Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 43

i i'T DETROIT FREE PRESS Wednesday, June 20, 73 1-D 11 0 0 0 with Aeros! oe Signs V1; vl I f'f I I -I 1 ml fey 'No Animosity -Red Wings Red Wing officials said Tuesday no one would argue with Gordie Howe's decision to accept a lucrative offer from the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association. A Wings spokesman called Howe's separation from the National Hockey League club "amicable." Gordie Howe, -Detroit's finest athlete in a quarter-century and more, has fled. Gone to Houston. To another town and clime, to a new life an a reborn hockey career. Gone to the money, too.

A million bucks, plus or minus a bit, with some for Gordie, some for wife Colleen and, not incidentally, still another bundle for budding stars Mark and Marty Howe, his young sons. The public figures are $1,800,000 for the Howe family to play and serve the good game of hockey for the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association during the next four years. GORDIE'S SWITCH to the fledgling WHA was far from unexpected. His sons had signed contracts two weeks ago and his own commitment awaited only legal details. Then at noon Tuesday under a huge battery of cameras and lights at a downtown Houston hotel, it became final.

"Y'd thank the first man from the moon was finally landin' here," came a strange voice over the phone. "Everybody's heah for this." In Houston, at least, they knew what they had in hand. Who would blame Gordie Howe for pulling up stakes, forsaking all that before, and moving on at age 45 to start anew? Good luck, No. 9. STILL AND ALL, it hurts.

It hurts to lose a man who has graced the arena for so long, played his game with such magnificent skill and borne himself with such honest humility. Too few remain. Charley Gehringer is still in our midst. Joe Louis pays us regular visits. Even a Bobby Layne comes back once in a while.

These are names and faces that enlivened and enriched the town in the good years. Gordie Howe is as big as any of them, more familiar than all, and his departure is a matter of strange and twisted circumstance. It would not have happened without creation of the WHA, a new league struggling for a lace in the sun. Openly the Aeros intend to use the Howe name and reputation and what skills remain for pure profit. "They were willing to pay what I felt I had to have," said Gordie, "and my name and reputation are part of me." IT WOULD NOT have happened without the bitterness that enveloped Howe's two retirement years in a meaningless job with the Red Wings "There certainly is no animosity whatso- and Olympia, a bitter discontent that swelled in recent months.

"I talked to Ned Harkness (Red Wing general manager) just the other day," said Howe, "and he said he wished he'd known my feelings. He would have given up as GM and been my assistant. At least, that's what he said. "I simply told Ned that I didn't see eye-to-eye with his thinking. That's no great crime, but I wasn't contributing much there or learning much and then the feeling grew that there were a few people who didn't really want me there.

"So, well, I can't be a hypocrite, so the thing to do, I thought, was get the hell out. So here I am." Nor would it ever have happened if the Houston Aeros had been unwilling to also sign both of the Howe youngsters. "That's very important to to be able to play with them," said Gordie. I'll be a protective father," Gordie said, after his signing. LEFT UNSAID, but just as important, was the fact that Marty, 19, would be able to look after Mark, who's 18, in a club's travels throughout the country.

"Well, it's done," said Gordie, "and I'm really happy and so is my family." One obvious question is whether at his advanced age, in spite of his early brilliance, can even Gordie Howe come back to active hockey and play with dash and daring? "That is a question, isn't it?" he laughed. "I don't know. I hope so. I haven't been on skates since March or so, and even then I was really bushed. "I'd guess it will take me about two months to get in really good shape.

I'll start serious work in early August when I'm on vacation in northern Michigan, and I suppose camp will start for me in September. "I don't even know that much about it. They just Please turn to Page 4D, Col. 3 ever, he said. The spokesman said the Wings still regard flowe as "Mr.

Hockey," and recognize he gave the Detroit club the best 27 years of his hockey career with them. AP Photo Red Wing Hall of Famer Gordie Howe and Houston Aeros president James S. Smith (left) wear matching million dollar smiles at ceremonial signing of the million dollar contract that will put Gordie back on the ice in. his familiar No. 9 uniform but this time with the Aeros of the World Hockey Association.

