Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 29

DETROIT FREE PRESS Tuesdav. Dec. 4, '73 1-C CHERMAN TRADED FOR PAIR OF ASTROS 2dBae olve roMem aeiF 1 iger "1 Infielder Tony Taylor, (left) a 16-year major league veteran the last 2'i with the Tigers, has been given his unconditional release by Detroit. The Tigers have offered him a job in their farm system, but he isn't expected to accept it. He previously played Let It Snow Ski School Is Back with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.

BY JIM HAWKINS "re. Press Sports Writer HOUSTON-Start the baseball season! The Tigers are all set. At least they seem to think they are. Frustrated in their efforts to get Glenn Beckert, outbid by Philadelphia for Dave Cash, the Tigers finally solved their second-base situation Monday by sending reliever Fred Scherman to the Houston Astros for infielder Gary Sutherland and pitcher Jim Ray. AND, TO HEAR them tell it, the Tigers hit the jackpot.

"Sutherland makes the double play as good as anyone who ever played the national pastime," exclaimed super-scout Jack Tighe, who personally touted the Tigers on the 29-year-old second baseman. "And that includes Bill Mazer-oski and Frankie Frisch and all the rest." The Tigers, in fact, are so confident that Sutherland will fill the hoie in the middle of their infield, that they immediately released veteran Tony Taylor to make room on the roster for the two newcomers. As far as incoming manager Ralph Houk is concerned, between Sutherland and rookie John Knox, second base will be well taken care of. And that, really, is the only position Houk was worried about. "The reports all say Sutherland is an excellent defensive second baseman," explained Houk.

"And I liked Knox when I was with the Yankees. He's just never had a chance to win a job over here. "Now we've got two ways to go. Sutherland can also play third base and shortstop, so we'll have more depth in our infield. But I'm certainly going to give him every opportunity to win the second-base job." SUTHERLAND, WHO spent five years in the National League, mostly with Philadelphia and Montreal, batted .294 with 80 RBIs at Denver last season and was the top fielding second baseman in the American Association.

But his lifetime average in the majors is only .238 a fact the Tigers did not overlook. Fred Scherman Traded to Houston Jim Ray New Tiger Hurler PgJli Miiaymi IN 1Mb: As Tighe put it, "what he hits will be a bonus but no Humpty Dumpty walking up to the plate, either. Ray, a righthanded reliever who was 6-4 with six saves for the-Astros last summer, was raised in Holly, and originally was scouted by the Tigers. The 6-foot-l, 195-pound pitcher has been a key figure in the Astros' bullpen since 1968, appearing in a total of 276 games, winning 42 while losing 27. Houk rates Ray in "about the same category as Scherman," which if accurate means, in effect, the Tigers got Sutherland for free.

SCHERMAN WAS the star of the Tiger bullpen in 1971 when he won 10 and saved another 20. But the sudden surge of John Hiller left Scherman in the shadows last summer, and the seldom seen lefthander was a mere 2-2 with one save. Finally, in frustration, he smashed his fist against a cabi-Please turn to Page 5C, Col. 1 Skiers, Take Note: Joe 2, Gas Shortage 0 When December rolls around, can the Free Press' annual Learn-to-Ski School be far behind? Of course not. For the 16th consecutive year the Free Press, in cooperation with three metropolitan Detroit ski areas, will sponsor the largest ski school of its kind, a pair of four-week long instructional sessions that annually attract an enrollment of over 20,000.

The first four-week session begins Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 7-8 at Mt. Brighton, Mt. Holly and Mt. Grampian.

The second set of lessons begins Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 4-5 at the same three areas. SKIERS MAY attend classes either Monday or Tuesday each week, with the first class going out to the slopes at 6 p.m. Other groups form as skiers arrive, with the last lesson set for 9 p.m. each night.

Each lesson lasts 45 minutes to an hour. All the areas are staffed by thoroughly qualified instructors and are equipped with the latest snowmaking machinery, enabling them to amply cover the hills with snow even when Mother Nature doesn't come through. Cost of the entire package lessons, skis, boots, poles and use of the rope tows is $6.50. Ordinarily, the package would cost $14. Skiers with their own equipment pay only $4.

To enroll fill out the accompanying coupon one for each person clip it out and mail, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Learn-to-Ski School, Detroit Free Press, Box 1652, Detroit 48231. Do not send any money. That is payable at the area when you receive your lesson. The gasoline game. Everybody's playing it.

