The Times Herald from Port Huron, Michigan • Page 9

rsi I I came out there was more flap to it than there is to a buzzard's wings. Perhaps a tipoff is when Smith decided he wouldn't be back even if they asked him. That was three weeks ago. What occurred then to prompt the decision from a man who said he wouldn't quit when he first took the job? world championship included, before sagging to fourth this season as the Denny McLain saga plus a key injury to slugging outfielder Willie Hor-ton didn't help Smith keep his job. Bill Freehan's book did little or nothing in the way of contributing to Mayo's farewell party, although when the book DETROIT (UPI)-Why Mayo Smith was fired is about as easy to answer as knowing why there is air.

"It's easier to fire the manager than to get rid of 25 ball players," is the cliche reason Smith gave Thursday at his congenial goin g-away "wake." Trite, perhaps, but likely true. The blame properly belongs on the Detroit Tigers themselves. They could hav? saved their manager's job but they didn't. Denny McLain? The whole McLain scandal and subsequent trio of suspensions? "I don't think Denny had anything to do with it, other than the fact that he got himself involved and this took away a player from the club." Again. Smith speaking.

The Tigers' now ex-manager declared firmly he would change nothing pertaining to the way he handled his problem child pitcher. He said he felt in his own heart he had granted McLain no special privileges. That will be argued as long as cows give milk but time has shown that superstars can get away with things ordinary Martin Will Bring Coaching Staff To The club died. It laid down, rolled over and slithered into its self-dug grave. There's undoubtedly more to it than that, such as Jim Campbell's job being on mucky ground.

Some of the roots go back as far as 1967 maybe even longer. But some only are three weeks deep. New Tigers their practices this year particularly the way they handled the Willie Horton case. You just don't treat an athlete in midseason the way they did. And I've been in this business too long just to look the other way." Horton was sidelined July 24 with torn ligaments in his left ankle, the same ankle with which he had an Achilles tendon problem in 1967.

if TIMES HERALD SPORTS persons can't until they stop producing. The dissension angle is a good one to explore, but on any club that isn't winning especially one that's expected to there has to be friction among the players. The organization? How many new young players did the Detroit front office come up with for Mayo Smith during his four years? Answer: Very few. Pitcher Les Cain is one. El is another with a chance to be outstanding, but trying to come up with more names is harder than the dugout wall.

Tigers name a new manager today with the blessings of the man he's to replace. The Tigers closed out their highly newsworthy but -decidedly dismal 1970 baseball season Thursday with a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians. Billy Martin will be named as manager to succeed Smith by General, Manager Jim Campbell at a news conference scheduled today at 1:00 p.m (EST. "I wish them all the best," Smith said of Martin and the Detroit organization in his farewell news conference. "I enjoyed my stay in Detroit very much," he 'said.

"This is a great sports town." But before he left, the not-bitter 55-year-old took a shot at the fans. "They wouldn't know a baseball player from a Japanese aviator," Smith said. "The fans in Detroit are ignorant. "They'd rather see you leave a tired pitcher in and get beat with a complete game tman bring in a fresh one who might win it for you." Smith also revealed he informed Campbell three weeks ago he would not be returning as manager even if asked. Detroit finished 2-1-2, with PAGE 1, SECTION WILLIE B.

WRONG BRADFORD OUT AT THIRD Cleveland Indians' Buddy Bradford is out at third as he attempts to advance from second base on Ken Harrelson's fly to left field in the first Inning of their game with the' Detroit Tigers in Detroit Thursday. Tiger third baseman Don Wert makes the tag after taking the throw from Elliot Maddox in left field. Huskies To Win, But Big Reds Face Tough One Hiller Finishes DETROIT (UPI) Bengal Bits: Billy Martin will have his own coaching staff when he takes over as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Wally Moses, who goes with Mayo Smith wherever he travels, is dropping into semi-retirement. Grover Resinger has rejected two offers to coach elsewhere and will take a couple of weeks off to think things over.

