Newspaper Page Text
Leo Durocher compares
Willie Mays, Cedeno
By MILTON RICHMAN
UPI Sports Editor
NEW YORK (UPI) - Leo
Durocher is supposed to be the
manager with the stone cold
heart, no sentiment in those old
bones of his at all.
Part of that is fable.
Maybe he doesn’t always
show his feelings the way many
others do, but if you happen to
hit on the right subject Leo
Durocher displays the same
feeling and sensitivity as
anyone else.
One of the right subjects is
Willie Mays, the fading 42-year
old superstar who broke in
under him with the New York
Giants more than 20 years ago
and whom he now sees
finishing up with the Mets.
The Willie Mays who Duroch
er remembers was a sheer joy
at the plate, a capless blur on
the base paths and something
of an 18-karat wonder roaming
the field. Now most of those
skills are gone, eroded by time,
and Leo Durocher feels the
same way about this calamity
as everyone else. He feels sad,
depressed. Someone asked him
what he thinks about when he
sees the way Willie is strug
gling now.
“Willie?” he said. “Well, you
know how I feel about him—l
love him like my own son.”
Durocher first laid eyes on
Standings
By United Press International
National League
East
w. 1. pct. g.b.
Chicago 50 37 .575 —
St. Louis 44 40 .524 4%
Montreal 40 43 .482 8
Pittsburgh 38 44 .463 9%
Philadelphia 38 47 .447 11
New York 36 46 .439 UMs
West
w. 1. pct. g.b.
Los Angeles 54 34 .614 —
Cincinnati 49 38 .563 4%
San Francisco 49 40 .551 5%
Houston 47 44 .516 8%
Atlanta 41 49 .456 14
San Diego 31 55 .360 22
Tuesday’s Games
Cincinnati 6 Montreal 2
New York 1 Houston 0
Atlanta 4 Philadelphia 2
St. Louis 5 Los Angeles 4
Pittsburgh 4 San Diego 3
Chicago 4 San Francisco 2
Today’s Probable Pitchers
(All Times EDT)
Houston (Roberts 7-7) at New
York (Koosman 7-7), 2:05 p.m.
Chicago (Jenkins 9-6) at San
Francisco (Barr 6-8), 3:15 p.m.
Cincinnati (Norman 6-8) at
Montreal (Renko 8-5), 8 p.m.
Atlanta (Niekro 9-4) at
Philadelphia (Wallace 1-1),7:30
p.m.
St. Louis (Gibson 8-8) at Los
Angeles (Sutton 10-5), 11 p.m.
Pittsburgh (Briles 7-7) at San
Diego (Arlin 5-5), 10:30 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Houston at Phila, night
St. Louis at Los Ang, night
Pitts at San Diego, night
(Only games scheduled)
$ WRESTLING $
■ • Mid-South Sports X*
k Promotions
£ SPORTS PALACE
k 6 MAN TAG
kr Tb TEAM MATCH
kF' t W 1 big bill dromo
<1 ' g. INFERNO NO. 2 vs JACK WELCH
E J C DYKES ROY LEE WELCH J
J; LOSER OF FALL TO LEAVE GRIFFIN H
k GRUDGE MATCH J
k BILLY SPEARS vs ROBERTO SOTO
* ——«■*
J MASKED MARVEL *
k vs
k JERRY OATES
k
L VINCE GIRONDA DEMON g
r vs vs <
k RICK FERRARA DERRELL COCHRAN
£ ZniisX GRIFFIN SPORTS PALACE J
k / SAT ] Griffin-Barnesville By-Pass
k V 8 . 30 J For Reservations 228-0960
* VZV FREE PARKING *
Mays when Willie was only 20.
And now, managing the Hous
ton Astros, he has another
speedy, exciting centerfielder,
22-year-old Cesar Cedeno of the
Dominican Republic, who has
some of the style and flair
Willie Mays had when he was
that age.
Perched on one end of a
wooden table in the center of
the Astros’ clubhouse, Durocher
talked readily about “his” two
centerfielders.
“What I’ve said,” he said, “is
there will never be a better
player than Willie Mays. In my
opinion, anyway. At this stage
of his career though, Cesar
Cedeno is as good as Willie was
when he was 22. He’s a
fantastic ballplayer. Positively
fantastic. He could turn out to
be as great as Willie. Like I
say, though, I don’t think
there’ll ever be a better
ballplayer than Mays.”
“How about Cedeno’s at
titude?” someone asked.
“Cream and sugar,” said
Durocher. “Couldn’t be better.
