SPOR TS OF THE DAIL Y
The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September 27, 1979--Page 9
Zimmer under fire
By the Associated Press
BOSTON-The Boston Red Sox
spiked persistent rumors that manager
Don Zimmer would be fired with a
ringing endorsement yesterday for his
retention by General Manager
Hayward Sullivan.
The support for Zimmer came as the
Red Sox were announcing two coaching
changes for the 1980 season.
"I don't have to make any announ-
cehents about Zimmer," said Sullivan.
"He's under contract for next year.
"I understand that when things go
bad, people want a change. But as far
as we're concerned, there never was a
need for one. The man respects the
players, and the players respect the
man. It's an old saying, but he didn't do
any pitching or hitting. Everyone has to
take responsibility for what happened."
Neither Sullivan nor Zimmer would
say outright that the manager will be
retained at the announcement of the
new coaches, but both were smiling af-
ter a long huddle in the clubhouse of-
fice.
"Everything's fine," said Zimmer,
who has been the target of criticism and
boos by fans as the Red Sox faltered to
third place in the second half of the
season.
players to get 200 hits three years in a
row.
Holmes, Shavers tangle
LAS VEGAS, Nev.-Larry Holmes
will not see the same Earnie Shavers he.
easily beat last year when he defends
the World Boxing Council heavyweight
championship Friday night, says the 35-
year-old Shavers.
"When the horse gets so old, you can't
teach that horse new tricks," the 29-
year-old Holmes said Wednesday.
In their first fight, Holmes won a one-
sided 12-round decision that earned him
his title-winning shot against Ken Nor-,
ton.
"I hurt him in the second round with
one punch," said Shavers, who conten-
ds he was bothered by managerial
problems and was not in top condition
for the first fight., "If I had thrown
combinations, it would have been over.
This time I will. I will knock him out in
five rounds."
"I don't really believe Shavers has
the punching power he says he has,"
said Holmes, who also feels he will win
inside the 15-round limit.
Nixon: Guardian Angel
for AL West champs
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)-"Maybe I ought to go to Baltimore, that-might
help," said former President Richard M. Nixon after the Angel team he calls
"the Comeback Kids from California" won the American League West pen-
nant and a playoff spot against an Oriole team with baseball's best record.
The Angels, winners of their first title of any kind in 19 years of existen-
ce, did so Tuesday night with a guardian angel of sorts watching from team
owner Gene Autry's box. For the games when season ticket holder Nixon
was in attendance this year at Anaheim Stadium, the Angels had a 14-6
record.
"Why, that's better than the Orioles' winning percentage," said Nixon,
who joined the happy Angels in their clubhouse after the game in which the
Angels beat three-time AL West Champion Kansas City 4-3. le even had
some champagne and beer poured on him by Angel shortstop Jim Anderson
and second baseman Bobby Grich.
California was a slight favorite to finally win this year with the crowning
addition to their lineup of Ron Carew, seven times the AmericanLeague bat-
ting champion at Minnesota. But Carew suffered a serious thumb injury and
was among several key players who spent large parts of the season on the
disabled list.
They probably have more comebacks than any team in baseball. They
came back from injuries," said the former president. "Guys contributed you
wouldn't have expected it from. It was fun to watch them."
Richard Nixon
L YNN HAS SLIGHT EDGE ON FIELD
MYP race wide open;
5 players bidding
"I've said right along that Don Zim- By ALAN GOLDSTEIN
mer is our manager and I'm saying the A Daily Sports Analysis
same thing now," Sullivan said, with a In the American League there is not one player
grin, who stands head and shoulders above the rest.
* * * Under these circumstances, choosing the Most
Valuable Player is an unenviable task. What
Rice tops 200 makes a player worthy of receiving this coveted
award? The criteria is diverse.
