the smiling faces of first-year head coach Jack Rose, wife Denise, and their twin sons.

The sidelines are buzzing with activity. It's a fans' off-field version of

warmupsinspecting the bench, snapping ! cameras with telephoto lenses, or ! anticipating the "guess the ! weight" drawing for the newest : baby-tiger mascot (95 pounds).

• This kitty li ves near the stadi! um and prowls about in a side! lines cage at all home games .. : That's about 80 percent of ! Massillon's schedule, since few ! teams can match its fiscal guar! antees. On this night the Tigers : wi ll outdraw the defending state ! champions by about 2- 1. ! Stepping onto the artificial ! turf, I remark how soft it is com: pared to gridirons elsewhere. ' Dennis bends over and lifts the ! green rug, exposing layers of ! sand and crushed rubber. The : cushion protects players' knees.

• "How much did it cost?"

"I'm not sure," he replies. "Tilt: whole stadium renovation [completed 4 years earlier] cost $1 million. It was paid for with private funds."

Soon after we sit down, the "Tiger Swing Band" comes sprinting up the sidelines, highstepping and projecting decibels at college-type levels.

"Now, this is excellence," I muse silently, watching the stands swell. Attendance won' t reach the 18,000 who will later in the season cram inside for the rivalry with neighboring Canton McKi nley. But, I remind myself, this is only high school.

"So what?" another thought argues. "You've seen crowds li ke this before."

I meditate on that for a moment. Sure, I had seen this many people at football gamesand more. College football games. But never had I seen a crowd like this.

Suddenly, a tiny inner voice

SPORTS SPECTRUM • SE PTEMBER 199 3

A Not what It seems. The bands, the uniforms, the crowds, and the atmosphere all give the appearance of major college football. Yet in Massillon, the players and band members are just kids next door who are working their way toward a high school diploma.

whispers, "No alcohol."

"That's it."

I nod and thank the Lord for giving me that thought. On this night there will be no boozed-up, foul-mouthed folks spilling beer on us. No reckless demonstrations, profane cheers, or continual cursing of referees. Even retrieving Cokes at halftime proved to be a pleasant respite.

So why isn't this kind of congeniality available at the nearest professional sports and even major college outing? Alcohol.

I'm fami liar with all the arguments . ... they need the revenue, fans would smuggle it in.

To all that, I would pose this question: Do the owners ever wonder how many millions stay home because they fear unruly fanatics aroused by their favorite beverage?

Maybe a few of them ought to fly to Massillon this fall and see how pleasant a sports outing with the family can be. D

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Living a Sports Fantasy, A Form.er Pro Offering Help, Winning the City Gam.e

nand No-.N

Batting . . . YOU!" You STEPOUT of the batter's box to take the sign from Jerry Kindall, your third base coach. Behind the plate you hear Gary Carter tell you, "Get back in there, kid.

He's not going to have you bunt."

You dig in again and wave your bat across the plate, awaiting the pitch from Frank Pastore. Your heart is pumping so hard you can barely keep your hands still.

Since your first basehit in Little League, this has been your dream.

To stand in there against a major league battery. To get your chance to nail a fastball and drive it over the fence in a big league ballpark.

Pastore winds, and fires. Your eyes light up. It's the pitch you've been waiting for-waist-high and a lillie inside. You feel your bat go into that familiar hitch, you stride toward the mound, and you take a mighty cut at ol' Frank's fastball. It's your moment of destiny, and in a split second you just know your Louisville Slugger is going to make solid contact with the horsehide. You can visualize yourself trolling around third and heading toward home while Gary Carter, who' ll be standing to the side with his hands on his hips, shakes his head that a guy like you can hit a ball that far.

But will you actually make contact, or like Mighty Casey, will your bat connect with nothing but air?

There's only one way to find out.

Attend the charter edition of Athletes in Action's Baseball Fantasy Camp and Enrichment Conference in December. To be held December 7-12 at the spring

training site of the Houston Astros in Kissimmee, Florida, this camp will give you the chance of a lifetime.

