Detroit Free Press du lieu suivant : Detroit, Michigan • Page 10

If, if, if Sunday, Oct. 1, 1978 It was a season of 'its' SPORTS PEOPLE 2 for the Tigers, starting FOOTBALL SCORES 8 with pitcher Mark OUTDOORS 10 Fidrych. Page 11 INSIDE OF 11 Today's television highlights: NBC 1:00 p.m. NFL: Houston at Cleveland CBS 2:00 p.m. NFL: Detroit vs.

Green Bay NBC 4.00 p.m. NFL: Oakland at Chicago CBS 5:00 p.m. World Series of Golf 1 t. DETROIT FREE PRESS Yankees win to 1-ffame 9 Figueroa bags 20lh victory, 7-0; N.Y. can clinch East title today Eckersley wins his 20th, 5-1; 'pressure's on' Yanks, Bosox say pennant rcccs 2t a gbncQ LJ cling lead C7 -C "VI HP American League EAST Pet.

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ing him pitch today." Zimmer was less enthused about the prospects of catching the Yanks, even though the Sox have won seven straight and 11 of 13. "What the hell can we do about it? We're doing everything we can we're winning every day," Zimmer said. Catcher Carlton Fisk provided all the support Eckesley needed when he drove in two runs to key a four-tun first inning. Trailing 1-0 In the first Inning due to Roy Howell's eighth homer of the season, the Red Sox reached loser Jesse Jefferson, 7-16, for four runs when Rick Burleson reached on a Howell error. Burleson advanced to third on Jerry Remy's double and Jim Rice walked to load the bases.

BOSTON (UPI) The New York Yankees clinched a tie Saturday for the American League East title but Boston's Dennis Eckersley still feels the burden is on New York to win the AL East title. "Tomorrow is it," said Eckersley, who pitched a five-hitter to record his 20th win as the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 Saturday to stay one game behind New York. "Everybody will know what pressure is, but it's more on them (the Yankees) than on us. They have to wait for every out. We can't do anything but go out and play," he said.

Eckersley fanned nine and walked one to push his record to 20-8. It was the 16th complete game for the Red Sox ace. "What a year that kid had," Said Red Sox manager Don Zimmer. "It was great watch Red Sox kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. So Sunday's two games will decide.

If the Yankees complete their coveted clean sweep of this three-game weekend session with the Indians, it won't matter what the Red Sox do against Toronto. New York will be in. If the Yankees should lose to Cleveland and Boston beats Toronto, there will be a one-game, winner-take-all duel in Boston Monday afternoon. Finally, if the Yankees and Boston both lose, New York, which still enjoys one-game lead, will be off to Kansas City again. Please turn to Psge 4E By JIM HAWKINS Free Press Sports Writer NEW YORK So, the supposedly impossible, two-month-long uphill struggle of the New York Yankees has now come down to one game.

Nine innings of all-or-possibly-nothing baseball against the seemingly outclassed Cleveland Indians Sunday afternoon with another trip to the American League playoff waiting just one more win away. Ed Figueroa saw to that Saturday, as the Yankee righthander shut out the Indians on five hits, 7-0, to become the first native-born Puerto Rican 20-game winner In major league history. It was no contest, actually, as the sizzling Yankees crushed Cleveland with an 11 -hit barrage while up in Boston the second place National League UPl Ptwto EAJT Pet. CB -PMl4Jtoflie 71 Piltwn 73 544 J'l PHILADELPHIA AAA (1). PIIH-burh 1.