Pitching coach Mike Roarke likely will stay on with the Detroit organization but whether at the major league level has not been determined. Bullpen coach Len Okrie also will remain the Tigers but will be managing at the minor league level next season, probably at Toledo. That there is no bitterness between Mayo Smith and General Manager Jim Campbellif you couldn't see them in the press room at Tiger Stadium Thursday following the game was evidenced by two facts. Smith said he would advise Campbell on possible trades this winter "if he should ask me" and the general manager said his former manager "would always have a job in baseball," which by implica- Season In A tion includes the Detroit organization. The Tigers wound up 10 games and two places worse in the 1970 season than they did in 19G9.

Detroit was fourth, 29 games behind Baltimore in the American League East. The attendance of 3,875 pushed Detroit's season figure to 1,501,294 the third straight year the club has exceeded 1.5 million fans at home. "You're it," Smith said he told starting pitcher John Hill-er before Thursday's wrapup game with Cleveland. "I called him in and told him 'You're on your "I wasn't going to the bullpen unless I had to," Smith said. So HiJIer responded with a two-hitter and struck out 11, including a league record equalling seven in a row from the third through the opening man in the fifth innings.

The game took only 1:41 to complete, the swiftest contest of the season for the Tigers. Dr. Russell Wright ended his stay as one of the two Detroit physician's Thursday with a rap at Ford Hospital's handling of Willie Horton. "Just say I don't agree with Ford Hospital and some of their methods of treating athletes," said the doctor of osteopathy. "I just didn't like some of Tiger Averages FINAL TIGER AVERAGES By Tht Associotcd Press BATTING AB HR RBI AVE.

Horton 371 53 113 17 .305 Lamont 44 3 13 1 4 .295 I. Brown 94 17 27 4 15 .287 Kaline 467 64 130 16 71 .278 Northrup 504 71 132 74 60 .262 Cash 370 58 6 15 53 .259 Stanley 568 83 V43 13 47 .252 Maddox 258 30 64 3 24 .248 Gutierrez 415 40 101 0 23 .243 Freehan 395 43 95 14 52 .241 McAullffe 530 72 125 12 50 .236 G. Brown 124 18 28 3 24 .226 Jones 191 29 4 2 6 21 .250 Wert 363 34 79 6 33 .218 Collins 24 2 5 1 3 .100 Price 132 12 24 5 15 .182 xx Nagelson 84 13 15 0 6 .179 Hosley 12 1 2 1 1 .167 Szolkiewlcz 84 9 9 3 9 .107 X-Totals 53M6M1281H8 617 .231 PITCHING 0 4 6 19 7 7 13 5 1 6 4 (4 IP 31.1 69.2 101 272.1 180.2 85.1 213.1 91.1 76 129 46 1 1441.1 ERA 3.19 3.21 3.31 3.81 3.88 4.13 4.06 4.65 5.16 5.16 4.89 4.11 play- Mr. Roe 0 Scherman 4 Hiller 6 Lollch 14 Cain 12 Timmerman 6 Nlekro 12 McLain 3 Patterson 7 Kilkenny 7 Reed 1 Totals '8 (Includes Ditchers. Includes traded and released ers.

Milwaukee. It was the A's 89th victory for their best season since 1932 when the Philadelphia A's won 94. Second place obviously meant more to the Chicago Cubs than to the New York Mets. Tied with New York for runner-up honors in the National League East going Into their final game of the season Thursday night, the Cubs sent 21-game winner Ferguson Jenkins to the mound while the Mets decided to rest their ace Tome Seaver for the long winter ahead. Jenkins responded with a brilliant two-hitter for his 22nd victory as the Cubs beat the Mets 4-1 to nail down second place, worth approximately $1,200 a player compared to VTiif DETROIT (AP)-John Hiller wanted to just hurry up and get the season over with and that's exactly what he did.