He’ll come over and jab me
right here,” said the Astros’
manager, pointing to his side,
“or he’ll step on my foot just
like Willie used to do. I’ll say
something to him, and he’ll
answer me in Spanish. Os
course I don’t know what he’s
saying because I don’t under-
American League
East
w. 1. pct. g.b.
Boston 45 38 .542 —
New York 48 41 .539 —
Baltimore 42 38 .525 1%
Detroit 44 42 .512 2%
Milwaukee 42 43 .494 4
Cleveland 30 56 .349 16%
West
w. 1. pct. g.b.
Oakland 48 39 .552 -
Kansas City 49 41 .544 %
California 45 39 .536 1%
Chicago 45 40 .529 2
Minnesota 43 40 .518 3
Texas 30 54 .357 16%
Tuesday’s Results
Boston 2 Minnesota 1
Chicago 2 New York 1
Kan City 5 Milwaukee 3
Detroit 5 Texas 4
Calif 10 Balt 8,10 inns
Cleveland 7 Oakland 5
Today ’sProbablePitchers
(All Times EDT)
Boston (Curtis 7-7) at Min
nesota (Blyleven 11-8), 2:15
p.m.
New York (Peterson 6-10) at
Chicago (Stone 4-4), 2:15 p.m.
Oakland (Hunter 13-3) at
Cleveland (G. Perry 8-12), 1
p.m.
Kansas City (Wright 5-2) at
Milwaukee (Rodriquez 1-0),
8:30 p.m.
Texas (Dunning 0-5) at
Detroit (J. Perry 8-8), 8 p.m.
California (Ryan 10-10) at
Baltimore (Cuellar 4-9), 7:30
p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Oakland at Milwaukee
Cleve at Minn, 2, twi-night
Baltimore at Chicago, night
California at Detroit, night
Kan City at New York, night
Texas at Boston, night
stand Spanish...”
A Million Memories
Leo Durocher has a million
memories of Willie Mays, but
naturally there is always one
that remains clearer and
sharper than the rest.
“That catch on Wertz,” said
Durocher, pin-pointing the un
forgettable backhanded eye
blinker Willie made on Cleve
land first baseman Vic Wertz
with two on and two out in the
eighth inning of the 1954 World
Series opener. Dusty Rhodes
delivered a three-run pinch
homer in the 10th and the
Giants went on to beat the
Indians four straight.
“Willie ran straight back 30
yards, stuck his hand up like
this and pulled the ball right
outta the air. That’s the one
that sticks in my mind,” said
Leo.
What about Cedeno? Any
such single impression of him?
Durocher nodded.
“He made a catch I didn’t
believe early this season
against the Dodgers in Dodger
Stadium. Willie Davis hit the
ball. There were two on and
two out, and we’re one run
ahead. Cedeno was in right
centerfield when he started and
made the catch in left-center.
He dove, and if he caught the
ball more than a foot off the
ground I’ll kiss your ear. Willie
Davis just stood there. He
couldn’t believe what he saw.
Neither could I.”
Conversation Swings Back
The conversation swung back
to Willie Mays, how much he
still wants to play and how
hard it obviously is for him to
hang 'em up. Quitting frequent
ly is tough in baseball.
“Would you quit if Houston
should win this year?” a
newsman asked Durocher.
L&SMIRROLURES!H
POPULAR SUES
SHAPES. COLORS • extremely light weight
REG . RET . 2.25 (Limit 10dz.) • IIZI.GW LIMIT 2
FAMOUSLURES jjWBOjLFAMTLTTENT»':s'4W'
special
SAVINGS ARGAINS. #5 , 03/)6 For Lanterns, Stove., H»otiri,»tc. RBO
looki g
PLUS, . . OTHER GREAT FISHING VALUES CT &y|^ NICCHESTS
(WORMS WORMS
• • PURPLE,YELLOW,BLACK,ETC. (LIMIT 10) U per2s ** (Limit 3 (LimitrW*
ZEBCO33 Jttk WBEN COOLER BARGAINS!!
RUY IT NOWH SPECIAL PRIc E • Air/waSrtigß? U 44 QT.
