Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 53

9 DETROIT 1- Rl.E PRESS Thursday. June 22, '72 7-0 urn eh As Miller Says 'Pm Ready to Pit Two 1 8 Hole Courses Computerized Almost the Real Thing Contoured Putting Green Full Swing-Regulation Clubs Ball VISIT OUR PRO SHOP Try 'em Before you Buy 'em CtUBS-BAGS-SHOES-ctc. 25 to 40 off pitch with one of our teams, offer him a job in the organization or, if he's still, determined to play, we'll give his outright release to pitch elsewhere. We wouldn't put him on the Tiger roster right away. He hasn't pitched in two years." But Hiller feels differently.

"They could use me," he says. "Mickey Lolich and Fred Scherman are their only lefties. John Grod-zicki (minor league pitching coach) was here and saw me. He said he thought I was ready. HOWEVER, THE lefthanded reliever, who has a 23-19 record and 2.99 earned run average after four major league seasons, isn't going to make a move until he hears from the Tigers.

Hiller is very eager to escape this current position. "This is a good opportunity, but I've been away from my wife and kids," he says. ''I'm getting a bit fed up with this part of it. "And now It's getting to be a matter of finances. There's not much money here and I'm half starving to death.

I'll have to make a decision "Detroit has offered me a scouting job if nothing else comes through. The only other work I know is selling furniture I didn't fare too well with my sportscasting. "There are 24 major league teams and I'd think one would be willing to try me if the Tigers don't. It's not like I'm a rookie. I have four years behind me in the majors." ous procedure of getting back in shape.

And the waiting is what's getting to Hiller. "I'm ready to go," he says. "I'm just wait' ing for that call from Detroit. It's up to them now if they want me. "It's been a long wait.

That's been the biggest, and hardest, part of the ordeal. I'm ready. I could pitch today if I had to. I run a couple of miles each day and throw an hour of batting practice every other day. The doctor tells me I'm in top shape." HILLER, WHO repeats over and over how good the Tigers have been to him, still feels as if he's a bother to the team.

"I feel like a cog in the wheel," he says. "The way they've run me around to all these doctors I feel they hope to come up with something. "For one thing, Chuck Hughes of the Detroit Lions died of a heart attack last fall on the same field where I'd be pitching. I'm sure this is in their minds. "They've been very good to me.

They paid most of my salary last season, but I feel as if I'm a big bother." Jim Campbell, Tiger general manager, is trying to weigh all the doctor reports before making a decision. "I've had some pro and con reports, and we've had some of the best heart people in the country look at Hiller," Campbell says. "We'll make a determination in a couple of weeks. We'll either give him permission to 1 BY RICH ZITRIN Kniaht Newspapers Service LAKELAND, Hiller says he's Jialf-dying of starvation while working in the iower reaches of professional baseball. Now jie's only half-dying.

On Jan. 11, 1971, he was 'almost there. Then Hiller was a member of baseball's elite, a major league pitcher with the Detroit Tigers. On that day, however, he joined another group with a much larger membership the society of people who've had heart attacks. Only 27, he suffered a coronary occlusion.

was really overweight," says Hiller, who weighed 210 at the time. "I had a buildup of Tfatty tissues in my arteries." In April of 1971, corrective surgery was performed to help him lose weight. Now he's 170 -pounds, in what he calls the best shape of his and claims he's throwing the baseball better than ever. "My pitches have more life no," he says. 2 And so, 10 or 11 heart specialists later, Hiller sits in the dormitory where the Lakeland Tigers of the Class A Florida State -league are housed and waits for the phone from Detroit, the call that will have much no do with his playing future.

FOR JOHN HILLER, at age 29, isn't ready tto give up baseball. He's sacrificing a lot, such as money and AtacGregor Spaulding HAM Northwestern MASTER SPORTS CENTERS 545-7222 3297 12 Mile Rd. Berkley Daily; Svn. 11-4 1002 N. Main Rochester Noon fo Midnight everyday John Hiller being separated from his wife and two children, just to prove he's better than ever.

He's been a coach with Lakeland this season, his first true association with baseball since the heart attack. "Oh, I went to Detroit last year and sat on the bench for a month, but it was only to get in my pension time," Hiller says. Then came selling furniture back in Duluth, last winter and some sportscasting for a TV station. Otherwise, it's been a long, tedi Buy and Sell through Free Press Want Ads iTimmerman and Tigers fTooMuch for A's, 5-2 Sens Ixttttj fruit, Mxmk I toUrim ttm OPEN SUKUYS 12 ti EVENINCS HOD. HIH T.

tnoiftiiiti If EN EYEN1NES MM. TKRO UT. tart in, fritut, HfiM rrt, fwrttic I Put km ftirts OPEN EYEXIXCS Ml. I UT. fcw fcW OPEN EYDNKB HON.

