The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 14

Sa Vay. lanuary 19, 1974 Page 16 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Baseball Oddity: All Tigers Signed In Detroit CamplH'll said a new rule that contract squabbles could go to an arbitrator who would decide for one side or the other with no middle ground may have helped the negotiations. However, he attributed most of the coup to hard work by himself, farm director Hoot Evers and vice-president Rick Ferrcll. "We can afford to pay well in this town," Campbell added, an item which surely helps reduce contract squabbles. to jump from the minimum of $15,000 to $40,000." Houk obviously was pleased contract hassles are out of the way.

"Now I can have a team meeting in spring training right at the beginning," he said. "1 didn't want to meet and let them all know what I expected until they were all signed." Usually several players are unsigned several weeks into the training season and occasionally there are holdouts once the exhibition games begin. vice-president. "Our ballplayers were fair, damn fair." lie said some salaries are up, some down and some stayed the same as is the case each year, "but the over-all salary budget is down." Campbell attributed that to the departure of highly paid veterans like Frank Howard, Tony Taylor and Dick McAuliffe. "The toughest players to sign seem to be the young kids," said Campbell.

"They read about all these Inflated salaries and they want DETROIT (AP) Ralph Houk called it "almost unbelievable." And in this day of inflated baseball salaries, contract haggling late into spring training season and holdouts, there probably aren't many baseball people who would disagree with the new Detroit Tiger manager. What is "almost unbelievable" is that general manager Jim Campbell has managed to get all of the 39 players on the spring training roster to come to contract terms already. The announcement came yesterday. Campbell doesn't recall ever getting anyone in the fold so soon. And a team spokesman said it is probably the earliest it's happened to Detroit in modern history.

Pitcher Ed Farmer, who had been playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, signed a contract yesterday to conclude three weeks of intensive efforts by Campbell and his associates which resulted in the signing of all but four players. Those four had signed before that. "We signed our players to honest figures," said Campbell, who is the Tigers' executive Binford For Fengler As 500 Chief Steward? It's A Laugh You're Wasting Your Ink Harlan Fengler WWllaHVW WW WHIUMIIH Him II HI III! 'W't ygSSSS 4" 1 'r Fengler Binford far he hasn't do it, But so Reports that Tom Binford of Indianapolis will succeed the controversial Harlan Fengler as chief steward of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, which have been circulating since last May, have cropped up again. Binford won't confirm the report; Speedway officials say it'll be a couple of weeks before a decision is made on the chief steward. Fengler denied the story.

"That's about the fifth time that has been reported in the last month," the veteran said. "You're wasting your ink even talking about it. "We haven't even talked about it. Of course, there's always a chance because I've been there so long." When Binford was told of the recurring report today, he just USAC actually has nothing to do with the selection of officials for the Speedway race; that is strictly a matter for owner Anton Hulman Jr. to decide.

Newly elected members of the USAC board are Bob Hig-man of Lafayette, Ray Ni-chels of Highland and former Indiana Governor Ed Whit-comb. The meeting continued today. USAC's national awards banquet will be held tonight in the Hilton Hotel. The only major business discussed yesterday was the energy crisis. USAC decided not to cut the length of any race but will enforce strict fuel allocations to reduce its total fuel consumption by 25 per cent.

Smyth obviously had run afoul of some directors of USAC, but for the most part was considered doing a good job. His duty as chief executive officer of the club will be assumed by Reynold McDonald of Chicago, reelected to another term as president. Binford himself was president of USAC for more than a decade and currently is head of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS), the American affiliate of the international racing body Federation l'Automobile Internationale (FIA). He first was mentioned as a successor to Fengler even before the furore surrounding the start of last year's race. asked.

There seems little doubt that a change will be made, however. USAC pecple wanted Dick King, who is chief steward of all their other races, to run the Indianapolis event. That seems unlikely. However, in another shakeup of USAC personnel yesterday, King was given additional duties by the sanctioning body. He will assume at least part of the responsibilities previously handled by William Smyth, who resigned as executive director, a job he'd held for more than four years, during yesterday's USAC board meetings.

laughed. There will be no change, of course, until Hul-man decides and should the Speedway owner personally ask Binford to take over, he might 'Museum Car Sitting On Pole Vs. sen in a Matador and Richard Petty in a Dodge nailed down Billie Jean Chris UPI Photo by Don Blakt Pacer George McGinnis (30) drives on Virginia's Cincy Powell. STOPS SWERVIN' GERVIN Pacers Pull A Boo-Boo RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -Parnelli Jones was the first driver to savor racing qualities of the red and white Mercury.

