The Star Press from Muncie, Indiana • Page 21

SECTION SPORTS After the Ball To Frank McMahon: You're a Game Guy! By Bob Barnet MAJESTIC PRINCE will run in the Belmont Stakes next Saturday because owner Frank McMahon, onetime $4-a-day oil field roustabout who wound up owning the wells, decided that he had been pushed around long enough. In an excellent interview in the current issue of Sports Illustrated, turf editor Whitney Tower reveals that McMahon overruled both trainer Johnny Longden and longtime friend and business associate Leslie Combs when the two. of them tried to pressure him into sending the big red horse back to California with one third of the big job not completed. Majestic Prince, if he is still hale and hearty on Saturday, will be given a richly-deserved opportunity to become the first Triple Crown winner since Longden himself rode Count Fleet to victory in the Belmont of 1943. More than that, Majestic Prince can become the first undefeated horse in history to win the Triple Crown.

McMahon told Tower that he assumed that Longden meant to rest the horse at Pimlico following the Preakness, then ship him to Belmont to see how he progressed in workouts leading up to the Belmont. McMahon said he was surprised to learn that Longden, without even telling the owner, had reserved a plane to take Majestic Prince back to California. There was a rash of stories, most of them attributed to Longden, to the effect that Majestic Prince was far from a sound horse and that he probably would never run again if asked to take on the mile and one-half of the Belmont States. McMahon weighed the decision for two days, then called Longden and said, "I want to stop this whole thing and ship the horse to Belmont. I own horse one hundred per cent, this is the way I want it, and this is the way it's going to be." Longden replied, "If you want the press to train the horse, that's OK with me." McMahon, according to the magazine story, made it plain to his employe that the press wasn't training the horse and that the owner of the horse felt that he also had some rights.

"IF HE LOSES, SO WHAT?" Leslie Combs, owner of Lexington's Spendthrift Farm and the nation's largest commercial breeder, also had to be told that the man who made millions the hard way had listened to enough static. McMahon told Combs that he appreciated his friendship but reminded him that he, Frank McMahon, intended to call this particular shot. "In Leslie's case, he's a commercial breeder," McMahon said of Combs. "Wouldn't he, or any other breeder, feel better standing an undefeated stallion than one who had been beaten in the Belmont?" Combs, who bred Majestic Prince, has several other sons and daughters of Raise A Native at his Kentucky establishment, and it is quite possible that they would bring more Prince sidestepped the Belmont and remained undefeated. Majestic Prince eventually will be sent to stud at Spendthrift Farm.

"As for Longden," McMahon said, "he must have a lot of money buried somewhere, but he knows that he could probably make more, on percentage of purses, by skipping the Belmont, resting up, and winning a lot of other races on the west coast and in Chicago later on against inferior McMahon revealed in the magazine article that Longden is paid $25,000 per year for training his stable, along with 15 per cent of all purses across the board. McMahon gave Longden and rider Willie Hartack bonuses of $5,000 each after the Santa Anita Derby, Kentucky Derby, and Preakness. In six months of training Majestic Prince this year, Longden has pocketed more than $73,000 from his purse percentage and bonus payments. Longden told newsmen that Majestic Prince was in poor condition and had lost more than 100 pounds during the spring campaign. He was induced to put the horse on the scales and it hurt and he stated flatly, "If he's still around on June he will was discovered that he had lost only 45.

McMahon emphasized to Tower that Majestic Prince is not run. If he loses, so what?" LONGDEN, COMBS ASKED MUCH This longtime viewer of the sporting scene takes off his hat to Frank McMahon, for a number of reasons. The man has made it plain, in the Sports Illustrated story and earlier interviews, that if Majestic Prince had been hurt or sick he would have been shipped home long ago. He makes no secret of the fact that he would like to have an undefeated Triple Crown winner. The 66-year-old industrialist points out, quite correctly, that the odds against his ever having another chance like this are about 50 million to one.

