Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 25

DETROIT FREE PRESS Wednesday, Jan. 30, '63 HI TO) 6 17 Greats I rvi Wi fS mi 0j Baugh Thorpe Grange Nagurskl coaches and officials who were selected by a special 14-man panel to be the first enshrined in the pro Hall of Fame at Canton, O. Five of those honored are no longer living. Here is the list: Sammy Baugh, quarterback for the Washington Redskins 1937-52, now a rancher in Rotan, who wants to coach in college. Bert Bell, NFL commissioner 1946-59, deceased.

Joe Carr, first pro football czar, 1921-39, deceased. Dutch Clark, quarterback Portsmouth, Ohio, Spartans and Detroit Lions 1931-38, now a Detroit salesman. Red Grange, halfback Chicago Bears 1925-37, real estate man in Lake Estates, Fla. George Halas, player, coach, founder of Chicago Bears. Mel Hein, center New York Giants 1931-45, assistant coach now at University of Southern California.

Wilbur (Fats) Henry, tackle Canton Bulldogs, Akron Indians, New York Giants, Pottsville Maroons, Pittsburgh Steelers 1920-30, deceased. Cal Hubbard, tackle and end, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers 1927-36. Supervisor of American League baseball umpires, lives in Boston. Don Hutson, end Green Bay 1935-45, lives in Racine, Wis. Curly Lambeau, player, coach, founder Green Bay Packers 1919-49.

Tim Mara, founder New York Giants 1925-59, deceased. George Preston Marshall, founder Washington Redskins. John Blood McNally, halfback Milwaukee Badgers, Duluth Eskimos, Pottsville Maroons, Green Bay Packers, Turn to Tage 3D, Column 2 Pr Prtt Wlr Service It was like making the varsity all over again Tuesday for a group of gridiron immortals named as charter members of the National Professional Football Hall of Fame. "It really takes me off my feet. I'm flatter to be chosen in that kind of company," said Red Grange, the one-time Galloping Ghost from Illinois who starred with the Chicago Bears.

Earnie Nevers, the versatile Stanford player who once scored 40 points for the Chicago Cardinals agairst the Bears, said: "I'm very honored to be with all those boys, very happy and a bit surprised." Dutch Clark of the Detroit Lions called it his greatest thrill since he was picked on the Associated Press team in 1928. "I came from a small school (Colorado College) and didn't know how good I was myself," Clark said. "I remember how Alan Gould, then sports editor of the Associated Press, took delight in telling about me and his selection. I felt my play as a pro vindicated his selection." Grange and Nevers were two of 17 former players, Where Are They Now? Wilson Barred Brass Gee's Memories Ease the Pain By NFL 'f I i 2 1 .1 .4 I 'v, If Thrown Out of ILyall iiiifh No Record Book On Braininess They cheered him and they booed him but mostly, they cheered him. No player ever had a hold on the affections of the baseball fans in Detroit as did Gerald (Gee) Walker.

When he as good, his fans were beside themselves nith joy; when he was bad, they would shake their heads and say, "How could you, Gerald?" He cried when the Tigers traded him and some of his fans must have ept, too. For Gee Walker not only was a very popular ball player, he was a very good one. He played for the Tigers from 19H In 1917 and shared in their glory years of '34-' 3 5. He was a consistent .300 hitter and if he blundered off first base so nhat? He would get a hit the next time up and all would be forgiven. Lion Coach Boils for While BY GEORGE PUSCAS Free Press Staff Writer MIAMI BEACH Let this BY JOE FALLS The pain Is still there not the nerve-numbing pain which paralyzed him from the neck down, but sort of a dull pain, burning like a small white coal in the pit of his back.

The only way Gerald Walker can fight the pain is to move around and occupy himself as best a man cn do who be a lesson. Count to 10, talk it out, don't let it get the best of vou. reason to live than Gerald (Gee) Walker, probably the most popular player ever to wear a Tiger uniform. Walker is the proud parent of four sons and one daughter, each of whom has been to college which has been no small feat considering that Walker's finances have not been the best since his accident. "TIIEV'KE ALL fine children and I've got five grandchildren, too." Walker Mid, and you could sense the happiness in his voice.

