Skip to main content
The largest online newspaper archive
A Publisher Extra® Newspaper

Tucson Daily Citizen from Tucson, Arizona • Page 32

Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Issue Date:
Page:
32
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

SPORTS WEDNESDAY, APRIL i4. He Gets Dave Spriggs CITIZEN SPORTSWKITER If next week's Paco Flores-Gil King welterweight scrap were going to be held in tfie Boston Garden it certainly could provide a reverse twist to the ethnic humor of Mexican-Americans, who have coined some pretty clever phrases concerning themselves. They zing those one-liners about the world's greatest chariot driver Ben Hurnandez Or the famous Kinging cowboy Roy Rogeriguez. Among the Irish, Tucson's promising welterweight would probably be tagged Packy McFlores. In any case, the Tucson Sports Center card of Feb.

24 will have a strong Irish flavor. Gil King is Irish and Mike Quarry of the fighting Quarrys is the latest Irish rage in the fight world. King, who was rated at No. 10 in the world among junior welterweights before losing to another Irishman, Nate Robinson, owns a villian image around the Los Angeles area. He doesn't know why, but that's the way it is.

He just happens.to be one of those fighters who makes people angry even when jumping through the ropes for a fight. It wouldn't make any difference anyway at the Sports Center because of Pace's popularity with the Title Bout For No. 20 The upcoming fight is the first of many key battles set for Flores this year. There are those who say that Flores is being rushed, but his camp has him programmed for a shot at the title on his 20th professional bout. The King fight will be Pace's llth pro outing.

If he disposes King, he is scheduled for a match against Robinson, who replaced King as No: 10 in the latest rankings among junior welterweights. Fighting the top men in the division at this stage of a career may sound ambitious. However, Flores has plenty of experience. His amateur record was 55-2 and his camp believes that fighting the top amateurs of the nation has been better experience than a lot of outings against nondescript club fighters. King doesn't fall in the club fighter category.

He's been a headliner in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Boxing Illustrated tagged him as its long- shot to win the welterweight title this year in its annual edition. The trade magazine may have been premature in its judgment of his ability, but King had polished off all the competition around his hometown of Akron, Ohio, before changing his base of operation to Los Angeles. His pro record (23-2) speaks for itself, He was on the verge of some big paydays before Robinson upset him in their fight for the California title. He needs a win over Flores in order to earn an immediate rematch with If Flores is successful against King, he is expected to receive a May date against Robinson in Los Angeles.

Two straight wins by Paco would project him into the national picture and its not hard to imagine what that would do for boxing in World Attention The Community Center is expected to be completed this year. If all goes well for Flores, one can expect some heady billings the marquee. Donato Paduano, Marcel Cerdan, Hedgemon Lewis and Ernie "Red" Lopez are ranked challengers who stand in the way of Flores' goal. Local fight fans may be treated to bouts that will command fight world One thing is sure. Paco Flores won't die wondering just how good he is.

He doesn't just wish. He wants to be champ. There's a big difference between wishing and wanting in the fight game. Flores is paying the price. In the trade, he's known as a good gym man.

That's a fighter who works hard day-in and day-out to get ready for a fight. He doesn't goof around and hope that everything will turn out all right come fight time. The late Rocky Marciano was the epitome of a gym man. He had neither the size nor natural talent to be a heavyweight champion, but he was always a superbly conditioned fighter and that, more than anything, took him to the top. One only has to watch Flores in action at his grubby training quarters on West Congress to believe that he has a real shot at his goal.

To see him against a comparable talent like King should give Tucson an inkling of whether it has a contender on its hands. Mel Nun Resins Blue Devil Post High School begins searching for a new rirsity basketball coach today. Mel resignation as head basketball coach was accepted toy the Sunnyside School Board last night, ending his three-year stint as head coach. His overall record, 12-52. The W-year-old Nun, who wiH remain 01 Sunnyside's faculty, earned 10 athletic letters at Kearney State College, played two seasons of professional 'baseball in the St.

Louis Cardinals' orgamzation and posted a 115-77 record, including three conference championships as a prep basketball coach in Nebraska, prior to coming to Sunnyside High. Nun's teams posted records of 2-19 (1969), 7-14 (1970) and 3-19 this season. And Sometimes A Horselaugh LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) He's a giant in the eyes of the tatooed clan and their lips are his alone. Walter K.

