Page 10 Portland Observer, M ay 6, 1982
An open
letter to
Billy Ray
Sport Talk
by Ron Sykes, Sports Editor
Buy and Sell Diamonds • Gold • Jewelry
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Dear Billy,
As you may well know from Ihe
many letters and cards you have re
ceived in the past week, the P ort
land fans and the entire state are
pulling fo r you and hoping fo r a
speedy recovery. We know that you
are now under tremendous pressure
and we have been to ld that your
body has succumbed to the exhaus
tion o f the 1981-82 NBA schedule.
During your three years in Portland,
we've seen you handle the pressures
on the basketball court as well as
any player in the NBA. I believe you
once said when questioned by a Se
attle reporter, that you fel, no pres
sure because you were born to play
this game. It is on that premise (hat
we hope you deal with your present
illness.
Get well B illy, for when the up
coming NBA campaign begins, we
w ill be looking fo r ole number
twelve to th r ill us again w ith his
famous slam dunks.
ROSE
GANGLE
Local 296. Back row: Coach George Carney,
Craig Mouton, Johnny Liday, Eddie Wallace, Ray
Williams, Coach Cletus Goodlow. Front row: Mark
McGlothlin, Damon Jones. David Sherman, Ter
race Coleman, Morris Carney, Sherwin, Phillips,
Wayne Taylor.
(Photo by Richard J. Brown)
Cruz-ing with the Mariners
by Ron Sykes
A major league shortstop usually
earns his paycheck running down
ground balls or chasing short flies to
the o u tfie ld . In between those
choices he sometimes covers second
base and i f time permits he does on
occasion act as a relay man or hits in
the alley; but not at the plate.
The Seattle Mariners’ Todd Cruz,
known for his defense, and in parti
cular his rifle -a rm , has other
thoughts on the subject.
“ People think the shortstop is
supposed to be an easy o u t,” Cruz
stated. “ I don’ t look at it that way.
I can hit the ball, and I want to hit
the b a ll.” And that he has done,
and done with gusto. In the Marin
ers’ first homestand o f the season,
the most successful one in the club’s
history (7-3), Cruz batted .429 with
fo u r game-winning RBIs, two o f
which were home runs. Cruz was re
warded fo r his e ffo rts as he was
named the American League Player
o f the Week for A pril 19-25.
The shortstop is normally the an
chor on defense and Todd Cruz is
just that for the Mariners. Everyone
agrees that Cruz has all the tools.
“ In terms o f pure arm strength,
Dee Fondy, M ariner scout, says,
“ he ranks in the top five among
shortstops in the major leagues.
In rating the top arms we feel
Todd is on the same level as Rick
Burleso (California), Gary Temple
ton (San Diego), Ozzie Smith (St.
Louis) and Alan Trammel (Detroit).
And how does Manager Rene
Lachemann feel about his young
shortstop? “ N othing against last
year’s players,” he said, "b u t, right
now, with the balls hit in that area I
feel about 200 per cent more confi
dent than I felt last season.”
Cruz has captured the M ariner
fans, they love the guy. Recently
three to four hundred fans showed
up at the Kingdome wearing Todd
Cruz buttons.
While he is basking in glory now,
Cruz knows that things can turn for
the worse as quickly as they got him
to the top. “ I ’ ve been around long
enough now to know what can
happen,” he said. “ T h a t’ s why
when I put on the uniform tom or
row, I have to forget what I did yes
terday.”
Cruz is an excellent defensive
shortstop, but he doesn’t want to be
thought o f as a one-way player.
This we can understand, but it ’s
hard not to recognize or laud his de
fensive skills, especially when he has
that rifle attached to his shoulder.
Combining hard work, the God-
given gift o f a great arm, and a fast
start with the bat, Cruz has estab
lished him self as one o f the key
members o f the 1982 Mariners. In
fact, if he keeps producing runs in
clutch situations fo r this exciting
young team, people may start think
ing of his bat in addition to that out
standing arm. Together with Todd’s
keystone teammate Ju lio , the
Mariners hope to to some C ru zin ’
all summer long.
• • • • • • • • • •
* SELL-A-THON '
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The NBA is reported 70 per cent
Black. Now the NFL is seemingly
gaining ground. Twenty o f the first
twenty-seven NFL first round draft
picks were black. Blacks dominated
the firs t round and a black agent
had three players selected in the first
round. Texas’ massive tackle, Ken
neth Sims was the first player select
ed in the d ra ft. The New England
Patriots chose him.
Harold Daniels, presently a pro
fessor at Harbor College in Los An
geles, and president o f Pro Stars,
Inc., had three o f his players select
ed in the first round.
They are USC’ s C hip Banks
(th ird player picked in the firs t
round by the Cleveland Browns),
Roy Foster (tw e n ty -fifth player
tabbed in the first round by Miami)
and San Jose State’ s Gerald W ill-
hite, older brother o f O regon’ s
Kevin, (twenty-second player
grabbed in the firs t round by the
Denver Broncos). Daniels is also
NFL
for State Rep.
No. 18 Democrat
Vote for Rose Gangle for State Representative, District 18, on
May 18th.
Have a question7 Want to help Rose Qangle's campaign? Call her at
283-6797 or 285-9633
bv Commit!«« Io elect Row O.ngle Slot* A»( k » * o „ i « | i « o , Bob Smith. Tiaoourar SBW N Albin.
Pott land OR V11M Lotxx Oon.lwl
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W e Pay More Cash!
FOR GOLD, SILVER and DIAMONDS
OR ANYTHING OF VALUE
7710 S.E. Foster Rd.
777-1284
For M other *s Day only because you are so
special.
representing O regon’ s Reggie
Brown.
Other Blacks selected in the first
round included Mississippi State’ s
linebacker Johnny Cooks, B a lti
more; Clemson’s defensive end Jeff
B ryant, Seattle; A rizona State’ s
R.B. Gerald Riggs, A tlan ta ; Bay
lo r ’ s R.B. W alter Abercrom bie,
Pittsburgh; Georgia’s wide receiver
Linsay Scott and Richmond’s R.B.
Barry Redden, Los Angeles; Ne
braska’ s linebacker Jimm y W il
liams, D e tro it; M ich ig a n ’ s R.B.
Butch W oolfolk, New York Giant;
Clemson’s wide receiver Perry Tut
tle, Buffalo; North Carolina State’s
wide receiver Mike Quick, and Ken
tucky State’ s defensive back Rod
H ill, Dallas; and Miami o f Florida’s
defensive tackle Lester W illiam s,
New England.
O f the twenty-seven players se
lected in the firs t round only one
was from a black college, Kentucky
State’s defensive back Rod Hill.
“ FREE”
MOTHER’S DAY
CAR WASH
N.E. 15h & Fremont
Sunday May 9th
10:00 am -1:00 pm
l ree refreshments, some Rifts, picture taking. Conducted by
Youth o f Sharon S. D. A . Church.
CAR RENTAL SIX
When it’s your money
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Rose Gangle is meeting with voters by walking door to door In
District 18 She is running on a platform of equal rights, a progressive
tax system and full employment. She supports the Article 11-D initia
tive which would develop renewable energy.
Little League
The Peninsula Little League com
pleted the second round o f L ittle
I.eague play Tuesday afternoon
with Local 296 defeating AYOs 18-
7, pushing their record to 2-0. In
opening round action (he unde
feated union men downed Hoffman
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