The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 79

pi pry iy i i i i i sports the Indianapolis See. 4 Hobbies SUNDAY, APIUL 5, 1970 VNSOLVED PEWItUmS ACCOMPANY OPENERS esieffed Baseball Year Star 0 aces fflrauv (Wpenimg UDayj Assignments liy ASSOCIATED PRESS Besieged baseball begins its second hundred years tomorrow without Seattle, without Curt Flood, with foregoing any opportunity to play this season, and very possibly, any other season. Like Flood, McLain has been the center of controversy all spring, and also will be missing when the season starts. The Detroit pitcher, however, will be able to rejoin the Tigers on July 1 when his suspension for becoming involved with gamblers is lifted. Whether baseball's integrity has been in any way damaged by McLain's flirtation with alleged bookmakers remains to be seen.

However, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn said after he handed down his decision in the case: "I THINK baseball has been vindicated by the action I took." Still, the Seattle, Flood and McLain cases all have turned the spotlight away from the exhibition games being played in Florida, Arizona and California and baseball likely will lose some additional glamor with the absence of President Nixon at the opener in Washington. A great baseball fan, Nixon will be unable to attend the game while he keeps close tabs on voting in the Senate on, the nomination of Harrold Carswell to be a justice of the Supreme Court. For the same reason, Vice President Agnew, Nixon's stand-in, also scratched. With the first-string staff wiped out, David Eisenhower, Nixon's son-in-law and grandson of the former president, will throw out the first ball in what has become known as the Presidential Opener. Turn to Page 4, Column 8 4 i 1 i JIM MERRITT out Denny McLain and without a first-string pitcher from the White House.

'Traditional openers at Washington and Cincinnati usher In season No. 101, a second century of major league baseball that finds the sport immersed in problems which, in the last several months, have commanded far more attention than the annual spring training ritual. 'The hassle over the Seattle franchise, now shifted to Milwaukee? Flood's challenge of the reserve system, scheduled to be" heard in court beginning May 18, and McLain's suspension, set to be lifted on July 1, all have overshadowed actual preparations. The Seattle issue has been settled with the moving of the franchise to Milwaukee, where the team has been re-christened the Brewers to provide the city with its own team for the first time since the Braves moved south to Atlanta following the 1965 season. COUNTY STADIUM, which will be the scene of Tuesday's opener against the California Angeles, is ready again and so apparently are the people of Milwaukee, according to Bud Selig, head of the group that purchased the problem-plagued Seattle club.

"I think the fans here have missed baseball," said Selig. "I sense an excitement about the team that probably is better than mass hysteria." ft f.i I A 'tfi 1 f. -i ir iiirr MICKEY LOLICH DICK BOSMAN ball's immunity, attacking as it does the reserve system that binds a player to the club with which he signs a contract. Flood contends that system deprives him of his freedom. When he was traded from St'.

Louis to Philadelphia, the center fielder decided to challenge the system and baseball. To do so Flood is taking his case to court and But baseball may have lost a modicum of prestige over losing the once-prized Seattle site after just one year. It still faces an $82 million antitrust suit by the State of Washington and the possible introduction of legislation in' the U.S. Senate to remove the sport's immunity to antitrust laws. Flood's suit, meanwhile, is no less a challenge to base Mario By Tick Gurney Nip cs 'it i hi Hcfii Al IJnser 10 Seconds Back Br SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Sonoma, Calif.

Dan Gurney had to hustle yesterday to win the first United States Auto Club race ever held on the tight but picturesque Sears Point Raceway. ay fi: of the Grand National Steeplechase in Liverpool, England, yesterday. The race was won by Gay Trip. Story on page 5. (UPI Telephoto) LAUNCHED Jockey J.

Cook rockets into the air from Specify (No. 5) as it stumbles over The Otter and jockey T. M. Jones at Beechers Brook during running BACKYARD BENGAL Detroit Tiger pitching ace Denny McLain rears back to" throw his fast ball during a (vorkout yesterday in his Lakeland, backyard. He Is under suspension until July 1 but throws daily to brother Tim to keep in shape.

