The Times from San Mateo, California • Page 19

HAS TALENT, WILL SUCCEED Wednesday, October 1963 The Times, San Mafeo, Lions Tear Former Teammate By VITO STELUNO Uniled Press International DETROIT (UPD--It's appropriate in a way that Jack Christiansen will come "home" to make his pro head coaching debut--but the Detroit Lions hope to give him a rude welcome. Christiansen, named yesterday as tlie new head coach of the San Francisco 49-ers after Red Rickey resigned, headed the heralded "Chris" crew," the defensive secondary in the Lion heyday of the mid '50s which helped the Lions win Western division crowns and three world titles. The 49-ers, winless in their first three starts, will invade Tiger stadium Sunday to rrrcet the club that includes 10 Lions who played with Christiansen in his final season--1958. Christiansen joined the 49-ers as defensive backfield coach in 1959. Most of them were just starting out when Christiansen wound up his career but two of them, captain and middle linebacker Joe Schmidt and defensive back Yale Lary.

both played along with him during the glory years. Both players figure Christiansen has a great future--but they hope it doesn't start for week. The Lions, alter suffering two straight lopsided losses to Green Bay and Chicago, desperately need a victory. "He always wunleri to a coach," Schmidt said, "and I think he'll do a good job. lie knows football players and he kiioivs how they think, that's real important.

"He's got a good football minil and lie's done a real good job with the 49-er defensive backs." Lary, who played along with Christiansen in the defensive secondary and was a member of the "crew," agreed. "He's a great guy and we al- ways'stop out to see him when we're on the coast. He's real smart but, nf course, they can't expect too much right away." Christiansen played with the Lions from to 1U58, made the all-pro in '53. '54, '55, '56 and '57. He played in the pro bowl from 1954 through 1958.

Christiansen still holds the Lion record for the most passes intercepted in a career--46--and he's tied with Don Doll for the most intercepted in a season--12. Doll is now a Lion assistant. Christiansen's 89-yard punt re- turn in 1851 is the longest in the history of the club. Lion coach George Wilson, who was an assistant coach throughout Christiansen's career with the Lions until he took over the head job in 11)57, wishes Hickey had waited another week to resign. "This is bound to give them an impetus and they'll probably really he up now," he said.

Pitchers Series Starts Quartet of Dodtfer and Yankee stars engage in small talk al pce-World Series Yankee stadium workout yesterday afternoon. Left to right, are: pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale of and pitcher Whiley Ford and slugger Mickey Mangle of Yanks. Koufax and Ford started in the series opener this morning and were strictly business as compared to yesterday's friendly post. (AP Wirephoto) Jack Bluth Times Spin-Is Editor Speaking of Sports Bob Berry AS MOST football coaches will testify, second guessers drive them nuts, but Oregon University's Len Casanova and Stanford's John Ralston gave them a dose of: their own medicine at Alto last Saturday. Mt came in the form of opposite strategy which left second guessers out on a limb after the Ducks had disposed of the Indians, 36-7.

About i a through the period, Casanova had his second unit in the game, and quarterback Doug Post a his troops inarching--from the Oregon 40 to the Stanford nine. At that point, Post-who is not nearly the passer that first unit quarterback Bob Berry is--flipped three passes in an attempt to score. All three fell incomplete, and Stanford stopped a drive that would have made the score 28-7, assuming the Ducks would get the extra point. LATER, Casanova was asked if he had contemplated putting his first team in the ballgame after Post had taken the second unit down to the Stanford nine. "No," said the former University of Santa Clara coach, "you have to have faith in your kids--or you'll never get anything out of them." -A- WHICH IS sound thinking in this day of multi-unit football, though the 21-7 lead the Ducks enjoyed at that point could have had something to do with Casanova's strategy.

Anyway, the assumption was that the Ducks' first unit, with the more able Berry throwing and directing, could have easily taken the ball in for a touchdown. And this is where Ralston came to Casanova's rescue, though that wasn't Ralston's intention. Because. Stanford took possesion of the ball right there, and with third unit quarterback Ron Berg at the controls, the Indians marched from their own nine to the Oregon 36-yard line in eight snappy plays. AT THAT point, Ralston did what the second guessers thought Casanova should have done.

He jerked his third unit and replaced it with the first unit, which had scored Stanford's lone touchdown earlier in the contest. "We thought the first unit could take it in," Ralston explained his strategy. "And they were happy to turn it over to the first unit." BUT EVEN with the help of a personal foul 15-yard penalty which put the ball on the Oregon 16-yard line first and ten, Stanford's first unit failed to score and gave the ball up to the Ducks after a field goal attempt from the seven went off target. Ralston couldn't have been pleased with the result of his strategy, but there had to be some measure of! consolation for the Stanford coach. HE TAUGHT the second guessers a lesson.