Johnny Longden and Leslie Combs stretched the good nature and gentlemanly instincts of this man pretty far when they asked him to make that kind of sacrifice if it is true, as McMahon himself believes, that their motivation was spawned in their own wallets. He counted both men among his friends, and still does. As I wrote earlier, I'm glad that this fine big horse will get a chance to run in the Belmont. I don't know if he can go a mile and a half and neither does anybody else. I only know that all of them will be mighty tired horses when they near the finish line of a race of a mile and a half.

It will be a question of which horse is leastweary. Not one of them has been that far in his life. TIME TO SAY NO! Most important of all is the fact that owner Frank McMahon is the kind of man who believes that a champion, if he is worthy of the name, should be willing to take on all comers. John L. Sullivan was one of the most beloved of all heavyweight champions because.

he took them on as fast as they could climb into the ring. L. believed that the champion of the world owed that to the public, and to himself. Frank McMahon apparently is cut from the same sturdy cloth, and the world of sports is the richer for his courage. He doesn't want to be the owner of a half-champion, but an honest champion that has given every logical challenger his chance.

It is too bad that the husky Canadian was forced to overrule publicly two men whom he likes and admires. It is too bad also that they placed a good man in that position. McMahon's refusal to surrender to pressure is a tonic to millions of Americans who are also mighty tired of being pushed around. Had he yielded it would have been another victory for the miserable, craven, unthinking permissiveness that has this nation in a hell of a shape. It was time for somebody, somewhere, to say no.

After No-Hit Ball for 6 Innings, Hurler Relieved OAKLAND. Calif. (UPI) After pitching no-hit ball for 6 2-3 innings, Sam relief help from Stan Williams and Juan Pizarro in Saturday to give the Cleveland Indians a 5-2 victory over the slumping Oakland Athletics. Sal Bando snapped the Cleveland southpaw's bid for a no-hitter with a run-scoring single to left in the seventh. The hit chased in Bert Campaneris, who reached second when Vern Fuller dropped an easy pop fly.

McDOWELL was forced from the mound in the final frame after Campaneris led off with a homer, Tom Reynolds singled and Reggie Jackson walked. Williams fanned Bando for the first out and got Danny Cater on a flyout. Juan THE MUNCIE STAR MUNCIE, INDIANA, SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1969 Cards Lose Late Rally Not Strong Enough SPECIAL TO THE STAR MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. A Ball State rally in the top of the ninth fell one run short at Bierman Stadium Saturday and the Cardinals bowed 4-3 to Southern Illinois in the final game of the NCAA District-4 championship. By reaching the final 16 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, it marked the best showing the Cardinals have ever made.

The victorious Salukis now move on to the collegiate World Series which will be played June 13-18 in Omaha, where Southern Illinois was runner-up last year to the University of Southern California. LYNN JACKSON was the opening mound choice of Ball State coach Ray Louthen and he scattered his 10 hits well among the powerful Salukis. But Southern Illinois ace Pitlock was at his best, limiting the Cardinals to four safeties, all singles, in the eight and one-third innings he worked and although he also granted three passes, he was at his best in the pinches, fanning 13 Ball State batters. Southern Illinois took a one run lead in the bottom of the first but the Cardinals tied it at one in the next frame. Dave Torma walked to open the stanza and Steve Lane was hit by a pitch moving Torma to second.

Mike Pianowski hit a slow grounder to short with Torma going to third as the tossed to second, and when the latter tried to get Pianowski on a double-play throw to first, the throw went wild, scoring Torma. THE SALUKIS added single runs in the fourth and fifth to take a 3-1 lead. Torma and Lane singled to open the seventh. Pianowski forced Lane at second on a fielders' choice in which he was safe at first and Torma took third. Torma scored when O'Neil hit a ground out to the shortstop.

Southern Illinois made the score 4-2 in its favor when Bond, the center fielder, greeted pitcher Bob Coddington with a homer to the bottom half of the seventh. Coddington had taken the when Dave Wood unsuccessfully pinch hit for Jackson in the top of the seventh. TRAILING BY TWO runs final inning, Torma reached base for the third time in the game when he got his second straight single after one man was out. Lane walked and Pianowski singled to load the bases. Torma scored to make it 4-3 with two out as Pianowski was forced at second on a grounder to the third baseman by Ron O'Neil.