Designed for men who are 25 years old or older, AlA's camp will allow you to learn from and play against such former pro baseball players as Gary Carter, Frank Pastore, Brian Doyle, Blake Doyle, Andy McGaffigan, Jerry Kindall, Jose Alvarez, and others.

»

In addition, Dr. Steven Lawson, fonner football player at Texas Tech, and currentl y a well-known pastor and author, will be on hand to address the campers. Lawson is author of the book Men Who Win. Also attending the camp to participate and chronicle the acti vities for Sports Spectrum will be managing editor Dave Branon.

For information abow AlA's Baseball Fantasy Camp, contact Ron f-lo/Jar, AlA, Dept. 2675, 100 Sunport Lane, Orlando, Florida 32809. To call, dial407-826-2675 or to fax, dial407-826-2030.

-------------Foraner P.-o McCoy

Puts on the PllDS HE WORE THEMfor I I years in the NFL, but now- more than a decade after hanging them up, Mike McCoy is putting the PADS back on. As a defensive tackle and nose tackle for Green Bay, Oakland, the Giants, and Detroit, McCoy used his shoulder pads for protection against the constant banging and hitting. As director of Pro Athletes Development Service, Inc. (PADS), McCoy is using PADS to protect former pro players from bad decisions. PADS is a division of Mike McCoy Ministries, which the former Packer uses to spread the gospel through speaking engagevERNON erevER ments and serving as a consultant for vari- & Looking to help. As ous organi zations. McCoy has become a an NFL player, Mike McCoy showed that he popular speaker around the country for all knew how to hit. Now as kinds of school and church groups. a consultant and speakMcCoy knows from experience what er, he's proving that he can happen to a player who does not pre- knows how to help. pare for the day he retires. When McCoy's own career ended with a leg injury, he was hurt financially by risky business ventures, bad advice, and an unfriendly visit from the IRS. McCoy wants to help current players avoid the errors he made. Using the experience he picked up in the school of hard knocks and his degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame, McCoy has designed his nonprofit corporation to assist athletes and their families with goal setting, budgeting, lifestyle choices, education, and post-sport career choices.

For more information about PADS and Mike McCoy Ministries write to 551 Exam Court, Lawrenceville, GA 30244.

Or call404-963-5097.

SPORTS S P ECTRUM • SEP T E MBER 1993

The City Gaane ONE OF THE CRYING NEEDS in "the land of the free and the home of the brave" is to have people with the courage to li berate inner-city you ng people from the clutches of an envi ronment that threatens to destroy any hope of achievement, happiness, or success.

Foremost among those who are answering that call to the city are current and former pro athletes whose faith in Jesus Christ prompts them to do what they can to help. I Jere are a few who are caring for the city.

• Andre Thornton Cleveland Indians (retired)

Thornton runs an inner-city ministry that includes summer camps. Each year 2,000 campers attend and hear Thornton share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Contact: Christian Family Outreach, PO Box 391254, Cleveland, OH 44139 • Jeff Brantley SF Giants Brantley assists wi th Little League teams of minority youth in San Franci sco and East San Jose. Team meetings give him an opportunity to tell the players about his faith.

• Ron Free~nan Kansas City C hiefs (retired) Freeman encourages academic opportunity for the youth of KC by offering a program that teaches how to study and how to prepare for college entrance tests.

25

a

letter from

Japan After 8 years in the majors with the Yankees, Orioles, Expos, and Cardinals, versatile infielderoutfielder Rex Hudler decided to take his skills to Japan, where he is nearing the end of his first season.

His wife Jennifer has b een keeping tabs on their initial year away from the USA and the game of b aseball as we know it. â&#x20AC;˘ By Jennife r Hudler 26

SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SFPTEM BER 1H93

AST OcroBER, Rex and I had a chance to

mee t and shake hand s wi th T orn Sel leck, who was in St. Louis to promote Mr. Baseball, his movie about an American ballp layer in Japan.

Although one thin g reall y had nothing to do with the other, we fou nd it iron ic that we would meet Mr. Selleck at a time when we were thinking about our own version of Mr. Baseball.

