European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 20, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 25 Quot a College world series map Phil Nevin right picks up a new Jersey from Bill Wood Houston a general manager. Top pick Nevin signs with astros Houston a Phil Nevin the no. 1 pick in the Amateur draft took a lucrative break from working out with the . Olympic baseball team thursday to sign a contract with the Houston astros. The Cal state Fullerton third baseman earned a reported $700,000 signing Bonus. Contract terms were not announced. A a in a playing with the . Olympic team and i did no to want any distractions so in a glad to get this done a Nevin said. A my goal always has been to play professional baseball so now that a getting  Nevin hit .391 with 20 Home runs and 71 Bis for the titans in the regular sea son winning the big West conference triple Crown. He then led his team to the finals of the College world series where the titans lost to Pepperdine. He also was a punter and kicker on the football team but does no to anticipate a two sport career. A football Isnit completely out of the question a Nevin said. A a in be said if things done to work out in baseball id give football a try. But right now it seems things Are working out for me in  Nevin punted for a 40.9 average last season. He converted his first nine Field goals As a freshman and finished 15-of-21 for the year including a 54-yardcr.Nevin withdrew from the football team in february to concentrate on baseball. He batted .358 As a freshman and drove in 52 runs. He hit .335 As a Sophomore. He sees Little adjustment to using Wood bats exclusively. A a in be been working with wooden bats for two years so i done to expect any great adjustment a Nevin said. A about the Only time i use the aluminium Bat is four or five times during  astros general manager Bill Wood said Nevin would Likely get his first pro experience at the astros instructional league after he a finished playing in the olympics. European soccer Holland Scotland Post wins by the associated press a Battle of soccer champions produced two winners As the first round of the european championships wound up thursday and violence in a swedish City again marred the proceedings. The Netherlands which won this title in 1988, advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 Victory Over Ger Nany but the defending world champs got the other croup two semifinal berth anyway when previously scoreless Scotland shocked the team representing the Commonwealth of Independent states 3-0. A Victory by Cis combined with a dutch Victory would have eliminated the germans. At Gottburg about 2 no German fans roamed the City a main Street breaking windows looting and attacking dutch fans hours before the crucial showdown Between the countries. About 70 police officers some on horseback and some with dogs brought the crowd under control and arrested one person identified by an official As the Leader of the rampage. One dutchman and five swedes were Hurt including one police officer who was hit by a Stone officials said. The swedish National news Agency to reported that some swedes with flags painted on their faces were also involved in attacks on food kiosks and Beer tents one of which was set aflame with a flare gun. Hours after the violence the dutch team scored twice in the first 15 minutes in route to disappointing the germans Ami clinching the championship of group  can be fun on a Small level but by George Vecsey the new York times the horse does not understand Why the people Are shouting. The jockey on the other hand knows exactly Why the people Are Yelling such unceremonious things in Many different languages and dialects. The jockey has been judged responsible by these people for the Money they lose and they Are not amused. If there were no parimutuel betting i somehow doubt there would be Over 100,000 people singing a my old Kentucky Home on the first saturday in May. In a also guessing that if people did not have a few dollars going for them they would not be out at the greyhound track cheering on Good old Fluffy. People betting on people can get ugly. A dignified and intelligent Jai Alai player i know named Juan Zulaika has suffered various injuries trying to control a Ery hard Ball whizzing alongside a very hard Wall at Well Over 100 Miles per hour. When the Ball would spin out of the Cesta the Baske like contraption strapped to his Arm the patrons in Florida or Connecticut would scream abuse at my Friend because they had lost  we can say All right but horse racing and greyhounds and Jai Alai exist in this country mainly because of betting. But what if the states started running betting pools on baseball basketball football Nockey soccer Tennis Auto racing Golf would you like to have people screaming in the gallery if Nick Raldo or Greg Norman missed a putt that Cost somebody in the gallery a Tew thousand this is More than a hypothetical aues Tion because five states already have gambling statutes on the books. Many of the 32 states with existing lotteries including new York Are looking into sports gambling of some kind. State supported gambling is a hot idea for governors and legislators who do not have the moxie to Cut party patronage and raise taxes for essential services. State supported lotteries Are dangerous enough for people tempted to bet the rent Money but the danger grows when states Start talking about legalizing betting on popular sports. Fortunately on june 2 the . Senate passed a Bill Banning further state sponsored gambling on sports. That Bill could be passed by the House of representatives later this year and there Are indications president Bush would not veto it. What a that you say people already bet on big time sports you say bookmakers Are already handling the action maybe that explains the bowls of discontent i heard in the Garden last Winter when somebody Flung up a shot at the Buzzer to Cut the deficit from 9 Points to 6 Points. You say there was a 7vi-Point spread on that game and that random shot caused thousands of dollars to suddenly change direction say it ainu to so David Stern. I raised the subject with sen. Dennis Deconcini d-ariz., who sponsored the Bill through the judiciary subcommittee for patents copyrights and trademarks. Deconcini admitted that he too had heard rumours of actual gambling already taking place on major sports. A i am a sports enthusiast an observer a Deconcini said. A i like Jai Alai and i go to horse racing for the thrill of losing Money. But when i go to organized sports when i think of losing Money i resent  the Purist in me says it should be quite enough to Root Root Root Lor the Home team or whatever team you want without having some action on the game. Besides baseball busted Pete Rose for betting on sports events. Should states turn around and let the Public bet legally on the next Pete Rose sounds pretty hypocritical to me. Deconcini said it would have been difficult to turn Back the state Laws permitting gambling in Nevada Montana Delaware North Dakota and Oregon the latter having been bitterly fought by the major sports leagues. The judiciary subcommittee got into it when the leagues complained about states infringing on their proprietary rights even if they just used the teams nicknames and did not actually use the team logos in the betting displays. A i have no illusion this Bill will have any Dent on sports gambling a said Deconcini stressing his experiences As a prosecutor in Arizona. A you can to Stop it and that a a fact. But that a not really the intent. The intent Here is not putting a Public stamp of approval on gambling. What we can do is not Sanction  gambling can be fun on a Small level but the evidence is that it too often becomes a major addiction. Illegal bookmakers must remain minimally invisible and that is Worth something. Allowing people to bet openly on team sports is just another step in dehumanizing All of us. There Are a ton of abuses in professional sports. Turning basketball players into human greyhounds is not the answer