The Online Source for St. Louis Sports
ISSUE #90
Copyright © 1996 St. Louis Sports Online
Reproduction Prohibited Without Permission of Publisher [StLSports@aol.com]
Edited by Mark Bausch
St. Louis Sports Online is an online sports weekly that aims to provide
St. Louisans (and transplanted St. Louisans) with an additional source of
news, information, and humor about St. Louis-area sports events and St.
Louis-area sports teams.
Contributors to #90 include Randy Karraker, Jim Hunstein, Randy Hu, Dan
McLaughlin and Brian Stull.
Included in this issue are Q and A's with Brian Jordan and Tom Pagnozzi
(contributed by Brian Stull and Dan McLaughlin, respectively), as well as
some news about recent Washington University football and volleyball games
(Jim Hunstein). Add to that Hunstein's Dan Dierdorf story...which captures
the essence of #72's big day at the Dome.
As usual, Hunstein's informative Cardinals and Rams summaries are also part
of StLSO #90, which may very well be our best issue yet...and we're only
going to get better.
Stay tuned for further details.
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St. Louis Sports Online SEPTEMBER.96.4 CONTENTS
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Cardinals News by JIM HUNSTEIN
2.2 Blues News
2.3 Rams Post-Game Quotes (9.22.96) contributed by JIM HUNSTEIN
2.4 StLSO Quote of the Week contributed by JIM HUNSTEIN
2.5 StLSO Headline of the Week
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 The Name Has A Ring To It by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.2 Washington University Volleyball by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.3 A Switch at QB by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.4 Tom Pagnozzi Q and A by DAN McLAUGHLIN
3.5 Fools Ball by RANDY HU
3.6 Brian Jordan Q & A by BRIAN STULL
4.0 StLSO Recaps by JIM HUNSTEIN
4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries
4.2 Rams vs. Redskins Game Review
4.3 Washington U Football Remains Undefeated
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Cardinals Statistics (through 9.23.96)
5.2 MLB Standings (through 9.24.96)
6.0 StLSO Media Views
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
8.0 StLSO Editorial: It Seems Obvious, Doesn't It?
St. Louis Sports Online SEPTEMBER.96.4
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
As the Cardinals have finally clinched their first National League Central
title, it is interesting to note how the top three Redbird starters (presumably
Andy Benes, Donovan Osborne and Todd Stottlemyre) match up against possible
NL opponents. At this point, Benes is the equal of any starting pitcher
in baseball...whether it be Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Hideo Nomo or Joey
Hamilton (who has really struggled in the second half). Osborne is capable
of outstanding (such as in Houston, when he shut out the Astros) or awful
(such as against Houston here, the the Cards had to rally from down 5-0).
This is where Atlanta really shines, with either Smoltz or Maddux (who
has been supported with ten runs in his ten losses). Despite having ordinary
full season numbers, the Dodger starters have been outstanding lately...and
you'd have to give the edge to the Dodgers' Ismail Valdez. With the Padres,
Scott Sanders or Andy Ashby would not match up well with Osborne. The ace
in the hole, so to speak, for the Cardinals...is Todd Stottlemyre. He's
super competitive and has playoff experience...and would have to be favored
over Ramon Martinez (who's a bit soft) or Ashby or Sanders. Once again,
the Braves trot out Tom Glavine...who matches up with anybody in the game.
If it comes down to starting pitching, the Cards want to face San Diego
first, the L.A., and finally the Braves.
The St. Louis Rams turned in another woeful performance against Washington.
The offense couldn't get untracked for three and a half quarters...and
once again cost the team the game. Of Steve Walsh's three interceptions,
two were really bad. He had good protection when Ken Harvey picked him
off in the third quarter, and admitted he should have thrown the ball away
with 2:40 to go, when Tom Carter intercepted. The reason Walsh had any
support when he was signed was because he didn't turn the ball over. Now,
in nine and a half quarters, he has five interceptions. When the Rams had
fourth quarter success against Washington, it was with three step drops
and short, quick passes over the middle to Isaac Bruce. Bruce is amazing
in that the opposition knows he's going to get the ball, but he still makes
the catch. By the way, those across the middle quick patterns are the ones
Alexander Wright is best at...the the Rams really miss him.
The Blues are running on Petro-power. That would be free agent acquisition
Robert Petrovicky...who's been one of the best centers in camp. He may
be the Blues best setup man. Peter Zezel has also played better than he
has in years. For as much as I expect the Blues to struggle...if they can
come up with a prolific, 80-90 point center, they'll be just fine. Grant
Fuhr is back to normal...and the defense, with the additions of Trent Yawney
and Mark Bergevin to replace Jay Wells and Charlie Huddy, is upgraded.
The Blues get a good test early, opening October 4 against the Stanley Cup
Champion Avalanche.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Karraker is KMOX radio's principal sports reporter.
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Cardinals News by JIM HUNSTEIN
*Brian Jordan was a last-minute scratch from the line-up for G3 last week
vs. the Cubs after experiencing some tenderness in his wrist after being
hit in G2. This is the second or third time opposing pitchers have tried
to Sosa Jordan, but he's hanging tough. He's available to pinch-hit and
in listed as day-to-day.
*Anyone surfing at home during the exciting end of the first Cards-Cubs
game had a treat if the other channel was WTBS. As the games unfolded, all
was well for Redbird fans. The Braves were also handling the Astros. But
as the games progressed, the Cubs came back with the Ryne Sandberg homer
and the Astros chipped away at the Braves and were threatening the Atlanta
closer, Mark Wohlers. The Astros has men on first and second with one out
in the 9th. At the same time, Mike Gallego was on first and Ozzie Smith
was up to bat. Then the fates quit messing around and took care of business.
Literally at the same moment, as Ozzie was speeding around the bases with
his triple, the Braves were turning a game-ending double play.
*Finally some retribution. After seeing two of his teammates get hit and
have to leave games, Andy Benes took matters into his own hands. After Willie
McGee, playing for the drilled Jordan got hit by the Cubs' Jaime Navarro,
Benes fanned Navarro the next inning but plunked Brian McRae (who, coincidentally
enough, had taken him deep to lead off the game) on the leg. Benes got a
warning from the home plate umpire. Cub manager Jim Riggleman came out to
speak his mind on getting a warning, while both benches received. But then
he and Tom Pagnozzi exchanged words and players slowly converged on home
plate. The resulting mass-shoving match garnered only one ejection, Cub
reliever Ken Bottenfield. McRae was erased in an inning-ending double play
but not before taking a hard slide (harder than usual?...hard to say) at
Ozzie in trying to break it up. Ozzie responded with a lead-off single the
next inning, his second hit of the game. But it was nice to see a Cardinal
pitcher let the opposition know that they can't throw at his teammates without
the same fate for theirs.
*Bucking the trend toward pants to the shoes, Royce Clayton in G2 sported
plus-fours (aka, knickers) with full stirrup socks. But his red socks have
the blue and white stripes worn by the Redbirds of old. But in G3, he was
back to the new style. (Could be that those were the only pair in existence
and they were in the wash.)
*The Cards are now .500 (6-6) in extra innings games. The 13-inning G3 was
the longest (in terms of innings) at Busch since they beat the Cubs (who
else?) 4-3 in 13 innings on August 6, 1995.
*Idiots on parade: Two pinhead fans decided that 13 was their lucky number
and decided to take the field in that inning of G3. One was subdued after
a head first slide in the outfield and the other tried to vault the outfield
wall at the Budweiser sign and just bounced off. Both were hauled away.
*Cards Quotes:
--Brian Jordan (to Ch. 11's Rich Gould) on why he's been so successful with
runners in scoring position: "I relax a little more."
--Steve Peeler (in USA Today), head groundskeeper at Busch, on the condition
of the new grass: "It's on life support. I think the field is terminal."
--Manager Tony La Russa (after the Cubs sweep): "You never disrespect
the game. You never disrespect the competition. What you try to do is crank
numbers off. We had an outstanding series and we got five numbers off our
magic [number]. That means we try to get to four tomorrow night."
--Gary Gaetti on his key sac bunt: "I work on my bunt every day. I
did it the last few years. That's part of the game. To be in the major leagues,
you should be able to bunt and hit-and-run and all that stuff. It paid off
tonight."
--Tom Pagnozzi on facing a drawn-in and augmented infield: "When they
brought everybody in, all I was looking for was a fly ball. I wasn't even
trying to hit it out of the yard. I was just looking for something I could
get in the air."
