Kingsport News from Kingsport, Tennessee • Page 14

K1NGSPORT NEWS Saturday, Aprl! 25, 1971 A Hanging Knuckler Phil Niekro's Big Hangup ATLANTA (UPI)--Phil Niekro has tost faith In bread-and-butter knuckler. "Dial, plain and simple, is the despondent Atlanta Braves righthander's explanation for what turned a 23-game winner the majors' leading "gopher ball" pitcher. Tiiat's not a title that Niekro or any other pitcher yearns for. A "gopher ball" is the unendearing term for home run pitches. Ntekro, off to a startling 0-4 start with an even more startling 7.77 earned run average, has given up 14 homers in 29 innings.

"I can't figure out what I'm doing differently," the 31-year-old Ohio native said sadly. "All I know is thai I'm hanging two out of every four knucklers I threw. "I do know that my concentration has gone sour," Niekro continued. "I'm throwing knucklers--but I'm thinking fast balls and sliders." The way Niekro sees it: "Everybody's looking for me fo throw the Freehan-Led Tigers Nip Minnesota MINNEAPOL1S-ST. PAUL (UPI)-Blll.

Freehan's two- run, seventh-inning home run nullified a pair of two-run doubles by Brant Alyea Friday and gave the Detroit Tigers an 8-fl victory over the Twins. Freehan's homer, fiis second the season, followed a walk to Jim Northmp and broke a 6-6 tie to give the victory to John Killer, who relieved starter Joe Niekro in the fourth and gave up just three hits and a run in six innings. Detroit scored two runs in the first on Dick McAuliffe's leadoff home runs, his third of the year, and Al Kaline's RBI double before Minnesota tied it in the same inning on Alyea's bases-loaded double. Detroit came back with four in th thi rd--th ree scori ng when second baseman Cesar Tova threw wildly with the bases loaded on an apparent double play ball hit by Northrup, who later scored on Freehan's single. MFnncsAli 2b 5 1 I 1 Tovar ef 5 1 I Gutierrez Si 5 3 2 9 Holt cf 2 1 0 0 Kallr.e rl 5 1 5 1 Merwtoza 2 0 0 0 Cash lb 4 1 1 0 Olivj rf i 1 0 If 4 0 0 0 Klllebrew 3b 1 2 Norlhrup cf 3 2 0 1 QuWel pr 0 0 0 0 Frecfwn 3 1 2 3 Reese Ifa 5 0 2 ft Madttox 3b i 0 0 0 Alyea If 4 0 1 4 Hllkr 2 0 0 0 Mtllerwald 4 0 0 0 Pftry 1 0 0 0 Hall 2 1 1 0 Willlami 0 0 0 0 Allison ph 0 0 0 0 Perraiwsk 0 ft 0 ft 1114 Tolib knuckleball and they time their swing accordingly.

When I hang it up there, it's bombs away. "Some people say I don't have a good fast ball. But I'm getting more people out with that pitch than with the knuckler because they aren't fnr Niekro was especially disheartened after His Tuesday night showing aguinst Cincinnati, The Keds wracked him for eight hits, four of them homers, and seven runs before pitching coach Harry Dorish came scurrying out to the mound to rescue him from further embarrassment. "Every hit they got was off my knuckler," Niekro said. "They just waited for me to hang one up there." Niekro, who had ridden his knuckler to stardom in the pas! few years, was a forlorn figure as he trudged toward the dugout.

Lee May had led off the Reds' halt of the sixth inning with a towering fly to right and Bernie Carbo and Dave Conccpcion followed with back-to- back home runs. The homer by Concepcion, a skinny rookie shortstop who hit only one homer in two years in the minors, was the one that disturbed Niflkro the most. wasn't that bad a pilch," he moaned, "lie reached for a high, outside knuckler and still got it out of the park." Mekro doesn't want to place the blame elsewhere but he feels that a big part of his trouble wss the fact that he ignored, his knuckler for most of spring training and worked instead on sliders anil slip pilches. "It's my fault as much as anyone else," Niekro said. "But everybody kept telling me I should get a new pitch so I began concentrating on doing that.