With Lane at third and O'Neil at first, Daigle went to the mound for Southern Illinois to face Cardinal pinch hitter Dennis Barry, and caught Barry on a third strike to end the game. Ball State had started the season on a losing note but caught fire at midyear and won 10 of their 12 games to finish the while sorry the Cardinals could not go on to the World Series at Omaha expressed a lot of pride and satisfaction at the way the team rounded into form at mid season and eliminated both BigTen Champion Minnesota and Mid-American loop champ Ohio U. in the tournament. Summary: BALL STATE ab rbi Craig, Klemczewski, rf. 2b.

03 0 McCoy, ss. Bradford, 3b. Torma, if. Lane, cf. Pianowski, 1b.

O'Neil, C. Jackson, p. Wood, ph. Coddington, p. Barry, ph.

Totals SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ab Bond, cf. Rogodcinski, If. O'Sullivan, 1b. Blakley, 3b. rf.

Coker, c. Brumfield, 2b. Rinaldi, 2b. Pitlock. p.

Neuman, p. Daigle, p. Totals 33 10 Ball State 010 000 101-3 Southern Illinois 100 110 10x-4 Brumfield: Rogodincski; Lane; Bradford, 2. PO-A Ball State, 24-12; Southern Illinois, 27-12. LOB -Ball State, Southern Illinois, 8.

2B-Rogodinscki. HR--Bond. Coker. Jackson (L) 8 3 3 1 5 ip er bb so Coddington 2 1 (W) A 3 2 3 13 Neuman 00000 Daigle 000 00001 HBP-Lane Craig by Pitlock. WP -Pitlock.

-Doug Cossey, Henry Johnson, Bill McKinley. A-200. For Mario -It's INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) Little Mario Andretti earned $205,727.06 while charging 500 miles to victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Friday and became the first winner in history to top $200,000 in prizes. Andretti's share came from a record purse of $804,627.50 and included $17,722 in lap prizes and $71,600 in accessory prizes.

The money is actually paid to car owner Andy Granatelli, but the driver usually is paid at least 50 per cent. A SMILING Andretti was honored Saturday night at a victory banquet which included announcement of prize money awarded. He also will receive a Camaro pace car, a $1,000 wardrobe, a garage full of tools and $200,000 RIDE--Mario Andretti, right, shared the platform at the Indianapolis 500 victory banquet Saturday night with Tony Hulman, Speedway owner. The winner's share of an $809,627 purse totaled $205,727. (AP Wirephoto) in Playoff Jackpot Night! United States Auto Club point standings for championship ing.

He had won the Hanford, race earlier in the same Hawk-Ford car he drove as choice on Friday. Andretti, who now has 1400 points, won the USAC championship twice previously. DAN GURNEY of Santa Ana, stands second in the USAC standings, right where he finished Friday for the second year in a row. Andretti, the burns on face still bothering, him, admithe after Memorial Day victory. "The next morning there are a lot more things you realize.

You become yourself again. Now I've had time to meditate and 'Friend' Ends No-Hitter for Joe Sparma SEATTLE (UPI)-An injured teammate nearly put Joe Sparma in baseball's Hall of Fame Saturday but a friend kept him out of it. Lolich Detroit, pitching Only was arm because Sparma ailing back with starter the a home nod Mickey bruised in 105. got to start for the Tigers in a nationally televised game against the Seattle Pilots. DESPITE FLURRIES of early wildness and poor support, the 27-year-old righthander hurled 1-3 3 innings of no-hit ball.

Seattle first baseman Don Mincher, longtime buddy of Sparma's, doubled 380 feet off the right centerfield fence with one out in the ninth for the only hit off Sparma in Detroit's 3-2 victory. Both Seattle runs were unearned and aided by Detroit errors and Sparma's wildness. "You won't meet a finer guy than Don," the Detroit pitcher said after the game. "I don't congratulate him on his hit, but if it had to come from someone, it might as well have been Don." With the count 2-0, Mincher said was looking for a fastball. "And I got one, about chest-high," said Mincher who drilled it off the fence between the center and right fielders.

