The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 25

Monday, May 9. 977 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Pag 27 re- YeM Sport Talk 500 Rookie Crop Best In Years? Baseball If the early part of baseball season is any indication, it's gonna be a hot, hot summer in the major leagues. The Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers staged baseball's second outbreak of fisticuffs in two days Saturday and the brawl went on for 20 minutes. "And it probably woift be the last time," said Ranger WILLIE who led the charge. "These two teams are going to fight each other for a championship and that creates nervous energy." The Western Division rivals had a run-in two weeks ago when BERT BLYLEVEN admitted he purposely hit Royals catcher DARRELL PORTER.

Porter thought he would get his revenge Saturday night and gave Texas' BUMP WILLS an extra hard lag after the rookie second baseman was caught off third base. That ignited the brawl. "I've never been in a fight that went on and on like that," Porter said. "But when a big guy (Horton) is coming at you with a mean look in his eyes, you don't think about talking things over." SPRTS It'll come as news to the Pittsburgh Pirates' National League rivals that DAVE PARKER rates himself "a because right now he's hitting .422 and looks like baseball's newest superstar. "I'll cool off eventually," Parker "But I'm sure I'll hit .300.

I knew that before the season. I consider mvself a Hockey Boston Bruins coach DON CHERRY Is the consensus choice as the National Hockey League's funniest coach. He was at his sharpest By DICK MITOTAN This could be the year of the rookie at the Speedway. In recent years rookie starters in the 500-Mile Race have been limited. This May, though, there are nearly 20 first-year drivers eyeing a spot in the race field.

Two of this group, ranging in age from 40 to 23, made some notable progress in the first two days of practice leading to Saturday's pole qualifying day. Janet Guthrie, back once to become the first woman driver, convinced a lot of year-long doubting Thomases Saturday by turning in the day's top speed of 185.605 miles per hour in her Bryant Heating Lightning. Yesterday she bettered this with a clocking of 188.442. She had company at that speed in fellow rookie, Danny Ongais, who has waited nine years for his second shot at Indy. He is driving a black No.

25 Parnelli Cosworth. Their speeds tied for third highest of the day behind Gordon Johncock's 192.596 and Al Un-ser's 189.235. Janet returns under different circumstances than her initial appearance last year when many veteran racing people considered her a curiosity. This time she has a capable race car and the three-ring circus atmosphere that surrounded her every movement last year has subsided. 'I'm the same person," she said with a sigh.

"Obviously, other people's attitudes have changed. "Last year it was a noveMy that I existed. That novelty isn't there now. Those were not the kind of headlines we wanted to make. I prefer the kind we made Saturday.

They were much better. "Still in some peoples' minds if I go less than 198 (what the car did for at a team workout yesterday. When told that, in SDite of its 7-3 victorv over Boston in the opener of the Stanley Cup finals, Montreal made 25 turnovers in its defensive zone, Cherry commented: "Twenty five turno vers," said Cherry. "I thoueht turnovers were a pastry." Cherry's humor evidently is catching. Even lis Boston goalie GERRY CHEEVERS, a thorough- Drea enthusiast and owner of a horse named Royal Ski, offered this unusual view of his Der- formace Saturday nisht: "If I had been a horse Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tries a hook shot over Bill Walton.

AP. New Playoff Hero running in the Kentucky Derby, they would have carried me off the track in a truck." Boxing Former world heavyweight boxing champion LOS ANGELES (AP) Portland's Trail Blazers, with a different hero in the first two games, proved a team can beat a man as they return home with a 2-0 GEORGE FOREMAN says he's leaving the ring partially because of religious beliefs and partially because of the love for his mother. A special lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the National visitor in Foreman's dressing room before and Basketball Association semifinal playoffs. after his recent loss to JIMMY YOUNG may Reserve guard Herm Gilliam, former Purdue play have been the final determining factor. er, pumped 14 points in the final quarter, including 'After the vision he saw Christ in his dress the go-ahead basket with less than two minutes to go, ing room before and after the fight-that was it," his mother recalled.

