Colored Rock Map of Texas at I-20 in Pecos, Click for Travel Guide

Pecos Enterprise

Home
Enterprise

ARCHIVE
Archive 62
Archive 74
Pecos Country History
Archive 87
1987 Tornado Photos
Rodeo Photos 88
Archive 95
Archive 96
Archive 97
News Photos 1997
Rodeo Photos 97
Archive 98
News Photos 1998
Rodeo Photos 98
Parade Photos 98
Archive 99
Photos 99


Area Newspapers
Commerce
Classified


|

Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas

Sports

Thursday, January 14, 1999

Three tourneys on Eagles baseball schedule


PECOS, Jan. 14 -- The Pecos Eagles' baseball team will
participate in three tournaments for the first time in over
a decade, and will have to deal with two midweek trips to El
Paso on their 1998 varsity baseball schedule, as they hope a
move to a new district ends their seven-year playoff drought.

Coach Bubba Williams' team opens its 1999 season at home
with a doubleheader against the Monahans Loboes on Feb. 26,
after a trio of home scrimmages against Kermit, Fort
Stockton and Midland High. Pecos will play regular season
games at Midland High and Fort Stockton in March in between
their three tournament trips to Monahans, Snyder and Midland.

The Sandhills Tournament in Monahans will be the first
weekend of March, and will be followed by the Snyder
Tournament, which Pecos returned to last year after a
six-year absence. Three of those years the Eagles went to
the Midland Tournament, which they'll be back in after
skipping the 1998 competition.

Pecos' District 2-4A schedule opens with a March 23 home
game against the Fabens Wildcats, the only one of the
Eagles' new district rivals they've faced in recent years.
Their first road trip is a Saturday afternoon game on March
27 at El Paso Mountain View, while their next two visits to
the El Paso area will be Tuesday afternoon contests at
Canutillo and Fabens.

Those are set for 5 p.m. CDT starts, while the Saturday
games will start at 2 p.m., Pecos time. All of the Eagles'
district home games are 7 p.m. starts.

The Eagles return two pitchers and just three other starters
from last year's team, which ran into defensive problems
after an 8-3 start and went 4-6 in district play, finishing
fourth overall. The Eagles' last playoff appearance was in
1991.

Pecos Eagles' Varsity Baseball Schedule

x- - District Game
February
8 (Mon.) - Kermit (scrimmage) 5 p.m.
12 (Fri.) - Fort Stockton (scrimmage) 5 p.m.
20 (Sat.) - Midland High (scrimmage) 11 a.m.
26 (Mon.) - Monahans (doubleheader) 5 p.m.

March
4-6 (Thu.-Sat.) - at Monahans Tournament Times TBA
8 (Mon.) - at Midland High 2 p.m.
11-13 (Thu.-Sat.) - at Snyder Tournament Times TBA
16 (Tue.) - at Fort Stockton 5 p.m.
18-20 (Thu.-Sat.) - at Midland Tournament Times TBA
23 (Tue.) - x-Fabens 7 p.m.
27 (Sat.) - at EP Mtn. View 2 p.m. CST
30 (Tue.) - Clint 7 p.m.

April
6 (Tue.) - at Canutillo 5 p.m. CDT
9 (Fri.) - x-San Elizario 7 p.m.
13 (Tue.) - at Fabens 5 p.m. CDT
20 (Tue.) - x-EP Mtn. View 7 p.m.
21 (Sat.) - at Clint 2 p.m. CDT
27 (Tue.) - x-Canutillo 7 p.m.

May
1(Sat.) - x-at San Elizario 2 p.m. CDT

Johnson changes mind about retiring


By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer
DAVIE, Fla. -- Jimmy Johnson changed his mind about retiring
and will remain coach of the Miami Dolphins, The Associated
Press learned today.

Owner Wayne Huizenga apparently persuaded Johnson to stay in
a meeting early today, hours after the news surfaced that
the coach planned to resign at the end of his third season
with Miami.

``There was a big get-together this morning,'' a source
close to Huizenga said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
``Players were putting some pressure on him as well.''

Huizenga rushed back from the baseball owners' meeting in
California, where he completed the sale of the Florida
Marlins. A news conference to explain the stunning series of
events was scheduled for 11:30 p.m. CST.

ESPN and Miami radio station WQAM also reported today that
Johnson was staying.

Johnson's retirement plans surfaced late Wednesday and were
confirmed by his father. That surprising news came less than
a week after the Dolphins were eliminated from the NFL
playoffs with a 38-3 loss in Denver.

``Jimmy told me he was ready to retire and wanted to start
enjoying himself,'' C.W. Johnson said Wednesday from his
home in Port Arthur, Texas. ``He said the season wore on
him. I told him I was glad and that was the best news I had
heard in a long time.''

ESPN also reported that Dave Wannstedt will be hired as
assistant head coach. Wannstedt, a former Johnson assistant,
was fired as the Chicago Bears' head coach two weeks ago.

The 55-year-old Johnson is under contract through 2000 after
signing a one-year extension in April. Saturday's loss was
the most lopsided postseason defeat in Dolphins' history,
but Johnson talked optimistically after the game about next
season.

The death of Johnson's mother, Allene, on Dec. 20 and his
father's battle with cancer may have been factors in his
wavering about his future.

