Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 41

8 9 The opening of the 1983 major league baseball season brings with it hot dogs at the park, beer in the bleachers and the Baseball Page every day in the Free Press. See Page 4D. ENTERTAINMENT The complete sports rundown, Page 2D. Late scores, 222-6720 MOVIE GUIDE WEATHER it 3 1 1 If Call with sports news: LJ DETROIT FREE PRESS 222-6660 Hello i iff ers win 9 bo Gaoige iiiiii.ii uii 1 ill. II i.i.l ii h.ij.hi immiji HMuiiiun ') I ,11 mi.

I i 1 1. I 1 11 .1 iyi muu -mm. n.i nn mi up j-i iii.i-i..i.im.iiu i iji i iij i i ii hi iihi, nniJil Vase eD fl By BRIAN BRAGG Free Press Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS Sparky Anderson has been saying all spring that the Tigers "will put some points on the board" this year, but even he was surprised when his team scored a touchdown in the very first inning of the season Tuesday night. The Tigers cuffed Royal Oak left-hander Brad Havens brutally in their first 1983 turn at bat, scoring six times before the Minnesota Twins even got to take their first swings. That made it very easy for Twin-killer Jack Morris, and the Tigers coasted to an 11-3 opening-night victory.

"We're going to be a very good offensive team on the year," said Anderson. "As far as scoring runs, we're going to be right up there with 'em. But you don't go out every night and score six." The Twins ran up a 17-6 spring training record, which was enough to give their long-suffering fans some hope that the new year would not bring another last-place finish. The enthusiasm faded early. Less than five minutes into the game, Tiger left fielder Larry Herndon one of the big men in last year's offense became the first Detroiter Wings owner Hitch is itchy, hut says he'll stay the course As the town's newest and heaviest investor in professional sports, Mike Hitch, the pizza man, paused the other day to reflect on the hazards of owning a major league franchise.

"First, you have to understand you can't buy a championship team anywhere," he said. "They're not for sale. What is going to be available to you is a sick franchise, and it is going to cost a lot of money. Then, you have to be prepared for what follows." What follows is an interesting challenge that involves not only the owner and his fortune, but also his family, his business, his associates and maybe hundreds of employes not involved with the team. "It's a problem you have to consider," he said.

"I thought about it for an awful long time before I decided to buy the Red Wings last June. A lot of complications you might not envision can grow out of investing in a major league franchise." A guy with millions of dollars in the bank and a thriving business might be in for an awful shock when he lands in an enterprise that does not produce a profit. "You have to be prepared for it psychologically," says Hitch. "Look, team owners get to where they are. because they have been successful in business.

They've made money all their lives, and it's a big switch when they start losing money right off the bat." lied ink causes the blues Of course, rich men coming into sports usually announce they are prepared to spend mitions and lose money indefinitely to build their franchises into profitable operations. Hitch, aware of all the pitfalls, suspects to clear the fences this campaign. Anderson was especially glad to see that. "IT JUST establishes right away that he's one of the big guys again," said Anderson. "He's just gotten better and better each year he's played.

He's much stronger. He's just a good baseball player." Herndon had his career-best season in 1982 with a .292 average, 23 homers and 88 RBIs, tops on the Tigers. Just 1 ls innings into the contest, Havens became the first Minnesota starter to feel the hook of manager Billy Gardner. Havens, who was 10-14 as a 22-year-old rookie last year, trudged off to the clubhouse knowing he was stuck with his first loss of '83 and a 2-3 lifetime mark against his old hometown heroes. "This is the worst game I've seen him See TIGERS, Page 4D AP Photo Lou Whitaker (left) and Alan Trammell congratulate Larry Herndon after his first-inning homer.

Pistons fall a lot of them don't know what they're getting into. He was curious, for instance, about the Michigan Panthers, the new pro football franchise in town, whose owners have committed millions of dollars and vow to stay the course and establish their team. Will they, really? "Most owners are not autonomous they don't stand by themselves," says Hitch. "They have other businesses that might be tied financially into the team. It upsets the apple cart when the team loses heavy money.

It might drag down the profitable divisions of his corporation; it might affect bonuses and profit sharing of his other employes." An owner not prepared for such reverberations might soon find reason to regret his involvement with a team. Says Hitch: "I'm sure that's happened in many cases." Jimmy D's ins end outs Congratulated Criticized Dwight Foster Jimmy sees big changes short in OT vs. Knicks -110107 17 goals, 22 assists Ivan Boldirev 13 goals, 17 assists John Ogrodnick 41 goals, 44 assists Reed Larson 22 goals, 52 assists if AH Willie Huber 14 goals, 29 assists Jim Schoenfeld 1 goal, 10 assists Gilles Gilbert 4.49 goals against avg. Mike Blaisdell 16 goals, 23 assists Mark Osborne 19 goals, 24 assists Reggie Leach 15 goals, 17 assists til (5 Hitch confesses to losing a lot of money in his first year's operation of the Red Wings. In the midst of the season, he discovered former owner Bruce Norris was trying to sell control of Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Hall.

