THE SPORTING VIEWS Looking back on Blue .. . .. .tough to second-guess By JAMIE TURNER OMAHA THOUGHTS ON A WORLD SERIES: Looking back, it would be easy to second guess Michigan coach Moby Benedict for removing Tom Owens in the eighth inning Monday night. Some- one with 20-20 hindsight would no doubt notice that Owens had retired the last ten in a row before hitting leadoff man Roy Clark. After his shaky start, Ownes had calmed down and probably wanted to stay in. It would be easy to second guess, but it would be wrong. Benedict hadn't expected much more than seven innings from Owens, and with a pair of left- handed batters scheduled next in the North Carolina order, Steve Howe was the logical choice. The end result wasn't the one desired, but the actions taken by Benedict late in the game were the right ones. ... One has to believe that Craig McGinnis' arm problems were worse than anyone knew going into the series. Once again, McGinnis (against USC) couldn't survive the first inning. The left-hander's control, which had been a strong point all year long, deserted him completely. Steve Perry, who had come in in much the same situation against Eastern Michigan in the regionals a week before, entered the World Series with back spasms and could not have been expected to equal his efforts against the Hurons. End result, 11-3. ... One bright note however, was the strong pitching performance put on by freshman Mark Clinton against the Trojans. Used sparingly by Benedict all year long, Clinton performed admirably (six innings, two runs, six hits) and earned an opportunity to start next season. ... Another question that only Benedict can answer is, whatever hap- pened to Bill Stennett? Third starter most of the year, Stennett saw no action at all the last three weeks of the season. Though the outcome of the tour- nament probably would not have been changed, Stennett's curveballs could have been a real thorn in the side of the fastall hitting Trojans. ... In the end, Michigan's lack of team hitting strength did it in during the Series. Twenty-six Wolverines were left on the bases during their four- day, three game stay. Too many times men were stranded by the middle part of the order ... supposedly the strongest par . f a team's lineup. Vic Ray might have been able to help the sitation, but he remained nin- th in the lineup even though he had the third best average on the team. This is the biggest criticism that can be made of Benedict. Despite his ability to exert his nine regulars to win, his lack of a bench and staunch inflexibility to change forced his hand in post-season play. North Carolina, despite having an inferior team, defeated Michigan because when the need arose to move from an offensive lineup to a defensive one, coach Mike Roberts had enough faith in his bench to make the change. Benedict, his substitutes having seen so little action during the regular season, was not able to counter. s. Wonder what a little late-season batting practice will do for a team? Roberts took six of his players out Monday morning for a little early swinging. It paid off as Brad Lloyd pinch-hit in the eighth and collected a single (his first in 24 at-bats). Another man who took some practice and helped the Tar Heel cause was a guy named Robinson.. . There was a dramatic story unfolding in the North Carolina dugout prior to the beginning of the eighth inning. Mark McKinney, a freshman who had been counted on to provide needed punch in the NC lineup, got up and started encouraging his teammates. Nothing unusual, except that earlier this season McKinney was involved ina collision with shortstop Roy Clark during a game that left the outfielder unconscious and near death. McKinney suffered some brain damage and was in a hospital for a prolonged period of time before recovering. He probably will not play ball aain, but he came to Omaha to root on his friends and was rewarded by Greg Robinson's winning blast. NHL Cup coaches fined' for criticizing officials NEW YORK (AP) - Coaches Don "We tried to hit and we get Cherry of the Boston Bruins and Scotty penalties," Cherry said after the first Bowman of the Montreal Canadiens game. have been fined $1,000 each by NHL "It was a joke," said Bowman, President John Ziegler for uncom- referring to referee Bob Myers' work. plimentary remarks about the of- "It's all right to say it's the same for ficiating during the Stanley Cup final both teams, but it isn't. We've got the playoffs. best power play in the league. Why Defenseman Brad Park of the Bruins doesn't he just go by the book? Let's was fined $300 for his outburst against face it; the refs are going to let as much thedffi ials after the BtuirW' 4-f loss ht as pssible go. If we only get one or two Montr'eallin' Gain '3,.a drigt t oa power plays a game, we're going to be well-pacedNHLbsource -. '- ata disadvantage." r roto Calm before the storm North Carolina's Dave Barnett slides into Michigan second baseman Scott Anderson in 'the eighth inning of Monday night's NCAA College World Series game. Barnett was forced out on the play, shortly before Tar Hell Greg Robinson slammed a three-run homer off Wolverine ace Steve Howe to wipe out Michigan's national championship hopes. State's Gibson pieked 1st round by Tigers DETROIT (UPI) - The Detroit sophomore. Tigers feel they pulled a major coup by Right-handed Gerald Ujdur, 21, of drafting slugging outfielder Kirk Gib- Minnesota, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound pit- son and are meeting today with the cher, was the Tigers' selection in round junior Michigan State football star to four. find out what it will take to sign him. NO MICHIGAN players were draf- The Tigers drafted Gibson as the 12th ted. pick in the first round. The left-handed Slugging third baseman Bob Horner Spartan hit .390 last season while hit- of Arizona State was chosen by the ting 16 homers and knocking in 52 runs. Atlanta Rraves as the first nick in the GIBSON'S baseball credentials are so impressive the Tigers are believed to have reluctantly decided not to oppose the fleet wide receiver's decision to play his final season on Michigan State's football team this fall-if he will sign a baseball contract now. Recent changes in the rules defining amateurs and professionals permit athletes to accept money for playing one sport yet remain an amateur in another. The left-handed hitter, who zoomed from nowhere to the top of Detroit's list of prospecta this spring, made it clear before the draft he intends to use up his final season of football eligibility this fall. THAT IS undoubtedly why the 11 major league teams drafting in front of Detroit yesterday passed up an oppor- tunity to negotiate with the 6-foot-2, 220- pound center fielder, who has been timed in a phenomenal 4.3 seconds for the 40-yard dash. As a football player Gibson is also reportedly first-round material for next spring's draft. He came within one reception of the Michigan Stae season record when he caught 39 passes as a Kirk Gibson annual free agent draft. Horner is the all-time NCAA record-holder for career homers with 56. This season he has led the Sun Devils into the College World Series with his .425 batting mark, while collecting 25 homers and driving in 98 runs in 57 games. Horner's teammate, shortstop Hubie Brooks, was chosen by the New York Mets, who were no doubt impressed with his .435 average.