(UPI Telephoto) JOE SPARMA learned that his 12-year old daughter Terry had relapsed into a coma as a result of a horse riding accident last weekend. Andretti jumped Donahue on the start as did Al Unser and umi.ey. uiuncy move on Unser one lap later and gobbled up last year's Indianapolis winner on the second lap to lead the rest of the way. The win at an average speed of 87.009 mph was worth $14,975 in prize and accessory money to greying Gurney, Andretti's portion of the $56,750 purse was $8,750 and Al Unser received $3,900. YESTERDAY'S third place finish along with his win in last week's USAC opener at Phoenix kept Unser in the 1970 championship point-lead with a total of 510.

Gurney now holds second with 300 points, followed by Bobby Unser, Andretti and Mike Mosley all with 240 points. The only real threat to Gurney during the one hour, 44 minute 26-second was Montreal's John Cannon, an ex-RAF pilot and a rookie entry for this year's Indianapolis 500. Cannon started fifth and after a spirited battle with Gordon Johncock, who finished fourth, caught and passed first Al Unser and then Andretti. About halfway through the race Cannon had his sights on Gurney when the yellow flag came out and he was forced Turn to Page 3, Column 6 Pats Decide ToConstruct Nciv Stadium Boston (AP) The homeless Boston Patriots of the National Football League yesterday said they will build a stadium in Foxboro and play there in 1971. Patriots President Billy Sullivan said the only condition to the plan is voter approval by the town of Foxboro, which has a population of about 17,000.

A special town meeting has been scheduled for April 13 for the vote. However, a survey in the town several weeks ago indicated that citizens were overwhelmingly In favor of having the Patriots. The stadium would adjoin the Bay State Raceway, just off U.S. 95 and U.S. 1, about 30 miles from Boston and Providence, R.I.

It would be financed by an unidentified five-man group, with the 20-25 acres being contributed by the harness racing track. Four-Under 67 Is Arnie's Washington Hors D'oeuvre Pump Town Mud Hen Rally Nips Tribe, 7-6 By MAX GREENWALD Star Sportswriter Lakeland, Fla. A five-run sixth inning by Toledo was the undoing of the Indianapolis Indians yesterday and the Tribe lost its third straight exhibition game, 7-6. Steve Blateric, a righthander trying to move up from Ashe-ville, gave up the five tallies in denting his chances for a Tribe berth. Ross Grimsley, who struck out Dve in the first five innings, was charged with the first two Toledo runs because of a misjudged line drive which turned into a homer with one on in the third Dooley Womack allowed only Turn to Page 2, Column 1 Littler took a 68 for 140.

Jim Wiechers scored a hole in one on the 225-yard, par three 16th and collected a total of $11,000 in prizes put up by an insurance company and a chemical firm. Arnold Palmer A4-87-I31 R. H. Sikes 65-47-132 Tommy Aaron 64-49133 Miller Barber 69-64-133 Gary Player 70-63133 Lou Graham 6'-68 135 John Schroedai 69-67 136 Lee Trevino 71-66 137 Billy Maiwell 4t- 137 Pete Brown 66-71137 Larry Hinson 68-49137 Steve Sprav 70-47137 Doug Sanders 70-48138 Phil Rodgers 66-72138 Juan RRodrlguei 68-69138 Bobby Nichols 68-70138 Hovyia Johnson 71-67138 Tom Welskoof 68-70138 Herb Hoooer 68-70138 Jack McGowan 70-68138 Mason Rudolph 71-68 139 Bert Greene 70-69139 George Archer 66-73139 Julius Boros 7J-47 139 Bob E. Smith 709139 Sam Snead 69-70139 Al Baldinfl 70-69119 Do Flnsterwald 69-70139 Wilf Homenulk 69-70139 Tommy Jacobs 6H-71 139 Jerry Heard 70-70140 Bob Menne 67-73140 Lionel Hebert 70-70140 Jerrv McGee 70-70140 Dav Bollman 7J-68 14(1 Bob Rosburg 73 69 140 Bill Brask 68-72 140 Bob Ross 68-72140 Mika Reason 69-71144 Foster Hangs TKO On Rouse Missoula, Mont.