The arenas had not been part of his fiscal plan, but Hitch bought out Norris, raising his commitment to a staggering $25 million. "When I bought the hockey Devellano Waiting in the wings Centers Claude Loiselle and Murray Craven. By BILL McGRAW Free Press Sports Writer Time is running out on Willie Huber. Jim Schoenfeld is available in a trade. Mike Blaisdell, Mark Osborne and Reggie Leach were big disappointments.

And Gilles Gilbert will be replaced by another veteran this summer if Jimmy Devellano has his way. Devellano, the Red Wings' rookie general manager, made those points and more Tuesday in a wide-ranging interview that was, in effect, an autopsy on the dead season. The Wings lost their legs, lost eight of their last 10 games and finished 18th overall last weekend, missing the playoffs. But they remained in contention most of the season, retained all their future draft choices, and seemed to be on the verge of reversing a long decline. "I don't want the last two weeks of the season to destroy what was built up over the first 70 games," Devellano said.

DEVELLANO BLAMED the Wings' late collapse on lack of talent and lack of speed at a time other teams were putting the pedal to the metal. But he was happy with the seasons of several players, including Dwight Foster, Ivan Boldirev, John Ogrodnick who scored 41 goals and Reed Larson, who joined Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin as the only National Hockey League defensemen to score 20 goals or more for four straight seasons. Devellano made the following points about some other members of the team: On Huber, the Wings' only NHL AU-Star, a 25-year-old defenseman who was a special By CHARLIE VINCENT Free Press Sports Writer NEW YORK The Pistons are one loss nearer formal elimination from the National Basketball Association playoff picture this morning. But their latest failure unlike some of its predecessors was nothing to be ashamed of. The Pistons took the New York Knicks into overtime Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden before falling, 110-107.

In the end it was a missed free shot by Isiah Thomas who has done everything for this team but launder its uniforms this season that made the difference. But, said coach Scotty Robertson, that wasn't really what cost the Pistons victory. "Three things made the difference," he said. "The technical foul on Isiah was a joke; the delay tactic with Isiah at the free-throw line was a joke; and our inability to keep them from getting the ball down low to (Bill) Cartwright those were the things that made the difference." Referee Dick Bavetta called the technical on Thomas early in the third quarter after the Piston guard grabbed Sly Williams on a breakaway. "He said," Robertson said of the official, "that Isiah held onto him too long." WILLIAMS missed both his free throws, but Louis Orr made the one resulting from the technical and the Knicks built their lead to 82-75.

Cartwright, who finished with 20 points, pulled the Knicks back from a 96-93 deficit in the final minute of regulation, just when it began to appear the Pistons were about to win their third in a row and improve their flickering playoff hopes. See PISTONS, Page 3D biggest problem that I found with Willie is the lack of emotion I don't know if those things will ever change. I'm not sure." On Schoenfeld, the 30-year-old defense-man who was benched for much of the final two weeks: "We certainly don't think he's finished. But I think he would have a better chance of extending his career elsewhere, with maybe a better team, that he might fit in a little better. I'm making him available in trades; we would attempt to extract something a little younger for him." On Gilbert, the 34-year-old goalie who missed most of the season with a skin rash and back injury: "We'll be on the lookout for a veteran type of goaltender; that will have an effect on what we do with Gilles Gilbert." Devellano emphasized the Wings are still going with their two 21 -year-old rookies, Greg Stefan and Corrado Micalef.

On Mike Blaisdell, Mark Osborne and Reggie Leach: "I set a goal for them of between 75 and 80 goals. It was a very, very, very realistic goal to set. (Blaisdell had 18; Osborne 19, Leach 15 a total of 52.) The failure of these players to come up with goals really cost us. Their production was unacceptable Devellano said he plans to have long talks with Blaisdell and Osborne, and will try to replace Leach through a trade or signing, although, he added, "There's a possibility he would be back." NEXT YEAR'S team will be younger, Devellano said, and he will find the players in the draft, in a trade or two, in Europe and in the signings of free agents without compensation. Out of all the junior and minor league players the Wings own, Devellano sees only two real prospects centers Claude Loiselle and Murray Craven.

