The Huron Expositor, 1985-08-14, Page 9/
A8 — THE HURON EXPOSITOR, AUGUST 14, 1985 ---® SPORTS
Baseball strike no hit with fans
As a baseball fan I'd have' to say thank
goodness the strike didn't last long.
And while I still have mixed feelings about
the entire incident I must admit the owners,
the players and the union have to be
commended for all they did, or sacrificed to
get the game back into the public eye. At first,
indication Wednesday I, and I'm sure others,'
were prepared for a lengthy strike.
But less than 24 hours after it, the second
strike by major league baseball in four
seasons started, it ended. ' But not soon
enough that I was unable to formulate any
opinions on the whole fiasco.
W hat actually triggered the walkout we
know was refusal by the owners to drop their
demands for changes in salary arbitration.
The way things stood a player with two years
islajor-league experience was eligible to have
his salary decided by an arbitrator - a third
party who could choose for the player either a
figure submitted to him by the club he played
for, or by the player himself. According to the
owners arbitration was responsible for the
escalation of player salaries to the point
•where the average salary is now somewhere
around $363,000 US per season% They wanted
the eligibility requirement upped to three
' years to count down on players virtually
doubling their salary after arbitration. Now
with the. average Canadian male and female
earning somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000
per year it was pretty difficult to sympathize
with the players refusal to accept that
request.
SWEAT SOCKS
by Heather McIlwraith
..... _......
At the same time though it was difficult not
to sympathize with the players about other
issues surrounding the strike. After all, in
essence all they were doing was taking the
ultimate means of ensuring some job
security. An example of that was their
pensions requests.
At the onset of the strike players were
requesting one-third of baseball's annual
network television revenue from a $1.1
billion, six -year -contract (approximately $60
million. per year) be paid into their benefits
plan. In 1984 owners paid $15.5 million into
the plan. Sure the demand represented a
jump by 400er cent but provided increased
job security for the players, whose careers at
most can only be guaranteed a short
existence.
As a result of the requests (demands) these
twe loggerheads appeareds th e another for they'dh lg be
How fortunate that both groups were able to
dispel the fast -flying feelings that avarice
was encompassing major league sports,
compromise and get back into the business of
entertaining millions of fans.
Thank goodness too the "no-we-won't-
budge",attitude of the owners in regards to
pension fund contributions was reversed, and
e
playdecided to up a plan to $40econtributionsir to
million peryear.And
thank goodness the players condescended to
weigh and accept the request by the owners
to up the eligibility for player arbitration.
Both actions showed maturity andconsidera-
tion
sie a-
tion on the part of both partiesthey,
effect, saved hardship from themselves, and
fans and employees of ball parks, who would
have been affected adversely by a lengthy
strike.
When the strike began it was aptly
described by Marty York of the Toronto Globe
and Mail who said, "There were no hits. No
runs. A few errors, certainly. And one big
walk."
Now it appears those errors have been
rectified - baseball can get back to the
diamonds, the Toronto Blue Jays , can
continue their bid to bring the world series to
Canada for the first time, and Cincinnati's
Pete Rose can continue his pursuit of Ty
Cobb's record for hits.
And we, the fans, can continue to take it all
in, either on television, or at the park.
fare better than
Local teamsexpected
Through rain and shine the Second Annual 'the exception of a couple, fared well, moving In the A side of the tournament a Belmont
Optimist Men's Slo-Pitch ball tournament . deep into the schedule of the double tteomIado td wice winner upsetting ate m
' made it through the weekend. elimination tournament.
of
According to tournament organizer Bob "They all did well," said Mr. Gridzak. those games were 11-3 and 8.7.