Even me. I tried it over the weekend to see what it's like to get around the state in this time of the energy crisis and it wasn't bad. In fact, it was fun to see if it could be done. drove to Traverse City and back. It was easy.

No trouble at all. I filled up in Traverse City on Saturday night and still have gas in my tank. I think this is our concern whether or not we can make it. Nobody wants to be stranded on a highway or a lonely road. I surely don't.

I don't even know how to change a tire. But I think" there is a fear among us now, created by this crisis, and I am convinced the only way you can get over it is by going out and driving around the state yourself. If they begin rationing gas, that's a whole new game. But in the meantime, I don't see any reason for our skiers or ski operators to be alarmed over the energy crisis. They are concerned, surely, but it's my opinion that you can drive anywhere in the Lower Peninsula on a tank of gas.

You have to use some common sense. You don't fill up on Saturday night and then go tooling around needlessly. You fill up and stay where you are and conserve your gas for Sunday "hen the stations are supposed to be closed. That's my concern that people won't use common sense. I chose' to drive to Traverse City because they have a conglomeration of ski lodges in that area.

I am not a skier myself but when you learn that tourism is the second largest industry in our state, you'd better show some concern for the skiers and snowmobilers and hunters and fishermen and all of the other outdoorsmen in our state. What they do has to have an effect on our economy and, as such, our society. Anyway, here's how it went. I was driving my own car, a1 1972 Pontiac Catalina, which Free Press Learn-to-Ski School Name Mt. Holly Address Mt.

Grampian City Zip Mt. Brighton AP Photo New York Met manager Yogi Berra (left), Boston Red Sox General Manager Dick O'Connell and Texas Ranger manager Billy Martin listen in on the opening round of the player draft in Houston. First Session (Starts Jan. 7-8) or Second Session (Starts Feb. 4-5) Circle the area and session you wish to attend.

Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope so your ticket may be mailed to you. Send family or group applications in one envelope. Mail entries to: SKI SCHOOL, Box 1653, Detroit, 48231. Big Ten to Punish Bo? CHICAGO (AP) The Big Ten's policy making faculty rep resentatives Monday gave commissioner Wayne Duke a vote of confidence and indirectly reprimanded Michigan coach Bo Schembechler in the current Rose Bowl selection controversy. They also directed Duke to take whatever action he deemed proper regarding any "unsportsman-like conduct" in the furor over Ohio State assignment to the Rose Bowl after the Buckeyes and Michigan played a 10-10 season finale tie.

Opening a three-day winter session, the faculty group heard Duke and all 10 athletic directors on the question of Ohio State's Rose Bowl selection which brought a tirade against Duke by Schembechler. A faculty statement said the group found "no evidence whatever that the commissioner 'engineered or in any way influenced the vote of the directors of athletics." Schembechler, who failed to attend the meeting of confer ence football coaches here Fri day, had charged Duke witn manipulating the reported 6-4 pro Ohio State bowl vote by telling the directors about a is a fairly representative car in the full-sized field, along "with the LTDs and Impalas. In other words, nothing out of the ordinary. Detour, Muddy Road Ahead? It is 256 miles from Traverse City to Detroit and before you say Traverse City isn't at the tip of the Lower Peninsula, let me explain. I checked with the Auto Club and it's another 39 miles to the Mackinac Bridge and I figure I could have made that easily.

On the way home from Traverse City, I made a 25-mile detour to visit a place called Ranch Rudolph, where they feature cross-country skiing and Alaskan Huskie sled rides. I live in Southfield but drove all the way to downtown Detroit, right to the Civic Center. Then, to be sure, I tacked on an extra trip to Allen Park (estimate: 10 miles) and then back up the Southfield Freeway to my home (another 10 On this Monday, I had enough left to drive to the office and back another 30 miles. i And there is still some gas in my tank. Those are the statistics and, frankly, even I'm impressed by them.

I didn't think I could go that far. But now let me tell you about my own nature, my own foibles, my own fears and concerns. You see, I wasn't all that sure I could pull it off and my concern first showed itself as I was getting my tank filled at a Clark station (42c per gallon) on Saturday afternoon. I normally sit in my car and pay the guy through the open window. This time I got out and made sure he filled it to the very top.

He got to $5.95 and I urged him: "Keep going, will you." In the parlance of the gas game, I wanted him to "top it off." So click, click, click penny, by penny, by penny he kept the hose running until the gas reached the very top of the tank. I was riding with another fellow and he was saying he had made me feel comfortable. 1 Fear? Yes, fear. I was riding with another fellow and he was saying he had tried to buy a lock for his gas cap but couldn't find any they were all sold out. Siphons and Gas Cap Locks Something else I hadn't thought of! I've never had a lock on my gas tank.

