The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 24

24 BosJon Evening Globe Monday, July 10, 1972 JIM all Ryan needed was a new pitch a strike rSj ANAHEIM They always said all Nolan Ryan reeded to become a great pitcher was one new pitch a His most reliable pitch was ball four and, in a pinch he could always throw it. He had a wide assortment of pitches ball one, bail two, ball three, wild and ouch: What a contrast with the Nolan Ryan who dazzled the Red Sox here last night. Every pitcher needs one pitch no one in the league could hit and Ryan had it. No one in the league could even catch it. Fresco Thompson used to say of the young Sandy Koufax that he could throw a ball through a brick wall if he could hit the brick wall.

Nolan Ryan would walk the Empire State building. They called him Ryan. can't hit his fastball," Maury Wills once said. "Fortunately, you don't have to." He started 85 big league games and finished several. They gave him a bar of soap if he went to the mound any inning after the sixth.

The beauty of it is, Nolan could throw walks from any position and from the same delivery. The batter never could pick up the pitch. Neither could the catchers. The batters didn't need spikes. They needed ballet slippers.

It would have been easier for him to find Howard Hughes than the strike zone. When you can strike out 137 batters in 152 innings, as Nolan Ryan did last year on the Mets, managers say you have SOME arm. When you walk 120, hit 15, wild-pitch 6, and balk once, they begin to wish the am came disassembled so they could throw away the rest of you. The Mets traded Nolan Ryan as a red-ink proposition after he started 26 games, completed 3. They figured a plate glass window would run the count to 3-and-2 on him.

They shipped him to the Angels for Jim Fregosi and recommended the Angels widen the home plate netting. You would expect from the stats, Nolan Ryan would have a bone in his nose and necklace of sharks teeth and a headdress with horns. Actually, he looks like a face on a soap ad, he's fairly chatty, soft-spoken, and could pose for a boy scout poster. He has an East Texas twang but not much, and wrists you could yoke ox with. Nolan Ryan with the Angels has 9 complete games out of 19 in less than half a year, has walked only 74 and struck out 138.

He had two 16-strikeout nights, and one 14. His record is 11-5 and his ERA is a whole run-and-a-half below last year's. He will be, for the first time in his career, an all-star pitcher. Of course, he has hit even batters and wildpitched nine but, one thing at a time. What has happened? Well, ordinarily, you would not think of the dia-mondback rattier as a benefactor of mankind.

You would think it could only help a pitcher if he could slip it in the pocket of a .400 hitter. No one ever claimed snake oil was good for the curve ball, although the traveling medicine shows of the old West used to claim it could grow hair, cure lumbago and ward off haunts. It might win the Cy Young award. A hunting buddy of Nolan Ryan's, one J. R.

Watson, a Texas rancher, prescribed some for Nolan's ailing groin muscle and arm problems. It's not exactly put out by Squibb's or any of the leading pharmaceutical houses. If you want snake oil, you can't just get a Latin prescription and take it down to a sav-on drug store. What you have to do is get a gun and walk through a rocky area of East Texas in high boots. I don't know if the expense of getting snake oil is covered by your major medical, but if you don't get snake oil, your life insurance will be more useful to you.

There are some guys who say the kids today don't make the sacrifices for sports youngsters did years ago but they never got downwind of Nolan Ryan after a snake oil treatment "The longer you keep it on, the more distinct odor it gets," he admits. "It's not the type of thing you'd wear out on an evening or walk around in all day." In other words, it's eau de skunk. You burn the clothes it permeates. Quite apart from cosmic deficiencies, there is the procurement problem. There are a lot of things I would do for a third strike, but turning over rocks in Texas or listening for rattles isn't two of them.

"There were only two snakes I didn't see. One was 12 feet away," said Ryan, "If he didn't rattle, I wouldn't have seen him 'till too late." The snake had 16 rattles, indicating an age of eight, and a coil indicating a length of eight feet which means he could have scored a direct hit at six feet, or three-fourths of his length. Of course, Nolan could always have hoped he would be wild and high. But, suppose he was a control artist? In any case, rendered, liquiefied, and packed in ointment cans, he has helped Nolan find the strike zone. But, you can't help thinking, suppose the snake had? The Monday After SporTView By JACK CRAIG Wimbledon uniqueness magnetic MM Tennis progressed towards becoming an American television sports staple over the weekend with NBC's coverage of Wimbledon, despite the fact that all of it was via tape.

