The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 25

'Mrs Peterson Returns Homes Eyes Divorce Bill Clark Sporli Editor Yank Players: Swap 'Their Own Business' ONE YANKEE was deeply distressed. LIndy McDaniel, a minister of the Church of Christ, observed solemnly: "It's not very good, is it? My position is pretty clear. It doesn't change for any particular situation. A Christian or a ball player always find differences in STEVE VAUGHN, EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR Orlando, Florida signing a $100,000 contract Monday was overshadowed by the wife trade, admitted the news startled him. "At first I thought it was another one of their gags," Murcer admitted.

"But I don't think it will affect the club if they do their job." The philosophic outlook was taken by Ron Swoboda, who had experienced various strange happenings when a member of the New York Mets, but none that quite approached the Kekich-Peterson affair. "To me," said Swoboda, "it's a case of four people looking for happiness. Each of them was looking for something. The test will come when they stand in the same clubhouse. How they react to each other will set the pace for how the club acts.

It proves that baseball players are now people, doesn't it?" Felipe Alou would only offer the terse comment that "A pro is a pro when he puts on the uniform. It's a personal thing." Mel Stottlemyre, a fellow pitcher extremely close to both Kekich and Peterson, declined to discuss the situation, but did offer "Naturally, we'll have to wait and see, but both men should be able to rise above it." BERNIE ALLEN, the team's player representative, was sure the club would not be adversely affected if both men did their jobs. "I guess it would be difficult for them not to show any change, but since both are pitchers it shouldn't make much difference," Allen said, referring to the fact that the men would never be on the field at the same time. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's office said Kuhn would have no comment whatsoever. By Sentinel Star Services FORT LAUDERDALE Mike Kekich, resolutely refusing to comment on his domestic exchange with fellow Yankee pitcher Fritz Peterson, worked out methodically with his teammates Tuesday running, throwing and shagging flys.

Peterson, happily living with Kekich's wife, was not on the scene, his agent and Yankee General Manager Lee MacPhail still having failed to reach agreement on his contract. Kekich was the target of all eyes and numerous comments concerning the marital mess which came to light Monday. The consensus among Yankee players was basically: "It's their own business and as long as it doesn't affect their pitching, it's strictly their baby." "THEIR BABY" as the saying goes has clarified somewhat to read like this: The status of divorce proceedings was still not clear. Mrs. Marilyn Peterson has left Kekich and has returned to her parents home in Rockford, where her mother, Mrs.

Arthur Monks, said: "As far as my daughter is concerend there is no swap. She has applied for a divorce but does not plan to live with Mike Kekich. Marilyn does not want a divorce and her home broken up. She is getting one only because Fritz wants one." Of her son-in-law, Mrs. Monks would only say Fritz "is not the same person he used to be.

We can't understand any of his ideas of his problems anymore." Wednesday, Mar. 7, 1973 1C morality and that's nothing new. It's hard to separate private life from baseball life, there's always an over-lapping, to what degree only a Solomon would know." McDaniel, a relief hurler, puts out a monthly paper called "Pitching for the Lord." But if McDaniel was upset for moral or religious reasons, the majority of his teammates think they can look at the situation as a strictly private relationship between Kekich and Peterson. Thurman Munson, the catcher who handles both men when they are on the mound, said: "Everybody knows we're a bunch of crazy guys, every man to his own. It won't bother the club on the field and it doesn't change my feelings for either one of them.

But Fritz should be out here now working out. We need him." BOBBY MURCER, whose own day of glory for New Rule's Result: Twin Round- Trippers, Twin Victory ome Run Hisle Packs Pinch-Hit Punch i J) 1 lias "jmmT2 a i By LARRY MCCARTHY Sentinel Star Staff It's hard to imagine how baseball's controversial designated hitter rule could have had a more explosive debut than it did Tuesday at Tinker Field. During the winter the American League, over the protest of the National League, decided to give it a three-year trial in order to get more offense in the game with a special hitter batting for the pitcher only but never playing defense. Tuesday the National League was victimized, but good, in baseball's first test of the rule. To say that more punch was added to the attack would be putting it mildly as Minnesota's DH, Larry Hisle, blasted a grand slam homer and three-run homer as the Twins wracked the NL's East Division champion Pirates, 12-4.

Today, the Twins will see if they can keep working magic with the DH rule when they meet the Yankees at Tinker Field at 1:30 p.m. Dave Goltz, Ray Corbin, Tom Norton and Steve Luebber are due to pitch against New York's George Medich, Wade Blasingame and Ron Klimkowski. Tuesday, Pittsburgh Manager Bill Virdon was surprised to find the Twins' leadoff man (Hisle) as a designated hitter. A near protest developed but Virdon relented shortly before game time. Twins officials said AL President Joe Cronin gave AL clubs permission to use the DH against all American League clubs at home and on the road and against all NL clubs during home spring games.

