Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

|PI " r ' J BYRP . J Bportt Editor . \ j Baseball? The day of the baseball player who played for the fun of playing is like the penny baseball card ... gone forever. I can remember when I was a kid - and it hasn’t been that long ago • when baseball was THE national pastime. Now, it’s just a token symbol. College and professional football are the real kings. When the major league baseball players association, of which every major leaguer is a member, went on strike, it showed every fan in America what the baseball player of today is like. He’s money hungry. The average major league baseball performer, today, makes in excess of $30,000 a year. Twenty five years ago the mean was just over $4,000. Times have changed, but not that much. Roy Campanella, the one time great catcher of the Brooklyn Dodgers and now an invalid due to an automobile accident in 1958, once said: “It takes a man to be a big league ballplayer. But, he has some little boy in him,too.” Thats not the case anymore. Today, a major leaguer must still be a man. But, he’s picked up a new trait ... greediness. Granted, there were holdouts and money misers in the old days, but, they were usually players of top caliber, who believed they deserved more ... and several did deserve more than they were making. In todays baseball society even a .220 hitter has been known to hold out for a $5,000 increase. Even ten years ago he would have been told to hit the road. One of the biggest blunders of all time was the three year contract given to Boston’s Carl Yasztremski. In 1971, Yaz signed a three year pack for a reported $595,000, and that’s a lot of figures. The Red Sox “slugger” really earned his pay last season. Yaz swung the bat at a .254 clip, hit 15 home runs and batted in 82 runs. For what Tom Yawkey’s pride and joy produced last season for- $200,000 - the 1927 Yankees, including Babe Ruth, could have been payed off in full. Another classic example is Richie Allen, now with his fourth different team in as many years. The tempermental Allen flatly told the White Sox he would quit if not given what he asked for ... a contract for $120,000. The pale hose tinkered with Allen’s demands for a few days, then gave in. Allen is a good hitter. No doubt about it. But, he’s not worth anything near 120 grand. Allen is hard to manage and does not get along well with management. But, thats another story. When the baseball strike wiped out the traditional season openers last week it left many fans disgusted with the whole proceedings. Baseball players, who play for pay, seem to have forgotten where their paychecks actually come from. It’s come from that disgusted fan. Major league baseball does not provide the thrill for me, as it did a few years ago. As they say on television, “it’s a whole new ball game.” But, this “whole new ball game” is hurting baseball. Maybe the big leaguer of today needs a bit of little boy in him. Like when baseball was BASEBALL! W w - ■ I it Ba \2sH, (■ „_ i I ip 4, : ; * ► v ♦*'C‘ ■•*.., «* ’'' « i«lijW'''f'fc Perry’s Jackie Holtzclaw (Shown putting) was the winner of the chain pionship flight in the ladies invitational golf tournament held Tuesday, March 28, at the Pine Needles Country Club. Emma Ruth Adler, Fort Valley, was runner-up and Julia Adams, Fort Valley, won the Consolation. IN WARNER ROBINS Perry Jr . High Thinclads Make Good Track Showing 9th GRADE TRACK Perry Junior High’s track " team journeyed to nearby Warner Robins last week and participated in a five way track meet. The local thinclads recorded thirty points and had fine per formances in several categories. In the shot, Roy Brown placed first. Hammie Ragin finished second in the broad jump. Alonzo Green cap tured the third place spot in the high jump and in the discus the Perry team placed Hammie Ragin First and Charlie Ray third. Perry Junior High won the 440 relay, with the team of Ragin, Maurice David, Ricky Rumph, and Green. In the 100 yard dash, Alonzo Green tied for first in a dead heat. The 220 run nerup spot was also taken by Green. In the mile relay, Perry Junior High hung on to place fourth with the team of Roy Brown, Ragin, Davis and Bobby Little. 7 And 8 GRADE TRACK Perry’s seventh and eighth grade thinclads finished third in a five-way track meet held last week in Warner Robins. Perry recorded 36 team points. The broad jump runnerup spot was won by Ken . *' jBB ) •®L '*■ JQnM Holtzclaw Wins Again The Perry Country Club held it’s Ladies Invitational Golf Tournament this past Tuesday. 