Oci 1 PITTSBURGH HOME (I). Philadelphia on i i-PMsdJUMe Mill pmw. Boston manager Don Zim-mer was in a joking mood Saturday, but that was before the Yankees clinched a tie for the AL East pennant. What letdown? U-M rolls, 52-0 Falls Top 20 teams How the Top 20 teems In the Associated Press maior college football pot tared: mm ma. WWTT WtfSGaj i a.

i mm IT By TOM HENDERSON Fret Pres Sports Writer ANN ARBOR Third-ranked University of Michigan, putting together its best offensive and defensive performances of the season, scored repeatedly on long drives Saturday afternoon as the Wolverines rolled to a 52-0 slaughter of previously unbeaten Duke. So much for a letdown by the Wolverines after last weekend's big win over Notre Dame. The Blue and Gold were awesome. They rolled to 478 yards in total offense knocking off touchdown drives of 50, 81, one, 69, 68, 79 and 40 yards while holding Duke to the unbelievably low total of 76 yards in 47 offensive plays. Statistics sometimes lie, but they spoke the gospel on a drizzly Saturday, as a Michigan Stadium crowd of 104,832 the 18th straight crowd of more than 100,000 in Ann Arbor watched their team go ahead by seven points after one quarter, 24 after two and 38 after three.

For example, Duke managed just 28 yards in the first half, including the miniscule total of six on 15 plays in the second quarter. It hardly got better for the Blue Devils in the second half. They managed just 48 yards in the second half and for the day could muster but six first downs. DUKE ONLY CROSSED midfield once all day, getting to the U-M 39 in the second quarter before stalling. Michigan, in contrast, breezed to 29 first downs and controled each quarter correction, the Wolverines controled each minute.

They outgained the Devils in the first quarter, 114 yards to 22; in the second quarter by 66-6; in the third quarter by 153-20; and the fourth by 145-28. Michigan, who the bookies figured were 17 points better than the Devils, moved at will, scoring on eight of their 12 possessions to run the series record to 6-0. The Wolverines even dominated after coach Bo Schembechler put his second-string backfield into the game early in the third quarter with the score 31-zip. But Rick Leach's backup, B.J. Dickey, looked every bit as good as Leach.

He took the team to three more scores, passing and running as if he were the all-Big Ten signal caller. The early substitutions prevented anyone on Michigan from having an outstanding day instead it became a true team effort. Harlan Huckleby, who had 76 yards rushing in the first 1 OKLAHOMA (44) beat Missouri, 45-23 2 ARKANSAS (34) beat Tutsa. 21-13 3 SOUTHERN CAL (44) beat Michigan State, 30-9 4 MICHIGAN (34) beat Duke. 524 5 PENN STATE (5-0) beat Texas Christian, 58-0 I TEXAS (24) vs.

Texas Tech, night 7 ALABAMA (3-1) beat Vanoerbitt, 51-28 I TEXAS ABM (3-0) beat Memphis State, 584 PITTSBURGH (34) beat North Carolina, 20-16 10 FLORIDA STATE (34) vs. Houston, night 11 LOUISIANA STATE (24) vs. Rice, night 12 NEBRASKA (3-1) beat Indiana. 63-17 13 OHIO STATE (2-1) beat Baylor. 34-28 14 MISSOURI (2-2) tost to Oklahoma, 45-23 15 MARYLAND (44) beat Kentucky.

20-3 1 COLORADO (34) vs. Northwestern 17 IOWA STATE (44) beat Drake. 35-7 IS UCLA (2-1) vs. Minnesota, night 11 GEORGIA (24) vs. South Carolina, night 20 STANFORD (2-1) vs.

Tulane Grandma Leach cheers silently as Rick leads U-M ANN ARBOR Rick Leach sprints to his left in search of a receiver. Nobody is free. So he just keeps running, directing his blockers like a traffic cop, and races into the end zone. Touchdown, Michigan and 104,832 fans break into a thunderous roar. Well, make that 104,831.

Grandma Leach just sits there and smiles. Grandma Leach is sort of a special person around here. She is a deaf mute and has been so for almost her entire life. So all her cheers must be silent cheers. But just watch her one of these Saturdays.

