Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 117

Tho putting professor; Bill McDonald, Michigan's No. 1-ranked amateur golfer, has confounded the jock stereotype with a meager physique which better befits his position as professor. See Jack Saylor's column, Page 5F. Thursday, Hay 13, 1032 tha bsssbsll psgo: 4F today's complete baseball report. RACING 6, 8, 10 COMICS 10,11 THE WEATHER 11 Call with sports nsws: 222-6660 2-6660 1J LJ DETROIT FREE PRESS 16-year-old is better on track than road tlilio 2Sj Bone Guidi tito Preakness -1 BALTIMORE While most kids his age are hoping their complexions clear up in time for the prom, 16-year-old Jack Kaenel is waiting for a headache to disappear so he can make history in Saturday's $282,400 Preakness at Pimlico.

The talented teen jockey who will become the youngest rider ever to compete in the Preakness picked up the head pain when he smacked against the windshield of his 1982 Eldorado in an early morning traffic accident Tuesday. He got a slight concussion that prevented him from riding the past couple days, but the feisty youngster from Kansas says he'll be ready for his date with destiny Saturday. "I didn't want to miss the Preakness, that's for sure," Kaenel says while stretched out on a rubdown table in Pimlico's jockey room Wednesday morning. "It could have been a lot worse (his Caddy was totaled). Usually I wear a cowboy hat when I'm driving my car, but for some reason I put on my riding helmet before I left for the track." Because of the fortuitous choice of headgear, "Cowboy Jack" (so named because of his western style of dress) will i be able to ride Aloma's Ruler in the Preakness.

Aloma's Ruler burst into Preakness prominence last week when he ran down the 2-5 favorite Shimatoree in the Withers in New York. "It's not just because I'm the youngest ever and all that stuff that I want to ride," Kaenel says, "but because I believe I have a hell of a shot. I'm not kidding you; I wouldn't trade him for any other mount in the race." KAENEL MAY be young in years, but he's logged a lot of racetracking miles in his riding career. His dad Dale, a former jockey who now trains horses, showed Kaenel the ropes. As a tot, Kaenel would ride any farm animal that would let him on its back goats, dogs, mules and finally horses.

"I started galloping horses when I was about seven," he says. "Then when I was about 11 1 went on to ride all the small tracks around Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma. I won about 500 races, I guess." Kaenel drifted East to take a shot at bigger purse money and started making a splash on the Maryland circuit last year. But while checking on the young rider's background for a feature story last spring, a sports writer found out Kaenel was only 15 too young to be licensed as a jockey. The Maryland Racing Commission forced him to the side- i lines for 81 days until his 16th birthday on July 27.

"I was driving a car when I was 13, and I was riding horses a little before I was supposed to, too, I guess," Kaenel admits with a sheepish grin. "But you know the funny thing about the suspension? Two days after they caught me, I had to have my appendix taken out. I wouldn't have been able to ride for a while anyway, so it all worked out." See JOCKEY, Page 6F AP Photo The frosting on the cake for this once-underage rider, was his 16th birthday party last July. 4 ilk it) pile up on Tigers By BRIAN BRAGG Free Press Sports Writer i ARLINGTON, Tex. The Tigers returned home' Wednesday night with one victory and two washouts to show for their three-day trip to Texas.

For the second time in as many days, Detroit got a bad break from the weather Wednesday when its game against the Rangers was washed out by heavy Texas thunderstorms complete with tornado warnings. The timing of the rainouts was not exactly to the Tigers' benefit. The Rangers are playing badly and are in the grip of an extended losing streak, and the Tigers would have; preferred to play them now instead of waiting until theirj next trip here in July. The Tuesday and Wednesday postponements will have to be made up as part of doubleheaders the weekend of July 9-. 11, when temperatures here are likely to be near 100 degrees.

The dates have not been officially set for the; makeups, but the Tigers and Rangers will probably end up; with twi-night doubleheaders July 9 and 10, with a single game on July 11. THE TWO delays also mean some changes in Detroit's starting rotation. Right-hander Jack Morris (4-3), who was scheduled to start Wednesday night, will be on the mound at jTiger Stadium tonight against the Minnesota Twins. Dan Petry, Milt Wilcox and either Pat Underwood or Larry Pashnick will follow in the four-game weekend series. See TIGERS, Page 4F Mud wrestling's filthiness il in the eye of the beholder I went to watch the mud wrestlers.

At first I was confused because I couldn't understand how someone was supposed to wrestle mud. I mean, mud can't even fight back. It just lies there. I also wondered how the wrestlers were supposed to pin their opponents. Their shoulders would just keep Slipping and slopping around in the goo.