Our interest in Japanese baseball had begun earlier in 1992. Before the baseball season began, Rex and I discussed with his agent the possibility of playing ball in Japan. We felt that it wouldn' t happen, if at all, for at least 2 to 3 more years.

Our thinking began to change duri ng the season. Rex didn't have a very good year in 1992 (.245 batting average in 61 games for the Cardinals), and he was pretty discouraged about his lack of playing time.

So in October, not long after meeting Mr. Baseball, Rex gave his agent the okay to find out if there was any interest in him in Japan. His agent sent a videotape of some Hudler highlights, and before we knew it, the Japanese were in hot pursuit.

On Thanksgiving Day last fall , we were tracked clown at my grandmother's house in Ohio with their first offer. It was substantial , and considering the possible state of baseball in 1994 with the prospect of strikes or lockouts-along with other reasons-we fel t that God had opened this door. Much prayer and guidance helped us in making our decision to play in Japan.

We were asked to go to Los Angeles on December 7 (another irony-on Pearl Harbor Day we agreed to live in Japan) to si gn a 2-year contract with the Yaku l t Swall ows of Tokyo. The contract is conditional both ways; either party can say no to the second year.

Upon returnin g to St. Louis, we decided that we should sell our home. After it was on the market for onl y 2 weeks, we sold it on January 20. Because Rex had to leave that clay for spring training with his new team, i t was the last time we were together in our home. Many things made us believe that God was working in this move, but the quick sale of our house clinched it !

Rex went to Yuma, Ari zona, where the Swallows began their training. We had to make many decisions and plans by long di~ta n ce, which makes planning difficult.

Where would we store our belongings? What should we take? What do we do with the cars? The kitties?

There were so many questions.

It seemed that I was packing up our life.

What was worse, I was saying what could be our final goodbyes to people we had cared so much for and to family members who weren ' t well. I did a lot of praying.

"Say goodbye, pack your life away, trust and follow Me," the Lord seemed to be saying. " Okay, Lord, I'm tru sting You," I responded in prayer, " but thi s isn't easy. I know You didn 't say it would be easy, so now more than ever I'll draw close

to You and as You promise in James 4:8, You will draw close to me."

The cl ay fina ll y came when I was to l eave St. Louis. Th e movers were there, and our stuff was going in all direc ti ons. So me to storage, some to Yuma, some to Tokyo, and some to be given away (including the kitties). It became quite confusing, but it all got done with a lot of help from fami ly, good friends, and neighbors.

Because I had so much to do, though, I couldn' t make it to the airport in time, and I missed my plane. I had to wait another day to leave. During thi s time I prayed more than usual. I was really trying not to be anxious about things, but I was faili ng. I don' t think our new situation hit me until I got on that plane. I felt

as though we had given up everything stable and secure in our lives.

I questioned if this was really God's will.

Something happened on the plane that helped me wi th that. Incredibl y, on the flight I was seated next to a top executive for the St. Louis Cardinals. After our 2hour conversation-during which the man praised Rex for what he had done for St. Louis and the Cardin als and said he would be welcomed back in some capacity after his playing clays end- ! realized that if God had really wanted us to stay in St. Louis, that's where we would be, not on our way to Japan.

A fter our 14-hour fli ght had taken us 7,000 miles from home, we arrived in Tokyo. It had been a month since I had last seen Rex, and it was so good to be together. All of my feelings of apprehension were gone.

I was now where I should be, with the man I love. He

SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SLPTEMI3CR 1 993

T Hardly gaijin.

Although they are labeled foreigners, as the Japanese characters above denote, Rex and Jennifer have enjoyed fitting into the culture by taking language lessons, traveling throughout the country, and attending a Japanese church.

27

A

LETTER

FROM

JAPA N

~ Making a run. As a member of the Yakult Swallows, Hudler and American teammate Jack Howell are part of a first-place team in the Central League, which also includes former major leaguers Glenn Braggs, Brook Jacoby, Jim Paciorek, Jesse Barfield, and Lloyd Moseby.

