Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 84

AN FARE by Walt Difzrn A SlRU LIKE VOU IN A PLACE THIS 2 Nolan rated fastest IMVE mi us Johnson not forgettable By ARTHUR DALEY New York Times Service ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. One day last spring Nolan Ryan was warming up on the sidelines at Al Lang Field just before a Met-Cardinal game. Watching in critical appraisal were Red Schoendienst, the St. Louis manager, and Bing Devine, the general manager.

"There is a man who throws the fastest ball I've ever seen," said Red. "Walt a minute," said Bing. "You've seen Sandy Koufax and a lot of the top fast-ball pitchers over the last 30 years. Don't you mean that Ryan is one of the fastest?" "No," said Red stubbornly. "I mean the fastest." The velocity of a fast ball is a relative thing because few have ever bee nmeasured by mechanical timing devices.

The real old-timers go for Walter Johnson as the fastest ever. The younger old-timers rate Lefty Grove and Bobby Feller a shade behind Johnson. The more modern ones grope for names as they offer such as Koufax, Joe Page, AJlie Reynolds, Bob Gibson, Jim Maloney, Sam McDowell and then ask plaintively: Whom did we leave out? They undoubtedly left out plenty because the flame throwers union is not that well organized as to have a fully accredited membership list. Like many of the leading fireballers, young Ryan has a hop on his fast ball, a rising pitch that's so effective he doesn't necessarily have to follow the ancient baseball axiom of keeping it low. The other Mets hate to hit against him in batting practice, a sure tipoff on the overpoaer- ing qualities of his hummer.

Enemy batsmen don't care for him, either. Nolan reached a spectacular peak in post-season play during the miracle season last year. He relieved Gary Gentry early in the last game of the National League championship series, yielding only three hits and striking out seven in seven innings. Then he saved the fourth game of the World Series, again rescueing Gentry, with another glittering job. But recurring blisters on the fingers of his pitching hand have hampered his progress which has been further slowed by injuries and absences for military service.

The bit and handsome young Texan has yet to reach his full potential. "This will be an important spring for Nolan," says the soft-spoken Gil Hodges. "He's now on the threshold of being not only a good pitcher but a great one. He has a fast ball that 1' rank with Sandy's, a curve that gets ever sharper and an improving change-up. What's more, he's been through enough in the last few years to have gained experience, not only getting into tough situations but getting out of them as well." If it weren't for the blisters, there would be no doubt about Nolan taking a firm place in the 'starting rotation.

But they raise disturbing suspicions as to whether his tender fingers can ever become tought enough to withstand the strain of remaining unblistered over the 250 or so innings that a starting pitcher works in a season. THE MUSCULAR MICHIGANDER once reviewed his basketball career and delivered a self critique: "I'll probably be known as the has been who never was." But Neil Johnson was doing himself a disservice. Hardly forgettable, he. Whether he's donning a stewardess' hat and serving drinks, or bounding from the bench to detfend Gail Goodrich, or analyzing the game, or playing it. In fact, when rising young talent finally crowds him from the NBA rosters, Neil Johnson may very well make his mark as a coach.

"He has expressed aspirations to coach," noted Suns' boss Jerry Colangelo, "and he knows the game very well. And he's certainly a crowd favorite." Neil will be the first to tell you he hasn't devoted a great deal of time to preparing a Hall of Fame speech. But some of the more endowed talents around the league would do well to emulate his hustle and concern for his team. "Neil's never really had a lot of playing time," said Colangelo. "If he gets the opportunity, he could do a real job for somebody." The likeable strongman from Creighton University substantiated that claim earlier this season against San Francisco in Oakland.

