Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 45

-4 1 a jl kf BOXING COLUMN 3 PREP PLAYOFFS 7 I i MOVIE GUIDE 11 ii Call with iporti newt: 222-6660 Should the NCAA basketball tournament include all Division I teams? See Sound Off, Page 2D. Sports Phone, 1-S76-1313 i "I'fiaf are we doing playing baseball in the middle of the football season?" Oakland A's play-by-play announcer Lon Simmons, after giving a USFL score during a spring-training game 1 LJ DETROIT FREE PRESS A ood show iai 9 9 -i 1 tlilio but Wing 4-2 mm By JOHN CASTINE Free Press Sports Writer The Red Wings proved Wednesday night that 616,446 fans can't be wrong. Even though they lost, 4-2, the Wings battled the powerful Boston Bruins from start to finish. Of course the 17,802 fans who broke the 1979-80 season attendance mark Wednesday night would have preferred a win. The Wings would have, too.

It was bump and grind hockey or, as rookie Steve Yzerman called it, "scratch and claw." MOST OF THE crowd stayed to the end, when Boston's Mike Krushelnyski scored his second goal into an empty net with 50 seconds to go. With two minutes to play they were standing, applauding and yelling for a tying goal. "That was really nice," said Wings' coach Nick Polano. "I think the fans have got caught up in the playoff race with the players." The loss left the Wings still tied for second place in the Norris Division with St. Louis, where they play Thursday night.

Chicago, a 6-4 loser to Winnipeg Wednesday, was three points back of the two and Toronto, with a tie against Minnesota, is six points back. Each team has eight games to play. At the end of two periods, with his team down by a goal, Wings general manager Jimmy Devellano said: See RED WINGS, Page 7D Johnny B. 'Fuss may have committed the cardinal sin TAMPA If Johnny B. Wockenfuss is trying to get traded, he is going about it in the right way.

He's really asking for it. It's one thing to moan and groan about being underpaid and underplayed. With Wockenfuss, that's hardly new. But it's something else altogether when you drag the new owner's name into it, insinuating that he's cheap. And it's something else when you indirectly accuse management of lying.

And it's something else when you refer to certain players on your team as "those clowns." Even if you didn't mean it that way, you'd better watch it. Guys who shoot their mouths off have been known to blow their brains out. Wockenfuss was carrying on the other day about how he makes something like $63,000 less than the team average. When he asked for more, he said, Tiger management claimed they didn't have enough cash. How can a guy be worth $150 million, Wockenfuss asked, referring to new owner Tom Monaghan, and not have enough cash? The men who told him there wasn't enough cash then went out and "(bleeped) on me," Wockenfuss said.

"They turned around and started giving these clowns $800,000." His choice of words did not go unnoticed. Bring in the downs During Wednesday's game with the Cincinnati Reds here, some of the Tigers in the bullpen had a great time, a. Free Press Photo bv ALAN KAMUDA Steve Yzerman's first-period goal slides past Boston's Pete Peeters and into the right corner. Morrisfinds a new pitch His old slider On a night with no Pistons fall YSfj-f calling each other "clown." "Pick that ball up, clown," one would say. "Yeah, you're one of the Wockenfuss clowns," would say another.

Wockenfuss wasn't around, not having made the 4 1 L-' trip to Tampa. No, he wasn't left behind; he just had the day off. By CHARLIE VINCENT Free Press Sports Writer They joke around the NBA about the enver Nuggets, the team with no D. The team that averages 123 points a night and gives up 125. Wednesday night in the Silverdome no one was joking about the Nuggets, because they outscored the etroit Pistons, 125-121, before 13,552 fans who had to wonder why this team has suddenly hit the skids again.

It was The Night Defense Took a Holiday, Part II. The Pistons prevented it from turning into a scoring orgy rivaling their earlier meeting, when they set the single-game scoring record in their 186-184 triple-overtime victory in Denver, by improving their defense in the second half. HA Although he probably half-expected a phone call telling him he'd been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, which is what he wants. Wockenfuss made sure to emphasize the, other day that the Phillies are "a class organization," unlike some others he knew. Maybe it's just a 35-year-old guy with 485 career hits who wants to get something more out of baseball before he has to get out.