--Pagnozzi (on his "conversation" with Cubs manager Jim Riggleman
that led to the bench-clearing shove-a-thon): "I hadn't talked with
Jimmy this whole series. He's my former manager. I played AA with him and
2 years of winter ball. We were just kind of wishing each other good luck
the rest of the way. No, to be truthful, maybe the ball did get a little
in on [Brian] McRae. Umpire warns them. Riggleman comes out and says, 'Hey,
you didn't hear us raise a voice that there should be a warning. We don't
get a chance to get even.' I just didn't like his choice of words, 'get
even'. In my opinion, it's still 3-1. We have 3 guys hit and this was their
first."
2.2 Blues News
*Heading into Tuesday's exhibition game vs. the Stanley Cup-champion Avalanche,
the Blues cut a whole gaggle of players, including goalies Travis Scott
and Mike Veiser, forwards Kevin Plager, Andrej Petrakov, Blair Manning,
Allan Sirois, B.J. Johnson, Chris Kenady, Bob Lachance, Stephane Roy, Dimitri
Leonov, Scott Pellerin, Jamal Meyers, Jonathan Zikiwsky, and Alex Vasilevskii...and
defensemen Kevin Rappana, Terry Virtue, Shannon Finn, Sam Nasreddine, David
Williams, Jason Kelly, Nick Naumenko, and Brad Layzell.
*Relatively unknown quantities still training with the Blues, and presumably
given a good chance to make the final cut, include forwards Konstantin Shafranov,
Robert Petrovicky, Harry York, and Jim Campbell and defensemen Jamie Rivers
and Libor Zabransky.
*But only 18 skaters dress for each game...and presumably C&GM Mike
Keenan will choose from the following nine defenseman: six veterans (Al
MacInnis, Murray Baron, Chris Pronger, Igor Kravchuk, Trent Yawney and Mark
Bergevin) and one returning second-year player (Christer Olsson), in addition
to Zabransky and Rivers.
*Up front, Keenan can choose from 15 veterans (along with the aforementioned
newcomers), including:
--center ice candidates Ron Sutter, Adam Creighton, Craig MacTavish, Mike
Hudson, Peter Zezel and Shayne Corson
--wingers Brett Hull, Joe Murphy, Geoff Courtnall, Basil McRae, Steve Leach,
Yuri Khymlev, Stephane Matteau, Tony Twist and Brian Noonan
*The NHL waiver draft is next Monday. An indication of just how good these
Blues players may be gleaned from whether or not other NHL clubs pick up
one or two of them in the draft.
2.3 Rams Post-Game Quotes (9.22.96) contributed
by JIM HUNSTEIN
*Coach Rich Brooks:
--"This game, I felt if we played well enough and did the right things,
we would have the opportunity to win. We got off to a bad start. Field position
was not our friend today. Part of that reason was some of our penalties
and some of our decisions."
--"I think that the turnovers ended up being the difference in the
football game. Our inability to get the touchdown after Dorn's interception
hurt us. And we threw three interceptions that obviously ended up being
the difference in the football game."
--"It's a tough loss and I mentioned and we're just going to roll up
our sleeves. But we did make some progress today in some areas, but I don't
feel very good about any of it when you don't get a victory."
--"I think we ran the ball a little better today. I think that other
than the first half, our pass blocking ended up being pretty good. Then
we broke down a couple times early, but the pass blocking was decent. But
not as good as it needs to be. I think we blocked the front better than
we have this year."
*WR Isaac Bruce: "I think we can look positively at our offense's performance...we
ran the ball better really well and caught the ball better. We just have
to put points on the board as far as scoring touchdowns."
*QB Steve Walsh:
--"We have to be a smarter football team. We have to not have the turnovers,
the negative plays. If we don't make those negative plays, then we have
a good chance of winning. It is something that probably cost us the game."
--(On the negative response from the crowd): "It is not that difficult
to block out for me. For some people it might be harder. In this game, self-confidence
is such an important thing, and I feel I can block those things out. Maybe
it affects me at times when I don't realize it, but you just have to go
out there and try to do your best and do your job. That's all anyone can
ask for."
*LB Robert Jones: "We played good enough to win, but we need to eliminate
the mental mistakes. We beat ourselves with penalties and metal breakdowns."
*DE Leslie O'Neal: "We did not make the plays consistently to win a
ballgame. We need to play a full 60 minutes and we did not do that. We just
need to go out and relax and we'll be OK."
*CB Torin Dorn: "There's not one thing that we can point to that decided
the game. We just started out slow and they got the upper hand on us. And
there wasn't enough time for us to get back in the game. What we have to
do to get ready for next week is basically concentrate in our own backyard.
We have to get ourselves together, not worry about anybody else. If we can
do that, we can come out firing on all cylinders. I think we can be contenders
at the end of the year."
*WR Jermaine Ross:
--"Every player loves scoring, but a loss hurts more than anything.
I would have gladly given up that touchdown if we had won the game."
--"This is a game of opportunities. We had opportunities to make good
plays and win the game. But we didn't get it done."
2.4 StLSO Quote of the Week contributed by JIM HUNSTEIN
*D'Marco Farr on his offsides penalties: "I couldn't tell you what
I was thinking. That's probably the problem...I wasn't."
2.5 StLSO Headlines of the Week
*From the 9.24.96 P-D: "Cardinals Begin Tying A Bow On Title"
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 The Name Has A Ring To It by JIM HUNSTEIN
Former football Cardinal extraordinaire Dan Dierdorf was presented his Hall
of Fame ring at halftime of the Rams-Redskins game. Dierdorf was inducted
into the hallowed halls of Canton, his home town, this past summer. His
induction speech was one of the best ever and evoked many memories for long-time
Big Red fans.
In typical franchise form, the Arizona Cardinals had nothing to do with
Dierdorf's finest moments. "I hadn't been contacted by the Cardinals'
organization," said the All Pro lineman. "Nor did I expect to."
Dierdorf, still a St. Louis resident, was clearly pleased the ceremony was
in his home town. "It'd be silly to get my ring in Tempe," he
said. "I never played in front of those fans. These are the fans in
front of whom I played."
And speaking on behalf of his ex-Cardinal teammates, he said, "I'm
pleased that the Rams are in St. Louis and the same core of fans will be
there [at the games]. We're all delighted that pro football has returned
to St. Louis. It was hard to believe that I was actually living in a town
that didn't have professional football."
"I'm borrowing the fans in the stands for the presentation of my ring,"
he told the media. The presenter was Pete Elliott, the executive director
of the football Hall of Fame.
Rams Coach Rich Brooks told Dierdorf, "It's a treat for us to be part
of this and to provide the vehicle for Dan to receive his ring in front
of his fans." He added, "Hopefully we may get as exciting on offense
as Air Coryell was."
3.2 Washington University Volleyball by JIM HUNSTEIN
The Washington Bears volleyball team, ranked number one in the country among
Division III schools, improved their season record to 13-1 with a five-game
sweep in their own tournament.
The Washington University National Invitational drew seven teams from all
over the midwest for a round-robin event held over the weekend at the WU
Field House. Four of the schools are ranked in the top 13 DIII schools in
the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll: The schools, their records
coming in, and ranking are as follows: Washington (8-1) at #1, St. Olaf
College (Minn.) (10-1) at #4, Ohio Northern University (8-1) at #7, and
Wittenberg University (11-1) at #13.
The Bears finished the two-day event with a perfect 5-0 record and a game
count of 15-4. St. Olaf College was next at 3-1, 11-5. The Oles gave the
Bears the best competition of the weekend, an exciting 5-gamer first thing
Saturday morning that the Bears had to come back to win 12-15, 7-15, 15-4,
15-12, 15-11.
The other teams and their match and game counts: Ohio Northern 3-2, 10-9;
Wittenberg 2-2, 8-7; Central College (Iowa)1-3; 5-9; Kalamazoo College (Mich.)
1-3, 3-10; and College of St. Benedict (Minn.) 0-4, 4-12.
Senior outside hitter Emmy Sjogren, from Rockford, Ill., was named the tournament's
most valuable player. Sophomore middle blocker/hitter Jennifer Martz, from
Ladue, Mo., was named to the all-tournament team.
The only blemish on the Bears' season was a loss to St. Mary's University
in San Antonio, Texas.
Bears' head coach Teri Clemens was not on hand to enjoy the teams victories.
She was resting in the hospital after treatment for an infection related
to asthma treatments. All reports are that she should be up and dancing
in no time. Assistant coach Joe Worlund managed the team in her absence.