"Last year, I threw almost nothing but knucklers all spring and when the season started I had all the confidence in (he world. I knew what I could do with the I did it. "I'm thinking differently now," Niekro went on. "I'm still throwing the knuckler, but my mind isn't on it." Until the Braves convinced Niekro a couple of years ago that he'd have to live or die in baseball on his knuckler, Phil was hot impressive. But he came into his own with (he knuckler in '67 when he led the National League with his 1.87 earned run average and although his 54-40 won-lcsl record didn't catch the eye, his 2.56 career ERA did.

After last year's 23-13 showing, it was generally agreed lha; Phil Niekro should ba one of the pitching stafidouts in baseball for the next few years. But that was before Niekro abandoned the or, rather, before, the knuckler abandoned Niekro. "1 know what I've got to do," Niekro raid. "I've got to start throwing that knuckler the'way I threw it last year. I've got to start knuckler again." Roberto Pena Has Mixed- Up Up And Over Dobyns-Bennett's Jim Hale (Center) goes over a hurdle in the 180 low hurdles race in the Big Seven track meet Thursday at East Tennessee State.

Hale placed fourth in the lows, after taking second in the 120 highs. Gene McCarty, (right) of Tennessee High, won both hurdles events, while Kieth Slemp (left) look second here in the lows. Seattle GM Loses 'Recruiting Battle' E-Tovar. DP-Delroil J. LOS-Dtiroit Minnesota t.

Alyea 3, Tovar, Olivi. 3B Kr-McAullffe (3), Klllebrcw (3), Freeman 12). --Norlhrup. if Nkkro 14 Ptrry I WllUams Perranoskf 31-3 5 5 3 3 1 1 3 3 3 i I 0 5 3 1 3 3 2 3 3 1 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 SEATTLE, (UPI)Seventeen years ago Bob Houbregs was the No. 1 draft choice in the National Basketball Association, and when he signed with the old Milwaukee Hawks he was tickled pink to get a contract for a total package worth $10,000.

Now, he is general manager SPECIAL NOTICE WATCH and WAIT For Something BIG Coming Soon AT WHOLESALE FURNITURE and AUCTION HOUSE U.S. Hwy. Mile Beyond Colonial Helghli KINGSPORT JOHNSON CITY 239-9134 477-3183 ot the Seattle Supersonics of the NBA. He also is much wiser. And somewhat sadder.

Seattle's No. 1 draft choice this was Jim Ard of the University of Cincinnati. Houbregs worked overtime frying to sign Ard, but in the end Ard concluded an agreement with the New York Nets oE the American Basketball Association. The reports are that the Nets' offer was "about $400,000." If (hat's true Ard got 40 limes more than "Hooks" Houbregs did back when Big Bob came out of 317 fail Center KINGSPOKT, Phone 247.2101 Kingtport you of marketplace. More advertiser) use the Times-News than all other media combined.

FACTS 7 out of 10 read a on an average weekday. Kingsport Times News 220 E. Market Street Phone 246-8121 the University of Washington as an All-American. Even so, Houbregs does not believe the Nets' final offer was as good as the one the Sonics proposed and then withdrew when Ard continued to negotiate. with the Nets.

Houbregs believes this is the "year of the player." And most of the players have agents. "The things Ihe agents ask for are unbelievable," said Hovtbregs. "The sad part of il is, these young men are going to have a hard lime living up lo the worth which has been placed on thqni." Houbregs lliinks the merger of the NBA and ABA is inevitable if the two leagues want to keep unlerbidding themselves into bankruptcy. He also believes the merger of Ihe game. OAKLAND (UPI) Ordinarily, when a player is traded from a last place team to one wilh a chance to win pennant he's as happy as can be.

