European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 04, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday february 4, 1993 sports the stars and stripes Page 25 Jackson moving faster Down Long Road Back Byron Iierman new Day Chicago. At 8 15 every week Day morning do Jackson leaves his suburban Burr Ridge Home and boards his Chevy truck or Mercedes for mostly empty Comiskey Park at which he endures a daily workout that is grueling lengthy and often monotonous. Jack son likens the remodeler elegant and almost new Ballpark to a ghost town in its Winter quiet. If Jackson can still hear the crowd s Roar it s in the distance. These Days Jackson works without fans or fanfare. His Days arc spent in the stadium s poorly lighted basement corridor or its weight room or a half mile away in the tiny and Dank Illinois Institute of technology gymnasium working in a strange place at a strange position first base. Except for the few Days he updates Chicago s Media on the remarkable Progress of his rebuilt left hip most of Jackson s time is spent working with affable but hard driving Trainer harm Schneider the overseer of the potentially history making comeback. So far this journey is marked mostly by its length. Yet Jackson marches on determined to play his first regu Lar season major league baseball game since 1991, determined to be come. The first Man to play base Ball with a hip held together by Metal and plastic and Luck. He plans to attend Spring training Schneider and his goal is to be on the White sox roster on opening Progress has been remarkable lately though sometimes it s difficult to see the final Reward. Coming Here to this empty Ballpark when it s 15 degrees can be depressing As hell Jackson said after an impressive workout monday that included batting and Fielding practice exercises and some Hel Lacious wind sprints with out any noticeable Limp. He in t Back to world class Speed yet but he s still a mite faster than teammate Ozzie Guillen another rehabilitating sox player sprinting through Comiskey s Halls. Jackson looked As if he could take his stance behind Jay Schroeder in the los Angeles raiders Backfield again. Wearing a Black Nike jacket purple spandex shorts and some droopy Black socks even the class nerd would reject Jackson powered along the corridor s carpet path impressing witnesses who might not comprehend the enormity of his task. That glaring Limp that made last Spring so painful was noticeably a had Jackson running sprints of 90, 180 and 270 feet to Simu late singles doubles and triples. Right Here right Here encouraged the Trainer pointing to the finish line. This Day Schneider s enthusiasm far outstripped Jackson a the former two sport Star had returned at 5 15 that morning on a red Eye flight from Cali fornia and the super bowl. After one particularly impressive recovering to Jackson has "40,000 orthopaedic surgeons shaking their Heads Jackson Jaunt Ellis Burks another of the Many White sox players embarking on a comeback eluded Jackson. Burks said what was that the Home run Trot a puffing Jackson responded triple without humor and kept moving. Jackson has been running Limp free Here for a month. Schneider stepped up the Pace monday but still in t pressing Jackson to go full bore. All of my life people were wanting to see How fast i could run. Now every Day people Are saying slow Down,1 Jackson said. I feel like a caged Ani him half the fun is in proving people wrong. Once his goals were Mammoth. Now he wants a roster spot. Ill be Happy to put on a uniform whether it be to sit on the Bench or do said Jackson whose hip was damaged Jan. 13, 1991, in a football playoff game. Not everyone is certain he can make it. Not everyone who witnessed Jackson hobble last Spring he was a 29 year old walking like a 60-year-old," Schneider said can wipe that Mem Ory everyone believes Jackson s april 4 hip replacement surgery will hold up under baseball s Rigours. If he gets on the Field one Day that would be fantastic. And if he decides to leave to Morrow that would be Fine too White sox general manager Ron Schueler said. If you re talking about any other person he would have Long been writ ten off. But he s proven a lot of people wrong. Forty thousand orthopaedic surgeons Are shaking their ont key Date could be March 15. According to Jackson s contract the White sox must decide that Day whether to keep him for $910,000. If he can hold up physically they la assuredly keep him because the High Price tag will be Worth the time in vested and marketing upside. Their new promotion a season ticket plan would not make sense without him. While the White sox have a full time do George Bell and a full time first baseman Frank Thomas there is Only one to Jackson. Claiming to be Unwor ried about that March 15 Date Jackson said defiantly i have never doubted myself about anything. End of Story " and so Jackson presses on looking for Progress and not records. Schneider said they Are striving to avoid peaks and Jackson has a need to compete. Schneider set goals of five seconds for 90 feet 10 seconds for 180 and 15 for 270, and Jackson beat them All handily. Three Point eight Schneider yelled after one speedy 90-foot dash. That s faster than most of the Guys in the league right now Jackson said happily. "1 mean that s not slow Pok ing for Bowe . A boxing writer new York the face tells a Story of. Fights in the ring and Battles with Driggs. Yet Michael docs says i m in the prime of my , while that face tells the truth about a past it also tells a lie. Michael docs looks older than his 34 years. By the Calendar docs is a Young Man. He also is an old fighter a faded sex Champion who Sud Denly is in the championship Pic Ture again. Saturday night at Madison Square Garden docs challenges heavy weight Champion Riddick Bowe. He is considered by Ninny people i boxing to be the foil for the the Home coming of the 25 docs year old Champion from Brooklyn who will be making his first title defense As a 12vi-l favorite. But Dokes docs not dismiss his own chances. He watched Bowe defeat holy Field last november for the title and in t sure they fought the same opponent. Who has he fought docs said of Bowe who is 25. The Evandor Holyfield he fought was t the same Evandor holy Field i fought in 1989. He did t have the vigor or fire or motivation he had Back then. I know i hit him with far More devastating shots than Bowe did. "1 always knew i could fight for the heavyweight title again said docs while preparing to train at the times Square gym. This he said is going to be the performance of my most boxing observers thought docs boxing life was Over after he was knocked cold by razor Ruddock in the fourth round april 4, 1990, at the was on the Canvas for More than five minutes and was Given oxygen. Dokes said he has never watched a tape of that fight. What Good would that do he said. While the loss did not end docs Ca reer his drug problems almost did. The Man who admitted snorting co Caine two or three Days before losing thew a title on a loth round knockout by Gerric Coetzee in 1983, was arrested in1991 on cocaine charges at Las vegas where he lives. It was docs third arrest on drug charges and he was Given a suspended sentence and placed on five years Proba Tion. He also was warned by the judge that if he was caught doing drugs again he would go to prison. Dokes returned to the ring in 1991about 20 months after the Ruddock fight and has won nine straight fights five by knockouts against mediocre opposition. His Overall record is 50-3-2, with 32 knockouts. Being his own manager since 1991, pokes negotiated his $750,000 Deal to fight for the Story could t have been any bet Ter if i d written the Sci Fitt myself Dokes end of the Story however is expected to be written by Bowe. Good Luck a reporter said to Dokes before leaving the ," jokes said. Pray for