"My girl, Joy you pell It Turn to Tage 2D, Column 6 Almost by circumstance. The pain can't hide Gee Walker's smile Lion coach George Wilson and general manager Edwin Anderson became trapped in THERE WAS A NIGHT a while back when big George Christensen, a paragon among linemen, was answering queries on the football attributes of his old Detroit Lion teammate, Earl (Dutch) Clark. The Dutchman's name had just been placed on the list of nominees as a potential charter member in pro football's new Hall of Fame. One of the elbow benders encircling Christensen was a little dubious. "I never saw him play," he said.

"But I've gone all through the record books and I can't find him in there at all. "He obviously holds no records for points scored, for passes completed, passes caught, yards gained rushing anything like that. Yet you say he definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame. How do you figure Big Chris sighed. "I figure he did everything with a football twice as good as any other player I ever saw.

And it's not his fault there isn't a page in the league record book where they measure a man's abilities in terms of his braininess on the field. "If there was one, Dutch's name would be all over it just like he was all over a football field. Christensen convinced his listeners. Clark's greatness obviously convinced a lot of other people. For the Dutchman now is a charter member of the elite.

no longer is able to work for a living. "It's not so bad," Walker said over the telephone from his home in Hattiesburg, Miss. "I feel it the most when I'm idle, just sittir- around doing nothing. So I to keep on the go as much as possible." AT THE AGE of 51. with his body in constant pain, Walker's activities are restricted to little more than walking in the woods.

He is still burdened by the After-effects of a spine injury which he sustained In a freak accident in 1955. He was hurt while diving off a dock at a Florida fishing camp. Ills arms and legs were paralyzed and doctors did not know if he could ever use them Again. But fortunately, the paralysis slowly left his body, and now no man ever had more anxious moments at the National Football League meet ings Tuesday. Here was Wilson, embarras U-B Gets Its Chance To Stop M's Buntin sed, growing hotter by the minute, and there was Ander son, caught unknowingly in the middle of It all.

This little drama only ex citement of the day as NFL owners convened bagan with the opening session of the an sophomore, will attempt to stop Buntin and still lead the U-D attack. Tlii In flip in a series on former Timers, where lliov ar anil wlial lliev are floing. BY JOE DOWDALL ver used by other Wolverine -iu i- foes without success. The feelings of Bob Call- Dick Dzik( the Titan, g.foot. han and Dave Strack about 5 workhorse.

and John nual business meeting. i I WILSON WALKED into the A crowd of 7,000 is expected the Michigan University of Schramm, a promising 6-foot-6 for the 8:30 p.m game. meeting: room. Fifteen minutes i later he was tossed out. Wait Many Have a Long Detroit basketDall game Wednesday night at U-D Memorial reach the extremes.

Caliha-n, the Titan coach. Is apprehensive that six straight road games may have taken the edge off his cagers. Strack, on the other hand, fears that Michigan's two-week layoff during the semester change may have dulled his Wolverines. Anderson, also sitting in the meeting with some 40 club owners, lawyers and aides, was not aware-of Wilson's plight. The coach biirned.

The more he thought about It, the angrier he got. He got angry enough to consider packing his bags and going home. IT IS AN HONOR reserved only for the great. To Clark's credit, he didn't have to cool his heels at the outer door while other players were escorted through the portals ahead of him. All men are not that fortunate.

Despite glittering credentials, they must bide their time. But when they finally are tapped, who's to say that the honor is not as great? Just the other day, baseball finally got around to admitting some new men into its shrine. One was Sara Rice, an outfielder who quit playing 30 years ago. A I 1 ft i I ffx work or not As the hours passed he was mad enough to say he would not return to the meeting not even to discuss playing Too much enough work. rules unless he became a part owner (one $20 share) of "We had our best game of the season last Saturday at St.

Bonaventure," Calihan said. "Now we need this game to regain the confidence of the players that they can play well I AtuLl MLA the Lions. "If I'm an owner," he reasoned, "I can get in the meeting." Finally, when the day's work was done, Wilson, Anderson and Lion president Bill Ford finally caught up with each other. When they were finished talking 20 minutes later the coach was soothed and what could have become a major problem for the Lions was erased. "I THOUGHT the one share of stock would entitle me to be in on the meetings," Wilson said.