Gridzak "there were no problems" and the "Some of them, like the Firemen, just
little bit of rain that fell on Saturday may have came out to have fun and they made it into the
slowed down the progression of the games quarter finals. W e were quite pleased with
hut did nothing to dampen the spirits of the them. They did better than they figured on.
players. They expected to be out after their first two
"There was a bit of a rain delay but we got games.'
all the games in. W e were playing until 12:45 Another local team, The Eagles, stopped
a.m. Sunday but we did it,' said Mr. one game short of the semi-finals. Top Notch
Gridzak. was the eventual winner of the B side of the
"Everything was right on. There were a tournament taking the title with a 16-6 win Plans' for the 1986 tournament are
super bunch of guys here." over a team from Baden. They advanced to underway. Mr. Gridzak said it will be tun
Local teams comprised 15 of the 24 who the finals after defeating teams from Varna similarly to this year's effort, but added
attended the tournament from around and Aylmer. They recorded their only loss in organizers are looking at cutting the number
southwestern Ontario. And those teams, with a game against Tavistock. of teams entered to 20.
Belmont started off strong in the tourna-
ment with a win over Lucan but were dropped
to the B side of the event with a second game
loss to Drumbo. Despite the loss Belmont
stayed on top of things defeating Tavistock,
the Firemen, the Eagles and Woodstock to
advance to the final match up against an
undefeated London team.
LET THE GOOD TiMES ROLL Helen 'Connell watches as her ball makes Its way to Its
destination at the end of the lawn bowling green. Mrs. Connell was taking part in a ladles
tournament held at the Seaforth club last week. (Mcllwraith photo)
Next race Saturday.
Houseleague competition. keen
August 10 saw House League racers take to
the Bully Gully track once again for the first
race of Part II of the House League series.
Some of the best racing action came in the
80 "B" class, where Piet Blaaubauer and
Duane Parsons moved up from the Experi-
mental class to take second and third place
honors, behind House League regular Jeff
Murch.
BUSINESS
_DIRECTORY..
-PHONE 527-0240
flirt.
PROBlEMS...w. can h.lpil
•FARM MOTORS
•POWER TOOLS
•REWINDING FAN BLADE
PULLEYS
FAST SERVICE!!
POWER HOUSE
Electric Motors
23S4319
Huron St. E., Exeter
Expert Interio, &
E xterior Decorating
Wallcoverings
Benjamin Moore Paints
Window Shades
Hildebrand
Paint & Paper
Phone 527.1880
1S Main St., Seaforth
BALL & FALCONER
FUNERAL HOMES
LTD.
offering
DIGNIFIED
SERVICE
at
BOX FUNERAL
CHAPEL
47 High St.
Seaforth
527-1142
Funeral Director:
Clarence D. Denomme
DAON
DEVELOPMENTS
Sundecks, Soffits, Roofing,
Sidewalks, Renovations,
Drywalling, Piumbing,
Electrical, Tree Removal,
Eavestroughing, Fencing,
Siding.
10% Discount
for Seniors
15 YEARS EXPERIENCE
24 SOUR SERVICE
345-2399
MUFFLE S GUARANTEED
as long as you own the car
Hart Ford Mercury
Formerly Seaforth Motors Ltd
527-1010
• SEW AND SAVE
CENTRE LIMITED
Sewing Machine Specialists
Repairs to all makes
• FREE ESTIMATES
• All WORK GUARANTEED
;41 111
SAI f S Husgvarna• White.
EIna , Janome, lots of
used machines
Mastercharge-Visa
Closed Mondays
149 Downie St.
12 dooys�south of Hudsorts)
STRATFORD 271-9660
PJ{a(.-4
Painting & Decorating
Dublin Ontario
Textured Ceilings
Airless Spraying
Paperhanging
Residential/ Commercial -
Industrial
otvIstolN OF tloseao
OMT. INC.
Sally Clarke rode to second overall in the
experimental class in her first race.
August 17 marks the next.House League
race, with August 24 being trophy day for
House Leaguers and the first half of a
Saturday -Sunday, House League -CMA
weekend.