The crowd at the Field House was clearly partisan. It was made of equal
parts WU students, parents of players, and kids (and their parents) who
took part in Clemens summer volleyball camp. One of the Bear wannabes brought
"Go Bears" signs that the team seemed to genuinely appreciate.
The young fan then donated her signs to the team.
The reason for so many campers at the match? Simple. An excellent PR move
by the coach and the university. Clemens sent out a letter to all the campers
the week before the match inviting them to come watch and visit with the
team members afterwards. All the coaches who run summer programs (at which
the team players are often coaches) send out similar letters and this has
created a solid following among the young athletes in the community. When
the aspiring volleyballers came this past weekend, they are greeted by name
with hugs from the team.
One other reason for the big home crowd might be unusual scheduling. The
Bears have only one other home tournament, the Washington University Classis
on October 18-19, and one home match against College of St. Francis (from
Joliet, Ill.) on November 9 before the NCAA DIII regionals the next weekend.
Due to the support from the area, these playoffs are usually held in St.
Louis, but there are no guarantees. Last year's preliminary rounds were
played at WU, but the finals were held in a Wisconsin high school gym.
3.3 A Switch at QB by JIM HUNSTEIN
On Sunday, Steve Walsh was sacked once by the Redskins and lost only four
yards. Then on Monday, he was sacked by the Rams and lost his starting job.
Coach Rich Brooks announced that rookie Tony Banks would be the Rams' starting
quarterback from here on. Jamie Martin was promoted to second string and
Walsh was dropped to third string, which means he will be inactive during
games and will be carrying the clipboard.
Brooks made the decision based on Walsh's disappointing play in Sundays
17-10 loss to Washington. The final straw was the fourth quarter interception,
a very ill-advised pass in a situation that did not warrant a forced ball.
But all through the game, Walsh was over- or under-throwing receivers. He
finally managed to get WR Isaac Bruce into the offensive plan, but only
in the last period.
Last week, Brooks gave Walsh a vote of confidence by announcing that the
veteran would be the starter no matter what. That changed when Walsh started
to make bad decisions on the field. Brooks inasmuch said that if he were
going to put up with rookie mistakes, he might as well have a rookie in
there.
Having Banks at quarterback will mean several things for the Bighorns. For
one thing, the offense will open up a little. With Banks's arm strength,
the opposing defenders will have to stay back more than they were with Walsh
passing. That should give the receivers more deep and underneath patterns
to work with.
But it also means, at least for a while, a simpler offense since Banks does
not have the experience running the offense. He also does not read defenses
as well, so look for more mistakes, at least for a while.
The offensive line was blamed for a lot of the problems in the first couple
of games, and indeed they seemed rather porous. But they allowed only one
sack in the last game. They were pass and run blocking much better. Think
how much better they'll protect a guy they like. Not that they don't like
Walsh, but after he went down with what looked like a twisted ankle after
the first interception, no one helped him up or even checked on him.
With Banks back there, the o-line might not feel like they have to be perfect
for the play to work. While he might not have the field vision and reading
capabilities of a veteran, Banks's athletic ability and agility will help
him evade trouble (read: huge defensive linemen wishing very much to put
a hurt on him) and still make the play. And while he's scrambling, the receivers
can keep on running their deep routes and know that aren't out of range.
How long will Brooks stay with Banks? This doesn't seem like a one-week
permanent change deal. Banks will be given a lot more leeway in his margin
of errors in order to gain some experience. It's that experience that the
Rams are counting on from their quarterback of the future.
And for Tony Banks, the future is now.
3.4 Tom Pagnozzi Q and A by Dan McLAUGHLIN
On September, 21, the Cards were scheduled to play a day game at Cincinnati,
it was rained out. I had a chance to catch up with Cardinal catcher Tom
Pagnozzi on the phone that afternoon in his hotel room and talk about the
pennant drive and how 1987 (his rookie year) has helped him this season.
Also, Tom gives some great insight into Tony La Russa, the pitching staff,
and a number of issues concerning Cardinal baseball.
Q: How much did your experience in 1987 help you this season?
A: "I think that anytime you've gone through pennant races before
you're going to gain some experience. 1987 was a long time ago but, you
learn and draw from it. You learn what to expect as far as the media rush
and, now, I know how to handle that a little bit better than what happened
in '87. For me, it was my rookie year and I also was the designated hitter
in the world series and there was a lot of focus on me because Jack Clark
was hurt and Terry Pendleton was too, so a lot of interviews were put on
my shoulders. This time I'm a little bit better prepared."
Q: Does this pennant drive feel the same as 1987?
A: "I don't think anything will feel the same to me as '87 because
I was a rookie that year and for your first time to go to a playoff or a
world series as a rookie you're in awe. Anytime the first for anything
you'll always remember it. I would love to get back this year in a more
important role."
Q: Are you surprised by the lack of attendance at Busch Stadium as compared
to 1987?
A: "I think because we didn't really turn it on until a little bit
later in the season the fans were not coming out. In 1987, we got out of
the gate quickly. I think we had a nine game lead right before the break
and it kind of winded down and we went into New York the first of September
with just a one game lead--that was real tight. It would be nice to have
it sold out every night but, it's not. I think the crowds have been ok
for this time of year..kids are in school so that makes a difference."
Q: Compare the way the pitching staff has been handled this year as opposed
to the past few....
A: "I think the big difference is that we have some go-to guys. Donovan
Osborne is mature, Todd Stottlemyre has been through the ropes, Andy Benes
the same, and then you add the young guys like Alan Benes and Mark Petkovsek,
and a couple of bullpen role player guys.....I think after '87 guys starting
getting hurt--Danny Cox, John Tudor, Greg Matthews, Joe Magrane, we never
really had our full pitching staff at full strength. It's unfair to compare
those staffs with now because of the injuries."
Q: What's been the biggest difference in Andy Benes from when he was 1
and 7 to now?
A: "I started catching him when he was 1 and 5 and I still believed
he wasn't throwing inside enough and he wasn't using his curveball. We
sat down and talked a number of times and said that you can't be a two-pitch
pitcher and pitch on one side of the plate...meaning the outside. Either
it was me meshing with Andy, or Dave Duncan, the combination of all three
of us, but, I think that really helped him. He still went out and executed
our thinking and he has done a heck of a job at that. To see when he was
1 and 7, to say that he is going to be 17 and 9, I would have loved to been
able to bet the house on that one."
Q: Is Andy Benes the MVP of the team?
A; "I think he's the MVP of the pitching staff....I think we have
a lot of MVP's on this team. What Brian Jordan has done, Ray Lankford,
Ron Gant, and I think who's done a quiet job and hasn't been given enough
credit is Gary Gaetti, they all have contributed in big ways."
Q: Tony La Russa.....his style of managing....
A: "I think he is the type of manager that gets the most out of each
player because he's constantly challenging, talking, throwing things at
you to make you a better player and to prepare yourself better. I know
it's helped me as far as having meetings and talking about hitters and I
think that's a huge plus."
Q: Do you expect to be back next season?
A: "I'm not going to worry about being a free-agent at the end of
this season. We're just going to play the year out and see what happens.
I'll be honest....no I don't want to leave St. Louis but, in this business,
sometimes you have to....It would be an unfortunate situation if I leave
but, I'm having to much fun right now and sit there and give somebody a
definite answer."
At the time of this article, Pags was hitting .272 with 13 homers (career
high), and 54 RBI's ( 3 away from matching career high).
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dan McLaughlin is WIBV's primary sports reporter, and is
a regular host of 'IBV's 6-8 pm weeknight sports shows.
3.5 Fools Ball by RANDY HU
St. Louis, we have a problem. The rudderless Rams are so lost in space
right now that even Shannon Lucid couldn't locate them. Doppler radar has
a 6-10 record on the forecast this year.
Can words adequately describe the team to this point? Comatose. Snooze
city. Vanilla. Well, not exactly--vanilla actually has more flavor. It
officially looks like the honeymoon ended before it was even consummated.
The Rams, again, were hopelessly inept on offense in their 17-10 loss to
the visiting Washington Redskins last Sunday. Magnifying this display of
incompetence was that including a bye in the second week, the Rams had two
full weeks to heal and prepare for this contest. If not for the gift-wrapped
opening day present by the equally bumbling Cincinnati Bengals, the Rams
would be winless in three tries this season. In fact, dating back to last
season, our woolly friends have only three wins in their last thirteen Sundays.
Compare that to division running mates, the undefeated Carolina Panthers,
a second-year expansion team that is wearing Cinderella's high heel this
year.
