The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 43

II I ii ii ii i ii ii i i ii i ii i i i i i i um mii -w -r Jan IVanrioro amitw A section of the San Francisco Sunday Examiner Chronicle April 26, 1981 SECTION I Spools A's do re acsiaio Art Spander nropir By Glenn Sen war Examiner Staff Writer SEATTLE And the beating goes on. The rampaging A's made it five victories in a row, and 16 in their first 17 games, with a 74 handling of the Seattle Mariners last night in the Kingdome. This kept the A's unbeaten on the road, their 10 consecutive away triumphs being two short of the club record set in 1971. Winner Rick Langford went the distance as the A's allowed more than three runs in a game for the first time during their remarkable streak. He got even for when the Mariners dealt him and the A's their lone defeat, which perhaps ought to be Seattle rallied after falling behind, 7-1, on a sixth-inning homer by Richie Zisk and a two-run pinch double in the eighth by Danny Meyer.

But Langford (3-1) had sufficient support, including homers by Rickey Henderson and Cliff Jolmson. "How long do we intend to keep it up?" Langford said afterward. "Until at least the end of October. That should be long enough." Langford's voice could barely be heard in an uproarious clubhouse, the laughter touched off by several hot-foots and a paper plate covered with shaving cream that was slapped into the right side of Henderson's face. "I didn't have my finest stuff," Langford said.

"1 really had to work." A's manager Billy Martin did not share in the hilarity. He accused the Mariners of laying out an illegal batters' box, a foot closer to the pitcher's mound, all the better to help hitters make contact with breaking pitches. Seattle manager Maury Wills admitted doing it with the explanation, "1 wanted to help my kids." Wills said the box was moved just a couple of inches. But umpiring crew chief Bill Kunkel, who was notified by Martin before the game, said it was more like a foot. The umpire ordered the box redrawn.

"And they talk about our spitters," Martin said. "I caught them cheating. How about that?" i In the habit of scorine early, the A's did it again. By the time the Mariners knew what hit them, they were trailing 50. Henderson, the runaway league leader in runs, headed for another one after opening the game with a walk off Jerry Don Gleaton.

Henderson reached second by stealing his 1 1th base. He got to third by swiping his 12th base on the front end of a double steal with Johnson, who also walked. Soon. Henderson scored his I9th run when Mike Heath rapped a two-run single to center. But Rickey didn't stop there.

Two outs into the second inning, he -See Page 2. Col. 2 Vii "i mi Sr hi i ii i- More am on Giants' loss parade i rj I sh 3ty- r-T TN By Stephanie Salter Examiner Staff Writer Maybe God is trying to tell the Giants something. Like. "Kids, this ain't your month." The National Weather Service predicted a 20 percent chance for light showers yesterday, but the Giants and Atlanta Braves played under a steady rain at Candlestick Park through most of the nine innings.

The water-logged result for the hosts was yet another loss, 40, their fifth in a row. A paltry crowd of 6,371 loyalists looked on. So goes the Giants' fate of late: even if there is only a 20 percent chance things can turn out rottenly, they will, b-they a deluge from the skies or the continuing absence ot success at the plate. They get not one but two tries today, beginning at noon, to reverse their downward slide as they close out the five-game series with the Braves. Yesterday's shutout brought the San Franciscans' five-game offensive output to five runs, or five runs in 45 innings, just to make it sound orse.

Meanwhile the fate of the Braves is nothing but blue skies and sunshine. They have taken six straight and find themselves happily ensconced in second place in the National League Wrest. San Franeisco, on the other end of the spectrum. Is a game and a half out of the NL West cellar The Braves defied the elements yesterday in fine style, particularly 42-year-old starting pitcher Phil Niekro. The right-handed knuckleballer scattered eight hits and struck out eight on the way to his first victory of the season.