Johnson also complained frequently in the past season about
officiating, media criticism and the attitudes of modern
players.

He coached the Miami Hurricanes to the 1987 national
championship and led the Dallas Cowboys to consecutive Super
Bowl titles in 1992-93. He was hired by the Dolphins in
January 1996 and said he would have the team in the NFL
title game in three years, but he has won only one playoff
game with Miami.

Dolphins fans reacted badly to reports that Johnson was
leaving.

``They're shocked, disappointed and mad,'' said WQAM
talk-show host Joe Rose, a former Dolphins player. ``They
feel he didn't finish what he started.''

Miami has made steady progress since Johnson replaced Don
Shula. The Dolphins went 8-8 in his first season, 9-7 in
1997 and 10-6 this season.

They reached the playoffs in 1997 and earned their first
playoff victory in four years this season, beating the
Buffalo Bills 24-17. Johnson's competitive zeal seemed as
intense as ever after that game, when he celebrated by
crushing a box of Flutie Flakes in the locker room.

Johnson said recently that he believes Miami needs only a
couple of offensive playmakers to join the NFL's elite.
Following the Denver debacle, he said he didn't consider the
loss devastating, but said Miami simply must earn a higher
seed in next season's playoffs.

``I told our players that you need to win enough games
during the season to get a bye, get people healthy and get
ready for an opponent,'' Johnson said. ``We didn't win
enough games during the season to get that advantage.''

Johnson simplified the team playbook this season to put more
emphasis on the run and less pressure on the 37-year-old
quarterback Dan Marino, but the offense frequently
sputtered. The defense, however, allowed the fewest points
in the NFL.

A wave of late-season injuries and playing at Denver were
too much for the Dolphins to overcome. Johnson was
uncharacteristically pessimistic before the game, saying the
Dolphins faced almost insurmountable odds to win the Super
Bowl.

Jordan 99.9 percent sure on retirement


By CHRIS SHERIDAN
AP Basketball Writer
CHICAGO -- Michael Jordan couldn't say goodbye without one
last tiny, tantalizing tidbit of hope for everyone who
thought it was a little too early for the greatest athlete
in the world to call it quits.

Declaring himself ``99.9 percent'' retired, Jordan bid
farewell Wednesday to the Chicago Bulls, the NBA and the
game that made him the quintessential superstar and a
millionaire many times over.

``I never say never, but it's 95, 99.9 percent,'' Jordan
said. ``I'm very secure with my decision.''

He's just not 100 percent sure that this retirement, his
second, will be his last.

Jordan's hedge was about the only unexpected event to
transpire at his retirement press conference, which was held
at center court of the arena where his No. 23 was once again
raised to the rafters.

Jordan sat alongside his wife, Juanita, with commissioner
David Stern and Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf flanking him,
and kept his poise and composure except for the brief moment
when his eyes got watery watching his number being
re-retired.

``I knew it was coming, so I'm happy that I chose to walk
away knowing I can still play the game,'' Jordan said. ``And
that's exactly how I've always wanted my career to end.''

Saying he is content with his accomplishments and his place
in the game and is looking forward to a new life, Jordan
noted that the NBA will go on without him -- even though he
knows there will never be another one like him.

He also took a few parting shots at many of his rivals,
saying the likes of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and Karl
Malone will never have the satisfaction of saying they won a
championship while Jordan was playing.

``That's why I was so glad that Magic (Johnson) played and
(Larry) Bird played when I won my titles, because I had to
go through Boston and L.A.,'' he said. ``They won't be able
to live with themselves because they never beat Michael
Jordan, and I will always hold that in high regard when I
see those guys socially.''

As for the younger generation, he said none of them could
match what he accomplished.

And he wasn't only talking about the six championships,
five MVP awards, 10 scoring titles and the endless
accolades.

``You can be a Grant Hill, you can be an Anfernee Hardaway,
you can be a Kobe Bryant, but Michael Jordan is Michael
Jordan,'' he said.

Jordan looked dapper as always, wearing a dark blue suit
and a gold earring dangling from his left lobe. The only
thing that looked out of place was the bandage wrapped
around his right index finger.

Jordan said he severed a tendon while cutting a cigar, an
injury that needs surgery and would have sidelined him for
the first two months of the season had he not retired.

The injury had no bearing on his decision, which he said he
made several months ago, but waited to announce until the
lockout ended.

``Mentally, I'm exhausted. I don't feel I have a challenge.
Physically, I feel great,'' the 35-year-old Jordan said.
``This is a perfect time for me to walk away from the
game.''

Asked if there was any chance at all that he might one day
change his mind, Jordan couldn't completely turn his back on
the game that turned him into a worldwide icon and made him
a millionaire many times over.

``Ninety-nine point-nine is as you read it. It's not really
100 percent, but it's close. So that's where I stand. I'm
not going to say `never, never.' I'll say 99.9. Take it for
what it's worth.''

Pressed on why he wouldn't say 100 percent, Jordan shot
back: ``Because it's my 1 percent and not yours.''

Jordan, who has three children, said he looked forward to
being a parent and would ``live vicariously through my
kids,'' whether or not they played basketball.



Search Entire Site:


Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.

324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.

Copyright 1999 by Pecos Enterprise