I John Wockenfuss Johnny Bilton Wockenfuss is a Tiger utility player And in the end the difference was simply tne nstons inability to make a shot when they needed one. The first half was pure offense, racehorse basketball. Denver made 71 percent from the field, including 11 of its first 12 shots in the second quarter, and led, 77-70, at intermission. "If it's any consolation, and in a game like this it isn't, we did play better defense the second half," coach Chuck Daly said. "Their outside range is great and we just had trouble who first tame up to the club in 1974.

For a decade, he's been a handy guy to have around. But he also is the clubhouse carp. Wockenfuss is always carping about something. Last spring, as usual, Johnny B. spouted off about By BILL McGRAW Free Press Sports Writer TAMPA Using National League rules that force a pitcher to bat is one thing, but a marathon exhibition game Wednesday between the Tigers and Cincinnati Reds was really weird.

How weird was it? It was so weird that Tiger pitcher Dave Gumpert was used as a pinch-hitter. He was called out on strikes; but complained like all hitters that the third one was outside. v. It was so weird that non-roster pitcher Carl Heinkel knocked in the Tigers' only run with a lOth-inning sacrifice fly. It was so weird that starter Jack Morris reached first on a bunt single and stole second with a head-first slide.

Morris also tipped his hat to the crowd when he got good wood on the ball in the third while flying out to center. It was so weird that some of the remaining crowd cheered when it was announced the 14th would be the final inning. Perhaps they had suffered sunstroke in the bright, 80-degree weather. The Reds won, 2-1. SO WITH THAT bit of perspective, it can be pointed out that Morris has rediscovered a problem pitch his slider.

"I've been inconsistent with it in the past," he said. "I'm really enthused about it now." Morris threw plenty of sliders against the Reds, and allowed just one hit in five innings. He walked two and struck out two. In 1983, Morris said, he threw few sliders in some games, "mainly because my forkball came through so well." "He probably got hurt more on the slider last year than on any other pitch," catcher Lance Parrish said. TIGER NOTES: The latest entry into the Tigers' third base sweepstakes is Marty Castillo.

"Right now, he's the leader," manager Sparky Anderson said. "Who's better than him?" Against the Reds, Castillo played third for 1 4 innings and went 2-for-6. He was hitting .300 going into the game and had hit a two-run homer Tuesday against Toronto. Castillo, who also catches and has played the outfield, has been known as a good fielder, and Anderson likes the way he seems to have improved his hitting. Castillo likely is not the final word on third.

On Tuesday, Anderson said he was leaning toward veteran Tom Brook-ens. Glenn Wilson, Barbara Garbey and Howard Johnson are the other candidates Doug Bair also looked good, pitching two hitless innings how the Tigers had lost interest in him and how he obviously didn't fit into their plans. Manager Sparky Anderson sat back and said, 'That's just John. One thing you have to know about John: He just loves to talk." Wockenfuss was used in 92 games as the team's defending them in the first halt. "When a team shoots 71 percent, your defense isn't that hot," said Bill Laimbeer, who had 19 points and nine rebounds, seven in the second half.

"I was standing there waiting for rebounds in the first half there just weren't any to get." The Pistons' defense was so bad in the first half, Daly stood at the sidelines as the final seconds ticked off and shouted: "Get a stop! Get a stop!" Then he said softly: "Please, get a stop." The Pistons began getting those stops in the third quarter, right-handed designated hitter and No. 2 catcher behind All-Star Lance Parrish. He had nine home runs and seven game-winning hits. Naturally, he felt unappreciated. It didn't seem to matter to Wockenfuss this spring Free Press Photo DV MARY SCHROEDER Jack Morris fouls off this bunt attempt Wednesday, but on the next pitch he bunted for a base hit.

against his former team Bruce Berenyi struck out seven Tigers in four innings Nelson Simmons, batting .600 going into the game, went 2-for-6 Chet Lemon jammed his foot running to first, but said it was nothing serious Darrell Evans, suffering from a bruised ankle, will play Thursday, Anderson said. Tigers on TV Thursday night The Tigers make their 1984 television debut at 8 p.m. Thursday on WDIV (Channel 4) when they play Philadelphia in Lakeland, Fla. It will be the first of four televised exhibition games. Others will be at 1:30 p.m.