Hiller pitched a brilliant two-hitter in the season baseball finale Thursday as the Detroit Tigers nipped the Cleveland Indians 1-0 in the fastest game of the year at Tiger Stadium. It lasted one hour and 41 minutes, with Hilller speeding the process with 11 strikeouts, including seven in a row at one point which equalled the American League record held by five others. Detroit ended up with a 79-83 record, worst since 1963 when the Tigers had an identical mark under managers Bob Scheffing and Charlie Dres-sen. At gametime the Tigers were 29 games behind Baltimore, the most they've trailed since 1954 when they finished 43 off the pace. Mayo Smith didn't make an appearance on the field before the crowd of 3,875 on his last day as Detroit manager.

He didn't even sit on his usual front-step perch of the dugout. Former Minnesota Twins manager Billy Martin was expected to be named Smith's Flat Track Cycle Race Sunday The Baird Competition Club will sponsor a sportsman's flat track motorcycle race Sunday. The track at M-146 between Vincent Road and Wildcat Road will see competition in five divisions with the first race at noon. Down the $500 shares awarded members of the third place team. But, then what's $1,200 a man compared to the approximately $20,000 a player earned by the Mets last year for winning the East Division title, the NL pennant playoffs and the World Series? Los Angeles, too, made sure of nailing down second place in the West as it sent Don Sutton against San Diego in the finale.

Sutton, though, left the in the sixth inning, trailing 4-3 but the Dodgers rallied for three runs in the sixth and Mike Strahler turned in four innings of one-hit relief as Los Angeles beat the Padres 7-4. Elsewhere in the NL, Cincinnati beat Atlanta 4-1, Pittsburgh downed St. Louis 9-5 and Philadelphia topped Montreal 2-1 in 10 innings. Hurry innings and got a seventh srtikeuot to start the fifth. Despite the.

performance Hiller said it wasn't his best game, although it was his first two-hitter. "I pitched a better game-against Chicago a couple years ago," he said. Detroit managed only hits off Mike Paul, 2-8, and Vince Colbert. But two singles and a sacrifice fly by Ike Brown in the first inning gave the Tigers the only run they needed. CLEVELAND DETROIT ob bl ob bl Bradford cf 3 0 0 0 Stanley cf 2 110 Leon ss 3 0 0 0 DJones 2b 2 0 0 0 Comllll ss 1 0 0 0 Collins lb 3 0 10 Sims 3 0 10 Maddox If 3 0 2 0 Horrelson lb 3 0 0 0 IBrown 2b 2 0 11 Hinton If 3 0 0 0 Hosley 3 0 0 0 Ford rf 3 0 0 0 Wert 3b 3 0 0 0 Nettles 3b 3 0 0 0 Nagelson rf 3 0 0 0 Fuller 2b 3 0 10 Gutlerrei ss 3 0 0 0 Paul 2 0 0 0 Hiller 3 0 0 0 LBrown ph 1 0 0 0 Colbert 0 0 0 0 Total 28 0 2 0 Total 27 1 i 1 Cleveland 000 000 0 0 0 0 Detroit 100 000 00a 1 DP Cleveland 1, Detroit l.

LOB Cleveland 3. Detroit 3. 2B Moddox." SF Brown. IP RER BBSO Paul (L.2-8) 7 5 110 9 Colbert 1 0 0 0 0 1 Hiller (W.6-6) 9 2 0 0 2 11 1:41. A 3,875.

McMorran Arena PRE-SEAS0N HOCKEY FORT WORTH WINGS vs. THE OMAHA KNIGHTS GAME TIME 8 P.M. SEE IT TONIGHT TICKETS $2.00 GENERAL ADMISSION price. ttcludnf dMftMttan tait. Iictntc antf trt( f.

HI successor at a news conference today. "I just went into the game wanting to pitch a quick game," Hiller said in the clubhouse. He said the only difference in it being the last game was that "there was no presssure." "There wasn't any pressure, I'll say that," he laughed. Hiller, who finished with a 6-6 record mostly fast-balls but said his best pitch was his curve. He struck out the side in the third and fourth Northern Drops EML Cross Country Meet Port Huron Northern harriers continued to have their problems as it dropped an Eastern Michigan League meet to Mt.