Roberto Pena of the Oakland A's has mixed emotions about il. With the San Diego Padres, a National League expansion club, Pena was a regular last And the year before with the Philadelphia Phillies, from whom the Padres drafted him, Pena also was a regular. Now Roberto, a five-eight shrjrtslop from tile Dominican Republic, is a part timer. "I want to play and over here I may not have too many chances," Roberto said the other day after filling in for the injured Bert Campaneris. "I do not think they will keep me in the lineup when Bert and (Sal) Bando are ready to play again." Pena didn't need anyone to tell him he wouldn't be a regular with the A's.

who have a chance- to win big in the American League's Western Division. He also doesn't need anyone to tell him he could make more money by playing less. The A's dealt for Pena during spring training when it became apparent that Dwain Anderson and Jim Driscoll, a pair of promising youngsters, were at least a year away from playing in the big leagues. To get Pena, who can play third and second as well as shortstop, Oakland had to give Ramon Webster, a strong K'fthanded hitter and backup first baseman, to San Diego. Pena is a better than average gloveman, wilh quick feet and a fair arm.

He probably could not disnlace Campaneris at Oakland, although while he is filling in at shortstop these days he is making ail the plays and hitting at least 300 poinis higher than Pena replaced Bando at hird base on April 12 after Sal pinched a muscle in his left Jiand. Promptly, he hit and in the field did all that was asked of him. Then, last i a Campaneris hurt his leg trying to score a run in a collision at home plate and probably will be out of action at Jeast another week. Pena was shifted to short and Bob Johnson, another spare infielder, went in at third, "I want to do the best I can as long as I have a chance to play now," Pena said. "I know that when Campaneris is ready to play 1 will have to sit down no matter how well I am doing.

That is the only reason why I am not as happy as 1 should be with Oakland. John McNamara, though, is as tickled as he can be because in his current hour of need he has a man such as Pena lo put into the lineup. "On a team as ours," said McNamara, "Pena is a Century Stakes Running Today valuable man, because he can play three positions and play them' almost as good as the regulars ahead of him. He is the perfect ulilitv infielder." Pena, who celebrated his 30th birthday last Friday, had excellent minor a credentials when the Phillies finally gave him a chance la play in 1968. lie appeared in 138 games for them and balled .260.

With a flock of young players fo protect, the Phillips left Pcna's name off their 40-man roster and the Padres drafted him after the 1968 season. Last year, he played in 139 games for San Diego and batted .250. It was nothing to write home about but that .250 average was one of the highest on the Padres. Pena's age worked against him at San Diejo this season and that was (tie only reason the Padres gave him up. "We have lo go with young players if we are to build a club," said San Diego Skipper Preston Gomez at the time he traded Pena to Oakland.

Pena isn't the least bit mad at Gomez or McNamara. He's just a circumstances. "I know can play regular," he said. "I am streak hitter and when I am hilling 1 can help a club a lot." Through last Sunday's action, Pena had 10 nils in 27 al- bals for a fine .370 batting average. No one could ask more of a backup player.

INGLEWOOD, a i (UPI)-- An international field of turf stars representing seven countries test their speed and stamina Saturday on the infield grass course at Hollywood Park in the $82,000 Century Handicap at 1 3-8 miles. Kentucky-bred defending champion Pinjara, who last year set 9. course record of 2:13 1-5 in the race, will be challenged by Snow Sporting from Quilche from Chile, Vent Du Nord from France, Hitchcock from Carroll Dale Will Speak At Wise FCA Rally May 23 WISE Carroll a Green Bay Packer football star and a former Wise athlete, will be.the featured speaker at a Fellowship of Christian Athlete spring rally scheduled for May at Wise's J. J. Kelley High.

The rally will be an all-day affair for FCA coaches and athletes from Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee and the fringes of Kcnlucky. Teslirnonies, talks and discussion groups i highlight the rally, which will begin al 1 p.m. and run until 7. The coaches and athletes will also engage i competitive athletics. The day's aclivitics will conclude with a banquet, at which Dale will be the featured speaker.

