Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 38

2-0 Friday, March 26, '71 DETROIT FREE PRESS' Late' Good Tigers Lose, 3 Helps Too Bullpen PITTSBURGH AB ft El Clth i 0 DETROIT Aft if Jones lb 1 0 1 ilolinero rl 1 0 nrthrp rf e4 i 1 Gutleret ir I I port on Tl 4 0 Cash lb 1 0 0 Kaline pti 10 0 0 Preehan 0 6 0 Comer pr Colli ts Jb 2 0 Klnqi ph I i ft Brinkmii it 1 I 1 0 Niekro flit Timermn II I I I Brown ph I 0 I Meaner 30 0 a Pagan 3b 111 Oliver I 1 i Oavaliilo cf 2 0 Robrtsn lb I 0 Snnquiln 4 0 1 Ciinns If 4 0 1 Jeler rf 10 6 MazrskUb 4 0 2 Ellis 10 0 Nelson 0 0 0 May tth tOO Merone (00 lowing eight hits and all three Pittsburgh runs. But he did finish strong, striking out the last two men he faced. Al Oliver homered off Joe for one run in the first -ind rightfielder ropkie Bob Molinaro misjudged a fly ball in the sixth that let two more score. Dalton Jones drove in one Tiger run with a sacrifice bunt. The other scored on Jones' flyball that was dropped for an error.

Timmerman and rookie Jim Foor each pitched One inning of scoreless relief. Timmerman gave up one hit, struck out none and allowed no walks, while Foor allowed no hits, walked one and struck out two. Fame; none have elbowed into the $100,000 salary class despite rampant inflation; and only one relief pitcher Philadelphia's Jim Konstanty has ever been recognized aj "most valuable." But, as Timmerman pointed out, "they sure look for us In the seventh and eighth And so far this spring, with a few notable exceptions, the Tiger bullpen candidates have done the job. Except for Les Cain, the starters have, too. THURSDAY, Joe Niekro joined Joe Coleman on the list of those starters who have stayed on the mound for seven innings.

Niekro was not nearly so sharp against the Pirates as he had been in his earlier outings, al streak come to a 3-2 end at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. "Guys like Patterson and Scherman and Hiller they all did a good job. But the bullpen never got near the credit that was due." But then, what bullpen ever did? DESPITE the rise of the relief pitcher to a position of responsibility during the past couple decades, he has remained largely anonymous and unappreciated. Reliefers win' pennants but they're still taken for granted. You don't even see them posed in those fireman's hats anymore.

No reliefer has ever been elected to the Hall of BY JIM HAWKINS Pre Pr Sport Writer LAKELAND Mayo Smith, wherever you are, J-Tom Timmerman would appreciate a retraction. were times last season, you will remem-Iber, when Mayo felt moved to brand the Tiger 'bullpen as the worst he had ever encountered in i And, to this day Timmerriian is still a little bitterer about all the blame that he and the rest of the reliefers received. "We've. got a good bullpen a damned good stated Timmerman sharply Thursday after vthe Tigers watched their three-game winning poor a oooo Totals il Totals 30J5T Pittsburgh 100 002 000 DETROIT 0 0 1 HS oiO-l Freehan, Jeter. DP Pittsburgh 1.

Detroit S. 38 Clines. HR Ollimr S- Ellis 1. jeier, ortnKman, coifins. Jones.

ER SB SO 2 111 Hiller May Be Ready IP 1 ELLIS (W) Nelson Marone NIEKRO (L) Timmerman Foor 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 To Pitch by Midseason GOLFER'S BONANZA Love Letters ft- PRE SEASON SPECIALS ITEM LIST SALE Head Covers (Sets of 4) 4.00 $1.99 Golf Cloves (Arnold Palmer) 5.00 Ram No (liil Boll la lis (Ooz.) 7.00 1.99 4.99 Don't Pop Cork for Tigers Yet Spalding Dot (X-Outs) (Ooz.) 9.00 6.99 Golf CartS 1 Yr. Wurrmty In Carton 17.00 12.95 "Better dead than Ned." FRANK KELLEY, Grosse Pointe You've got both, pal. Now what? BY JIM HAWKINS Fret Press Sports Writer LAKELAND The 1971 season may not turn out to be a total loss for Tiger lefthander John Hiller after all. Contacted at his home in Duluth, Thursday, Hiller revealed that the doctors have him doing light calisthenics already and talked about being ready to pitch by mid-season. "I feel real good no, as a matter of fact, I feel great," stated Hiller, who was hit with a surprise heart attack in January.