Don't Make Me Laugh JIM BECKER Associated Press Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP)--What did Walter Alston of the say to Manager Ralph Houk of the Yankes today, just before the World Series started: "Good to see you Ralph," he said, "and the best of luck." But was this what he was really thinking? "Hah, good to see him. He's got Mantle healthy, and Maris healthy, and that damn infield and that outfield. You can't get a ball through the infield, and with that outfiled you're lucky to get one base on a single. Then he has Howard catching, and he starts Whitey Ford in the first game. We may not get five runs all week." And what does Houk say Lo Alston? "Good to see you, Walter, and best of luck." And is this what he really means? "Luck, hah.

He's got the greatest pitcher in the world, who needs luck? And l.hat Wills and those Davis boys are liable to run us crazy, f've been reading all week aliout how they don't hit. With that pitching who has to hit? And they hit .251, anyway, and what did we hit? Arobust .252, that's what. One percentage point, and you read in tha papers that we're big monsters picking on the Little Leaguers." HOWARD CALM Operation For Mantle? NEW YORK (UPD -'Brittle Mickey Mantle may be back in the hospital following the World Series for an operation on his left knee. "It's still a little to say for sure," Mantle "but I may have to have an operation on the knee. "After the Series is over, though, I'll talk to the doctor and see what he thinks.

The knee seems to be getting better all the time." Series D'ope NEW YORK (UPD--Fails and figures on Ihe 1963 World Series: Opponents--New York Yankees can league champions) Los Angeles Dodgers (National league Winner--First learn to win four games. Sites and Dates of GaTies--First two games at New York, OcJnber 2-3; third, fourth, and fifth (If neciissary) at Los Angeles, October 5-6-7; sfoth and seventh (if at New October Starling Time--New Yurk games. 10' a.m. PDT; Los Angeles games, 1 p.m. PDT.

Rival Ralph Houk; Dodgers, Wall Alston. Past Series Records--Yankees won 20, lost Dodgers won 2, Ics! 10. Past Yankee-Dodger Series Yankees won 6, Dodgers won 1. Radio-TV--All games nationally broad-l cast and ttlecast via National Broadcasting compny (NSC) KNBR (ASO), KRON-TV (4). Radio announcers--Ernie Harwell and Joe Garagiola.

Television announcers--Mel Allen and Vlnce Scully. Wills Says He'll Be Running By MILTON RICHMAN NEW YORK (UPD Maury Wills will be running just in case the Yankees had any doubt. Without i i any defiant boasts of threats, the quiet but keyed-up Dodger speedster made his World Series intentions perfectly clear today by saying "when I stop being aggressive 1 won't be Maury Wills anymore." Translated quickly that means the Yankees can try to stop him if they can. Yankee catcher Elston Howard never has down-graded Wills, nor has he put him up on any special pedestal. "I know he can run," Howard says simply.

"He stole 104 bases last year and 40 this year but we have some fast fellows in our league, too, and none have ran wild against us. For Wills or for anyone, I'm gonna play my natural game." Suits Him Fine That suits Wills just fine. "I'm going to play my natural game, too," he says, without any cockiness. "I'm not saying I plan to do this or I plan to do that but of course I have my own ideas. "I've read what Howard has said.

I read the papers all the time and it helps me. You can go to school on what you read. "A couple of years ago I read every word in a story about what the Pittsburgh pitchers had to say about me. You have no idea how much it helped. If you look it up, I think you'll find I have a pretty good average against the Pirates.

Chiefly because of Wills and Willie Davis, the Yankees openly acknowledge the Dodgers' superior speed. But they also keep repeating the hoary old baseball axiom that they have to get on base before they steal. Wills Isn't "That's obvious," says Wills. The possibility a Howard may cut him down trying to steal doesn't particularly faze the slender Los Angeles shortstop. "Even when you're thrown out attempting to steal, you still accomplish something by trying," he says.

"Nothing ever is really wasted. Even if you bunt, and foul the ball off you still can break a pitcher's rhythm." The Dodger shortstop confesses he has been treated "wonderfully" by the press but still is sensitive about some of the things written about him. It obviously hurts when he reads that some think he's slipping on defense. "Until I lost' my wallet this spring," he said, "I kept a clipping that quoted Dick Groat. He said I was the best shortsop in the league and that I made all the plays." TOP 3 ONLY Strategy Pressures Hurlers By JOE REICHLER Associated Press Sports Writer (AP) -Pounds of a World Series pressure weighed heavily on the shoulders of opening a pitchers Whitey Ford of New York and Koufax of Los Angeles today because of unusual importance attached to the first game of the 1963 post-season classic.