The problem at Rams Park starts at the top. A figurehead chairperson who
knows little about football. A club president who is as visible as Howard
Hughes. A risky GM who has signed some impact players, who have basically
been impactless. A coach who started fast, but now is watching poor judgment
and a lack of execution bury his team. A quarterback with a severe case
of neck strain from constantly looking over his shoulder and a reputation
for not making errors, proving otherwise. I'd like to see Ross Perot fix
this mess.
Vagabond owner Georgia Frontiere snickers all the way to the bank as her
staff and troops quietly file past her following games. Hostile fans are
becoming increasingly vociferous in their impatience. No shows are up and
television ratings are down. Scouring the classified ads and gameday sidewalks,
there are plenty of tickets for sale. Even once-precious PSLs (Prematurely
Secured Licenses) are up for grabs. Tailgaters are arriving later and leaving
earlier. When the cold weather sets in, they'll be non-existent, among
a half-empty stadium. Even the diehard football fanatics are PO'ed that
the defense carries the offense game after game.
The team is currently enveloped in their own admiration of themselves.
New city, new coach , new fans, new stadium and practice facility. Same
old sorry Rams. The penalties and turnovers are of catastrophic proportions.
The identical formula that the Rams inflicted on their opponents early
last season, is now working against them. What's happened since then?
A complete breakdown of fundamentals, discipline, creativity, and enthusiasm.
The locker room resembles a Kutis commercial, except when they cash their
$60,000 weekly paychecks.
Newly demoted QB Steve Walsh had turned the Trans World Dome into a no-fly
zone as he did not attempt a single deep pass. Star receiver Isaac Bruce
stays in shape by continuously running meaningless wind sprints up and down
the sidelines. After the game, Walsh was his usual smartass self with the
media, knowing that the people's choice in exile, Mark Rypien, is content
to be the football equivalent of former Cardinal pitcher Tom Henke. Rypien's
contract negotiations have turned out to be the second biggest labor standoff
in St. Louis this year.
The answers aren't easy. Turning around mistakes and attitudes on the field
are difficult when you're dealing with physical giants, not mental giants.
Playing as a team and not as a group of individuals is a start. New starting
QB Tony Banks needs to demonstrate the natural abilities and leadership
qualities he showed at Michigan State. He is above average in arm strength
and mobility in the pocket. Opponents will continually change formations
to confuse him and blitz him as if their lives depend on it.
Obviously, the key is the status of the players up front. The offensive
line has been juggled around more than a Mike Keenan checking line and needs
time to develop. Rookie back Lawrence Phillips has seen more daylight in
his closet. Similarly, Ram QBs have spent more time on their backs than
a Washington Avenue hooker. Incorporating tight end Troy Drayton and fullback
Derek Harris into the offensive game plan more can keep a predictable offense
unpredictable and keep defenses off balance, if they key on Bruce and Phillips.
Head coach Rich Brooks and the rest of the coaching staff needs to program
in a consistent gameday frame of mind and hope that it translates from the
practice field to the football field. Be there or be fired.
For the Rams, if you can't pay the price, don't roll the dice.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Hu is the sports columnist for The Riverfront Times.
3.6 Brian Jordan Q & A by BRIAN STULL
Through Thursday night's game against the Chicago Cubs, Brian Jordan was
batting .310 and leading the Cardinals with 99 RBI's. More impressively,
Jordan was batting .415 with runners in scoring position. In Wednesday night's
game, Jordan was struck on the wrist by Cubs pitcher Steve Trachsel. Cardinal
manager Tony La Russa argued to umpires that it was deliberate, a feeling
echoed by Jordan and several teammates.
Thursday afternoon, Brian received treatment for the wrist and x-rays proved
to be negative. Prior to the game and the results of the x-rays, I sat down
with the Cardinal outfielder to discuss just not the last night's results,
but the season in general.........
Q: I guess first of all, Brian, after last night everybody's wondering
how's the hand feeling?
A: Right now it's real sore, you know I'm hoping I didn't fracture my wrist.
Right now I'm waiting for results when Dr.London comes in and I just hope
for good news. It'd be a shame if I fractured my wrist and we had a chance
for the playoffs, I'd hate to hear that. But, I'm hoping for the best, so
we'll see what happens.
Q: It's especially bittersweet the way the game ended for you last night,
you win the second game against the Cubs in a big series and in the first
game, you had a big home run that really turned the momentum of the game
around.
A: Well, it was a great feeling to come through for the team with that
home run and give Donovan Osborne the win there [Brian smiles while raising
his voice for that part as Osborne walks by and gives a thumbs up]. He deserved
it, he's been pitching great all year. But it was a great feeling, one of
those feelings of a pennant race really, to come through like that. I just
hope that it'll be in the World Series next time.
Q: Some of the veterans on this team have said this pennant race is more
of exciting rather than fun because they've been through it before. When
you came out for your standing "o" to tip the crowd, you put that
fist up in the air, we've seen that from you a lot, are you having more
fun or is it more exciting? What's it like for Brian Jordan in a pennant
race?
A: Well, it's a lot of fun. It's definitely exciting because it's the first
time I've ever felt this way and ever been in a situation like this. My
past four years here with the Cardinals we've always been losers and you
really have nothing to fight for, but now we have a chance to fight for
a pennant and it's fun. You know, it's exciting, the fans are having fun
and that's what baseball's all about.
Q: Do you look back on those four years? Because that was my "rookie"
year as well and I remember being over there at your locker and talking
about how you wanted to bring a "winning attitude", turn things
around and that's happened.
A: It has, and I give all the credit to the new owners. They took over
the ball club and wanted a winner here and they went out and got Tony La
Russa and went out and got a lot of veteran players. We went from a young
team on the way up to a now more experienced team ready to win a championship.
I attribute that to the owners because they want to win. And they're always
around the ballplayers and I like that, I enjoy that, as long as we have
owners like that we're going to win a lot of ball games.
Q: How do those veterans help on an everyday basis? Do they have a calming
effect or just a down to business approach? What are some of the things
they help with on a daily basis?
A: It's a down to business effect, also a fun effect. They want us to relax
and have fun. They've been through it, they've been there and basically
they instill in us to have fun. To go out there and be focused and know
what you have to do, do something positive every day and you'll be successful,
we'll be successful as a team. That's what veteran experience is all about.
Q: I know one veteran you've grown especially close to over the past four
years is a guy who you now have taken over his old locker space and he's
going to be leaving, of course I'm talking about Ozzie. What sort of effect
has he had on you, I've heard you describe him as a "big brother"?
A: Yeah, Ozzie is like a big brother to me. When I came up he was always
there to teach me. I just learned so much from him, on the field and off
the field-- it's not all about baseball, it's about life. I sat down and
talked to Ozzie all the time about life, about baseball, and he's just
taught me alot. I feel like I'm rolling right into his shoes. He's a gentleman,
he's a businessman, and he's a real intelligent man and I just admire him
and I hate to see him go, really.
Q: Have you been able to take anybody "under your wing" now that
you have a few years under your belt and there's more rookies on the team?
A: Well, you know, I love John Mabry. He's one of those guys that works
hard everyday. He reminds me of myself, he has a very intense attitude-
he's all about business. He wants to win, he wants to be successful and
he's always striving to get better and I like that in a player. And he's
got a great personality, so, that's my favorite and I'm quite sure there's
gonna be some more younger guys that I try to take under my wing.
Q: Especially since it's, I guess the "leadership corner" over
there, with the double locker now. Is that an unofficial captain's spot
on the team?
A: I wouldn't call it that, but it's a good place to be in between Ozzie
and Willie McGee. There's nothing but knowledge around me and I love that,
we just talk baseball all the time.
Q: Do you think maybe you've been able to loosen them up a bit, too. We've
seen them doing TV commercials now...
A: Oh, I've definitely loosened Willie up. This guy has been a great player,
but a very calm, quiet player and all about business. But, being around
me long enough, he's having fun now. He's speaking up a little more and
if you look at it, that's not Willie McGee. But he's having a great time
and I enjoy him, hope he comes back next year and be with me another year.
Q: Another guy we're thinking will be next year, is George Hendrick, and
I know he's had a big influence on you this season.
A: I told George he better come back next year. If he goes somewhere else,
I'm gonna chase him down and get him! He's been, I guess an inspiration.
