Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 11

1-C DETROIT FREE PRESS Tuesday, June 11, '74 1 Back 0 0 0 And jet9 Jus Say 1 alkm tie io if 1 BY JIM HAWKINS Fret Press Sports Writer Billy Martin returned to Tiger Stadium Monday night, preci-ely at 5:55 p.m. If he had been that prompt at all times last season, he might still have been sitting in the carpeted, mahogany-paneled office where Ralph Houk now resides, instead of undressing in one corner of the visitors' clubhouse with linoleum on the floor. It was easy to see how much he missed the place. And the media. "IS IT GOOD to be back in Detroit?" the man who now runs the Texas Rangers was asked.

"My name is Billy Martin. My social security number is 568-27-43. That's all I have to say," came his sarcastic reply. How much will it mean to you if you can beat the Tigers? "My name is Billy Martin. 568-27-43." Is your team really as good as it's looked? "My name is Billy Martin, 568-2743.

And this will probably be the first time in history somebody has had his social security number misquoted." IS THIS a better team than you had last year in Detroit? "My name is Billy Martin. Naturally, all around the room, the Rangers were watch- ing and listening. They, too, were anxious to see how Martin would react to his return to Detroit. And Billy didn't let them down. In fact, he put on quite a show.

Of course, all this is nothing new to Martin. Matter of fact, he's a master at it. He knew the writers and disc jockeys would be waiting for him Monday night. He knew they didn't have any choice. And he knew he'd never have a better chance to put down his old antagonists than new, in front of Fergle Jenkins and everybody.

Judging by his initial reaction, it was something he had been thinking about for quite some time. "We're fighting for a pennant," he finally modestly admitted. "It's important that we beat whoever we play." Then he closed the doors to the clubhouse and told his team how to pitch to Al Kaiine and Willie Horton and, to be sure, Jim Northrup. By now it had begun to rain outside and the ground crew was pulling the heavy green tarpaulin in place, apparently canceling the Rangers' chance to take batting practice. BUT MARTIN was not about to let Mother Nature rob him of his opportunity.

Rain and all, he stepped out on the field and the dozen or so fans lined up behind the Texas dugout let out a loud cheer. And do you think for a moment Billy didn't know that they were there? Yes, sir, Billy is back. yys1 fflr 'a. 4 7 If I Money Rolling In ForN.C. State Old Friend's Death Mars a Glad Vacation rs RALEIGH, N.C.

-(AP)-North Carolina State is proof that money flows in with successful football and basketball teams. Athletic director Willis Casey says all the figures aren't in yet, but State will have a total surplus of about $800,000 this year. Members of the Wolfpack Club, the school's booster organization, contributed a record total of about a million dollars to the athletic scholarship fund. WINNING THE NCAA bas- ketball championship and the Atlantic Coast Conference football title encouraged the Wolfpack boosters to contribute more, Casey said. A trip to the Liberty Bowl for the football team helped the money situation.

Ticket and television receipts taken in during the regular and post-season competition in football and basketball totaled $2.1 million. The money picture is so good that Casey is looking about for ways to spend the surplus. AP Photo Temper, Temper, Mr. Garr Atlanta's Ralph Garr looks like he's about to seno' his bat after the foul ball he hit in a recent game in Atlanta. The Braves' outfielder has been hitting a lot more than foul balls most of the season, as his .382 baotting average (tops in the National League) will attest.

More Wheels Sign, 4 From CFL Zignie makes good scents. Especially at our special price. BY CHARLIE VINCENT Frt Press Sports Writer YPSILANTI The Detroit Wheels' preseason camp was only half-a-day old Monday when coach Dan Boisture announced five additions to the squad, including four who shunned their Canadian Football League contracts to join the World Football League club. After the initial workout of the season, Boisture announced the signing of Sam Britts, a middle linebacker from Edmonton; defensive back Rocky Long and defensive end Mike Walker, both from Vancouver; offensive tackle Dennis Kemp from Calgary, and linebacker Dick Blanchard, formerly with the New England Patriots. Britts, a 6-foot, 222-pounder from the University of Missouri, was the CFL's Western Division Rookie of the Year last season and runnerup to Johnny Rodgers in the league's MVP balloting.

"Britts, along with Blanchard and Mike Taylor, will rive us linebacking as strong as any in the league." Boisture prophes ied. "All are outstanding players." We've got an introductory sampler of famous Zianie fragrances, ar a special price. The presentation package' (it's very goodlooking) contains a 2. 5-oz. sprinkler of aftershave, 2-oz.

of spray Thank you, Mr. Vincent. Thank you, Mr. Puscas. Thank you, Mr.

Hawkins. Thank you, Mr. Saylor. Thank you, Mr. Coffman.

Thank you, Mr. Erickson. You men do a nice job. You write very well. You will notice I am back after only one week's vacation.

Wouldn't miss coming back on this day. This day of days. The day we've all been waiting for all season long. The day Duke Sims comes back to town. Welcome home, Duke.

Nice to have you with us again. It's always good to have a class guy come back to Detroit. We miss you, Duke. Jim Northrup says to say hello. Dick Tracewski asks how's the tomato plants coming? Jim Campbell sends his best.

Even the J.P. McCarthy Show hasn't been as much fun without you. It was a glad vacation because I didn't have to think for a whole week and I didn't even have to think about thinking. I am just lucky they don't pay me to think. But it was also a sad vacation because Charley Creedon died.