"George has quit the as Portland edged the Lakers 99-97 in the second game at the Forum last night. fight business, but now he's fighting for Jesus." Gilliam had averaged lust 4.8 points in this season's playoff action but tallied 24 when coach Jack Ramsay sent him into action. Young LEON SPINKS began fixing his sights today on the future following his Saturday knock In the opening game of the semifinals, Maurice out of PEDRO AGOSTO. "I'm pleased about this, because I think peo Lucas had scored 28 points to pace the 121-109 victory. But this time, Lucas was held to 16 points.

the rim, bounced high and back onto the court toward the sidelines as time ran out. Trail Blazer center Bill Walton scored 14 points with 17 rebounds and two assists in his battle of former UCLA centers against Abdul-Jabbar. The latter also had 17 rebounds with one assist. Coach Jerry West of the Lakers declared, "Kareem simply, cannot do everything for this club. It is too much of a burden for anyone to shoulder." Cazzie Russell was the Lakers' second-leading scorer with 21 points but he was shut out in the fourth quarter.

West, the former all-star in his first year of coaching, said, "The way things are going, I'd like to play tomorrow." Abdul-Jabbar hit 17 of 23 field goal attempts. Although the Lakers were 45 percent in field goal shooting if Abdul-Jabbar's performance is ruled out, the rest of the team was only 35 percent. Portland showed a balanced, quick attack and the Trail Blazers were even able to make up for a dismal third quarter performance when they scored just 16 points and went behind by 11 toward the end of the period. Then, trailing 77-66, Gilliam hit two field goals just before the buzzer and added another shortly after the fourth period started. His outburst continued as the Lakers failed to keep up with the speed of the visitors.

"This was not my best game, but it was the biggest game of my career because we needed the outside shooting," said Gilliam of his successful efforts from various angles and distances. "We weren't getting inside shots, so I had to get my outside game going. "I'm sure that if a couple of my off-balance shots didn't go in, Coach Ramsay would have pulled me out The teams travel to Portland for the next two ple started thinking the whole fight game's crooked and it's not," said the 23-year-old Spinks, games in the best-of-7 series. Game three is scheduled tomorrow night at 8 p.m. PDT who disposed of Agosto at 1:55 of the opening round.

"I still have a lot to learn, but I'm It was a hard, hard game to win, but a great improving and there's nobody I'm going to be effort," declared Ramsay. "We are going to enjoy both afraid to fight." our wins in Los Angeles. "We call Herm. 'Little He is typical of the players on this team who can stay on the bench Golf RAYMOND FLOYD is hitting the golf ball quite for games at a time and then come in and do a super job." Roger McCluskey in tire testing last fall) I'm not any good. My own personal goal is to finish in the top 10." After last year's 500, Janet drove almost every weekend in championship car, big stock car or on a short track.

At Talladega, a couple of weeks ago she qualified a NASCAR stacker at 185.000 mph. "I can't really make a choice," she said. "The Indy car is a great deal more sophisticated and a pleasure to drive. The stock car is safer." Janet still carries deep admiration for teammate Dick Simon, who continues to be her tutor. "I'll tell who the secret is to my speed: that two-legged guy in the blue shirt," she exclaimed, pointing across the garage.

"His car is not here. He's not sitting in the corner sulking, but working his a- off on my car." Ongais, a closed-mouthed Hawaiian, came to Indianapolis in 1968 as a rookie and was told to go out and get some more experience. Most of his racing experience up to that point had been in dragsters, winning titles in the 1960s at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park during the Nationals. "I said it didn't bother me whether I made it back or not," he said. "But I enjoy being here and I suppose it does mean something.

well these days and BEN CRENSHAW is not. Also doing a super job before the 15,192 at the Those were the reasons Floyd won the Byron Nel son Golf Classic by two strokes yesterday, and Forum was Lionel Hollins, who scored 22 points in the first half, leading Portland to a 54-51 lead. He wound up with 31 points plus seven assists and eight telling steals. Crenshaw feels fortunate he came as close as he did. Tht NEWS Photo, Patty aspic Janet Guthrie all smiles this year.

"I would enjoy rookie of the year, but I don't know if that would be my ultimate goal. I've won national championships at IRP, I've been here and had some friends who've been here so I guess it is kind of neat" A total of 23 of the 47 cars at the track got in some practice yesterday for a large Mother's Day crowd. Some other high speeds included 187.266 by two-time winner Bobby Un-ser, 187.891 by veteran Jim McElreath, 186.027 by last year's rookie of the year Vera Schuppan, and 182.964 by another veteran, Geoge Snider. Several veterans without rides began shopping, assuming some of the rookies won't work out These include Bob Harkey, Mike Hiss and Jerry Karl. "Overall, when you get right down and look at "Hollins is some kind of player," declared Ramsay.