He's been the guy who really keeps me going, all through my struggles he
was always there for me and we always talk baseball, we always talk about
life and he's always kept me positive. Through the hard times and getting
used to Tony LaRussa, he was always there for me. He's...I guess, a player's
type coach shall I say. He knows what a player goes through, yet as a coach
he knows how to bring the best out of you. I work with him every day and
I have alot of fun with him and he's one of those coaches you hope you always
have throughout your career.
Q: You brought up "getting used to" Tony La Russa. You've had
a couple of meetings with him. Are you guys in a situation now where you
feel comfortable if you're upset about something, you can go in and he'll
listen to you and you can talk and come out and feel good about what decision
has been made?
A: Oh yeah. We have that type of relationship now, we've grown. I guess
we're so similar, that at first, we were almost knocking heads. But we both
understand each other now and it's a fun relationship. He can come talk
to me and I can go talk to him anytime something's on our mind. It's a good
relationship, we're having fun now and hopefully we'll have a lot of fun
in the future.
Q: I imagine all this winning makes it alot easier to forget about all
those football days, when before everyone was bringing them up during the
down times. And now you're saying 'hey, look I'm doing what I set out to
do' and the team is looking at post-season.
A: Well, yeah. Football is behind me, I miss the sport-- I'm not going
to deny that, but I'm having fun in baseball. The one thing when I gave
up football was I proved myself on the football field and wanted to prove
myself on the baseball diamond. Right now I'm having fun and I'm proving
myself, we're winning and you put that together and you're gonna have fun.
Q: Final thought, I don't know if it's the grass or what, but the way you
guys have been diving around there's a potential for four or five gold glovers
on the team this year.
A: That's one thing I strive for, whatever numbers I put up the most important
thing for me is, my goal is to try and win a gold glove. I really hope it
comes this year, I thought it would've come last year with just one error
in two years, but unfortunately it didn't and hopefully now that I'm on
a contending team they'll look at that and I'll win a gold glove. That's
one thing I strive for, my defense, because it helps your pitchers out,
it wins ballgames and it's fun--I love to play defense.
Q: Well, Brian we hope the wrist is okay and good luck the rest of the
season. Hopefully you'll be going through October this year.
A: Thank you, I appreciate it.
4.0 StLSO Recaps
4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries by JIM HUNSTEIN
4.1.1 Cardinals vs. Cubs (September 17 - 19)
IN THE ARCHIVES: People around the country might have been watching PBS's
"The West", but all eyes in St. Louis have been on The Central,
as in, the division the Cardinals have been owning. It took a 13-inning
G3 to secure the 3-game sweep of the Cubs to boost their lead in the division
to 5 games and reduce their magic number to 5.
ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: 5-3 Cards (4-run 8th inning); G2: 5-3 Cards (Royce
Clayton and Ron Gant both homer); G3: 5-4 Cards (Tom Pagnozzi drives in
Miguel Mejia in the 13th)
GOING IN: 80-70, in first place, 2 1/2 games over the Astros
COMING OUT: 83-70, 5 games over the Astros, who managed to get swept by
the Braves, 8 games over the Cubs, and 8 1/2 over the Reds
AT THE PLATE: What do you do when you're up at bat and you face a 5-man
infield? If you're Tom Pagnozzi and there's a runner on third in the 13th
inning, you line a single to left to win the game and sweep the series.
The Cubs had positioned centerfielder Brain McRae almost on the second base
bag in hopes of fielding a grounder for a play at the plate. The problem
was that in 5 previous trips to the plate, Pags had walked once (in the
11th) and had flied out to right four times. So much for being due for a
grounder. The shortstop/leadoff position slot was huge this series with
a combined 7-for-14 from the 6-in-the-1 spot. Ozzie Smith (starter in G1
and G3) was 5-for-9 with a triple and 2 doubles and Royce Clayton (G2) was
2-for-5 with a homer (#6) and stolen base (#29). Ozzie also drew a leadoff
walk in the 10th of G3 representing the winning run. But he was erased (despite
running on the pitch) on a 4-6-3 double play. Ron Gant continued to show
why he's worth the dough going 4-for-10 with a homer (#29) in G2. Ray Lankford
struggled with 4 whiffs in G1 and G2 but then had 2 walks and scored twice
in G3 before grounding into a double play and striking out looking (on a
borderline pitch) in the extra innings. Brian Jordan was having some fun
at the Cubs expense until they tried to do a number on him. (They also hit
his replacement in G3, Willie McGee to load the bases, but sending him out
of the game.) Jordan was 3-for-6 in the series with 2 runs and 2 RBI and
a crushing 2-run homer (#16) to sew up G1 before getting hit on the wrist
in G2. And once again, the pitchers were hot; all three starters had a hit
in their respective games. Gary Gaetti only had two hits in the series but
the second was big; a bases-loaded double off the wall to plate three in
the first inning after the Cubs got one run with a lead-off homer.
FROM THE BENCH: Hanging tough. The pinch-hitters were 2-for-6 including
a single by McGee in G2. September call-up Terry Bradshaw lined out in the
7th of G3 and is now 3-for-7 as a pinch-hitter. Clayton flied out to end
the 9th and send the game to extra innings. The second hit was a Texas Leaguer
(or, more appropriately, an American Associationer by Dmitri Young with
2 out and Gant on first in the 10th but both were stranded. Mike Gallego
flied out to deep center to end the 11th. Miguel Mejia came in to run for
Mabry after he doubled to open the bottom of the 13th. He moved to third
on Gaetti's sacrifice bunt. He scored the winning run on the Pagnozzi single.
ON THE BASEPATHS: Jordan added to his heroics with his 19th stolen base
in G1 as he closes in on a 20/20 season. Smith was caught stealing in G1
on the back end of a K-CS DP. Speaking of caught stealing, Donovan Osborne
was out by a country mile trying to swipe second in G1.
ON THE MOUND: More nice work by a rotation seeming to be bearing down for
the pennant race. Three games started, but only two games won though. His
baserunning aside, Donovan Osborne set a new personal best with his 13th
win of the season in G1. He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits in 8 innings before
being pulled after he gave up the tie-breaking 2-run homer to Ryne Sandberg.
Todd Stottlemyre was even better in G2, giving up 2 runs on only 4 hits
while fanning 7. He's now tied with Osborne and Alan Benes with 13 Ws. Andy
Benes was greeted rudely in G3 with a lead-off homer by Brain McRae on the
second pitch of the game. Could that have been why Benes elected to hit
McRae instead of the offending pitcher? He came out after going 7 innings,
giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and had to watch as the bullpen blew
his chance for #18. But even into the 13th inning, he remained not only
in the dugout, but on the top step cheering.
FROM THE BULLPEN: The relievers showed a vast improvement on the imposters
who took their places in LA. They weren't perfect, but close. Manager Tony
La Russa was masterful in managing the pen, particularly in G1. He brought
in Dennis Eckersley to start the 9th. After an out and a hit, Rick Honeycutt
came in to get the second out. And then TJ Mathews earned his 5th save by
recording the third out on 2 pitches. Eckersley got his 29th save of the
year despite giving up a solo home run in G2. But the magic wore off in
G3: Mark Petkovsek and Tony Fossas were supposed to set up G3 for Mathews,
but he blew the save and got shelled for a single, a fielder's choice, a
double, and almost wild pitched on two intentional passes, and allowed the
tying run to score before getting the third out. Maybe a young closer-wannabe
needs experience, but at this point in the season? Eckersley came in to
pitch the 10th and promptly gave up a double to Mark Grace. A whiff and
a single with a bad throw put men on second and third. But a nice 7-2 double
play got him out of the jam. Rich Batchelor came to pitch the 11th and he
retired the side. So then Cory Bailey came in for the 12th (thank God for
expanded rosters) and walked the leadoff man with no damage done. He did
the same thing in the 13th and took the win, his 4th of the year.
IN THE FIELD: John Mabry had the big E of the series in G3. He overthrew
third base by a good (or bad, depending on your point of view) 5 feet, allowing
a run to score bringing the Cubs within one at 4-3. Gant's arm may be bothering
him a little; he missed the cutoff man in the 10th of G3. He held the runner
on third but allowed the batter to take second. Gant made up for it, though,
nailing the runner at the plate as he tried to tag on the fly out, a nifty
7-2 double play. Well, maybe not that nifty. Pagnozzi had to use every inch
of his vertical jump to save the throw and make the tag at the plate. Jordan
equally overthrew home (not to mention the pitcher backing up the play)
to allow a run to score in G1. The fans in G3 got what they came to see.
