Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 49

DETROIT FREE PRESS Wednesday. July 14, '76 1-D BASEBALL SHOWS ITS SHORT MEMORY Aaron 's 715th HR Most Memorable? Media in Philly Flabbergasted After Bird Talk Dick Young, sports editor of the New York Daily News, was another who witnessed both events. "How could anyone even compare them?" said Young. "One was orchestrated, the other came with a powerful impact." The vote was taken among "the nation's media and select baseball officials." Aaron received 485 of the 2,391 ballots cast. Thomson received 419.

"It just proves that some people can't remember anything beyond yesterday," said Young. DON LARSEN'S PERFECT game in the 1956 World Series finished third in the voting, followed by Ruth's controversial "called shot" home run in the 1932 World Series and Joe Di-Maggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941. I saw Thomson's home run on TV and was in Atlanta the night Aaron hit his 715th homer. Thomson's homer produced raw emotion while Aaron's produced only a sense of relief that the whole ordeal was over. Thomson's homer came In the most climactic of situations, Aaron's in a pumped-up circus-like setting.

Aaron's homer received considerably more publicity than Thomson's, and that probably did as much as anything to sway the vote in his favor. And there's not much doubt which of the two is more saleable in today's mafftet. BY JOE FALLS Fret Press Sports Editor PHILADELPHIA Hank Aaron's home run over Bobby Thomson's home run? Somebody is kidding. But that's the way it went Tuesday as baseball announced its most memorable moment in history along with its most memorable personality. Babe Ruth was named the game's most memorable personality and his selection was warmly recceived by those in attendance at the All-Star Game.

The Babe's charm proved to be as strong as ever as he won over such colorful characters as Casey Stengel, Dizzy Dean, Willie Mays and Ted Williams. BUT THINGS GOT a little sticky when commissioner Bowie Kuhn said that Aaron's 715th home run won out over Thomson's home run which gave the New York Giants their last-ditch victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1951 playoff game for the National League pennant. made it so strange and so awkward is that Aaron himself did not think his 715th homer was the most memorable of his career. He picked the one he hit in 1957 to wrap up the flag for the Milwaukee Braves. PHILADELPHIA Bird Watching: Bruce Keiden, Philadelphia Inquirer "If you think Mark Fidrych has an unorthodox pitching style, you ought to catch his act as a public speaker.

"It is three parts frenzy, one part anarchy and two parts 33 RPM record being played at 78 RPM. Randy Jones listened to him for five minutes, then ran up a white flag. 'I'm supposed to follow he asked. "Listening to The Bird is like watching 'Hellzapoppin'." Stan Hochman, Philadelphia News "The Bird knows as long as he keeps winning, he can keep his kinky hair cascading past his ear-lobes. He knows as long as he keeps winning, he can keep babbling to baseballs, keep grooming the mound between innings, keep embracing his teammates after splendid plays.

"He is an idea whose time has come. Maybe the guy who designed the Edsel dreamed him up. Something gawky and Please turn to Page 4D, Col. 5 To make matters even more embarrassing, the writers and broadcasters spent about a half hour talking to Thomson about his historic homer while Aaron got only one question about his homer. That's when he said the one in 1957 was bigger.

In fact, Aaron said the strongest feeling he had about hjs historic 715th which broke Ruth's record is that he was glad to get it over with so he could get back to playing baseball. AARON SPENT MOST of his time talking about the poor press he received while playing in Milwaukee and Atlanta, as opposed to the press other players received by playing in New York or Los Angeles. He said, "I went after the record because it was the only way I could get the respect which I justly deserved." "I saw both home runs and there was no comparison," said Milt Richman, spots editor of the United Press International. "There was never anything to match Thomson's homer for pure drama." NL Ruffles The Bird's Feathers, 7-1 p.uun JJJtoflJ" iimrrTTTi I 'L 4 LeFlore Knows hist yl Where 11 eh Going BY JOE FALLS Free Press Sports Editor PHILADELPHIA Oh, well it was not a night to remember for The Bird. Larry Bowa got a louder ovation and Jerry Ford had more stuff on the ball.

