Great Falls Tribune from Great Falls, Montana • Page 16

Crenshaw's 61 16 (rteat Falls Tribune Monday, January 22, 197J him lead gives ji Petr ocelli retires to radio color job BOSTON (AP) Humble and courteous, talkative and candid, even physically fit. You'd think Rico Petrocelli was preparing for the Boy Scouts of America instead of the Boston Red Sox radio network. It's a big switch for the former Boston infielder who, as a player, was considered pensive and moody and once went home in the middle of a game because of family worries. "I'm starting to feel like a journalist," says Rico, now in the long line of ex-athletes who have found a new career behind a microphone. Petrocelli has been picked by WITS to do color commentary for the Red Sox' home and away games in 1979.

The baseball career of Brooklyn, N.Y., native Americo Peter Petrocelli began to unravel late in 1976 when the former power-hitting shortstop 40 home runs in 1969 was replaced at third base by a young bull named Butch Hobson. Petrocelli was released the following spring training, and he's played but one softball game going 0-for-4 since then. Popular among provincial New Englanders despite his New York City roots, Rico began searching for a new local career at the age of 33 and found a home in the press box. In 1977, he wrote "in longhand, dictating to a guy in the office" a Red Sox column for a Boston newspaper. "I had to convince George Scott that I didn't write the headlines," Petrocelli recalls.

Last season, Rico did color commentary for nine Seattle Mariners telecasts, returning to the city where he played minor league baseball in 1964 and where he met his wife, the former Elsie Jensen. The work also prepped Rico for the Red Sox radio job in which he will team with play-by-play expert Ken Coleman. The pair replace popular Ned Martin and Jim Woods, axed by the radio station last fall for "marketing reasons." After a major eruption by Red Sox fans, Martin landed the Red Sox' television job. "I'm not going to go overboard knocking guys," says Rico of his ex-teammates. "I'll give reasons why they make mistakes.

The toughest part will be not interfering. You want to help the players, but it's not your business." This won't keep Rico out of the clubhouse, however. The trim 188-pounder whose playing weight sometimes topped 200 still is friends with some of the Red Sox old guard. PHOENIX, Ariz. (AP) Ben Crenshaw converted a tiny change in swing for a two under-par 61 that gave him the lead in the second round of the twice-postponed and now abbreviated Phoenix Open Golf Tournament.

Crenshaw's string of nine birdies in an 11 hole stretch helped him compile the lowest score in two years of tour activity and enabled him to take a 4-stroke lead with only 18 holes to go in the tournament. "1 knew I was on the verge of playing some good golf," Crenshaw said. "I've been hitting the ball well-. 1 really felt good about it. It was just a matter of time until I could get my putter going." And, with that little change in his putter a change he made in the middle of the round he reeled off a string of nine birdies in 11 holes, then finished with a 10-footer on his 18th.

"That's as low as I can shoot," he said. "What would you have to do to shoot 59? Good God." Crenshaw's heroics gave him a 36-hole total of 128, a dizzying 14 shots under par on the flat, course that was innundated by rains late last week. The storm washed out play both Thursday and Friday and forced tournament officials to trim the event from a 72-hole to a 54-hole format. It's now scheduled to end with the third round on Monday. The rains left the course spotted by pools and puddles of casual water.

Players were allowed to lift, clean and place balls in the fairways. i I i iiiiiimi "liliHr -mM imfmammSbmmmrmWammmmmmKmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm He'll booth this summer. Former Boston Red Sox NEW IN MEDIA field to the radio handle the color on the Red Sox games. third baseman Rico Petrocelli moves from the WOMEN'S DRESS LENGTH GOWNS ROBES WOMEN'S LONG SLEEVE TURTLENECK KNIT TOPS Ford gets best rating as rookie WOMEN'S JR.MISS PANTS DENIMS, POLYESTERS, BLENDS VALUES TO $14 ASST. PASTELS WOMEN'S JR.

SATIN JACKETS S-M-L REG. $20 GOLD ONLY now 12.97 REG. $13 NOW 8.97 3.99 $5 NOW NOW MEN'S ACRYLIC NORDIC FASHION SKI SWEATER RED OR BLUE PATTERNS MEN'S SUIT SALE VALUES TO $120 NOW 39.88-88.88 MEN'S 0RL0N TURTLENECKS ASST. HEATHER SOLIDS REG. $16 NOW 1 1 .88 MEN'S P0LYW00L BURLANA DRESS SLACKS REG.

