Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 37

Section 4 (ThicaBO (Tribune Sunday, March 18, 1984 farewell waive to Fergi Released Jenkins: 'Handwriting was on the wall' By Fred Mitchell Chicago Tribune MESA, Ariz. The end of the line was staring him in the face, yet Ferguson Arthur Jenkins never saw it coming. A masterful pitching era very likely came to a sad and untimely end Saturday when the 40-year-old right-hander was released by the Cubs. With Jenkins exits a slice of Wrigley Field lore. A former Cy Young Award winner who is just 16 games shy of 300 career victories, Jenkins was scheduled to pitch in an exhibition game Saturday afternoon against the Cleveland Indians, but he was told of the Cubs' decision to place him on irrevocable waivers before the bus left for Tucson.

Jenkins handled the decision in the same manner in which he conducted himself on the mound 1 bly," said Cubs general manager Dallas Green, who was Jenkins1 teammate at Little Rock Clpss AAA in 1964. "We wanted to do what was best for the organization and for Fergie. He has contributed to the Cubs' history and to baseball history. It's never a pleasant thing to do. There's never the right thing to say.

But by doing this now, this might be the best time for him to hook on with somebody. That was part of our thinking in the decision. JENKINS, A NOTORIOUS slow starter in the spring, was roughed up in his two outings this month. He gave up five runs on seven hits in a losing effort against Oakland March 9. Then, 'in a game Tuesday, he gave up two runs on three hits in three innings of a loss to the Milwaukee Continued on page 14, col.

resolute Jenkins in his hotel room. "The Cubs ha'' some young pitchers they wanted to look at and my performance last year 6-9, 4.30 earned-run average wasn't all that great. But I usually need at least four or five outings in the spring to get myself going. There will be new heroes for Cub fans in the future." JENKINS, WHO RANKS 19th on the all-time victory list, was on the last year of a two-year guaranteed contract paying him an estimated $450,000. He was asked if he would try to sign with another team.

"1 don't know. I talked to my, agent Lou Oppenheim and he said a few teams were interested. But my daughters Kelly, Delores and Kimberly are growing up. I've still got 16 games to win. Maybe I'll take the easy way out and go home to Chatham, Ont.

Canada." "This was a sensitive and compassionate issue that our baseball people kicked around considera Tribune photo by Bob Langei for what would have his release Saturday. with consummate poise and unyielding control. "It was inevitable, I guess," said a solemn Forty-year-old Fergie Jenkins, shown preparing been his 11th season with the Cubs, was given but In the wake of the news 1st hnirile The Bemie Lincicome Meyer confident De Paul can overcome its haunting past 'tvs irii Ml) 7 I I I 1 1 1 7 v-. I xl if By Robert Markus Chicago Tribune LINCOLN, Neb. In another time, in another context, President Franklin Roosevelt went straight to the heart of the task that awaits De Paul here Sunday.

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Ray Meyer was attending St. Patrick High School, and the parents of most of his De Paul players hadn't even been born yet when Roosevelt uttered those words to calm a nation in the panic grip of a depression. But the words ring as true today as they did a half-century ago. De Paul has nothing to fear but the fear of failure. The Blue Demons open their NCAA tournament bid, Meyer's last chance to grab the brass ring, against Illinois State at 1:15 p.m.

Sunday in the second round of the Midwest Regional Sunday. WBBM-TV, Channel 2 will carry the telecast in Chica- fo. The Redbirds are no easy mark, but leyer said: "We can beat them. We beat them once, and we can beat them again." WHAT WILL BE harder to beat is all those haunting memories. Three times in a row De Paul went into the tournament as one, of the favorites to win it all.

Three times in a row their dreams died aborning. Those, insists Meyer, were other times, other teams. And it's true that most of this year's team was not even around for any of those stunning defeats. Jerry McMillan was on the team but did not play in the last-second loss to St. Joseph's or the setback the following year against Boston College.

Kenny Patterson and Tyrone Corbin were freshmen on the team that lost to Boston College. "But they all know what happened," said McMillan. "They saw it on TV. They saw great superstars who just didn't come through in the clutch." This team has no superstars, but McMillan says it has super incentive. "Things Illinois State won't go easy on Meyer Chicago Tribune LINCOLN, Neb.

The arithmetic of retirement for Ray Meyer of De Paul is five wins or one loss. "There are five million Chinamen who don't care," Meyer said. At least. And another 20,000 Downstate neighbors, that being the student population of Illinois State. "We have to stay away from personalities," said Illinois State coach Bob Donewald.

"The fact that we are playing De Paul and Ray Meyer cannot be here nor there." SENTIMENT IS for grandmothers and holidays. If it can, and it can, Illinois State will send Meyer off to his pension without a wet eye in all of Normal, 111. "If I have to remind our kids who we are playing," said Donewald, "the game's already over." De Paul has beaten Illinois State already this year, by three points, though the memory is not altogether pleasant. "They outfought us," said guard Jerry McMillan. "They outrebounded us by 10," said Meyer.

ILLINOIS STATE was out of only two games all year, though it lost seven to 23 wins. And, not to be forgotten, it lea De Paul this year by as many as nine points. "There will be no surprises," said De Paul assistant coach Jim Molinari. "We know exactly what we're going to get. There are no trick defenses, man-to-man.

They don hold the ball. They go straight up. It'll be a war. De Paul has drawn the worst possible kind of opponent to start things off. A team very much like itself.