It," said Crenshaw. "I'm lucky to finish second. I I've been saying all season that he is one of the best. think I played better golf when I was 15 years not the best defensive guards in basketball. Now the old." whole nation knows via television." Hollins scored the final point of the game with 11 seconds left on a free throw.

WHERE THE ACTION IS 7:30 Cincinnati Itcds at St. Louis, WIRE, of the game. "This is the first time I've ever played on a good team in the true sense of the word There is an unselfish spirit and we believe in each other." a 6-foot-3 product of Purdue and a seven-year pro basketball veteran, was traded to Portland by Seattle before the season started and he smiled as he said, "I certainly didn't mind being traded." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers' leading scorer with 40 points his fifth playoff game with that many W'GRT-FM, Channel 13. or more had a 14-foot try with five seconds left. But harassed by three Trail Blazer defenders, his shot hit DOLLAR PER MILE Mario Chasing Title Name Front Row HOOSIER INSURANCE EXECUTIVE WILLSEY AND POTTER HONORED Starters, Win Named Franklin Life's "Men of the Year" MADRID, Spain (AP) Mario Andretti is starting to think seriously that he may achieve his life ambition and become world Formula I driving champion this year.

He swept to his second straight victory yesterday, leading the Spanish Grand Prix at the Jarama circuit from start to finish, after winning the pole position in his black JPS Lotus. "I think we had the best car here, by a long way," the Nazareth, resident who missed the opening of practice for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race because of this event. "We have a great team, the car is beautiful, it goes like clockwork. Now what we have to do is make sure we keep up the momentum through the rest of the season." The nine points for the win, following his Long Beach, triumph, put Andretti second only to Jody Sheckter in the title race, with 20 points to the South African's 23. Vj it! It is time for The News fifth Front Row Qualifiers Contest.

If you name in order the three front row qualifiers for this year's 500-Mile race, you could be the big money winner! Correctly picking the front row will net you one dollar for every mile per hour of the pole position winner's four-lap average qualifying speed. For example, if the pole position driver averages 191.670, the prize is $191.67. It is easy to enter. Using the entry below, or a reasonable facsimile, list in order the names of the drivers you predict will capture the front row positions (pole, middle, outside) for this year's race. Next to each driver list the four-lap average qualifying speed in miles per hour, carried to thr.ee decimal places, you think each driver will post.

Mail, or bring your entry to The News before 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14, 1977. In case of a tie where more than one entry correctly predicts the front row drivers in order, the prize will go to the person who most closely predicts the correct qualifying speed for each of the three front row cars. Only one entry per person is allowed. If more than one entry is received from any one person, all entries from that person will be disqualified.

Employees of Indianapolis Newspapers, and their families are ineligible to enter. In all instances, the decision of the judges is final. Our Company's highest honor for 1976 is shared by these two men of legendary accomplishments Hoosier Regional manager C. R. Willsey of Indianapolis and his close associate.

Area Manager Henry E. "Hank" Potter of Martinsville. Together, these two giants of our Company and our industry, with their associates, have built Franklin's largest region and its largest agency. Mario Andretti I Along with our congratulations (f "A BETTEn imto Front Row Contest The Indianapolis News 307 North Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis, IN.

46206 oonnorj DIG UOnEV" to all the Franklin Life Hoosiers, we wish to extend our thanks to you for the confidence you have placed in our Company and our representatives. You have our pledge of continued good service. SPEED DRIVER (Pole) (Middle) (Outside) Thats the title of a new four page consumer information bulletin from the Homeowners Loan Service (a division of Advance Mortgage Corporation). We specialize in lending thousands of dollars to homeowners and this brochure explains our loans and shows you how to figure the amount you may be able to borrow For you free copy call us Of course, there is no obligation Bob Wills (ontar left) and Hank Pottor (ointtr right) receive tha comgratulatiom of Franklin Ufo ProsiaW William J. Alley (right) and Senior Vice President-Agency Donald L.

Voss of the Compony's Million Dollar Conference held recently at the Hyatt on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Name 10 Andre's ess HOMEOWNERS LOAN SERVICE CITICORP FranKLin OF ADVANCE MORTGAGE CORPORATION State Mgi3 City (W.3tfM 'ilriC Zip in- INDIANAPOLIS PHONE: 293-4634 LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS Phone.