The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 28, 1989, Page 5, Image 5
Mets may
to World
For the past few seasons the New
York Mets have been the most
dominant team in the National
League. They have won their division
two out of the last three years,
and they look as if they plan to successfully
defend their title again
this season.
Back in 1986 the Mets picked up
the theme, "You gotta believe"
towards the end of the season.
They.really started believing when
they won their division and took
the National League Pennant by
whipping the Houston Astros to
earn a trip to the World Series.
The .Mets met the Boston Red
Sox in the World Series, and it took
all seven games to determine a winner.
An unforgettable error committed
by Red Sox first baseman
Bill Buckner proved to be the play
that would give the Mets their first
World Series Championship since
1969.
Last year the Mets won their
division but was ousted in game
seven of the League Championship
Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
New York was highly favored to
win because of some injuries occurring
in the Dodger lineup late in the
season. Furthermore, the Mets had
the better regular season record
racking up 100 wins with no team
finishing close to them. Pittsburgh
finished second and 15 games
behind New York.
This year the Mets are in the hunt
in the National League East with a
39-32 record. They lead the
Chicago Cubs, who are 40-J33, by
one percentage point through
Sunday.
The Mets rank fifth in the National
League in pitching with a
team ERA of 3.22. Their 477
strikeouts lead the League.
However, they tie Atlanta and Pittsburgh
for the fewest number of
shutouts with four.
All eyes are on pitching ace
Dwight Gooden. At age 24, he has
already reached an important
milestone in his career by winning
his 100th game. After having a
short bout with drug abuse after
the 1986 season, "Dr. K" has
returned to his Cy Young Award
winning ways. He has posted a 9-2
record to go along with a 2.56 ERA
FAIR Continued.
residence halls.
"We all believed that after one
semester it would be old news, and
she wouldn't have to put up with
"L Dut a * m / o c Kaorinn oil
iiiucn duusc. dui siit was 11vu11115 an
of these things from her peers about
what people were saying about her at
Carolina, and that really made her
feel bad.
"My fight for visitation never concerned
my daughter. 1 was simply
responding to the concerns of my
constituents. It's unfortunate she is
being made to suffer by some
cowards," he said.
Fair, an ex-officio member of the
USC Board of Trustees, was the
leading supporter of restricted visitation
at USC. The board voted in
April to phase out overnight,
opposite-sex visitation over the next
four years. This fall, Burney
residence hall will house women with
restricted visitation and Douglas will
similarly house men.
Miss Fair was not assigned a
definite space in housing for the fall,
although she had applied for Wade
Hampton as her first choice.
Vice President for Business Affairs
lie Batter's
Circle
By D.R. Haynes
be headed
Series again
and 90 strikeouts this season.
David Cone was the main man
for the Mets last year. He registered
a 20-3 record for his team. Cone led
his team in strikeouts with 213. His
rising popularity brought about the
"cone heads" who were some Mets
fans wearing plastic cones when
Cone pitched. Cone has not found
nearly as much success this season
with a 4-5 win-loss record and an
inflated 4.46 ERA.
Sid Fernandez and Bob Ojeda
were probably disappointments for
the Mets by winning only 22 games
between them last year. If these two
get on track the Mets could show
off a four man rotation with four
20-game winners.
The Mets may be a predominately
pitching powered team, but they
are not too shabby offensively
either. Howard Johnson, after being
the subject of many trades', isr""
having his best year of his major
league career. He is leading his
team in batting with a .289 average.
In the power categories he has 19
homeruns and 45 RBls which also
lead the Mets.
Second on the club in homers is
Darryl Strawberry with 15. Last
year the "straw man" made a
legitimate claim at the National
League MVP award only to lose
out to Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers.
Strawberry belted 39 dingers to
go along with 101 RBls. Strawberry
is having a hard time getting hits
with a sub par .224 batting average,
at this point in the season.
Quietly, Kevin McReynolds
moved into superstar status by hav-'
ing a fin^season last year with a
.288 average, 27 homeruns, and 99
RBls. McReynolds is doing well
this season with a .283 batting
average complemented by seven
homeruns and 31 RBls.
It would not suprise me to see the
Mets win their division again with
all of their talent. Their destiny at
the beginning of the season looked
ominous with fights among teammates
occurring in spring training.
It seems, however, that they have
put their problems behind them
and are continuing to win. There
have been lots of suprises in
baseball so far but don't be suprised
if the Mets end up in the World
Series again this season.
from page 1
Richard Wertz said Miss Fair's
assignment, and those of others
students as well, may have been held
up in order to present her with the
r?ntinn r*f livino in Rnrnpv
USC has not yet received formal
notification of Miss Fair's decision.