'Disappointed? -Campbell A L-(AP) National Hockey League president Clarence Campbell reacted with disappointment to the signing of Gordie Howe to a Houston Aeros World Hockey Association contract Wednesday, but said it was Howe's choice and "he was obviously unhappy with his position in Detroit." "I hope he won't suffer the fate of other people who have played too long," Campbell continued. "It would make me sick if instead of applause he was greeted by boos. I'd be sorry to see him in that position." Secretariat May Run In Match Kaec 4D Good lo Be Buck With the Tigers Fall Tigers 1-Man to 7 Gang, BY JIM HAWKINS Frw Prejt Jporli Writer CLEVELAND George Hendrick doesn't hit home runs every time up. And the Cleveland Indians were just as happy with his ninth-inning single Tuesday evening, thank you. Hendrick, who homered his first three times up to left, to center and to right, no less bounced a basehit to left in the bottom of the ninth, easily scoring Jack Brohamer from second base with the run that boosted the Cleveland -Indians past the Tigers, 8-7.

For the last-place Indians, the rain-delayed, homer-filled victory was their first in seven games and only their third in their last 19 attempts. And, for the Tigers, it was Tribe hero Sp'mx Hendrick Page 4D. one very frustrating evening. Ed Farmer, who came to the Tigers from these same Cleveland Indiads last Friday in a trade for Tom Timmer-man, served up the decisive single to Hendrick but the loss went to Fred Scherman for walking Brohamer. Net Stars Boycott Wimbledon CLEVELAND It is a strange feeling being away from the Tigers for six weeks at a time.

It seems to happen every May and the first part of June. There's the Derby to be covered and the Preakness, too. The 500 comes along at the end of May and, if the Triple Crown is alive, it's the Belmont in the first part of June. Then there is the U.S. Open, the biggest of all the golf tournaments.

I always feel guilty during this time. I feel I should be following the ballclub as well as writing about these other events, but you just can't be in two places at once. The guys were kidding me about it on the bus to the ballpark Tuesday afternoon. "Poor What a tough life He gets to go to the Masters, the Derby and the 500 and the US. Open," grinned Dick Tracewski.

Jim Northrup shot back, "So what? You get to go to such places as Baltimore and Cleveland, and all you have to do is trot down to first base and clap your hands together and they send you money." I appreciated that from Northrup. For once he seemed to understand somebody else's problems. So, as I always do, I sat there and felt a little guilty as I chatted with the players. The truth is, it was good to be back with them. The Tigers Never Change This team has been almost constant in its personnel for years.

I mean, I couldn't imagine the Tigers without Norman Cash goofing around in the lockeroom, or Bill Freehan sitting there, trowining, squeezing a bat, immersed in deep thought. These are my Tigers the Tigers I've come to know so well over the years. We've been together so long that in an odd sort of way, they seem like I write all of this now because of what I saw in the clubhouse before Tuesday night's game. Willie Horton was sitting there and he was beaming, I mean literally beaming. He was grinninng and laughing and joking around with the guys.

Vou can tell when a ballplayer is genuinely happy or just putting it on for the moment. Willie Horton was like a kid who'd just been let out for summer vacation. I thought back to the last time we were in Cleveland. It was for the Opening Day game. Willie hd just been into it with Bil Martin and everyone was wondering just what was going on with this long-time problem child.

Willie called me aside after practice. He said he had some things he wanted to talk about. We sat in the third base dugout at Municipal Stadium and talked for almost an hour. I'm not sure all that Willie was trying to (ell me. He thought I had something personal against him.

I told him no such thing was true. I'm not sure he believed me. There were two very confuse men in the dugout that day. Now, more than two months later, Willie was sitting there, and you could see the change in his face. You could see it in his ryes, the way they litertly sparkled Willie's Not Seared Anymore Maybe this is what happens when you're hitting the ball.

I've seen players turn around and act like different people just because their batting averages were up. You have to be very wary of this type that you are not midled by what they tell you, Willie was bubbling so much that I had to talk to him. Frankly I had hoped he would write this column for me with his comments on why he was playing so well, but that isn't Willie's way I. should have known better. He sat on a pile of towels in the hallway to the dressing room and went over some of his old thoughts about hustling and the way Frank Howard had helped him and how much he enjoyed the game of baseball.

But then, in his own way, he tried to explain why he was feeling so good. "I'm not scared up there any more," he said. "Since I got hit in the eye by that pitch in 1961 1 was afraid to stand at the plate. I was afraid for a long time. "It took me a year and a half to get over that feeling, sol wouldn't be frightened any more.