The telecasts included excellent camera work and the overall unique status of Wimbledon in the tennis world filtrated through the TV sets probably in sufficient force to lock in the majority of Americans who are relative strangers to the sport Yesterday's finale on Ch. 4, postponed 24 hours by rain, also demonstrated what a competitive and tense game tennis can be as Stan Smith edged Hie Nastase in five sets. And Nastase's' hot-dogging only added to the interest. The one production failure was inclusion of three announcers, with John Newcombe joining regulars Bud Collins and Jim Simpson. The continual deference of each to his partners led to too much idle chatter at the cost of keeping viewers updated continually on the state of each game.

The delay in the men's finale was a break for NBC for it gave the network an opportunity to carry the heralded Evonne Goolagong-Chris Evert match on tape, nice viewing even if 72 hours old. Later in the day, after the Reds-Cubs game, the network carried the BUlie Jean King-Miss Goolagong finale, again a 24-hour tape. If anyone thought this too much women's tennis too late, well, he just didn't fully appreciate continual volleys and female endowments, notably Miss Goolagong, who smiled prettily through victory and defeat. Next television tennis will be the tourney at Long-wood later this month, followed by the annual Forest Hills matches, And as we become more familiar with the participants, interest should increase. After all, Hie Nastase he's from Romania probably was a nonperson to millions of Americans until yesterday.

Now he is someone to watch next time as one of the very finest actors in sports. AROUND THE DIAL: Ultimate test for Sox faithful was their Saturday night game in Anaheim that went 16 innings and didn't end until 3:11 a.m. our time. And the finish was so frustrating listeners that remained probably had trouble going to sleep before daylight Another trouble with the all grass (artificial) infields, such as Cincinnati's on the national TV game Saturday, is that the shortstop can play in left field on slow runners. The" non-dirt field may not disturb younger fans, but it certainly does oldtimers Canadian football last night, Toronto vs.

Winnipeg, was a major improvement over the all-star opener the previous week, as Ch. 38 was not forced to cut the tape so drastically to stay within the two-and-one-half hour time limit. Running back Leon McQuay of Toronto, formerly of Tampa, obviously has the talent to be an NFL stickout. The string of strikeouts by Nolan Ryan against the Sox last night demonstrated how little baseball lends itself to television for exciting as was his achievement, it just didn't come through on the tube ABC will provide a one-hour Olympic trials wrapup tonight at 8, locally on Ch. 5, immediately following Five on Sports No Monday night baseball telecast, however, as NBC defers to politics New Sox announcer Dave Martin's Boston association goes back to 1952, when he was the voice of the Milwaukee NBA club against the Celtics Ch.

2 still plans to cover THE chess match in simultaneous, simulated fashion whether it begins tomorrow or Thursday, at 1 p.m. wnners Spell iliem STAN SMITH AND NOLAN RYAN WERE AT THEIR BEST THIS PAST WEEKEND SPORTWEEKBy FRANCIS ROSA Suddenly, Sox, Billie Jean but chess? that team again. It marked a comeback (Evonne Goolagong) and heard the boos of the British crowd. They didn't bother her one bit and maybe she was entitled to her little expression of emotion at the end of the match. Jim Ryun was as fully entitled to his joy at winning the 1500-meter in the Olympic trials to make the United States has had its peaks and valleys.

And what about the nine days of put-on given the world by Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky? It reduced chess to the old days of boxing promotions. If Tex Rickard were living he'd turn over in his grave. Choose Chrysler Airtemp Alston to retire after '73 season with confidence because it's backed by an all-parts warranty for 5 years! 5-YEAR, ALL-PARTS WARRANTY ON ROOM AIR CONDITIONING PRODUCTS Airtemp Division of Chrysler Corporation warrants to the first user that it will provide a replacement part for any part of its new Airtemp room air conditioning equipment found defective in material and workmanship for a period of five years from date of original purchase. This warranty also covers the cost of labor for repairing any compressor, condensor, evaporator or inter-connecting tubing found detective within the warranty period provided the unit is returned to an authorized Airtemp repair station. This warranty does npf cover: (1) any charges for removal, transportation or re-installation of the unit or (2) the cost of labor required to replace other parts.