Win some, lose some. Mark Fidrych talked to the ball as advertised Tuesday night, biit all he said to it was "bye-bye" as the National League roughed him up for the deciding runs en route to a 7-1 romp over the American League in the All-Star Game at Veterans Stadium. But don't feel bad, Bird. The AL has been blowing thesp games since you were in kindergarten. The count now stands 2S-18-1 in favor of the National League, which has won 13 of the last 14 games, including the last five in a row.

WHAT? YOU SAY The Bird doesn't feel bad? "Naw, how can I feel bad. Wow, I can't believe I'm even here," the young man said after giving up four hits and two runs in his two-inning stint as the AL starter. "I only gave up two hits," he added. The Bird meant two runs, but who was quibbling? How often do you start an All-Star Game and meet the President of the United States all in one evening at the tender age of 21. "It's the biggest thrill of my life," said Fidrych.

"Up until now, the biggest thing that's happened to me was nothing. Now I've even got an All-Star ring. I never even had a high school ring." So they may have broken Fidrych's service but they couldn't break his spirit. When his two-inning stint was over, he went racing from the field as if trying to make the U.S. Olympic team, Swoo-o-o-sh! He went down the steps, up the runway and Please turn to Page 4D, Col.

1 UPI Photo League skipper Sparky Anderson of Cincinnati as he walks to his box seat at Veterans Stadium. President Ford chats with American League manager Darrell Johnson of Boston and National PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia: City of Freedom. "Yeah," smiled Ron LeFlore, "isn't it something here?" While the others have been flocking around The Bird and partying up at the All-Star Game, LeFlore has sort of remained by himself. He has been walking the streets of the city with his parents, just taking in the sights and sounds of old Philadelphia. He doesn't have to tell you what it means to be here.

His eyes do that. They are wide and filled with wonder. Five years ago he saw the All-Star Game from the mess hall at Jackson Prison. They had to petition the warden to let them see it and he had to get permission from the Corrections Department in Lansing. LeFlore saw Reggie Jackson put one into the lights in Tiger Stadium "just like he said he was going to do," said LeFlore.

It is five summers later now and LeFlore was leading off and playing leftficld for the American League, while Jackson well, who knows where Jackson was Tuesday night. Probably watching the game on TV. It's been almost like a never-never world for LeFlore sine arriving in Philadelphia on Sunday night, they had a car waiting for him at the airport to take him and his family to town. They also gave him an All-Star ring. LeFlore was looking at the ring at breakfast Tuesday.

He is tiot a demonstrative guy. He holds his feelings in most of the time. But you could see the gleam in his eyes and he showed the ring to those at the table. "I don't think I'm ever going to take this one off, not even for a World Series ring," he said. "This is my first ring." LeFlore was sitting with Bob Woolf, the Boston attorney who represents some of the biggest names in sports.

LeFlore is one of his clients. "Amazing, isn't it, how far he's come," Woolf said. "I remember Ron telling me how he used to do calesthenics in his ell at night just so he could get himself tired enough so he imid go to sleep. "And now all this All-Star Game a Big Thrill LeFlore knows exactly where he's at in life. "I know I'm in the All-Star Game," he said.

"It's not like a dream, or anything like that. I'm here and I know what I've got to do and 1 only hope I can do it "The big thing is that the people put me here because of my hudsorispflljj f3rr No Frown On Fidrych After Game PHILADELPHIA Star Gazing: Mark Fidrych took his All-Star defeat the way he takes most things in life smiling. The National League knocked him around, driving him out after only two innings, but the young man from Detroit was beaming after it was over. It was a thrill just to be in there. "Damn, I didn't show them what I could," said The Bird.

"But I loved being put there. It was really neat. I was up for it but damn they knocked me out of there." The TV cameras followed I -mjs ability. It means they're taking me as a I I jmSA ball player now and forgetting my past. get into the swing with savings from Hudson's into the dressing room.

If they The Bird all over even back-were looking for a frown, they didn't find any. i uat jiiauo 11111- iu inv man aiiyuuug else. "It shows me that this country isn't all that bad." It is curious watching the other players greet LeFlore. They all come up to him with a big smile and pump his hand vigorously. These are the National League players, too.