(AP) Light heavyweight champion Boh Foster demolished game Roger House with a vicious right hand last night, knocking Rouse down four time en route to a successful defense of his title. The technical knockout came at the end of the third round. A ring doctor examined Rouse's cuts and his general condition and would not allow the Anaconda, fighter to answer the bell for tha fourth round. Pacers JNets In By DAVE OVERPECK star Sportswriter The dress rehearsal was a smash last night, so the Indiana Pacers can hardly wait to see how well the first performance of "Operation Get Ready" goes today. TUr.n tha nlrloct mat! In th race at 38.

Gurney managed the finish line by a margin of less than two seconds, with hard-charging Al Unser bare- 1v 10 seconds back. The mar- gin of victory might have been a great deal more, but numer- ous yellow flags repeatedly closed up the field every time Gurney built up some insurance distance. POLE POSITION qualifier Mark Donahue was a shortlived threat as his Chevy-Lola swallowed a valve on the first lap. Another favorite Bobby Unser started sixth and moved up to fourth but a broken drive shaft put him out of the race after six laps. One pre-race favorite, A.

J. Foyt, withdrew from the race during Friday's qualifying and returned to Houston when he Pipers; Today Civic Arena last night, the Pacers didn't need much trial and error to get acclimated to the new attack. A half did it as they bombed the Pipers, 132-116. The game wasn't nearly as close as the score. The Pacers led by as many as 30 in the early minutes of the fourth quarter before easing home.

The Pipers managed to pare the gap only because of 11 Indiana errors and as many personals in the concluding chapter. Leonard had said going into this one that the Pacer pride would be on the line against the Pipers and the Nets today. There had been more than ample criticism of his club as it cruised through three Turn to Page 10, Column 1 INDIANA (133) Mln FG FT A PF TP Brawn 17 10-16 1-3 4, Netollcky. 34 4-11 3- 4 2 Ditnieis 3f 3- 3 16 1 F.Lewis 37 M3 A- Barnhitl 33 -1l 3- 4 Keller 12 2-5 1-1 Miller 3-5 2-2 Darrten 7-12 1- 1 Thacker 15 1-3 CO Berknr 2 1-1 0-0 TolflU 54-96 131 tat 73 133 x-lncludes two (Mm rebounds. PITTSBURGH (114) Min FG FT A PF TP Humllton 1- 3 3-4 5 0 2 5 Duvlj 17 1-4 3-3 Johnson 14 -1 1- 1 Thompson 18 5-13 5- 7 Kellv 17 1 2 0 0 1 11 M.lpwli 32 -1 2- 3 2 4 14 BrKker 41 12 39 13-13 10 3 4 39 Orms 79 1- I 0 -1 5 1 2 1 Lnn 23 5- 9 1- 3 1 4 1 total 39-102 34-42 56 10 12 116 Indent 29 25 42 3613? Pimburih 22 32 20 42 116 i-lncludel rnreo lum rebounds.

Tnree-polnr annotinq: Indian Brawn 0 2, Lewii l-i, Bitmhl I 0-2. Tinrner 0- I Pllfsburah Thompson 1-1, Kllv 1-1, Last night's tilt with the Pittsburgh Pipers had been tabbed a dry run by Pacer Coach Bobby Leonard to give his charges a chance to try their new playoff material. Today's Coliseum tilt with the New York Mets was supposed to be the real thing. As things turned out in the Greensboro, N.C. (AP) Ar-nold Palmer stormed into sole control of first place in the Greater Greensboro Open Golf Tournament yesterday and went winging off to Washington for a White House dinner with President Nixon.

The a 1 Palmer, golf's greatest gate attraction, broke out of a first place tie with Tommy Aaron by firing a four-under-par 67 for 131, 11 under par and the best 36-hole score of the year on the pro tour. The first $1 million winner in the game then left almost immediately for his home in La-trobe, to pick up his wife, Winnie, before continuing on to Washington. A heavy rainstorm forced a one-day postponement in the start of the $180,000 tournament and Palmer 1 faces a 36-hole windup today. "I DON'T really mind playing 36," said the 40-year-old Palmer, who dropped off the tour briefly last year because of trouble with an arthritic hip. "My hip gets a little tired, that's all.

