Lexington Herald-Leader from Lexington, Kentucky • 16

It Ltoof Ky Friday May 11 im 0 Comics Section new so league has it all Ted got the money Joe got the image Mudcat got the name And guys like Donnie Rardin Jr lave the enthusiasm Mike Fields Spoilt write WK- Pepitone knows how that goes He used to be associated with the American Professional Slo-Pitch League players used to sit on second base and smoke during breaks in play no way to do it" he said got to have a professional Mudcat Grant who won 21 games for the pennant-winning Minnesota Twins in 1965 is part of that image He hide the fact that as leagpe publicity director his name is invariant "Hey just like anything he said got to get attention before you can make fans out of them Guys like myself and Pepitone we lend a certain credibility to this The NASL is a new kid on the Mock and people are looking us oyer Maybe people will recognize the name Mudcat and give us a second look cally dull Give me softball anytime The NASL will be divided into two divisions this inaugural season The Eastern Division in- eludes the Cincinnati Rivermen Detroit Auto Kbigs Pittsburgh Champions and Cleveland The Stallions are in the Western Division with the Fort Wayne Huggie-Bears Milwaukee Schlitz and Chicago Nationwide Advertising The season opens this weekend with the Stallions visiting Milwaukee for Saturday and Sunday doubleheaders Lexington will get its first look at its hometown team May 24 at Southland Part And what will softball fans see? I know they see a bunch of overweight beer-drinkers talking with the ladies in the right-field said Pepitone the jonoor New York Yankee star who is president of the Chicago franchise' "The only way 8et the fans is to be professionals in every sense id the word ul we out ct ike amateurs and low like amateurs going to play iifc am- controlling interest of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a small part (8 percent) of the Cleveland Indians Put together and what have you got? The North American Softball League an eight-team sports baby that hopes to someday mature into a full-fledged phenomenon If the phenomenon occurs Lexington will be in the midst of it thanks to the Lexington Stallions i 1 think Lexington is a perfect place for a said Stepien the big-bucks advertising executive who is providing the financial base for the new league confident the public wiO make this thing go More pebpie play softball than any other sport in America These people are natural fans and going to give them a thoroughly professional and exciting When Stepien talks people listen The Cleveland tycoon who was in town Thursday to promote the NASL runs a STS million ad agency plus a half dozen qther businesses He also owns But ask him about the sport closest to his heart and tell you about professional soft-ball not only president of the NASL but he also has his own team the Cleveland Stephen's Competitors not kidding when I say our athletes are on par with the Cleveland he said I know for a fact that softball is a more exciting game I watched the Indians the other night and I realized again that baseball is basi i i "Once they look us over like us going to be entertaining" 'S-UUtDB PPto Page i this section Ex-Yank has file image newest i ti i-i By MARK BRADLEY Leader Aaff writer MnCimIi maos 2-sirs 1 sosaoM S41 Wdnwn Han (5) and McCutar Gofctan md Sliplwnt Radmop (3-2) Gofcton (7-2k HR Tm Cra Ucfcarl (7Vi Maybe the uniform Maybe the maroon and white is saturated with some mystical power turning every kid who suits up for Tates Creek into a beep Whatever the cause the effect is obvious The Tates Creek Commodores 84 on the regular season are champions of the 10th Region heading for next sectionals The Commodores defeated Madison Central 3-0 for the regional title Thursday at Shively Sports Center Finding a Tates Creek hero difficult Picking one was the chore Brad Redmon Ernie Williams Dick Uckert and as usual Tony Hap -ns had major roles in the victory As great as their contributions were however they paled in comparison to Evan Mossbarger1 had a lot of heroes" said Commodore coach Ron Cole the Mggest hero of all was in left Mossbarger the left fielder didn't have a hit He scored no runs But he may have saved the game and the -season for Tates Creek in the fourth inning -With two outs and the Creekers leading 1-0 Redmon the Commo- -(lores' starting pitcher walked Roger Golden Kevin Jones then lashed a screamer to left the first ball the Indians had hit out of the infield This one nearly left the park said Cole thought it was a home Mossbarger did too' He turned around and gave chase anyway The ball kept sailing1 Mossbarger kept running As Commodore Emie miliam can't escape trapsetbyiladma Greg StephThrilhise important to Snell he reached the wall he turned and swiped at the camP M-ball He got it The inning was over Tates Creek stinted By MIKE HELDS Leader waff niter The last time Bryan girls did oof win a Class AAA state track championship Gerald Ford was president Magic Johnson was in high school and Bruce Jenner was a meet is held at Shively Sports Center This is the first year for the sectional setup In the past regional winners and runners-up advanced to the state meet Now to make the state more manageable eight region-als feed into four sectionals Those winners and runners-up will move on to next state finals at UK ria Gay She won the state shot put and discus Sneil finished third really surprised Sharon said had beaten Victoria all year but she did it when she had to I was sad and letdown but I was happy for Chalk one up for experience A year older and wiser Snell is even more determined Her performances in the shot and discuss show a chance at the state going to have to quality at least half of The one performer Woodall is the least worried about