Coleman wouldn't have it any other way. "I've checked their lips by the thousands," says the 69- year-old Coleman. "And only seldom," he laughs; "have they given me any trouble." The opening chapter of a lurid novel? No, just the unusual livelihood of one of horse racing's noisest characters. Coleman tours race tracks in Ms native Kentucky and other states from February to December, checking the identifying tattoos all racing thoroughbreds carry inside their upper lip. At Louisville's Churchill Downs, he checks entrants for each race, including the Kentucky Derby.

The indelible combination of numerals and letters tells Coleman if a horse is the one the groom, trainer or program say it is, and only eight horses out of the thousands he's checked have shown the wrong combination. "la each case," Coleman says, "there simply was a mistake on the part of the trainer. They weren't trying to fool anyone. There isn't a business, a sport, policed like horse racing." On Derby Day, May 1, Coleman will arrive at Churchill Downs early and head for paddock. "The job is simple, but a guy who doesn't know what he's doing can get the life kicked out of Mm," says Coleman.

"You just grab the horse's upper lip, jerk it up and look at the number. It just takes an instant." If the number, is the proper rme, the horses can run. If not, he's scratched from the race. The few horses wMch haven't been tattooed yet are identified by registered body markings, copies of which Coleman keeps in a card file. "Identifying is failry easy for me," says Coleman, "because I'm large 235 pounds and a horse's eyes magnify tMngs.

To them, I must be a giant." A-State Blitzes Wisconsin, 12-0 TEMPE (AP) Al Bannister belted a two-run homer in the second frame and a solo blast in the sixth to pace Arizona State University yesterday to a 12-0 swamping of Wisconsin in college baseball. BEATS EMERALDS, 4-2 Weaver May Go Off Relief AJL JLlA.yJLjL^L'JL. Streteh For Puck AP Wirephoto Boston Bruin Don Awrey (left) and goalie Gerry Cheevers reach high for a loose puck in front of the Bruin net during last night's Stanley Cup playoff game with Montreal. Boston beat the Canadiens, 7-3, for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Story, Pg.

34. Aniphi Selects Ken Sobel As Sportsmanship Nominee The Tucson Daily Citizen Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to the outstanding senior student-athlete in Tucson who achieves the highest combined excellence in athletics, sportsmanship, scholarship and extra-curricular activities. Here Is this year's first nominee. Kenneth Alan Sobel is small in size, but big in academics. The AmpM High senior, son of Mr.

and Mrs. Leonard Sobel, 6201 N. Pomona Road, sports a 1.8 overall grade av- erage, ranking 52nd in a class of 288. He wrestled in the 105- pound division. A member of the AmpM High chapter of the National Honor Society, he serves as a tutor at Wetmore Elementary School and senator of his senior class.

Sobel also is a member of the Tucson North Council, Key Club, Lettermeirs Club, Student Council, AmpM Model United Nations and executive board of the Tucson Youth Council. A "mike boy," he also par- Kenneth Alan Sobel ticipated in the AmpM Blood Drive. Assemblies Committee chairman, Week Committee chairman and Rodeo Week chairman. In addition, he was a member of the Davis-Monthan Chapter of DeMolay, sergeant at arms of the Lettermen's Club, junior class senator, junior Deacon (DeMolay) and participated in the VFW essay contest. He participated in athletics for four years.

He won frosh numerals in football, wrestling and track; won junior varsity letters in football and wrestling as a sophomore and ran varsity cross-country and competed in varsity wrestling as a junior. This year, he participated in wrestling. His top effort was a fourth-place finish in the Canyon del Oro Holiday Tournament (105-pound division). By REGIS McAULKV Assistant Sports Editor Floyd Weaver, the Tucson Toros' big righthander, helped manager Gordy Maltzberger with his thinking last night. Maltzberger has been thinking about making a starting pitcher out of Weaver, who has been strictly a relief pitcher since 1966.

