Pago 10
Tuesday, April 0, 1CC3
Daily Ncbsnsksn
v.
H J is-
Top-ranked Fenn State
aimsior nauo
Dy I2k!i Ccepcr
. For the Penn State men's cmr.as
tics team, being number one in the
country is no sirar.a thing. Ilia Kit
tany Lions are the pre-mect favorites to
win the national title this weekend at
the NCAA men's gymnastics champion
ships at the Bob Devarey Sports Center
Frid and Saturday.
Penn State Coach Karl Seller said
his team is used to feeling the pressure
cf being number on. The Liens have
held the position since December.
"Any teen would like to go into the
national championship meet ranked
number one," Schier said. 'The team h
very confident that they can win the
national championship."
L&st year the Nittany Lions finished
second behind UCLA. But UCLA's three
top ail-aroiindcrs were graduated.
Penn State's season scoring averse
of 285.32 was highest in the nation. The
second-ranked team, Ohio State, is tro
points behind them.
The Nittany Lion's highest score was
a 283.15 in a dual against Nebraska
Feb. 2. Schier said the chemistry was
right for that meet.
"We knew going into the Nebraska
meet Nebraska was going to be tough,"
The baseball season began Monday '
and thus signals the beginning of
another spring phenomenon. The pre
diction column.
A short look at the history of the
Daily Nebraska prediction column
has shown a remarkable accuracy to
pick the division winner. In 1 082, Pat
Clark, then a weekly columnist, cor
rectly tagged the St. Louis Cardinals as
the National League Champions, while
Scott Ahlstrand proved just as much cf
a wiz with the Milwaukee Erewers. The
next season, Keven Warneke's selection
of the Baltimore Orioles' as both the
American League East champ and the
World Series winner also was correct.
(He also had the Phillies as the National
League champ.) Last year, Ward Triplett
had the Padres making it to the World
Series.
So once again, here, are the staff
prediction columns, with Jeff Apel
selecting the American Leaf le West,
Mike Reilley the" American League
East, Bob Asmussen the Nations!
League West and Triplett the National
League East. Come October, we'll
accept all applause for our forecasting
brilliance. Or whatever . . .
NX. West
1T evenge. It's a pleasant word when
1-f one is a fan cf the Atlanta Braves
because 1885 is the year Ameri
ca's Team gets revenga
You remember 134. The Padres won ,
the pennant. Atlanta finished 14 miies
back. Fernando Valenauela forgot how
to eat and pitch at the same time.
Frank Eobinson became the first black
mansgor in baseball to be fired twice,
Cincinnati hired Pete Rose as manager.
Houston pfayed the test baseball late
in the seascn Izi ccdi't catch the
hctrStsftm Psdr
",cll, ItZ'ite z:.i to be seme yeari.i
the Natieral Leape West. At!ar.a,
with Eob Homer tack sr.dD.-uce Cu.ter
cemir.3 1cm the Crrr.3 t2 a t3
zz vrlli r.ln dlrl;:::i rthj
I!y preJctei crJ-r J f;r the
N.L Vet in 1C23 h Aii:"';? listen,
-i Dl:j, Cl."lr:a' f i rr".:LcD
till I ' 3
!: . . the i: . X ii tj y. jtv"1U
Lt3 r. ' : 2. r.;:-2 1 3 alia to Lit
t3 i3 ci c.'.: ; t'tr j T"?h t':a r.":i:;r.r.
L.'- ' -n i II t T s r.ti cf
13 it r 3Lt
1 -'
Daily Nebraska
1 i
Schier said. TJat' everything clicked
that niht. We almost had a perfect
meet."
Since that meet, Schier s:4d, his
team has had cps end dovraa. On March
4, it lest Katie Gonzaks for tha cecsea
because cf a knee lajary. K a was cse cf
tli top ill around nan and a pom.m:l
hors3 specialist vriih a 0.7 aver: re.
said .
his team Is ctrora
depth and ha3 rccevcrcd fi'cai the hei
cl
f 8 seers'! & 2i'0 ji -rjiy iir
in our last hem meet. ! thin': we are
peaking right ncT," Scl.
TwocfFcni State's!
sr i J.