Other lop names slated lo appear at the rally a.re University i i i a Assistant Football coach Tommy Fletcher, Dan Shealy, head coach at Carson- Newman, and various college alhlctes. Ttie rally is being sponsored by Wise's Carroll Dale chapter of the KCA. Germany, Daryl'a Joy from New Zealand and Society II from Ireland among the international competitors. Others in the race are Fort Marcy, a Virginia-bred, Noholme Atoll from Arkansas, California and Governors Lonny's Secret from California. Venl Du Nord, a winner of three straight turf races in Florida this winter, shares tlie weight of 124 pounds with Snow Sporting, who won the Charles H.

Strub Stakes and Gtilfstream Handicap, both $100,000 races. Fort Marcy, one of America's leading runners and winner of races here twice before on flying invasions, carried 123 pounds while Pinjara and Hitchcock share 120 pounds. Pinjara had not won a race since the Century Handicap unlil he captured the Coronadp Stakes a few weeks a Hitchcock lias been in the money but failed to win in his American races. Bill Shoemaker i Pinjara for trainer Charles Whitlingham, who will be after his fifth straight stakes win at Hollywood Park on the grass. Whiltmgham also saddles Daryl's Joy although the horses are not running as an entry.

Pletrangcli Dropped From Net Team ROME (UPf)-Ve(eran Nicola Pieirangeli was dropped from the Italian Davis Cup team Friday, marking the first lime in 16 years the country's first star of the post World War II era hasn't made the squad. The decision to reject Pietrangcli was announced durir.g the Italian Tennis Championships In progress here and came afier Australia's Bill Bowrey eliminated the Italian, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round of the meet. The 36-year-old Italian was making his 13th appearance in the championships. Italy's Icam for Ihe European Zone first round encounter wilh Czechoslovakia May 7-9 will include Franco Bartoni, Massimo Di Domenico, Pietrn Marzao and Adrjano Panalla, all comparatively young players, with Orlando Sirola as nonplaying capfain, the Italian tennis, federation said. Even as the federation made its announcement, Christian a i parliament member Agoslino Greggi asked the government to take "friendly steps" to avert Pielrangeli's exclusion.

He called Pietrangeli "our country's greatest tennis player and said sports officials were shoving aside old glories "under the pretext of making room for young champions, who unfortunately are slow in taking up a glorious heritage. Sports writers cried out against Pictrangeli's exclusion even before it was officially announced. Milan's Gazzclta Dsllo Sport called il "an error which technically and has no justification." Rome's II Ivfessaggero said "we are in full disagreement" with the decisjqn and Warned Sirola for it. (Vollces Cafces. pies, nlzras.

crtam puffs SIMPSON'S BAKESV Foci Henry Drive 745-3971 FREE WASH WAX wntn vo'- buy Texaco Gaj 1 Wash McGRAOY, formerly wj Barber Shop, has mcv next to the new Super Dollar Slorfi i Stone Drivr. HE triendi customer i fo come by. Haircuts, Jl.M ADEN'S SUITS CLEANED AND PRE5SE S.B5 ART DRY CLEANERS 1H W. Main SI. 715-95 :i.EAN carpers wjth CSSE.

I Ire makes a Re elecfrlc COLE DRUG STORES sohal Not ice I will not be responiibk for decfs ma by tnyone ctfwr ttizn myself. DAV L. HARKLEROAD, 1721 ANSLE STREET, K1NGSPORT, TENNESSEE 8--Lost aTKl Found Losl, male tJog. Brown Chihuahua. A lo Prince.

Lost In Ml. Carrn Tuesday, Reward. Dur.can, 3 9--General Services When you work phcne 1 N. A. TAGGART EledrFc Cpnfracfcr, FOR YOUR PARTICULAR NEEDS: Painling, dry wall, plas patching and paper hangrng.

Call 247-17U cr 3S3-7345. DRY WALL CriHr.g detfgri, painting, sheelroc general repairs, free estimates. Call 3 PaTrJing Inside arnJ paper rtanoir repair worK, parwling, tloc and concrde. Free eslfmalfs. $7 yea experience.