He received considerable help from catcher Bruce Benedict, who equaled his home run total of 1980 yesterday with homers in the fourth and sixth innings off losing pitcher Vida Blue. Benedict's first shot carried Chris Chambliss and Rafael Ramirez with him, Chambliss getting on with a walk and Ramirez with a single to right. In his seven innings of work. Blue walked a total of five Braves. Benedict's second home run, which cleared the left field See Page C3, Col.

1 '4 mm 11 Hiiim mm mi 'mr ii-ti'-i-fr'iirmi Examiner Bill Nichols Milt May takes throw from first baseman Enos Cabell and tags out Jerry Royster to complete a double play after Royster tried to score from second on a grounder to shortstop Johnnie LeMaster No lies about Candlestick TIIE WAKE of a rather strong indictment of the San Francisco Giants' home stadium you are challenged to provide a rebuttal and discover there is none. Upon hearing the words of John Montefuseo that the only solution for Candlestick Park is to destroy it, you hesitate for only the slightest moment before joining in agreement. Now a member of the Atlanta Braves. Montefuseo, as is generally know spent the previous six years on the Giants, where through diligence and opportune remarks he managed to work his way to the bottom. Rookie of the Year in 1975, the right-handed pitcher eventually left in disgust and, depending upon the ol)server, maybe disgrace.

Returning the other afternoon, he stuck it to his old teammates with a 7-3 victory and then subsequently stuck it to such varied" entities as Bay Area journalism and stadia. While, as might be ex)ected, a bit hesitant to support his claims on the misfeasance of the region's sportswriters. you find it incumbent to buttress his displeasure of the sorry bit of construction named Candlestick. "pHERE WILL always be a losing atmosphere in San I Francisco." Montefuseo volunteered, "because of Candlestick. If the Giants want to change it, they're going to have to blow this place up and move down the Peninsula.

You get sick and tired of going out in the bleep every day and trying to play." A catch-all phrase bleep, in this instance is a euphemism for manure. And while the stuff hasn't quite hit the fan at Candlestick, everything else has, the wind blowing away practically every object not tied dow n. One needs no documentation to proclaim safely that most days and nights Candlestick has the worst weather of any major league ballpark in the land. As noted recently, it may also have the worst fans, groups of young toughs swearing and drinking and starting brawls. To borrow a line used here a few days earlier, the movie should l)e retitled: Fort Apache, Candlestick Park.

Sure, it is easy to criticize. And it is unfair simply to harp on the problems without offering a solution. So. determined to be equitable. 1 have arrived at an answer: Get out.

Build a park south of Market or in Cow Hollow since most of the fans seem to hang around Perry's anyway. Candlestick is disadvantageous, -depressing and despicable. It always has been and always will be. And until those conclusions are acknowledged and a new location for professional sport Is found in San Francisco, the situation never ill improve anil maybe the Giants won't either. ADMITTEDLY.

THE summer weather anywhere in the Bay Area never will remind you of. say, Philadelphia or St. Louis. I mean, even in the warmer areas, the East Bay hills. Marin.

Palo Alto, there will be very few victims of heat stroke. But at Candlestick, there's always the possibility of catching pneumonia. It is an undeniable fact that the area where Candlestick sits has the worst spring and summer weather in the city of San Francisco. Downtown the sun may be shining, in the Marina young women may be down to their halter tops, but at Candlestick the wind will be blowing and, more often than not, the fog billowing. Thursday, the afternoon Montefuseo pitched, the skies were blue on No) Hill and along the Embarcadero.

But at the ball game it was as gray as a banker's suit. Certainly the information presented here is not to be e'assif k'd as a scoop. That makes it all the more significant. The problem has existed as long as the first questionable decision to build a sports stadium on the old quarry of Candlestick Point. Oh, if only the city's adminstrators had been more responsible.

To research the history of Candlestick Park Ls to uncover one unpleasant tale after another, from the time New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham stood gaine upon the bleak plot of property in 1957, the year before the team moved West, right up to the current accusations by Montefuseo. Included are Grand Jury investigations, opportunities to build on other locations, arguments between the architect. Jqhn Bolles. and builder. Charles Harney, and disparagement from almost everyone ho has stepped inside.

