The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 19

Jje JBl0tf 0Wjer Slmtfejet -Journal Sunday Morning, February 4, 1979 Rhodes still hero in New York SPORTS FEATURES By BOB MAYES Advertiser Sports Writer 'I Rve In Manhattan now and they still remember me. It's hard to go out and enjoy yourself In a restuarant because people are coming up to me and wanting autographs. Rut I love It.9 Dusty Rhodes batted .667 and had four putouts and no errors while appearing in the outfield in two games. It made Rhodes an instant celebrity. He appeared on national television several times in the weeks immediately following and he is still invited to several baseball functions around the country each year.

"It was a great, great experience," Rhodes recalled the other night. "I met a lot of high society people which I didn't care to meet in the first place. I still know the same people now and still have the same friends I had before that Series. "I live in Manhattan now and they still remember me. It's hard to go out and enjoy yourself in a restaurant because people are coming up to me and wanting autographs.

But I love it. I don't mind, I'll sign as long as they keep asking me. "I'm very flattered by it all. I get about 30 letters per month, mostly from kids, wanting my autograph or a picture. Most of them write and say they never saw me play, but they've read books or seen news reels or their parents have talked about it.

"I really enjoy it and I send all of them a picture or an autograph. I It has been almost a quarter of a century since James Lamar Rhodes became a legend in his own time, one who'll be remembered as long as there is a sport of baseball. His hair is showing patches of gray now and the belt size is a couple of numbers higher, but Dusty Rhodes of Mathews, is still recognized almost every place he goes. Rhodes came back to his native state this week to visit his son Ronnie, a Wetumpka plumber, and lifelong friends like Mr. and Mrs.

Jack Cantey, whom he knew when he was growing up and attending Pike Road School. He slipped in and out of town quietly last week, visiting with family and friends. But he did have time one evening, as he relaxed at his son's house, to reminisce about a variety of baseball-related topics. Rhodes became nationally famous because of his pinch-hitting heroics over a three-day span in the 1954 World Series, in which he triggered a surprising four-game sweep by the New York Giants over the heavily favored Cleveland Indians. a 0 seats to give New York a 5-2 win.

Rhodes pinch-hit for Irvin again in the second game of the series and hit a long homer to left in the seventh inning to ice a 3-1 win for the Giants. This homer came off another Ala-bamian, Hartford's Early Wynn. And in the third game it was again Rhodes, pinch-hitting for Irvin in the third inning, who hit a two-run bases-loaded single off Garcia to lead the Giants to a 6-2 win. In the fourth game Rhodes' pinch-hitting skill wasn't needed as New York put seven runs on the board before Cleveland could score and wrapped up the Series with a 74 victory. For the Series, Rhodes wound up with four hits in six times at bats, scored two runs, drove in seven runs, Cleueland had rolled to a record 111 wins during the regular season and boasted of a pitching staff which included Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia, Early Wynn, Don Mossi, aging-but-still-effective Bob Feller, Ray Narleskl and others.

But Rhodes set the tone for the entire series in the first game. After Willie Mays made the famous catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in the ninth inning to preserve a 2-2 tie, the Giants won the game in the 10th. Mays walked to open the inning and stole second. Lemon intentionally walked Hank Thompson to get to Ala-bamian and Hall-of-Famer Monte Irvin. But Leo Durocher sent Rhodes up to pinch-hit and the left-hander stroked Lemon's first pitch 260 feet into the short right field Polo Ground AP wirephoto See Rhodes, page 6B Rhodes crosses plate after hitting homer Roy Johnson paces Vols past Tide 83-77 it8 By ROY THOMAS Advertiser Sports Editor Advertiser Sports Editor first one an 85-77 Tennessee triumph.

The six-point setback was Alabama's second straight loss at home, the first time the Tide has lost back-to-back games in Memorial Coliseum in seven years. A capacity crowd of 15,043, including a who's-who of ex-Tide stars that featured Leon Douglas (Detroit Pistons), Richard Todd (New York Jets), Johnny Davis (Tampa Bay Bucs) and Bob Baumhower (Miami Dolphins), saw Alabama score the game's first four points and go on to grab an eight-point lead, 36-28 with 3 43 left in the first half. Reggie King and Joe Hancock helped Alabama take command in the early going, but in the last three and a half minutes, Tennessee, behind the play of Johnny Darden, changed the tempo and came roaring back, closing to one, 38-37, at intermission. In the last three and half minutes Tennessee outscored Alabama 9-2. "There were several key factors in the game," said Tennessee Coach Don DeVoe.

"Reggie Johnson played a monumental role in the first 10 minutes by keeping us in the game. If it hadn't been for him, we'd been out of it before the game got started good. Then Darden came in and gave us his best game of the year. He mixed it up, got the ball to the people we wanted shooting and hit the perimeter shot when he had it." At the start of the second half, Terry Crosby hit a shot to give Tennessee its first lead of the night, 39-38, fourteen seconds into the last half. The lead changed hands three times in the first three and a half minutes of the second pefiod, but a tip-in by Chuck Threeths with 16:25 left put the Vols ahead for good.

