Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 19

1CD CETBOIT FREE PRESS TUESDAY. MAY 16, 198 1 Good glove? Now it's good Tiger Poster fio. 2 Emm mmmn i rv hit, too! xisU Wi- tLi wl Ill fell rn ni 1 Gardening in Michigan: 3 i a harvest of adventure Michigan Week begins Saturday, praise be, so let us fall in and count off as the parade forms in honor of our grand and glorious state THE GARDEN had no sooner been roto-tilled than Miss Fern took to her hands and knees and planted two rows of peas. In the nearly 50 years of our association (going on 44 married) she has never relinquished the notion that fresh creamed peas and new small potatoes make one of the finest dishes this side of New Orleans gumbo. How bedrock Midwestern can you get? Since moving to the country we have learned there is a good deal of adventure connected with gardening in Michigan.

This adds spice to the investment of time and seed and makes us happy we do not live in Rhode Island, let us say, where nothing untoward ever happens. The weather is perhaps the least of the uncertainties confronted by the gardener in our neck of the woods. As a matter of fact, there is no record of a season so sparse in sunshine that peas did not mature. If you have enough patience, your efforts will be rewarded with something. The reputation of our climate suffers from the inability of the weather bureau to forecast it.

We probably get more punk information than the citizens of any other region, including Alaska. This keeps us on tenterhooks and causes us to wallow in skepticism and ill-humor, like the folks who heard the little boy holler "wolf!" too often. In short, our weather is better than what we expect from it or say about it. We are the exact opposite of Floridians, who have been brainwashed into bragging about how good their weather is. If you could get them to tell you the truth about May through September, you wouldn't shiver just thinking about January.

WHERE WERE WE? Oh, yes Michigan Week and the adventures of gardening. Never a dull moment. Out our way, it is a battle of wits between the two-leggeds and the four-leggeds, and ties don't count. The gardener has to keep in mind that in addition to yj By JIM HAWKINS Free Press Sports Writer Ask a half-dozen people who is the finest fielding third baseman in the American League and, chances are. at least five will answer "Aurelio Rodriguez." In fact, people have been saying that for nearly a decade now.

The amazing thing is, even though Rodriguez has been making those incredible catches and eliminating enemy runners with his rifle arm for nine summers, the talented Tiger third baseman is still only 30 years old. In addition, Aurelio, who is generally considered to be without peer when it comes to playing his position, has finally begun to hit this year the way the Tigers thought he would when they eagerly acquired him from the Washington Senators following the 1970 season as part of that famous eight-player trade that featured Denny McLain. That combination of gifted glove and blistering bat might be sufficient to put Rodriguez on the American League All-Star team this summer for the first time in his career. After all, it's the fans who elect the All-Stars. And although Aurelio's name is mysteriously missing from this year's punch-card ballots, his wide-spread popularity, particularly among Tiger followers, guarantees him an abundance of write-in votes.

RODRIGUEZ'S POPULARITY with his teammates as well as with the public is easy to understand. Whether he is swinging a hot bat, as he is right now, or whether he is mired in a severe slump, Aurelio always seems to have a warm smile on his face. He has been criticized at times for being too carefree. But by nature, Rodriguez is a genuinely happy man. During the off-season, he lives with his wife, Maria, and their four-year-old son Aurelio Jr.

in the new home he recently built in his native Cananea, Mexico. However, Rodriguez's family accompanies him to training camp each spring and spends much of the summer with him in Detroit. UNTIL HE WAS hobbled by a series of injuries last season, Rodriguez was a fulltime performer for the Tigers, appearing in nearly all of their games for five years in a row. Nevertheless, each winter he also plays in Mexico, where he was discovered by the California Angels in 1966 at the age of 18. At the time, he was billed as "the most expensive player ever purchased from a Latin league." A year later, Rodriguez reached the major leagues with the Angels.