$25 now 8.88 REG. $16 NOW 11.88 WOMEN'S CASUAL SHOES LACES, TIES SLIP-ONS By ALEX SACHARE AP Sports Writer Phil Ford gets an Rod Griffin, Frankie Sanders and Mike Evans each get an F. The 1978-79 National Basketball Association season is half over, which meaqs it's midterm time for college basketball's Class of '78, time for the rookies to take home report cards with evaluations of their first semester of pro ball. Unfortunately, not many will be anxious to show their report cards to their parents As a class, last year's seniors have proven to be a rather undistinguished group. Ford, an All-American guard at North Carolina a year ago, is the only player who has significantly improved his team's performance.

Ford is the main reason the Kansas City Kings, Midwest Division also-rans last year, are on top this season. Griffin, Sanders and Evans are three first-round draft picks who are no longer in the league hence their failing grades. Griffin was cut by Denver in preseason, Sanders was dropped by San Antonio last month and Evans was let go early in the season by Kansas City after having been traded by Denver. Another first-round choice, Larry Bird, gets an incomplete because he elected to remain at Indiana State rather than turn pro with the Boston Celtics. He's again making fine grades in college, however, and the Celtics are expected to make a big effort to sign him before the next draft.

Here's the midterm report on the Class of '78, with grades based on personal examinations as well as interviews with coaches, executives, other players and writers on the NBA beat: Ford. In three months he's established himself as one of the best point guards in the league, along with Norm Nixon of Los Angeles and John Lucas of Golden State. He's the rare kind of player who makes his teammates look good. A minus: Reggie Theus of Chicago, a 6-foot-6 guard with a fine all-around game. A potent scorer who only needs to improve in teamwork.

plus: Mychal Thompson of Portland and Maurice Cheeks of Philadelphia. Thompson is a valuable reserve at both center and forward. Cheeks has displaced Henry Bibby as the 76ers' starting playmaker. Below this level things become fuzzy, since most rookies have not turned in enough work in order to be judged fairly. However, Bs for potential as well as performance go to Ron Brewer of Portland, Terry Tyler and John Long of Detroit, Purvis Short of Golden State, Jeff Judkins of Boston, Freeman Williams of San Diego and Mike Mitchell of Cleveland.

Give Cs to Rick Robey of Indiana, Wayne Cooper and Raymond Town-send of Golden State, Winford Boynes of New Jersey, Mike Richardson of New York, Lars Hansen of Seattle, Butch Lee and Jack Givens of Atlanta and Marty Byrnes and Joel Kramer of Phoenix. YOUNG MEN'S ROLL-COLLAR BULKY SWEATER REG. $27 MEN'S GENTRY COORDINATES SWEATERS OR PANTS REG. NOW 12.77-16.47 MEN'S CORDUROY SPORT COATS TAN WITH TRIM REG. $65 now 48.77 MEN'S FASHION JEAN CLEARANCE REG.

NOW 11.88-16.88 REG. 17.99 NOW 5.99 now 19.77 ONE GROUP-BOYS' SHIRTS TURTLENECKS, T-TOPS BOYS' FASHION TRIM FLANNEL SHIRTS REG. $12 now 7.97 BOYS' PRE-WASHED FASHION JEANS REG. $14 0 NOW O.OU BOYS' WINTER JACKET CLEARANCE SKI, SAFETY STRIPES, POPLINS REG. now 9.88-32.88 REG.

7.00-8.50 NOW 4.97 EASY RIDER EXERCISER BENCH WEIGHT BENCH TODDLERS' PILE JACKETS ASST. SOLIDS 2 ONLY INFANT GIRLS' FANCY DIAPER SETS REG. 1 2.99 now 8.97 2 ONLY INFANT BOYS' PANT SETS WITH HAT REG. 7.88 now 6.44 REG. 99.99 REG.

69.99 REG. $14 9.88 49.99 59.99 NOW NOW NOW PRE-SCHOOL GIRLS' JACKETS ASST. STYLES SUPERWEAR TOPS ASST. COLORS GIRLS' DENIM SKIRTS ASST. STYLES REG.

$7 now 3.97 SCHOOL AGE GIRLS' DOWN LOOK JACKETS SIZES 7-14, ASST. COLORS REG. 15.88-28.00 now 10.97-22.88 REG. 9.88-25.00 REG. 4.50 NOW 2.25 now 6.87-15.97 Knoetze fate up to federal judge FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.

(AP) Whether South African heavyweight Kallie Knoetze fights in the United States again may depend on how a federal judge reads the differences between U.S. and South African; Judge Norman Roettger ordered the fighter to return to court today for a hearing on whether he can be barred from thi country. This STORE HOURS: SATURDAY- SUNDAY- HOLIDAY VILLAGE GREAT FALLS, MONT. ma mm it mm r-.