Page 11- The Michigan Daily -Monday, September 11, 1989
Richard Eisen
Boris Becker grimaces as he sends a forehand return back towards Ivan
Lendl in yesterday's U.S. Open final. The victory was Becker's fourth
straight over Lendl and evened their career series at nine wins apiece.
Becker wins U.S. Open
in four sets over Lendl
NEW YORK (AP) -Wimbledon
whiz Boris Becker won his first U.S.
Open on Sunday, staking his claim
to the world's No.' 1 ranking by
beating top-seeded Ivan Lendl 7-6, 1-
6, 6-3, 7-6.
In blistering head that had Becker
frequently icing his legs and eating
fruit during breaks, the second seed
from West Germany took his fourth
Grand Slam title. He won his third
Wimbledon crown in July.
That double success won't be
enough to lift him past Lend in the
computer rankings. But Becker's
strong serve and improved court
command were enough to outlast the
three-time Open champion in the 3
hour, 51 minute battle in
temperatures that reached 110 degrees
on the court.
For Lendl, it was a second
straight long and disappointing Open
final. After winning three straight
titles form 1985-87, Lendl lost in
five sets to Mats Wilander last year,
surrendering the top ranking that he
soon recaptured.
Becker, 21, now has won four
consecutive meetings with the 29
Cardinals top
Lions, Sanders
PONTIAC (AP) - Al Del
Greco's 33-yard field goal with 13
seconds left upstaged the impressive
debut of Heisman Trophy winner
Barry Sanders as the Phoenix
*'Cardinals beat the Detroit Lions 16-
13 in an NFL opener Sunday.
Sanders, the All-American from
Oklahoma State who held out until
Thursday because of a salary dispute,
entered the game with 5:34 remain-
ing in the third quarter and the Lions
began a surge that gave them a 10-6
lead.
He then ran for successive gains-
of 18, 3, 5, and 3 yards, breaking a
0 tackle at the two as he sliced into the
end zone with 3:01 remaining.
Sanders, who also had a 26-yard
run in the fourth quarter, finished
with 71 yards on nine carries.
Del Greco's winning field goal
was his third of the game. He hit
from 29 and 23 yards in the second
quarter.
Phoenix quarterback Gary Hoge-
boom, who played college ball at
Central Michigan, completed 21 of
35 passes for 264 yards, including a
15-yard strike to Roy Green for the
Cardinals' only touchdown. J.T.
Smith caught ten of Hogeboom's
tosses for 121 yards.
Lions' quarterback Bob Gagliano,
directing a run-and-shoot offense,
completed only 7 of 20 passes for
116 yards. Detroit gained 258 yards
S total offense.
(Women's Varsity
Softball Tryouts)
September 14 and 15
at
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Contact: Carol Hutchins
747-1269
As a campus representative
you'll be responsible for placing
advertising materials on bulletin
boards and working on
marketing programs for clients
0 such as American Express.
year old Lendl. They arc 7-7
lifetime.
Becker's win gave west Germany
a sweep of the singles
championships at Wimbledon the
Open. Steffi Graf also won both.
It was Becker's first Grand Slam
final anywhere but Wimbledon. His
best previous showing at Flushing
Meadow was reaching the semifinals
in 1986.
Lendl tied an Open record with
his eighth consecutive final,
something Bill Tilden did form
1918-25. The Czech, who now lives
in Greenwich, Conn., less than an
hour from the National Tennis
Center, lost to Jimmy Connors
twice, John McEnroe once and
Wilander in previous Open finals.
Becker won $300,000 while
Lendl earned $150,000.
After the first-set tiebreaker, won
7-2 by Becker after moving ahead 5-
0, Lendl easily tookhe second set.
But Becker got a decisive break in
the eighth game of the third set -
just after Lendl had broken him -
to take a two sets to one lead.
Becker was up a break in the
fourth set, but couldn't hold serve in
the eighth game. They went to
another tiebreaker, which Becker
won on a service winner,'7-4, after
losing the first two points.
As he did at Wimbledon, Becker
threw his racket in the stands after
winning the final point.
Like some old, cataract ridden dog that can't hold its gas, the American
League East is finally coming to a merciful end.
Throughout the entire year, the AL Deceased has lumbered around the
country's ballparks with its mediocre brand of baseball. And, thankfully, it
will all be over soon.
From top to bottom, the division has little talent and no pitching. What
was once a division of titans has now been reduced to a laughing stock. And
that's a shame.
Fans can all remember when this division was baseball's best. No doubt
about it, too. In 1980, the New York Yankees won the division with 103
wins. The Baltimore Orioles finished in second with 100. Year after year,
the fourth place team would be good enough to win the American League
West.
It seemed to be the norm. George Steinbrenner was a mental midget. The
sun rose in the East. And the East was better than the West.
Now, Steinbrenner is still a mental midget but the pitiful Baltimore
Orioles are the ambassadors of the AL East. Just the fact that the Charm
City Clown Princes of Baseball might go from the worst team in the world
last season to winning the division is proof of the East's mediocrity.
Look at the cold, bare statistics. The Oakland Athletics have more
pitchers (4) with 15 or more wins than the entire Eastern division (3.) When
you include the rest of the Western division, the East loses the 15-plus wins
race by six pitchers, 9-3.
