Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 37

i rnj ij ij ii) hm WO ryTri'TH lryiiTi nr I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 'U Vfw 'II ir'X'H ifO Tinnif H'lQif 'Mfl 11 M'i It's in the court's court: Former Red Wing Dennis Polonich says Wilf Paiement deliberately assaulted him in a 1978 hockey game. Paiement says Polonich provoked him. A jury will decide the case. Details on Page 3D. Friday, Aug.

13, 1982 the baseball page: 4D today's complete baseball report FINANCIAL 6-9 COMICS 10,11 WEATHER 11 Call with sports news: 222-6660 LJ DETROIT FREE PRESS Sims9 new lawyer snarls at Lions Downey m-w'wm basic bargaining agreement between the players and owners expired July 15. The players union says it alone has the authority to represent players in negotia tions, but it has declined to negotiate individ ual contracts because it is concentrating on negotiating a new collective agreement for all players. Thomas has said the moratorium means he cannot legally resume talks to get Sims back to camp. Coach Monte Clark has said he understood that an infraction of the morato rium could be an unfair labor practice, which could result in Sims being declared a free agent. By CURT SYLVESTER Free Press Sports Wriler Billy Sims has hired a St.

Louis labor lawyer who says the Lions must either resume negotiations to end his contract dispute or lose him to another NFL team, the Canadian Football League or the new United States Football League. The lawyer, Gerald Tockman, who has battled pro football cases before, was retained through Sims' agent, Jerry Argovitz of Houston. Tockman said Thursday that he intends to begin proceedings against the Lions today. "We should be contacting the Lions and the NFL Players Association by Friday or Monday," Tockman said in a telephone interview from St. Louis.

"We'll give them a time period in which to say yes or no. If he's not playing with the Lions, he'll hopefully be playing with someone else and there will be a lawsuit. "The steps are, first, to find Billy Sims a place to play football. If every team in the NFL says they won't talk to this guy, we'll file suit against the Lions, the NFL Players Association and every team in the league that says, 'We aren't going to talk to him or we're not free to talk to "Those are the options that are available. Of course, that will all be Mr.

Sims' ACCORDING TO Tockman, however, there is no legal basis for the moratorium the union has declared, and that "there ain't no way" the Lions could lose Sims over violation of that moratorium. Russ Thomas Billy Sims Monte Clark Jerry Argovitz- In happier times, general manager Russ Thomas and agent Jerry Argovitz had an agreement that delivered Billy Sims to coach Monte Clark. Now, labor lawyer Gerald Tockman has entered the picture. "That's just not possible," Tockman said. "The Labor Board (National Labor Relations Board) has no authority to award monetary United Indianapolitans fight for big-league status I crashed into a long-lost friend in Indianapolis and told him I had moved to Detroit.

"What's there to do there?" he asked. It just so happened I had a classified-ads section in my briefcase. Tore it from the paper and saved it. "What's there to do?" I replied, aghast. "Look at this." And I showed him the Personals column.

"We WILL help you STOP smoking, LOSE weight, self-confidence, study habits, memory, nervousness, at the New Hypnosis Center." "Is this the fountain of youth? Dr. Asian's original Romanian formula! Are you interested?" "Kenny Rogers tickets, main floor." "Las Vegas Bowling League, downriver area, call Darlene." "Male strippers birthdays, bachlorette parties. Soaring Phoenix Productions." "Marriages minister will travel anytime." "Candy's Hotline the latest in phone entertainment." "Private confidential, prestigious, Bloomfield mailing address and service." "Skinny dippers couples and families. Visit Michigan's finest nudist resort. Tennis, swimming and camping." My friend was impressed.

He said it sounded as though the hypnosis center was giving people a chance to LOSE self-confidence, study habits, memory and nervousness, which is a pretty original offer. He wondered if the minister might find some business at the bachlorette parties. He said if he could get his hands on Dr. Asian's Romanian formula, it would give him enough energy either to go bowling or call Candy. And he inquired about the dangers of nude camping.

or other relief except in unusual cases. "If charges are filed against the Lions for talking to Sims, all that would happen is that they'd be required to put up a piece of paper This would be his third season. Thomas has said that he never made such an agreement, that oral agreements are specifically forbidden in NFL contracts and that he is prohibited from negotiating with Sims because of the moratorium declared by the NFL owners and the Players Association. The moratorium was called when the TOCKMAN SAID the "time period" for the Lions to respond would be "five days from the time they receive the letter." Sims has refused to report to the Lions training camp. He says general manager Russ Thomas broke an oral commitment to renegotiate the fourth (option) year of his contract before the start of his third season.