Then there was Donnie Allison, and later racing immortal A. Foyt, and finally there is David Pearson. All praised the merits of the sleek stock car racer produced back in 1970 by the meticulous wood Brothers of Stuart, Va. "It is one of the great racing cars of all time," said Jones, the millionaire owner of an Indianapolis team who lives at Palos Verdes, Calif. for one, hate to see it go to the museum." But to the museum the famed No.

21 Mercury will go after it runs its swan song race at Riverside International Raceway tomorrow with the By LARRY FORTNER Virginia's George Gervin, who flooded the Indiana Pacers with 29 first-half points last night at the Coliseum, was turned off by master plumber Don Buse in the sec the third row berths. It will be the debut for both Follmer, the two-time U.S. road racing champ, and Indianapolis star Bettenhausen in big league car racing. Both plan to run 15 or more stock car races this year. Jones, who retired from active competition several years ago, was the first driver to get behind the wheel of the Wood Brothers Mercury.

He won the pole position with it for the 1970 Riverside 500 at a still record speed of 113.310 mph. The next year the Wood clan updated the Mercury to make it a 1971 model its current status and assigned it first to Allison, then to Foyt and then to Pearson. With the four drivers, the car won $450,746 in prize money, but it was Pearson who gave it the best ride. The Spartanburg, S.C., flash wheeled the machine to 11 victories in 18 starts last year and bagged in excess of $236,000 including bonus and accessory monies. The car is going to the stock car museum in Darlington, S.C., some time in the "He seems a little too quick for the big forwards to guard," Buse said.

"I think he's a natural guard. He uses that quickness for drives for the forwards." Finally Gervin finished with a total of 35 points and as he failed in the second half, so did the Squires. The Pacers trailed by 6even when Buse made his third-quarter appearance (along with Mel Daniels and Freddie Lewis), and within 2'2 minutes it was tied at 73. In another two minutes the Pacers had built an eight point lead and from then on it was just a matter of Buse continuing to contain Gervin as the Indiana offense scored often enough to put it away. "I'm going to have a practice next week," said Leonard, "and let Boo-Boo show the forwards how to play defense.

"The things is, he's just fundamentally sound. He plays the man without the ball, he blocks out under the boards and tonight he hit some big hoops." The littlest forward of them all also managed to score seven points against the Squires three of them on his 16th home run of the season. "Yeah, I like those threes," Buse gettin' in my blood." Other Pacer heroes included Hillman, who matched his season-high of 20 points and Daniels, who came off the bench with Buse to score 15 points on 6-oMO shooting. Lewis passed out eight assists in his 18 minutes and Kevin Joyce tallied 12 points and handed out seven assists in 24 minutes. "That's what it takes," said Leonard.

"We need everyone participating in the game." They'll all be participating again tomorrow at 2:10 p.m. at the Coliseum against the San Diego Q's. And Don Buse just might see a little action against a fellow named Stew Johnson. Johnson's a 6-8 forward. Could be just about the right size.

Neither Predicting Win SAN FRANCISCO (AP)-Billie Jean King meets Chris Evert tonight in the match fans were hoping for when 32 top women' tennis players opened their 1974 tournament tour here Monday, and neither finalist wants to be considered a favorite to win the $10,000 prize. "She's beaten me more times than I've beaten her," said Ms. King, the all-time biggest money winner in women's tennis. The score in matches is 4-3 in favor of the 19-year-old Miss Evert. Miss Evert, who lost to Billie Jean in the Wimbledon finals when they last met, had the computer-assigned No.

1 seeding for the tournament, her first on the West Coast. "But I'll go in feeling no pressure," Miss Evert of Jacksonville, said. "Even though I'm top-seeded, I look upon her as being the favorite." Because she lives just across the Bay Bridge in Emeryville and because she humbled Bobby Riggs last year, Ms. King will have plenty of supporters in tonight's expected sellout crowd of about 6,000. In semifinals last night Ms.