Who'd want to steal my gas? But again I began to worry especially when he said: "Those buggers will siphon the gas right out of your tank." I thought to myself: Naw, who'd ever do that? I could picture some guy putting the hose to his mouth and a mouthful of gas. I could picture him doing it, though. I was ready to dismiss the thought from my mind when my friend said: "Yeah, they're selling more siphon hoses than they are gas caps." As I pulled back into the hotel, I parked my car as close to the front door as possible so that if anyone did want to siphon off my gas they'd have to take the chance of being seen broken coljarbone suffered by star Michigan quarterback Dennis Franklin during the Buckeye-Wolverine game. The faculty representatives' brief statement did not mention Schembechler. But Frank Remington of Wisconsin said the action resulted from the Michigan coach's allegations that Duke "engineered" and influenced the vote.

THE WOOL TEAM: OUR COORDINATED VESTED SPORT COAT AND SLACKS DUO. 'I JV THEY GO TOGETHER IN A NICE, VM UNSELFCONSCIOUS WAY: A SOFT VC. XM BLENDING OF COLOR-COORDINATED I 1 1 TARTAN PLAIDS AND SOLID SHADES. 'fm THE ENSEMBLE COMES TWO WAYS: A PLAID SPORT COAT WITH SOLID dmW COLOR VEST AND SLACKS (AND I Jik MATCHING SOLID COLOR TRIM ON II l'-'-1 THE COAT), OR A SOLID COLOR Urn. wFfc SPO'RT COAT WITH PLAID VEST, IfefA WVi 1 SLACKS, AND TRIM.

ALL IN RICH, VfeS PURE WOOL THE COAT AND VEST ri Bo Schembechler Bo: 'Still Think AFTER THE day-long session, Duke said there was no discussion about revising the conference's basic policy of selecting the "most representative team" to compete in the Rose Bowl. Duke said it was uncertain how long it would require to complete his investigation of the "unsportsmanlike conduct" involved in the contro-v which followed the selection of Ohio State a week ago Sunday. Duke was accompanied by two faculty representatives, Dr. Roy L. Whistler of Purdue, chairman of the conference Rules and Agenda Committee, and Frank J.

Remington, professor of law from Wisconsin, at the news conference. The Big Ten code carries Please turn to Page 5C, Col. 4 I'm Right' BY CURT SYLVESTER frtt Press Sports Writer Bo Schembechler had just finished telling a crowd of at the 1973 Michigan football bust: "I have said what I have had to say and I stand by everything I have said. I still believe that Michigan should have been when he found out about the latest Je- velopment in the Big Ten's Rose Bowl dilemma. Advised of the decision to have Commissioner Wayne Duke investigate Schembech-ler's charges that Duke himself had been guilty of "engineering" the vote in Ohio State's favor, Bo at first declined' comment.

But when he was told there had been a suggestion that Michigan might be penalized for his previous statements, perhaps as severely as taking away bowl privileges, Schem- Please turn to Page iC, Col. 6 by someone in the hotel. We kidded about the gas problem Saturday night. I said: "Why not drive 90 miles an hour, then you're not on the road that long and don't use as much gas." My companion laughed. I added: I think the answer is to drive 30 miles an hour for the fjrst hour so that when you get it up to 50 it'll seem like you're speeding.

Now it's Sunday the time of truth. I started out at 50. Nuts, I decided. It may be un-American but I bumped it up to 60-65. If I was going to give this a test, it was going to be a good test.

At Kalkaska, a gas station was open. I was tempted to stop to top it off. I resisted the urge. That'd be cheating. What fun is that? I went on.

Going through Grayling, the place seemed like a ghost town. Station after station was closed. It was eerie, but also nice. It teemed like what Sunday must have been like in the long ago before we had supermarkets and department stores and gas stations. My first jolt came when the gas needle moved off I didn't like that.

But it seemed to hang there for a long while. It moved quickly through the middle of the dial, then slowed up again. My real concern came when it was on almost 4 while I was still north of Pontiac. but as I said, I made it in to the city, out to Allen Park, up to Southfield, back to the city and home again. The only thing we have to fear is fear Dolphins Fight Off Steelers -Page 5D STORES OPEN TUESDAY EVENING EXCEPT WOODWARD (NEAR STATE) Til 6 P.M..

GRAND RIVER GREENFIELD AND BIRMINGHAM TIL 5:30.