BLT SO MANY people, including journalists, were so excited about acquiring a major league team and so chauvinistic about residing in San Francisco, they either could not see the difficulties or would not see the difficulties. t3lnytitne someone would dare point out that evening weather at Candlestick was less than benign the locals would prattle about natural air conditioning and cable cars that climbed halfway to the stars as if that would ease the chill. But then attorney Melvin Belli sued because the radiant heating that had been installed or supposedly installed wasabout as ineffective as the Giants' hitting. And then, in the 1961 All-Star Game at Candlestick, pitcher Stu Miller literally was blown off the mount by a gust. The issue had to be, faced.

It was at the same All-Star Game that Roger Maris, who hat '61 season as to go on to hit a record 61 home runs, as heard to mutter: "Candlestick was built on the water: it should have been built under it." Now. two decades later, John Montefuseo is saying about the same thing, "Destroy the place." Unfortunately, his advice will not he heeded, which means in two more decades someone else undoubtedly ill be saying it again. Will we ever get the message? DePaul loses Aguirre; Virginia keeps Ralph Who will be No. the pass. one of those clubs fired Bum after last season.

So the other teams continue to be suspicious. They feel he is just trying to get somebody to up their ante. "A lot of things can change between now and the draft," Phillips concedes. "There are about four players who are all good enough to be the best player in the country we could pick any one of those four and be tickled pink." Pink? C'mon, Bum. that's not NFL type talk.

Give it to us straight. Swear on a pile of Will'e Nelson records that you will take Rogers. "Ann. we don't want to end all this fun just yet." he drawls. Little wonder the other teams are suspicious.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday in the New York Sheraton Hotel, commissioner Pete Rozelle will ask Phillips to show hw hand. That's when Phillips, or somebody ho upped the ante, will make the first of 332 selections in the NFL's annual draft. Forget the usual groaning of scouts and coaches. This is a good draft despite the fact there is nobody recognized as a By Frank Cooney Examiner Staff Writer For New Orleans Saints coach Bum Phillips, the 1981 National Football League draft Is a game of poker without aces.

There are no so-called franchise players available, but there Is plenty of good talent. Lots of face cards. Phillips has the first chance to stay pat or draw in the draft and insists he will keep his position and take South Carolina running back George Rogers. He's a good face card, but no ace. But other teams are suspicious.

They keep offering Bum a chance to draw a full house several decent picks instead of just the first one to better rebuild the sad Saints. Bum says those offers just ain't nuff. thank y'afl anyway. He contends despite the fact that New Orleans needs to improve its defense more than anything else Rogers Ls the man he wants. He points out that a good running game will control the ball and keep the defense off the field.

It's a tough country yarn to swallow, considering only a few teams still try to make their living running the ball now that the NFL has launched into the age of Examiner News Services Four of college basketball's brightest stars had to choose between money and education yesterday. The talented four split down the middle. Mark Aguirre of DePaul and Isiah Thomas of Indiana announced their intentions to declare themselves eligible for the NBAs hardship draft on June 9, while Ralph Sampson of Virginia and Dominique Wilkins of Georgia are, for one year at least, staying in school. Aguirre. a i8 junior forward, and Thomas, a 64 sophomore guard, are expected to be among the top five players clwsen in the draft.

They both released statements obtained by the Clwago Sun-Times. Aguirre, college basketball's Player of the Year for the 197m) season, informed Blue Demon coach Ray Meyer of his decision. He had faced a similar choice last year, but elected to stay at DePaul for his junior year. Aguirre elected not to hold a formal press conference to announce a decision that had to be made by midnight yesterday. Instead, he called selected reporters in the Chicago area.

"When I came to DePaul three years ago, I never imagined the DePaul University basketball program would have been so successful and that DePaul would emerge as the major force it now is in intercollegiate basketball," he said. Thomas led the Hoosiers to the NCAA title last month but said the money available to him in the NBA was the deciding factor in his division. Deciding to continue their educations were Sampson, Virginia's dominating 74 sophomore center, and -See Page C9, Col. 1 Associated Press Indiana guard Isiah Thomas will forego final two years Wilkins. a 6-7 sophomore forward, who rejected million-dollar offers to turn pro.