saying they won do that again. "I'm not advocating the Lions break See BILLY SIMS, Page 3D Tigers to start talks with 6Big 3 Herndon is having the best year of his career batting .236, with 17 home runs and 61 RBIs. His previous home run and RBI bests were nine and 49 1980. His solid defense and durability have also been lauded. "I want to stay here, and I'm not going to try to hold them up," Herndon said.

He indicated he is thinking of a possible five-year deal. Tigers don't count The Tigers have lost to free agency only two players they wanted to keep pitcher Jim Slaton, who returned to the Milwaukee Brewers after one season (1978), and first baseman Ron Jackson, who held out this spring and finally signed with California. Lemon, Cabell and Herndon will be eligible to become free agents after this season because they have six years of major league service and are on the final year of their contracts. CABELL IS in the last season of a five-year pact signed with Houston in 1978. Lemon is on the final year of a four-year contract signed with the Chicago White Sox.

Herndon is completing a one-year agreement signed with the Tigers after he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants last winter. By BRIAN BRAGG Free Press Sports Writer The Tigers will conduct contract talks this weekend in an effort to sign three key players Larry Herndon, Enos Cabell and Chet Lemon eligible for free agency after the season. Attorney Tom Reich, the agent for Herndon and Cabell, will be in Detroit for negotiations. Reich negotiated catcher Lance Parrish's six-year, multimillion-dollar pact last season. He has talked informally with Tiger officials in the past about Herndon and Cabell, but his upcoming visit will be the first serious session regarding the pair.

Although the Tigers' front office is holding to its usual no-comment policy on contract talks, it is believed Reich and the club will discuss specific salary proposals. Herndon said the Tigers' recent troubles both in the clubhouse and on the field have not soured him on the organization. "I don't think they're going to let things stay I scoffed at his feeble attempt to put down Detroit. "Look where you live," I said. Offended, he bragged about the Indy 500, the downtown architecture, the peaceful neighborhoods, the people.

When he told me the people were known as like this," he said. "This is a young team here, and I think they re going to try to improve things. "If something can be worked out, I'd be more than happy piaying nere. See TIGERS, Page 5D i -m A 9 -WfJ siothe? loolr at the Tigers 'pen The Yankees have Goose Gossage. The Brewers have Rollie Fingers.

The Orioles have Tippy Martinez and Tim Stoddard. The Red Sox have Mark Clear and a cast of thousands. And the Tigers have well, troubles. Time after time, manager Sparky Anderson has brought in reliever and after reliever, and wound up with headache after headache. But you have to keep your sense of humor, The situation inspired Jerry Nichols, a Free Press promotion department artist and Tigers fan, to create this drawing.

We liked it, and thought you would, too. Indianapolitans, he got sore because I got hysterical. He couldn't stop selling Indianapolis to me. He bragged about everything except the little green apples. "At least I've got baseball," I said.

"If you count the Tigers," he said. "Better major league than minor," I said. "If you count the Tigers," he said. "Better than watching cars go around in circles," I said. "You'll be sorry," he said.

"We'll have baseball in a couple of years and we'll come up there and kick the Tigers in the tail." I thought he was jiving me. But it turns out Indianapolitans are very serious about major league baseball. They want a franchise and they don't care how they get it. Expansion or relocation, makes no difference. They'll even take the Minnesota Twins, which shows you how desperate they are.

You get sick of being called a minor-league town after a while, especially when you live in the 12th largest city in the country. Indianapolis people (sorry, I just can't call them that other thing any more) have been cheering all these years for the big-league Cincinnati Reds and the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, but everybody is more eager than usual for a new franchise because, all of a sudden, the Reds are about as good as the Indians. A committee has been formed to represent Indy's baseball interests and a presentation will be made to the major-league owners later this month in San Diego. Sen. J.

Danforth Quayle, Sen. Richard Lugar, Gov. Robert Orr and Indianapolis Mayor William H. Hudnut III are the honorary chairmen. A dome for ii home Thomas J.

