The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 21

Because most of baseball's younger players face the draft or summonses to reserve meetings, McGaha has tried to assemble personnel who'll he around, all summer, and can play all around in case of mass call-ups. Catcher Doc Edwards can play first base, receiver Fred Walters can play third and first, Murray broke in. as a third baseman and played a lot of left field here in 1966, Herrera is a converted second baseman who can handle third, second baseman Julio Go-tay can play elsewhere in the infield, Miller started out as a second sacker, Posada can first, etc. When cutdown time arrives Tuesday, pitchers will be most vulnerable to. the ax.

Off-season transactions netted Houston, and (Continued en Pae 5, Column 1) second, third and short in addition to playing the outfield. Griffith and players on the way up are Gaines' trouble, too. Miller, will be in right and Jose Herrera, who's hit everywhere he's played, in left. Ivan Murrell, a powerfully-built Panamanian, has the fielding ability to play between non-harriers Miller and Herrera if he can hit triple-A pitching. McGaha apparently thinks Murrell will make it because incumbent center fielder Brock Davis was sent to Amarillo in double-A this week.

Griffith, of course, has the speed to play center. Then there's player-coach Leo Posada, who played a lot of outfield while hitting .317 at Amarillo a summer back. If fans think a lot of 89ers can play a lot of positions, they're right. And it's no accident. king (with 26), and Miller, a vicious-swinging youngster who's labeled star of the future material, appear set.

Fate of the other two will be decided by McGaha and Houston Astro braintrusters before the 89ers strike spring camp in Cocoa, Fla. Tuesday and fly into Oklahoma City at 7:30 p.m. Sinnerud reported two weeks late due to a contract dispute and also has a problem in common with fellow returnee Gaines: The new personnel picked up by the Houston organization via swaps and purchases and youngsters progressing from lower leagues. Sinnerud was a fixture at third last season but Doug Rader, one of the Astros' top prospects, will play full time there. Sinnerud might figure as a utility infielder but there he runs into Derrell Griffith, who can fill in a By Volhey Meece Of the 21 bas'eballers on the Oklahoma City roster at ihe outset of the 1966 season, only four currently are with the 89ers.

And a couple of them are in jeopardy. If local fans wanted to be sarcastic about it, they could say that's the best possible news they could hear about a club which skidded from the Pacific Coast League pin-, nacle to last place, 261 games out, in one year. As the 89ers stand on the threshold of the 1967 campaign, which opens with Denver visiting here Friday night, manager Mel Mc-Gaha's only returnees are first baseman Tommy Murray, right 'fielder Norm Miller, outfielder Joe Gaines and third baseman Mike Sinnerud. Murray, the league's reigning home run 89er skipper. Baseball Speciat'- -i; COMPLETE 1967 SCHEDULES Pacific Coast League Page 6 National Page 8 American Page 10 THE SUNDAY OKLAHOMAN April 9, 1967 1 BUSINESS SECTION.

PAGES 12-16 BLAZERS LOSE; PLAYOFFS EVEN Apollos Gral 4-1 Triumph By Lynn Garnand Staff Writer The, Hous- ties increased as tirnewenf HOUSTON ton Apollos peppered 4-1, Saturday night at Sam Houston Coliseum to even their best-of-seven Central Hockey League semifinal playoffs at two apiece. The Apollos', victory, their second straight on home ice, nullifies the 2-0 edge the Blazers built up at State Fair Arena last week. The series returns to the 1 Arena Monday with the fifth game slated for 8 p.m. The rough contest started off as a clean, hardhitting affair but the penal- on; especially nea'if the: end. For the fourth time the playoffs, the Blazers held a big edge in "penalty: minutes.

1Z I-l Houston goalie "Jery, Desjardins came his third straight performance. Oklahoma; City scored six goal's 'off the Apollo ace 3. i6. games. Blazer goaltender-Gerry eve also; turned in another good job; in the nets, but his efforts" were nullified by the mi-, merous power plays allot-; ted Houston due to the Bfa-' zers' 10 penalties.

Brian Bradley scored. with a 6-3 victory. I All wrapped up in their work are 130-pounders Jim Hanson of Colorado (black suit) arid Lehigh's Mike Caruso, who wound up mm am Oklahoma City's lone goal, 1 JL 1 his first of the seriesVhite hact mc ac Ursrrck Mine nin sss counted for The first a. full 20 minutes The Results 11 Rich Sanders, Portland State drew with Bob Fhrs, Michigan, 31b0 Mikt Caruso, Lehlqh IE), dec. checking, pressingCaefense" and great goaltendftigcThe boards crackled again with body contact the pesky back cheflong' ot both squads almostjicom-pletely broke downtento serious offensive threat? And when the yojfenses did break through, and Desjardlnsl'were there to bat away scort ing threats.

made tremendous against solo charges-plus; numerous other blocks. -Z-Oklahoma b'lr into the lead 3:50 into the second period on 25-foot left-handed slap shot by but it took the" Apollos only five minutes (Continued on Pane Column 1) takedown on Sanders for more than a minute of the first period, but didn't score until he managed a reverse when Sanders went too. high with a three-quarter Nelson midway in the second. Sanders, outstanding wrestler in the NCAA two weeks ago, reversed for. a tie with 1:07 to go and had Fehrs in deep trouble with a near-fall at the buzzer.

