Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 27

Section Tuesday, December 5, 1978, Lansing, Michigan Michigan deer kill 4th best mm Pete to sign $3 million contract Phillies win Rose auction Morales Tigers' new hope By The Associated Press Never mind that he was largely a disappointment for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League. Jerry Morales is going to become "one of the top outfielders in the American that he's a Detroit Tiger, predicts manager Les Moss. THE TIGERS acquired Morales and relief pitcher Aurelio Lopez from St. Louis Monday in exchange for two lefthanded pitchers, Bob Sykes and Jack Murphy.

Despite his lackluster 1978 season, Morales was the pivotal man in the trade. "We always been interested in Jerry," said Detroit general manager Jim Campbell. "WE HAD to give up two outstanding young prospects to get him," Campbell said, "but we have some outstanding young pitchers in our organization and they can't all work in Detroit." Morales, 29, was obtained by St. Louis a year ago from the Chicago Cubs along with catcher Steve Swisher in exchange for catcher Dave Rader and outfielder Heity Cruz. Morales hit only .239 in 130 games, finishing the season with four home runs and 46 RBI.

HE BROKE in with San Diego and played four seasons for the Cubs. The 30-year-old Lopez appeared in 25 Cards games and had a 4-2 record to go with a 4.29 earned run average in 65 innings. Sykes, 23, spent part of last summer with Detroit after posting a 4-1 mark for Evansville of the American Association. He was 6-6 in 22 games for the Tigers. MURPHY, 21, spent the entire year at Evansville, going 5-1 with a 3.20 ERA.

Also Monday, the Tigers drafted two top minor league players as the winter baseball meetings got underway. The club asked waivers on infielder Chuck Scrivener. The Tigers were among the Major League clubs drafting seven players, each carrying a purchase price of $25,000. THE FIRST player picked by Detroit was outfielder Lynn Jones, who hit .328 in 126 games last season with Indianapolis of the American Association. In the second round, the Tigers picked infielder Dave Machemer, who hit .324 with Salt Lake City of the Pacific Coast League.

The selection of Jones put the Tigers at the 40-player limit. TO MAKE room for Machemer a Benton Harbor native who played his college ball at Central Michigan the Tigers asked waivers on Scrivener, who spent last season at Evansville and hit just .262. 'I U. if il Kirk Gibson Gibson lands on 3 A-A teams Kirk Gibson, Michigan State's outstanding senior flanker, has made the grade on several more All-American teams. Gibson has been selected on the United Press International first team, one of the few players in the country who overcame Penn State's dominance of the UPI unit.

GIBSON HAS also been named to first team spots by the Sporting News and the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Associated Press AU-American list, Page D-3 He wasn't so lucky on the Associated Press All-American unit, landing on the second team. MSU quarterback Ed Smith was a honorable mention pick by the AP and UPI. Other AP honorable mentions went to right end Mark Brammer, split end Eugene Byrd, offensive tackle Jim Hinesly, defensive back Tom Graves. MICHIGAN'S RICK Leach was the second-team quarterback on the AP and UPI teams.

Other AP honorable mentions went to Michigan's Jon Geisler (guard), Steve Nauta (center), Curtis Greer (defensive tackle), Ron Simpkins (linebacker) and Mike Jolly (defensive back). Western Michigan running back Jerome Persell was also honorable mention on both the AP and UPI teams. MEANWHILE JERRY Robinson, UCLA's brilliant linebacker, was named to The Associated Concluded on page D-3 added, "Rose will sign with Philadelphia. I'd stake my life on it." Royals' owner Ewing Kauffman said Rose told him he would sign with an NL club on which he had intimate friends, presumably the Phillies' Bowa, Greg Luzinski and Mike Schmidt. THEN, THE Cardinals made it clear that they had been turned down.

General Manager John Claiborne said St. Louis had not been able to satisfy Rose with their package. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who offered everything from a broodmare to millions of dollars, also bowed out. Pirates president Dan Galbreath said, "We have been told by Rose's attorney he has counted us out. He has agreed to another offer." THE ATLANTA Braves then became the favorite as rumors spread that Rose and his attorney, Reuven Katz, would talk with Atlanta owner Ted Turner Monday and conclude an agreement.