Student Body President MarieLouise
Ramsdale said she was sorry
Miss Fair would not be attending
USC.
"We would have worked with her
to make her a part of the university
system," Ramsdale said. "1 think the
majority of the students understand
that she was not the.instigator of theinvestigation
into our visitation
policy.
"I'm sorry if any threats were
made. I'm sure there were some
made in jest, but I doubt any were
made seriously."
Rep. Fair said he would not attempt
to change the visitation policy
at the school his daughter decides to
attend.
"I don't anticipate having to get
involved at another institution," he
said. "1 think there is enough concern
now that someone else will take
the reigns, as it were."
?
of Lies. Jar
Gadd acqi
By MARY PKARSON
Kdilor in chief
A former USC assistant football coach is looking
forward to returning to his job as an assistant
coach at the University of Utah after what he called
the trial of his life.
"The best part of the whole deal was to be able
to go back to work again, and one of the first
things 1 have to do is to thank all the people at
work and in Columbia who supported me through
this ordeal," said Tom Gadd.
Gadd, 42, was one of four former assistant
coaches indicted April 19 by a federal grand jury in
connection with steroid charges. He was acquitted
of the two misdemeanor steroid charges by a jury
last Wednesday.
During the two day trial, Gadd listened to
testimony by assistant football coach Jim
Washburn who claimed he and Gadd had arranged
to get steroids for a player having problems gaining
weight.
"Basically the whole case came down to a conversation
that took place five years ago at William
Brice Stadium. 1 was amazed at the difference in
memory everyone exercised when they were on the
stand," Gadd said during a telephone interview
Monday.
Washburn testified that Gadd helped obtain
steriods for former South Carolina linebacker Carl
Hill. An article by The Associated Press quoted
part of Washburn's two hours of testimony.
"1 think Carl was frustrated about his inability
to gain weight, and he asked us about the possibility
of using steroids. We left it at that. We told him
if he was serious, for him to think about it ?it was
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"I felt I was innpcent all along.
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you have to present your case. I
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Assistant football coach, Tom Gadd
a serious matter ?and if Carl indeed wanted to try
steroids to come to us."
After Hill told the coach he wanted to give
steriods a try, Washburn said the coaches would
pay for them. He did not recall paying for the
drugs, however, the article said.
But Gadd contended that he told Hill to see a
physician and get a prescription for the steroids if
he wanted them and that he said nothing about
helping him obtain steriods.
According to The Greenville News it was this differing
testimony and the instrumental testimony of
Mike Hooten that brought the innocent verdict.
in the article by The News Gadd's lawyer Joel
Collins said that Hooten testified although Coach
Washburn asked him to consider using steroids,
Coach Gadd was not a part of that, and "that in
fact Washburn told him he should keep that a
secret from Coach Gadd."
The incident that lead to Gadd's arrest was an
article that appeared in Spoils Illustrated in which
former USC football player Tommy Chaikin told
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his story of the horrors of steroid use. In that article
Chaikin claimed that steroid use among USC
football players from 1983-87 was widespread. !
It was this article that prompted an investigation
by the U.S. Attorney's office and the State Law*
Enforcement Division.
The investigation lead to the arrest of four
former assistant coaches Gadd. Washburn, keitli
Kephart and Tom Kurucz.
The other three coaches pleaded guilty to th<J
charges earlier this past month. One other man was
charged and later pleaded guilty on June 15, John
Landon Carter of Maryland. All are awaiting
sentencing. I
According to The News Gadd could have beeij
sentenced to a maximum of two years imprison;
ment and fined $101,00 if convicted on both
counts.
Gadd, however, said he never doubted the outcome
of the trial, adding that he felt there had been
unfairness in the way the whole case was
conducted.
"1 am glad it turned out that way. 1 am sorry it
had to start in the first place. I also think that other
coaches had a chance to speak to the investigators
where 1 did not. If I had, maybe it wouldn't have
gone as far as it did," he said
He added, "1 felt 1 was innocent all along. When
you feel that strongly about it you have to present
your case. 1 wouldn't have gone to the court room
with it if I hadn't felt that strongly."
Gadd said his next big challenge is getting the
preparations done for the first day of practice and
getting the players fit for the first big game of the
i season in September.
i Gadd said he's looking forward to closing out
1 this particular chapter of his life.
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