He was pressed into action early and responded with 12 rebounds in 13 minutes, contributing NBA boxes mightily to a 10-point Suns victory. But his longest stint has been 16 minutes, and come time for the expansion draft his name likely will be tossed in the hopper. "Take a guy like Sam Jones (ex-Celtic)," said Colangelo. "He sat and watched for a couple of seasons, and when he got an opportunity he came through. A.

guy can learn a lot watching." But Neil Johnson is proud enough that he wants to play, and the frustrations of a bench-rider are gnawing. He does not want his entry into a game to be synonymous with the now-illegal act of a coach lighting a victory cigar. A brawl can vent some of those frustrations. Neil is usually first off the bench to the scene of a fight, and backs away from no one. He's been matched with some of the league's best brawlers, and is not precisely the one you'd seek out to swing at.

Here is a guy, after all, who learned the game as it was played on the playgrounds of Harlem after he was cut rom his freshman team at New York's George Washington High. Those games sharpened elbows, not to mention a sense of survival, and Neil Johnson learned what to do with that bulk of his. But he's hardly a thug type. Rather, he's a favorite of the paper pencil set kids who swarm around the pros for autographs. So Neil Johnson is not destined for the Hall of Fame.

But neither is he destined for the Hall of Shame. SEATTLE Boozer Mrschrv Rule Wllkens Allen Clemens Halrston Kennedy Winfield Murrey 6 3-5 IS 3 3-3 9 1-1 19 9-10 5 6-8 2 0-0 0 0-0 0 0-5 5-6 3 4-6 10 Totals 3731-39105 MILWAUKEE Dandrid D.Smith Alcindr McGlkln Robnsn Cunahm G.Smlth Crawfrd Chapoll Greacen Ropers WlRa Totals 2-2 0-0 1-2 6-7 1-1 0-2 4 2-2 1-2 1-: 2-4 2 0-2 0 2-5 1-2 53 18-31 12 Seattle Milwaukee 41 32 32 Fouled Total 20, Milwaukee 25 PHILADELPHIA Washqtn Cunghm Imhoff Greer Jones Gukas Hetzel Jackson Ogden Wilson SAN DIEGO Totals 5 3-3 3 Kimball 13 7-1033 Koiis 8 3-4 19 Hayes 16 6-6 38 Barnett 0 0-0 OLantz .3 2-2 8 Block ..2 0-0 4 Riley 3 4-6 10 Smith ..1 0-0 2 Trapo .1 2-2 A A Wilams Wilms 5227-33131 Totals 3 1-1 0 0-1 .13 6-10 3 2 2-3 ...6 3-3 1 4 3-51 ...4 2-2 1 ...4 2-2 1 ...2 0-0 2 3-4 5 0-1 1 4522-3211 Philadelphia San Diego 34 31 28 27.33 28 29 Patterson bout reset April 15 HOUSTON (AP)-A 10- round bout between former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson and Mark Tessman of Houston was reset for April 15. The bout originally was set for April 1 but Patterson requested a delay. He said he injured his hand in training and doctors informed him it would take a week tu 10 Total 26, San Diea Fouled DINE IN THE CINTA AZUL ROOM FIRST POST 8 PM Wednesday thru Sunday Admission 500 Clubhouse extra PHOENIX GREYHOUND PARK WASHINGTON AT 40th STRfH Reservations 273 7I8I lu'iks Gieyhound Racing Ci'iuil ARIZONA DOWNS HORSE RACING AT TURF PARADISE 19th AVJ. AT BELL RAGING WEDNESDAY SEE DAVID CANARY, "CANDY OF BONANZA," RODEO STAR, IN PERSON, 1,00 FREE AUTOGRAPHED PICTURES GIVEN WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY IS "LADIES' DAY 1 LADIES ADMITTED FREE, WIN VALUABLE PRIZES, WEDNESDAY IS "MINNESOTA STATE DAY," RACING SUN.

PARADE TO POST More a 1m ii I Angels' 10-0 drubbing of San Francisco L.Li-'' The Arizona Republic Phoenix, Mar. 11. 1970 Continnetd from Page D-I Rich Robertson opened for the Giants and worked five innings, throwing "his good, live fast ball, but he didn't pitch well in the second in- Cats lose to SF, 2-1 ning. He loosened up and did well thereafter," King noted. California got to Robbie for two runs on four hits in the second and came back for two unearned runs in the fifth on Bill Voss' two-run double.