Each played in Detroit part of this season. Defenseman Larry Trader might make the NHL, Devellano added. Devellano is counting on getting 10 good future Red Wings out of the 48 players he drafts over the next four summers. He also wants to find two Lanny McDonald-style game-breakers. McDonald, of Calgary, seems to score at will.

And the general manager is sensitive to the minor criticism he has received for refusing to part with even one draft choice in a trade. "Some people think I'm stubborn (for not trading draft choices). But I'm doing it because the Islanders don't trade them, the North Stars don't trade them, Montreal doesn't trade them, Buffalo doesn't trade them," Devellano said. "I would rather follow their example than the example of the L.A. Kings, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Hartford Whalers, the New Jersey Devils yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I'll follow the example of the good teams in the league, and if I do that, we'll be a good team down the road." Mike Hitch teanli i knew that financially I was absorbing some enormous salaries and there would be a loss attached to it," he says. "But you've got to make that concession. You've got to figure to lose money for a couple, three years. But while that's going on, you've got a tough situation." He has handled it, though it hasn't been easy. "What I've had to do," he says, "is make sure I stay up and positive, because that affects everyone else.

When the team lost games, I had to keep reminding myself we've got a plan, we know what the long-range objective of our program is. I had to be willing to take some flak. It was a new adjustment for me." The Red Wings failed to make the playoffs, though he thought they had a chance. Next year, he says, the playoffs are a must, and they will get there because he intends, by "trade or whatever," to bring the team a badly needed "high-scoring player." He'll be in the locker room A more subtle change also will be made next season. Hitch, a former Tiger minor league farmhand, will become more directly involved with the Red Wings.

He says it's necessary because that's the only way he can operate effectively. "In all the other athletic entities I've had (over the years he has sponsored hundreds of amateur teams in the area), I always got close to the players. I have my own way of getting the pulse of the team. "This year, I deliberately stayed removed. But I wasn't comfortable with that setup.

I'm going to make sure I know my players very well. Sure, I'll be in the locker room. I'm gonna know how their heads are screwed on. "It's probably personal. But I really think it's necessary.

The way I run my businesses, I've got to be close to my people. I've learned I can't be distant from my players. I've got to know them better, to understand them. Sitting up there and watching, the games and getting reports is good, but it just doesn't satisfy me." Winning or losing, money or games, he intends to stick around. If it's not all fun and profit, it's the lot of the owner.

management improvement project: "He didn't play like an All-Star we didn't get the type of season we need from a Willie Huber. If it's going to happen for Willie, it's going to have to happen awful fast. The Panther loss adds more injury to league's worst record Rookie kicker Novo Bojovic, who had been as close to perfect as possible in the first four games, not only missed a field goal and extra point, but is now limping after making a tackle on one of his kickoffs. The Panthers drew barely 1 1 ,000 for the Denver game, which ran against the NCAA basketball finals, and, with the team's fourth straight loss, the media barely outnumbered the Panther personnel (five to four) at Stanley's Tuesday press conference, a measure of waning interest in the team. And, as if the Panthers didn't already have enough troubled, New Jer By CURT SYLVESTER Free Press Sports Writer If it hadn't been for the bad news, Panther coach Jim Stanley wouldn't have had any news at all Tuesday.

The all-telling game films revealed a lot of good effort and a lot of hard work, but the final score of Monday night's game remained unchanged: Denver 29, Michigan 21. Rookie safety David Greenwood, one of the Panthers' best players, has a sore knee. Linebacker John Corker, another of Stanley's best, has a pulled groin muscle that may idle him a )cond week. Panther problems 0 Injuries to Greenwood, Corker and Bojovic El Attendance that has slipped from 20,952 for their season opener to 11,279 Monday night Herschel Walker, who Michigan faces Sunday at Giants Stadium, Walker gained 177 yards against Arizona last Sunday. sey rookie running back Herschel Walker, coming off Sunday's 177-yard effort against Arizona, seems to be getting himself worked up for a 200-yard game any day now possibly in the Panthers' game at Giant Stadium Sunday.

"I THINK HE'S one of the guys who truly has Jimmy Brown's ability," said Stanley. "I don't think there was ever any doubt about his ability. I wish he'd waited a week or two." It's all part of what is becoming the typical day-after-game day for Stanley, whose football team now is tied with See PANTHERS; Page 5D Hom's-eye view of FICAA finals: It was like Mother's Day at the NCAA championship, Mike Downey says, with the influential moms of North Carolina btate and Houston players right there at the arena. And the CBS telecast was as tood as the tame, says Joe Lapointe. JStories on Page 'D..