Most experts agree pitching will be more of a dominating factor in this series than in any inter- league October clash since World War II. They point to the comparatively light team batting averages, .252 for the Yankees to .251 for Dodgers, and the presence of only three .300 hitters--Tommy Davis, Maury Wills and Mickey Mantle--in the lineups. A contributory factor is the determination of both managers to stick with three starting pitchers regardless of the length of the series. This means that should the series go seven games, as have all since 1955 except the 1959 and L961 series, Ford and Koufax will probably face each other three times. Thus the winner of the first Ford-Koufax duel before some 70.000 at Yankee Stadium--would have a vast psychological as well as an actual edge.

The odds favored Ford at 6-5, with the Yankees a 7H-to-5 favorite to gain their seventh triumph in eight World Series meetings with the Dodgers. The perreranial American League champions have a 20-7 record in Series play, compared to 2-8 for the Dodgers. Both clubs presented predominantly right handed line ups against the left-handed slants of Ford and Koulax. The only southpaw swingers, aside from Ford, in the Yankee batting order, were shortstop Tony Kubek, first baseman -Joe Pepitone and right fielder Roger Maris. Switch hitters Mickey Mantle and Tommy Trest naturally batted right-handed.

At a late hour Tuesday night, Manager Walter Alston of the Dodgers had just about decided to keep Ken McMullen, the injured rookie third baseman, on the bench, playing Dick Tracewski at second and switching Jim Gilliam third. McMullen pulled a hamstring muscle in his right leg last week, Alston Mew head coach Jack Christiansen, left, of the Forty-niners, bereft for several weeks of his star quarterback John Brodie because of injuries, got busy on his defense program today at Ihe 49-er training quarters. He is Don't Talk Insurance To Hickey SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Coach Red Hickey of the San Francisco 49'ers quit his job Monday because his club collapsed. A large share of that collapse can be traced to two automobile accidents. One of these, last year, fractured and infected the leg of Bill Kilmer, an ex-UCLA tailback Hickey was grooming as a pass-run pro halfback.

That put all the load on quarterback John Brodie. But last spring Brodie fractured a bone in his right and throwing arm in another car crash. Last Sunday Brodie hurt his arm again in the 45-14 loss to Minnesota and Tuesday the doctor put it back into a cast. He's as good as out for the rest of the season. Before Brodie, the 49'er quarterback was Y.

A. Tittle, whom Hickey traded to the New York Giants in 1961. Tittle is the big gun of the Giants now but in the off-season he is still a Peninsula insurance broker. It was Tittle who sold Kilmer and Brodie their automobile insurance. Having traded Tittle, Hickey was left without any insurance.

shown with Hermit Alexander, rookie from UCLA and No. 1 draft choice. Alexander is defensive back, the spot that brought Christiansen to fame with the Detroit Lions. (AP Wirephoto) VS. LIONS SUNDAY QB Problem Will Simplify 49ers Offense San Francisco Forty-niner head coach Jack Christiansen's first problem was a huge one today as he scraped around for a starting quarterback.

John Brodie, who has battled a sore throwing arm all season, suffered a fracture last Sunday against Minnesota that will sideline him for at least six weeks. Brodie's injury occurred in the same area which was fractured in an auto accident last May. The Forty-iners placed him on the injured waivers list. Christiansen, who replaced coach Red Hickey at the helm of the winless Forty-niners Monday, said Bob Waters would start Sunday at Detroit. But he said that newly-acquired Liimar McHan, obtained from the Baltimore Colts a week ago, had OLSON DROPS looked sharp snowing up night.

in workouts after in- camp Monday promoted Willie Davis, the hottest hjtting Dodger in September, from seventh to third spot in the batting order, behind Maury Wills and Gilliam with Tommy Davis, the National League's leading hitter, in the cleanup spot. Games Trials In L.A. Set LOS ANGELES (UPD --'Final trials for the track and field stars to represent the United States in the 1964 Olympics at Tokyo will be held at the Coliseum September 12 and 13 next year. Six athletes will be chosen for each event in preliminary trials in July during the New York World's fair. Los Angeles will be the final stop and qualifying meet for the athletes before they travel to Japan.