ALLSPOAT/AFLO

always has such a positive attitude. He had no doubts that God was sending us on a mission. He loves baseball, and he believes the Lord will use it for His glory.

He was also thankful to God for thi s opportunity, which would mean that he would be able to play every day.

We quickly began to settle into our new lifestyle.

Getting accustomed to foreign currency, foreign cars and traffic patterns, foreign food, and a foreign language was just the beginning. We quickly understood what it meant to be foreigners, or gaijin, as we' re called. The transition was made easier by our interpreter.

We are fortunate that Rex plays for a team that really cares about both of us. They've provided a beautiful place to live that's only 5 minutes from the ballpark.

The apartment is westerni zed: The kitchens and baths are equipped like home, and we sleep in a bed, not on a tatami mat with afuton as many Japanese do. The tatami mat is a woven straw fl oor mat and the futon is a fluffy cushion-like mattress. Any questions we have 28

about our appliances, which are all in Japanese, can easily be answered by the bilingual staff or by our Japanese neighbors.

We also li ve in the same apartment building with Rex's American teammate, Jack Howell. Jack, his wife Kelly, and their family are especially helpful since this is their second year in Japan.

Rex and I had been pray ing that the other American on our team wou ld be a follower of Jesus Christ, and we were exci ted that God sent us to a team where this is true. Although we didn 't know the Howells very well when we arrived in Japan, we felt th at we would become good friends and warriors for Christ. God has placed these two men together to encourage one another, to encourage our Christian athletes in Japan, and to work and serve Him. Both of our families attend the same church in Tokyo.

It 's nice that the Sunday games here are at night so the men can attend church with us on Sunday morn ing. I've joined the choir and attend Weclnesclay night Bible studi es . Also, the Howells, Rex , and I have been meetin g with a Japanese pastor to study the book of John together. Through the power of prayer, God has brought as many as six others to the studyfi ve of whom are Japanese people who are connected with th e Swallows.

With the language barrier, it is difficult to share our f aith with wo rd s. In stead we pra y for our new Japanese friends, try to be the best examples, and let our "walk" do the talking. The people usuall y want to know the story of how Rex and I met. This opens the door and before th ey know it, they ' ve heard " the rest of the story."

Although Rex has found it hard to communicate his love for Christ in word s to his new teammates, Christ is communicating it through him-especiall y through some times of testing Rex 's pati ence and humility.

After Rex made an error one night, for example, the manager sat him on the bench for the next 5 clays. This error clicln't cost the team the game, but the manager told Rex that he was the reason they had been losing.

Rex was leading the team in hitting at the time.

Through the first half of the season, Rex was hitting over .300, including games in which he went 5 for 5 and 4 for 4. During this time the team stayed in first place. It sounds good, but the Swallows are never satisfi ed, or so it seems. There are never any word s of encouragement-only criticism.

During the tough times, Rex goes to the Bible for strength. One of his favorite verses has always been James I :2-4. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know th at the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anythin g."

They call Rex th e "gentle man" here. Yes, Rex, that wild man on the field who has been called everythin g from " Rexcitabl e" to " Hurri cane Hu dl er. " Recently he got hi t by a pitch in a game during which there had already been two bench-clearing incidents.

The catcher begged Rex not to charge the mound, and when he didn ' t, th e man bowed and call ed him a "gentle man." When he reached first, the coach said,

SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 1 993

A

" Oh, you are a gentle man." A fter Rex moved clown to second, the umpire said the same thing. Many of Rex's associates also refer to him as a "good man" because of the way he is seen treati ng his okfwsan.

That's me, his wi fe.

Baseball in Japan may have originated in the US, but there are many differences that we've had to learn to live with. For one thing, you don't see players in the States bowing to one another. And when a batter does charge the mound here (a rare occurrence), the players mostly throw glares and stares, not punches.