Henry, the executive assistant to the mayor, tells me the wheels are in motion. Indianapolis is ready for the big show, of course, because in the She's on the air, but out of the press box ifo sports on yfy loe Lapointo ft 'J downtown business district, near the convention center, the brand new Hoosier Dome is on the rise. It will be a beautiful facility for baseball and football, as soon as Indianapolis gets baseball and football. Already, Indianapolis has booked $76 million in convention business into the dome, Henry says, so it's not a matter of building a dam where there is no river. On the other hand, the baseball powers can't thumb their noses at Indy any more because there's no place to play.

The city is so serious, it has sent for reinforcements. Peter Bavasi, son of Buzzie, has been signed on as consultant to the committee. Peter knows something about starting a baseball franchise. He was general manager of the San Diego Padres and founding president of the Toronto Blue Jays two more teams the Cincinnati Reds can no longer beat. It won't be easy for Bavasi.

Vancouver wants a team, Denver wants a team, New Orleans wants a team, Phoenix wants a team, Tampa wants a team. (Minneapolis wants a team.) But I believe in Indy. It did a fabulous job hosting the recent National Sports Festival. It supports big-time, sports. It spends money on its teams the way my friend now spends money calling Candy's Hotline.

So, if anybody out there has a team it wants to get rid of, just take out a classified ad. Keep trying, Indianapolis. But remember, no nude baseball. Tcp Triplet hitter With three weeks remaining in the season, Eransville Triplet Howard Johson is chasing a batting record. The details are on in the Tiger farm report on Page 4D.

K. Whitfield (she doesn't use a first name, just is a new sportscaster for WGPR-TV (Channel 62) in Detroit. Although still a student at the University of Detroit, Whitfield has been working since May as a full-time intern as a trainee for the station, which devotes four minutes and 1 2 seconds to sports every weeknight on its 30-minute, 7 p.m. "Big City News" program. Whitfield's on-camera performance is about what you'd expect from a college student on a small station in a big city.

Sometimes she reads the score "four to five" instead of "five to four." Sometimes her delivery falls short of Musburgerian slickness. And sometimes she'll whip off a tough, professional commentary like her recent criticism of Billy Sims for his contract holdout that'll make your eyes and ears pop. Al Ackerman's opinions seem sweet by comparison. Whitfield shows potential. But challenging as it is for her to learn the ropes of a tough business, Whitfield says she's further hindered by restrictions not faced by other Detroit sportscasters, black or white, male or female, radio or TV.

She says the Detroit Tigers don't allow her and her crew the same access given to other Detroit stations. Her boss, sports director Henry McConico, says it is a long-standing difficulty that his station has had only with the Tigers not with the Lions, the Pistons, the Express or any other local sports team covered by WGPR. "When I'm issued credentials (press passes), almost everything is crossed off," said Whitfield, a graduate of Northwestern High School. "I'm not allowed in the clubhouse area to interview players after the game. I'm not allowed in the press box before, during or after the games.

I'm tm even allowed on the press elevator (to box). I have to sit on a photo deck or in the stands." WHITFIELD SAYS other Detroit TV sportscasters often smuggle statistics and rosters to her from the press box or hospitality room, where they can go but from which she is barred. "The restrictions affect my coverage and my credibility," she says. Whitfield is allowed on the field with her crew before games to do interviews, same as the rest of the TV stations. McConico says he's tried to go through official channels to solve the problem.

"When I talked to Dan Ewald (Tigers public relations director), he gave me a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about not being in the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association," said McConico, a graduate of Northern High School and a former junior varsity football player for Michigan. "They (the Tigers) probably think we're some type of little league station. When asked the Tigers' side of the issue, Ewald said: "I've never denied Channel 62 access to covering the ball game. I'm just following the rules that have been established long before I've been here. She is not allowed in the clubhouse.

There are restrictions. There are certain guidelines." WHEN ASKED, twice, what rules, restrictions or guidelines barred Channel 62 from the press box or the locker room, Ewald said they were too numerous torecite. Asked if a sportscaster must be a member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association to get in the press box, Ewald replied: "In most instances, yes. See SPORTS ON THE AIR, Page 5D Free Press Photo tn TiM POZDOL Channel 62 sport director Henry McConico and sportscaster K. Whitfield say the Tigers aren't giving them a fair shake on press credentials..