It would be like trying to pin a pig. Once I got there, though, I figured something out, bright boy that I am. Nobody cares who wins. Nobody cares who pins. Oh, maybe the wrestlers themselves care, but that's about it.

The people in the peanut gallery, most of them have their minds on something else. I'm so embarrassed to tell you what it is. Good, clean fun for grapplers I suppose at this juncture I'll just explain that everyone had come to watch a well-known touring troupe of mud wrestlers who call themselves the Knockers. They must be sponsored by a hardware company that makes attachments for doors. I The whole team is made up of women.

I don't understand this at all. Don't men like to roll around in the mud? I know I used to as a kid. I'd belly-flop into a big puddle with Stinky Maross and we'd wrestle for hours, until we wound up looking like creatures from the black lagoon. were women in the audience, but no men in the mud. How come? Men are filthy, too.

I asked one woman spectator if she went to any of the all-male striptease shows. She said, "Sure." Then I asked if she knew of any all-male mud wrestling teams. She said, "Aw, what fun would that be?" If it's any consolation, the woman in the next chair looked at her as if she had just said something blasphemous. I could tell this was Stinky Maross' sort of woman. Anyway, I sat back and watched the Knockers do i their stuff.

I pulled my baseball cap over my ears, adjusted my shades and scratched my new beard, which I had grown expressly for the purpose of not being i recognized at a place like this. After all, I didn't want my curiosity to get me in dutch. I'd be branded forever as a pervert. The Women in Communications society i would never let me speak at one of its functions again. I had read some articles about mud wrestlers and had seen an interview on a Toledo TV station that tweaked my curiosity.

One of the wrestlers, who identified herself as the Tasmanian Devil, was a beauty pageant-worthy blond who looked as if she belonged on a UHF channel, collecting money for Oral Roberts. Instead, she messed around in the mud. She described it as good, clean fun. "My parents didn't understand at first," she said, "but then I started sending them copies of interviews I'd done and photographs that were taken of all of us. Now they're proud because their daughter is famous." is different strokes for different folks, you know.

I know one guy who thinks he's famous because he was in the audience at a Phil Donahue show. I The Tasmanian Devil Toledo TV spelled it "Tazmanian" was someone I wanted to meet. She was adorable and well-spoken and healthy and I wanted to bring her home to my mother. I would have loved having her wrestle my mother in the mud. A conscience clear as mud What I liked most about the Tas was her competitive Spirit.

"What do you like most about mud wrestling?" she I Was asked. "Oh," she said, "I like the thought of being behind somebody and giving them a knee in the back." What a gal. I couldn't wait to get a look at her and her friends, and I only hoped my readers would realize I was doing this strictly in the name of reporting research. The only way I would ever be caught dead around a dozen beautiful women would be as an assignment. All I want to do is watch and take notes.

So there I was. And there she was in all her splendor. And there was someone else, even prettier, and another one, even healthier, and another one, even more vicious. She had really dangerous knees. And I couldn't take my eyes off any of them.

Until they started wrestling. Then the mud splashed up and hit me right in the eye. If only I had been wearing my sunglasses with the miniature windshield wipers, everything would have been all right. With these, though, all I could do is take them off, wipe them on my shirt and put them back on before I got another splat in the face. I felt like Moe, Larry and Shemp, dodging pies.

i The wrestlers were very good, I guess. They got good and greasy and it was the must fun I ever had without touching. But I felt unclean and had to leave. I told myself to be ashamed of myself. I said normal people would never go in for anything like this.

I'll probably tell myself that next time, too. UP! and Fret Preu Photo John Hiller, in action on his Felch, grounds, and. in days past, on the Tiger mound. Farm club Ex-Tiger Hiller settles in the UP as Felch's ace pitcher FELCH, Mich. (UPI) Felch is a long way from Detroit.

And the Felch Rangers are a far cry from the Detroit Tigers. But former relief ace John Hiller isn't complaining. Hiller, who has lived in Duluth, the past 16 years, bought an abandoned farm near Felch, in the western Upper Peninsula, last fall and is now getting things ready for his wife and three children, who Will join him after the Duluth school year ends June 12. "We fell in love with the people," Hiller said in an interview with the Iron Mountain Daily News. "I would still be back in Duluth if Andy (Anderson) hadn't called me." Some Felch baseball players and supporters were sitting in Solberg's Bar one day last summer trying to figure out a way to beat rival Channing in the annual Labor Day tournament.