Lavelle yielded three runs in the sixth on four hits, including doubles by Tom Egan Special to The Republic TUCSON Poor base running and some shaky pitching by starter Jim Prove'nzano in the early innings led to a University of Arizona baseball loss yesterday to San Fernando Valley State, 2-1. Provenzano (0-1), walked eight in the first four innings, SFVS (8-6) scoring twice in the second on four walks, a wild pitch and an error. Provenzano settled down after that, giving up just one hit and walking one over the last five frames, at one point retiring 10 men in a row. He struck out 12 and walked nine for the game. But UA couldn't score more than one run that one coming in the fourth as Steve Mikulic singled and came around on a passed ball and an error.

Steve Ballard had three hits for UA, which stranded nine base runners, three of them dying on third base. California ab bi Alomar 2b 4 1 3 2 Perez ss 1 0 0 0 Ruiz ss-2b 6011 Jchn'n cf 1 0 0 Tatum cf 2 0 1 0 Johns'n If 3 0 2 2 Cowan If 1000 Repoz Ib 3 2 1 0 Voss rf 5132 Rodri'z 3b 5 1 0 1 Egan 311. Adlesh 1 1 1 0 Murphy 1 1 1 1 1000 J. Fish'r 1110 Miles 1000 San Fran Mason 2b Heise ss Mays cf Simps'n rf Whila'r If Fos'r rf-cf Gosger Ib Gal'ger 3b Rader Lavelle Willo'by Williams Rob'ts'n Sadek ab 3 0 4 0 bi 0 0 0 4 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3arreft 1 0 1 I Totals 43101610 Totals 31 0 5 0 California 020 023 003 10 San Francisco OOP OOP OOP 0 Mason, Whitaker, Gosger. 2B Johnson, Voss, Egan, Mays.

DP Heise-Mason-Gosger. LOB California 11, San Francisco 7. ip Rob'n Lavelle Willoughby 1 Mur'y (W) Fisher Garrelt WP Laveie. 955. er bb so 222 2:30.

A and Alex Jonnson. He matured quickly, however, retiring the side in order with aid of a double play in the seventh, Willoughby finished up, permitting a single in the eighth before surrendering three runs on three hits in the ninth. The Angels, opening a four game tour in Arizona, rocked Giant pitching for 16 hits, including three by Voss and Sandy Alomar and two by Alex Johnson. Tom Murphy, first of three Angel twirlers, worked three perfect innings, facing but nine batsmen. CACTUS CORNER King's policy of resting his veterans continued yesterday with Willie McCovev getting the day off.

Mays will be off Friday (he doesn't even have to come to the park), King said. The Giants will send Mike McCormick, Bob Garibaldi and Miguel Puente against San Diego today at Municipal Stadium. The Angels move over to Mesa to face Oakland with Clydr? Wriqht. Lloyd Allen and Paul Dovle ticketed for mound duly. Wallv Wolf, onetime high bonus pick of the Houston Astros, will ioin Andy Messersmith on the hill when California trices the Pilots in Tempo tomorrow.

Wolf, who toiled the Instructional League and spent the winter here, has fallen in love with Phoenix. "My wife and I both like it here," he said, "and I may move here permanently." The former Southern California star said ho owns four quarter- horses which he stabled here during winter and "I raced one of them in Kingman." Wolf blossomed as a relict pitcher at El Paso last summer and is a good bet to stick in the bullpen for California. Lofty Phillips, Angol manager, is optimistic Wolf will make the grade. "He has always had a great arm and he blanked the Cubs ip three innings Saturday. He looks good." Bourne in lead MIAMI (AP) Bob Bourne of Overland, fired a four under par 68 yesterday to take the first round lead in the Dixie Amateur Golf Championship.

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