Men
continued from page 7
of the best teams, and it’s going to
show down the stretch.”
While it is nice to get ranked at
this point, Kent is quick to point
out that the season is far from
over. Oregon’s two games in Ari
zona this weekend will be the
end of only the first half of con
ference play.
“I don’t worry too much
about rankings,” Kent said. “If
people don’t recognize we de
serve to be ranked, that’s fine
because the bottom line is
where you end up at the end of
the year. We want to be a team
that has the opportunity to be
in a postseason play, and once
you get in the tournament,
everyone starts on equal ground
with 64 teams and away you
go”
Darius and the dagger
Oregon’s win against UCLA
was anchored by Wright’s play.
During the Ducks’ pivotal 18-0
run in the second half, Oregon’s
senior was ei
ther pushing
the ball upcourt
or putting a
three-point dag
ger into the
Bruins’ heart.
Wright’s per
formance defi
nitely got the attention of Kent,
but it wasn’t as if the Ducks’
coach was surprised.
“You have to realize that he
has been averaging 37-38 min
utes a game, and he continues to
be the energizer that gets the
little Caesars
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movement in transition,” Kent
said. “For him to come , away
with the game he had against
UCLA, with 17 points-, nine as
d If we don't get
ranked, we don't get
ranked. But we know
we're one of the best
teams, and it's going to
show down the stretch.
Darius Wright
point gurard
sists, in the second game of a
two-game weekend was amazing.
„“But I said coming into the
year that I thought he was one
of the best point guards on the
West Coast, and I still feel that
way.”
The Ducks were unable to hit
any three-point shots in the first
half of Saturday’s contest against
UCLA, but Wright made the Bru
ins pay in the second half with
three big shots from behind the
arc.
“Darius really stepped up and
hit some threes,” said Pac-10
player-of-the-week A.D. Smith.
“Almost any time we’re on the
floor, we’ve got four guys that can
be an outside threat. Three-point
shooting really opens things up
for the rest of our offense.”
Scott Barnett Emerald
Pac-10 player-of-the-week A.D. Smith is a leader on the floor and in the box scores.
MLB suspends Rocker until May 1
By Ronald Blum
The Associated Press
NEW YORK—John Rocker was
suspended until May 1 by baseball
commissioner Bud Selig on Mon
day for racial and ethnic remarks
that “offended practically every
element of society. ”
The Atlanta reliever also was
fined $20,000 and ordered to under
go sensitivity training for disparag
ing foreigners, homosexuals and mi
norities in a magazine interview.
The players’ union said it in
tends to fight the ruling.
“Major league baseball takes se
riously its role as an American in
stitution and the important social
responsibility that goes with it,”
Selig said.
“We will not dodge our respon
sibility. Mr. Rocker should under
stand that his remarks offended
practically every element of socie
ty and brought dishonor to him
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self, Atlanta and major league
baseball. The terrible example set
by Mr. Rocker is not what our great
game is about and, in fact, is a pro
found breach of the social com
pact we hold in such high regard.”
The players’ association said it
expects to file a grievance over the
penalty, believed to be the longest
against a baseball player for an ac
tion not related to drug use since
Lenny Randle of Texas got 30 days
in March 1977 for punching his
manager, Frank Lucchesi.
“I do not believe it is appropri
ate that I should be harshly disci
plined for my misguided speech
unaccompanied by any conduct
on my part,” Rocker said in a state
ment released by his agents. “I
have previously apologized for my
unfortunate remarks and stand by
my apology.”
A grievance would force the mat
ter before Shaym Das, the sport’s
new independent arbitrator.
“We have been in consultation
with Mr. Rocker and it is our pres
ent intention to appeal,” said Gene
Orza, the union’s No. 2 official. “It is
literally unprecedented to impose a
penalty on a player for pure speech,
offensive though the speech may be.
That, coupled with the magnitude
of the penalty, just as unprecedent
ed, makes us optimistic about the
outcome of the appeal. ”
While the suspension covers 73
days starting with the opening of
spring training, the season doesn’t
start until April 3, meaning Rocker
would miss the first 28 days of the
season. A suspension will not af
fect his salary, expected to be be
tween $200,000 and $300,000.
Rocker may go to extended
spring training starting April 3 and
will be allowed to pitch in the mi
nor leagues during the first month
of the season. If the suspension is
n’t shortened, he would return for
a May 1 game at Los Angeles.
“It really is about what I antici
pated happening,” Atlanta general
manager John Schuerholz said of
the penalty.
The 25-year-old pitcher was
barred from joining Atlanta at
spring training. A high-ranking
baseball official, speaking on the
condition he not be identified, said
the commissioner’s office did not
want Rocker to report with other
Atlanta pitchers and catchers, thus
minimizing the number of media
descending on Kissimmee, Fla.,
when camp opens Feb. 17.
Rob Manfred, baseball’s execu
tive vice president for labor rela
tions, disputed that, saying it was
not a factor.
“It comes as kind of a shock,”
Atlanta pitcher Rudy Seanez said.
“I just think that’s pretty harsh. ”
Atlanta president Stan Kasten
said he hoped Rocker will not ap
peal.
“I hope we can separate the le
gal ramifications from John per
sonally,” Kasten said. “It’s most
important to get through this thing
and get through it successfully.
That’s much more important than
winning a couple of days.”
Rocker’s comments drew a
strong response from Atlanta ex
ecutive Hank Aaron and civil
rights groups. Several Atlanta
players have said they expect
Rocker to have a difficult time
when he rejoins the team.
“We believe that even after this
process is complete, there are still
two hurdles that remain,” Kasten
said. “John still has to reconcile him
self with his teammates. After that, he
has to reconcile himself with the
community. It’s not automatic. But
with the right effort and the right atti
tude, I think it’s possible. ”
The pitcher, whose fine will go
to groups that promote diversity,
was ordered by Selig on Jan. 6 to
undergo psychological tests, but
the results of those tests have not
been disclosed.
Rocker said in a Sports Illustrat
ed story published last month that
he would never play for a New
York team because he didn’t want
to ride a subway train “next to
some queer with AIDS.” He also
said, “I’m not a very big fan of for
eigners. ... How the hell did they
get in this country?”
He also called a black teammate
a “fat monkey.”