Last year's race is a perfect example of how
BOSTON-Slugger Jim Rice of thle difficult the decision can be. The tqp two players
Boston Red Sox became the 17th player were New York pitcher Ron Guidry and Boston
in major league history to get 200 hits outfielder Jim Rice. Guidry had an outstanding
three years in a row last night when he season, the best season a pitcher has enjoyed in
lined a run-scoring single in the first in- the past decade. He was the most instrumental
ning against the Toronto Blue Jays. player in the Yankees' comeback, which saw
them wipe out a 14 -game margin between
Only nine other American League them and the first-place Red Sox.
players and seven National League
players have accomplished the feat. WHEN SPORTSWRITERS cast their votes for
Rice joined Steve Garvey of the Los the award, baseball partisans around the coun-
Angeles Dodgers and Pete Rose of the try were worried that. Guidry would win the
Philadelphia Phillies as the only active award. They said that after the year Rice had, he
could not be denied the award, regardless of
what Guidry's statistics dictated.
They reasoned that Rice played every day, but
Guidry pitched only every fourth day. The
pleaded that if Guidry won the award, it would be
a great injustice because he could win the Cy
Young, but Rice could not. The voting was
tabulated and Rice emerged the victor. Guidry's
chances were obviously hurt by his being a pit-
cher.
Now that you are so well versed on the
headaches involved in choosing the MVP, a
rigorous analysis of this year's race is in order.
The top five candidates, not arbitrarily chosen
are Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Ken Singleton, Don
Baylor, and George Brett.
LYNN IS enjoying his finest season since he
was voted the MVP his rookie season in 1975.
Scouts who watched every team perform in both
leagues during the first half of the season
claimed Lynn was the best player in either
league. Through August, Lynn was leading the
league in home runs, RBI's, and hitting. Lynn is
also the only candidate for MVP honors in the
A.L. who consistently backs his team with stellar
defensive play. One day he could become the fir-
st player to win the Triple Crown and a Gold
Glove in the same year.
From day one, Baltimore's Singleton has been
the steadiest player in the league. His fielding
doesn't parallel Lynn's, nor is he as awesome as
Rice or Baylor, but without him a pennant would
be out of reach for the Orioles. Singleton chances
to win the award, however, do not look good
because the Orioles' outstanding pitching staff
has taken most of the credit for their East
Division title.
BRETT HAD an amazing year for the Kansas.
City Royals. The first six weeks of the season he
was mired in a dismal slump. He was suffering
from a hand injury which had yet to heal. He
made no excuses and stayed in the lineup.
After overcoming the effects of the injury, he
went on a torrid hitting spree. By the end of the
season, Brett accomplished a feat only matched
by two other players - Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb.
All three have led the league in doubles, triples,
hits, runs, and batting. He can hit leadoff or
cleanup and still get the job done. The only rap
against him lies in his fielding ability.
RICE AND Baylor, the other two candidates
bear a sharp resemblance in baseball. Both are
primarily designated-hitters, but they insist they
can more than hold their own in the outfield.
They are volatile when not handled with proper
care. "Awesome" would be more appropriate.
Each can control a team's destiny.
Of the two, Baylor has been more devastating
this year. Baylor may win the award, but Lynn
rates the favorite because of his all-around ex-
pertise.
Reds nip Padres as Astros lose;
Pirates crush Expos to lead
xRB the Associated Press
ay ane rissuc laceu rress wa lkpd thrPP '
CINCINNATI-Dave Collins' RBI
single capped a two-run rally in the
eighth inning to boost the Cincinnati
Reds to a 4-3 victory over the San Diego
Padres last night.
Collins' single came after doubles by
Ray Knight and Heity Cruz had tied the
game off loser Randy Jones, 11-12.
Tom Seaver, 16-6, pitched eight in-
nings for the victory, before leaving the
game for a pinch-hitter. Tom Hume
finished for Cincinnati to earn his 17th
save.
DAVE WINFIELD and Gene Richar-
ds Fhad hit solo homers to power the
Padres into a 3-2 lead going into the
eighth.
Winfield's homer, his 33rd, led off the
second inning, then Richards slammed
his fourth homer to lead off the eighth.
In between, the Padres collected an
unearned run in the fourth when Win-
f ii1d singled and later scored on Jay
Johnstone's smash to first base.
Joe Morgan singled in the Cincinnati
first and later scored on a single by
Johnny Bench. The Reds got an unear-
ned run in the seventh on a pair of
Padre errors.