3 all-aroun-
ders carry iwerages over 57. Terry Ear
tlsit, a senior from Southampton, Eng
land, is ranked second nationally with
a 57.77 avere3. He was the number ens
ali-arounder far England in the UU
Spider V.27, ell from Atlanta, Co. b
rri he-d second in the Esst region with a
57. S3 average.
ScMcr said his third all-arcunder,
ten Shelly, hs been bothered by a sera
ankle and may net compete.
'This is going to be ona cf the clos
est meets we have competed in in a
long time," ScMcr said. "Any (of) five
teams can win the national champion
ship." in u
and sat out the rest cf the season with
blurred vision. Els hitting has returned,
but he's still having trouble fielding. If
he regains form and the agsd pitching
staff, led by Nolan Eysa and Joe Niekro
holds up, the Astrcs won't be called the
Lastrcs in 18 85.
Atlanta has much more besides
Horner and Sutter. The Braves have the
National League's best player in cen
terSelder Dale Murphy. Murphy should
get back the MVP trophy that belonged
to him in 1832 and 1833. Finding a
leftfielder could be the key for the
Braves. Another key will be the catch
ing cf Eick Cerone and Bruce Benedict.
If either cf those two is able to hit, it
could be a fan October in Atlanta.
The Padres will have trouble repeat
ing the type of year they had in 1884 If
Steve Garvey can continue to play like
last season, the Pad's will be in until
the end. Lack cf quality starting pitch
ing could be their downfall.
San Francisco will continue to com
plain about Candlestick Park, but what
they really should complain about is
trading Jack Clark. With Clark, the
Giants would have had one of the
league's beet outfields. Without him
they won't.
A TT-
V:
Est year, the American League.
West was the joke cf the ms.br
-a leagues. The Esnsas City Eofals
captured the pennant last year with an
84-78 record, which wo!d hm been
good for a sixth place finish in the
American League East. This year,
however, tha EJs will sii& to the
bottom tad a rsseacs cf the CMco
Wli'.e S-jz will lead them to the pea
nant Hera's why:
Ths r.it3 Sex, with r"ch::3 Tern
Carer, ridTsD:t::ngrJ Ifc; i P.. ;.:.t:r
and thv dzz:'.:?. preitien d czt
IzUzr E:n Kittis tzi cJclzr C;:l:en
Tl hara or 3 cf tha rest pc
'A.
lead t!.: '.i t3 Cs ib::ej L: jje
f :r rn, rill cl!b cr"4 r:tch t"::3 ? -rite.
1 v. "3 1 f L"":::. cr fLct
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ii m uue
.OS
considered past their prime, will fcsrt'
CaSifbrnia down the stretch.- '
The A'.?, despite the loss cf Eickey
Henderson, will climb to fourth place
after a fifth-place finish last sesm A
leas-thaa-perfect pitching st.aU, like
the Angels', and the lack cf a third
power hitter to back Dave Kingman
and Dwayne Murphy will cause Oak
land's downfall. 1
The Rangsrs, with an improved
pitching staff with the signing of free '
agent Burt Eooton, will climb u-cm a
sixth place finish last season to fifth
place this season. A lack cf a proven
catcher, as well as a shaky bull pen,
will hurt Texas do th,e stretch.
The Royals, the same tetm who won
the A.L. West last year, will fall to sixth
this year because of a combination of
injury-prone veterans (George Brett,
Frank White), wasihed - up veterans
(Larry Gura, Jim Sundberg) and not-so-spectacular
rookies.
he i!ets are the best team. The
1 Cubs have the most talent and
' it pitching. The Ffcilliss are the fas
test and the youngest, and the Expos
have the neat to prcve. The Firciss
have the ti:t indipsUoa to wee
come. " '
But, the St. I&ssss Caruinsls wiil win
the rwienl Le..3 it
Of coiise the Et83 ahGld win. Gary
Carter fills the csly weak pcsiUoa the
team had la:t yeer. Net cn!y did ti t)
ally tit h ::;"3 a::-.t tro77f :r.e 3
r:.n v. ho 1 j t t3 rrve he cm via.