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fCan Give Relerenc 245-8003. ARCHER BROS. PAINT CONTRACTOR All xork suarafitted. rslimaf Call or FOR BACK HOE OR LOADER WORK See Paul Me I lens. West Carter's Va 245-8857.

RUSCO IMPROVEMENT COMPAN' NOW LOCATED AT MarVei SI, Line of Improvernt E7 US GIVE YOUR KITCHEN tnahl new look. For remodeliiv cat' the etoertt al KORSLEY CO. YWJ win like the quality ex Mr i workrnanLhin Call 74VJUJ WE INSTALL ctiKk ton Dvy. KINGSPORT ARMATUR irxi ELSCTSIC W7-7I Repair work il reasonable SHULER PLUMBING GENERAL REPAIR or JW-8J10 BE AN EARLY BIRD Gel your riwn mzwtr MrvlcM a For spring nov at. SERVICE CENTER lit Ctnftr St.

2 TIMES-NEWS WANT AD RATES ANT) INFORMATION ftttd your poft trrert to The Classified Ad Owl. ONLY betww hwici 1:38" m. 4 Montffcv twu Friday t.Jt rm HI 10:30 on no for extension ot tFrm.can be rtcog- rJmL The Klnoipofl cannot bt ta mort ttttn Hewt rntrvM the prM- fe9f of fcvltfen 'rMtcttng vertlsenrwnT dNmi objection. able and to of any frcm that ordered to canloTFti Ttv pqiicy ot -AH regular ids orto in 'Tte (morning) edition. Res- Nlar clabiifitd idvtrtlSlAQ CBTI accept will) 4 p-m.

day pflor pcblicst'cn. Until 10 a.m. Saturday for. Sunday and untH 11 i.m. urdfly for CANCELING Classified Ifat ads: All must taXen toy dasstfTed w- virthlng fcpt, between 1:30 a.m.

4 Monday thru Friday, tnt TJ a.m. Saturday. Classified EUsplay: Cannllitlon must be -made 24 Scurs prior to put 'lion TutwfcY thru Friday and 41 hcvti (cr Sunday Mondty. ir Htfl event will INDEX PucJtc Nonces Notices Losl ar.d Found Eeru'cM Good To Ear Schools dnd Jobs of Inleresl--Mali Jobs oi cr ialcs Help Wanled Wantfd Buiineis loans AvLtFwi Livestock and Suacltej 1-erHlfieri and Soils I fA 23 and Garden Farm-lrduilria' EcurcmflnT is Pets. KfcTJieij Arifcips for Sake ArHctes far Ktnr Arliclei VVaniert 31 IV.

Radio. Slereo fi Cen-Esrs, Sooillno Goodi 33 6osti, Motors. Eauipmcnt 33A Fuel. C'oal. Etc.

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Choice Steaks, Soafood, BroaslerJ Chicken, Lunch 8. Dinner Specials. Private Dlnlr.q Rooms, (o 10 p.m. (fatly. Ft, Henry 10--Schools and Instruction WILL GIVE BEGINNING PIANO LESSONS Call GUITAH BANJO LESSONS WORRELL MUSfC Cprnrnerre S1, il-- Jobs of Interest-- Male WANTED: Man with family work "and i to Box ELECTKOLUX Needs two men fw sales and service In the KmgjpcM area, no nectferj.

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MANAGER TRAINEES WANTED We will train. The Soulhcait'i laslest growlr.g, srlf-sprvJce dficoun? chain is expandirvg in this ar.d has openings lor'manager We olfcr oulstflnrJing profit sharing pfan, paid life anrf hospil.iliration Insurarce Men we sefecl will receive excetkni and I a 51 Apply in perscn lo Pic 'N Pay Stores, 134) E. Slone Dr. of Interest--Fernnte HAIRDRESSERS Sues eonfitfenirat, paid vacation. Call 347-5900 or 24S-1554 (after 5 p.m.) WANTED: MATURE LADV lo live 'i nome, do house work and cooking for adulli.

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Give age, family status, person! MHorv, tjay and night how toon.