Now I don't worry any more. I don't even think about it. I just stand there and study the pitcher and watch him when he throws the ball." All the while Willie sat there, I looked at his right wrist. I had no idea how seriously he had been hurt. It is still badly swollen and discolored.

But do you know something? He never mentioned it to me, even though it throbs every time his bat makes contact with the ball. Yes, it's good to be back. AND WOODIE FRYMAN, who led 6-2 at one point, went home emptyhanded. Hendrick's string of home runs was stopped just short of the record four when Mike Strahler walked Indian centerfielder on four pitches in the eighth. Hendrick scored a run In that inning, too, when designated hitter John Ellis followed with his third homer of the year, moving the Indians into an unexpected 7-7 tie.

Charlie Spikes also cleared the fence for the Tribe, while Norm Cash and Dick Mc-Auliffe hit homers for the Tigers in the 25-hit affair that lasted almost four hours according to the clock. Actually, 43 minutes of that time belong to the rain which fell during most of the contest and brought things to a standstill in the top of the sixth. AS IT TURNED out, the Tigers wished the halt had been permanent. They were in front, 6-2, at that time and Fryman seemed well on his way to his third victory after six straight defeats. It was Hendrick's I0th Please turn to Page 4D, Col.

I LONDON wi The world's top tennis stars announced late Tuesday night they will boycott Wimbledon because of the suspension of Yugoslav star Nikki Pilic. More than 70 players, members of the Association of Tennis Professionals, met Tuesday night after a British high court judge refused to quash the suspension of Pilic, and announced their plans to boycott the prestigious Wimbledon classic, due to start next Monday. The players include Americans Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell; Australians John Newcombe, Tony Roche and Fred Stolle, and British stars Mark Cox, Graham Stillwell and Roger Taylor. The Court decision and subsequent boycott announcement which cuild reduce the Wimbledon tournament to a second-rate event came at the end of a long day of uncertainty and tension. In the morning the All-England Club announced its seedings 16 in the men's singles and eight in the women's.

Of the seeded men, 15 had said they would boycott the tournament if Pilic lost his case. STAN SMITH of Pasadena, rated the top spot In men's singles, while Margaret Court of Australia was the No. 1 woman. A total of six U.S. men and three American women were seeded.

Pilic ,13, was suspended first by the Yugoslav Tennis Association and then by the ILTF because he refused to play for his country in the Davis Cup. The All-England Club, loyal to the ILTF, refused to accept his entry for Wimbledon. Pilic asked the high court for interim injunctions against both the ILTF and the Ail-England Club, restraining them from enforcing the ban. DETROIT CLEVELAND MJtanley cf 6 110 BBell 3b 4 0 1 1 1 CBrown dh 2 0 10 WWIIIms If 4 0 1 FHoward dh 2 I 2 0 Gamble 1 0 0 0 Wlforton 1, EE' Sharon 0 0 0 0 Spiuts rf I 1 1 5-sn lb 3 13 1 Duncan .4010 IBrown lb 0 0 0 0 Chmbliss lb 3 10 0' Freehan 499a ih MAulille 5 1 3 3 Brohamr 2b 0 1 0 0 weirnkmn ss 5 0 0 0 Cardenas ss 2 0 0 0 jd i 1 uwenstn ph 1 0 0 0 rrvman I I I I a a a Strhler ..0 0 0 0 Tidrow I 0 A Schermn anna Tim.rm. a a a a farmer 0 0 0 0 Hilgendrf 0 0 0 0 JJohnsn 0 0 0 0 Total 39 7 15 7 Total Two out when winnini run scored 1 Detroit Cleveland 001 231 000 1 100 102 121 OP Cleveland 1.

I OB nelmll Cleveland 5. 2B-McAulifle, A.Rodriauer,. F.Howard. HR-Hendrick 3 (13), Cash It), McAullffe (41, Spikes (141, Ellis SB-Kaline. Duffy.

SF-Kalinc. I IP ER BB SO Fryman 5 2-3 7.4.4 0 Strahler 2.. 2.3 3 3 ..3 Scherman J-3 0 .1 ..1 1 ..0 Farmer 13 10 0.1.0 Tidrow 3 1-3 7 3.3.2.0 Tlmermn 13-3 2.3.3.1.3 HiHendorf 2 2 3 5 1 1 1 4 J.Johnson (W, 3-41 113 1. 0. 0 0 li HBP by Tlmermn (Freehan).

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