Sunday against Houston; at 7:35 p.m. March 23 against Baltimore; and at 1:30 p.m. March 24 against Los Angeles. Biett hit in mouth George Brett took a one-hopper in the mouth and might be out until Opening Day. See Around the Horn, Page 2D.

How they scored in Wednesday's Tiger game Page 2D. that the Tigers still thought highly of him, that they intended to keep him as the right-handed DH, that Chuck Daly Anderson wasn't crazy about being left with just Marty Castillo and Dwight Lowry if Parrish should get hurt at the game's most dangerous position. Wockenfuss is someone the Tigers count on. Nobody baseball is a better hit-and-run man. You want him to when the Nuggets begin to miss (making just eight of 18 shots) and Cliff Levingston began raking the defensive backboards.

He had six of his 13 rebounds and six of his eight points in the quarter and when the quarter ended the Pistons trailed only 103-99. The Nuggets, who lost Tuesday in Washington, 108-103, lost their touch completely in the fourth quarter. Although the Piston defense had improved, a number of the Nuggets' See PISTONS, Page 7D hit the 2-and-l pitch to right field? He'll hit the 2-and-l pitch to right field. OK, so he's slower than slow-motion. Big deal.

He can hit, he can catch, he can play first or even third in a pinch. And he can pinch-hit. Monaghan is innocent in this case They're hot The Tieers wanted to keep Wockenfuss. but he mav have forced their hand this time. He may have gone too far.

To indirectly insult the owner, a guy so new and nnocent that the players watch their language around Panthers tickets, souvenirs are big sellers him, is a cardinal sin. Even if Monaghan doesn't take offense, president Jim Campbell and general manager Bill Lajoie might. Publicly, they say a player's mouth won't get' him traded. Privately, they might be doing a third-degree burn right now. Monaghan paid more than $50 million for the Detroit baseball team and all its accessories, which ncludes the human beings who wear the uniforms.

But he had very little to do with the wining, dining and signing of the men on this team. He did approve the payment of big money to Darrell Evans, the first along with coach Jim Stanley, are featured in a television commercial which is drawing rave reviews from the sponsoring Greater Detroit Dodge Dealers Advertising Association. "IT'S CAUSED some pretty good traffic flow," said Rob Robbins, the owner of Crestwood Dodge in Garden City. "People are asking about the truck and the Panthers. What the heck; the Panthers are winners." All of this is quite a change from last season, when the Panthers were struggling to get 20,000 in the Silverdome seats and nobody knew what a Panthers t-shirt looked like.

"It's surprising," said McGriff. "I was talking to my wife about it the other day. In Pittsburgh it was the end of my second year before people recognized me, and that's with the Steelers. Here I'm recognized when I go to work out or go to the store." See PANTHERS, Page 7D By CURT SYLVESTER Free Press Sports Writer A year ago, the Panthers with the exception of Anthony Carter were virtual strangers in town. Unknown, unacknowledged and unwanted.

No more. With a championship in their league's first year and three victories in their first three games of the 1984 USFL season, the Panthers are no longer living, playing or dealing in anonymity. They attracted 22,428 in a blizzard for their first home game; drew 44,485 for the second game despite a box office snafu that turned away hundreds of fans, and are expecting 50,000 or more for their game against Arizona on Sunday, despite the fact it will be televised locally. Their merchandise Panthers caps, shirts, pennants, etc. is the hottest selling property in local sporting goods stores.

And four Panthers Tyrone McGriff, David Tipton, Cleo Miller and Chris Godfrey mportant free agent Detroit has ever signed. But Campbell and Lajoie almost certainly would have convinced John Fetzer to do the same, if the ownership hadn't changed hands. The Tigers need a pitcher now, preferrably a left hander. Chances are, they consider Glenn Wilson more expendable than Wockenfuss, because the Tigers have plenty of good people at Wilson's positions. tn fc- mmMd Pnoto courtesy ol Uboij Inc.

But if Johnny B. Bad gets traded soon, it won't be because he can't play. Panthers Cleo Miller, Chris Godfrey, Dave Tipton and Tyrone McGriff rehearse for their popular Dodge truck commercial. It will be because he can't shut up..