is' double-threat Sharon Snell She won the regional shot put and discus with impressive throws And considered a state contender in both events trying not to think about the Snell said got to concentrate on the sectional first But sometimes hard 1 want to win the state so Lukas 9 way no doubt that coach Reba Lady Defenders are something of a dynasty grown accustomed to being the best Four straight state titles would do that to anybody very proud of what accomplished" Woodall said like to do it again this year But it's going to be tough Our chances as good as in the pt but going to The only problem with being oh top is staying there How will Bryan Station cope if it win a fifth straight crown? be a disappointment for sure" Woodall said not going to crush us If we win it this year be back next year trying harder than ever: not -going to give up got a lot of pride" Bryan Station will' display that' pride Saturday when the sectional with Codex So far this spring she has putted the shot 42 feet and thrown the diru 117 feet Both rank her either first or second in Kentucky Another plus going for her is that she is a senior Snell got a rude awakening last -year During the regular season she was one of the best shot putters in the state She won the regional and advanced fon of confidence Tough to pick a favorite As Woodall explained useless to pick favorites for the state state meet is a funny she said don't have to come in with a whole team to win it but that helps If you have enough people to get a lot of seconds thirds and fourths you better have two or three super people who win a lot of And where does Bryan Station stand heading into the sectionals? got 13 people going Saturday" Woodall said have much of is unusual think what won it for Victorih fast Woodall said you get to be a senior something inside you says This is it this is my last dance' That's why seniors "I thought I had as good i chance as anybody Snell remembers VI thought I could Instead it was another Lady Defender who stole the spotlight: Victo- play changed the whole complexion of the game" said Cole the wind blowing out I know how in the world the ball stayed in knew it was close to being a home said Mossbarger glove was against the fence when I caught it To tell you the troth was a lucky Kept the pressure on Lucky or not it saved Tates Creek The Commodores who had scored a run in the first inning on Williams' RBI single score again until the seventh Thanks to Mossbarger catch however they still dung desperately to their lead meant we kept the pressure on said Cole a run ahead that meant got to score twice to beat Madison Central score at all Redmon sailed through the first three innings striking out seven His problems began in the fourth but Mossbarger saved him In the fifth the Indians? Greg Stephens led off with a single Gene Crase bunted and reached first when Redmon threw late to second Then came a curious sequence Madison Central determined to sacrifice its runners to second and third messed up two bunts On the See CREEKERS Page A this section By EDWIN POPE -KaigM-lidder Kenpapen BALTIMORE The name is Codex That is Latin for ancient tablets on which wisdom including the Scriptures was supposed to have been written See LADY Page A this section Hot Rod turns colder as telecast continues Once upon a time Hot Rod Hundley said something funny Here's what it was: Baylor and I combined for 73 one night He had 71 I had twot" Sixers try to get back with Jabbar out Page B-S vi-vA' Mark Bradley The name is Wayne Lukas He is a former basketball coach and champion quarter-horse trainer who will talk a tin ear on you More significantly he is so underwhelmed by tradition that Codex may be the most peculiarly trained short-priced combatant In 105 Preaknesses Codex hasn't raced a lick in the five weeks since he won the Hollywood Derby Where conventional wisdom dictates at least a stiff mile workout before a major race Lukas worked Codex a modest fiveeighths of a mile week ago And 3000 miles from here at that That was in 1960 when Hot Rod played so to speak for the Minneapolis Lakers The Lakers moved to Los Angeles the next season Hot sense of humor was apparently lost in transit RusseiL He says half as much Hot Rod usually handles the replays which means he tells you what seeing (for the second time) To handle this weighty chore Hot Rod has a ready list of adverbs inserting one into each evaluation: wisely smartly foolishly and softly and are in-terchangeaMe Hoc Rod drops one of these every time somebody makes a pass that end up in the third row (As in "Magic wiselysmartly (fished the baB off to "Foolishly" has become almost the exclusive property of Darryl Presently Hot Rod works so to speak as a broadcaster for CBS teaming with Brent Musburger and Bin Russell on NBA telecasts wrong with CBS' coverage of the NBA Any list of those sins however' must begin with Hot Rod Since the advent of Monday Sight Football Humble Howard and Dandy Do decade ago color commentators have been broken down into two categories: One who tells you what's happening and one who tells jokes Hot Rod cunwsly does neither not for lack of effort Hoi Rod talks about twice as much as Lukas echoes in one his shortest speeches of Preakness Week Codex kkes it that Lukas operates out of California -and looks it His gray-splashed 44- When the network hired him last year Hot Rod was described as "colorful" "brash" and In the NBA championship series colorful brash outspoken Hot best hne has been "Go get leg guy -To be sure there are many things Cy Young award-winner Mike Flanagan of the Orioles thinks Kansas Citys George Brett is the AL's best: "Toughest hitter ever seen If he ever needs a witness in arbitration I'll go" Hot Rod Hundley teQ jokes either See CODEX Page 6 this section See HOT ROD Pag this section i MT m0v 1.