Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 57

ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Sunday, February 4, 1979 E-9 nut' Dodgers Find a Spot in 'Rotation9 for Sandy Koufax Dodgers haven't really found that certain young pitcher. Bob Welch, 22, did come up from the minor leagues last year to play an important role in the Dodgers pennant drive. The thought has occured to some that Welch might turn into another Koufax. to accept certain things. You have to learn to accept the fact that occasionally somebody is going to beat you or somebody is going to hit the ball out of the park.

"It's all right to be cocky, but you also have to know your own pitching motion. It has to be a consistent thing." Since Koufax retired, the In Koufax's early years with the Dodgers, he suffered because he lacked control, but, in time, he gained that control. He was a thinking pitcher in his later years, too. "I think control can be taught," he stressed, "but it's also a mental problem. To get control of it, you have something again and it's hard to stay away from the one thing you've done well," Koufax said in explaining his decision to rejoin the Dodgers.

When asked to capsulize what he'd done over the past 12 years, he said simply, "I really can't tell you very much." the Dodgers in 1966. He posted a 27-9 record and a 1.73 ERA. For those heroics, he won his third Cy Young' Award. At the end of that season, he retired because of an arthritic pitching elbow. Doctors warned him if he continued to pitch might become crippled.

"I've decided I want to do their former left-handed great. The name of Koufax, who is looking perfectly fit at 43, is still magic. His penchant for reclusivness has only added to his mystique. Greta Garbo would be proud of him. Koufax was never better than his final season with Sandy Koufax tmmm iViinaii i Htfi iiiminiinTTHi niiiiVi-iiTini iqriii ft -'''--T---'j OJIYS CHARGE PLANS, JneVi I AVAILABLE AT YOUR A3 MIRESTONE DEALER TOOS ByJIMCOUR UPI Sports Writer LOS ANGELES -It hasn't been one of the better winters for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The season ticket sales continue to bring smiles to the faces of the members of the O'Malley family and that, like it or not, is what it's about' The baseball players are trying to get all they can and so are the owners'. That's capitalism, 1979 style, in this new, incredible million dollar free agent era. TheDodgers will insist they'll be a better team next season than they were in winning the National League pennant the past two years, but that doesn't figure to be true. They lost three valuable players in the free agent draft 17-game winner Tommy John, centerfielder Bill North and super-sub Lee Lacy. No one can fault the Dodgers for adhereing to a conservative fiscal policy.

Under Walter and Peter O'Malley the Dodgers make few mistakes. John, who will be 36 next May, will be itching for the New York 'ankees next season and the Yankeees are expected to rSTO NEWEST '90 I STEEL BELTED SMP RADIAL On'finstoft RtvoJvmg Chars. 39-60-90 Day Poyrrwnh. finance Charge Rejunwd on Rqut nmmiiii i mi 1 rir in" 1 1. AS LOW AS BR78-13 White wall Plus $1.99 FET make it three straight world championships.

But how many more years does John have leftin his reconstructed arm? Lacy, an excellent hitter, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, while North, a superior defensive player, is still shopping around for employment. The Dodgers haven't made any offseason deals, but they did sign one free agent, utility player Derrel Thomas. Off his past record, Thomas isn't expected to fill the void left by the departed Lacy, let EXCHANGE TIRE SO 52 SS 5359 61 64 ER78-14 FR78-14 GR78-14 HR78-14 GR78-15 HR78-15 JR78-15 LR78-15 Plus F.E.T. Plus FET Plus FIT Plus F.E.T. Plus FET Plus FET Plus FET Plus FET 2.38 2.55 -265 1 2.95 2.73 1.96 1 3.14 3.30 BIJgWpyWaMJa POLYESTER CORD DOUBLE BELTED DELUXE CHAMPION $, Nui h.tJ.19 I T.

par Tlr 34 BLACKWALL A78-13 alone the void left by John and North and Lacy. But the Dodgers didn't become the first major league team to draw three million fans in a single season by accident. They haven't landed any big names in trades or in the free agent market, but they haven't been exactly idle, either. First, they signed crippled former catching great Roy Campanella and moved him from New York to Los Angeles. Then, in what might have been the sports public relations coup of the century, they talked ex-pitching phenom Sandy Koufax into giving up his hermit-like existence in Paso Robles, BLACKWALLS 14 C14 E14 F14 14 F15 G15 H15 H15 J15 Hui $1.31 Is $3.19 M.T.

par Tlr B78-13 C78-14 D78-14 E78-14 F78-14 G78-14 $3 H78-14 $3 G78-15. $3 H78-15 $3 L78-15 $3 600-12 560-13 600-13 560-15 645-14 600-15 685-15 Wui $1.70 to F.E.T. par Tlr 115 A7813 Plus $1.71 FET All orices dIus $1.42 to $2.93 F.E.T. Tread different than shown. WMTTEWAUS AD All Tirai Plot FIT ami Old tlr TW.1 Mwimr fmmT annimmuMmmimmmnnu Wide, bias-ply performance tire SUPER SPORTS ALL PRICES PLUS F.E.T.