Ozzie turned the pivot on a couple of tough 4-6-3 double plays with the
runners coming in hard. But he dropped the ball on a rather routine double
play in the 12th of G3 though he recorded the force out. They also got to
see him nail a runner at the plate (and Tom Pagnozzi deliver a tough tag)
in G1 when the game was still tied. An even bigger play by Pags was when
he threw out Sandberg trying to steal with 2 outs in the 13th of G3.
CATCH-ALL: Precautionary X-rays of McGee's right index finger, (which it
was later reported that he injured catching a Mark Grace line drive in the
first inning) were negative, but team physicians think there could be a
questionable fracture and more tests are needed. He joins fellow purple
hearter Jordan on the day-to-day list. Jordan came into G3 in the top of
the 9th as a defensive replacement. Sandberg hit a long foul that was over
the fence but about 10 feet foul; a fan threw the ball back.
OVERALL: This is the first time since September, 1988 that the Cards have
swept the Cubs.
IN THE HOUSE: G1: 29,612; G2: 32,845; G3: 34,923 (That's better, but
still pretty lame early on for a Cards-Cubs series with the Redbirds in
first place.)
ON THE CLOCK: G1: 2:55; G2: 2:56; G3: 4:19 (hey, that's 13 innings)
ON DECK: 4-game series in Cincinnati. The Reds have lost 5 in a row.
IN THE HOLE: 2 in Pittsburgh (only the hottest team in the NL) before a
day off and the final series (3 at home against the Reds) of the year.
4.1.2 Cardinals at Cincinnati (September 20 - 23)
IN THE ARCHIVES: The Cardinals managed to win only one of four games against
the Reds, but that single victory gave the Redbirds a magic number of one
and eliminated both the Reds and Cubs.
ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: 4-2 Reds (yet the Cards out-hit them 7-5) G2: 6-3
Reds (4 runs given by TJ Mathews in the 7th inning); G3: 6-0 Reds (1-hitter
by John Smiley) G4: 3-2 Cards ( over former Redbird Mike Morgan; Royce
Clayton and Brian Jordan were both 3-for-4)
GOING IN: 83-70, in first place, up 5 games on the Astros, 7.5 on the Reds,
and 8 on the Cubs
COMING OUT: 84-73, still in first, 5.5 ahead of the Astros, the rest are
eliminated
AT THE PLATE: Cards hitting was as flat as Chris Sabo's coif. They had a
combined 23 hits and 10 of those came in G3, 6 by Clayton and Jordan. Clayton
was the star of the series, getting hits in all the games (all but G2) he
played. He had the lone safety in the 1-hitter that was G3. For the series,
he was 5-for-12. He scored twice in G4, driven in each time by Jordan, who
leads the team with 101 RBI. He also still leads the league with a .417
(60-for-144) with runners in scoring position. He drove in Clayton in G4
with an infield single to second that was pure speed. He seems to exert
more effort to stop running that most players show running. Gary Gaetti
(#22 in G2) and John Mabry (#13 in G4) homered in the series.
FROM THE BENCH: 0-for-4 in the series with one walk.
ON THE BASEPATHS: In any good monster movie (which is what the offense was
resembling) there is the line, "Feet, do your duty." Clayton's
speed and wisdom on the basepaths won G4. He was on base 3 times. Twice
he stole second, the first time ending up at third as the ball went into
the outfield. He was able to advance because he uses a pop-up slide that
gets him ready to run. He also tagged and took second on a long out to right
by Ray Lankford that the outfielder played a little too casually. Clayton
also stole second in G1 and now has 32 on the year. Jordan swiped #21 in
G2 and #22 in G4. He was also caught for the 5th time in G4.
ON THE MOUND: Alan Benes has really on himself to blame for failing in his
bid to reach his 14th win in G1. His own error led to a 2-run 8th inning
and a 13-10 record. He otherwise pitched a good game, lasting 7-plus innings
and giving up 4 runs (only 3 earned) on 5 hits while striking out 9. Donovan
Osborne, on the other hand, also pitched well but had to come out after
5 innings due to a blister on the middle finger of his pitching (left) hand.
He gave up only 2 runs on 5 hist with 5 Ks and turned a 3-2 lead over to
the bullpen who let him and the rest of the team down. Danny Jackson got
the start in G3 and really stunk up the joint. He gave up 5 runs in the
first inning, including 3 on consecutive bases-loaded walks.He managed
to last 6.2 innings and fan 8. Todd Stottlemyre took control in G4 and improved
his record to 14-11. In 7.2 innings, he gave up only 2 runs on 6 hits and
3 walks while striking out 9.
FROM THE BULLPEN: The biggest disappointment was TJ Mathews. Brought into
G2 to protect a 3-2 lead he got a couple of quick outs. But then he was
shelled for 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He took the loss and dropped to
2-6. No other reliever even gave up a hit other than Mark Petkovsek the
inning ahead of Mathews in G2. Dennis Eckersley pitched a perfect 7-pitch
9th in G4 for his 30th save. This is his 7th season of 30 or more saves.
IN THE FIELD: Errors cost the team G1 but the gloves saved G4. AlBenes's
throwing error on a sacrifice bunt in the 7th inning of G1 led to a 2-run
inning and a loss. But outstanding plays by Mike Gallego (diving stop and
throw up the middle), Jordan (snared a sinking liner), and a couple by Mabry
(grabbed bunts and tagged the runners) preserved the win in G4. The last
one by Mabry and the one by Gallego in the 8th kept only one runner on when
Barry Larkin homered. For a while the Cards were one of the worst fielding
teams. They are now tight in the middle of the NL in number of errors.
OVERALL: The cards are now 2-11 in Sunday road games. They would have been
2-10 but for the rescheduled double-header of G2 and G3. The only reason
the series was even close (aside from G3) was that while the Cards were
managing only 23 hits, Cards pitchers were whiffing 37 Reds batters. an
average of about one an inning.
CATCH-ALL: Manager Tony La Russa has said that if the Cards reach the playoffs,
he will go with a 3-man rotation of Andy Benes, Stottlemyre, and Osborne.
IN THE HOUSE: G1: 23,496; G2&G3: 38,225 (double-header) G4: 17,313
ON THE CLOCK: G1: 2:42; G2: 2:42; G3: 1:56 (That was the 1-hitter. In
one day, they played two games in the time it took to play the 13-inninger
against the Cubs) G4: 2:37
ON DECK: A pair of games in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, who only recently
ended an 11-game win streak, the longest in the majors this year.
IN THE HOLE: A day off and then the final series homestand of the regular
season; 3 against the Reds
4.2 Rams vs. Redskins Game Review
The Rams should have won this game.
That statement means a number of things. First, the Rams didn't win; they
lost to the Redskins 17-10 on Sunday afternoon before 62,303 fans at Transworld
Dome.
Second, the game was close. The Rams were executing their best drive of
the day in the closing minutes until QB Steve Walsh threw his third interception
just before the two-minute warning. A successful drive would have tied the
game, especially with the momentum St. Louis had finally seemed to have.
Third, mistakes killed the Bighorns. Besides that interception that killed
the game, the other picks killed what were looking like decent drives. But
Walsh overthrew (How often will you read those two words together?) a number
of receivers in key situations. And clock management seems to be an elusive
concept at times. Rookie WR Eddie Kennison did not get out of bounds during
the final drive of the first half, forcing the team to burn a time out,
one they needed to keep the drive alive enough for a TD try. And the team
is still taking stupid penalties (13 for 82 yards) including a number of
line jumps on both offense and defense, a couple illegal blocks on kicks
to bury the starting position, and a blatant facemask that negated one of
P Sean Landeta's many outstanding punts. He averaged more than 51 yards
on 6 punts.
Fourth, the Rams almost overcame a number of other setbacks, most notably
poor field position. Their average starting position in the first half was
their own 15-yard line. The worst, and the first, was on their own 4 after
Kennison fielded a punt inside the 5 and was hit immediately. It wasn't
until the end of the second quarter that the Rams even crossed the midfield
stripe.
And fifth, the Rams were unable to capitalize on their own breaks. At the
end of the first half and after an 11-play drive (the one featuring the
Kennison mistake) starting at their own 10, K Chip Lohmiller missed a 38-yard
field goal (wide right after he kicked the laces). That would have given
the Rams a 10-3 deficit, but at least some points on the board and a little
good news heading into the locker room.
But bigger than that was when they did get their field goal. It came after
CB Torin Dorn intercepted Gus Frerotte's second pass of the third quarter
and returned it 40 yards to the Redskins' five yard line. Two runs by RB
Lawrence Phillips and an incomplete pass to WR Isaac Bruce and the Rams
had to settle for the three points. That was probably the biggest play of
the game, although it was soon eclipsed by the stand of the Washington defense
to prevent the touchdown.