"I had an electro-cardiogram two weeks ago and the doctors said it didn't even look like I had ever had a heart attack. "As far as I know, it's all healed. What they're trying to find out now is why it happened." HILLER will re-enter the hospital early next month for an extensive examination, and if all goes well there, he hopes to start grad-usually getting himselm back into shape. "The doctors said with an ordinary Job, I probably would have been able to go back to work within three months after I had the attack," explained the 28-year-old hurler. BY GEORGE PUSCAS Free Press Executive Sports Editor The love letters of a sports editor: "I see in one day's Free Press the Tigers have an airtight infield and the next day our outfield is the equal of any and the envy of most.

When can I start popping champagne corks?" DAVID MEDWED, 19677 Dale, Detroit Pitching Is Key to '71 Tigers Continued from First Sports does have the potential for one could be enough to put the Tigers up near the top. A so-so season means the Tigers are in trouble. TOM TIMMERMAN again will anchor the bullpen, despite a hot-and-cold spring. At least he'll be the main man in the beginning. He won't approach his 61 appearances of a year ago, but he could be a better pitcher because of it.

If Timmerman doesn't repeat, Daryl Patterson could move into the position of priority that he occupied in 1968. And don't forget, he was an unnoticed 7-1 last season. When the situation calls for a lefthanded reliefer, Fred Scherman will get the call. Scherman never really got a chance to show what he could do last year and he felt as if he was fighting to save his job every time he walked out to the mound. Martin has a lot more faith in Fred than Mayo did and he has let him know it.

So far, Scherman hasn't betrayed that trust, either. "But to be able to play baseball, if everything is perfect, it will probably take six months." HILLER, who was always notorious for being out of shape, has been on a diet ever since he got out of the hospital and now weighs a mere 180 pounds 30 pounds under his playing weight of last season. Billy Martin has already written Hiller off for the entire season but that doesn't mean the Tiger manager wouldn't welcome him back a little earlier than expected. The Tigers have just two lefthanders who can get the ball over the plate this spring Mickey Lolich and Fred Scherman and if Hiller was here now he'd be in the thick of the fight fpr a starting job. Hiller was 6-6 last season, including a two-hit shutout of the Cleveland Indians in the season finale.

Men's and Ladles' Clubs, 2 Woods, Irons 45.00 33.95 Ram, Men's, Ladles' Clubs, 3 Woods, 8 Irons ..59.95 49.95 All-Pro, Light Steel Clubs, 3 Woods, 8 Irons 160.00 8 9.95 Ram Golf Set, Men's Rt. 3 Woods, 8 Irons. Bags Cover 140.00 89.95 Men's Clubs, Spildlne, (Alum. 4 Woods, 8 Irons 190.00 99,95 "I always look for the first robin for signs of spring, but this year, no. When ol' George starts betting yards of kielbasa, rest assured better and happier days are just around the corner." FRANK GLOWSKI, Flint That's right.

The only question is how long it will take to reach the corner. Wait 'til we see in store for our Not yet, how many heroes. Dave, not yet. bad hops are PATTY BERG FAULTLESS CLUBS GOLDEN RAM 3 Wood) -8 Irons GOLF BALLS $89,95 List Price 144 WITH THIS AD Heard's 66 Leads Miami Golf i carls golfland "That Petrocelli-stewardess incident leads me to believe that not only would our lady sports writer have to know her stuff, but she'd have to be a cross between Joan of Arc and Kitty of Gunsmoke." DOLORES KAPANKE, Detroit True enough. I think we could get her in the locker-rooms.