"But I learned now that SPECIALLY PRICED Substantial savings on Hudson's own Aldrich topcoats and win." STRACK, recalling U-D's 82-74 victory last year and aware the Titans will be "up" for the game said, "A team is never sharp in its first game after a layoff. "And our players are bound to have Saturday's game at Michigan State on their minds. That's the big game for Michigan." But words won't help either team Wednesday night and U-D i 5 Si? -C-XAA-Xf Sam Rice Dutch Clark Eppa Rixey it doesn't. So that settles it." Anderson had appealed to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in Wilson's behalf. Rozelle told is going to need all the help i it can get if the Titans hope to repeat last year's victory, i 39.95 and 49.95 Anderson that unless Wilson were designated as part of Lion management he would not be allowed in the meeting.

With that explanation Wilson apparently was content. He said he would return to the meetings when the owners Turn to Page 2D, Column 5 Michigan Is off to a fine 10-3 mark on the sharp-shooting and rebounding of sophomore sensation Bill Buntin. Buntin, a strong 6-foot-7 pivotman from Detroit's Northern High, has averaged 22 points and pulled in 16 rebounds a game to rank in the nation's top 20 in both departments. His play has overshadowed Larry Tregoning and Doug Herner, two all-staters who enjoyed more fanfare at the time of their arrival on the U-M campus. iT-J I i I 6 "tr I L- i s-v- vX isv i y' S- 1 J.

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Sam has been known for a couple of decades as "the greatest baseball player who NEVER made the Hall of Fame." His lifetime average for 19 seasons was .322. He collected 2,987. base hits, a total surpassed by only eight players in history. Now Sam has it made. Likewise with a pitcher named Eppa Jeptha Kixey, a gigantic lefthander, who had been by-passed in the voting year after year probably because his name sounds like something out of a college yell.

Yet he piled victory on victory with second division clubs until he reached 267 of 'em, a stack that was tops for any National League lefthander until Warren Spahn of the Braves surpassed it a few seasons ago. Drum Heaters Failed Him HE STOOD A GANGLING 6-5, had a dour look and didn't smile much as he watched other southpaws like Rube Waddell, Carl Hubbell and Herb Pennock be ushered into baseball's symbolic Valhalla at Cooperstown. Yet, Rixey won more games than any of the trio. He simply lacked the lustre and the drum-beats of publicity that the others had attached to their backgrounds. Eppa's middle name really wasn't Jeptha.

That was bestowed on him one day by a Cincinnati sports writer named Bill Phelon who figured that while Eppa Rixey sounded good, Eppa Jeptha Rixey sounded better. Eppa didn't mind. A notoriously bad hitter a la Hank Aguirre Rixey c. ew chuckles a while back in recalling one of the rare afternoons when he hit something solid instead of mere atmosphere. "I lost my head," he related.

"I belted Jess Haines for a home run, a double and two singles. He couldn't believe it. Neither could I. "That same afternoon, a big tornado hit Ohio. Haines always insisted that those base hits of mine started it.

I couldn't argue." TT-D IS dou'e-team EXFECTED to Buntin, a maneu- i 'x HUDSON'S MEN'S STORE Veeck Offer To Buy Nats Is Refused WASHINGTON (Elwood R. Pete Quesada resigned Tuesday as president of the Washington baseball team and sold his stock as part of a top-level reorganization. James M. Johnston, investment banker, took over the top executive job in the reshuffling. JOHNSTON heads a three-man group which took over control of the baseball team.

Other members are his business partner, James II. Lemon, and aviation executive George M. Bunker. The stockholders rejected a $5 million offer for the team from Nate Dolin of Cleveland and his partner, former major league executive Bill Veeck. Aiidy Robust ell i To Coacli Yale? NEW YORK Andy Robustelli, end and defensive captain of the New York Giants, said Tuesday he had been approached indirectly on the football head coaching job at Yale University.

The post was vacated Monday when Jordan Olivar announced his resignation. "I am definitely Interested, but I have not committed myself," the 235-pound end said..