But I can still make it around." Palmer led lanky R. H. Sikes, a non-winner since 1966, by a single stroke. Sikes had a 67 for 132. Aaron, who matched Palmer's opening 64, fell off the fast pace with a 69 for 133 and was tied at that figure with Miller Barber, 64, and the on-rushing Gary Player.

Player, a South African who was accompanied by plainclothes policemen in his gallery, fired a brilliant 63 and said "it was as close as I've ever come to breaking 60." Lou Graham followed with a 68 for 135, while rookie John Schroeder, son of former tennis star Ted Schroeder, had a 67 for 136. Schroeder got into the tournament as the second alternate from Monday's qualifying round. Today's pairings for the final two rounds will have Palmer, Page 3 Getting The Gait 8 Pin Spotting 10 Speaking Of Cars 11 Speaking Of Speed 11 Player and Aaron in the last threesome. Palmer, followed by some 10,000 of the gallery that was estimated at 28,000, started on the 10th tee. He canned a 20-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole, put a six-iron three feet from the flag on 15 and went three under for the day with a 15-foot putt on the next But on 17, he put his drive in a ditch.

He was allowed a drop, but the ball rolled into a creek and he had to take a penalty stroke and took a bogey. He got it back on the 18th, however. Palmer hit the branch of a tree on his tee shot, but put a three-iron on the green and made a 10-foot putt for a bird. HE ALSO birdied the first when a six-iron, left him a five-footer, bogeyed the 10th when he missed the green and closed with a birdie four on the final hole. He was short of the green in two, but chipped to eight inches.

Player had six birdies and an eagle- three, the latter on a 40-foot putt, in his remarkable round. "It's as close as I ever came to breaking 60," the crew cut South African said. "I missed one putt from five feet, and another from six. If I'd made those, and had i 1 the ninth, well, it would have been close." The group at 137 included leading money winner Lee Trevino, Pete Brown, Larry Hinson, Steve Spray and Billy Maxwell. Billy Casper had a 73 for 143 and defending champion Gene Capitols Join Atlantic Loop New York The Indianapolis Capitols formally joined the Atlantic Coast Football League yesterday after spending two months in a state of limbo.

The 1969 Continental League champions, who withdrew from that tottering circuit in February, were welcomed into the ACL yesterday at the league meetings along with two former CFL rivals, the Norfolk (Va.) Neptunes and Orlando (Fla.) Panthers. A FOURTH Continental League team, the Jersey (Newark) Jays, joined the Atlantic Coast League a month ago. Ken Carpenter, who coached the Caps to the CFL title last year, will coach the Elizabeth ACL entry this year, to be known as the Jersey Tigers. The Tigers have taken over the Harrisburg, franchise. The Caps have yet to announce a successor to Carpenter.

Several prospects have been considered, among them former Indianapolis Washington, Purdue and Chicago Bear player Babe Dimancheff. The Caps, Orlando and Norfolk will be in the Southern Division along with Roanoka, Pottstown, and Richmond, Va. The Northern Division will consist of Hartford, Bridgeport, Hempstead, N.Y.; Quincy, Elizabeth, N.J. and Newark, N.J, The Caps will play each team in its division home and home, and two other games to complete the schedule. Index To Sports GILBERT HONORED Speedway High School basketball star Tom Gilbert is named to first team of Parade Ail-American prep basketball team.

Jim Bradley of East Chicago Roosevelt is named to second team and Dave Shepherd of Carmel to sixth Page 2 GOLF RATING SYSTEM-USGA's golf course rating system starts third year of operation. This rating helps de termine fair handicaps Baseball Chatter 5 Big Fish Contest 6 Bob Collins 2 Hoosier Golf Scene 9 lines And Shots 6 Brisker 7-5. Terhnlr foulu; Indiana Benrt. Errors: Indiana 31, Pittsburgh 24. Attendance: 1191..