Clemens, 32-24 Thursday. Northern captured third spot with Martin Boyd's finish, Tim took fourth, Dale Thompson ended fifth, and Calvin Gonser took ninth. Mt. Clemens captured the first two spots with Doug La-Bar taking first place with a time of 13 minutes and 40 seconds, and Paul Branderberg taking second with the same time, although he was just behind the winner. Week's Supply of GROCERIES If Your Number on Pengra Oil Coupons Is One of These: 569134 567923 I 563491 571101 559476 557421 You'r a Winner I Winneri a Week 5v" qt A Pengra WhiM Rose Gas Stations Mnw(elurtr't tugotd rUtl nt) dwlir htrtH0 chrfc, llt WMITlX 1 By WILLIE B.

WRONG (Times Herald Seer) Well, ol' Willie bounced back1 with a 14-2-2 record last Friday. Unfortunately, we hit only two of the five Saturday and Sunday games and finished with a 16-5-2 mark for the week, a 76.2 per cent correct. That gives the ol super prognosticator a 32-15-4 mark WILLIE B. WRONG Bears Living On Luck CHICAGO (AP) The football adage that says it's a great help to be good, but even better to be lucky well fits the Chicago Bears as they prepare to match unbeaten records with 'Detroit's roaring Lions Monday night. The Bears, with a minimum of help from limping Gale Savers, have fashioned their 2-0 record huffing, puffing and by the skin of their fangs.

In contrast, the Lions spring into Monday night's nationally televised (ABC) National Football League divisional showdown at Detroit after mauling Green Bay 40-0 and Cincinnati 38-3. Such trickery as a game-turning, fourth down pass by punting specialist Bobby Joe Green and a southpaw scoring pass by fullback Ron Bull helped the Bears edge the New York Giants 24-16 and mistake-ridden Philadelphia 20-16. And the main offensive muscle in those two Bear struggles to victory came in long kickoff return explosions for touchdowns by Cecil Turner 95 yards against the Giants and 96 against the Eagles. Sayers, who missed the Eagle game and played methodically against the Giants, is expected to give his long-bruised knee a test in Monday night's showdown for the NFL's Central division lead. Sayers, defending league rushing champion, could add needed spark to the Bear attack which netted only 37 rushing yards against the Eagles with the long gainer a 7-yard thrust by Craig Bayn-ham.

Quarterback Jack Con-cannon, who had a frustrating day against the Eagles, is undismayed at confronting the Lions who lead the NFL In rushing with 457 yards and overall defense with a yield of 254. "If we don't make any mistakes, we feel confident we can score on them even though we've looked sloppy In the past," said Concannon of the underdog Bears' chances. "I wouldn't care if we looked sloppy in Detroit and won." Friday, October 2, 1970 SAYS for a percentage of 6S.1 for the season. The St. Clair Area League proved to be its usual troublesome self.

Will called only one right of the four games, lost one, and the other two ended in ties. So now, for all you area football fans looking for an inside scoop on the area games, look below. MT. CLEMENS AT PORT HURON The Big Reds looked good against River Rouge but the 'Bathers of Mt. Clemens are the best in the EML.

An upset is possible but Willie bees Mt. Clemens 35, Port Hu-rcn 18. PK NORTHERN AT ROSE-VILLE The Huskies bounced back to pick up a big win last week and they'll stay on the winning trail. PH Noi them 22, Roseville 16. CROS-LEX AT PORT HURON 'CATHOLIC After the surprising tie with Anchor Bay last week, the Warriors figure to be ready for anybody now, with fire in their eyes.

