Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 27

Mi: HDnaH; iJMWiyi. 4lH: ill SECTIOU a Also inside: Berkley holds off Southfield, 5049. Prep roundup on Page 3D. Wednesday, Feb. 6, 1991 NFL, Page 2 Boxing, Page 6 Scoreboard, Page 6 Scores: 1-976-1313, Sports: 222-6660 hsM.

bad TTh ra ends 0 rueirrfTvnue .0 II llO UAUJLLLO i dream 1(07 swat SOTO i 4 jf Barkley scoreless in fourth By Drew sharp Free Press Sports Writer Forget the axiom that February games aren't important. This one was crucial, and the Pistons knew it as they stared at a six-point halftime deficit to Philadelphia. They couldn't afford two consecutive home losses against teams above .500 with the Chicago Bulls charging around the corner. So the Pistons dug deep into their fortitude Tuesday night and pulled out a 107-98 victory at the Palace. The victory was impressive because the Pistons surrendered a season-high 64 points in the first half but still held Philadelphia below 100.

They also held Charles Barkley scoreless for the final 16 minutes. Should the Pistons win the Central Division and gain the conference's best record, this could be the game that swung the pendulum in their favor. "It's a big confidence win for us because this was our first win against a very good team without Isiah," said Vinnie Johnson, who scored 21 points, tied with Mark Aguirre for team high. "Lose tonight and you don't know what might happen down the road. We had to put what happened against Phoenix behind us.

This puts us back on track." The Pistons yielded 61 first-half points against the Suns en route to a 112-97 loss. And Tuesday's first half mirrored Sunday's debacle in that the Pistons turned the ball over on three of See PISTONS, Page 5D begins Morris joins Twins by Gene Guidi and perry A. farrell Free Press Sports Writers Jack Morris said Tuesday that his defection to the Minnesota Twins fulfills a lifetime 1 dream. "I've wanted to play in Minnesota since I was a kid," said Morris, a St. Paul native.

Morris officially severed his long association with the Tigers when he agreed to a three-year contract with the Twins. Morris, 35, actually signed a one-year contract with options for two more seasons. He can become a free agent at the end of each season at his request. The deal worth a guaranteed $7 million could be worth as much as $11 million based on performance incentives reportedly, if he pitches 240 innings and makes 34 starts in each of the next two seasons. The Tigers had offered him a guaranteed $9.3 million spanning three years after he became a new-look free agent in December.

Morris, who led the majors in victories (162) during the 1980s, has spent his 14-year big-league career with the Tigers. He was 15-18 with a 4.51 ERA last year, when he made $2.1 million. Dressed in a green shirt, jeans and snake-skin cowboy boots, Morris held court Tuesday for some reporters at a hastily called press conference at a Farmington Hills restaurant. "This isn't about money," Morris said. "The Tigers offered me a lot of money, so obviously I'm not leaving for the money.

It's a business decision. Free agent means free agent," and I was looking to better myself." If Morris wants to better himself financially through contract incentives, he will have to pitch a required number of games and make a required number of starts for the Twins. Tigers President Bo 1 Schembechler said Tuesday that he isn't in favor of such incentive clauses. "It puts a lot of pressure on a manager," Schembechler said. "If he doesn't play a guy, he knows it could cost the player money." Schembechler said he thought the Tigers' offer was more than fair.

The Tigers had warned Morris and his agent, Dick Moss, that if the terms of the contract weren't accepted by midnight Monday, the $9.3 million offer would come off the table. Morris was angry that the Tigers publicized their offer. But he said Tuesday that he See JACK MORRIS, Page 2D htJ Gp)A I 9 WILLIAM DeKAYDetroit Free Press Herbert Gibson (left) and Ed Davis earned plenty of honors at Detroit King. Time to sign in High school football players can sign binding letters of intent starting at (I am today. MICHIGAN: The Wolverines will sign at least 21 players.

Their recruiting class will be ranked No. 1 1n the country by analyst Tom Lemming and No. 2 (behind Penn State) by SuperPrep editor Allen Wallace. MICHIGAN STATE: The Spartans will sign at least 23 players. Lemming will rank MSU and Illinois tied for second in the Big Ten but not in the Top 10 nationally.

NOTRE DAME: The Fighting Irish, with a strong finish to reach at least 22 recruits, will be ranked 15th nationally by Lemming. UPDATES: How are teams faring? Several analysts and companies have hotlines. Michigan: 1-900-420-9658. MSU: 1-900-454-7446. Notre Dame: 1-900-860-4244.

Lemming: 1-900-776-4747. Wallace: 1-900-990-7737 or 1-900-896-2010. Sporting News: 1-900-737-1900. Recruiting: 1-900-454-3469. fi rJ jimt- RICHARO LEEDetrott Free Press Jack Morris was all smiles Tuesday, unlike some Tigers.

MIXE "Here's a guy who gave you 250 Imhgs every year. more pressure on the bullpen." FRANK TANANA: "We lose somebody and get nothing in return. That's tragic." ALAN TRAMMELL: 1 don't want to comment. You got me at a bad time, fm out playing with the kids." Career highlights JULY 28, 1977: Called up from EvansvHIe to replace injured Mark Rdrych. Entered game against White Sox In the fourth Inning and retired the first 10 hitters he faced.

1981: Won 14 games (tied for most victories in majors) Pitched two scoreless innings In All-Star Game won eight consecutive games. 1983: Was the first Tiger to win 20 games since Joe Coleman Won 10 consecutive games AL leader in Innings (293) and the only pitcher with more than 200 strikeouts (232). a1984: Pitched a no-hitter in a nationally televised game in Chicago April 7, blanking the White Sox, 4-0 Notched 100th AL victory, vs. Milwaukee June 24 Opened the American League playoffs, pitching an 8-1 complete-game victory pitched complete-game wins In World Series Games 1 and 4. 1986: Won a personal-high 21 games and was voted Tiger of the year.

