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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Sports
Wednesday, July 28, 1999
Arlington eliminates Senior Leaguers
By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, July 28, 1999 -- The season came to an end for the Pecos Senior
League All-Stars in Snyder on Tuesday, as the Southeast Arlington All-Stars
completed a sweep of their best of three sectional finals series with a
9-5 win at Moffett Field.
For the second night in a row, Pecos allowed Arlington too many scoring
opportunities due to walks and errors, while failing to take advantage
of their own chances while the game was still close. Arlington used a four-run
sixth inning to turn a 4-2 lead into an 8-2 advantage off starter Rudy
Magana, and added an uneanred run in the seventh off reliever Benny Juarez.
Pecos, meanwhile, was able to stay in the game better then on Monday,
when they saw an early 3-0 lead turn into a 15-3 loss. They took advantage
of control problems suffered by Joe Beck, the third pitcher used by Arlington,
in the seventh inning, scoring three times off Beck and releiver Joey Collender,
who still had enough of a cushion to get the final three outs before the
Senior Leaguers could get back to the middle of their batting order.
Magana had gone 12 innings in tournament play without allowing an earned
run entering Tuesday's game. He extended that to 14 against Arlington,
but needed help from Paul Juarez in the first, as he pulled in Alex Nunez'
deep fly ball after allowing a pair of walks.
Magana retired the side in order in the second, but in the third he
walked leadoff batter Stephen Tune, then saw Beck reach base on a one-out
bunt single. A bloop hit by Collender loaded the bases, and Adam Keckler
then singled to left field, scoring Tune and Beck. Collender was thrown
out trying for third base, but Keckler would then score to make it 3-0
on a double by Nunez.
Pecos meanwhile, put two runners on off Keckler in the first on a walk
and error, before Collender was able to turn an inning-ending double play
on Angel Villalobos. In the second, Pecos loaded the bases with two out
on a walk, error and hit batter, but Keckler got Paul Juarez on a pop up
to second base.
The Senior Leaguers finally got to Keckler in the third, when Magana
singled, Mason Abila was hit by a pitch and Villalobos walked. A ground
out by Alex Garcia scored Magana and a wild pitch brought home Abila to
make it 3-2, but Keckler than struck out Richard Rodriguez and got Benny
Juarez on a pop up to end the threat.
Arlington made it 4-2 in the fourth when Ryan Paloello tripled past
right fielder Michael Herrera and scored on Beck's sacrifice fly. They
then added four more runs in the sixth, as Pecos' defense broke down.
Magana walked Erik Grey and Tony Bruno to open the inning, then threw
away Beck's second bunt of the night, allowing both runners to score. Collender
then tripled to center field for a 7-3 lead and he scored on a sacrifice
fly by Keckler off new pitcher Benny Juarez.
He retired the side after that, then allowed an unearned run in the
seventh, when Pecos couldn't turn an inning-ending force play at second
base.
Nunez had come on to relive Keckler in the fifth after Villalobos reached
on a single, and was able to get Pecos to hit into their second double
play of the night. He allowed just a one out walk in the sixth, but when
Beck came on in the seventh Villalobos greeted him with a double, and Garcia
and Rodriguez then walked around a pair of wild pitches, the second which
helped score Villalobos.
Collender then went to the mound and got Benny Juarez on an RBI ground
out and Herrera on a pop to second, before Pifi Montoya tagged him for
a double, cutting the lead to four. Collender then walked Sebero Jaquez,
but was able to get Magana on a grounder to shortstop, ending the game.
Baseball to send 22 umps to showers
By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK, July 29 — Baseball umpires appear to be big losers after
the collapse of their threatened walkout.
About one-third of the 68 major league umpires will lose their jobs,
even after the withdrawal of all resignations Tuesday, two high-ranking
baseball officials said. That's because the American and National leagues
already have hired 25 replacements from the minor leagues.
"This was not the wrong strategy," NL umpire Randy Marsh insisted. "I
wish we weren't put in the situation where we had to do it. It's kind of
like taking a hammer to hit someone as opposed to tapping them on the shoulder."
AL president Gene Budig sent letters to nine AL umpires on Monday accepting
their resignations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition
they not be identified.
Similar letters to as many as 13 NL umps will be sent by NL president
Len Coleman later this week, the officials said.
The umpires escalated their labor battle with baseball on July 14 by
voting to resign en masse on Sept. 2, but the strategy began to falter
when some of the umps began to take back their resignations.
Bruce Froemming, a senior NL umpire who helped hire union head Richie
Phillips in 1979, was angry that some umps didn't back the union stand.
"They turned their backs on us," he said. "Obviously they think they're
going to get a better deal somewhere else."
On Monday, umpires sued the AL and NL in federal court in Philadelphia,
seeking a court order that would allow them to withdraw the resignations
prior to the Sept. 2 effective date.
Lawyers for owners and umpires held a conference call Tuesday with U.S.
District Judge Edmund V. Ludwig, who refused to issue a temporary restraining
order to prevent owners from accepting the resignations, the officials
said.
Without such an order, the umpires not being taken back by baseball
will be forced to spend years in court in an effort to regain their jobs.
"It's not over with yet. Our contract doesn't expire until Dec. 31,
so we will go on through the year and then negotiate a new deal," NL umpire
Marsh said.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig declined comment, spokesman Rich Levin
said.
Phillips issued a statement saying "a group of very fine umpires stand
very tall and will hold their heads high forever."
"They are to be admired for their resolve and courage," Phillips said.
"They are confident that they will eventually prevail in this very unseemly
affair that was deliberately provoked by major league baseball."
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
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Copyright 1999 by Pecos Enterprise
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