King overpowered Texan Nancy Richey Gunter, 6-1, 6-3, and Miss Evert beat Kerry Melville of Australia, 7-6, 6-2. Then they teamed up as doubles partners to score a 6-4, 6-2 semifinal victory over Mrs. Gunter and Rosemary Casals of nearby Sausalito. This is the first time Billie Jean and Chris have paired for doubles. Tonight they get a crack at the $3,200 top doubles prize against top-seeded Francoise Durr of France and Betty Stove of the Netherlands, who beat Isabel Fernandez of Colombia and Pam Teeguarden of Los Angeles, 6-2, 6-2.

Mrs. Gunter, No. 4 seed, said Ms. King "played so well it's hard for me to say how I did She used the spin to move me around and break up my rhythm." Ms. King has been changing her serve and said she didn't "think it was quite there yet" against Mrs.

Gunter, who broke it twice in the second set after Ms. King had got off to a 4-1 lead. greying, J9-year-oid Pearson at the wheel. Pearson, the 1973 NASCAR driver of the year, rode the sturdy machine to the front row pole position yesterday, steering it around the nine- turn, 2.62-mile road course at a speed of 110.090 miles per Round Upsets Miller hour. He was easily the fast est of 25 drivers who earned positions for tomorrow's 35-car lineup.

NAMES IN SPORTS Cale Yarborough was next fastest in a Chevrolet at 109.180 mph and will start in next few weeks. The reason: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing limits competition in its grand national series to cars of the last three model years. Because of its 1971 label, the machine is too old. the front row beside Pearson. Bobby Allison's Chevrolet and George 1 1 's Ford clinched the second row posi tions, while Gary Bettenhau- ond half.

And that defensive performance, according to teammate George McGinnis, keyed the Pacers to a 118-106 victory. "That's Boo-Boo's win," said McGinnis, who had a right fair night of his own, scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds to lead the Pacers In both categories. "He earned that one for us with his defense and some key buckets. He just shut that man off like a spigot in the second half." Gervin is a 6-foot-7 set of toothpicks with a basketball shooting machine mounted atop its frame. And in the first half last night he shot holes through the Pacer forwards, scoring 29 points and affixing three personal fouls to defenders DarnelF Hillman and Roger Brown.

But at 5:56 of the third quarter, after Hillman and Brown had drawn fouls No. 4, Pacer coach Bobby Leonard took a chance and put Buse, a 6-4 guard, into the game to guard Gervin. That's the kind of gamble that makes millionaires of paupers, because Buse stopped Gervin before he even had a chance to go to work. He made Gervin's shadow look like a distant relative. Every time the Squires' forward made a move he encountered the intense defense of Buse, who was anticipating his moves and blocking him off before he had a chance to hurt him.

Players and coaches simply call it "guarding the man without the ball." What Gervin must have called it can't be printed in a family newspaper. "Aw, I think he just got cold," said Buse. "Of course I didn't let him get it." (Of the seven shots he did manage to get off in the second half, he hit. but one. And Ruse's defense finally had him so flustered that he committed all of his four errors in the srcon-I 'Juice', Griese Make AFC Favorites take a look and see what it's like." James said he returned the postcard to STEVE ARNOLD, the WFL's traveling salesman, indicating he would be interested in some of the expected big money if a bidding war erupts.

While James admitted interest in the WFL, LEE BOUG-GESS indicated reservations about it. "I wouldn't think of getting in there, especially now that I haven't gotten my pension years in. I'm not that high on it this year," said Bouggess, who didn't return the postcard. Veteran center GENE MOORE, who lost his starting job with the San Diego Conquistadors this season, was cut by the American Basketball Association team last As backup center to rookie JOHNNY MILLER'S leading by four strokes -r- and he's a little upset about it. "Well, it's okay.

