Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 115

The Tiger ll? Reader Vcur dull i I TtoESsSlvl Authentic I I I uys more mm JljP JLuDEtfl LuDEr AUDEtfj I LudErI I I I I 1 1 If It 9v it il Ul OFSCOn, I UCT (SCOTib CSCOT OFSCOr UCT OFSCOr esto Vf? "3 tST 7wj "3 ESr ZjSjA I l5r tST "'4 LAUDER'S UUDER'S LAUDER'S UUDER'S UUDER'S EXTRA LlfiHT EXTRA LICHT EXTRA LICHT EXTRA LICHT EXTRA LICHT WSCOTCH WSCOK ZZ' SiiSS I SCOT I I OJOOOHr SCOO I I CLUGOK scotu I I jscoh scoVl "yaAssow scon MM ThagrowfctgQst $16 Scotch from vgg. 34sot coast-to-coast $25L $12L All Twi Included Continued more forceful in the handling of his pitchers, but that's like insisting Heifetz practice more so that Menuhin doesn't lick him. Besides, Johnny Sain is the man most responsible for what goes on between pitcher and catcher. Sain has restored the ancient priority to pitching. "When Dressen was here," Freehan says, "he wanted me to call my game.

Sain says, 'The pitcher throws, and the catcher The pitcher has the last say. It is better for a pitcher to develop a positive notion of what he is doing out there than for him to do exactly what I want him to do. When a pitcher isn't sure of what he is doing or why he is doing it, that's when nine out of ten mistakes occur." Mainly, Freehan does not work with too many untried pitchers. He and McLain have been, together since 1963; he and Lolich since 1961; he and his roommate Joe Spar-ma since 1964; he and Earl Wilson are into their third season together. "I KNOW WHAT they want to do." Freehan says.

"I've grown up with them. I've been with them when they've had their pants knocked off, and when they've pitched knows them well. "I know how they react to a crisis. I know what they need." This is how he sizes them up: LOLICH. Needs to have his confidence attended to.

Needs to feel in control of the game. My job is to reassure him. SPARMA. Overemotional. The typical Italian.

My roomate, so I know him best. Has the liveliest ball, so he's the toughest to catch, mechanically. WILSON. Tough to understand. Yet most receptive to advice.

If he is throwing wrong, and I spot it, I walk out, and he adjusts quickly. McLAIN. Big problem is to slow him down. He likes to get the ball and throw it. Have to keep him concentrating.

Mechanically, the easiest to catch. Freehan brings the same analytic approach to batting. "Hitting a baseball is the toughest athletic art there is. Tougher than golf, tougher than football, tougher than basketball. I've played them alL Hitting a pitched baseball is the toughest.

So how come Freehan seems to be improving? "You talk to hitters, and they'll tell you that when a pitcher makes a good pitch, you're lucky to hit it foul. You don't hit a pitcher's good pitches. You hit his mistakes. You can't get depressed when a pitcher throws three good pitches, and you walk back to the dugout. You can't say, "Well, he's on his game today.

He'll be throwing good pitches all You tell yourself, he'll have to throw the ball in your area sometime, and when he does, you have to hit it hard. That is the object of the game, hitting the ball hard when you have the chance." 100 BUNDED SCOTCH WHISKIES. IMPORTED ft BOTTLED BY GOOOEMAM ft WORTS LTD, DETROIT, MICH. 23.