Nobody has more fun at these games than Grandma Leach. She is 74 years old but acts like a teeny hopper whenever No. 74n the Maize and Blue does anything. She is but a wisp of a woman and smiles because that's the polite thing to do, but it always gets to her and she is on her feet thrusting her fist to the sky and applauding and hugging everyone around her. It is quite a love story that takes place in section 23.

Grandma Leach has seen her grandson in every game of football he has ever played, high school and college, home and away. She has known the glory of South Bend and the bitterness of Pasadena. She brought the candy on Saturday and had a wonderful time, thank you. They came out in two cars, this Leach family, and they were scattered throughout the giant stadium. But Grandma Leach sits In section 23 because that's the one behind the Michigan bench and that's where she can get the best look at No.

7 in the Maize and Blue. i His exploits paper the tvalls Rick used to wave to her on those Friday nights at Flint Southwestern. No more. Heavens, no. "He wouldn't dare do it," she said.

"Bo might get mad." Grandma Leach does her talking through her hands. Ball State half, ended up with 84 on the day in 22 carries. Leach who only tossed five passes, completing two, was next with 72 HrifTlllin tPS yards on eight attempts, and following him were Roosevelt vl Ulllltl I sO Through her hands and those of her son Dick Leach, who is Rick's Smith (66 yards), Russell Davis (64 yards) and Lawrence Reld (58 yards). k'Vs -jirXj father. They ve all learned to talk to fy Grandma, so that it is the most I AjT natura' thing in the world.

1 Fff'S Sp "The nice thing is that she can't Grandma breaks up at the comment. Both of Rick Leach's grandparents were deaf mutes. Each was THE SCORING WAS JUST as balanced. Davis got the opening touchdown on a fourth and one from the one midway through the first quarter; Leach scored from the 12 on a third and five just into the second quarter, Huckleby notched the third and fourth touchdowns, on one- and two-yard plunges; Reid blasted in from the two for the fifth TD late in the third quarter; Smith danced in from six out in the fourth; and Ralph Clayton caught a TD pass from Dickey to close the scoring out Please turn to Page 8E i str.icKen oy a cntidnood disease. I 1 I They met at the Michigan School that's how they fell UPI Photo Rick Leach's teammates congratulate him after the senior quarterback scored the Wolverines' second touchdown in Michigan's runaway victory over Duke.

in love. Grandpa Leach worked 46 Vi years at the Fisher Body plant in Grandma Leach Houk happy Tm leaving Tigers win -J, TT ills IS 1 over Birds under such good conditions 9 By CHARLIE VINCENT CMU, 27-0 By BRIAN BRAGG Free Press Sports Writer MT. PLEASANT Ball State outblocked, out-tackled and outran Central Michigan's embarrassed Chippe-was here Saturday in a 27-0 rout that established the Cardinals as the team to beat in the Mid-American Conference football race. The visitors from Indiana also outf umbled CMU, but the Chippewas' fumble recoveries three of them inside the Central 20 served no purpose except to hold down the score. Ball State, now a perfect 4-0 (all in the MAC), simply had too much talent for the Chippewas, who slipped to 2-1 in the conference and 2-2 overall.

It was the first time Central had been shut out in 77 games dating back to the 1971 season and the Chippewas never even came close to a score in this one. BALL STATE rolled up a 17-0 edge after one quarter, with flashy quarterback Dave Wilson throwing for two touchdowns, and Central could never get untracked. The Cardinals tallied another TD In the third period and added the final insult with a fourth-period field goal. "They completely dominated us up front," admitted a crestfallen CMU coach Herb Deromedl. "They closed off the seams for our backs they took away the option play, they pursued very well.

"We couldn't generate any offense whatsoever. Even when we automaticked to get the best play for the defense they were showing, we still weren't able to block 'em where they were weakest. "I'll tell you, their three down linemen (all-MAC tackle Ken Kremer, middle Please turn to Page 8E Flint and they raised three children. He died four years ago and it was a trauma to everyone in the family, especially young Rick. This happened in the middle of the high school football season and he was unable to practice for three days.