In Japan, the umpires are treated differently. You don' t see too many shouti ng matches, but you do see an occasional push or shove. And when an ump makes a bad call, instead of heari ng fans yelling, " Boo!" and "Kill the umpire," you hear a collecti ve gasp.

Another unusual situation here is the inj ury time out.

LETTER

F R OM

.JAPA N

T Celebration. The game may have its differences in Japan, such as all games at night and sushi at the concession stand, but winning is the same in any language.

We've seen teams carry a player off the field where he stays for I 0 minutes or so getting medical attention before coming back. All the while, the game comes to a halt, and the other players just hang around until he relllrns.

For thi s and other reasons, the games can get very long. However, i f a game is tied, the teams will play only 15 innings or until midnight. Most of the fans ride the subway, and they need to get aboard before it closes for the night. In a tie or in a rainout during which the game has started, the statistics count, but the game has to be played over at the end of the season.

The pitchi ng is very different in Japan. There are fewer good starters, and they throw a lot of breaki ng balls. Also, the decisions that are made about pitchers seem to make little sense. For instance, at the beginning of the season, we saw a starter go 13 innings in a 14inning game.

Other differences:

• The fields are smaller, with the home mn distances marked in meters, or not at all.

• The ball-strike call is reversed. If the count is full, you have a 2-3 cowl/.

• Th e season begins in early April and ends in early October, but there are 35 fewer games, which gives us more off-days during which we can explore our new city.

Another enchanting change is what goes on in the stands. Most of the time the stadiums are packed with fans who are screaming or chanting or singing in unison. They have yell group leaders, a pep band, and plastic bowling-pin-like devices that they bang together. In some cities, drums beat incessantly.

From hearing no Star-spangled Banner to eating sushi and white rice at the concession stand, everything is different. Here's how Jesse Barfield, who is also in his first year in Japan, put it, "The di fferences in the game are as broad as the cultural differences between Japan and the United States." You really can't compare each country's ideas of what their national pastimes are. They are un iqu e in th emse lves. Comparin g wouldn't be fair to either one.

There are many obstacles for the gaijin to overcome while playing baseball in Japan, and many never make the adjustment. Those who do still don' t find it easy.

When Rex meets other American ballplayers who share our faith, such as Barfield (formerly with the Blue Jays and Yankees), Glenn Braggs (Brewers, Reds), and Kelvin Torve (Mets), they always encourage one another. "It's impor1ant we all stay in the Word, stay strong in the Lord, remember that we've been placed here for a reason, and never forget how truly blessed we are!" says Rex. It's been a great learning experience for Rex and me.

We know without a doubt that God has sent us here for a purpose. His purpose! Was it to help "save" Japan?

Probably not- that's a pretty big calling. But we are here to serve, and out of obedience we will help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. The wonderful thing is that this has been a time of growth for us. Our relationship wi th our Creator and A lmighty Kin g is becoming stronger because of the j oys and struggles we are experiencing. We praise and thank God for this special time in our lives.

S PORT S S PECTRU M • S EPTE M BEn 1993

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••••••••••••••••••••

Catching Up With • • •

By Tom Felten

n ElL

Dimes and Cystic FibrosisL OMAX IS NOT LETTING great causes-and not be afraid the grass grow under his feet. to have a Christian charity and Sure, he's been out of the league not really mince words about it. a few years, but now instead of launching bombs to Roy Green It has never really been a problem with people," he says. you can find him helping others by putting around the green.

Holding golf tournaments is For the last 6 years "The just one of the many activities coordinated by Promax, Lomax's Gateway Gunner" has organized a golf tournament called The Neil business. Promax also oversees Lomax Quarterback Shootout. He the NAIA championship football game and other athbegan the tournament Sta.ts Glance letic events. in Phoeni x toward the end of his career -First college quarterback Speaking of sports events, Neil with the Cardinals. to throw more than four touchdowns in one quar· For the past 3 years can be found behind ter (he had seven). That it's been held in the microphone at a season (1980) he rang up few. He does the Portland, Oregon, more than 4,000 total where Neil and his color commentary yards, with 37 TDs family now reside. for the Phoenix pre-At one time held more than 90 Division I·AA The Shootout is a season games on records for his exploits at TV. And during the charity event that in Portland State University 1993 raised funds for -Played in 108 NFL games NFL season he the ministries of with the Cards, starting 100 chats about football - Threw for 22,771 yards with Portland sports Young Life and the and connected on 137 fans on his weekly Fellowship of TDs during his pro career Christian Athletes.

