8
Battle of
Alomar is
lost
ADAM LUCAS
sports editor
It's not exactly what baseball had hoped
for.
As the playoffs dawned, the sports
world's attention was focused not on the
intriguing Division Series match-ups, but on
the stupidity of Baltimore Orioles second
baseman Roberto Alomar.
A week ago today, Alomar was ejected
from a game by umpire John Hirschbeck for
arguing balls and strikes. Incensed by the
ejection, the O's All-Star leapt from his dug
out and spit in Hirschbeck's face.
While grotesque, that was actually the
reasonable part of this story.
After the game, Alomar said that he had
"no regrets" for the incident. He then pro
ceeded to criticize Hirschbeck for becom
ing "more bitter" after his eight-year old son
died from a rare brain disease three years
ago.
For his actions, Alomar received a light
slap on the wrist—a five-game suspension.
After initially appealing the suspension,
Alomar dropped his appeal late Wednesday
night, and AL President Gene Budig issued
a statement saying that Alomar would serve
his suspension next season.
Umpires are justifiably outraged, and
when viewers tuned in Tuesday night to
what they thought would be the first game
of the playoffs, they were confronted instead
with a possible umpires' strike.
The strike has been averted pending the
outcome of a special hearing to be held to
day, but the fact that baseball has once again
illustrated its incompetence remains.
Did the so-called commissioner, Bud
Selig, so much as show his face during the
debate? Of course not. He's probably back
in Milwaukee making plans for upcoming
free-agent signings. Baseball needs a true
commissioner, and he doesn't need to be
some puppet of the owners.
If they had one, the chosen person would
realize that the correct punishment for
Alomar would have been suspension for the
rest of the playoffs. The spitting was bad
enough, but to personally attack Hirschbeck
was a childish, ignorant action.
Of course, Alomar probably doesn't re
alize that. We're talking about a player so
far removed from reality that when he
played for Toronto, his home was the
Sky Dome Hotel. Yes, he actually lived at
the ballpark.
When players start insulting the family
lives of umpires, it's time for baseball to
realize that their game is out of control.
One final note on the matter, when he
heard the player's comments about his son,
Hirschbeck stormed into the Orioles locker
room, intent on settling the matter. Only
the intervention of fellow umpire Jim Joyce
saved Alomar from what likely would have
been an ugly beating.
Next time, Jim, just let him do it—it may
be the only justice he can receive.
The Guilfordian
A weekend with an athlete
Weekends are supposed to be fun. Beer,
beer beer. Sleep, maybe a movie, hanging
out with friends, catching up on woik...but
most of all, weekends are
supposed to be fun.
For the Guilford Col
lege athlete, sometimes
those weekends are not so
fun.
I've got a test in psy
chology, a ten-page paper,
a quiz, and thirty-eight
pages of reading due Mon
day.
Friday night I have to
work at the Information
Desk from 7:00-9:30, and
need to be in bed around
eleven for an eight AM
soccer practice.
But for me, and most
Guilford athletes, going to
bed is not so easy.
Especially when your friends are bug
ging you to stay up and drink, or your
roommates throw a party the night you're
supposed to be up early the next day.
And as Hootie and the Blowfish blast
into your room, making your windows
shake and your floor rattle, you try to sleep.
Saturday morning, and I'm up at 7:00
for that 8 AM practice, because it takes
me an hour to get taped and heat in the
training room. After practice, I grab some
sort of breakfast, take a shower, and fall
back to sleep.
Saturday afternoon I read 22 of the 38
pages of reading that are due in Latin
American Literature and Translation and
get ready for dinner-a carbo-load for
Sunday's game.
And once again, as friends get ready
for a beer-filled Saturday night, I eat din
ner, grab my psychology book, and shut
my bedroom door.
As early 'Bo's music overtakes my
apartment, I pack my soccer bag, pop in
"Billy Madison," and try to fall asleep.
Sunday morning, on the bus and ready
to go by 8 AM. Breakfast is a store-bought
bagel and some Hi-C Boppin' Berry.
The first hour on the bus is spent sleep-
Dobias copes with knee injury
DAN MORSE
staff writer
When Ryan Dobias came to Guilford,
he wanted to play football. On a routine
play in practice Ryan did something that
neither he, nor anyone that heard the
"pop," will ever forget.
"I couldn't believe it. It's very disap
pointing that he got hurt so early in the
season," freshman offensive lineman
Matt Dixon said.
During the week following the Quak
ers opening season loss to Methodist,
Dobias, a freshman offensive lineman,
sports
LAUREN GILL
staff writer
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October 4, 1996
ing, then twenty minutes of trying to study
psychology while remembering how carsick
I get when I read on the bus.
The game, the quick shower after the
game, the quick Burger King dinner, the ride
home.
The movie on the
bus, the too-dark, too
sick to study on the bus,
and the getting home at
ten o'clock.
Ten o'clock on a Sun
day night when most
Guilford students have
already started some sort
of homework, or are fin
ishing some sort of
homework, and I am just
getting home.
One would think that
I could start my home
work right away.
I can't.
For those who have
ridden on a Coach bus,
you know the smells that
stick to your clothes for
hours after the bus ride
-the rooting urine and
Port-a-Potty stench that
force you to take a
shower the instant you
get home.
Now, after the shower
and after some "real
tore the medial collateral ligament and me
niscus cartilage in his left knee.
The 6'3 230-pounder was the starting
right guard for the Quakers. His knee buck
led while blocking someone in practice and
the ligament snapped. However, the
Randleman, NC native is confident and
hopes to return quickly.
During his high school career, Dobias
was an All-County and All-Conference of
fensive lineman for three consecutive years
at Randleman Senior high school. "When
it happened I was at a loss for words be
cause I was in complete shock. I was very
food," I am ready to start my homework.
Monday mornings you are the same as
everyone else in the class. Not too many
teachers care if you had an away game.
To them, if you don't have your home
work or didn't finish your reading, a game
may as well have been a party.
J
disappointed."
Sophomore offensive lineman Doug
Robertson said, "It is very unfortunate that
it happened. But other people have stepped
up and played well to get the job done."
Dobias stated the he doesn't like watch
ing football games from the sidelines and
wants to play again soon.
"I'm relieved that it wasn't any worse,"
he said. Dobias was told that if his knee
had bent any further, his anterior cruciate
ligament would have been torn as well. "I
am optimistic now and very anxious to get
back."
Isaac Palant
.
Lauren Gill