The rule is a sore spot with the National League and Virdon definitely didn't like what he saw Tuesday. "We decided not to object today," Virdon said shortly before game time, "because it had been advertised for the spring opener at Orlando. "But I don't plan to let our next American League opponent use it. A rule is a rule, isn't it? It's not IV Action For Yanks Too bad Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich won't be with the road squad for the New York Yankees today when they come to Tinker Field to play the Twins. I mean, like what a doubleheadcr! If we had 51,000 seats in the Tangerine Bowl it might not be enough.

There's the designated pinch hitter rule, but the center of attraction would certainly be the Yankee moundsmen and their marital merry-go-round. Some people view the situation as nothing more than baseball's version of Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice while others are calling it by other names. One thing I think we can rule out is that this is a publicity stunt. Sure, baseball has been having a sagging gate of late, but you don't think the game would go quite this far would it? Peterson hasn't even signed his contract yet, and Kekich hasn't worked out enough to start throwing hard. He will remain it) Fort Lauderdale today.

Bob Hope says they have a sign over the Super Bowl reading: "Washington Slept Here." And you might say George (like in Allen) did, too Just by coincidence, Minnesota signed pitcher Bill Hands and infielder Steve Braun on Sunday and so our headline the following morning accurately reported "Twins Sign Hands, Braun." A phone caller the following day suggested, "All they need now is brains." Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh writers say, had lived with an abiding fear of early death. And what a loss to the game and to the world Slammin' Sam Snead has just acquired one of those long-knocking graphite shafts for his driver and may try it this week at Doral. Holding the weapon in his hands in the Rio Pinar locker room Sunday, Snead drawled to bystanders: "I reckon a fella could shillelagh one pretty good with one of these." JV Tears For Sum Snead also had a funny line and purely unintentional when Johnny Miller asked him after the final round, "How'd it go, Sambo? What'd you shoot?" Snead, cognizant of course that there were more 66's on the scoreboard than on Route 66, replied with straight face, "No good. 71." Which IS one under par golf, after all The American Greyhound Track Operators Assn. is holding its 23rd annual national conference this week at Disney World.

Welcome and all that, fellas, but remember, hands off Pluto. He sort of belongs to the house and besides won't run after rabbits. Enjoy a pizza and send an FSU or Florida basketball star to Las Vegas. That seems to be the general idea of a novel promotion now under way at Pizza Huts in our area and across the country. A college all-star game will be in Vegas on April 14th, it seems, and you get a vote toward picking the team with every pizza.

FSU's Reggie Royals and Ron King are on the ballot along with Gator star Tony Miller. Or, you can write in some other nomination in case you're non-partisan, a Miami Hurricane fan or merely an independent voter. Sure, I realize the 'Canes gave up basketball two or three years ago so please don't write to point it out Vote for Fran Curci maybe. Besides, I've got enough love letters right here: THE MAILBAG "After reading Dave Anderson's column in the Sentinel Star about how tough the 'average ballplayer has it, my tears flowed so freely I was unable to read the rest of my soggy sports section. Since baseball runs at most eight months, these hardship cases are making $4,000 a month or $1,000 a week for their efforts.

I don't mind the players making the money, but when they try to 'explain' how really tough it is to live on this much, it turns me off." Bob Finn DcBary And this one: "I enjoy your writing very much. I don't always agree with you, but if all people agreed on things, there wouldn't be a paper. I was born and raised in Greenville, S.C., and I want you to know it is not a small town. It is a city of 100,000 with a metro area of over 250,000. This 'small town' has had an auditorium since 1958 to house major college basketball, circuses, which is more than I've seen in Orlando.

I could go on but I think you get the point." Vcrn Ross Winter Park (You make your point well. The reference I made to 'smalltown' Greenville had to do with Raz Reid, the tennis star from there, who said while here recently thut he had to drive over to Atlanta as a kid to find really tough competition. I guess I sort of tripped over the net while jumping to conclusions.) (Sentinel star Phttsi by Wimn Skipptr And Rtd Hubtr) Jackie Hernandez moves over to back up but he can't help on this play. In the bottom photo, Rollins' Jim Liakos slides home safely, evading a tag by Temple pitcher Jim Harrigan following Harrigan's wild pitch that allowed Liakos to score. Harrigan took a late throw from catcher Jack Don.