I guess you have to live with a man for a long time to understand what real beauty in a man means. We traveled together 10 years with the Tigers and I never knew Charley to be less than completely courteous to all those around him. That's not easy to do when you are trying to shepherd 25 ballplayers, four coaches, a manager and a raft of broadcasters and writers around the I won't even mention his competence, which was without peer. He was thought of by his. colleagues as the best traveling secretary in baseball.

That says it all right there. But the thing is he was such a happy man, such a friendly man, such a bubbly man. You felt good just being around him. He loved four things about his life the Tigers, the Detroit Fire Department, chocolate ice cream and Hershey bars. Man Is Measured by His Friends The Detroit writers had the Hershey Co.

cook up a 25-pound chocolate bar for one of his birthdays and how disappointing it was when they shipped it by train and it melted. Another time the writers gave Charley a box of 48 Hershey bars one of which he shared with the writers in the press box and 47 of which he ate in his room before the road trip was over. Charley did so much for those around him especially the players and it was distressing to see only two of them Al Kaiine and Bill Freehan turn out for his funeral But if a man's worth is measured by his friends, Charley Creedon died a rich man. St. Paul's Church in Grosse Pointe Farms was packed for his services and Edgar Hayes, a man who knows about such things, said it was the biggest funeral he'd seen in Detroit in years.

What I liked is that the old folks were there Charley's longtime friends but the young people were, too, those who got to know him later in his life. Woody Hayes' heart attack also came as a jolt. The old geezer is like a Vince Lombardi indestructible. You can't imagine anything ever bringing them down. I can't imagine watching Ohio State play a football game without the fat man roaming the sidelines in that baseball cap.

Get better, will ya? Who are we going to get mad at next November? Kaiine Creeping Up on Big Goal One warming sight: Al Kaiine lining all of those singles around the outfield and edging closer and closer to the mark. Maybe this doesn't seem like much of a feat, especially in a season when Babe Ruth's home run mark tumbles, and you may even say Kaiine has that many hits merely because he has played so long. But when you consider the last American Leaguer to do it was Eddie Collins and how many truly great players never made it then you understand more fully the meaning of Kaline's impending accomplishment. Did you wonder, as I did in watching the Belmont Stakes, where was Little Current in the Kentucky Derby? What a shame if he lost his chance for a Triple Crown merely because the track was glutted up with a lot of bodies and there was no room to get around I get a notion that it's going to be fun working with Danny Boisture, the coach of the Wheels. He seems to have a sense of humor especially about himself and a grasp of what's going on.

He works like a demon but knows what he is doing is not the end of the world. He may need this sense of balance in 1 the coming season. My concern is how can they even think football in all this warm weather. If Danny solves that one, he'll be some man. Even on vacation, I kept getting the same reaction to the Loves those who saw them, liked them.

The trouble is, not many are seeing them. They'll probably have to pull out of Cobo Arena and go to one of the suburban racquet clubs. That'll be good because crowds of 1,700 will look big, but at the same time they'll be losing their aura of being major league Anyway, it's good to be back even if those people in the Lindell A.C. don't know how to spell: "Welcome Home, Billie" For shame! Long, from the University of New Mexico, is probably the most versatile player in camp. In his rookie season in the CFL (1972), he played running back, wide receiver, quarterback and defensive back.

Kemp is a four-year pro veteran one year with the San Diego Chargers and the last three with Calgary and Walker is a three-year veteran of the CFL. BLANCHARD, as a free agent, was the most pleasant surprise in the Patriots' camp two years ago, winning a starting assigment early in the season. But he sat out last year, after being cut. Boisture, who has two practices set for Tuesday and Wednesday before putting the Wheels through their first scrimmage Thursday morning, was openly optimistic after the team's first workout. "I was very pleasantly surprised.

They looked better than I had anticipated," he said after sending the squad through a 2'a-hour drill Monday morning. "I had gauged our people on paper and tried to anticipate what they would look like on the hoof in uni- Please turn to Page 2C, Col. 3 deodorant, 2-oz. of hair spray, and a .3. 5-oz.

bar of soap. And the whole neat package costs just $5. Mariclial May Need Disc Surgery BOSTON (UPI) Boston Red Sox pitcher Juan Mari-chal may have to undergo a disc operation that probably would end the 35-year-old hur-ler's career. Marichal, tied with Bob Gibson for most wins by an active pitcher, informed the Red Sox from San Francisco that his doctor wants him to have a mylegram to determine if he needs surgery. THE VETERAN righthander left the team May 27 to consult with his own doctor in San Francisco concerning numbness in the thumb and first two fingers of his pitching hand.

It was thought a simple operation could relieve pressure on a nerve, allowing Marichal to pitch again by August. In five appearances for Boston, Marichal had compiled a 2-1 record but has not pitched since May 15. He is 240-141 lifetime. Red Sox officials say if Marichal undergoes a disc operation, his second, he would be out for the remainder of the season. But it is generally accepted that the former fire-bailer with the big kick would retire if he needed the surgery.

Marichal has been placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 4. The Red Sox plan to bring up a right-handed pitcher from Pawtucket of the International League to fill the vacancy on the staf uV pi wzArwj ZTj 1 14 i in Pirates Sign 4 from Draft PITTSBURGH (UPI) -The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday they had signed four more players that were selected last week in the regular phase of the free agent draft. The players are shortstop Ron Barlow of Shenandoah, righthanded pitcher Greg Ferguson of Fort Worth, Texas; lefthanded pitcher John Bowling of Hodgenville, and catcher Marion Hig-gins of Birmingham, Ala. STORES OPEN TUESDAY EVENING EXCEPT WOODWARD NEAR STATE TIL 6 P.M., GRAND RIVER GREENFIELD AND BIRMINGHAM TIL 5:30" i.