But Turner later in the day, said he had been informed by Katz that Rose would not sign with Atlanta. Turner said the fact that the Braves were not a contender hurt their chances. By FRANK MAINVILLE Outdoor Editor Southern farm belt hunters set all-time buck, antlertess and total kill figures as Michigan recorded the fourth best 15-day firearm deer season in history. Larry Ryel of the Department of Natural Resources Office of Surveys and Statistics says traffic surveys show hunters killed 127,500 animals 89,000 bucks and 38,500 antlertess in spite of two severe winters in a row which removed many of fawns which would have been this fall's "yearling" bucks. GEORGE BURGOYNE, biometrician, says the traffic estimates should be within three percent of the actual kill.

Last year's kill was estimated at 141,000 and finalized at 136,260 after the post card survey was completed in the spring. Overall he says there were 12 percent less deer killed than last year. Bio-data as to the age composition of the herd is just now being fed into the computer however biologists expect most Lower Peninsula deer were 18-month yearlings. The most dramatic change was in Region II where the buck kill dropped 26 percent from 71,080 to 52,900, says Joe Vogt, deer specialist, however the northern Lower Peninsa kill was bolstered by a 27 percent increase from 22,200 to 28,000 antlertess kill. OVERALL HUNTER traffic was up 10.7 percent during the first nine days of the season in the Upper Peninsula and Nels Johnson, Region II wildlife biologist at Roscommon, says there was a lot of late season hunter success hunting conditions were good for all but a day and a half statewide.

The buck kill dropped two percent from 16,140 to 15,800 in the U.P., however, the antlertess kill was up 69 percent from 1,180 to 2,000 for a three percent overall increase above the Straits. BUT THE buck kill in Region III was up four percent from 19,500 to 20,300 four percent and antlertess kill up 35 percent from 6,300 to 8,500. Overall, the buck kill was down 17 percent statewide from 106,780 to 89,000 but the antlertess kill was up 31 from 29,480 to 38,500. Vogt says biologists had set a goal of 40,000 antlertess animals. The department issued and 8,990 landowner limited permits statewide up from last year.

However, 3,600 regular antlertess permits and 1,158 landowner limited were issued in southern Menominee County. Last year only 375 landowners of 1,697 applied for the special permits in the U.P. Biologists were generally impressed with the success of the season except for the Newberry district in Concluded on page D-3 has the Boilermakers moving in high gear with a 4-1 record. The lone loss was to Indiana State and Larry Bird, 63-53, while Purdue claimed a 58-47 decision at strong Nebraska. The youthful Minnesota Gophers and the veteran Iowa Hawkeyes own 2-1 records while swimming at the break-even point are Indiana, losers of it first two games in the Seawolf Gas-, sic in Anchorage, Alaska, and Ohio State with 2-2 records.

Northwestem's one victory was a 93-71 crush of Rice while the Wildcat losses came to perennial powers, Arizona, 83-80 in overtime, and North Carolina, 97-67. MICHIGAN STATE gets back in action Saturday at home following a 12-day layoff with an 8 p.m. matchup in Jenison Fieldhouse with California State-Fullerton. Amid the chaos surrounding the Rose affair, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn insisted there must be stronger compensation to clubs losing Tree agents. There were seven minor league players drafted, and the first trades of the meetings were completed.

THE CALIFORNIA Angels secured outfielder Dan Ford from Minnesota in exchange for infielder Ron Jackson and catcher Danny Goodwin. And the St. Louis Cardinals made a four-player deal with the Detroit Tigers. Bob Sykes and Jack Murphy, two left-handed pitchers went to St. Louis in exchange for outfielder Jerry Morales and right-handed pitcher Aurelio Lopez.