PHC 24, Cros-Lex 12. ANCHOR BAY AT ALGO-NAC The Muskrats have won two straight and will have the home advantage but Willie sees Anchor Bay the stronger team. Anchor Bay 28, Algonac 19. ST. CLAIR AT MARINE CITY Have the Saints just.

beet having bad luck? That's what we think. St. Clair 21, Marine City 13. i MARYSVILLE AT CHIPPEWA VALLEY' The big game in the St. Clair Area League, perhaps the big one of the year.

Walt Braun will have his Vikings ready Saturday afternoon, never fear. Marys-ville 19, Chippewa Valley 8. BAD AXE AT FRANK-ENMUTH The Eagles lost once this year but they won't make a practice of it and will be ready for this big game. 'Frankenmuth 20, Bad Axe 14. ALMONT AT NEW HAVEN It seems to be the year of the Raiders in the STA.

Tough battle here, but Almont will stay on the winning road, Almont 21, New Haven 14. The other games (probable winners capitalized): Capac or FLINT NEW LOTHRUP, Armoda at DRYDEN, Memphis of RICHMOND, North Branch at IMLAY CITY, DECKERVILLE at Mlllinqton, HARBOR BEACH at Birch Yale at BROWN CITY, Morlette at VASSAR, SANDUSKY at Cass City, CARO at Laker, SAGINAW ST. MARY at North Huron, Klnqston at UNIONVILLE, Owen-Gaqe at UBLY. Saturday's Games PECK at Cosevllle, PORT AUSTIN at Port Hope. Sunday's Game St, Stanislaus at MC HOLY CROSS.

Umpire Strike Wouldn't Stop Playoffs CHICAGO (UPI) National League, President Charles Feeney says the league championship series and the World Series will be played as scheduled even if major league umpires strike. The umpires are to meet today in Chicago to discuss the possibility of a strike. They are seeking a of $5,000 for each umpire working the playoffs and $10,000 for the World Series. Last year umpires received $2,500 per man for the playoffs and $6,500 for the series. Playoffs in both major Jeagues start Saturday.

John Reynolds attorney for the Major League Umpires Association, said no progress has been made in negotiations. "I wouldn't care to predict that a strike will or will not be called, but I'm sure it, will come up for discussion and that it is always a possibility," he said. seventy orie ALEX JOHNSON Barely Wins AL Batting Championship Wins Title, Sits In other AL games on the, last dayof the regular season, Baltimore and Minnesota tuned up for the start of the playoffs with victories as Baltimore edged Washington 3-2 and Minnesota blanked Kansas City 4-0. In the other two games, Oakland topped Milwaukee 5-4 and Detroit blanked Cleveland 1-0. Baltimore finished the season with II straight victories to set a for consecutive wins.

The team won 108 this year compared to 109 last year. Washington finished with 13 straight losses but the Senators made it close before Dave Johnson singled in the deciding run in the ninth. Jim Kaat hit a two-run homer and won his 14th game as the Twins blanked the Royals. Kaat gave up three hits-in seven innings and Stan liams and Ron Perranoski completed the shutout. Reggie Jackson cracked a two-run double in the ninth to give Oakland its victory over 7T CALl YU J-7411 FOR ROTOiROOTlR stmn senvcc Johnson (By United Press International) It's part of baseball lore that hitters aren't suppposed to win thebatting championship while sitting in the dugout.

Alas, times have changed. It's not a romantic era anymore. It's an era when it's supposed to be better to play it safe. So Alex Johnson of the California Angels can console himself with the fact that the record, books will show he won the 1970 American League batting crown with a .3289 average while Carl Yastrzemski of Boston finished second with .3286. But it wasn't quite as dramatic as the averages look.

Johnson made an out in his first at bat in his final game Thursday night but then collected two straight hits and after the second one in the fifth inning, manager Lefty Phillips sent in a pinchrunner for him. Since Yastrzemski finished his season Wednesday, the average of .3289 put Johnson ahead by .003 and the Angels didn't want to risk losing it. So, as the game dragged out for 13 innings, there was little excitement before California edged the Chicago White Sox 5-4. Johnson would have batted three more times If he had stayed in the game. IT'S HERE! 11' j.

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