Tennessee went on to score 10 unanswered points for a 53-44 lead. Over a seven-minute period, covering the end of the last half and the start of the second half, the Vols outscored Alabama 25-8. "Thereeths' defensive play on King the last 10 minutes of the first half was a real factor in the game," said DeVoe. King had only one basket in the last 10 minutes. See TIDE, page 10B TUSCALOOSA Reggie Johnson scored Tennessee's first 11 points of the game to keep the Vols in the contest, then later on got plenty of help from his teammates as the Big Orange knocked off league-leading Alabama 83-77 here Saturday night in a big Southeastern Conference basketball game.

The loss dropped Alabama to 7-3 in the conference. Overall, the 13th-ranked Tide is 13-5. Tennessee is 6-5 in league play and 12-10 overall. It was the second time the Vols beat Alabama. This one was almost a replay of the Carver wins jr.

high title Tigers beat Gators 93-92 By JIM HILL Advertiser Staff Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Auburn's Bubba Price and Earl Banks scored late field goals in overtime to take a 93-92 Southeastern Conference basketball victory over Florida. The Tigers trailed much of the second half, but took a 77-75 lead with 3:22 left in regulation time. Auburn was led by Bobby Cattage's 24 points and Rick Valavicius' 19. Florida's Malcolm Cesare tapped the ball in with 52 seconds left in regulation play, creating an 83-83 deadlock and sending the contest into overtime.

Valavicius missed a 10-foot jumper with three seconds remaining to assure the extra period. Florida took a 90-89 advantage with a Cesare field goal, but Price and Banks then scored to ice the contest. The Gators lost a chance to win with seven seconds left when Mike Milligan missed a free throw after scoring. Cesare finished with 21 points to lead Florida. The win improved the Tigers' SEC record to 3-8 and 9-10 overall, while Florida dropped to 3-8 in the conference and 8-11 overall.

Auburn coach Sonny Smith credited his team's stall for saving the contest. "Our stall was one of the keys in the game," Smith said. "That's how we got our last baskets plus the fact that we played tough under pressure. "We didn't crack, even though Florida scored 14 free throws in the first half and we had only four," Smith added. The Gator coach agreed that free throws were crucial.

"Tonight we didn't hit the free throws when they counted," put in Florida coach John Lotz. "We just made too many mental errors again. It's really heartbreaking to beat the first-place team (Vanderbilt) away one night and then come home and lose to the last-place team." Auburn 93, Florida 92 AUBURN ll Valivicliu 7 5-7 19. Banks (Ml II. Cattage S-S 24, Card I 2, Prln 04 1, Anthony (Ml 11.

McGrew 0 0, Stringer 10-11. Hart 0 0-0 0, Adams 0 0 Totals 40 11-17 93. FLORIDA (Sll Milligan 41-711, Cesare 7 7-1! 11, Hannah 1 1-11 24. Glombettl 10, Clarion 4 11, McDanlel 1 1-1 9, Cotton 1 (Ml 1, Bellamy 2 4. Totals 34 24-31 92.

Halfttme-Auburn 44, Florida 44 Fouled out-Cattage, Anthony. Total fouls-Auburn 29, Florida 19. Carver defeated Baldwin 75-62 to take championship honors in the Montgomery County Junior High Basketball tournament played at Carver Saturday night. The first eight minutes were played to a standstill with the teams tied at 15-15. Carver scored the first two points in the second period to go ahead 17-15.

A few minutes later Francis Johnson put Carver ahead 19-17 on a two-pointer. It was a lead that Carver was not to relinquish. The Wolverines went on to take a 32-27 lead into the dressing room at half. Carver and Baldwin played fairly even in the third period as Carver took a lead of 47-43 into the final eight minutes of play. Baldwin pulled to within one at 49-48 when Morris Moore hit on a three-point play with 7:06 remaining.

But Carver's Jerome Williams followed with a three-point play also to pull Carver back to a four-point lead at 52-48. It was a lead that Carver gradually built on as the Wolverines outscored Baldwin 23-14 the rest of the way for the comfortable 13-point margin of victory. Craig Smith led Carver scorers with 18 points. Francis Johnson followed with 16. James Jackson and Larry Davis contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Patrick Richardson led Baldwin with 16 points. Eddie Sanford followed with 14. Jerome Hatcher and Ervin White were also in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Gregory Easterly scored 17 points to lead Cloverdale to consolation honors with a 73-55 victory over Bellingrath. Bellingrath took the early lead over the Tigers but Steve Neuhoff gave Cloverdale the lead for good at 12-11 on his two-pointer about midway through the first period.

Neuhoff scored 12 points to follow Easterly in scoring. Steve Holloway was also in double figures with 11. Anthony Miller led Bellingrath with 16 points. Alfred abernathy followed with 14. See JR.