Became the only Tigers right-hander to pitch three consecutive shutouts. MAY 27, 1987: Defeated the Rangers for his 150th major league victory. SEPT. 25, 1988: Pitched one-hitter (175th victory), beating the Orioles, 2-1. 1 990: Opening Day starter for the 1 1th straight year.

Faced the minimum 27 batters in third career one-hitter, a 4-0 victory over the Royals July 6. Also inside Morris left his mark on Tigers pitching records. Sparky: Life goes on. Page 2D. Detroit's Opening Day pitcher 11 straight seasons.

Frankly, I will find the Tigers' locker room a better place to step into, now that I'll no longer have to avoid Morris' corner of the room and the unpleasantness that almost always awaited me there. It was there last summer, he told Jennifer Frey, a Free Press reporter, that "I don't talk to people when I'm naked, especially women, unless they're on top of me or I'm on top of them." He was not naked at the time but wearing long underwear. He said good-bye to Detroit Tuesday, holding an impromptu press conference in the back room of Ginopolis restaurant in Farmington Hills. He was as he can be charming, gracious and helpful. He said he was wrong to say that to Jennifer Frey.

He said his wife did not speak to him for three weeks and that he got only one letter of support. He said the thing he was proudest of is that: "I gave my heart to this club, every ounce of energy I had. I always thought that was more important than talking to you guys after a bad game." He blames the media for any flaws in his "You guys," he said, "have created something in the public's opinion that is something I'm really not. "I don't know of anybody who has done more or given more than I have. If that sounds arrogant or egotistical, it's not.

It's true." Morris never respected anyone else's feelings, but his feelings were hurt quite There had been rumors that his feelings were hurt by the public's negative reaction to his rejection of the Tigers' three-year, See CHARLIE VINCENT, Page 2D JULIAN H. GONZALEZDetroit Free Fress Philadelphia's Charles Barkley can't escape the long arm of the Palace law in the form of Pistons forward Dennis Rodman during the second half Tuesday. SWEET 16 The Lakers won the battle of Los Angeles for their 16th straight victory Tuesday night, beating the visiting Clippers, 116-102. And Magic Johnson showed no ill effects of that conk on the noggin Sunday, with 22 points and 13 assists in slightly more than a half. Page 50.

lions' Levy has designs on run shoot Morris was a great competitor here, but he was some other thing, too Where to go? Here's how two stars decided all have our own ideas of how we'd like to be remembered. Perhaps, for Jack Morris, it is enough to have this inscribed after his name: He was a hell of a competitor. It is true. He is that. I sat with Bo Schembechler a month or so ago, and when Jack Morris' name came up, the Tigers' president, between clenched teeth, said: "If he didn't take the ball every time and he let his thought end there -It seemed to be Schembechler's way of expressing the same grudging admiration many of us feel for Morris' commitment on the mound.

It is a commitment that caused us for a long time to overlook all the other things that were wrong with Jack Morris. For a while we laughed at it; we thought his tantrums were cute. To the men and women with a take-this-job-and-shove-it attitude, but with less financial security than Morris, he was a hero. He said what was on his mind, without regard for society's niceties. Somewhere along the way, he chose to forget that others have feelings, too.

He is gone now, an ex-Tiger, lured away to Minnesota by whe-knows-what a chance to return to his roots, a new challenge, an opportunity to get away from Tiger Stadium, where the sun doesn't seem to shine as brightly as it once did. And many of us will say good riddance though the Tigers probably will find it difficult, to replace him on the mound, where he was CHARLIE VINCENT By Curt Sylvester Free Press Sports Writer If Dave Levy said it once, he must have said it a dozen times in less than 30 minutes Tuesday. The subject was the Lions' run 'n' shoot offense and how Levy who will call the plays in 1991 intends to change it. "Our plan right now is to change absolutely nothing but to add some plays," said Levy, named the Lions' top offensive assistant. "It's no secret we want to run outside more.

It's no secret we want Barry (Sanders) more involved in the passing game. "We want to be more consistent and we want to expand. Some day we'll want to eat up the clock and win a game, and in that situation you don't want to sit in four wides." Levy was referring to the four-receiver formations featured in the pure run 'n' shoot coached by former Lions assistant Mouse Davis. Davis and offensive assistant June Jones left the team last month after coach Wayne Fontes said he wanted to modify the run 'n' shoot and use a tight end or second running back at times. Jones left to become offensive coordinatorquarterback coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and Davis Tuesday was named coach of the New YorkNew See LlONS.

'Jage 6D BY STEVE KORNACKI Free Press Sports Writer Herbert Gibson and Ed Davis changed their tune. Literally. "I remember singing the Notre Dame fight song in the school hallways last year," Davis said. "Herb was singing the Michigan fight song. We knew where we wanted to go as juniors and joked about working hard to get their attention." Davis and Gibson led Detroit King to the state championship football game in 1989 and 1990, and offers from colleges poured in.

Michigan and Notre Dame to no one's surprise were finalists for both. The surprise Came in the final decisions. Gibson, the top lineman in the state, today will sign with Notre Dame. Davis, who rushed for 2,700 yards this season, will select Michigan. They are proof that recruiting can be a game of musical chairs.

And this is how the game is played: "I wanted Michigan to win so bad at Notre Dame last year," said Gibson, chuckling and shaking his head. "That was my school." "And I rooted hard for Notre Dame," said Davis, bursting into laughter. They looked across the restaurant See RECRUITING, Page 3D 'I it- vy.