Daily News from New York, New York • 218

GianTs Sign Norton; 3 Years, $iDO-G Plus L-3 back, who was here more than a week ago for a talk with Giants officials, presently is vacationing in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Andy Robustelli, Giants director of operations, also was out of town yesterday. In confirming Morton's status, Jan Van Duser, the NFL's director of personnel, disclosed that more than 60 men who played in the WFL last season, or who signed to play in '75, have similarly been freed from their WFL contracts. While Van Duser would not reveal their identities, it was known the group includes: Ken Stabler, Raiders; i Mitchell, Falcons; Randy Johnson and Rich Glover, former Giants; Curly Culp, Oilers; Ted Kwalick, 49ers; and James McAlister and Kermit Johnson, the two prize UCLA prospects who played for Southern California last season.

McAlister has signed with the By Norm Miller Craig Morton, having: convinced the NFL's legal battery that he is freed of all WFL commitments, has signed a three-year contract to keep playinsr for the Giants, The News learned yesterday. Considering the going wage for No. 1 quarterbacks around the league, Morton's new pact undoubtedly is in the $300,000 to $400,000 range. His last contract with the Dallas Cowboys was said to be around Now Owe Cowboys No. 2 Pick While an NFL exec confirmed yesterday that Morton was cleared far signing an NFL contract last Wednesday, the Giants, for their own reasons, did not choose to make a "production" of the final settlement.

It had appeared imminent for months. With this formal signing, the Giants now owe the Cowboys a '76 draft pick, probably a No. 2. to go with the first-round choice they gave up for him when the deal was made last October. The "out" that freed Morton from his WFL contract was a clause stating that if the WFL club, or clubs, to whom he was committed ceased doing business, that would terminate any agreement he had with the new league.

Morton, dissatisfied with his situation at Dallas, signed a contract a year ago to play for the W'FL's Birmingham Americans in '75. His contract subsequently was reassigned to the Houston Texans. The Birmingham team went bankrupt. Last month, the IRS in Alabama announced it was auctioning off the contracts of Birmingham players in an attempt to raise more than $230,000 in unpaid taxes. A new group has organized a Birming ham franchise known as the Vulcans and has disavowed any connection with the Americans.

Houston Club Folded, Too The Houston club also disintegrated. About the midpoint of last season, it was taken over by the league and moved to Shreveport, La. It now has reorganized under new ownership. Morton's attorney, Marvin Dem-off of Beverly Hills, went through the formal process of submitting the contract to the NFL for scrutiny. Upon review, the NFL legal staff agreed the contract had been breeched and gave Morton the go-ahead to sign with an NFL team.

There was no indication whether Morton would collect a reported six-figure bonus that had been put in escrow for him by the WFL. It is known he feels entitled to the bonus on the grounds that he lived up to his end of the contract. The 31-year-old bachelor quarter (72 JUST WHAT TH' DR. ORDERED By Stark ranepool Takes Over at First Patient: As Hammer Can't Mail a Hit By Dick Young Philadelphia, April 14" In the first shakeup of the season, Yogi Berra today- THE ONLY v'ww made plans to bench John Milner and replace him at first base with Old Reliable, Ed Kranepool. The move was slated for tonight's series opener against Philly, following three straight Met defeats.

put the kid catcher in AL Standings LAST NIGHT Oak and at Kansas City Only game scheduled XL Standings YESTERDAY METS at Philadelphia, night San Diego 3. San Francisco 1 Chicago at Pittsburgh, night Cincinnati at Los Angeles, night Only games scheduled EAST i-wniy fa Vrrobiem: uzotl 3 3 4 2 1 1 Pittsburgh Chicago St. Louis Philadelphia METS Montreal EAST Pet. GB GB Milwaukee 3 2 .600 Detroit 3 2 .600 Vz Boston 3 2 .600 'a Baltimore 2 2 .500 V2 2 Cleveland 2 2 .500 5 YANKEES 1 4 .200 2 3V2 WEST W. L.

Pet. G.B. Kansas Citv 4 1 .800 Oakland 4 1 .800 2 California 3 3 .500 1H Minnesota 2 1 .333 2 7, Texas 1 4 .200 3 2 Chicago 3 4 .429 2 Pet. 1.000 .750 .667 .400 .250 .167 Pet. .667 .600 .500 .429 .333 WEST Cincinnati 4 San Francisco 3 San Diego 2 Houston 3 Atlanta 3 Los Angeles 2 TONIGH Boston Lee (0-2) at YANKEES Hunter (0-1) (WMCA-570).

California Rvan (2-0) at Minnesota Goltz (0-1). Texas Brown (0-0) at Chicago Osteen (0-1). Milwaukee Champion (1-0) at Baltimore Palmer (1-0), night. Oakland Morris (1-0) at Kansas City Fitzmorris (1-0), night. Only games scheduled.

TONIGHT METS Matlack (0-0) at Philadelphia Twitchell (0-1) (WNEW 1130). Chicago Bonham (0-0) at Pittsburgh Ellis (0-0). Houston Richard (0-0) at Atlanta Niekro (0-1). Cincinnati Kirby (0-0) at Los Angeles Sutton (l-0. San Oiego Jones (0-0) at San Francisco Caldwell (0-1).