The Rangers compete in the Wishigan League, which comprises amateur baseball teams from the UP and Wisconsin. Anderson suggested asking Hiller to pitch, but nobody thought a former major leaguer would consent to play for the Felch Rangers. HILLER PROVED them wrong. He accepted Anderson's offer and pitched the Rangers to their first title in the tournament with an 8-1 victory over Channing. Hiller allowed just five hits and fanned 13 batters in 15 innings.

"The second weekend we were up here, I was casually asking someone if there was any property for sale," Hiller said. "Someone said there was an old farm and took me out to see it. I came back to town to get my wife Janis) to take a look at the property. "She asked me if she could drive and drove right out to the farm. She had spotted the farm earlier when she was driving around with some of the women from Felch.

The view is beautiful from on top of the hill. I can look down and see the Mill Pond and Sturgeon River." While Hiller was pitching in last year's tournament, Janis worked in the concession stand and also joined Del Siegler's country-western group for a few tunes at Solberg's Bar. "I guess we just sort of fit right in," Hiller said. "I found that many people were intimidated by me because of my See HILLER, Page 4F Yanks get Wynegar MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) The New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins completed a five-player trade Wednesday, with the Twins sending veteran catch- er Butch Wynegar and pitcher Roger Erickson to the Yankees for shortstop Larry Milbourne and two minor league pitchers.

The pitchers, left-hander Pete Filson and right-hander John Pacella, are from the roster of the Yankees' International League club at Columbus, Ohio. Wynegar is hitting .209 this year with one home run and eight runs batted in. He will become the Yankees' starting catcher, replacing Rick Cerone, who was placed on the 21-day disabled list Wednesday with a broken thumb. Erickson Is 4-3 with a 4.87 earned run average. VIRGINIA JUNIOR WEIGHS TURNING PRO Isiah's agent Tucker has Sampson's ear Dr.

Charles Tucker, the Lansing educator who advises Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas underclassmen who were the first and second choices in last year's National Basketball Association draft said Wednesday he has had conversations with Virginia's Ralph Sampson but is bJJ Chillis Uinccnt xfJ-jf KBA notes not representing the 7-foot-4 center. Sampson, like all other underclassmen, has until midnight Saturday to announce whether he intends to forego his final season of college eligibility and make himself available for the ym June 29 NBA draft. Underclassmen are i not permitted to formally retain agents before announcing their decision to turn pro. been retained to represent him legally or illegally. I won't know anything until the Kelloggs call me." Players who have already announced their intention of skipping their remaining college eligibility include De Paul forward Terry Cummings, Georgia forward Dominique Wilkins, Houston guard Rob Williams, San Francisco guard Quintin Dailey, Wichita State forward Cliff Leving-ston and Texas center LaSalle Thompson.

THE SUDDEN flood of underclassmen into the senior-poor draft has elated Detroit Piston general manager Jack McCloskey, who originally had little hope of getting quality player when the club drafts 12th. "This has made our draft," he said. "I would doubt now that we'd even try to improve our position in the draft, because we'd have to give up something and we're likely to get just as good a player at 12 now as we would if we traded up." DeBusschere's Knick job a sure bet All those rumors from New York about former Piston Dave DeBusschere taking over as general manager of the New York Knicks will be confirmed by the club early next week. See NBA, Page 5F Tucker "He's asked my opinion on a few things," said Tucker. "At this point, Tucker did concede he could change his mind about adding to his list of athletes.

"Right now I would basically say no but there's always room for other people. I might, someway, wind up with one (player in this season's draft). I'll know in the next three weeks or so." THOUGH TUCKER says he is not involved with any prospective draftees this year, his partner, Chicago attorney George Andrews, apparently is. A report in Wednesday's Cleveland Plain Dealer said Andrews will represent Ohio State junior Clark Kellogg, a 6-foot-7 forward who is expected to announce his decision to turn pro at a Friday press conference. "That's premature at this time," Andrews said Wednesday, stopping short of denying the connection completely.

"Obviously I know Clark through Herb Williams (who also played at Ohio State), but I haven't though, I'm not taking on any others After he makes a decision, then he can talk to me, but you can only be1 responsible for so many and do a good job. I'll sit down and give (him) advice, but that doesn't mean I'd take him on." Tucker has three clients who left college early. Aguirre turned pro after his junior year and Thomas after his sophomore season. Tucker also advises Earvin (Magic) Johnson, who left Michigan State after his sophomore year, Herb Williams and Mike McGee. Ho ccccnd tSssiEgbts: Thirteen years ago, Wyoming's Lloyd Eaton dismissed 14 black football players who wanted to stage a political protest during a game.

The former coach says he'd do the 'same thing again. Details in Sports World, Page 2F..