In April 1970, apparently on the brink of stardom, he was traded to the Washington Senators along with Rick Reichardt for Ken McMullen. The following fall, much to the delight of Tiger fans, he was traded to Detroit. ft A AMD I 1 I IT 15 ClOQDi WJk WITH OCCASIONAL himself and his heirs and assigns, he also has to figure on feeding the rabbits, the squirrels, the chipmunks, the raccoons, the possums, the deer, and other critters too numerous to mention. It takes a heap of planting to fill all of those tummies. And there are times when the two-leggeds are left holding the sack in the TC I I K' i of .4 4-s ft1 -srX 4 "i J' t'-, 1.

ft Career Highlights MAJORS Was purchased by Angels after two seasons in native Mexico, traded to Senators in April, 1970, then to Tigers that October, alrady established as one of game's top third basemen. Showed good power 1970 with Angels-Senators: 33 doubles, 19 homers. Reached batting peak 1971 with Tigers at .253. Was only 00002 from top in fielding among 1973 American League third basemen; broke through for first Gold Glove trophy 1976 with 978 fielding average, highest in league at third base Traded to Tigers with infielder Ed Brinkman and pitchers Jim Hannan and Joe Coleman for infielders Elliott Maddox and Don Wert and pitchers Denny McLain and Norm McRaeonOct. 9, 1970.

MINORS Spent two seasons at Fresnillo (Class A Mexican Center) and Jalisco (Class AA Mexican League) before 1966 purchase at age of 18 by Angels. In shuttle to Seattle and El Paso during 1966-68 seasons with best minor league marks in 1967: .327 In 79 games at El Paso, .308 in 51 games at Seattle. Free Press Photo by ALAN KAMUDA snipe hunt. More than one gardener can make you cry, almost, with a tale of how the raccoons wiped out the sweet corn the night before it was to be served to deprived friends and relatives from the city. We have rabbits as big as cocker spaniels, fat and sassy from bellying up to the lettuce bed at midnight.

For that matter, our crows, conditioned on 39-cents-a-package seeds, would make marvelous fighting cocks if you could catch them. However, the most exciting of all adventures comes when you garden new soil, especially if it has been rescued from woodlot. What will the harvest be? LAST YEAR, Miss Fern produced one of the gol-dangest crops of stalks, vines and shoots the realm of horticulture has ever experienced. She had one tomato plant that grew so big and mean looking Old Yeller got afraid to lift his leg on it, and you could have hit flies to the outfield with the roots on her radishes. The harvest was amazing in a weird sort of way.

Patently the nutrients, or whatever you call them, in the soil were out of sync, so during the winter we took a can of it to the Livingston County Co-operative Extension Service for analysis. Pour on the limestone and the 6-24-24 fertilizer, they recommended, and this done we are now awaiting the miracles. Last year vines, this year tomatoes! Yes indeedy. THERE IS so much more to Michigan, My Michigan than we ever seem able to put into words. There are times when we wish others with space at their command would join in the thumping of the drum, for our state needs and deserves more acclaim than it has been receiving on a number of fronts.

Problems we have, to be sure, but we abound in assets, also. Very few states offer such a variety in life-styles, ranging from a great metropolitan area to the remoteness of a village in the Upper Peninsula. We are in the national view in commerce, industry, higher education, sports, the arts, the pace of living, seasons around. What do you want out of life? The chances are you can find it without roaming, right here in Michigan, My Michigan. Born: Cananea, Sonora, Mexico, 12-28-47(30).

5-foot-l 1,180 lbs. Bats right, throws right. Married: Maria Arce, 12-8-71. Child: Au-relio Jr. 12-23-73.

Avg. Cms AB Runs Hits 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AB Runs Hits 552 103 162 BB SO SB 34 62 10 68 153 .253 154 604 2B 3B HR RBI 26 9 25 104 110 3 17 16 3 53 2 13 7 0 9 6 .236 .222 153 601 160 555 15 39 27 93 13 56 28 104 9 58 31 85 5 49 26 70 30 23 27 23 20 65 142 46 123 54 127 47 124 Year 1965 1966 1967 1968 2 0 6 Year 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Club Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit Detroit 1 6 0 17 43 4 6 13 60 30 63 1 Club Fresnillo Jalisco Jalisco Seattle Ei Paso Seattle California California Seattle California Avr. .293 .260 .292 .254 .327 .308 .238 .242 .249 .232 .249 Cms 138 15 135 17 79 51 29 76 46 159 159 9 11 0 2 47 17 .222 159 571 .245 151 507 .240 128 480 .219 96 306 .344 18 61 5 29 2 21 50 480 59 309 185 130 223 181 561 610 5 13 64 140 6 15 49 101 18 57 14 31 14 54 21 45 47 130 70 152 40 115 13 30 67 14 11 21 5 8 50 19 61 10 32 16 36 2 10 5 7 0 1 0 4 0 20 12 3 10 8 17 33 1 8 1 16 MISCELLANY Played baseball and basketball at Leona Vicario High School in hometown of Cana- I nea, Sonora, and at Martires de 1906 College. Winter baseball player in Mexico regularly except 1976, 17 36 6 25 1969 1970 32 88 5 40 87 15 19 83 .238 1442 5209 506 1239 218 41 103 510 273 751 34 following ankle injury. Major League totals liy sssweiiiliy Graham Rodd ly won't wed Meg; aggers to split RODDY LLEWELLYN, sipping mint tea in the heart of Tangier's Casbah, broke the silence on his relationship with Britain's Princess Margaret by ahn- nimrino thp tun will Wl never marry.