The problem is getting her out. 1976 S. Telegraph Pontine Across from Miracle Mil Cantor OPEN DAILY 335-8095 5 a Master Charg ankAmericord Orlando with Palmer, who wound up winner while Heard finished fourth. MIAMI (UP1) Young Jerry Heard burned up the hack nine with five birdies three on 20-foot putts Thursday to take the first round "Basketball is a sissy game the way it's played today. Let's open up the game and give the little guy a chance." FRANK HAWTHORNE, Clemens Lower the hoop to five- I say, and we'll have a game for the masses, "Washington needs a shortstop.

How about trading Gutierrez for that new pitcher they picked up a little while ago? Name's McLain, or something like that." FRITZ CURTISS, Traverse City Anybody who would bet on that happening should have a bucket of water splashed over his pistol. lead in the $200,000 National Airlines Open golf tournament with a six-under-par 66. For the 23-year-old Heard, who plays out of i a i the 66 duplicated his score two weeks ago when he shared the opening round lead of the Citrus Invitational at -mi fj real sippiri whiskey "Excruciatingly it seems that the Red Wings have been maneuvering trades not for Ba i -i I la I the purpose of improving the team but seek ing some kind of revenge against some of the standout players. Will they ever learn to Suzuki 250 Savagt Enduro adopt this line: The noblest vengeance is to Jrrv Her Miller Barber Halt Irwin Lee Trevine Bruce Devlin Earl Fennell Herb Hooper Frank Beard Dow Finsterwald Bruce Crampton Huah Rover Mason Rudolph Julius Borot Dave Hill Wayne Vollmer Carlvle Snead Jack Fleck forgive?" SALE FRANK OPYRCHAL, 8123 Georgia, Detroit Whatever happened to Sid Abel? "Just returned from what was once a 33- 34 07 33-34-aT 33- 34-61 13-35 34- 34 tt 34- 3441 14-344 35- 31 it 34-334? 36- 33-40 35-M-4T 14-33 49 34-354 34-354 34-354 14-35-40 34-354 34- 35-4 35- 14-60 34- 354 i 11-344 14-3670 35- 3570 14-3670 37- 3370 34-34 70 i 34-36-70! 36- 347 37- 3170 37-3370: "If you take a win for granted In any form of strife "Don't be surprised if all too soon You're fighting for your life." S. F.

KAVANAGH, Grosse Pointe Park I wish you hadn't said that, ol' friend. You sound like what my doubles partner would like to say. Rod Funseth Phil Rodgert Pete Brown Dan Sikes Tom Shaw Gary Plavtr Brian AMin Jack Montqomtrv Bobby Nichols Bob Ourphy Georae Knudson Charles Coody Jim Wiecheri Mike Fetchick Bobby Mitchell Bert Yancey Don January Don Bits rnmmu great weekend the grand finale to the high school basketball season. All it is now, because of someone's brainstorm in changing GENERAL CYCLE 2477 DIX the tournament format, is just plain bush!" AT i -mi Kentucky finest little distillery. 33-3770 Lincoln Fait, 382-S080 35-3570 ftSNTVCKY STRAIGHT OUftSON WHWKCT CZRA BROOKS FRANKFORT, KY.

7 34 J. BARR, Romeo Coaches seem to prefer the two-weekend vindup, and claim it's better for the THE REST of the pitching staff remains unsettled. No doubt about it the Tigers are going to miss heart-attack victim John Hiller, the lefthanded spot starter who hurled that two-hitter against Cleveland the last day of last season. Lanky Mike Kilkenny, who predicted 20 victories for himself last season and then settled for seven, is the logical man for that job. But he hasn't demonstrated he deserves it yet.

Jim Hannan, who came over from Washington-with Coleman, hasn't looked any better than he ever did with the Senators; Bob Reed has been inconsistent; Jerry Robertson remains a mystery; and Dennis Saunders, Jim Foor, Bill Gilbreth and Chuck Seelbach jUst aren't ready. Saturday: The coaches. College Basketball NCAA SEMIFINALS UCLA 68, Kansas 60. (Dandies, eh? Those smart, dashing LL lapel pins are gifts to all whose sparkling thoughts appear here. Send your sports beefs or bouquets to Love Letters, Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Mich.

48231.) players. It also means more revenue. On ward and upward. Wolverines Can't Explain Upset Defeat by Ga. Tech ever by a Big Ten pearance team.