Caruso, three-time national champ, scored a quick four points on a fireman's carry into a predicament, in the first 20 seconds and posted a workman-like 6-3 decision oyer Jim Hanson of Colorado for his 51st consecutive triumph. Davis had too much of everything for Don Behm of Michigan State, scoring takedowns with 14 seconds left in the first period and 29 seconds from the end. He controlled the match until Behm reversed with 14 seconds left for a 7-3 score. Rogers played cat-and-mouse with Don New of Cornell, piling up a six-point lead- with three takedowns and a reverse in the first three minutes and staying on the move the rest of the way for an 8-5 decision. Top crowd pleaser of the night was Ehrler, whose unorthodox style and superb balance shocked national champion Jim Kam-man- of Michigan, 8-7.

Ehrler broke a cradle for a reverse and near-fall in the first period, survived a second period ride, then used a spectacular Greco-Roman fall-back for another near-fall 1:29 from the end. Kamman managed his second takedown with nine seconds left, but lacked two seconds of having enough time advantage to tie it. Domko used a double-leg tackle with 17 seconds left to beat national champ Vic (Continued on Poos 7, column Tom Schlendorf of Syracuse edged Oklahoma State's Fred Fozzard, 5-3, in another battle of national champions at 191 to set the stage for the East victory. From start to finish, it was a true All-America show, keeping the Gallagher Hall throng of 6,700 in a constant uproar. Two other national champions were beaten and a fifth was held to a draw.

Three Oklahomans were among the five winners for the West Arizona State 115-pounder Glenn McMinn of Del City and Oklahoma State's Gene Davis at 137 and Jim Rogers at 145. Lee Ehrler of UCLA at 152 and Don Parker of State College of Iowa at 177 joined in the victory column. East victors were Mike Caruso of Lehigh at 130, Joe Domko of Southern Illinois at 160, George Radman of Michigan State at 167 and Schlendorf and Porter. Rich Sanders of Portland State and Fehrs of Michigan struggled to a 2-2 draw. McMinn used a head-snap to drop Jim Anderson of Minnesota with only 11 seconds left for a 3-2 victory in the action-, packed opener.

Fehrs had all but the last gasp of a' single-leg By Bob Dellinger Sports Editor STILLWATER Michigan heavyweight Dave Porter is "King of the Hill" again in college wrestling. Shorn of his national title two weeks ago, Porter gained a full measure of revenge Saturday night by pinning the new champion, Curley Culp of Arizona State, in the bruising finale of the first annual East-West college all-star match. Porter's fall in 3:38 capped a bristling comeback in which the East won four of the last five bouts to pull out a 19-17 victory. Michigan. i Stete, J-J.

167 Gcorne Redman, Mcnisan 'f Sta'te'i'3 Von Varkor, Stats Collese of Iowa IW), dec. Dave MucKa, Moravian, i Tom Schlendorf, Syracuse (E), dec. Fred Foiiard, Oklahoma State, 5-3. Hvy Dave Porter, Mlchlqan (61, pinned Curley Culp, Arliona State, 3:33, body press. Referee Rex Edsar, Perry.

HOGAN SIZZLES TO 66 IN MASTERS golf hunting preserves created by the immortal Bobby Jones. The day was ideal for the safari Saturday with temperatures no higher than 70 degrees and the wind no more than a puff here and a puff there. There was no early indication Hogan, who almost passed up the tournament because of surgery needed on his left shoulder, would revert to the ice-cold, calculating shotmaker of a dozen years ago. He caught a bunker on the short par-four third and took a bogey, a stroke he picked up with a birdie three from seven feet at the seventh which enabled him to make the turn with an unexciting even par 36. But another seven-footer for a birdie three at the 10th and a No.

5 iron a foot from the cup for a birdie at the 11th brought the veteran golf legions trouping at his heels like the soldiers who rallied around Ceasar, and Hogan rewarded them with a 15-foot birdie two on the short 12th and a two-putt birdie four on the long 13th where a towering No. 4 wood second wound up less than 15 feet from the lagstick. Hogan came up with a regulation par four at the 14th and then got home on the long 15th with another great No. 4 wood. Again he two putted, this time from 20 feet, for a birdie four to manufacture five birdies over a six hole stretch.

Pars were automatic at the 16th and 17th before a 25-footer dropped into the cup for a birdie three at the 18th to climax one of the greatest nine holes of golf ever tailored to fit the plush cloth of Augusta National. Hogan missed only the third green where a No. 9 By Wally WalHs Staff Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. Ben Hogan put par out of style Saturday as he moved within two strokes of the first triple tie of the 54-hole lead ever put together in the Masters Championship. The 54-year-old Texan birdied six of the last nine holes, the first four of them in a row for a 66 and 213, two shots behind veteran Julius Boros, former PGA title-holder Bobby Nichols and Masters' first-timer Bert Yancey.

Boros, Nichols and Yancey, leader after the first and second rounds, arrived at their three-way standoff at 211 by vastly different routes, but the Hogan approach to his tie with Gay Brewer for fourth place was as direct as it ever was in the olden days when The Hawk was the most dreaded hunter in golf. Hogan won here at the Augusta National in 1951 and again in 1953, and on that last trip to the haberdashery for a green coat he also fashioned a 66. "I didn't play as well today as I did during the third round in 1953," Hogan admitted. "But I'm completely grateful." There are many who saw his great performance in '53 and his play Saturday who must disagree with the great shotmaker. Hogan's four equals a record shared by several and his 30 shots over the back nine match a record set by another Texan, Jimmy Demaret, and later equalled by Ken Venturi.

The 66 was the 38th sub-par round for the Bantam. Belter in 25 Masters tournaments, a mark not approached by any other man who has stalked par over the Tied for Masters lead aro (from left) Bert Yancey, Julius Boros and Bobby Nichols. IAP).