In the draft, the New York Mets took outfielder Rogers Brown from Tacoma Toronto grabbed catcher Gene Davis from Hawaii and outfielder Thad Wilbom of Tacoma; Montreal took infielder Ken Macha from Columbus; Detroit selected outfielder Lynn Jones from Indianapolis and infielder Dave Machemer from Salt Lake City, and San Francisco picked outfielder Bill Venable from Albuquerque. But all day long, one-by-one, the teams attempting to sign the Rose fell by the wayside. THE FIRST team eliminated Monday in the Rose Derby was Kansas City, which reportedly offered the .311 lifetime hitter the biggest money package. Kansas City General Manager Joe Burke said the worse thing the Royals had going for them was that they were not a National League team. Burke By RALPH BERNSTEIN AP Sports Writer ORLANDO, Fla.

Pete Rose, baseball's most sought-after 1978 free agent, was to sign today with the Philadelphia Phillies for $3 million over four years, a source close to the team says. The 37-year-old Rose and his attorney, Reuven Katz, were to make the announcement at a 2 p.m. EST news conference at the major league winter baseball meetings. THERE WERE five teams bidding for Rose, who played out his option after 16 years with the Reds and as the baseball meetings opened Monday, there was a whirl of speculation about which would land him. Four of the clubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves and St.

Louis Cardinals of the National League, and the Kansas City Royals of the American League, all said by late afternoon that Rose had rejected their rich offers. The Phillies, however, refused to comment on whether Rose, who turned down a reported $1.8 million bid last Thursday, was back in the picture with a new offer acceptable to the 12-time NL All-Star. THE PHILLIES cancelled their daily news conference Monday at the winter baseball meetings here. Owner Ruly Carpenter and personnel director Paul Owens refused to come to the telephone. However, Larry Bowa, a Phillie who is Rose's close friend, said, "Unless something unbelievable happens, and I don't foresee that happening, Pete Rose should be a Phillie tomorrow." Outside opinion, record back claim Big Ten best in basketball Lynn Henning Tigers had no choice Sports on TV TODAY 9-11 (Ch.

50) Boxing, WBA lightweight championship bout Mike Ross-man vs. Aldo Traversdaro. Four teams are undefeated as yet while three more have suffered just one loss and only Northwestern is under the .500 mark with a 1-2 slate. WISCONSIN, LOADED with talented young players, has the best record so far at 4-0. Included in that were an impressive 69-58 victory at St.

Johns (N.Y.) and a championship in its own Wisconsin Invitational. Illinois, with 6-foot-ll Derek Hol-comb (a transfer from Indiana) at center, has won three without a loss while the high-scoring Michigan Wolverines have triumphs over Central Michigan and Alabama to their credit. Michigan State is the other unbeaten, chalking up a 71-54 win over Central Michigan. NEW PURDUE coach Lee Rose, formerly of North-Carolina-Chariotte, By FRED STABLEY JR. Staff Writer The Big Ten basketball coaches, not so surprisingly, figure their conference is the best in the country.

Everyone said so almost as if prompted by Big Ten Commissioner Wayne Duke two weeks ago at the press conference in Chicago. BUT WHAT do others think? Without spending a day calling coaches throughout the country, the closest you can get to an "impartial" report comes from Michigan State's newest assistant, Dave Harshman. Born and raised in the West Coast where his father has been a highly-successful coach at Washington State and the University of Washington in the basketball-proud PAC-10, Harshman spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach first at Iowa State and then Nebraska in the Big Eight. "MO IBA (an assistant at Nebraska) and I were talking about that very question of the best conference in the country, and he said that for the past four or five years it would have to be the Big Ten," Harshman said. "I'd have to agree, although I would say the PAC-10 is very close.

"And few people give the Big Eight schools the credit they They don't have the individual talent the Big Ten does, but they play team basketball and get as much out of their kids as possible." one thing to talk about the-strength of the Big Ten. it's another thing to go out on the court and do it. AND THAT'S just what Big Ten teams have done so far in the 1978-79 season. Purdue's victory over Northern Colorado Monday night improved the Big Ten's record during pre-season to 22-8 or 73.3 percent. It wasn't quite Harvey Kuenn for Rocky Colav-ito, but Detroit's trade for Jerry Morales is an improvement, however slight, in the Tigers' outfield and at least gives general manager Jim Campbell and new manager Les Moss a chance to quit perspiring.