And Weavers 4-2 victory over the Eugene Emeralds last night didn't hurt his chances any for taking over the coveted role of starter. "That's the first time I've gone nine innings since I pitched for Portland in 1966," Weaver said. "I was pretty tired out there from the fifth inning on. And in the last two innings I was exaggerating my follow-through to throw the ball down low and keep it in the park. "That infield played some kind of ball behind me, too," he said.

"That double play after I struck out Mike Ander' son in the eighth inning was an example. That was a great throw Steve Sogge (Toros' catcher) made to second and it was a good tag by Nate Oliver to get the runner going down from first." Maltzberger said he would not have let Weaver stay in too long in the ninth inning if he had any trouble. "I knew he was tiring," Gordy said, "but his breaking stuff was good and he was handling their big men in the lineup very well. I kept talking to our catcher. Sogge, and he told me Weaver's stuff was real good.

"I'm undecided right now as to whether to make a starting pitcher out of him, but I have been considering it." The Toro manager had praise for Ms big Mtters, Bob Spence. whose double in the fifth scored a run, Roe Skidmore, whose towering fly ball in the seventh provided the go- ahead run, and Bill Robinson, who singled in the same inning to give the Toros an in' surancerun. Emerald pitcher Al McBean, was the victim of tough luck on a very fine field- tog play which caused Mm to twist Ms Mp in the sixth inning. McBean, whose slider was breaking so much that he Mt three batters with it, was matching pitches with Weaver in a 2-2 deadlock until Sogge hit a hard smash back at McBean with Mickey McGuire on third base for the Toros. McBean knocked the ball down, twisted off the mound to pick it up and made a fast throw to the plate lo naii McGuire.

But after retiring the side McBean went to the bench and manager Andy Seminick had to take him out of the game. "I hated to do it. He was pitching a fine Semi- nick said. "But his hip was hurting so I had to get him out of there." The victory for the Toros evened the series at two games each. Tonight Rich Hinton, who pitched six innings of the opening game of the season, will be back on the mound trying to give the Toros the series edge.

He will be opposed by the Emeralds' Greg Scramuzzo. Tonight's game will start at p.m. following an exhibition contest between Tucson news media "athletes" and Eddie Feigner, The King and his Court. Feigner's son, Eddie will make his debut tonight as a member of his father famous team. Toros 4, Emeralds 2 Eusens Reed, Gmble, Ar.drsn rf Lzr.sK, Ib Vkvch, 35 Vacka, 5b Rbnsn.

ss Crnoin. Heron, Mriin, oh Perm, ib 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 0 1 0 Totals 34 Tucson 0 i i 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 hbi 0 fl 3 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 Tucson Kellv, cf ss Snnce, Ib Skdmr, rt Rbnsn, If McGr, 3b Oliver, 2 1 0 S0996. 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 Totals 000 101 C01 010 2 4 1 3 4 4 4 4 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 1 0 2 1 1 0 3 000 -MX 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 2 4 LOB Eugene 5. Tucson 7. DP sogse-QHver.

2B Gamble. Suence. 3B Gamble. HR Anderson. Soence.

SF Skidmore. ip tr bb so McBean 6 6 2 2 0 3 Heron (L, 0-1) 1 2 2 2 1 0 Penn 1 0 0 0 0 0 Wsaver 1-0) 9 2 2 0 HBP By McBean (Soence) Bv AlcBeen (Kelly). By McBean (Spencs). wp McBean. Uzslack, Haho, Robinson.

2:09. Hamilton Released As Toros Pick Up 'Missing Jack "The Ham" Hamilton was given Ms unconditional release today by the Tucson Toros after pitching for the Pacific Coast League entry for the past two years. The colorful righthander, Bears Sign Lewis Willie Lewis, the University of Arizona's fullback and leading ball carrier last season, has signed a professional football contract with the Chicago Bears. Presently employed in community relations for the Tucson Police Department Lewis will report to the Bears' rookie camp in July. Terms were not disclosed, but Lewis said he was "satisfied" with the contract.

who was noted for Ms clubhouse-wrecking tantrums when he lost a game, will be replaced on the roster by the "missing pitcher" for the WMte Sox, Ceeilio Acosta is a pitcher from the Mexican League who came to the WMte Sox in a last year's third baseman for the Toros, Dick Kenworthy. Acosta was to report to the WMte Sox spring training camp in Sarasota this spring but nobody heard from Mm. Last Friday he showed up in Tucson and the WMte Sos were notified. It was decided to leave him here and put Mm on the roster. Acosta was with the JasUIo club in Mexico last year where he fanned 99 batters in 8-5 innings.

