European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 8, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 8, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 25 what s i ballplayer More or Ess by John Nelso Nap baseball writer what is one Man More or less a Rookie who must spend another year in the minors. A Veteran who can t find a Job. A Pitcher. A Reserve outfielder. A pain in the neck for managers. A savings of $100,000 per club. It could be All these things As baseball teams attempt to abide by a gentleman s agreement to Cut their major league rosters from 25 to 24 players. The move was made to reduce costs after a study by the owners player relations committee projected total losses in 1986 at $59 million. The pc estimates that the elimination of one player from the roster would save each club an average of $111,287. That amounts to $2.9 million total for 26 teams or about 5 percent less in losses. Yes it will save Money says indians president Peter Bavasi but it will also enhance our player development program. A 25th player is usually your least productive player. If he s a youngster he would be much better off playing every Day in the minors. It will also give More playing time to your 24th player and help his devel  the collective bargaining agreement with the players Union allows clubs to use a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 25 players. Mark Belanger a special assistant in the Union says if you go with 24 players the Guy who is sent Down will probably be a Rookie. The most you d be saving is $60,000 minimum salary. Plus you d be cutting yourself Short on  but Atlanta general manager Bobby Cox says the Odd Man out might not Al ways be a younger player. Sometimes your 25th player is a Young player who would be better off playing in the minors he says. Sometimes your 25th player is an older player just hanging on and making a lot of  that s Rod Carew. The 40-year-old Carew was released by the California an gels after last season during which he made an estimated $1.1 million. He reportedly was willing to sign in 1986 for $450,000, but there were no takers. Even Carew s old team the Minnesota twins could t rationalize signing him. We re faced with going to a 24-Man roster said Andy Macphail twins vice president for player personnel. We have Kent Hrbek at first base we be got Roy Smalley As our do against right handed pitchers. There s his age and physical condition with a knee that s Given him some problems. It All pointed to the fact it would t be very smart for either Rod or us to sign  the indians also took a look at Carew but Cleveland s vice president Joe Klein said you d have to have a role for him. Rod s a one position player. You can t take the one dimensional Guy this year. You be got to have Guys who can do a variety of  despite the savings some clubs have walked at the roster Cut. Baltimore orioles general manager Hank Peters said last month that his club wanted to use 25, but if most go with 24, Well probably do the  other clubs were having difficulty deciding where to make the final Cut. Would it be a Pitcher a Reserve outfielder or an in fielder consider the plight of Chicago cubs manager Jim Frey who watched Young outfielder Brian Dayett hit around .370 during the Spring. Dayett s performance made us kind of drop Back a couple of Steps and look at the roster and look at the pitching staff Frey said. I m going to wait before i make a  a perfect example of the new 24th Man was Tim Corcoran who was released by the Philadelphia Phillies last year and picked up by the new York mets. Corcoran was a first baseman outfielder with Philadelphia but he also has been working out behind the plate for the mets since manager Davey Johnson wants to carry three catchers. With 24-Man rosters the coming thing versatility is the key for a Guy like me the 33-year-old Corcoran says. Johnson has been one of the most outspoken against the 24-Man limit since he Pla Toons at two positions second base and third base. He has argued with general manager Frank Cashen about the limit and even Cashen has doubts especially about How Long the gentleman s agreement will last. If someone reneges on the agreement the result May depend on the team. There is the Chain reaction theory. If for instance a last place team goes to 25, then the next to last place team May also go to 25, and so on up the line. Says Cincinnati reds . Bill Ber Gesch if the dodgers go to 25, we will  Francis produced in just 3 years whalers finaly make payoffs Emile Francis. It was a Challenge Hartford Conn. A the Day belonged to Emile Francis. Thanks to the Crafty Little former goalkeeper who took Over the whalers three years ago the whal ers were finally a playoff team. The Day also belonged to Jack Evans a Burly former defens Eman who once cleared enemies from in front of Francis net when both played in new Haven during the 1950s. Together like a stick and tape they took Over a team that had lost its direction and put together a playoff team. The whalers had been a Success in the defunct world hockey association whose teams built themselves on a pay As you go basis often gathering top players three or four at a time when another team folded. But they Learned a Stark lesson in the established nil. We got off path and started flip flopping first round picks making wha Type deals said Howard Baldwin the chairman and Man aging general partner. In the wha you never looked to tomorrow. We tried for a Quick fix in the nil and it did t  after going through six coaches in four seasons Baldwin put out word in the Spring of 1983 that he was looking for a hockey  Francis walked in the door. I had a pretty Good idea what i was getting into Francis said. It was a Challenge. I wanted to see How Long it would  