Mincher advanced on short(See FRIEND on Page C2) Mark Donohue Named '500' Rookie of Year INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (UPI)Mak Donohue, 43, Meda, Penn. was named rookie of the year Saturday for Indianapolis 500 auto tdonohue, a 10 year racing veteran with a degree in mechanical engineering from Brown University, tarted fourth and finished seventh in the annual Memorial Day classic. In his first attempt at course, Donohue qualified for the SECTION SPORTS numerous other prizes. Dan Gurney of Santa Ana, was awarded $67,732 for second place and Bobby Unser, Albuquerque, N.M., last year's winner who finished third Friday, picked up $45,647.

Andretti said Saturday the key to his record-shattering performance may have been a practice crash nine days earlier which destroyed his first choice car. "I'M NOT at all sure the Lotus crashed would have finished the race," the Italian-born Andretti said Saturday. "In all honesty, a Lotus has the most ultimate potentials as a race car, but it is not a proven race car." Andretti crashed into the speedway wall May 21 and emerged with a burned face and a demolished race car. "Although I have a a singed-up face, almost happy the crash happened," Andretti said. OFFICIAL statistics released Saturday made only one change in unofficial standings.

Rookie Peter Revson, New York, moved up to fifth spot and veteran Joe Leonard, San Jose, dropped to sixth. Andretti, now of Nazareth, smashed just about every speed record at the speedway. His 156.867 miles per hour average was almost 4 m.p.h. better than Bobby Unser's 152.882 of last year. The little Italian vaulted into a commanding position in the HIT- HEART-BREAKER -This is the pitch that led to the hit that broke up Joe Sparma's no-hitter.

The strain of pitching innings of no-hit ball by Detroit's Sparma showed on the right-hander's face as he delivered a pitch to Seattle pilot Don Minchner-the pitch Minchner lashed for a double to break the skein. Tiger shortstop Dick Tracewski waited with hands on knees for the action. (AP Wirephoto) Money, Money Everywhere, and Here's Where it Went INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced a record purse of $804,627.04 Saturday night for the 53rd 500-mile auto race on Memorial Day. The purse was divided among 33 competitors as listed: 1.

Mario Andretti, Nazareth, $205,727.06. 2. Dan Gurney, Santa Ana, $67,732.04. 3. Bobby Unser, Albuquerque, N.M., $45,647.04.

4. Mel Kenyon, Lebanon, $30,612.04. 5. Peter Revson, New York, $25,722.04. 6.

Joe Leonard, San Jose, $21,602.04. 7. Mark Donohue, Media, $21,512.04. 8. A.

J. Foyt Houston, $45,051.61 (includes 222.58 in lap prizes) 9. Larry Dickson, Marietta, Ohio, $17,426.04. 10. Bobby Johns, Miami, $19,841.04.

11. Jim Malloy, Denver, $17,358.04. Reid Fires 61 Yancey, Elder Lead Memphis Open at 10 Under appreciate what has It makes life beautiful," he said. ANDRETTE said the next goal for him is to win a Grand Prix race on the European circuit. But he said he doesn't have any plans right now to go to Europe.

Another happy Italian Saturday was Andy Granatelli, the pudgy, oil additive manufactur-lout who bought out Andretti's racing operation last December. Granatelli finally won the Indy 500 after 23 years of trying as driver, mechanic or owner. Twice before, with powerful turbine cars since outlawed, Granatelli saw victory within grasp when mechanical failures forced Frantz who toured his own par his entries in the final miles. at an average sped of nearly 169 miles per hour, the fastest ver by a rookie. Donohue began racing in 1959 and was the U.S.

road racing champion in 1967 and winning 13 of 16 races over the two year period. He is married, and the father of two young sons. Donohue was named outstanding young man by the Pennsylvnia Jaycees in 1968. 8 a By DUREN CHEEK MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UPI)Bert Yancey and Lee Elder fired four under par 66s and continued to lead the $150,000 Memphis Open after the third came pack with an round Saturday, but Steve Reid incredible nine under par 61 to roar into contention for Sunday's top prize money of $30,000.