"NFL Talk with Awards/Honors: Some of the play- -Was seventh in Heisman Neil Lomax" show.

He may be having ers who hit the links voting his senior year in college for this year's tourfun, but number 15 -Selected to four NFL all· for the Cards is also ney included: Jim rookie teams in 1981 Plunkett, Steve working hard for the - Earned Pro Bowl trips in Young, Dave Krieg, number I person in 1984 and 1987 -NFC player·of·the·month his life: Jesus Christ.

Chris Miller, Frank for October 1988 Reich, Billy Joe Ever since he asked Tolliver, Wade Christ to forgive his Most Memorable Career Moment: Wilson, Jeff sins and save him as ' The 49er game in Phoenix Rutledge, Steve a high school sophoin 1988 really stands out.

Bartkowski, Dan· more, Lomax feels Our first year down there, that the Lord has Pastorini, and about we got behind the Super Bowl champions something I0 other current or directed his steps. like 23 to 3 in the fourth former QB's.

What he calls a quarter. We came back to "miraculous" jourSeveral thousand beat them 24·23. It was fans turn out to get ney began in the tiny exciting to beat Montana close to the celebrity and all those guys."

Oregon town of Lake Oswego, golfers and to see if where he developed they can putt as well as they pass. into an excellent pitching prospect and decent football player. Next Neil is excited about the type of charities that receive the benehe moved on to Division 1-AA fits of his labors. "I wanted to do P011land State, where he racked up something of the same magnitude a ton of yards, records, and attenof events held for the March of tion and became a football star.

30

Throughout that journey- and on into his post-football careerLomax has found the challenge of one of his favorite be immensely helpful.

"Whatever you do ... ," wrote the apostle Paul in Colossians 3:17, "do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving l~ ~=:::~~=~=.:.:~T-:---;: thanks to God ...."

He then blossomed in the NFL as an accurate, big-arm quarterback until a hip injury ended his football career in 1988.

The injury had been caused some 5 years earlier by a hi t that damaged his hip area. Over time, the ca11ilage had dissolved almost completely, and Lomax had to have a total hip replacement. He says his man-made hip, which "is not as good as what God makes," feels "fantastic."

Four special reasons for Lomax to give thanks include wife Lori, of whom he says, "Everything we do we do together," and Nicholas 7, Alexandra 5, and Jack 3.

Nt:il's love for his Lord and his family come first and second. But number 3 (almost his handicap of 4) is golf. And in 14 or 15 years, if Neil has his way, he'll be a member of the Senior PGA Tour.

Neil Lomax may not let the grass grow under his feet, but he sure enjoys playing on it. D

r----------------------, LOOK NO FURTHER K1os ARE LOOKING for role models. It's too bad many p ro athletes h ave chosen n ot to take that role seriously. Whethe r they like it or not, they are role models -from the M ich ael Jordans down to the N eil Lomaxes-whatever rating that is. I think the opportunity of talking to kids is the greatest feeling in the world-to tell them about the ultimate role m odel: Jesus Christ.

I s ha re with young p eople, " H ey, I look for role mode ls too.

And the only One who hasn 't let m e down yet is J esus." I also te ll them that they're all important to God. And that I'm no more special in His eyes than they are.

It's important for young people to know that, because it's easy for them to get involved w ith gangs and peer pressure. T o take that s tep for God is a radical, radical s tep. They're going to be in the m in ority and face a lo t of ridicule and persecution.

They don't want to h ear that . They want to h ear about the money and the cars you drive- they think that will make them happy. But it won't. I tell them, " Don't look any further than the Bible and find Jesus Christ-the ultimate role model."