DUTIINUn.. • HEAVY DUTY Handles ,REG. RETAIL jKI F
11 1 Y WfrUHfc _
UlwLli ■ ■ 250° BELOW 0 figgf sleeping bag specials
fisiwto VALUES!! SPECIALSLEEPmSBAG
ROD REG RETAIL $21.00 WlbAfr
4RAhI AN7 A x* Da,U7a $45 00 OTHER sleeping bag values
/ OUH MULL A " % * 3 LB. Polyester REG. RETAIL 18.00
cXLX J P ? Ci ?"/ RETAIL VALUES • ALL NYLON V BO nOM 77?*
5 '7 Selected (uanti) (Limit 2)
> Croup ONLY uptq s 2o°° X
MINNOW F |] N DftATj/yZ/VvZr/JZ//t® 1200 Slide Action .Shotgun
ONE MAN U UNI I mwhiu. 1 vr »-’Bta.7~<
OteiMlMaiikMlb I VEmr barrel plain barrel
WBQ Hfnmn RE 7s^a s ;S 9s
I WHILE THEY LAST!! o^yK^'Cf
P BRIOHTOMNOE COLOR | Unit 1 BET YOURS HOW!! (LIMIT» Afc/wlm
TROLUNO MOTORS > O'*Xl jg TARGET
• !®2JL mT I with Magnum Cylinder
• COMPLETE WITH REVEME p I DEufll WED Ourßpecta! Price
Model 52 .HIAVYDUHPROPAHOMOTOR (Li|B | t | nEVULVEII k A^|igS|^ , %^nd:r Um Ur’W
.<■ EXTRA LARGE I • Micro Target Sight
EB Wf Double Mantle
we.ee DELUXE LANTERITTr | $ 69” WW
pmffWTMWiMCTS!
1
itvwy' ~ M Id
■ *
DETROIT—Young 11-year-old Chris Perry, pitching in the Tigers’ annual Father-Son
baseball game prior to the scheduled Texas Rangers-Detroit Tigers game at Tiger Stadium,
uses a bucket entitled “Unc Gaylord Gunk” and some mannerisms to play a spoof” on his
uncle Gaylord who pitches for the Cleveland Indians. Chris is the son of Tiger pitcher Jim
Perry. Chris first runs his fingers through his hair (ul) then winds up for the throw (bottom)
with the bucket at his feet. All of this causes Tiger Norm Cash (1) and umpire Sonny Elliot (a
local TV personality) to check him thoroughly (ur) before allowing him to continue. (UPI)
Page 3
— Griffin Daily News Wednesday, July 11,1973
Johnny Miller
very confident
TROON, Scotland (UPI) —
Johnny Miller, 26-year-old U.S.
Open champion, tees off .
today in the 102nd British Open
confident he can repeat his
success of last month at
Oakmont, Pa.
“I’m relaxed and had a good
practice round today,” Miller
said Tuesday. “I’m still mental
ly in tune and I think I can do
well.”
But Miller’s dreams of a
double face stiff opposition
from fellow U.S. stars Lee
Trevino and Jack Nicklaus,
both of whom stand poised on
the brink of golfing history.
Trevino, winner of the last
two British Opens at Royal
Birkdale in 1971 and Muirfield
last year, seeks a victory that
will make him only the second
man this century to win the
British championship three
years in succession.
And Nicklaus, winner of the
British Open in 1970 at St.
Andrews and 1966 at Muirfield,
seeks a record-breaking 14th
major tourney victory.
But, a field of the world’s
greatest golfers apart, all three
must also beat Troon, the
windswept west Scottish coast
course which last hosted the
British Open 11 years ago when
Arnold Palmer established a
British Open record with a
Greene County
skydivers win
Skydivers from the Greene
County Sports Parachute
Center near Jenkinsburg, Ga.
recently won the national
championship in four-man
relative work.
The Skydivers are Paul
Fayard, Chuck Price, Dave
Briar and Bob Von Derau.
dazzling 276.
Troon, a 7,064-yard, par-72 of
switchbacked gorse and sand
traps, Tuesday snapped back at
both Nicklaus and Miller.
The two blonde Americans
fell victim to Troon’s Bth hole,
the 126-yard “postage stamp” a
cunningly devised green sur
rounded by five sand traps and
a deep drop on two sides.
Miller Monday described the
postage stamp as “cute.”
Tuesday he ballooned his tee
shot yards over the tiny green
and said wryly: “I just didn’t
realize it was that short”
With South African Gary
Player, American Dave Hill
and British amateur Willie
Milne watching on, Nicklaus,
the bookmaker’s 4-1 favorite,
skied his tee shot way past the
green and into a sand trap.
Nicklaus said nothing.
Player, another two-time
winner of the British Open in
1959 and 1968, said the weather
would prove the major factor at
Troon.
“If there’s no wind I expect
at least four guys to bust the
British Open record of 276,” he
said. “If there’s an average
kind of wind I guess 277 will
win it. And if we get one of
those really strong winds that
tend to blast through here then
it could be anything.”
They won the four-man team
championship at the U.S.
championships held at
Tahlequah, Okla.
The Greene County team will
compete for the world title in
competition at Fort Bragg, N.C.
in August.