"Hey, nice to have you here, guy." "Good to see you, Ron. I've heard a lot of nice things about you." "Hey, knock 'em dead in the game." LeFlore smiles about it all. "That's the big thrill to me. Meeting all these Golf Pro Spot Ron LeFlore President Ford played it right down the middle in tossing out the ceremonial first ball. He threw one lefthanded and one righthanded.

Ford paused to talk to Baltimore's Bobby Grich in the American League dressing room. Their'conversation went like this: Ford: "That was a long Please turn to Page 4D, Col. 6 sale 99.99 sale 29.99 Mark Fidrych players I've heard about and read about," he said. "They've all been super to me." They all know where LeFlore came from and LeFlore knows it himself. "You know, you always hear how the people who are on drugs are so bad," he said.

"Well, 1 go back to the old places where I grew up and I see these people. I don't feci any jealousy from them, no resentment. "It's just the opposite. They look at me and say, 'Hey, man, get out of here. You shouldn't even be They know I've been lucky that I was able to get out and they don't want to see me get hurt.

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Long distance Surlyn cover, 90 compression plus. Golf Pro Spot, all stores except Grand Rapids. How 3 Tigers Did In All-Star Game Special to tho Free Press PHILADELPHIA Mark Bird Fidrych sadly discovered Tuesday night that life as an All-Star Game starting pitcher is not all interview autographs and adulation. The Detroit rookie righthander got no respect at all from a murderous National League lineup, particularly the world champion Cincinnati Reds, and. was tagged for four hits and two runs in his two innings of work at Veterans Stadium.

Fidrych, who left the game trailing, 2-0, was the losing pitcher in the National League's 7-1 victory. Ron LeFlore and Rusty Staub, who comprised two-thirds of the AL's starting outfield, did well in four plate appearances. LeFlore led off the game with a single to leftfield off San Diego lefthander Randy Jones and wound up l-for-2 for the night. Staub ripped singles to rightfield off Jones and New York Mets righthander Tom Seaver in his only two at-bats. THE BIRD WAS NOT effective in the first inning, giving up a and a triple to the NL's first two batters, Pete Rose of Cincinnati and Steve Garvey of Los Angeles.

In Fidrych's defense, however, it appeared Garvey might have been held to a single, but the ball caromed off the artificial' surface and over rightfielder Staub's glove. Staub then fell down and had to chase the ball to the wall. Rose scored on the play and Garvey himself trotted home moments later when Cincinnati's George Foster grounded out. in the second inning, Fidrych surrendered a leadoff single to Ciiicy's Johnny Bench and a one-out single to another Red, Dave Concepcion, but escaped further damage. The Bird threw just 21 pitches in his two innings of striking out one and walking none.

The First Ring Means a Lot LeFlore talks softly whenever he discusses his past. His voice grows even softer when he talks about the way his life has turned for hin. "Coming here playing in this game seeing all Ihese people it means that I'm part of society now," he said. "I'm a part of something I've never been a part of before. The thing that pleases me the most is that people the ones who voted for me respect my ability.

That means more than anything else to me." A year ago LFlore took his mother to Milwaukee just so she could see an AU-Star Game in person. Now, to be here, with her son in the starting lineup you could see the pride in Georgia LeFIore's eyes, too. "I'm going back to Puerto Rico," said LeFlore. "I've still got so much to learn. I try to learn every day in every way I can.

I think I'm getting better. "The guy I really appreciate is Harvey Kuenn. He was my manager in Puerto Rico and he straightened me out as a hitter. "I used to go for home runs. I'm a strong guy and I'd be ltting in the clubhouse and I knew the other guys were looking at me and thinking, 'Hey, if you're so strong, how come you're not hitting more home "So I used to swing for them, just so they'd accept me.

Now I know I'm not a home run hitter. Kuenn taught me that. He made me promise I would never let anyone try to make a pull hitter out of me. Harvey Kuenn is one fantastic man." As he spoke, LeF lore kept touching the ring with the fingers of his right hand. Not nervous.

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