Sampson, this season's Player of the Year, turned down huge offers from the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons the teams with the worst records in each NBA conference and the first two picks in the draft. The NBAs commissioner, Lawr enee O'Brien, disdained Sampson and his coach. Terry Holland, on Friday for having the temerity to nail down the Pistons and Mavericks as to potential wages and working conditions during private talks over the past few weeks before deciding to remain. 49ers want Ken Easley, Ron Lott Page C8 Raiders eyeing offensive linemen Page C8 Frank Cooney 's top player analysis Page C10 Saad Muhammad wins by KO inside: "Sciyings" Notes from around the major leagues The Kansas City Royals nccp illuming it still despite horrendous 3 8 mark 9mWmW Examiner News Services Matthew Saad Muhammad, overcoming his usual slow start, defended his light-heavyweight championship in Atlantic City yesterday with a controversial ninth-round knockout of Murray Sutherland. And heavy-hitting Thomas Hearns ripped cuts over both eyes of Randy Shields and retained his World Boxing Association welterweight championship yesterday in Phoenix when the ring doctor stopped the fight at the end of the 12th round.

Saad Muhammad's win came hen referee Paul Venti counted out Sutherland, ranked seventh by the WBC, 1:16 into the ninth round of a scheduled 15-round fight at Resorts International. Sutherland's corner argued vehemently that their fighter had beaten Venti's count. Art Dore, Sutherland's manager, announced after the fight he ill file an official protest with the N.J. Boxing Commission. Dore cited the CBS-TV videotape replay that seamed to show Sutherland standing as Venti shouted "nine." "I was on my knees at seven, up at nine," Sutherland said.

"I was hurt at nine but I was not down. We followed our fight plan. I came out strong, becaise Muhammad is a slow starter, then slowed down. We planned to regain later in the fight There is no doubt I could have won that fight. The least I can get now is a rematch." Venti said.

"I picked up the count at four. In my opinion, I counted to 10." Furthermore, he said, "I would have stopped the fight anyway. Sutherland was hurt, he was wobbling. He looked like he was drunk. He was in very bad shape.

There is no way I would have let him continue." It was the 175-pound champ's 17th straight win, bringmg his record to 33-2-2, with 20 knockouts. He and Sutherland, 173 pounds, were taken to the Atlantic City Medical Center for stitches after the fight. In the first round, Sutherland, of Bay City, connected with hard rights and lefts to the head and opened Saad Muhammad's lip. Later he cornered the champ on the ropes and pummeled him. Saad Muhammad's counterpunches did not connect In the sixth, the Philadelphia champion came alive, connecting ith rights and lefts.

A hook from Sutherland opened a slight cut above the champ's right eye, but it did not slow his pace. In the seventh round. Saad Muhammad picked up the pace, connecting with several sharp hooks to the head and landing his body punches. A hard right hook to the head floored the challenger for a count of eight. Sutherland suffered a cut over the left eye in the seventh round.

1 See Page C5, ol. 1 "He's turned his Me around He used to be depressed and miserable. Now he's miserable and depressed." A left-handed introduction for Phillies outfielder Garry Maddox, from team announcer Harry Kalas. "So much for the miracle of films makes you wonder what they'd do with the Donner party, proltably make it a weekend soiree at Squaw Valley." 49ers czar Bill Walsh, after watching "Comeback," the highlight film that glorifies the 1980 campaign. "But don't sniff cocaine and I don 't shoot up." i American Soccer League commissioner Machado.

who says in Soccer America magazine he's not a Hollywood bigshot. Bay-to-Breakers race sets record jF with over 25,000 entries received San Jose's Earthquakes worry about attendance problems tt Your golf handicap might be 4 in for pleasant changes.