Yancey, one over for the day after nine, came back with an eagle two on the par four 10th when he blasted it in from a bunker from 30 feet away. AT 197, 10 under par after 54, 12. Sam Sessions, Nashville, $15,846.05. 13. Mike Mosely, La Puente, $14,755.04.

14. Roger McCluskey, Tuczon, $15,493.04. 15. Bud Tingelstad, Indianapolis, Ind. 16.

George Snider, Bakersfield, $14.016.03. 17. Sonny Ates, Sellersburg, $13,609.03. 18. Denis Hulme, Tauranga, New Zealand, $12,823.03.

19. Gordon Johncock, Hastings, $13,583.45. 20. Lloyd Ruby, Wichita Falls, $13,864.03. 21.

Wally Dallenbach, East Brunswick, N.J., $12,991.03. 22. Arnie Knepper, Belleville, $12,189.03. 23. Lee Roy Yarbrough, Columbia, S.C., $12,258.03.

24. Jack Sydney, Australia, $11,725.45. 25. Carl Grandview, $11,809.03. 26.

Gary Bettenhausen, Tinley Park, $11,541.03. (See MONEY on Page C2) waved in from the bullpen after Dick Green was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The veteran southpaw reliever got pinchhitter Rick Monday on a groundout to end the contest. FOR the A's, it was their 10th defeat in the last 12 games. The win was only the fourth for McDowell in 10 decisions.

Cleveland scored twice in the first inning off loser Jim Nash on a walk, Ken Harrelson's double and a single by Tony Horton. In the eighth, a single by Fuller, an infield out and Zoilo Versalles' hit gave Cleveland a 3-1 edge. THE Indians scored their final runs off reliever Paul Lindblad in the ninth on three straight singles by Russ Snyder, son and Duke Sims and Horton's sacrifice fly. holes the leaders were strokes in front of Reid, South Africa's Gary Player, former open champion Dave Hill, John Lotz, Dick Sides and Lou Graham. "All in all I played an atrocious round of golf," said Yancey, a 30-year-old former West Point cadet.

"I just hit the ball from one side of the golf course to the other. I don't know why, but I'm going out on the practice tee right now to find out." Yancey, 11th on the money list this year with winnings of more than $50,000, also got three birdies on the back side, two with putts of 25 and 11 feet and one whe nhe reached the par five 18th in two and twoputted from 20 feet. ELDER, who complained of heckling Friday, had a large gallery Saturday and said there were no further incidents. He also turned even for the round after holing a 55-foot putt from the back fringe four on under. nine.

He played The talk of the tournament however was Reid's 61. The unattached St. Louis pro strung out seven birdies in a row for a near record. Bob Goalby had eight in a row in the 1961 St. I His 61 was the lowest 18 hole four iron "It was a very hard Petersburg Open.

score ever recorded here and is putt, breaking uphill, and "The scores are unreal," said the lowest score for one round really didn't gun it," he said. Player. "Considering the pin on the tour this year. placements today, the 61 is the Reid had one birdie putt from REID felt he played his best most incredible round I ever 40 feet, one from 18 golf of the day on the first and heard of." from ten one 16th holes, feet, feet, two from where he made feet, from four some sensational shots to eight one feet, two get HILL, winner here two years from 15 inches and from out of trouble and down in ago, called Reid's performance one par. six inches.

"I made the whole round on the "unbelievable." first hole, probably," he said. his birdie spree "Two others, on number five Charles Coody was all alone on the par four seventh hole and number six, went right at 201. Ken Still and Dale and ended it at the par five back into the back of the hole Douglass were deadlocked at 13th hole with an eight footer. and bounced out." 202. Deadlocked at 203 were "My ball was all beat up by the Reid had a 15-foot shot at an Don January, Tom Aaron, Gene time I got to 14, but I wasn't eagle on the par five 18th, Littler, and U.S.

defending about to change it," Reid which he reached with a Open champion Lee Trevino. laughed. booming 300 yard drive and (Includes Previous).