The turning point for the White Sox in Sunday’s loss? Maybe it was the extra-long rendition of the national anthem by a singer who stretched it for three minutes. “I lost my warmup rhythm,” said Jack McDowell, who got off to his worst start ever in a second straight losing effort for him. McDowell was joking, but all the smiles were pretty tight in the quiet Sox clubhouse after the 6-3 defeat to Detroit. Their loss concluded an upsetting 2-4 homestand, and the Sox couldn’t be happier to be hitting the road for the second-longest trip of the season. “I hope that’s the remedy,” said manager Gene Lamont. “When you’ve got only 20 games left in our position, you just need to win.” The Sox are 39-29 in other people’s parks, 41-33 in Comiskey. On a day the ace couldn’t pitch and sluggers couldn’t deliver, let’s turn to Ozzie Guillen for insight:
– Sox feeling pressure? “No. We’ve played almost all year just one game up. Why should we be bothered? Everyone shouldn’t panic. We’re still 3 1/2 up. Let the guys behind us worry.”
– “If the field (Comiskey) is empty or packed, we try to win the ballgame just as hard. The crowd has nothing to do with the ballgame. The fans don’t win or lose it for us.”
– Expounding on an idea he forwarded the other day, here is Ozzie’s suggestion for improving the Sox’s record during their next homestand: “We should be put up in a hotel downtown, meet for the bus at 3:15 like we do on the road, and wear our gray (uniforms).”
P.S.: The Sox aren’t going to find it any easier to rally against the Royals than they did against Detroit. In one of baseball’s most impressive streaks, K.C. has won 139 consecutive times in games when it led after eight innings.
Bearing up: Hmmm. Is this a good time to mention that the Bears figure prominently in a new video called “NFL’s 100 Greatest Touchdowns?” No kidding. It’s produced by NFL Films and our Monsters have eight scores featured. Only the 49ers, with 10, have more.
Awards night: The NBA Players Association held its 13th annual awards dinner Sunday night and, unfortunately, one trend continued: lack of participation by many of the league’s top stars. In fact, it was a shortage of current Bulls that was especially noticeable at the head table. Maybe that’s why Isiah Thomas appeared to have won over many in the crowd, who gave a warm reception when he was introduced. Three years ago, Thomas, whose Pistons still were a bitter rival of Chicago’s, almost got booed off the dais. Last year, Isiah, president of the association, didn’t come to the event and apparently had a change of heart this year. Despite little participation by the Bulls, there was a strong local flavor. Ex-Carver great Cazzie Russell, who went on to stardom at Michigan and in the NBA, delivered the invocation. CNN’s Fred Hickman, co-emcee with Chet Coppock, is from Springfield, Ill. A Bulls jersey signed by Michael Jordan did command $3,000 in the auction. An Olympic jersey worn by Magic Johnson brought in another $2,500 while Larry Bird’s was sold for $2,000. The event is a benefit for Little City.
Moooo U.: Yes, we know Missouri won big over Illinois and, yes, we know the Tigers would like to get into the Big 10. But here’s a bulletin for the deep thinkers in the Missouri athletic department: Football program covers like the one for Saturday’s game aren’t going to do much for your chances. Cartoonist Amadee Wohlschaeger’s drawing of a Native American-presumably Chief Illiniwek-was unflattering enough to anger Fighting Illini fans who’ve been neutral on the controversy surrounding the school symbol. It showed an Indian, dressed only in a loincloth, trying to deceive Missouri coach Bob Stull to get into the Big Eight school’s stadium. At the same time the Indian was offering a peace pipe to Stull, he was hiding a tomahawk behind his back. Nice, eh? The program was an official publication of the university. Somebody should get these guys into the 20th century before it’s over.
Making hay: Flood-relief projects still are with us and Richard Duchossois is letting his Arlington International Racecourse be used as a collection spot for feed for needy horses. “All week we’re asking farms in this area to bring in oats or hay to Arlington (Stable gate 9),” said Barb Carroll of the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Assoiciation. “Every little bit will help. Even a few bales. At the end of the week, we’ll ship everything to Springfield and it’ll be dispersed from there.” Carroll said owners in the Midwest are facing a crisis this fall because of water damage to fields, which destroyed crops. Many horses were relocated, putting a bigger squeeze on supplies. Duchossois already has had several shipments headed for his Hill ‘N Dale Farm in Barrington diverted to problem areas.
Around town: Riddick Bowe and manager Rock Newman, his manager, watched the big Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez fight in Chicago’s Ultimate Sports Bar & Grill-and, like everyone else, thought Whitaker was robbed. “Ray Charles could’ve picked the winner,” said Bowe. . . . Ex-Bear Dennis McKinnon will conduct the first of a series of football clinics Monday preceding a big-screen viewing party of the Browns-49ers at Thirty-Four’s in Schaumburg. . . . Sammy Sosa of the Cubs and Alex Fernandez of the White Sox will be the co-MVPs of Chicago baseball to be honored Sept. 23 at the annual Hispanic Sports Awards banquet in the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
