European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday october 1, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 25 Lanier s basics changed astros by Richard Luna Houston Dpi rarely has one person influenced a baseball team As much As Hal Lanier has with the Houston astros in a Span of Only 10 months Lanier Tooka learn that one publication predicted would lose 100 games this season an transformed it into a division Champion. Lanier accomplished the Feal without blockbuster trades or superstar free agents. Instead the 44-year-old Lanier who was tutored by is. Louts manager Whitey a Coj zog stressed fundamentals and instilled upon the astros the simple yet necessary elements of determination hard work and a drive for excellence. We came out of Spring training wit basically the same players As last year said Pitcher Mike Scott whose no hitter oversaw Francisco clinched the National league West. So we knew we had to do some things differently. He Lanier makes us be More aggressive hit and run steal take the extra base instead of sitting Back and taking three singles to score a  it was that aggressive style mixed with Superb pitching and up and coming Power hitters Glenn Davis and Kevin Bass that propelled the astros from a third place tic 12 games Back to a division championship improvement in one year. Dick Wagner whose first move As Gener Al manager was to hire Lanier Calls h is Field Boss a detail Man who is driven a Little harder to succeed than the next  Lanier son of former cardinals pitching Star Max Lanier played in the majors for 10 years mostly As a shortstop with the Sanfrancisco giants and winding up with new York Yankees in 1973. He manage Din the minors for five seasons beginning in 1976 and was a coach with the cardinals from 1981-85. At Houston Lanier quickly found out he would have a Tough Job ahead of him but his ground Rule was  just won t tolerate a player not doing the fundamentals Lanier said. If he can to things right he won t be  the astros lost two thirds of their Spring exhibition games and opened the regular season with Terry Puhl and Jose Cruz on the disabled list. The astros Wen using a Rookie Pitcher Jim Deshaies As their fourth starter and there were question Marks at third base and  Pitcher Bob Knepper compiled an Early 4-q record and the astros took sol Possession of first place april 25. They were out of first place for 22 games in the Middle of season regained the Lead july 19 and never trailed  was the pitching staff that remained consistent All season and whose Era in second Only to the new York acts. Keep per was the first Pitcher in the major leagues to win nine games and along with Scott and Detroit s Jack Morris led the majors with five shutouts. Scott became a candidate for the Yyoung award by leading the majors in strikeouts innings pitched and Era. He i assured of becoming Only the second right handed Pitcher in no history to strike out300 Bat Cre in one season. He had a string of 20 consecutive games in which he did not allow More than three earned runs in any  Ryan baseball s career strikeout Leader struggled Early and was placed on the disabled list twice because of a tender right Elbow. After coming off the do the firs time Ryan went 8-2 Wilh an 2.31 Era. The Surprise was Deshaies who was acquired from the Yankees last september for Joe Niekro. Deshaies won id Gomes and set a major league record with eight Dick Wagner left got what he needed when he named Hal in Micro manager. Strikeouts to open a game on sept. 23. Charlie scr fold was moved to the Bull pen and won 11 of 13 decisions and Relief Ace Dave Smith once had 10 saves in 1opportunities, including nine straight to open the season and has More than 30.free agents Larry Anderson and Aurclio Lopez also played key roles in Relief. With the clincher sept. 25, Scott pushed his record to 18-10. Ryan was i 1-8 at that Point Knepper 16-12, Deshaies 10-5 Andkerfeldll-2. All stars Davis and Bass provided Theoff Ense combining for 50 Home runs and More than 170 rib. Bass who had a Hil Ling Streak of 20 games hit consistently from Bath sides of plate better than.300. Lanier promised a More aggressive run Ning attack and did not Hack Down. Bill Doran stole More than 40 bases and Billy Hatcher acquired in a Trade from the Chi Cago cubs stole More than 30. As a team the astros stole More than 150, compared packers were sincere when asking about Willie s Ballet kicks by Randy m1nkofflake Forest Iii. Up a couple of Green Bay