But on Friday night, against Bay City Central, he passed for six touchdowns and ran for another and led his team to a 65-20 victory. She cuts out all the newspaper articles about her grandson and the den in the old house in Flint is literally covered with pictures of all the Leach children. Rick, somehow, seems to dominate the walls. Woody 'gets too mad9 As the score mounted Saturday, it seemed like a good time to get a Grandma's view of this Michigan football team and its chances in the 1978 season. And so here's what those nimble hands told us: Do you think you're going to beat Woody this year? "I'm keeping my fingers crossed." What do you think of Woody Hayes? "He is one of our rivals but I don't like the way he coaches.

He gets too mad." Is Ricky better at football or baseball? "Oh, I think he's good at everything, even basketball." Should he play pro football or baseball? "I would rather see him play baseball. They are too rough on those quarterbacks in pro football." Is Ricky getting any better? "Oh, yes. He is throwing the ball a lot better. I can see him maturing." Do you like Bo? "He's it for me." Do you think he is too hard on Ricky? "Sometimes." How do you feel when people criticize Ricky? "Oh, my friends are always telling me to tell Bo and Ricky what to do." Do you ever tell them? A smile. A Grandma smile.

Is Ricky going to win the Heisman Trophy? "Sure." Will I see you at the Rose Bowl? Another Grandma smile. Silly boy. i-1 ft' I t-i. -p" I By CHARLIE VINCENT Free Press Sports Writer Ralph Houk will walk away from baseball after Sunday afternoon's game against Baltimore without so much as a backward glance. Pe; haps it's the fact that at age 59 it is too early to reminisce about the "good old days." Or perhaps it is just that he is a man who has always looked forward instead of backward.

Regardless, after 40 years in baseball, Houk says he has not experienced acute nostalgia since making the decision to retire from the game. "Maybe when I'm sitting around, I think about it a little," the Tigers' manager admitted, sitting behind the desk in his office off the Tiger locker room. "It was kinda funny in Boston, sitting in that office that I'd beea in for so many years when I went to Boston. I thought, This'll be the last time I'm in here' but not really, it's not like that. "I guess the reason it isn't is because I'm leaving under such good conditions.

If I'd have been fired or something, then I'd have thought: 'Well, jeez But it wasn't like that, everybody was happy and it was something that I made the decision to do and I think I made the right one." HOUK HAS more to reminisce about than most times both good and bad. There was the time Ryne Duren, inspired by an overabundance of spirits, crammed Houk's ever-present cigar in his face on a train after the Yankees won the 1961 World Series there were the years with Mickey Mantle, who among his othere feats, hit the first home run in the Astrodome, during a preseason exhibition and after 35 years with the Yankees' organization, there was the decision to join Detroit in 1973. There were countless run-ins with umpires and memorable confrontations with sports writers, including one that required an appearance in a Baltimore courtroom after he gave Baltimore sports writer Phil Hersh a couple of slaps. Through the good times and bad, Houk has maintained Please turn to Page 9E Free Presj Sports Writer Mike Flanagan pitched 8 innings of no-hit ball in his last outing, but he was just another pitcher to the Tigers Saturday as they won their second straight from the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4. Flanagan, in just his second major league season, gave up nine hits and absorbed his 15th loss against 19 wins.

And he might have learned a little about pitching from an old pro, John Hiiler who, for the second consecutive day, picked up the save. The Tigers' 35-year-old relief ace came out of the bullpen with nobody out and runners on first and second in the eighth inning. Catcher Lance Parrish promptly picked Pat Kelly off second base. Hitler fanned pinch-hitter Gary Roenicke just as he did Friday night and got pinch-hitter Kiko Garcia to foul out to Parrish. Hiiler walked a couple of Orioles in the top of the ninth, but got out of the inning with no damage to earn his 15th save and preserve Steve Baker's second win in six decisions.

Please turn to Page 9E AP Photo 'This'll be the last time," thought Ralph Houk. -i i.