Those plays notwithstanding, Phillips and Bruce both had what amounts to
break-out games. The rookie running back had 48 yards on 14 carries, a 3.4-yard
average well above his season average of about 2. He also broke free a couple
times although his longest of the day was 11 yards.
Bruce finally got above the 100-yard mark for this season. He had 11 catches
for 136 yards. He might have had more but he seems to prefer to dive ahead
rather that his a defensive back and maybe spring for additional yardage.
His longest was 19 yards and he had a pair of 17-yarders in the only St.
Louis touchdown drive.
That came early in the fourth quarter. The drive started at the Ram 16.
Besides the Bruce catches (3 altogether for a total of 45 yards), the march
featured yeoman duty by RB Harold Green. He caught 2 passes for 21 yards
and carried once for 15 more. The scoring play was the closest thing to
a trick play this year; an end around. WR Jermaine Ross did the honors on
the 3-yard run, capped with a nice vault into the end zone.
All of this is not to say the Walsh had a great day. It was within acceptable
limits, although it was not until he actually managed the scoring drive
that the fans quit booing every time he took the field. Walsh was 18 of
36 for 177 yards but he had the 3 interceptions, including 2 by Redskin
linebackers. But Walsh was only 6 for 14 with 46 yards in the first half.
And in the first quarter, he was a scant 1 for 1, a screen pass to Phillips
that lost 6 yards. After the first interception at the start of the second
quarter, Walsh seemed to have twisted an ankle or knee and back-up QB Tony
Banks started to toss a few on the sidelines, but Walsh stayed in.
The defense did a remarkable job, as usual. They held Terry Allen, the league's
leading rusher, to 78 yards on 23 carries, his longest being a 12-yarder.
He came in with 340 rushing yards, averaging 5.1 per carry. The Bighorns
held him to 3.4 yards. He also caught 3 passes for 26 yards. His key carry
was a 9-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. That proved to be
the game winner as the Rams would only muster a single touchdown thereafter.
The game started on a bad note for the Rams, an offside penalty on the kickoff
squad. But the Redskins put the ball into play at the same point on the
rekick- their own 28. After an initial screen pass for 11 yards to RB Terry
Allen, Washington managed only four more yards and had to punt.
Kennison made the first of his rookie mistakes by fielding the ball inside
his own five-yard line and the Rams started out in trouble. Phillips gained
three but lost four on the next two plays. RB Harold Green picked up nine
on third down but it was not enough. Sean Landeta boomed a 54-yard punt,
which was beyond the coverage and the Redskins brought the ball back to
near midfield
They steadily moved downfield and capped the eight-play, 51-yard drive with
a two-yard pass to TE Scott Galbraith, who made a diving one-handed catch
in the end zone. The Redskins led 7-0.
The Rams started at their own 30 after a 19-yard return by Kennison. On
second down, Phillips broke loose for one of his better runs. He went around
the right guard, stayed in bounds, and ran over S Stanley Richard for 11
yards. That gave the Bighorns their first first down of the day. But then
a penalty and failed screen play killed the drive and Landeta nailed another
54-yarder.
The first quarter ended after the Redskins punted to the Rams 18. That drive
by St. Louis ended with Walsh's first interception, this one by LB Marvcus
Patton giving Washington the ball on the Rams 34. The had to settle for
a 38-yard field goal by K Scott Blanton and a 10-0 lead.
Phillips gained 17 yards on the next three carries but Walsh was sacked
for a four-yard loss by DE Rich Owens and the Rams had to punt again, this
one for only 34 yards. On the Redskins' second play, the first being a 22-yard
completion to FB Mark Logan, Frerotte was intercepted when CB Todd Lyght
stepped in front of WR Henry Ellard.
The next series could have been productive, but Walsh's first pass was incomplete
to Bruce, who was getting pawed like a junior high prom date yet no flag
was thrown. On the third play, Walsh had Ross wide open up the middle but
the receiver never turned around for the ball.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Rams started on their own 10 (where
the Redskins' punt had bounced out of bounds) just before the two-minute
warning. Walsh, using a hurry-up offense, finally put together an impressive
drive. He mixed the passes, mostly quick hits to the outside with a couple
over the middle. But Kennison opted not to go out of bounds at the Rams'
27, burning a timeout. Later, he let a ball go through his hands at the
Washington 10 with 32 seconds remaining. The Rams had to settle for a 38-yard
field goal, but K Chip Lohmiller's kick sailed wide to the right and the
half ended with St. Louis trailing 10-0.
Halftime provided the crowd with the best chance to applaud as former Big
Red great Dan Dierdorf received his Hall of Fame ring. "It's not a
Super Bowl ring," he told the cheering fans. "But it'll have to
do."
He was joined on the field by many of his former teammates, including Jim
Hart, Roger Wehrli, Willard Harrell, Irv Goode, Bob Rowe, Mike Sensibaugh,
Keith Wortman, and Jim Otis, all names familiar to St. Louis football fans.
"Nobody worked harder or tried harder than these guys who played for
the St. Louis Cardinals and still call this town home," Dierdorf said.
The Rams were not inspired (at least inspired enough) as their first drive
of the half ended in another interception, this one by LB Ken Harvey. He
fumbled on the return after being hit by TE Troy Drayton, bu the ball was
recovered by the Redskins' S Darryl Marrison.
St. Louis returned the favor as CB Torin Dorn picked off the ball and returned
it 40 yards before being forced out of bounds by Frerotte at the Washington
five. Phillips gained three and then none. After a third down incomplete
pass to Bruce at the goal line, Lohmiller came in and kicked a 19-yard field
goal to put the Rams on the board, trailing 10-3.
The teams traded three-and-outs before the Redskins engineered another scoring
drive. This one covered 46 yards in five plays, the key play a 20-yard completion
to WR Leslie Shepherd on first and 20 on the Rams' 44. The drive was capped
by a nine-yard run around left end by Allen. The point after gave the Redskins
a 17-3 lead, which is how the third quarter ended.
On their first possession of the fourth quarter, the Rams went back to the
hurry-up offense and moved the ball well. Bruce had a pair of 17-yard catches
and Green caught passes of 10 and 11 yards. The 10-play, 84-yard drive culminated
with a reverse to Ross around the right end. After a key block by OG Leo
Goeas, Ross turned sideways and vaulted into the endzone for the first St.
Louis touchdown since the first game of the season. The Rams trailed 17-10
with only half a quarter left to play.
The defense responded by forcing the Redskins to three-and-out and the Bighorns
started at their own 34. They again used the quick offense to march upfield.
A key play was a gutsy fourth -and-one pass to Bruce good for seven yards.
The Rams got as far as the Washington 23. On second and eight with almost
three minutes remaining, Walsh was flushed from the pocket and tried to
force the ball to Green only to be intercepted by CB Tom Carter. The throw
was unnecessary. It appeared that Walsh had some room to run, possibly even
for the first down and probably out of bounds.
But the Redskins had the ball and were able to run out the clock to preserve
the win.
The Rams are now 1-2 and still in third place in the NFC West. They trail
the 3-0 Panthers and the 2-1 49ers. Behind the rams are the 0-3 Falcons
and 0-4 Saints.
The Bighorns head out to the desert next week to face the Cardinals, who
are 1-3 and tied in the NFC East with the Cowboys and Giants. They trail
the Redskins and Eagles, tied for first at 3-1. The Cardinals are coming
off a 28-14 win over the Saints.
4.3 Washington U Football Remains Undefeated
The Washington Bears kept their perfect season in tact with a 24-14 win
over University Athletic Association rival Case Western Reserve on Saturday
afternoon at Francis Field. The 1,475 fans on hand enjoyed the Bears winning
home opener and their ninth home victory in a row.
The only disappointment in the game was the fact that Case even scored at
all. They were the first team to score on the Bears this season. In fact,
their two touchdowns in the fourth quarter snapped a 15-quarter scoreless
streak. The last team to score against Washington? Case, in the second to
last game in 1995. The Spartans didn't score on Saturday until late in the
fourth quarter.
But the Bears in general, and junior QB Thor (pronounced "Tore"
for those who need to know such things, which doesn't seem to include local
TV types) Larsen in particular set a new milestones. Larsen, from Nevada
City, Calif., became the Washington career leader in total offense on his
second quarter 27-yard pass to junior WR Vernon Butler out of Ferris, Texas.