For further information contact Chuck
Collins at 262-3318:
BOB'S ,
CARPENTRY_
Houses, Additions,
Renovations, Siding
Fluniture Finishing &
Repair
Bob Regele
482-7797 or 527-0715
'BAILEYS
MILL STREET, HENSALL 262-2020
Specialists In Pulse Combustion Heating
• Lennox Pulse Furnaces
• Hydro Pulse Bollen
• Lennox Central Air Conditioning
WE'RE PROUD TO BE YOUR LE NLX DEALER
•DIAMONDS • WATCHES
• JEWELLERY• FINE CHINA
• ENGRAVING SERViCE
Gifts for every occasion
All Types of Repairs
Phone 527-0270
(J
JEWELLERS
Appliance
and Refrigeration
REPAIR
SERVICE
JimBroadfoot
482-7032
The
Clip
Joint
EXPERT
DOG GROOMING
All Breeds
• PICK UPAND
DEIINERY ARE
AVAILABLE
• EVENINGS TILL 10
For appointment phone:
HELLEY JOHNSTON
.R. 02, Staffa 345-2511,
KKN
CONSTRUCTION
Liquid Manure Tanks
Solid or Slatted
Tops
Barn Renovations
House Foundations
& Finished Floors
Fritz Klaver
Dublin
345®2042
Feed, Seed, Fertilizer
Farm Supplies,
Petroleum Supplies,
Heating Oils
Seaforth Co-op
527-0770
PLUMBING
HEATING and
ELECTRICAL
CONTRACTORS
Horns
1111, Hardware
SILLS
Seaforth
527.1620
Whitney-Ribey
Funeral Home
CEMETERY
MONUMENTS
ROSS. W. RIBEY
DIRECTOR
t17 (,oderich Si.. Seaforth
PHONE 527-1390
Sincere and
Courteous Service
David
Longstaff
Ltd.
Optician
89 Main St. S. Seaforth
OPTOMIETRiSTS AND
OPHTHALMOLOGISTS
Prescriptions Filled
Promptly
SUMMER HOURS
Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.
9-5:30
Closed Wed. & Sat.
Tues. evening
by appointment only
COMPLETE OPTICAL
SERVICE
577-1303
I GARY BANNON
Painting, Decorating,
Paperhanging
Interior and Exterinr
FREE ESTIMATES
Phone 527-1582
Soaforth, Ont.
JOHN MILLER
—ELECTRIC--
• Farm • Residential
R.R.2 Staffa
345-2706
FLANAGAN
CARPENTRY'
Custom Built
Homes
Roofing and
Renovations
Farm Buildings
PETER
FLANAGAN
527-1399
SEAFORTH
INSURANCE
BROKER LIMITED
39 Main St., S.
Seaforth
•Home•Business
•Farm•Auto
•sickness
& Accidents
'Investments
527=1610
McKILLOP
MUTUAL
INSURANCE
COMPANY
91 Main St. South, Seaforth
Office 527-0400
FARM, HOME,
COMMERCIAL
AUTO COVERAGES
AGENTS
E. F. "Bill" Durst • 527-1455
Bob McNaughton 527-1571
Graeme Craig 887-9381
Banter & MacEwan Insurance
Brokers Ltd. 524-8376
REG BADLEY
CARPENTRY
-Vinyl Eavestroughing
-House
Construction
-Additions
-Pole
Structures
-Siding
FREE ESTIMATES
345-2564
BRODHAGEN
GENERAL
MASONRY
BLOCK
BRICK
STONE
CHIMNEYS
SIDEWALKS
IVAN
NIELSEN
MEM Seaforth
M527-0603
i
Bus. 527.1242
Res. 527.1942
T. J. DEVEREAUX
B.Sc., D.C.
Chiropractor
77 Maln St. Seaforth, Ont.
NOR IWO
NEW HOURS:
Mon. 8:30.12
1:30.6:00
'Tues., Thurs. 8:30.12
3:30-8:30
Wed., Fri. Sat. 8:30-12