European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes Friday october 19,1990 1990 world series notes Finley flies footballs to troops by the associated press the american taxpayer will be glad to know that among other activities troops on duty in saudi Arabia will get to fling Finley a football. Charlie Finley the Charlie Finley former Oakland athletics owner designed a football with yellow stripes to make it easier to see. This is the Man who when he owned the a a decked them out in Green and yellow outfits that Drew laughs Back in the 1960s. A i want the troops to be among the first to use this football a Finley said in explaining Why he loaded two trucks with footballs to be shipped to the persian Gulf. A i think they will agree that this is the football of the a Barbara Bush Pinch hit for her husband wednesday night by throwing out the first Ball at game 2 of the world series after president Bush scrubbed a planned trip to the game. Mrs. Bush handled the duties of the ceremonial first pitch because the president decided to stay in Washington to remain close to negotiations aimed at reducing the Federal budget deficit. A this is to All the men and women in the persian Gulf a mrs. Bush said. A i Hope i get this pitch Over to the a strange things happen at 5 04 . On oct. 17 when a world series game is scheduled. Last year it was the earthquake that hit 7.1 on the Richter scale. This year it was a fire that gutted a left Field Concession stand at riverfront stadium. Just before Cincinnati pitchers began Early batting practice thick Gray smoke billowed toward the playing Field from Section 242 in the second deck. About $80,000 in damage was done to the Concession stand. An adjacent storage room was destroyed. A ticket problems Are becoming an old a and Young a wives tale in riverfront stadium. The pirates wives complained last week about getting one seat apiece in the upper deck. The Oakland wives were unhappy about being assigned to second level seats far off the playing Field. Reds general partner Marge Schott said most of the better seats Are already assigned to season ticket holders. A television ratings for game 1 of the world series were up 25 percent Over the first game last year. Tuesday nights game Between the defending world series Champion Oakland athletics and the Cincinnati reds got a 20.2 rating and a 32 share lbs said wednesday. Last years opener Between the a a and the giants on Abc got a 16.2 rating and a 30 share. Oliver gets dream Cincinnati a Oakland athletics fans probably believe what they saw but Joe Oliver did. After All he has been seeing it in his mind for years. Of All the Cincinnati reds hitters Oliver was perhaps the least Likely to get a game winning hit a much less a hit a off athletics Relief Ace Dennis Eckersley who makes $1 million plus a year by retiring nearly every right handed hitter he faces. Except this one. Oliver lined an 0-1 pitch Over third base to score Billy Bates who had singled earlier in the 10th for his first major league hit to give the reds a 5-4 Victory wednesday night Over the once invincible a a and a 2-0 Edge in the world series. A i was like any other kid. I envisioned getting a big hit or a Home run to win a world series game a Oliver said. A i was one of the Lucky ones who got a Chance to actually do it. In be been dreaming about this my whole life. You done to get Many opportunities to do it and i did t want to waste he did no to. Oliver hit Only .179 against right handers this season few of them with the ability of Eckersley baseball a Best clutch re Liever. But Oliver said he refused to be intimidated just As the reds Haven to been intimidated by a team Many predicted would sweep the series. First the reds beat the invincible postseason starter Dave Stewart. Now they be beaten the invincible late inning reliever Eckersley. A we weren to intimidated when we were Down 4-2 and i Wasny to intimidated at the plate a said Oliver who hit .231 this season while rarely starting against right handers. A we had a lot of Eckersley got ahead in the count 0-1 and Oliver was expecting a pitch away. Instead he got one in on the fists but he managed to slash it just inside the line. As Oliver rounded first he pumped both his fists in the air. A i tried not to get too excited but it was just As id envisioned it a he said. A i tried to go out there with a lot of intensity and i was glad to see him signal it fair when it went Over the it was just like head always seen it happening. A a in be had some big Bis but nothing of this magnitude a he said. A a it a something i always wanted to do and reality came True. It