It's still not that bad," the young man muttered yesterday as if he was trying to console himself. He'd just taken a 71, one under-par and good enough to retain comfortable control of the top spot after two rounds of the $150,000 Dean Martin-Tucson Open golf tournament. Two things were bothering the skinny blond who has yet to be beaten this season he went nine strokes higher than the brilliant 62 of his opening round Thursday and he'd taken windblown bogeys on three of his last four holes. Miller's 133 total, 11-undcr-par for two trips over the Tucson National Golf Club course, gave him a four-shot advantage over ALLEN MILLER, no relation, alone in second. JIM COLBERT'S 67, the best round of promoting Panamanian group.

Challenger Norton gets not less than $200,000 for the scheduled 15-roundcr on March 25. They know when they'll fight. The question is where. Los Angeles is out. New York has the JOE FRAZIER-MU-HAMMAD ALI bout and Las Vegas hasn't heard from Foreman-Norton.

Two veteran running backs of the Philadelphia Eagles say they've received an invitation to jump to the new World Football League, but only one says he is interested. "They wanted to know if you were interested and if you were, to sign and send an enclosed postcard back," I'O JAMES said. "Of course I'm snow and biting cold Kansas City early this of the heavy which gripped week. CALDWELL JONES, lie wa irueresKwrybocly's goUo averaging 7.1 points KANSAS CITY (AP -The American Football Conference, mainly because of the presence of O. J.

Simpson and Bob Griese, is a slight favorite in tomorrow's Pro Bowl battle with the National Conference. Simpson, the pride of the Buffalo Bills, romped for 2,003 yards last season, the biggest collection in one year in National Football League history. Like Simpson, Griese, quarterback for the NFL champion Miami Dolphins, is in the prime of his career. Griese won't start but is certain to see plenty of action in this fourth Pro Bowl game (1 o'clock, Channel 6) since the merger of the NFL and the old American League. Kenny Stabler of Oakland, draws the starting signal calling assignment.

Tom Landry of Dallas, who coaches the NFC, and John Madden of Oakland, the AFC boss, and the two 40-player squads arrived in Kansas City late yesterday after four days of drills in San Diego, where practice headquarters were hurriedly set up because Filer and Jeff Siemon, of Minnesota, Mel Renfro of Dallas and Merlin Olsen of Los Angeles, to name several for the NFC, and Willie Lanier of Kansas City, Joe Greene of Pittsburgh, Jake Scott of Miami and Willie Brown of Oakland for the AFC. Griese, who masterminded Miami to a 24-7 victory over Minnesota in the Super Bowl last Sunday said, "Any-thing's a comedown after the Super Bowl. Some of us are here but half our guys arc hurt." Among the missing are such Dolphin stars as running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris and wide receiver Paul Warfield. All are injured. Siemon, a linebacker who had fluid drained from a knee Friday, said it is "a great thrill to be here.

It's a different kind of game. It's not playing for the Minnesota Vikings. It's playing for the NFC." The AFC has won two of the three games played since the merger. a fiame, me winuy any, put him in third at 138. The final round is tomorrow (4 p.m.

Channel 7). The NFC will counter at quarterback with John Hadl, who guided the Los Angeles Rams to their best season ever in 1973 and Roman Gabriel of the Philadelphia Eagles. Hadl will start and Landry says he will switch to Gabriel the second quarter. John Brockington of Green Bay, and Larry McCutcheon of the Rams, will open as the running backs for the NFC, and Simpson and Oakland's Marv Hubbard for the AFC. If the game develops into a passing duel, quarterbacks of both teams will have plenty of standout targets.

The NFC boasts Harold Jackson of the Rams, Charley Taylor of Washington, and Ted Kwalick of San Francisco, among others. Isaac Curtis of Cincinnati, Fred Biletnikoff of Oakland, and Riley Odoms of Denver, head the AFC pass-catching corps. Stars will man defensive slots for both sides, Allan Pae, Carl I ((( A La "PLENTY LUV" SUPER EXOTIC After Tha G.irno rVnr firn 1 1 AL SAY'S GREAT! JAM 4-7 TOWN COUNTRY LOUNGE N. KIYSTONI Phnn. $47-3091 Promoters of the world heavyweight championship boxing match between FOREMAN and KKN NORTON have taken off with big money offers and now.

they're looking for a place to land. Foreman was guaranteed a minimum of $700,000 by the half..