The T t j redd tos teeri dar:
cn T.llh C,".lwl.t C:.!;-i arJ
UUL" J. II.' , v. ::h Carter, they can p c
cf tc!wr.t i 't " 3 r 1 " 3 cf te L
The CX , I ; : '.criea's "jllr: "i
alter a e "
c:i-'o the""
to tl z c'.;.:i:n cl :;
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Vtefct v ... fe. .v
P m n fts m St : i '5 1 5
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histery. Laat sesa ts s rJr-cf Let.
Just 3 the Cubs and lists were sup
posed to finish last but ended up m the
I predict that the 1255 season will find
the Cardinals -and the Pirates fighting
it out tct the title.
Sure there's no reason to expect it.
The Pirates didn't do much to improve
themselves and now Jckt Candelaria
and F.od Scurry have raised questions
about the management and want cut
(aain). They do have big bats new, bat
Steve Kesnpo and George Henddck
aren't the dependable types.
tut lock for there two to give Larry
LlcVmlhms and Jcre DeLeen mcro
rli"T r?mft v'! fjV f T nA"
like JaienThe.a;; on a.-J Jchr.ry B:y to
purh each cth:r t'.rji-j-!! i'::jticn
yerxs. When the Pirate rrc eliminated,
it ir.rr.i c:.ly Is tccrjce the CarUi
nai's winning makes even less sense;
The Cardinal's msjor addition of
Jack Clark solves but creates a prob
lem at the same time. Clark is.the first
bona-fide homeron hitter in a Cardinal
uniform since . . . since . . . well pa get
the picture. But he's also the eriy such
threat in uniform, and no mm pitcher
is going to give Mm much to Mt uitfess
they hare to. KethlRg about tha Cardi-
C::l3 LTtith aitd Tc::i Lza, Ll'caics
V ' ? Si L, m, I.
11. -7 t'eo lest Da-.li C:: -1 rrd
Erjee E-tter sad will 3 with c J : ts
like Ilea DayLy and Ar.; 1!;. r ca
the c:ir.i L'at c:n t j Jut L:: 'be
th 8 h::;!a that will sarrou :,d t : : ;a
Tw? i rast tha Lst-s-iil-t
CJ.jlFnillrjtothilralbA! - :?
E:.-.t:r th::s rr:;3 fll'i I ;v: ,!:
quLi An-J f:r ths atr:;:r cr.l ; ho
3 t,1 ;a Ban J Fcrt:r v.lll dat.'Ja
The RL East shosld Caish t. Lcais,
Chica3 cad New York . . . the wsy it
shoaJJ have fceea It yesr. If it dses,
I'm a gsria3. II it deasa wsH, why
wesIJ yea want to rerd the s:r.2 ell
precLXfcl
r':-: -1 : i: "3r.l'l 1 3 C a j scr
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v -4 c: .a rJ.3 tl.3 re:.. Li Cit LL
fit
i3Z.lt
Ess
The Ods!f a will ba c!sx:Iy
by a fellow fowl, th e Toror.t-3 Ela?. I
predict the rest cf the AJL Et
finish fa? behind the. tc? tro tsass.
Detroit will be Uiird, followed the
Boston Esd Sex, New Ycrk Ycnkecs,"
Baltimore should return to the top cf
the division, j?:st as it did in 1S23 when
it won the diiision and went cn tc
defeat Philadelphia in the World Se
ies. The Oiicles stumbled last year
after three cf the team's standouts
were farced to the bench, kclsi&ngAl
Eumbry, Jim Palmer (who retired) and
Ken Singleton. They used the fee
agent draft to sip three talented
rephecments. They signed farmer Cali
fornia Ansel's oatfidder Fred Lsna to a
five-year, $.8 million contract. Balti
more also gained relief pitcher Don
Aass end rightMder Lee Laeey. Hie
addition cf the free agents to a sqnad
that boasts a solid pitching corp, a
talented catcher in Eick Despsey mi
ens cf the league's best players in
shortstop Cil Eipken Jr. makes Balti
more the toughest custesser in the
w 3 E.WMMti4 i ;
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They Erdehcd eear.d to tha Ts.: l:st
y. i ard pleLei cr.e if Cia !:. s's
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