Illinois State is as starless and selfless as is De Paul. It plays mean defense and gets enough balls into the basket to keep its offense from perpetual apology. It is a team that plays from ambush, lurking close enough to always snap off an opponent's head the moment it takes a breath. "THE WAY WE played against Alabama in the subregional Friday night was pretty typical of us," said Donewald. Lagging behind for two-thirds of the game, suddenly Illinois Slate ran off 11 points to Alabama's two and turned a four-point deficit into a five-point lead.

With Rickie Johnson and Michael McKenny stealing balls and Mark Zwart and Hank Cornley stealing rebounds, Illinois State took the game away from Alabama. A 14-foot shot by Lou Stefanovic with seven seconds to play, his only score of the second half, merely provided the dramatic finish to plain, decent hard work. "TO BEAT THEM," said Meyer, "we will have to outscrap, outfight and have greater determination than them. They out-physicalled us in the Horizon. I don't think they 11 do it again.

We are bigger and stronger than they are." And better. No doubt. But De Paul has been better and still lost in the first game of the NCAA tournament. The last three times, in fact. "In the past, we may have been overconfident," said Meyer.

"This time we are quietly confident." This time. After 42 years, it is eitiier this time or no time for the old coach. He said that at his last practice; it finally dawned on him that he might have been coaching in De Paul's gym for the last time. "Every day I coach, said Meyer, is like getting a reprieve. I'd like to coach a little longer." Five wins.

Or one loss. 1 L4 Tribune photo by Bob Langer Kenny Patterson's floor leadership has i i Continued on page li, col. kept De Paul highly rated this season After strong Big 10 finish, Illinois must start all over 7 AP Laserpholo North Carolina's' Michael Jordan right jumps just a little higher than Temple's Granger Hall to corral this rebound in the Tar Heels' 77-66 victory Saturday. North Carolina meets Indiana next. Story, page 3.

Memphis State shackles Purdue By Mike Conklin Chicago Tribune MILWAUKEE The most agonizing wait in Illinois' basketball season ends Sunday when it discovers whether a bye for this, year's NCAA tournament is spelled goodbye. It has been eight days since the Illini wrapped up the Big 10 championship, and now, after a first-round pass as a seeded team, they will be one of the last to test playoff waters in a Mideast Regional second-round game in the Mecca Arena. The opponent will be Villanova, which opened two days earlier with a tough, record-setting victory over Marshall. WBBM-TV Channel 2 will carry the game in Chicago at 3:30. "There are advantages to having played a first game," said Illinois coach Lou Henson.

"If you noticed in Villanova's game, they didn't play nearly as well in the first half as they did in the second. "On the other hand, we're more rested and ready to go because they've been on the road more. I'm just not sure who has the advantage." THE ONLY THING Henson and his team are sure about is that they want to retain the sharpness, especially at shooting, that helped them breeze through their final four Big 10 games as if their opponents were standing still. The Illini hit 55 percent from the field in those games, which they won by an average margin of 17 points. "Shooting is the one thing you can't control sometimes because the ball just goes in and out," said Illini guard Bruce Douglas, one of his team's hottest players in the final weeks.

"But we can dictate defense and rebounding; and that's what's carried us this year." The Illini will need all the defense it can muster against Villanova. The Wildcats set Continued on page 11, col. 1 Inside Durham's hitting his stride Cubs' slugger set to live up to reviews, Page 2. Dayton stuns Oklahoma Roosevelt Chapman scores 41 points in win. Page 3.

Providence-St. Mel ousted Mt. Pulaski wins Class A semifinal 76-74. Page 5. Putting down the Blitz Oklahoma Outlaws lasso Blitz 17-14.

Page 6. U.S. may have the next Nadia 16-year-old gymnast stars at American Cup. Page 8. By Bob Logan Chicago Tribune MEMPHIS Suddenly, Purdue's Boilermakers turned into bricklay-ers.

With 49 of their 68 shots clunking off the rim like a hail of bricks Saturday, the Big 10 co-champions had their NCAA tournament hopes shot down 66-48 by Memphis State. Keith Lee's 29 points made it easy for the Tigers on their home floor, but a tigerish zone defense that sealed off the middle like the Berlin Wall was the key to victory. Jim Rowinski scored 9 of Purdue's first 11 points, forcing the Tigers to switch from their man-to-man to a 2-3 zone. Purdue's season ended with that decision, because Rowinski and company were totally frustrated by the cordon of blue jerseys swarming around them. A 14-4 spurt midway in the first half assured Memphis State 26-6 a rematch with Houston in the Midwest Regional, where they lost to the Cougars last March in Kansas City.

Houston advanced by shaking off stubborn Louisiana Tech 77-69 in Saturday's first game. AKEEM OLAJUWON powered the Cougars with 16 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 2:55 left. With the 6-foot-lO Lee and 7-foot freshman William Bedford anchoring the Tigers' front line, the regional semifinal Friday in St. Louis could be a nightmare for Akeem the Dream. "I might match up Keith with Akeem, because he's the same class and age," said Memphis State coach Dana Kirk.

"But Sedford is a real estate dealer in the middle, and he'll make somebody pay for his patch of turf." Purdue 22-7 found that out when Bedford loomed in their path like the Sears Tower, intimidating, deflecting and changing the angle of shots. After his initial spree, Rowinski scored just 5 more points in the final Continued on page 5, col. 1 4 AS. Tribune photo by Bob Langer Efrem Winters, here scoring against Indiana, is a big man up front for Illinois. Index Bob Verdi p.

2 Holtzman on baseball p. 2 Steve Daley p. 4 Tom McNally p. 13.