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4B SPORTS/The Charlotte Post Thursday, August 7, 1997 Injuries hinder Sheffield Continued from 3B Even Sheffield’s best moments this season have been tainted. He homered against the Braves on May 13 but suf fered a thumb injury three innings later that sent him to the disabled list. His first- inning grand slam against the New York Yankees on June 15 was wiped out by rain. He hit two home runs in one inning on July 12 but strained his ham string in the same game. “It’s been one of those years,” he said with a wry smile. “I do something right, and then something goes wrong. When I hit the grand slam against the Yankees and it was washed away, that typified the season for me. I’m trying to battle through it, but nature is going to have its way.” Ironically, while Sheffield limps along, Florida finally has a winning time. He lobbied long and loud for the Marlins to get aggressive in the free-agent market, and a $175 million spending spree - capped by his six-year deal - has put them in playoff contention for the first time. “This is a new experience for Sheffield,” Dombrowski said. “I hope it’s one he enjoys, because it's what he has wanted since he joined us.” “I know what it feels like to lose,” Sheffield said. “I know what it feels like to have a great season and be disappoint ed. This game is all about win ning. If we do that, that’s the only thing that will make me happy.” But if the Marlins are to chal lenge the Braves, Sheffield must get hot. Despite, his lack of productivi ty, pitchers remain reluctant to throw Sheffield strikes, which makes it difficult for him to find a groove. Through last week, he had walked 79 times and been hit by 13 pitches, ranking among the major-league lead ers in both categories. The lack of opportunities frus trates Sheffield, and he has complained that borderline pitches go against him because umpires dislike him. Some within the Marlins’ organiza tion privately support that con tention. A more obvious excuse for his season-long malaise is injuries. The sore left thumb hampers his powerful swing, and the hamstring makes it impossible for him to run at full speed, prompting occasional boos from Marlins fans apparently unaware of the injury. “Evidently they don’t read the paper,” said manager Jim Leyland, always quick to defend his struggling slugger. “When they boo me, I start to say, T’ll sit down. I won’t play,’” Sheffield said. “I’m sacrificing my body to play, which I don’t have to do. When I get that kind of response, I know I’m not appreciated. “Even when I had my career year last year, I got booed a lot. They think I’m superman and I’m supposed to do everything.” Because of his lucrative con tract, Sheffield feels obligated to play through the pain. The $61 million man is going for broke. The boos will stop if he starts to hit, and as long as games remain on the schedule, Sheffield knows that he has a chance to salvage his season. “I’ve hit 11 home runs in a month before,” he said. “I can do it again.” Such a surge could take the Marlins a long way, so they’re willing to wait. Bell rings for N.C. Central quarterback Continued from 1B could start as a freshman, but my dad thought I’d be better off wait ing a year,” Bell said. “He told me he though it would be better if I went somewhere where I could learn.” Bell has learned enough to earn the starter’s job in spring practice. With the season-opening Aggie- Eagle Classic three weeks away. he knows his performance wfll have a direct bearing on how far Central goes. The defense, which led the conference in fewest yards allowed, is expected to be solid. So the offense - and Bell - will be under scrutiny. “I think our season depends on how I play,” he said. “Our defense is going to be there. 'The offense depends on what I do. We have the same personnel in every posi tion but quarterback.” This is the position BeU has waited two years for. Being the focus of a team’s hopes is a quar terback’s job, and he’s ready to take on the challenge. “I might be putting a lot of pres sure on myself,” BeU said. “I don’t know what pressure is. I just go out and play.” Grambling sanctioned for infractions By Ed Schuyler Jr. THE ASSOCIATED EitESS GRAMBLING, La. - The NCAA cleared Grambling footbaU coach Eddie Robinson of any vio lations but placed the university on two years’ probation for minor infractions by assistants and the play of two academicaUy ineligi ble basketbaU players. Last week’s announcement came as Robinson - who has the most wins of college football coaches with 405 - is preparing for his final season at GrambUng State University. After the long investigation into numerous aUe- gations of impropriety, GrambUng President Raymond Hicks clearly was reUeved that the NCAA didn’t impose stiffer sanctions, such as a postseason and television ban or a loss of scholeu^hips. "Ibday we probably look like a rose and smell Uke a rose, but I think that during the (NCAA investigation), we had some harsh experiences,” he said. “You go through a painful experi ence when people question your integrity and your intentions. I said from the beginning that we have made some technical mis takes,” he said. “I don’t think any body was trying to put the imi- versity in position where we were trying to cheat to get a competi tive advantage.” Robinson, 78, had agreed to retire after this season foUowing an effort to force him out last win ter in a move uiu^lated to the NCAA investigation. He has won eight Black College Championships and 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles or co-champi onships in 56 seasons as Grambling’s coach, but he had two consecutive losing seasons for the first time the past two years. “After many, many visits with coach Robinson dealing with this matter, I was convinced he had not done anything intentional to put the program in any danger,” Hicks said. “He was the man who built the program from scratch, and for more than half a century it’s been part of his Ufe. I could not imagine that being tarnished in any way.” Hicks said the decision by the NCAA not to impose harsher penalties cleared the way for the university to move forward with its search for Robinson’s succes- PHOTO/ASSOCIATED PRESS Grambling State football coach Eddie Robinson talks to reporters during a press conference at the schooi. Grambling was piaced on probation by the NCAA for vioiations in its footbaii, men’s basketball and women’s basketball programs. “Whoever the successor is wftl come with an understanding that the program has not been jeopar dized,” Hicks said. “We’ll be mon itored over the next two to five years by the NCAA. But at least they can come in here and try to convince student athletes to be part of this great program.” In football, the violations included improper recruiting con tacts with prospective transfer athletes, improper tryouts and out-of-season practices. The NCAA said all of those resulted from ignorance of the rules rather than a willful disobedience of them. “Tm happy to get it behind us, and we’ll live with the NCAA’s decision,” said Eddie Robinson Jr., the quarterbacks and receivers coach who was cited for most of the football infiactions. “I’ve always felt the NCAA dealt fairly with me fix)m the start.” In women’s basketball, the NCAA said Grambling improper ly allowed a student-athlete to practice and receive financial aid dining the 1993-94 and 1995-96 seasons after her ACT test score had been invalidated. The men’s basketball program also was cited for allowing a stu dent to play in five games in 1993 while he was ineligible. The stu dent didn’t complete required classes during the previous year, the NCAA said. Grambling was dted for failing to educate its football coaching staff on NCAA rules governing out-of-season practices and try outs. In addition to probation, the women’s basketball team must forfeit games in which the ineligi ble athlete played in the 1993-94 and 1995-96 seasons. Football coaches must cut the number of visits to recruits in 1997-98, and must get on-campua,^i «iucation about NCAArules'fitom the school’s compliance officef. The school must also develop a “comprehensive athletics compli ance education program " with annual reports to the NCAA dur ing the probation period, the NCAA said. Subscribe Today! (704) 376-0496 ERWIN BAIL BONDING CO. ONLY "5"MINUTES FROM THE JAILI CALL TODAY! 529-026j. or PAGE one of onr... tl Professional Bail Bonds Staff • Rosetta Erwin - 558-0083 • Pertanza "TAM" Allen - 672-7522 • Kenneth ’TENN" Perinchief 346-6898 *: iilliilliiilili ilSiliiililiili I lilf; till iililliil illiiili illii iililliil ililiiiiijilll 11111111:11111 We'll Put Your Feet Back On The Street
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 7, 1997, edition 1
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