- Neil Lomax

L

1

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SPOnrs SPECTRUM • SEPl EMBE R 1003

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Can Kids' Sports Be Too Organized?

• By D ave Branon playing backyard baseball anymore. Drive around sometime and see how many youngsters you find playing first-bounce-or-fly on some rut-filled field bordered by a baseball-eating briar patch.

You won't find enough baseball players to fi ll up the back seal of a Yugo.

Just about all the youth baseball being played now is being contested on lined fields with mowed outfields and dugouts and flagpoles and everything. Organized baseball, it's called. Nothi ng wrong wi th it, but it isn't enough baseball to grow a real player.

Maybe that's why Double A pitchers are making $109,000.

These days, where you see the kids playing is on cracked driveways and bumpy playground courts, shooting baskets. Not supervised by anybody, they go at it by the hourlearni ng the game and being Michael or Shaq or KJ. It's unorganized and chaotic, but it makes basketball players. And you never hear anybody worry about the lack of good point guards. They' re everywhere.

Not long ago my 6year-old son Stevie was doing some pretend pl(ly-byplay with his friend Jeff. I listened as he went through his "Here's the pitch" broadcast. It was the Tigers vs. the Cubs (one vote for interleague play). I heard Stevie announce," .. . hitting for the Tigers, number 23, Michael Jordan." Then, to clarify this seeming inconsistency, he proclaimed, "He's a basketball player, but today he's playing baseball."

Funny th ing is, Michael Jordan used to be a baseball player. He T'S HARD TO FIND KIDS

played on a team with a coach and bases and a new baseball every game. Yet he chose to do the playground thing-he hung • on to the hoop action. In a differ-! ent era, when baseball was played in vacant lots and hoops

their bikes to some field somewhere and played pickup baseball? Till it gets dark or they lose the ball, whichever comes first?

Basketball players have gotten better over the years because they've spent hour after hour on

was an oddi ty, Michael may have become Hank Aaron.

Could it be that baseball has organized the fun right out of the game? Do kids know that they can play baseball without a third base coach and an umpire? After all, don't kids usually have more fun when adults aren't around- no matter what they' re doing?

Wouldn' t it be better if kids just got up on Saturday, grabbed a baseball and some taped-up bats (preferably wood), and rode

the playground.

Playing for fun is where it's at in hoops today. Kids and grownups know that even if they don't make the team at a higher level, there's always the driveway, the schoolyard, the playground. When a game continues to be fun, it will keep growing in popularity.

While in Spain a few years ago, I asked some people about soccer- how it was organized in the schools and how the players got to be so good. I was surprised to find

S P OR "I S SPE C T RU M • SEPT E M DER 1 993

out that there aren't any teams in the schools-that the kids play choose-your-own-sides soccer.

For fun. They learn the game by playing the game.

If they are any good, they will eventuall y be noticed by roving scouts who nab kickers to play at higher, organized levels where they have to endure practices and spectators. Just as the prevalence of pickup basketball in the US has helped that sport mushroom, so do soccer ski lls continue to improve in many countries that don' t have organized leagues for the kids.

Am I saying eliminate Little League, ban Babe Ruth, and cancel Connie Mack? Of course not.

These elements of baseball are an important supplement to the baseball experience.

What we need to do first is to encourage self-motivated spOiis panicipation by reminding kids how much fun it is to clear out an old vacant lot and make a baseball or soccer field out of it. Then why not suggest that Nintendo be played only after it's too dark to play ball. Also, dads and moms need to prime the pump by getting out in the backyard to toss the baseball or kick the soccer ball around with their sons and daughters. And when the kids come droopi ng into the house wondering what in the world to do, maybe we can tell them to play ball- instead of telling them to drop in a video.

There's so much kids can leam-by themselves-about organization skills, fair play, cooperation, tolerance, and leadership by playing backyard sports. And it' s good for sports when kids realize that they don' t have to wait for sponsorships and fancy uniforms to play. Spor1s are, after all, just for fun. The sooner kids find that out, the better they and all sports wi ll be.

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