The youthful coach planned to keep the Forty-niner offense down to a few basic plays this Sunday at Detroit so McHan could step in for Waters if needed. Christiansen said he planned no major personnel changes for Sunday's game. But he added that Bernie Casey might be shifted from. flanker to split end and also indicated that Don Lisbon had earned a starting halfback spot off his big effort last Sunday. All-Star Game Sites Picked NEW YORK (AP)--Hosts for the next -three major league AH- Star baseball games will be the New York Mets in 1964, the.

Minnesota Twins in 1965 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966. sites were picked Tuesday at a meeting of the major league executive council, GOES TOMORROW Podres Pitches Where Lies By CHARLES MAHER Associated Press Sports Writer NEW YORK Johnny Podres has a history of pitching his best when they flash him the dollar sign. So, although Podres gave the most atrocious performance of his career only four days ago, Dodger Managtr Walter Alston is standing by his earlier decision to start the 31-year-old left-hander Thursday in the second game of the World Series. In what was billed as a World Series tuneup, Podres was assigned to go five innings Saturday night against Phillies.

Had pelled to go the full five, the Phillies might still be batting in the bottom ol the fourth. Before he was mercifully excused with two out in the second, the Phils had scored eight runs oa 12 hits two homers, a triple, the Philadelphi: John been com- a double and eight -singles. "You can throw that gai out," Podres said today. "I've already forgotten it. The only game I've got time to think about now is Thursday's.

"Every game I go out and pitch to win. But if I'm'go- ing to pitch a game that-really means something, I get keyed up a lot more. I seem to find a little extra, throw a little harder." Podres beat the Yankees twice in the 1955 World Series, pitching a 2-0 shutout in the seventh game, aided by Sandy Amoros' great one handed catch. He hasn't pitched. against them since the spring of 1957.

"They've got some new guys, like Pepitone and Tresh, that I've never seen before," John said "But got a pretty gooc book on the Yankee hitters. Al least it looks like a pretty good book. I just hope it works as good as it looks." Mets, Colts Plight Talk LOS ANGELES (AP)--Owners of National League baseball clubs will meet in Los Angeles Friday to discuss the plight of the talent- shy New York Mets and the Houston Colts. The two clubs have asked the other eight in the league to help em strengthen for the 1964 race. Duston proposed the meeting and Mets readily gave their sup- rt.

The meeting will be on the ff" day between the second and ird games of the World Series, game is Friday, lich is allowed for traveling. The Mets and the. Colts paid orbitant prices for second line ayers when the National League panded to 10 teams two years o. How the clubs can be strength- ed is something that the owners 11 have to thresh out before any tion is taken. If the two are to helped it might have to be by ades, so the Mets and Colts ould have to give up something.

The Dodgers already have sent st baseman Tim Harkness, out Jder Duke Snider, catcher irm Sherry, pitcher Roger Craig infielder Larry Burright to Mets but they have in ex-Met tcher Bob Miller a more val- able property-than all those they aded away. Eddie Gets Ranking In Comeback NEW YORK (UPD Eddie Machen, who celebrated his return to boxing with a knockout of Ollie Wilson, was ranked eighth today among the heavyweights in Ring Magazine's latest ratings. Machen was out of boxing for a year following a nervous breakdown. Before his illness, Machen was one of the top'contenders for the heavyweight crown. Gregorio Peralta of Argentina was ranked 10th among the heavyweights following his upset over light heavyweight champion Willie Pastrana.

Machen and Peralta replaced Robert Cleroux of Canada and Henry Cooper of England on the.list. The only.change in the lighU leavyweight ranks found Wayne Thornton of Fresno, moving from eighth to sixth place. He replaced Bobo Olson, who has been inactive, Italy's Sandro Mazzinghi took over 10th place in the middl- weight class following his knockout of Ralph Dupas. He replaced Denny Moyer of Portland, Ore. Japan's Hiroyuki Ebihara, who scored a one-round knockout over Pone Kingpetch for the world's flyweight title last September, was named Ring's "fighter of the month." (See Rankings on page IT) Salcido Is TKO Winner SACRAMENTO (AP) Salcido, 137, of San Jose was ruled winner by a knockout Tues: day night over Sacramento's Lopes, who weighed in at 136.

Salcido aad Lopes' helpless as the bell rang ending the eighth round, and referee Al Gonzales ended it there, palling it a knockout under California rules. Lopes was downed once in the second round. RELEASED INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Rollie Hemsley, who managed the Indianapolis to the regular season and playoff championships of the International- league, was released by the Indiana Tuesday. FREE SCHOOL OF BOWLING For Juniors Also Formation of Starts Oct. 5 Saturday 10 a.m.

at BURLINGAME BOWL 1340 Howard Ave. Spontorcd by Bawling Proprietors Aun. of America.