54 participants entered the event played under perfect weather conditions. Pictured above are the flight winners( (1 to r) Jackie Holtzclaw, who won the low medalist with an 82 and the championship flight with a net 66, Maggie Dangler, Jo Dunning, Jip Epperson, Joan McCasland, Jackie Beeland and Judy McKincken. Lumpiin. In the Shot, Ronnie Clarington finished third. Perry won the 440 relay with the team of Larry Adams, Randall Rumph, William Lester and Ken Lumpkin. Wendell Vance placed second in the mile run. In the 100-yard dash, Perry had two of the top three spots. Ken Lumpkin came in first and Larry Adams finished third. ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Rogers Leads Team To Win In PCC Golf Jerry Rogers had a fine plus-ten score to lead this week’s Perry Country Club dog fight. Jerry won the individual honors and his team of Moody Mulkey and Jim Smallwood took first place with a plus-twenty six. “Spring must be here,” PCC golf pro Wiltz Bernard said after seeing the score. Second place went to the team of Ed Cain, Stan Booney and Boyd Hathaway. Third place hoonors went to the team of Ken LeVan, John Walker and Seabie Sells Nabs Checkered Flag In Georgia 100 Leon Sells, driving a lightning blue 1964 Chevelle, roared out front from his outside pole position, fought off the hard charge of Charlie Mincey, and won the Georgia 100 late model sportsman race Sunday afternoon at Middle Georgia Raceway. Sells, in winning, picked up ; the SI,OOO winners purse for the feature event while | Mincey, also in a Chevelle, took home S7OO. Buck Simmons, driving a 1965 Ford, finished third, a lap behind the winner. A crowd of over 5,000 - largest to ever witness an independent sportsman race at Middle Georgia Raceway - watched the action under clear skies. More than 90 cars fought for berths in the 36 car 100 lap feature, with three prelimenary heats weeding out the Georgia 100 contestants. Mincey, of Austell, fought off Sells to win the first heat. [’ And Billy Smith, piloting a 1966 Chevelle, nabbed the second heat. Denny Burnette won the third heat in a 1968 Chevelle. Billy McGinnis, who finished fourth in the feature event, won the thirty lap consolation race in a hot 64 Chevelle. Curtis Green won the 440 for Perry, and in the 880 Mark Brooks captured fourth place. Perry also had two of the top three places in the 220 with Lumpkin taking first and Humph placing third. In the mile relay the Perry trackmen nabbed fourth place with the team of Clarington, Vance, Lester and C. Green. Hickson. PCC MEN MEET The PCC mens golf association will meet Monday, April 17 at 7:30. A good golf movie will be shown. GUEST DAY Members of Perry Country Club are reminded not to forget to bring out your friends and neighbors during guest week, that runs through this weekend. k ★★★★★★★ Track manager Jimmy Mosteller announced that another late model sport sman race will be held, along with the selection of a Miss Middle Georgia Raceway, April 23. Home Journal 5 fr p %. O' R K T 6 s PAGE 12-A APRIL 13, 1972 - ■! mm i - J mS m\'*L I a \ W , .]J ■ Bvßf i H : m wmW If jB * *n| T«Pr r Jhß JjWjß K '- ' M T ; '' m jHBk pHL ,# ; : jhm The Perry Mites, who finished third in the county recreation basketball tournament, are shown above. (1 to r) front row - Joe Thomas, Hervia Ingram Jr., Marvin Noble, Lee Jones, Ed Huckabee, Darryl Albritton, Lee Baase. (Back row) ■ Coach Douglas Baase, Marty Cassey, Ricky Hardin, Bobby Ethridge, asst, coach Jack Brewer. Hornets Club Beechwood 13-3; Bacon Fans Eleven The Westfield Hornets rose to the occasion at Mar shallville last Tuesday April 3rd, bombing the Beechwood Colonels baseball team, to the tune of 13-3. Senior righthanded hurler Lynn Bacon starred for Westfield, striking out eleven Colonels enroute to the lopsided triump. Bacon also helped himself at the plate, gathering a single, double, Youth Baseball Signs 155 Boys For 72 Season In Perry, the Houston County Recreation Dept., Baseball for Youth program concluded its final sign up, last Saturday, April Bth. Perry’s Baseball for Youth chairman, Coach Robert Harding announced that this was Perry’s most successful year in that some 155 boys registered which will result in eleven teams in the sue thru seventeen age group. For the next week or so the coaches will be contacting players who have not completed certain phases of registration such as fur nishing their birth certificate or paying the required