OLD TIRE 60 SERIES ALSO AVAILABLE SS with Unique "IN-LINE" A70-13 SHI H70-15 170-14 70-1 4 Plus F.E.T. Plus F.E.T. Plus Fa PlusF.l.T. and becoming a pitching instuctor next season. It was treated by the Dodgers and their media as a major happening, and perhaps, it was.

After all, Koufax has been living in virtual seclusion the past six years of his 12-year retirement. He even took his wife, the daughter of actor Richard Widmark, and lived in the woods of Maine for awhile. He did work six seasons as a commentator for NBC-TV but quit when he decided it wasn't his cup of tea. There was a small army of reporters for the news conference to announce Kou-fax's return. It was almost i 1 1 73 1 FR60-15 $71 uo.li K4, sax.

ssf GR70-15 $69gR60-IS $74 I Exchange Tire Firestone 4 TRANSPORT 6 PIV RATING TUBE TYPE ALLTERRAIN TC ALL TERRAIN NEW LOW PRICES FIRESTONE CAYALLINO STEEL BELTED RADIAL FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TRACTION 10-13LT 7.9-1 41T as if Koufax was going to fill the vacancy in the Dodger $35 1SSR-12 155R-1J wCy JlK'H fK rotation left by John's defec 670-15 700-15 650-16 700-16 750-16 4-ly rating tubel.il lM5Lf tion. Koufax was that big CESII Pi when he pitched in Los eeles in the 1960's. The nos 14SR-13 1651-14 1SSR-15 I63 talgia at the news confer 6-plv rating. o-sly rating, tuWu fubawii ence was overwhelming as Prlci plvi $3.43 to $3.41 IXCH All tlr plut IT and old tlr lul w.0 hi $3.36 FfT IXCH. member after member of lu $3.11 1 $5.47 and xchana tlr the Dodger party recited a LUBE OIL FRONT END ALIGNMENT FOREVER BATTERY litany of Koufax anecdotes.

For his part-time services RJ All 95 $3188 jrf Koufax will be paid handsomely. Most guesses and light puthis salary at between U.S. BAJA WHITE SPOKE WHEELS 14x6 Other Sixes Available Precision alignment by our skilled front trucks Please call for $40,000 and $50,000 a season, FOK end specialists. an appointment. II Exchcnge Size 12 Volt American cars.

Chevettes extra. No extra charge for factory air or torsion bars. We'll install up to 5 quarts high grade oil and lubricate your car's chassis. but the Dodgers will get more than $50,000 in publicity. Maybe they got that much the day they re-signed F22 MONROE -MATIC Heavy Duty CHIPPER SHOCKS Pnly I ft tSL SHOCK ABSORBERS $1 A88 EACH Dodgers Name New Instructors Journal Special nMUIML' MATIC Tn i 1 -fir installation available 1 Plus Installation LOS ANGELES Former MONROES Lifetime Warranty VA Lifetime Warranty plus installation JL maior leaguers Paul Popov a TopoTnTbraKi ich and Leo Posada have been named minor league 50,000 MILE TRANSMISSION instructors by the Los Ange les Dodgers.

AUGNMENT $3495 $79 drum type Amer. cars We'll install factory pre-arced linings, new front seals and return springs; rebuild all four wheel cylinders and resurface brake drums, new wheel cyl. $7 each, If needed; repack front wheel bearings; bleed system and odd fluids; road test. Popovich, 38, will serve as the minor league infield instructor. He spent 10 years in the big leagues, playing Automatic Transmission Service Here's what we do: Wall initall NEW TrorwnittJon fillri raploca pan goikati 6on anil impact oil rwarvoir, odd raquirad Irommiwon Huidt and road tt cor.

ItoccnvnancM by rwmulmlurarl Q1 itondard moin-tartanc at 25.000 mil. American cars Rar WhMl Drlva From WhMl Drlva for the Chicago Cubs twice. excent Chevette 5 60,000 Ml. SERVICE AGREEMFMT Montreal. Pittsburgh and -TV, LA.

Popovich, who resides in Northbrook. 111., is a graau ate of West Virginia Univer sitv. where he played bas' ketball with Los Angeles Lakers Coach Jerry West. Posada, 43, will be the SANTA FE FIRESTONE STORE 1015 ST. FRANCIS DR.

PHONE 982-9857 8-6 MON. TO FRI. 8-12SAT. ACADEMY PARNELLI II FIRESTONE JONES GALLUP Corner of San Mateo FIRESTONE FIRESTONE Academy CENTRAL 21 5 CO AL AVENUE 6300 WYOMING GALLUP SAN MATEO NE 111 WYOMING SE NEW MEXICO PHONE 821-1300 PHONE 266-8733 PHONE 8-6 MON. to FRI.

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to FRI. 8-4 SAT. FIRESTONE STORE EAST CENTRAL Across From Hiland Center 4601 CENTRAL NE PHONE 255-5572 8-6 MON. to FRI. 8-4 SAT.

FIRESTONE STORE DOWNTOWN MeifcTRALN-W. 'VtioNE 243-3701 MON. to FRI. 8-4 SAT. minor league hitting, in structor.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Posada was an outfielder with the old Kansas City A's from 196-62. He has been in the Houston Astro organization since 1968, serving as a coach and a minor league manager. 1.