That pass gave Larsen 4,086 career yards, breaking the record of 4,083 held
by Aaron Keel. Keel was on the sidelines to witness the occasion, mainly
because he is the Bears' linebackers coach. Larsen finished the game with
17 completions on 31 tries for 208 yards, the one touchdown, and an interception.
He also ran for a 9-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, his first
collegiate 6-pointer of his career.
That was Butler's eighth TD catch of the season. He had 8 receptions for
93 yards. But his biggest play came on the second play of the game, when
he took an end around 60 yards for the Bears' first score of the game. That
was not only the longest play from scrimmage of the day for Washington,
but it gave him the distinction of having the most rushing yardage for the
team. Next best was junior RB Marcus Walker from Memphis who gained 56 yards
on 11 carries.
The defense was led by 34 tackles from just their starting linebacker corps
of senior Jeremey Bellinghausen (from Colorado Springs) with 13, junior
Brad Klein (from Watertown, Wis.) with 11, and senior Jacob Parent (from
St. Charles, Mo.) with 10. Klein and Parent were also busy in the Case backfield
with 1.5 and 1 sack, respectively.
To show how the Bears key on team-tackling, Parent and senior FS Matt Schipfer
(from Greenville, Ohio) led the defense with unassisted tackles with four
apiece. In fact, 16 players were credited with at least one assist while
only 12 had solos.
The Bears are now 1-0 in the UAA and 3-0 overall. They were pre-season favorites
fro the division and even ranked as high as 15 in some Division III polls.
Coming into the Case game, Washington was ranked as high as 12 and no lower
than 15 in most polls. The theme for the 1996 campaign in "Seal the
Deal", meant to remind the team to play all 10 games on the schedule.
They finished 9-1 last year and missed out on playoff action with a 12-8
loss to Carnegie Mellon University on a rainy day in Pittsburgh.
The win over Case should move the Bears up in the standings and give them
more momentum for the rest of the season. This game also opened a 4-game
homestand with a bye week on October 5.
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Cardinals Statistics (through September 23)
5.1.1 Batting
BA SLG OBA G AB R H TB 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS E Jordan .311 .481 .352 136 501 81 156 241 35 1 16 101 29 83 22 5 2 McGee .299 .409 .341 118 301 51 90 123 14 2 5 40 17 60 5 1 5 Mabry .294 .426 .337 146 530 61 156 226 27 2 13 73 34 84 3 2 8 Smith .293 .386 .367 77 215 36 63 83 10 2 2 17 24 9 7 5 8 Young .286 .286 .375 13 21 2 6 6 0 0 0 2 2 4 0 1 1 Clayton .277 .373 .322 126 483 63 134 180 20 4 6 35 33 87 32 15 14 Pagnozzi .273 .429 .313 115 396 48 108 170 23 0 13 55 23 76 4 1 8 Lankford .272 .485 .362 145 536 98 146 260 35 8 21 85 76 130 35 6 1 Sweeney .267 .376 .383 93 165 30 44 62 9 0 3 22 31 28 2 0 3 Gaetti .266 .458 .321 137 507 68 135 232 25 3 22 79 35 94 2 2 10 Alicea .254 .374 .345 124 366 50 93 137 23 3 5 40 49 76 9 3 23 Gant .248 .509 .363 118 403 72 100 205 14 2 29 79 72 90 13 4 4 Sheaffer .233 .342 .275 76 193 10 45 66 9 3 2 20 9 25 3 3 6 Bradshaw .231 .231 .375 13 13 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 Gallego .215 .230 .279 48 135 12 29 31 2 0 0 4 11 28 0 0 1 Bell .210 .275 .262 60 138 10 29 38 6 0 1 8 9 19 0 1 5 Mejia .063 .063 .063 42 16 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 4 3 1 Holbert .000 .000 .000 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Di Felice --- --- --- 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
W- L ERA G GS CG GF SH SV IP H R ER HR BB SO Batchelor 1- 0 1.50 9 0 0 5 0 0 12.0 7 2 2 0 1 7 Fossas 0- 4 2.74 64 0 0 11 0 2 46.0 42 19 14 7 20 35 Honeycutt 2- 1 2.96 59 0 0 12 0 3 45.2 42 15 15 3 7 29 Mathews 2- 6 3.11 64 0 0 22 0 5 81.0 60 32 28 8 31 77 Bailey 4- 2 3.23 49 0 0 12 0 0 53.0 56 21 19 1 29 35 Eckersley 0- 6 3.47 60 0 0 52 0 30 57.0 61 25 22 8 6 46 Osborne 13- 9 3.53 30 30 2 0 1 0 198.2 191 87 78 22 57 134 Petkovsek 11- 2 3.70 46 5 0 7 0 0 82.2 79 36 34 9 35 41 Andy Benes 17-10 3.82 34 33 3 1 1 1 223.2 208 104 95 27 72 157 Stottlemyre 14-11 3.90 33 33 5 0 2 0 221.1 191 100 96 30 93 192 Alan Benes 13-10 4.74 33 31 3 1 1 0 186.0 187 114 98 27 83 128 Jackson 0- 1 5.52 12 3 0 3 0 0 29.1 32 18 18 3 16 21 Ludwick 0- 0 15.00 4 0 0 2 0 0 3.0 3 5 5 1 3 4
East TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK Atlanta 94 63 .599 - 56-25 38-38 30-17 38-23 26-23 Lost 1 Montreal 86 71 .548 8 49-29 37-42 22-25 39-22 25-24 Won 1 Florida 77 80 .490 17 50-29 27-51 23-27 32-25 22-28 Won 4 New York 70 87 .446 24 41-37 29-50 24-25 28-31 18-31 Won 1 Philadelphia 64 93 .408 30 34-45 30-48 21-26 21-40 22-27 Lost 1 Central TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK CARDINALS 85 73 .538 - 46-32 39-41 29-32 34-14 22-27 Won 2 Houston 78 79 .497 6 1/2 44-32 34-47 29-27 24-28 25-24 Lost 9 Cincinnati 78 79 .497 6 1/2 44-35 34-44 27-33 22-25 29-21 Won 1 Chicago 75 81 .481 10 42-35 33-46 31-30 18-28 26-23 Lost 1 Pittsburgh 70 87 .446 14 1/2 36-43 34-44 25-36 22-25 23-26 Lost 2 West TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK Los Angeles 89 68 .567 - 46-30 43-38 38-24 33-28 18-16 Won 1 San Diego 88 70 .557 1 1/2 45-35 43-35 39-23 28-33 21-14 Lost 1 Colorado 81 77 .513 8 1/2 54-24 27-53 28-33 36-26 17-18 Won 1 San Francisco 65 92 .414 24 38-44 27-48 28-33 24-38 13-21 Lost 1
East TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK New York 89 67 .571 - 47-31 42-36 31-17 35-24 23-26 Lost 1 Baltimore 85 72 .545 4 43-38 42-34 26-21 34-26 25-25 Lost 2 Boston 82 75 .519 8 44-32 38-43 30-17 23-37 29-21 Won 2 Toronto 71 86 .452 18 1/2 33-44 38-42 19-28 30-32 22-26 Won 2 Detroit 53 105 .335 37 27-50 26-55 14-37 19-39 20-29 Lost 2 Central TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK Cleveland 97 60 .618 - 50-29 47-31 40-20 30-18 27-22 Won 4 Chicago 84 74 .532 13 1/2 44-36 40-38 37-25 23-25 24-24 Won 2 Milwaukee 77 80 .490 20 38-43 39-37 24-31 31-21 22-28 Won 1 Minnesota 76 82 .481 21 1/2 37-42 39-40 30-31 19-29 27-22 Lost 3 Kansas City 72 85 .459 25 35-42 37-43 27-34 19-29 26-22 Lost 3 West TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK Texas 87 71 .551 - 47-30 40-41 42-20 30-31 15-20 Won 1 Seattle 83 73 .532 3 43-38 40-35 31-30 31-30 21-13 Lost 3 Oakland 75 83 .475 12 37-40 38-43 24-38 32-29 19-16 Lost 1 California 69 87 .442 17 43-37 26-50 30-31 25-36 14-20 Won 2
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q F Redskins 7 3 7 0 17 Rams 0 0 3 7 10
Redskins Rams First downs 16 17 Third down eff. 2-11 4-14 Fourth down eff. 0-0 1-1 Total net yards 257 285 Net yards rushing 106 112 Net yards passing 151 173 Punts-average 6-47.2 6-51.2 Penalties-yards 5-30 13-82 Time of possession 29:50 30:10