fee. Coach Harding requests that players who still need to complete one of these phases be ready to respond when called upon. Remember! Registration must be complete for a boy to participate in the program. There are still some openings for volunteer coaches and persons in terested should contact Mr. Harding. Tryout’s will be held in the near future for Perry boys. The tryouts will be for players ages 9 through 14 who did not play in last years program or those who are moving up to an older age group. Rentz Takes Individual HLCC Golf Winners of the Houston Lake Country Club weekly blitz held Saturday, April 8 were: First place team. Ted Rentz and Wally Goforth. Second place was a tie between the teams of H. Bolden and Bob Gamble, and the team of Micky Robinson and Mark Patterson. The first place individual winner was Ted Rentz. Bobby Gamble and Mark Patterson tied for second. The winners of the Sunday blitz was the team of Ted Rentz and Tony DeLoach. Ted Rentz won individual honors. and home run to pace the Hornet offensive attack. The slumbering Hornet bats came to life against Beechwood mound man Tony Albritton and before the afternoon was over Westfield had accumulated 15 hits by nine different players. Lynn Bacon’s three hits, along with a double and single by Bobby Harrison provided most of the punch. Ted Bell amassed three singles for Westfield. Other Hornets reaching base on hits were Jackson Ellis - 2 singles; Ricky Ellis 1; Danny Overton-1; Wayne 5» X OUTDOOR £ | SCENE Ir IB By Tom Daniel V -J Spring is here without a doubt and fishing is reported to be excellent in all sections of the state. The water level, as well as the coloration of the water, has caused some lakes to be less produc tive than normally expected but Lake Eufaula and Lake Jackson are turning in large strings of crappy and large-mouth bass. Lake Lanier is producing its usual spring run of white bass with some near record catches and the Game and Fish Commission is predicting that a new state white bass record and perhaps a world record will be caught this spring in Lake Lanier. This is the time of year that makes an old river rat want to put out trotlines and set hooks. Those who have never fished a trotline, there’s something terribly exciting about poling up a river or paddling in a lake about 10 to 12 o’clock at night with nothing but a kerosene lantern to light the way and pulling up a line which has four or five big catfish hooked. There is something mystic about the quietness of the river combined with the darkness as well as the anticipation of pulling in a really big fish. A trotline is very simple to fish and can be stretched all the way across the river or between two points in a lake with hooks on 18 inch leaders tied about 3 or 4 feet apart on the line. The bait varies with the area and the fisherman and ranges anywhere from cut bait to worms, chicken livers, chicken gizzards, soap, dough balls, and you-name-it. The line should be well-weighted to where it is held some 20 to 30 inches off the bottom. For best results, the line should be baited just about dark and fished every two or three hours until after midnight. The line should be run again just at daybreak. For those unable to set a line, set hooks along the bank of a river are usually very productive and a great deal of fun to fish. All one needs is the right size hook, being about a No. 6 on a 20 to 3 inch leader tied to any kind of pole available an some type of weight attached to the line. The more sophisticated would use regular lead weights u we have used old discarded bolts and taps on a number of occasions, just anything to weight e lines sufficiently to hold it good and taut. A B ain ’ the bait can vary as in the trotline and the seth< ** should be fished in a similar manner as trotline. One word of caution, snakes have a ha i of laying on the bank around where the sethoo i stuck in the ground and when fishing the sethoo , a good light should be used along with extrem caution to avoid getting snake bitten. Go fishing and good luck! Stubbs -1; Bob Bledsoe -1; and Buddy Roper -1. Beechwood jumped on top in the second inning and led 1-0 before 3 Westfield second inning scores put them ahead to stay. Westfield really sewed the game up in the sth inning erupting for 8 runs. Bacon, who had been bothered with a sore arm that had limited his pitching, showed Westfield the smoking fast ball that made him famous in Perry Little League circles. Lynn fanned 11 Colonels and walked only one.