HIGH, page 1 OB Former A SU star missed easy street If things had turned out right, Greggory "Poncho" Northington could be sitting on easy street right now. But instead of playing for one of the 22 teams in the National Basketball Association, the 7-1 former small college All-America from Alabama State found himself Saturday afternoon in a Radio Hospital uniform playing an AAU game against a team from Quincey, at Baldwin Community Center. The last four years Northington has played professional basketball in Europe, but has been back in Montgomery since September trying to recuperate from a back injury he sustained in December of 1977. Northington plays with Radio Hospital and another local team to try and stay in shape "and maintain a certain sanity since I'm not working." It was obvious Saturday that Northington either wasn't trying or had lost some of the skills he possessed in helping Alabama State to a 25-4 record in 1970-71 and a 22-3 mark In 1971-72. "It's real hard to get fired up for these games," said Northington after his team had pulled out a 135-129 victory over the Qunicey team that has been to the AAU nationals a couple of times and sported guard Eugene Harris, a starter for Florida State last year.

Northington had about 30 points in the run-and-gun affair, but never really dominated the game like you'd think a player of his stature should have. Most of you probably have forgotten Northington since he led Alabama State to the 1972 NCAA Division II playoffs. In 1970-71, Northington averaged 30 points and 19.7 rebounds a game and since he should have been a senior, he was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft b7 the New York Knicks. Northington and the Knicks couldn't get together on a salary, so the former Indianapolis, prep star decided to return to ASU for his final year of eligibility. In 1971-72, Northington averaged 27.8 points and 17.2 rebounds per outing and ASU finished fifth in the final regular season Division II ratings.

The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Northington in the third round, looking for a big man to understudy aging star Wilt Chamberlain. "It was really a bad scene being drafted by the Lakers," recounted Northington. "That year it seemed like everybody they had asked for a raise, so by the time it came around for them to negotiate my contract, they acted like they didn't have nothing to give me. "Portland wanted to pick up my contract, but the Lakers were asking too much." So, Northington never got a chance to show what he could do in the NBA and now, at age 28, isn't really interested in making it to the bigtime. After the disappointment of not working things out to at least make it to rookie camp, Northington wound up playing in the Mexican League "to try and get my head together." "I guess you might say that was a copout," said Northington, who as a high school player broke all of Oscar Robertson's prep scoring marks in Indianapolis.

After his stint in Mexico, Northington found his way to France and most recently played for a European professional team in Amsterdam, Holland. "The money over there (Europe) Is really great la comparison," said Northington. "The Dutch cmrrency It either the second or third strongest currency. If yon multiply Its worth against the Americas dollar and take Into consideration that I get a furnished apartment, a car and gai expenses, them I'm making real good." Asked what a big man of his caliber could hope to earn in Europe, Northington paused for a minute, and commented, "About $17,000 for eight months. Big men get paid more.

Gee, I don't know whether I should say that." Whereas the NBA season is a rugged 82-game See THOMAS, page 10B ifoJS Advertlaefjournal photo by Charlie Steed Carver player protects ball after rebound Yanks give up; Angels get Carew ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Minnesota fielder Ken Landreaux, pitchers Paul Hartzell and Brad Havens, third baseman-catcher Dave Engle and an undetermined amount of cash. Last month, after Carew had agreed to a reported $4 million contract with the Angels, Calvin Griffith had rejected California's offer for him, demanding that young third baseman Carney Lansford be Included in the deal. But California refused to part with Lansford, a .294 hitter, as a rookie last year, and Griffith reluctantly accepted the offer, realizing the possibility of losing Carew without compensation after the 1979 season. Earlier this week, Carew had told The Associated Press that he resented being "pushed around" and said: "I am offended when I read all this stuff about the New York Yankees and what 'George wants, George "I want everybody to know I can't be bought." Saturday, Steinbrenner reacted angrily to Carew's comments.

"We have great respect for Rod Carew, as a player, but if a man doesn't understand the privilege of playing for the New York Yankees, in the greatest baseball city in the world, and has stated that New York would not be his first choice, and that he'd be more comfortable somewhere else, then I don't think we'd be fair to our fans in New York, or to our other ballplayers, who've won two World Championships in a row, to pursue the Carew matter any further," Steinbrenner said In a statement "When a man is asking for $4,000,000 over five years, and then says he feels like he's being tossed around 'like a grocery it's a little humorous," Steinbrenner added. While Steinbrenner was not happy with the developments in the Carew sweepstakes, the Angels were elated. See CAREW, page 10B Twins, who had been shopping around seven-time American League batting champion Rod Carew, much to his dismay, finally unloaded him Saturday, sending him to the California Angels for four players and cash. The deal was completed shortly after George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, said the world champions had withdrawn their offer for the 33-year-old first baseman. In return for Carew, who would have become a free agent after the 1979 season if he had remained with the Twins and not signed a new contract, Minnesota received out.