European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 1989 in sports the stars and stripes sunday december 24,1989 baseball s Field of lost dreams by Ben Walker a baseball writer baseball lost a hero lost a commissioner and almost lost the world series. A season of scandal shame and Sor Row. Bad from the beginning Black by the end. Pete Rose. Ban Giamatti. The Earth quake. Donnic Moore. Injuries. Wade Boggs. Steve Garvey. Luis Polonia. Labor problems. No More Mike Schmidt. You wonder when it Wil All Stop Dave Dravecky said in october soon be fore another tumor appeared in his left shoulder. A lost year. And still the game went on. As it always docs. Attendance hit a new High and so did salaries. The Oakland athletics set new standards for excellence and so did Nolan Ryan and Kevin Mitchell. The Baltimore orioles were fun and so were the Chicago cubs but they did t win. In 1989, no one should be been sur prised. The ominous signs started Early. Boggs affair with Margo Adams and Garvey s two pregnant girlfriends were the talk even be fore teams went to Spring training. Then once the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues got ready to play Darryl Strawberry tried to punch Keith Hernandez Rickey Henderson accused his new York Yankees teammates of drinking too much Jose Canseco had More traffic problems and Andre Dawson verbally battled Mark Grace. Once the season started Orel hrs his or s magic quickly disappeared. In his first inning he gave up a run and his scoreless Streak ended. That was nothing compared to what was to come. At first few believed that Rose could be bet on baseball. By mid summer everyone except Rose seemed to think it was True. Giamatti certainly did. He said it min t is after Banning one of America s great est heroes from baseball for life. No one is above the game Giamatti said. Rose who admits betting on sports but denies betting on baseball can apply for re instatement next year. No one who got lifetime penalty including shoeless Joe Jackson Ever made it Back into baseball. Either Way he remains eligible for the Hall of Fame. Before that Shock wore off there was another one. Just eight Days after imposing the penalty and just six months after Tak ing office. Giamatti died of a heart attack. Fay Vincent Giamatti s Good Friend be came baseball s third commissioner of the year. We must go on but it is not easy Vincent said. How right he was. Stewart Mitchell earlier in the summer death had intruded when Moore shot himself. Once a top Relief Pitcher be gave up a Home run to Dave Henderson that Cost the California Angels a Chance to go to the world series in 1986. More personal prob lems followed and in july Moore committed suicide. That pitch killed him Moore s agent. David Pinter said. In october death again wrecked the Field of dreams. A half hour before Oakland was to play san Francisco in game 3 of the world so Ries millions of television screens went Blank across the country. The Bay area s worst earthquake since 1906 killed 67, injured hundreds and left thousands including Joe Dimaggio and the son of giants general manager Al Rosen homeless. The Bay Bridge the very Symbol of thes cries collapsed. And for All practical Pur poses so did the spirit of baseball s biggest event. No matter who wins this world series will be remembered More for tragedy than  san Francisco s Brett Butler said. The real heroes Are the survivors and those who helped not the  eventually after another to Days of waiting the games did resume. The delay merely postponed what seemed inevitable the athletics quickly completed one of the most convincing world series sweeps in history. Dave Stewart without a by Young award after three straight 20-win seasons was selected the series most valuable player. I guess they figured they had to give me something Stewart said. I Ickey Henderson who returned Home in mid season and was map of Oakland s playoff Victory concurred with Stewart s election sort of. I guess they had to give him some thing he smiled hugging his Friend and fellow Oakland native. No debate about most of the other Post season awards. Mitchell 47 Home runs. 125 Bis was the National league map Bret Saberhagen 23-6 was the american league by Young and Mark Davis 44 saves 1.85 Era was the no by Young. While the giants celebrated Dave Dravecky walked away in pain for the last time. Bart Glam att left banned Pete Rose right for life then died eight Days liter. Robin Yount .318, 21 or 103 rib beat out Ruben Sierra .306, 29 or 119 rib for Al map in the closest vote. Jose Canseco did not get a Chance to repeat As Al map. He was injured for half the season but despite not playing a single game in the majors was elected As an All Star starter. So was Schmidt the greatest player of the decade who made a tearful Farewell in May at age 39. Schmidt and Canseco did not play in he All Star game but to Jackson did. To showed he knows baseball Best of All. Launching a 448-foot Home run that helped the Al win giving the league consecutive victories for the first time since 1957-58. Jackson 105 Bis 26 stolen bases is among the brightest of baseball s new Breed. So is Gregg Olson 27 save who helped the orioles come within one week end of being the Only worst to first team in history and Grace .314who led the cubs to the no East title and Fred Mcguff 36 or who paced Toronto to the Al East championship and Jim Abbott a True Suc Cess Story. Once again the off season has been As Busy As any other time of the year. Davis and Mark Langston led a Parade of free agents who changed teams and also led a game of leap Frog for the highest salary in history. Joe Carter traded by Cleve land to san Diego Kirby Puckett and Rickey Henderson joined them As $3 million a year players. Whether anyone plays next season is still in doubt. The contract Between players and owners expires dec. 31 and they already arc working on a new Basic  has been talk of lockouts and strikes although it seems that with baseball s $1.4 billion television contract about to Start both sides Are anxious to avoid those prob lems. Other highlights and Low lights of 1989 Dravecky made a dramatic comeback from cancer surgery and re turned to pitch for the giants. In his Sec Ond Start a Bone in his left Arm shattered. He later announced his retirement and soon said he would undergo More surgery. Dave Winfield missed the entire sea son with an injury. Andre Dawson Dennis eckersly Danny Cox and Jim Gott were among the others who were Hurt. Polonia was sentenced to jail for his involvement with a 15-year-old girl in a Milwaukee hotel room. Managers Jimy Williams Dallas Green and Doc Edwards were fired. Nolan Ryan reached 5,000 career strikeouts fanning Rickey Henderson for the Mark. Ryan s top victim is Claudell Washington with 36. Is that All Washington said. I thought i had a lot More. Among others who died Hall of fam ers Bill Terry lefty Gomez and Jocko Conlan along with Carl Furillo rip sew Ell George Case Nick Bremigan and a gust Busch or. No no hitters. Ryan came close and so did Tom Browning who in his bid to become the Only Pitcher with two perfect games gave up a Mcadoff double to Dickie Thon in the ninth inning. Tommy John and Kent Tekulve left baseball. Frank Viola became the Only by Young Winner to be traded in the next sea son. 55 million fans Sec major league base Ball. Toronto with its new sky Doc sets an Al record with 3,078.413 fans