Sudden success is all well and good. It will be even better if it endures. The Whalers signed rough and tumble defenseman Jim Dorey off the New York Rangers roster (and Tom Williams from the Braves) and now have 13 NHL and American League players on their roster of 19. The only thing missing is a goalie. The Whalers, it looks from here, have sprinted away from the rest of the WHA clubs.

They have three defensemen with NHL experience, Dorey, Rick Ley and Bred Selwood, and you could play quite a few games just swinging those three. By comparison, the WHA's Chicago team which signed old scarface Marcel Pronovost as its coach last week has merely four players under contract. Hockey generally has not been hibernating this summer. Harry Sinden helped the Cape Cod Cubs of the Eastern League announce Bronco Horvath as the coach and then made a few announcements of his own: "Yes," he's interested in returning to hockey, "but it would have to be more than just coaching, I'd want some administrative responsibilities, too." And, "yes," he's leaving room on his roster for Bobby Orr, although doubting Orr would be available for the series with Russia. Orr will not be able to play in the Canadian games (Sept.

2, 4, 6 and 8). He has not been ruled out completely, yet, for the games in Moscow (Sept. 22, 24, 26, and 28). "We will not be able to add any players to our original roster," Sinden said, "whether the agreement is for a 30 or 35-man squad, so we're going to put Orr on the original roster. Then if he should be ready for the games in Moscow there would be no hassle about using him." Billie Jean King experienced what it's like to play the sentimental favorite It was a week when things happened suddenly: All of a sudden the Red Sox bullpen has become a rest center and hurrah for John Curtis and Lynn McGlothen.

Not quite as suddenly but just as pleasing the New England Whalers have become the No. 1 team in the World Hockey Assn. Let's hear it for Jack Kel-ley. And for Billie Jean King, too who took just 50 minutes to win Wimbledon. That's pretty sudden.

Of course, there is nothing sudden about chess. And will someone please tell me how chess-qualifies as a sport? Please, please, no instant replay. What else happened last week? The Red Sox won seven straight and are in the pennant race, sort of. That's how it is in the American League East where Orioles don't fly high and Tigers don't roar. Bill Rigney was fired as manager of the Minnesota Twins which makes him the second manager fired in Boston this year.

Dave Bristol of Milwaukee was the other. Ken Harrelson qualified for the British Open an achievement, no doubt, which has struck fear into the heart of Jack Nicklaus. Harry Sinden, who will -coach the Hockey Canada Team against the Russians, is leaving room on his roster for Bobby Orr, "just in case." Jim Ryun made the Olympic team (1500 meters) and so did Jeff Bannister, a transplanted New Englander. in sportsdom's hardest event, the decathlon. The Red Sox, however, dominated the week.

They kept getting complete-game pitching, won six straight at home, opened with a victory on the coast before losing Saturday night, 4-3, in 16 innings. It left them before yesterday's schedule one game below .500 and four games behind the division leaders. The rookies have blended in nicely, but now we must wait and see if they can do it all season. tells the Dodgers he's going back to his farm in Darrtown, Ohio for good, there's little doubt in my mind they will ask him for his recommendation as to who should succeed him. Alston isn't the type to toss names around at a time like this, primarily because he doesn't care to gloss over anyone and cause hard feelings, but I'd have to say when the Dodgers do ask him whom he'd recommend as his successor, he'll say either Maury Wills or Danny Ozark.

There always is that chance, of course, that one of these two men or both may be tapped for a manageriel job before the end of next season. One major league club is already talking about Ozark as its next managerial possibility. By Milton Richman United Press International NEW YORK Walt Alston feels 20 is a nice round number. When he finishes managing the Los Angeles Dodgers next season, October of 1973, it will be 20 years he had the club, and that will be enough, he has confided to a few of those close to him. The Dodgers will be hardpressed to find another Walt Alston, a man who has guided them to six National League pennants and four World Championships and who certainly ranks as the finest manager in baseball today.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, they have plenty of managerial candidate among them, more perhaps than any other major league club. For starters, they've got Frank Robinson and Maury Wills. They also have Danny Ozark and Jim Gilliam in their coaching ranks along with Tom Lasorda, managing for them at Albuquerque. When the day comes that Walt Alston VENLAN REFRIGERATION 1 00 Belmont N. Andover C7T tel.

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