He had a 2M earned nm average. All of Ms pitching was in relief roles. Hamilton, who has been in organized baseball since 1957, won five and lost seven for the Toros last season. He made it up to the majors several times. He pitched for the PMladelpMa Phillies in 1962-63: Detroit in 1984-65; the New York Mets in 1966-67; the California Angels, 1967-68: Cleveland Indians in 1969 and the WMte Sox for a short time last vear.

Jill Finds Going Great For Pan Bj STEVE EELLEY Citizen Sportswriter Jill Strong lias a special summer coming up. An extra special summer. Among her travels, she'll spend a week or so in Florida. Then in early August, she'll jet over to Colombia for a brief stay. Sound like fun and games? Fun, maybe.

Games, most definitely. To be exact, Jill, the Pima County Dolphin standout, will be one of the members of the United States swimming team in the Pan-American Games Aug. 1144 in San Paulo. In July, she begins training with the team in Miami. She earned the right by placing in the National AAU Short Course Cham- pipnships, held last week in Pullman, Wash.

Jill qualified by finishing fourth in' the 500-yard freestyle with a 5:08 timing, eight seconds faster than her previous best. In addition, she placed fifth in the freestyle in 17:27.8. Technically, Jill's fourth place wasn't good enough since the first two finishers qualify. But Olympian Deb- bie Meyer and Nancy Spitz declined to compete in the Pan-American Games to concentrate on the outdoor nationals so Jill became eligible. Jill might have qualified for the team, anyway.

Nineteen positions are usually up for grabs, and should one swimmer qualify in more than one event, there will be one less girl necessary lor the team. For precautionary measures, however, other outstanding swimmers are chosen to bring the roster out to 19 girls. Regardless of how she made it, Jill has made the team. It's the first big step in realizing her hopes to become a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, and it's a little overwhelming.

"Making the team makes you realize you're as good as most people," says Jill, who although she's been ranked among the top 10 in the world, has rarely had a chance to compete against swimmers in her own class. "I really didn't think I would make it," she says. "I didn't think anyone refuse the opportuni- But we'll still have a pretty good team. We don't really hurt in the distances since the other good swimmers in the world are in Australia." Jill was pleasantly shocked by her timings in the nationals. Her 5:08 in the 500 was two seconds faster than the optimistic prediction made by her coach, Bob Davis.

And her 17:27.8 in the raBe, which came in a slow heat, smashed her previous best of 17:58. "That was the liredest I've ever been," says Jill, recalling the moments after her 1,650. "I was even a little tired after the 500." Davis, too, was surprised because her training had not been that rigorous. "It wasn't as intense as I want- Jill Strong-Making New Waves ed it to be," he says. "It's hard to get her going.

She has no competition and she doesn't have the temperament to swim against her brother Steve or Doug Northway (a Dolphin teammate)." (Steve, incidentally, placed 13th in the 1,650 in the nationals with a 16:21 timing, despite swimming in a slow heat. His time would have been good enough to place eighth in this year's collegiate championships, even though he is just a junior at Sahuaro High.) had a feeling Steve and Jill would rlo well." Davis recalls. "You can sense ihcse things. They holh looked good up there before the meet. Jill I had been at each other's throats beforr.

the he says. "She hadn't been swimming too well so we tapered off her practices and she looked better and better. About week before the meet she really looked good. "She does this without the competition the California girls get," Davis tinucs. guess, this proves what a great swimmer is.".

Get access to Newspapers.com

  • The largest online newspaper archive
  • 300+ newspapers from the 1700's - 2000's
  • Millions of additional pages added every month

Publisher Extra® Newspapers

  • Exclusive licensed content from premium publishers like the Tucson Daily Citizen
  • Archives through last month
  • Continually updated

About Tucson Daily Citizen Archive

Pages Available:
388,664
Years Available:
1941-1977