Writer friends in Orlando at this week's baseball meetings were saying Monday, before the deal for Morales was made, that the Tigers were purposely painting themselves in a comer. CAMPBELL AND Moss knew they couldn't come back from Florida without a creditable outfielder. Their predicament in rightfield was obvious and they were prepared to do almost anything. Even "overtrade," as Moss put it earlier Monday. They didn't overtrade for Morales.

And they didn't have to. Bob Sykes and a minor league pitcher for a good-running, good-glove outfielder who hit .239 last year is a fair swap. It also takes the heat off the Tiger front office. The tone was different this off-season. The Tigers were left with no choice but to improve in some way, or face the real possibility of not having as good a record in 1979 as they had the past year.

THE NEW York Yankees-and Milwaukee' Brewers are responsible for that. After the Yankees bought Tommy John and Luis Tiant, and the Brewers took Jim Slaton from Detroit and added him to an already stronger team, the Tigers had no choice but to make some kind of deal or face some skeptical fans next spring. No names were mentioned, but Detroit was supposedly within an eyelash of making one deal earlier Monday until the club backed off. The targets were Dan Ford at Minnesota, Sixto Lezcano at Milwaukee and Chet Lemon at Chicago, and it's not hard to understand why the Tigers missed on them. Detroit has the same problem every year during the winter trading session: The type of player they can afford to part with Bob Sykes, Tim Corcoran, Mark Wagner, Phil Man-kowski type doesn't bring a great deal in return.

EVEN THIS year, the best piece of bait Campbell lias had to offer is Aurelio Rodriguez. And Rod riguez' glove notwithstanding, if Campbell were honest about it, he'd admit that no other general manager in the majors thinks as much of Rodriguez as Campbell does. The real question Campbell now faces is what does he do with players facing their option year, as guys like Jason Thompson and Steve Kemp will be approaching in a couple of seasons. The free agent situation, besides making teams like the Yankees sickeningly superior, has also crimped the wheeling and dealing at the winter meetings. PLAYERS CLOSE to their five-year tenure, within a year of being declared a free agent, get in the way of some potential major deals.

It's the same with 10-year veterans who have veto power over any trade they're part of. That, of course- nearly ruined the Rusty Staub package three years ago when Mickey Lolich first refused to be dealt to New York by the Tigers. Mickey Stanley and John Hiller have the same right of refusal this winter if that really makes any difference. DETROIT'S BULLPEN is so thin that even a 36-year-old Hiller is nearly an untouchable. Stanley, who's now 36, isn't going to bring anything, and it's not even certain the Tigers will offer him a contract next year.

It's even less likely after Detroit picked up another outfielder in Monday's draft. Lynn Jones is the guy's name and all he'll do is replace Dave Stegman as an extra. The interesting thing is that he's fast, as is Dave Machemer, the no-hit, no-arm infielder the Tigers also bought. Moss intends to do more running next season He'll even pinch-run for Staub in the late innings something Ralph Houk didn't always buy. IT'LL BE a little different flavor to a team that will have to do a lot of things differently.

Either that or New York and Milwaukee will have sverything to themselves next summer. Lynn Henning is a member of The State Journal sports staff Kentucky coach will enjoy watching Wildcats improve By ALEX SACHARE AP Sports Writer Kentucky Coach Joe B. Hall knows his team isn't the greatest, at least not yet. In fact, that's what he likes about it "WHAT IS exciting to me as a coach is that there is so much room for improvement," said Hall, after watching his defending national champions demolish West Texas State 121-67 Monday night. "I enjoyed the game as much as the spectators," he added.

"We still showed selfishness at times and we need more poise, but I can't ask for more hustle. We won on guts and Those qualities are admirable, but they don't necessarily make for a title contender. Kentucky, after losing players like Jack Givens, Rick Robey, Mike Phillips and James Lee from last year's NCAA winner, is ranked only 10th in the latest AP college basketball poll. HALL DOESN'T mind. He knows that with a game against Kansas on Saturday and subsequent games against Indiana, Texas and Notre Dame, his club will have ample opportunity to prove itself.

Hall cited rebounding as one area in which Kentucky can improve. "We'll have a week to work for Kansas," he said. "We had better make use of it. I Concluded on page D-3.