Francis Evans and their assistants shuffled and reshuffled the roster until Only one player Captain Ron Francis remained from the Day they took Over. They drafted left Wing Sylvain Turgeon a 21-year-old Sharpshooter who leads the team in scoring and defens Eman Dana Murzyn a big rugged player in the Evans Mold. They traded for goalie Mike list who has saved his Best hockey for the final stretch Dave Babych their Best Overall defens Eman John Anderson a hard shooting Forward and Veteran Center Doug Jarvis whose defense and leadership have been invaluable. They mixed in role players aggressive Kevin Dineen who became a prolific goal scorer on a line with Francis and Anderson Forward Stewart Gavin whose play has far exceeded expectations and Torric Robertson who fends off opposing teams bullies. I told them we would build a competitive hockey team As Quick As we could but it would t be done in two weeks two months or two years because there was a lot of building that had to be done Francis said. For the record it was three years. The whalers 7-1 Victory saturday Over Toronto put them in the Stanley cup playoffs for the first time since they came to the nil Acosta pleased by improved racquetball berlins a with a list of past accomplishments that easily puts him in the who s who in Mili tary racquetball Usa eur masters Champion Felix Acosta can Well be especially proud of his 1986 title. The v corps Veteran Acosta who Defeated Andrew Brantley of 26th support up for his second straight Crown and third in four years Points to the Ever tougher Competition. Overall the Competition was much better this year said the 41-year-old command sergeant major at 8th inf div Headquarters in Baum older. I was particularly impressed with the open class. I think this can be attributed to the army s focus on physical fitness. Judging from the level of play Here the individuals playing had to have received a lot of command support and received time off to practice and to  All the More reason for Acosta to look with satisfaction at 1986. The compact 5-foot-4 /2, 163-Pounder, whose Black hair shows nary a Trace of Gray was never seriously challenged. His 15-7, 15-6 Triumph Over Brantly was Typ ical of the methodical manner in which he marched to the Crown without dropping a game. His matches were almost Boring he was that Domi Nant one observer said describing the play of Acosta. Acosta s racquetball reign dates Back to 1980 when he won the All services tournament which at that time took in not Only Active service players but those from the National guard and other non Active categories. Acosta won v corps championships in 1982, 1983, 1985 and this year As Well As Usa eur crowns in 83, 85 and 86. In 1982 he also added the open doubles championship to his honors As Well As finishing second in the masters singles. Off the court he s popular with other players with his easy manner and Sharp sense of humor. On the court he s All business. He s also very serious about the responsibilities of his Job. Despite his outstanding racquetball resume it s Uncertain if he will be Able to participate at All army. The Back door route taken by Paul Whitten of 21st support come to his second straight open singles title is testimony to the accuracy of Acosta s assessment of racquetball Competition at Usa eur. Whitten made Good use of his Best weapon his positive attitude to rebound from a shocking first round defeat by Mike Jan Nero of Vii corps needing eight victories to get to the finals then taking two straight from teammate Jim Davis for the repeat Crown. Davis had been Only the no. 6 player on his team. Those Are some of the hardest matches i be Ever played it really Felt Good to come Back that far against this Good a Competition said the 26-year old sergeant who is a medical technician at the 31st combat support Hospital at Pir Masens. I knew when i lost it would be a Long Road Back but i was confident i could do it said the 5-10, 165-Pound Whitten after his three game loss to Jan Nero. The Champi on also forced to come out of the loser s bracket for this year s 21st support come Crown did t lose another game though Many were hard fought especially against Davis. The opening set of the if necessary match was crucial with the two players swapping Points and leads from 7-7 until the end. Particularly notable was a Roll out Winner from behind his Back by Davis for his 12th Point. Ultimately Whitten reached 15 first for his 15-14 Victory with a soft finesse shot that found the Corner and produced a protest from Davis. Officials ruled the shot Good and Whitten went on to Complete his Triumph with a 15-8 second game. Like Acosta women s open Queen Jackie Aguirre of Berlin was in a class of her own chalking up her third straight Usa eur Victory and hardly being extended. She Defeated Beth Crawmer of 21st support come 15-9, 15-9. The Competition has really improved Here but i really would have liked for it to have been a Little tougher said Aguirre who works As an aide and interpreter for maj. Gen. John h. Mitchell commander . Berlin come. Her specially besides terrorizing women competitors on the court is French. Finally Vivian Brown of Vii corps came away a bridesmaid again finishing second to this year s women s Mas ters Champion Carol Rudesill from v corps. Brown won a tight first game 15-13, Rudesill an even closer second game 15-14, then the Champion went to what turned out to be her secret weapon a sidewall Pinch shot which she used effectively for at least five Points in taking the tie breaker 11-6. That and a number of unforced errors meant Brown who lost to Aguirre in the 1985 open Competition had to setted for second Best again this time to Rudesill who was fresh from several victories in the. Usa eur ski championships in late february