University of South Carolina Libraries
.sports Reds mav sir ? # 1 By Sammy Fretwell Another former Gamecock may be in professional baseball by next season, as infielder Art Finley is expected to soon sign a minorleague contract with the Cincinnati Reds. But for now, Finley is waiting for the official word. "The scout (Cam Bonifay) is going to call me (this week) and he's probably going to sign me to a contract starting with next spring training," Finley said. "WE SAT down and talked about it, and he gave me my strong points, like fielding, and said that I'd have to work on my hitting. '4 r?F Sj*g / J Cincinnati hopeful Fnrmor Ramp va iiawi miiiu By Mike Lough Kevin Long has played football at USC, ha; New York Jets in the National Football Leagi charter member of the Chicago Blitz in the Uni ball League, which just concluded its rookie s If Long, who got his degree from USC in I tion, had it to do all over again, what would "I'd give anything just to be a normal st vears." hp said. AND GIVE up the fame, glory and finan professional football and the publicity of playi ranks? "I really wish 1 could've gone through t perience' like everybody else." The Clinton native said "you miss out on a life and miss meeting people. If somebody something, it's your decisionto say 'yes' or 'n and meeting people." And he yearns for a chance to be a normal s lege campus, one who blends in with the cro> Forward leaves basketball team From Staff Reports USC head basketball coach Bill Foster saic Kenny Holmes, but wishes "him the very b< Holmes, a three-year letterman from Sa\ the Gamecock basketball program and wi university on July 13, Foster said. jy (> t lit; KENNY HOLMES Carolina go /\narHmn I Leaves team Holmes set a school record as a freshman of 11 field-goal attempts against Manhattan mark this past season came against Old Dor in the National Invitational Tournament w points. rioimes averageu 1.1 rcouunus pci gamvwith 224 assists and 834 points as he played He could not be reached for comment. I > . I jn Finley to m But he said that he was going to sign me to a M contract starting in 1984. "All he had to do was get the OK from the Reds, and then he was going to call me back fl this week to set up a (signing) date." ; Unlike USC teammates Mike Werner, Mark Calvert and Gary Parmenter, Finley I was not drafted following the 1983 season, but he didn't want to give up the idea of play- ^ ing professionally. As a result, he attended H Reds' tryout camps at Newberry and Win- p throp colleges. || Finley said, however, had it not been for ;| an interest by the Reds in his play over the 1= past season ? so much that the club almost drafted him ? he might not have been given 1 a second look at the camps. * "YOU KNOW, it's kind of hard to get a * chance through these tryouts, but I was lucky because this guy from the Reds has seen me , play for the past couple of years, so that helped out a lot," he said. "It's kind of hard < to go in there cold turkey. "The Reds had me on their (June) draft list, but they had so many people they'd already drafted that it didn't work out." Finley, a graduate of Lower Richland High School, came to Carolina from Methodist College after his freshman year, ojj^mawig ivyu acaMjub in a reserve roie oeiore starting this past year. "This year, getting to play every day and getting in the (National Collegiate Athletic Association) regionals, was probably a little lower on the rung than going to the College World Series last year, but it was close," he said. "And getting to play every day is someining everyDoay wants. scock: USC yes "YOU HEAR it a lot, but 1 s played for the USC," Long said. "They were ^ .1 nn... n 1 i f I iiict u/icVi I 'H Koi/n q \ 1 r\\\ji lie (XIIU UUW 13 a ***V. A JUJV "IJII A V* l*?T V uuv/m ted States Foot- out of going to the university. ] ;eason. trying to go to school, but I'v Physical Educa- could've done." he like to do? While Long may have regret udent for four he said he enjoyed his season NFL coach George Allen. "Professionally, it was one cial rewards of Long said. "It was a totally < ng in the college NFL. George Allen is probab! I've ever seen as far as work he 'college ex- organization. "He believes in what he doe lot of things in hard; there's always a lesson ii / calls you for LONG RUSHED for 1,022 ; o'. I like people ing mate Tim Spencer also bi 1975, Long teamed with Clarer itudent on a col- ning back team at USC to ru vd. each. 1 he regrets losing l ~> I . % v' - Vr ^ - ' ?l. /annah, Ga., left thdrew from the I averaged 9.6 game during his career with the shooting 53.2 . n the field. The ^ -inch, 200-pound ^ it game-winning ..?. > ?. .'.U^M ,nst University of ' ldaho and s versities this past hen he scored 24 ?W ^ 2m during his career, 4 , I in 87 games. inor-league ci , ' > ... FORMER SECOND BASEMAN AR1 Thfi Hnliimhin natiun uunntc tn ?inn PLAYING AT second base, Finley hit .252, with a fielding average of .969. USC head baseball coach June Raines has said his second baseman was indeed vital. "I don't know what we would have done without Art Finley. He really came on at the end of the season and was a real leader for us tnis year. While Finley said he has always been a Baltimore Orioles fan, he said the Reds organization would be a good experience for h i rr\ irs best of li [ really cherish all my years at "I'm prou 5 the greatest four years of my know if anyc :d myself to get so much more that as a triv It was tough playing sports and The Blitz ! e always felt there was more I semifinals. C very strong. s concerning his years at USC, "It was ve with the I&itz, under former because it cc The other fa of the best years of my life," Bears) has th different atmosphere than the [y one of the greatest coaches "WE AV] habits, team motivation and record, l ne think if we'd s. He doesn't just work people up because th 1 what he does." 1963 or some /ards this season and his runn- percentage." roke the 1,000 yard mark. In Long said * *11! * - 1 ^ CI m />rn imarc t ice winiaiiis iu ue mc nisi iun- mwiv <?, i sh for more than 1,000 yards umbia and lo to USC to ta . , . i i i . . i . ; i * > > untract ^ #* - > - ' r FINLEY PUTS TAG ON RUNNER with the Cincinnati Reds this week "I haven't really watched them, but I understand they're going with a youth move ment. They might sign a free agent here and there, but I think you can still move up in the organization if you do the job. "FIELDING-WISE, I don't think I'll have any problem," he said. "Hitting will be a big adjustment, because I'll be seeine a lot better pitchers every night. "I feel like if I can do that, anything can happen." fe j 1 _ 1 A. 99 ? J 441 J 'A u oi mai atcompiisnmeni, Long saiu. 1 uon i >ne else has ever done that. You could kind of use 'ia question." finished the regular season at 12-6 but lost in the )espite their good record, the fan support wasn't :ry slow," Long said. "Weather was one factor, iuld be 80 degrees then drop to 40 like nothing. ictor is just that George Halas (of the Chicago lat town locked up. ERAGED about 13,000, and we had a 12-6 Bears would go 2-14 and get 60,000 people. I have won the championship, we'd have it locked ley haven't had a championship in that city since thing. We wouldn't have it locked up, but a good V,tn rtnii mitli frtrttKoll f/-?r ntilw Q fmi; lie IU aia^ vv llll luv/iuai! IV/I v/in; M IVT? hen he plans to return home to Harbison in Colok for a job. He said he would like to come back ke some business courses. n r * saie ai inira Rich Novack heads to third base in an intramural softball game this past week between the Rackjobbers and the Thumpers. The Thumpers won the game. Photo by Pat Evans ! I I I I *