Only games scheduied- 4 strtJrSjfl ZtfjL. there too, if the kid wasn't pitching," said Berra. The kid catcher is John Stearns. The kid pitcher is Randy Tate, making his first big league start at age 22. "I want an experienced catcher in there to work with Tate," said Yog.

Frustrating Starts Jerry Grote is the experienced catcher. He is 13-for-0. a frustrating experience. Milner has gone 14-for-l, a single. John is pressing.

He had a poor citrus season. His last hot streak was in Japan. There, they showered him with boxes of candy and all sorts of goodies for hitting homers. Would Barricini like to put np an incentive? The trouble with playing Kranepool at first base is that it deprives the club of it's best pinch-hitter, Kranepool. gotta score some more runs," says Yogi, by way of explanation.

We have only 10 in the four games we played. Another thing; we hit five home runs, all with the bases empty." Seaver a Concern Berra's other worry is a minor mutiny by Tom Seaver. Tom second-guessed the manager for having yanked him for a pinch-hitter in the 7th inning at Pitt yesterday. The Mets were trailing, 3-2, with a man on second and two out in the 7th. That's when Berra made his anguished decision to bat Kranepool for Seaver.

Krane popped up, and Seaver popped off, moderately. 4 I just couldn't believe it when he took me out." sail Tom Terrific. Most pitchers can't, but Tom has an extra reason the Mets bullpen. When you take out a pitcher, you must come with a reliever. On the current Mets.

that presents a problem. Yogi came with Harry Parker, and before you could say by-bye-baby, the Pitts had two more runs. Final score: 5-3. "If it's the 6th inning instead t. will pitch four, five frames in a minor league exhibition at St.

Pete Wednesday and if all eoes well, fly North to rescue bullpen-next day Seaver and lorre went to New York for guest appearance on "Can You Explain This," sponsored by IRS Red Garrett bothered bv pained instep, lingering for three weeks from foul-banger Staub says his healed groin pull, which seemed most vulnerable to throws, withstood pegging test in yesterday's comeback game Matlack vs Twitchell tomorrow night DOCTOR I NWJ you K. know? (4 TOO CXtI j-s iv SOOR- EsaH 0 Yirdon Decrees By Yaraks By Red Foley The Yankees, at the behest of Bill Virdon, spent yesterday whacking baseballs at Shea Stadium. That it wasn't exactly their idea of the perfect way to enjoy an other wise free afternoon was of little concern to the manager. inhibited by the accepted versions of plate conduct. That doesn't mean Virdon jand won't suggest remedies for Bonds' correctable ailment.

DIAMOND DUST: Catfish Hunter and Bill Lee match serves today with Pat Dobson and Rick Wise working Senior Citizne's Day manana. Visdon will continue with fourman hill rotation until "schedule bee-ins His unenviable task is to extract and mold a competitive product and if that means extra sessions then so be it. Whether this latest exercise will pay in lack of hitting has been a team effort." When asked if he thought Bonds, in his understandable desire to get himself and the Yankees away winging, was pressing at the plate, Virdon replied: "It's apparent he's not hitting. It looks to me like he's trying 11 1 1 1- he's losing something at the tightening: up lat er this month." rlate tVvhen club starts playing daily, I- j- i i Larry Gura will became No. 5 Virdon disclaims having apitcher xhat assiffnment W8S panacea for Bonds current i fornlulated UDon Dick TiHrriw's doing better than we have with the bat." One Yankee particularly concerning Virdon is Bobby Bonds.

The winter acquisition from San Francisco isn't cutting the mustard. And while a panic button isn't part of Virdon's managerial accoutrements, neither is do-nothing, wait-and-see a 1 1 i-tude, either. Vacillation and the ostrich bit may be popular with some dugout domos, but such wavering and hesitation isn't Virdon's bag. That Bonds is swinging a weak .150 stick isn't as vital as how that meagre output has been achieved. "I'm not blaming Bonds," Virdon corrected prior to the 90-minute workout.

"Our stant dividends when the Red Sox open a two-game visit today, remains to be seen. Virdon feels it might and since his considerable opinion is what Gabe Paul is paying for is reason enough to explain yesterday's command performance. 'Disappointed by Hitters "I'm disappointed in our Virdon said without equivocation or without trying to alibi the 1-4 record his charges have compiled on the young season. ''We're not an explosive club, but we are capable of problems. He's not the type of the 7th," defends Yogi, "I let Seaver hit.

But we got only two more shots, and I can't bat for him again, maybe." Seaver envisions himself blanking the Bucs while the Mets score their third run. of course, making it 3-3. Then what? Seaver pitches 12 innings? Then Kranepool hits for Seaver? Then Harry Parker comes in? That's better? DIAMOND DUST: "Encouraging news from Florida," reports Yogi. He means recovery of Apodaca from sore arm. Bob relegation to 'bullpen Shea manager who believes in tinker brass could have problem this season if customers' predilection ing with equipment sucn as Bonds possesses.

At his best for "heaving mixed fruit on field, as appenea aurmg aunaays the kind displayed in baseball second game, becomes regular textbooks. occurrence. Such behavior if un He is a free-wheeling style, a checked, will keep desirable fans unique brand that can't be away from ballpark..