"There is QUESTION-As a result of sny own foolishness I have wrecked my marriage, but I am now back in a right relationship with God and am praying that God will bring my wife and family back to me. Can you give me any R. R. ANSWER You have been through some hard times I am sure, but it is thrilling that you have found God in the midst of these. It is also good that you have faced your personal responsibility for your marital problems.

By all human reasoning it would seem right for you to be reunited with your wife and family, and you should seek this while submitting yourself always to the will of God. You will want to let your family know of the fresh stand you have taken and of your own feelings about the past. no chance of us getting married for personal reasons," the 31 -year-old brewery heir and pop singer announced. "I am saying categorically that I will never marry Princess The 47-year-old princess, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, will divorce her estranged Llewellyn 'exaggerated' nent rock 'n' rollers, Jagger has amassed a fortune estimated at $7.28 million, but it was reported that when he married Bianca, a diplomat's daughter, she waived any claims to his property in case of a split. They have a six-year-old daughter, Jade.

FRANK COLLIN, American Nazi leader, faces a revolt from within his party. Collin's father is Jewish and a survivor of the Dachau concentration camp, it has been proved. Fellow goosesteppers threaten mutiny. The strange case of Collin, who was raised as a Roman catholic by an Irish mother, parallels that of Daniel Burros. Burros, also a Nazi leader and organizer in the Ku Klux Klan, killed himself 11 years ago after New York newspapers revealed that he was Jewish.

Collin has also stirred a mild uproar in Detroit; Channel 2 newscaster Beverly Payne temporarily resigned last year to protest a colleague's interview with the neo-Nazi. DALE EVANS calls herself "a tired old cowgirl" disturbed by hard-line women's libbers. Children, says the wife of cowboy star Roy Rogers, should be a mother's No. 1 priority. Counting adoptions and children from previous marriages, the couple have reared eight little cowpokes.

DANNY KAYE raised his fly swatter and waved it in the air. There were no insects in Severance Hall, though; it just seemed like a proper tool to conduct the Cleveland Orches ft li, tra through "The Flight of the Bumble Bee." An audience of 2,000 roared with laughter at the benefit performance, which matched the entertainer in a Japanese-language vocal duet with violinist Keiko Furiyoshi. DINAH SHORE has a new ring. Her on-of romance with Burt Reynolds switched for the better after he ushered her to a swank New York jewelry store last week. JOHN SIRICA, the Watergate case judge, among the hundreds of politicians and celebrities on this spring's commencement circuit.

Speaking to graduates at Mt. St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, he recalled the most important moment of Watergate as the grand jury vote to subpena President Nixon's secret tapes. Students should keep the faith, the federal judge said, "because if a little Italian guy named Sirica had the opportunity and made it, then you surely can make it too." SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY was asked to give words of wisdom at Ole Miss and was greeted warmly on the same campus occupied by federal troops in 1962 by order of his brother, President John Kennedy.

In fact, officials of the Oxford campus of the University of Mississippi reported that many of the 1,064 graduates participated in the ceremonies only because the Yankee Democrat, who wore a Rebel lapel pin, was main speaker. The subject? A warning against a too-powerful federal jpovernment, of course. 4,1 "8 v. l'- k3 husband, Lord Snowdon, the royal palace announced last week. Roddy insisted that he was not responsible for the divorce, and maintained that his fondness for Meg was greatly exaggerated.

Hhe added, however, that he plans to continue seeing the princess. AP Photo Among celebrities wearing gowns for commencement speeches Is Bob Hope, who stands outside the Spokane Coliseum after receiving an honorary degree from Gonzaga Unlversitty. Hope addressed graduates there In memory of hll longtime friend, Bing Crosby. BIANCA JAGGER wants to roll on without Mick. The Nicaraguan wife of the lead Rolling Stone began divorce proceedings to end the sometimes shaky seven-year marriage, one of the world's most publicized matches.

The announcement follows reports that Jagger's new companion is Texas model Jerry Hail. As one of the world's most promi- CAN'T I VVINPOW-6HOP.