SO THE players came home Thursday afternoon, most of them to return to studies and a couple Fife and Leon Rob and Georgia Tech's 78-70 upset of Michigan Wednesday night seemed to be one of them. "I just can't explain it," said senior guard Dan Fife, after his last basketball game as a Michigan played. "I really thought we were ready to play." Whatever the cause, the effect was that the Wolverines showed none of the brilliance which had led them to an 18-6 season and the first NIT ap BY CURT SYLVESTER Pree Press Sports Writer i The Michigan Wolverines came home Thursday, still pondering what they consid-" ered to be a premature exodus I from the National Invitation "Tournament in New York. There probably wasn't an individual on the team who didn't believe the Wolverines wouldn't be playing in Thurs-i day night's NIT semifinals. But strange things can hap-' pen in Madison Square Garden Villanova 92, Western Kentucky 89, double overtime.

NIT SEMIFINALS Georgia Tech 76, St. Bonaven ture 71, double overtime. North Carolina 73, Duke 67. Final NBA Scoring Leaders Alcindor. Mil 1 1 uQiiyfgp I Villanova Gains NCAA Final, 92-89 FtJ 1,063 892 4 7 765 784 731 702 74 FT 470 554 454 415 381 513 463 404 455 377 Hevlicek, Bos Hayes, SD BING, DET Hudson, AM Love, Chi Petrie, Port Maravich, Atl Cunningham, Phil VanArsdale Cin erts to get ready for the baseball season.

Coach John Orr, assistant Fred Snowden and athletic director Don Canham left the U-M party In New York to fly to Houston for the NCAA basketball semifinals and meetings. Most of those involved in this year's successful season will be back again next year. Among them will be Henry i 1 Ken Brady and Wayne Grabiec, all starters on this year's team. GONE WILL be Fife, Rod Ford, Harry Hayward, Tim Nicksic and possibly Snowden. Fife, Ford, Hayward and Nicksic will be graduating and Snowden, after three years as the U-M assistant, is drawing more and more consideration as a head coach.

It is known that the University of Indiana officials have contacted Snowden several times since Lou Watson resigned as the head coach there late in the season. NOW thru SUN. MAR. 28 I III II 1'Nfcw UJ ttl iSW ii Continued from First Sports Porter then blocked two shots and it was his free throw with 14 seconds remaining that iced the victory. I SEVENTH ranked Western 5 Kentucky, which came into the Vacation SHOW JOHN BROMFIELD TV STAR "Mr.

Sportsman" for past years headline HUGE STA6I WATER SHOW See Hundreds of Exhibits! Rticroational Vehicle Campari Trailer half but sloppy ball-handling cost the Wildcats the lead. A short jump shot by Siemiontkowski with 55 seconds gave Villanova a 74-72 lead but Clarence Glover's layup with 23 seconds left sent the contest into the first over time. Western's Perry Dunn had a chance to win it when he was fouled with four seconds left Siemiontkowskis fifth foul but missed the attempt. Western Kentucky shot poorly from the field, hitting only 37.1 percent while the Wildcats connected 49.3 percent. Dunn finished with 25 points, while Jim Rose added 18 for the Hilltoppers.

Fishing TackU Raiort Hr La Doors Open Daily 5 P.M. Sat. I Sun. 12 Noon SNOWDEN expressed an interest in the job and is one of candidates being considered by a screening contest with a 23-5 record, lost JJ seven-foot Jim McDaniels on fouls with 2:31 left in the dou- I We overtime. The All-Ameri- can McDaniels scored 22 points.

Siemiontkowski, a B-foot-7, 230-pound junior, kept the 18th-rated Wildcats in the I game in regulation play. He scored 31 points and was a ter-' ror on the boards. Hard-pressed Western forced the Wildcats into nu- merous turnovers with a full-l court press but the Hilltoppers had just as much trouble with Villanova's sticky zone. Cm 7 ALEX KARRA5 CAR BURGLAR mo irnirfiTrtri finrn VILLANOVA led by as much as eight points in the second WiUl liUJjiiJj fSUp ALARMS hAST INSTALLATION RADIO FRANK 14442 Michigan Avi, katu. iimjui VfiiRiisaii.

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