European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 07, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes saturday october 7, 1989 o s Boss to stay As Long As it takes by Tim Kurkjian the Baltimore Sun Oakland. Calif. Not Only did Frank Robinson officially announce the expected thursday he and his coaches will he Hack in 1990 but he also said he was committed to managing the Baltimore Ori Oles for As Long As the Job i told Usu when i look the Job in 1988 that i wanted to help turn the franchise Robinson said. We took a giant step inward that this year but the Job is far from being done. I want to be around for As Long As it takes to get the Job done. 1 feel Good. I m healthy. I want to be a club source said thursday Robinson was awarded a financial Bonus for guiding the orioles to an k7-75 finish. Robinson did t deny that. But according to Larry , club president. We did t tear up his contract. Heddin t ask us Robinson the Likely american league manager of the year was Given a new contract last year. In it. His contract Rolls Over each year with pay increases each year As Long As Robinson says he wants to manage and As Long As the orioles want him to manage. Robinson said he did t consider seriously the possibility of not returning As manager. Wednesday he met w Ith Luc Chino and general manager Roland he mond Over lunch. In 90 minutes they discussed this season next season the future and Robinson s contract. Robinson said he talked with his wife. Barbara about the decision. She has said she wanted him to quit but Robinson said thursday. She understands. She s not nearly As outspoken As she was at this time last year. We be started something Here that would he difficult to walk away from. Our Young players Are just starting to develop it will be exciting watching them mature. The past year has been As much fun As i be Ever had As a manager. I d be Cray not to want to be a part of it next Lucchino said of gelling the matter finished it was important to do things in an orderly fashion. We Don t want to be distracted by Side issues. We re work ing on 1990 now. We started tuesday. It s time to look t looking Back Robinson said after saturday s 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue jays Al the sky dome knocking the Ori Oles out of the Pennant race that if he could manage a team like the 1989 Ori Oles every year i think i d manage for the rest of my Robinson enjoyed the limelight that came Wilh being one of the biggest Sto Ries in baseball this year. I enjoyed the Competition he said. I liked putting the uniform in november 1987, Robinson was named special assistant to the president of the orioles. In essence he was late owner Edward Bennett Williams no. I Man. Spring training 19x8 was Robin son s first in 35 years in which he was t in uniform. He looked uncomfortable and six games of the 1988 season he replaced c Al Ripken or. As manager. After the season which the orioles finished 54-107, Robinson was Given the new rollover contract. Should Robinson choose not to manage or should the Ori Oles not want him to manage then he would return to his former front office position fora minimum of one year. Robinson said he aspired some Day to be a general manager hut that does t appear to he in the immediate future la Arnond s contract will he renewed also for at least 1990. So. Robinson will re turn to the dugout for 1990 Down the line. I la think about the front office said Robinson. Now i m focusing More on managing " he will have his handpicked iodine Hack hitting instructor torn Mcc rash pitching coach Al Jackson bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks third base coach c Al Ripken or. And first base coach Johnny Oales. Robinson Calls them a great staff they did a tremendous Job " remember what Mccraw said Al mid season the fire Burns in Frank. It burned As a player. It Burns As a manager. He won As a player. He won t quit until he wins As a manager. He won Frank Robinson. Past year was fun of s mighty mite mentioned for Heisman by drug Brown the Baltimore Sun Annapolis my. He is a water Bug among behemoths a Wisp of a fellow at 153 pounds. His name is dec Dowis and he plays quarterback for air Force. The stage on which the Falcons fre quent flyer will pile up More mileage and perform his Wishbone wizardry sat urday is the Field Al Navy Marine corps stadium. Air Force is undefeated Al 5-0 and ranked no. 20 in the land As it takes on Navy but the Star of the show is Dowis. He is not Only i the nation s leading i rusher Wilh 145.8 Yards a game but i also the top scorer with an average of 15.6 Points. In some quarters he is being mentioned As i a Heisman trophy dim is candidate a Long shot behind West Virginia s major har Ris and notre Dame s Tony Rice. It is bound to be week when air Force plays Noire Dame. It la be Dowis is. Rice on National to Dee is a great quarterback said Charlie Weatherbie. The Best i be Ever of Weatherbie is air Force s quarterbacks coach so he s biased. Take it from Al Luginbill then. In air Force s opening 52-36 Victory Over san Diego state Dowis ran for 249 Yards and six touchdowns. Said losing coach Luginbill that s the Best performance i be seen by an individual player in air Force s second game Dowis ran for 201 Yards and two scores in a 45-7 Romp Over Wyoming. Said losing coach Paul Roach he s got to be one of the Best Wishbone quarterbacks in recent years. You can probably go Back 10 years and he will rank up there with some of the great Oklahoma Navy coach Elliot Uzelac will take Hal a step further. In his two years Here a Elac has watched Dowis direct the Falcons to two wins and a total of 57 Points. The difference Between Dowis and those Oklahoma is Hal this kid on his own. Can make Greal athletes of quarterback dec howls in to run a Rains Colorado slate last month. Miss Uzelac said. Uncanny. He not Only has an understanding of the Wishbone but he s got the god Given Tal ent to make people miss in the open an air Force triple option play starts Wilh the snap from Center to Dowis. Re acting to the defense he either fakes to the fullback or hands him the Ball. If Dowis keeps the Ball he is immediately on the move still studying the de sense. Patiently he Waits for defenders to commit themselves or until they Are fro zen into indecision Ihnn with his extraordinary quickness he either darts by them or. If they re Loo close pitches to a trailing halfback. Texas Al i Aso coach David Lee said that with the exception of thai one draw play we played two Guys on Dee the whole on thai one draw play the frequent flyer streaked 35 Yards for the Louch Down that sewed up air Force s Triumph in the second Quarter. Dec s As Good As in arc Ever was in running Hal acc said. He is just so darn Good and he does in Wilh less personnel around him than places like Texas and Oklahoma have very few schools certainly nol Texas or Oklahoma even wan cd Dowis. He played for Franklin county High in Royston ga., leading the team to the state playoffs for the first time in the schoors history. He weighed All of 147 pounds. Recruiters from places like Furman and Duke and Clemson would come in 10 look Al said Franklin county coach Jeff Davis. I d go gel him Oul of class and Ihen i d Walch their eyes when they saw him walk in. You could just Sec 11 in their eyes. They d be thinking this is the Guy air Force coach Fisher Mcberry thought Dowis might be the Ideal Man to run his Wishbone however. Bui near the end of Dowis freshman year he was fed up with military life and looked into walked to Georgia tech s Bobby Ross and Vanderbill s Watson Brown. Al both places he would have become a wide receiver. He decided to slay Al the years ago As a Sophomore Dowis set an Mcaa record for Rushing Yards 1,315 by a quarterback and led air Force to a 9-4 record and a berth in the Freedom bowl. Last year his Rushing Fig ure dropped to 972 Yards and the fal cons Well 5-7. Even in that subpar year Dowis and the Falcons were Loo much for Navy. I watched him run a lot middies linebacker Tony Domino said wryly when asked for his recollection of air Force s 34-24 Victory. He s extremely Quick. You have to keep him contained not give him too much breathing room. He . . Things. Just when you think he s going to be tackled he pitches