packers were walking off the Field near Chicago receiver Willie Gaull Las week and yelled to the bears receiver How s the Ballet going in some circles the question might be const Nied As ridicule or taunting the opposition. But in Gaull s Case the question was sincere. They wanted to know How Gaull who made his Public Ballet debut monday night was faring in his dance , they were serious. They wanted to know How it was going. They weren t making run of me Gault said. Generally people Aren t making fun Ceil around the league right  at the suggestion of his wife Gaull has been working out forthe past several months with the Chicago Ballet co. For Bis Public performances. Proceeds of his performances Are to go to Chanty. I Don t worry about what Oil or people might say if they Are kidding. 1 Don t have any trouble with my masculinity or Manli Ness Gaull  any performer can tallest dancing is an athletic Endeavor often in Quiring More physical coordination than playing  said he wonted to take formal Ballet Whie he was a student at the University of Tennessee and had dabbled in dance on his own before accepting the formal Oher. When i was hurdling. Was Good practice Good technique Good muscular coordination Gault said. Besides it is for a Good cause helping children in the Community. And it s i in. Will Ballet become a Staple of the super bowl Champion Chi not Likely Gault said smiling. Some of these Guys Aren t a Bui Olhow players possibly seeing the kind of attention Gault has received adm Tinb to having a background in Ballet i took it for four years at notre Dame said bears offensive Inema to Thayer. Spent a lot of time on to my a 1 n addition Gaull said linebacker Mike Singletary the of defensive player of the year Hie last two seasons had inquired about working on Ballet next year. Up photo bears Iuie Gull. Fancy footwork on Field he s talked about it with me for 1987," Gaull said. Be  seems to be Little Chance Gaull could Hurt himself dancing or that it could Hurt his receiving career in Elk  arc using different Muscles but not completely differ ent he said. You gel a lot of stretching on the hamstring which is  Gault has done some fancy stepping on the Field this  leads the learn with 15 receptions for 28s Yards a 19 Yard average and has scored one touchdown. He also has three rushes for 52 Yards for the undefeated bears. To 96 last  Pat owned and substituted regularly keeping everyone fresh and  Walling and Phil gamer shared Lime at third As did Craig Reynolds and Dickie Thon at shortstop. Alan Ashby replaced Mark Bailey As Catcher in May. And hit .260. Cruz hit his first Home run of the season in july an had 10 by clinching time. Houston made a pair of of her acquisitions during the season. The astros obtained Davey Lopes from the cubs an Pitcher Danny Darwin from Milwaukee. Lopes hit .244 with 10 rib and Darwin was 3-2. After losing their first two games of the season the astros who have suffered numerous slow starts in their i Spry won 10of their next 12. Only twice did the astros lose four straight games. They played Belt Erthan .500 Ball on the Road for Only the fourth time in their 25-year  astros also Learned to never quit win Ning 23 games i n their final at bal. Steeles better after first win Noll claims Pittsburgh up coach Chuck Noll said he saw marked improvement during the Steeles first Vic tory of the year a 22-16 win Over hous ton in overtime but not enough to guarantee Pittsburgh will slay on he winning  m Happy to report we were Able to meet some of the goals we had going int yesterday s game Noll said monday. We had the improvement we were seek ing in a lot of areas and that made the difference in the ballgame. We have a lot of individual Guy playing Well now. What we want is continued general  improved sunday was the of sense especially ils running game. Led by newly signed Earnest Jackson s 60 Yards the backs gained 214 Yards on the ground More than double the 107 Yards per game average they look into the contest. And the offence did a much belter Job of sustaining drives. After converting just 10 of 47 third Downs Over their firs three games the Steeles made six of 16, or 37 percent sunday Rick Woods accumulated 46 Yards onto pun1 returns sunday doubling the team s previous punt return yardage total of 44. His second return a 41-Yard or set up the so rulers game winning touchdown. The Steeles made these improvements without starting receiver Louis Lipps and running Back Frank pol lard who were out with injuries