Rollins won Monday's game, 8-7, but lost Tuesday's 11-9. Whether it be at Tinker Field (top) or at Harper-Shepherd Field (bottom), major league or college, a slide is a slide and the frantic action of the fielders or the determination of the runner seems to be the same. In the top photo, Minnesota's Mike Adams easily makes it to second base with a steal while Pittsburgh's Rennie Stennett stretches for an errant throw from catcher Milt May while shortstop The Slides Of Spring 4 a- -Pi Pittsbursh Minnesota an rni ab rM 10 10 Hisle dnh 5 117 Thompson ts Guth ss Adams cf Walton lb Kelly rf Monion 3b Mitterwald Smithson Holt rf-lb Kusic If Terrell lb Reynolds Woodson Cumberland Strickland Davalltlolb Mitctull ph lb Stennett 3b Coqqin lb Oliver cf Augustine cf Robertson If Zisk If-rl Lamb 8air Hebner Jb McRae Clines ph-lt Mayc Hernandei ss Taveras tt Poor Gonialei ph-3b Totals 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 10 10 1111 10 0 0 1110 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 3 111 1110 10 0 0 10 0 0 10 11 4 I 0 0 I Totals IS II 11 11 010 111 Pittsburgh Minnesota i 000 104 Sl 11 Monion Stennett, Guth, Mitchell; DP Pittsburgh LOB Pittsburgh Minnesotai; IB Holt, Monion; 3B Adams; HR May, Robertson, msie ii sb sanouiilen, Aciams. IP ERBBSO 0 0 11 Foor i McRae 1 Lamb (L) 1 Batr 1 Reynolds 1 Woodson 3 Cumberland (W) 3 Strickland 1 WP Cumberland; Balk Lamb; 1,400. Krumm: Amateur Ignorance secretary of the Olympics, another personable patriot.

The new president of the Olympic Committte said there was no need to name names behind the unrest since "we all know who it is." But Monday in New York at his first official press conference Krumm shot a straighter arrow when he complained: "Walter Bycrs (head of the NCAA) refused to meet with me in Kansas City, but I'll debate with him on TV anytime, anywhere. And that's a challenge." The most recent rhubarb revolves around the upcoming AAU-CBS basketball series with a team from the Soviet Union. The tour is to stretch from Los Angeles starting April 28 to Madison Square Garden. RUSSIA, REMEMBER, nudged the United States for an Olympic gold medal at Munich on a fiery, disputed finish, and this new tour figured to be a good way to crack back, Krumm, Interestingly, said the United States has given up all hope of getting that Olympic decision reversed. "There comes a point when you have to be a good loser," he stated.

Anyway, in plain words, the AAU, which holds the franchise for international basketball competition, felt it had the right to invite the Russians, and in order to field the best team it asked Al McGuire of Marquette to coach the all-star team. Since the majority of stars would likely be selected from the NCAA, the NCAA got hot about it, questioned the AAU's right, and declared (Continued On Page 2-C, Col. 3) Most of us are pretty much alike, we prefer to believe we're knowledgeable about endless subjects, and we feel somewhat uncomfortable when we must confess ignorance or a failure to fully understand a certain subject. A grand exception is the running argument between the AAU and NCAA. In this case it is fashionable to confess you don't really know why these two bodies can't sit down, shake, hands and come out without fighting.

The latest to toss his hat into the ring of ignorance is Philip O. Krumm, the independently wealthy Wisconsonite elected last month as president of the United States Olympic Committee. At Disney World Tuesday for a portion of the U.S. Olympic Golf Classic and Gala (a fashionable money-raising party) Krumm commented: "It apparently is mostly jurisdictional and sanction rights, but it has to be more than that. When we're Invited to Washington we want to find out what the problem is.

I have friends in the NCAA and I'd like to know exactly what It is the NCAA wants." UNFORTUNATELY, THE squabble reached such heights, thut the NCAA has withdrawn from the Olympic Committee. "They've quit and we regret it," said Krumm. "But I believe the AAU is presently in a negotiable mood, willing to talk, don't you Don?" And Col. Don Miller, also here for the event which raised a little more than $50,000 for the Olympics a year ago, nodded agreement. Col.

Miller is executive Ed supposed to be used against the National League in spring training, the All-Star game or World Series, This is the last time they're gonna use it against us unless the National League decides to let the American League use it any time during the spring." The Twins plan to use it at home anyway, with Cronin's blessings. What happens if, say, the Cardinals of the NL come to town and don't want the DH used? One Twins official smiled and said, simply, "We'll use it." Hisle, however, was all smiles about it Tuesday after his one-man wrecking job on the Pirates. The 6-2, 195-pound outfielder who is trying to hit his way back into the majors after spending last season at Albu- (Continued On Page 6-C, Col. I) Hayes Sentinel Star Sporti Columnist 3E9BSL.