Mi FH. DYNAGLASS SILENT GUARD handed over his lineup at home plate. The Tigers fly to Baltimore Thursday afternoon for a weekend with the American League kings It'll be Mickey Lolich against Mike Cuellar in Friday's opener 80 Proof, McMaster's Import (Oiv. Heublein, Inc. 1971) Hartford, Confl.

Continued from First Sports Timmerman, Martin did call or the suicide bunt, but the -Tiger rfght-hander missed the -ball and Jata was a dead duck oming down the line. TAYLOR, -hitting .319, led 3ff the sixth with a double off the right centerfield wall. Obviously anticipating a tight ballgame, Martin had Rodriguez bunting with nobody out Aurelio advanced Taylor 'to third. i Al Kaline's single did the rest, sending the Tigers ahead -2-1. The Tigers jumped in front with three more in the eighth on Bill Freehan's bases-'loaded double and left Jackson trawling around on his knees in centerfield.

Timmerman started the with leg single, of all things, beating out a ground 3all over second base. Taylor then doubled again, dropping this one jusr inside the right-field foul line. After Rodriguez grounded out, Holtzman walked Kaline on purpose to pack the bases. Then Freehan delivered his double, boosting his club-leading RBI total to 27 for the year. Mike Epstein's homer in the bottom of the eighth, trimmed the gap to 5-2.

TAGGING THE TIGERS- The Tigers were still steaming at the start of Wednesday's series finale about some of umpires' calls in Tuesday's contest When one umpire threatened to fine Willie Hor-ton for visiting with Angel Mangual of the A's before the game, Willie shouted, "Why don't you learn the strike zone first!" Martin also exchanged a few angry words with all four umps when he We import by the barrel YoffUve bytlWottle. DETROIT OAKLAND ab bi ib bi ARodrgti 3b 3 0 0 Rudi If 4 0 1 Kalin rl 1 1 1 RJackion ef 2 0 0 Freehan .40 11 Bando 3b 4 0 0 I IWHorton 4 1 1 0 Epstein lb 3 12 1 Jata lb 4 0 2 0 Duncan MStanley .4 0 Hendrick 0 0 Brnkman it 4 0 0 1 Cullen lb 2 0(0 Timarmn .4.1.1 .0 Garrett pti .10 0 0 3000 kmSs Martlnei 2b Holtzman Hegan 34 1.4 3J 2 5 Detroit 080 011 0305 Oakland 001 000 0102 T.Tavlor, Garrett, Bando. DP Oakland 1. LOB -Detroit 4, Oakland 7. 2B T.Taylor 2, Freehan.

3B-Rudi. UB C.iU. HI IB r.MM..ril 'H ER BB SO Timermn 5 ..2 2 ..2 4 Holtzman (L.I 0-5) HBP by Timmerman (R.Jackson) 2:18. A 7,052. Tuesday Night's Tiger Boxscore SDenny Walks 'mm lOuton A's SFarmCIub Continued front First Sports "get myself In shape and get "finy arm in shape," he said.

'l't done that. I've done everything they've asked. "Now if Oakland doesn't kwant me, I don't have to pitch rjor Oakland." McLain, who won 31 games (Jot Detroit in 1968 and was flamed the American League's most valuable player and Cy Award winner, said Oakland has had an opening on its roster for the past 10 pfjays. "I thought they were it open for me." he ESaid. "Now I don't know what they want to do.

"I'm making a lot of money 1375,000 and they may want to Jceep me down here and cut me 20 percent," he continued. JJ'Well, at my salary level, that's a lot of dough." McLain said he was going JJo Oakland to visit his family. "But they (Oakland), will iJcnow where I am if they want ftp make a phone call." MAullfft 2b. Kaline rf NortrtrUD ct. 5 0 0 0 5 12 1 .5 0 0 0 4 0 10 5 111 2 0 0 0 10 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 10 10 0 0 10 0 0 son 5 13 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 10 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 111 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .110 0 4 0 0 0 Campnrif is Rudi If Jackson cf OIBrown rf Bando 3b Epstein Odom pr Heqan lb Duncan Hendrick rf.

Cullen 2b Manoual ph. Martinez 2b. Hunter Freehan c. Cash lb WHorton MS tan ley cf ARodrqez 3b Brnkman si Coleman GBrown ph .0 0 0 0 Seelbacn 35 2 5 2 Total 36 3 1 Nont out whan winning run scored Detroit 000 110 000 002 Oakland ooooiooi 3 Cash. DP Detroit 1.

LOB Detroit We don't have to import McMaster's Scotch in bottles for you to taste how good a Scotch it is. We import it from Scotland in barrels and bottle it here. That saves us the cost of taxes and freight. And saves you money on the best Scotch you ttn buy. McMaster's.

7, Oakland 5. HR Hendrick (4), Cash (14), Kaline (1), Rudi (6). SB Camp-anoris, Rudi. Coleman 2, A.Rodriquez. IP ER BB 50 Coleman 8 5 2 .1 2 ..7 Seelbach (L 3-4) 2 1.1.1.0.0 Hunter .3 2 i.

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