And those New York Yankees lead the charge. When you think of the
Yankees pitching staff, you think off that old, cataract ridden dog. In fact, a
rancid smell would come to my mind.
Once upon a time, hurlers like Whitey Ford and Allie Reynolds graced
Yankee Stadium. Now, Steinbrenner parades these players on the Diamond
Vision screen after every inning messed up by current Yankee pitchers.
Gotta wonder how long George can hide behind tradition.
Close ahead in pitching, but further behind in the standings are the
incredibly pathetic Tigers. Only two years ago, Tigers fans boasted that their
team had the best pitching staff in the division. Now, they have is the
Adam Benson
Hedging My Bets
A 1975 George Brett rookie baseball card is worth $60.00. I've heard it
said that the card may become the most valuable card of the 1970s.
Baseball cards have become big business. Independent entrepreneurs
venture into these sports memorabilia stores to make a living off of trading
baseball cards. Baseball card exhibits at shopping malls and in hotel lobbies
appear more and more frequently. People want them, maybe more so than
ever before.
I'm sure many collectors would want my Brett card in their set, but
dollars can't estimate the value of that card.
Baseball cards once represented childhood. They served as an opportunity
for younger people to take a piece of the game home with them.
Wherever your home may be.
In New York, one may find a Don Mattingly card underneath that thin
stick of plastic-like bubble gum. I'm sure that a Mattingly would be the
prize of any Yankee fan's collection, something to show to the entire block.
In Chicago, a kid may have to give up two Andre Dawsons if they want
to get a Jerome Walton. Dawson was great, but Walton is an up-and-coming
player. It could be a bargain to get a Walton rookie card now, even if a
Dawson card is a sure thing.
In Los Angeles, Dodger and Angel fans could exchange Orel Hershiser for
The division of Kingpins
finds itself in the gutter
best staff of warm bodies.
And their hitting. Tiger management should set off fireworks every time
a Tiger hits the ball out of the infield.
Moving up the ladder in AL Least - and we don't have to move very far
- come the Cleveland Indians. In the off-season, Cleveland traded Julio
Franco (.309, 13 HRs, 90 RBIs) for Pete O'Brien (.265, 12 HRs, 53 RBIs)
and Oddibe McDowell (talentless loser). That trade smells worse than the
Yankee pitching staff.
Next we find the Milwaukee Brewers, who should be winning the
division. After muddling around the .500 mark for the entire season, the
Brew Crew finally got its act together and won eight straight games. Then,
inexplicably, the wheels fell off the wagon. With Teddy Higuera, Chris
Bosio, Dan Plesac and Robin Yount, there's no reason for the Brewers to
lose this lame division.
And then there's Boston. This team hits the cover off the ball.
Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, the opposition does the same. The Sox put
Wes Gardner out on the mound every fifth game. 'Nuf said.
Ah, Baltimore. Who's sick and tired of hearing about how great the
Orioles are from B-City fans? This horrible division masks the huge Oriole
weaknesses. Like hitting (.252 team BA). And pitching (4.04 team ERA).
With this record last year, the Orioles would be in the middle of the pack.
And then we wouldn't be hearing a thing from Oriole fans - except
griping.
The Toronto Blue Jays are on top of the division and deserve to be there.
With Fred "The House" McGriff hitting dingers like crazy and Jimmy Key
pitching well down the stretch (3-0, 1.77 ERA in his last three starts), the
Blue Jays should rightfully win the division.
But in this possesed division, there's no telling what will occur. Maybe
the sun will set in the East.
Actually, this year, I can't wait for that to happen.
Richard Eisen will be the featured columnist every Monday in Sport
Monday, which begins a week from today.
Baseball cards lost in
,
.r
the world of big business
Jim Abbott by the pool side.
Those days are long gone, drifting almost as far away as a Mickey
Mantle home run.
The value of a card is no longer measured by the pleasure it provides, but
by dollars and cents.
Before you accuse me of listening to too many Don Henley songs,
consider what we are talking about. This is baseball. This is the game that
inspired movies like Field of Dreams and The Natural. Kirk Gibson and
Carlton Fisk gave fans coronaries after creating some of their own drama,
making moments people will remember forever. Kevin Mitchell left street
gangs and turned his life around so he could play this game. Dave Dravecky
fought to save his and pitch in the major leagues.
These are the reasons to buy baseball cards. To get a little closer to the
magic that baseball has.
The object was never to swing a profit. I never wanted to know someone
who looked upon baseball cards as if they were stocks and bonds. It was
buying a memory. Baseball cards evoke images of a past spent as a
worshiper of baseball.
Or at least they used to. Baseball cards seemingly have another purpose
now than simply being snapshots of our heroes.
But maybe this reflects a new trend in a changing game. Ethical and legal
disputes taint the image of America's pastime, pulling away the headlines
from the performances.
For every dramatic home run, there seems to be a drug scam. Even so,
drama doesn't bring as much lasting glory as it used to anyway, but it could
earn you a big contract. And if you make it that far, maybe you can gamble
it away.
The fans have learned to follow the lead of the players and the owners.
Home runs, stolen bases, and earned run average translate in dollar signs.
As for George Brett, isn't is sad to think that people might forget the
pine tar incident, or how his hemorrhoids made the front pages of
newspapers during the 1980 World Series, or the home run he hit to put
away the Yankees in 1980 American League playoffs, but they will
remember what the card is worth?
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