would be kind of hard to top Joe Oliver beats Dennis Eckersley unlikely hitting he hot Hatcher goes 7 for 7 Cincinnati apr Billy Hatcher is proving to the entire nation he deserves to play. With the world series As his stage Hatcher is the starring act. In the first two games of the series Hatcher is 7 for 7 with five extra base hits and has been on base All nine times. Not bad for a platoon player. He tripled in the eighth inning in game 2 off Bob Welch and scored the tying run As the Cincinnati reds beat the Aldand a a 5-4 in 10 innings wednesday night to take a surprising 2-0 Lead. Hatchery a seven straight hits four doubles a triple and single broke the previous Mark of six by Goose Goslin in 1924 and Thurman Munson in 1976. His five extra base hits in consecutive games matched Lou Brocks record in 1968. A they can have the records a Hatcher said a i just want that Hatcher Plato Ned much of the season in Center Field with Herm Winningham and that situation prevailed in the no playoffs too. A Lou Piniella makes the lineup and i think i did the Job when i was in there this season a said Hatcher who hit .333 in the playoffs with a Home run. A a he a doing everything you can expect a player to do a Kimella said. A the has the kind of tools to take charge and that a just what he a doing in the world Hatcher had a double in the first inning reds Billy Hatcher Breaks record. A i just want that ring to score Barry Larkin another double in the third a bunt single in the fifth and his triple in the eighth. A a in be been hot before a Hatcher said. A i was 13 for 15 Hatcher is finding Success on a platform where so Many bigger names have failed. Once when the Brooklyn dodgers were in a world series Gil Hodges was in such a slump a priest asked the folks at sunday mass to Pray for their first baseman. For Hatcher his prayers have been answered. A a in a getting the Chance i wanted a Hatcher said. A i know i can do the the a a know it now too. A it happens a manager Tony la Russa said. A a Guy gets hot and can make things before the Start of the season it looked like it Wasny to going to happen for Hatcher. He was a Reserve outfielder on the Pittsburgh pirates hopelessly stuck behind Barry Bonds Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke. A i asked the pirates to Trade me a Hatcher said. A i knew i Wasny to going to get the playing time the reds acquired Hatcher for Minoi leagues Mike Roesler and Jeff Richardson on april 4. In 139 games he hit .276 with five homers and 25 Bis. A the Trade turned out better than i expected a Hatcher said. A you want to play on a Winner but you done to expect thanks to Hatcher the reds Are two games away from pulling off one of the biggest upsets in world series history. A i think they know we can play with them now a Hatcher said. A we just have to keep coming after As far As the a a Are concerned they be seen More than enough of Hatcher. Despite Blister Rijo threw blazers Cincinnati a Jose Rijo pitched seven shutout innings tuesday night despite a broken Blister on the Middle Finger of his pitching hand. Rijos father in Law Hall Fame Pitcher Juan Marichal said wednesday that he was stunned Rijo lasted As Long As he did in Cincinnati a 7-0 Victory Over Oakland in game 1 of the world series. A i was surprised he went seven innings a Marichal said. A the had a big Blister a real bad blood Blister. Its Rijo tried to downplay the Blister saying it interfere with his scheduled Start in game 4 saturday in Oakland. A a it Sall mental a Rijo said. But Marichal who scouts amateurs for Oakland and is staying with the Rijos said he Wasny to sure whether the Blister would give Rijo a problem later in the series. A a it a going to have at least three More Days to heal a he said. Rijo showed the raw Blister on the Side of the Middle Finger on his right hand. The Blister is at the spot where he grips the Ball to throw his Slider. The reds made no mention of the Blister. Manager Lou Piniella said he took Rijo out with the shutout intact because he wanted to rest him for his next Start. Rijo has gotten several blisters on that Finger Over the last few years the result of throwing his Slider. Marichal has worked with Rijo on handling injuries and pains. Rijo used to complain frequently about the soreness in his shoulder and Elbow which have landed him on the disabled list the last couple of years. Marichal has told him that pain comes with pitching. A after one game he was complaining about soreness in his shoulder a said Marichal who Speaks to Rijo by Telephone regularly. A i said a listen if you re Hurt done to pitch. If you pitch done to say a
