CONTENTS

30 DAYS 22
For pushing an umpire, Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose drew baseball's longest suspension in 41 years
by Steve Wulf

THIS DEVIL DID IT 26
John MacLean's goal lifted New Jersey past Washington for the NHL Patrick Division championship
by Hank Hersch

BOY WONDER 28
Texas pitching marvel Jon Peters broke the high school record for consecutive wins. And he's only a junior
by E.M. Swift

HOT TIME IN THE WILD WEST 38
As the NBA playoffs began, one intriguing matchup pitted Seattle against the gunnin' Denver Nuggets
by Jack McCallum

HEROIC AND HERCULEAN 42
Weightlifter Naim Suleymanoglu was as mighty as ever in his first meet abroad since his defection from Bulgaria
by Craig Neff

WELL WORTH A WAIT 49
Margaret Groos waited and waited before surging to victory in the women's Olympic marathon trials
by Merrell Noden

THE LOOK OF A WINNER 52
Midway through the playoffs, Mark Messier has fixed his sights on another Stanley Cup for Edmonton
by Austin Murphy

RICK'S GOT SOME TRICKS 71
PBA rookie sensation Rick Steelsmith plays mental games on the lanes that are positively pin shattering
by John Garrity

THE THRIFT SHOP 76
That's what general manager Syd Thrift is running in Pittsburgh, and the Pirates are pretty hot stuff
by Ralph Wiley

ANOTHER VIEW FROM THE TOP 98
Gene Klein fled the NFL four years ago. Now he's America's most successful thoroughbred owner
by William Nack

DEPARTMENTS

Letters 6
Scorecard 17
Golf 88
Inside Baseball 92
For The Record 121
Point After 122

Cover Photograph by Jerry Wachter

PHOTO

BILL SMITH

NO LOSS FOR WORDS: "I'll miss you," Oriole manager Frank Robinson told reporters who had dogged him through 21 straight losses. Why were the media leaving? Because the O's had finally won (page 92).