European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 the stars and stripes thursday november 14. 1985 Little train s deeds lost in nil s hoopla Over the refrigerator b . Janofsky nov York no with All the hoopla Over one of the largest Plu Jers in the football league. William the refrigerator i crr. It might be easy to inc look the smallest player in the league. Lionel Little train James he is ii s-foot-6-Ineh. 172-Pound running Back for the san Diego charges. Who is Bear ing Down on a to car old league record. With 345 total Yards in the chargers 40-34 Victory sunday Over the los an Geles raiders. James needs Only 848 Yards to pass Terry Mcleaf who had 2.462 combined net Yards for the St. Louis cardinals in 1975. James a second year player from a Burn has rushed 59 times for 305 Yards caught 53 passes for 698, run Back 22 kickoffs for 506 and 14 punts for 115 for a total of 1,615 Yards. His 345 Yards against the raiders 51 Rushing 168 passing 126 Kickoff returns was second Only to the 373 Yards credited to Billy Cannon of the Houston oilers in a 1961 game against the new York titans. One of the reasons James has been so successful in the chargers offensive scheme is that inc team frequently uses a three Back set. The chargers advantage with it is hat their backs James Gary Anderson. Tim Spencer and Buford Megic Art accomplished pass catchers. While most teams know too Well How dangerous the chargers can be with Dan Fouts throwing to kill in Winslow. Was Chandler and Charlie Joiner the leading pass receiver in league history. Coach Don Coryell is now giving them a new wrinkle using three backs with either two wide receivers or with one wide receiver and one Light end. That creates substitution prob lems for the defense should a coach Send in an extra linebacker to cover a running Back in the passing lanes or an extra Cor Norback for zone coverage our system is an offence player s dream James said. You Hope and Pray to play Here. The offence is so versatile we spread things around so James said the chargers Call inc three Back set a Power too drab. In these Days of refrigerator madness something More colourful would be appropriate. You re right James said. So How about the train set whatever they Call it Coryell says the idea is nothing new. He used it he said in 1955, when he was coaching at Wenat Choc Valley Junior College in Wenat Choc Wash. His team went 9-0 that season be fore losing to Bakersfield Junior College in the potato bowl. Lionel Little train James. Closing in on combined net Yards record owners May try to hold offers Down 63 major leagues in free agent Pool new York a baseball s free agents arc now free to negotiate with All major league teams and indications Are that club owners will hold the line on big salaries and Long term contracts. Eleven More players tiled before the monday Midnight deadline bringing the total to 63, the most to Hie for free Agency since the process began in 1976. Fifty six players filed for free Agency in 1984. Under the new contract reached in a gust players for the first time do not have to go through a re entry draft which limited each free agent s dealings to 13 teams. Such teams As the world Champion Kan Sas City royals Texas rangers Cleveland indians Philadelphia Phillies los Angeles dodgers Montreal expos Chicago cubs Houston astros and even the new York Yankees to a smaller degree have said they have no plans to enter the free agent Market. The last 11 players to file incl j Hal Mcrae Veteran designated hitter or the royals and infielder Bobby Grich of Cali fornia. The others were infielders Dickie Thon of Houston Tony Perez of Cincinnati Ivan Dejesus of St. Louis indians outfielder Benny Ayala and pitchers Bruce Kison of Boston Bart Johnson of the while sox Marty Bystrom of the Yankees and Mike Norris and Tommy John of Oakland. The biggest prize is slugging outfielder Kirk Gibson who made 1685,000 last sea son and opted for free Agency when the tigers offered him a three year Deal. The three year offer was a departure from recent years for the tigers who have Given longer contracts to second baseman Lou Whitaker shortstop Alan Trammel outfielder Chat Lemon and pitchers Jack Morris and Dan a cry. Tigers general manager Bill Lajoie said his club is trying to re sign Gibson and third baseman Tom Brookens but otherwise would stay Clear of free agents. The status is thai Kirk is looking to other clubs Lajoie said. The difference is the length of the Conn act. We Don t want o commit ourselves to something Long term. That s the stumbling Block. It has nothing to do with the player it s Don Fehr acting executive director of the major league players association is wary about the owners adopting a tougher policy on free agents. There s a new system in effect now and it s top Early to Tell if the owners Are at tempting to destroy it he said. There certainly appears a you scratch my Back i la scratch yours approach Here. If this becomes a pattern that influences the free agent Market then i d have to say we have a California Relief Pitcher Donnic Moore became one of the top free agents when the Angels who signed some players to Long term contracts in the past offered him a three year contract. George Steinbrenner the Yankees owner said this in t collusion or any thing remotely like that. It s just a matter of everybody getting disgusted with the Way they be been conducting business and i m As guilty As anyone. You re still going to see the top players like an Eddie Murray of Baltimore or a Rickey Henderson of the Yankees for in stance getting top Dollar. But it s the huge stupid contracts that the fringe players got that put us in the mess we re in Dick Bald Crspin Seattle mariners vice president in t impressed by the available free agents this year. The Quality out there a not the Quality there was last year or in the past he said. However new White sox general Man Ager Ken Harrleson said the White sox Are not afraid to spend a Buck. I Don t agree with clubs that have taken themselves out of the free agent Market. I Don t believe in painting yourself into a Corner. If someone not photo Detroit s Kirk Gibson. Biggest tree agent prize is available we want we re going to go after him. Thai s whal free Agency is there for it i a from 1981 to 1984 teams that lost 1 Type a classified free agent were entitled to be compensated from a Pool of unprotected players from other teams. The new York mets lost Tom Seavor to the White sox that Way in 1983. Under the present system Amateur draft choices will serve As compensation for Type a players. Coaches pick Texas women to claim hoop title by he associated press the University of Texas women s basketball team which boasts five returning to starters and two All americans has been selected by a nationwide panel of 60 coaches to capture the National title. The longhorns collected 36 first place votes and us7 Points to finish first in the preseason women s basketball poll con ducted by Mel Greenburg of the Phila Delphia inquirer for the associated press. Coach Jody Conradt s team which has finished no. I in the final weekly poll for the past two seasons was upset last year by Western Kentucky in the semifinals of the Mcaa Mideast regional playoffs. Georgia which lost to old Dominion in last season s Mcaa title game received 15 first place votes and 1,126 Points to place second. The lady Dawes were Fol Lowed by Northeast Louisiana an Mcaa Sci finalist which received four first place votes and 1,067 Points. Louisiana tech received three first place votes and 996 Points to place fourth in the preseason balloting followed by old Dominion which collected the remaining two first place votes and 928 Points. Western Kentucky a Surprise participant in the final four last year is expected to Challenge old Dominion for supremacy in the Sun Belt conference. It received 865 Points for sixth place. Southern California led by senior Che Ryl Miller was voted into the top 10 for the first time since the Middle of last sea son at seventh with 763 Points and a Burn was eighth with 697 Points to claim its highest ranking Ever. Tennessee was ninth with 650 Points and Ohio state completed the top 10 with 637 Points. The second 10 was led by Long Beach state a perennial National Power that will begin play in the Pacific coast athletic association. Long Beach was followed by Mississippi Penn stale Iowa making its first poll appearance North Carolina stale and san Diego state