* * *
Yankees 6, Indians 3
NEW YORK-Oscar Gamble drove
in four runs with a double and a homer,
backing the seven-hit pitching of Ron
Guidry as the New York Yankees
defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-3 last
night.
Guidry, 8-8, won for the 12th time in
his last 13 decisions despite allowing a
two-run homer to Ron Pruitt in the
eighth inning. Guidry struck out 11 and
GAMBLE DOUBLED home two runs
in New York's three-run third as the
Yankees erased a 1-0 deficit. Cleveland
had scored an unearned run in the
second inning aided by the first of Fred
Stanley's three errors at third base..
After the Yankees scored in the four-
th on Brad Gulden's RBI single, Gam-
ble slammed a two-run homer in the fif-
th, knocking out Mike Paxton, 8-8. The
homer was Gamble's fourth in his last
four games and his 18th of the season.
* * *
Mets 8, Cubs 3
CHICAGO-Richie Hebner drove in
four runs with a home run and double to
lead a 13-hit assault which carried the
New York Mets and right-hander Tom
Hausman to an 8-3 victory over the
Chicago Cubs yesterday.
Hebner, who extended his hitting
streak to nine games, smacked his 10th
homer of the season in the first inning
after loser Donnie Moore, 1-4, walked
Lee Mazzilli. The Mets made it 3-0 in
the fourth when John Stearns walked,
moved to second on an error and scored
on Bruce Boisclair's double.
NEW YORK CHASED Moore in the
fifth with four runs, two of them on
Hebner's double. Stearns and Doug
Flynn also drove in runs in the inning
with singles.
Hausman scattered 10 hits and im-
proved his record to 12-6 before being
replaced by Neil Allen with one out in
the ninth.
In the sixth, the Cubs scored on Larry
Biittner's walk and Steve Ontiveras'
double. Jerry Martin's two-run double
in the eighth accounted for the other
Chicago runs.
Braves 9, Astros,4
ATLANTA-Knuckleballer Phil
Niekro drove in four runs and earned
his 20th victory as the Atlanta Braves
dealt another blow to the Houston
Astros' pennant hopes, with a 9-4 vic-
tory last night.
THE ASTROS THUS dropped 2/2
games behind Cincinnati in the,
National League West. The Reds
defeated San Diego 4-3 Wednesday
night and reduced their "magic num-
ber" for clinching the title to two.
Niekro belted a two-run double off his
brother, Joe, 20-11, to open the scoring
in the second inning as he and Joe
became the first brothers in National
League history to record 20 victories in
the same season.
* * *
Pirates 10, Expos 1
PITTSBURGH-Phil Garner and
Tim Foli drove in three run each and
Bruce Kison scattered seven hits to
lead Pittsburgh to a 10-1 romp over the
Montreal Expos last night, increasing
the Pirates' lead to 1% games in the
National League East.
It was the last regular season
meeting b
Pirates w
won't me
division ra
KISON,
cher in h
raised his
22-6 befo
by1
between the two teams. The
on 11 of 18 games, and they
et the Expos again unless the
ace ends in a tie.
A CLUTCH stretch-run pit-
his nine-year Pirate career,
lifetime September record to
re a near sellout crowd.
Id
I
SA
The University of Michigan
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Second Distinguished Senior Faculty
Lecture Series
Professor Angus Campbell
in a three-part series, will diiscuss
Psychological Well-Being
The Pirates, who cut their "magic
number" for clinching the division title
to four, took a 1-0 lead in the first on
Tim Foli's RBI single off Steve Rogers,
13-11, and Pittsburgh was never
headed.
Garner hit a two-run homer in the
fourth after a single by Bill Madlock.
Then Ed Ott rapped a two-run double
and Garner added a run-scoring double
off reliever Bill Atkinson in a four-run
sixth inning that gave the Pirates a 7-0
lead.
October 4
October 1
October 1
A reccption in F
Rackham Am,
All lectures ar
t, 1979
1, 1979
8, 1979
Psychological Well-Being
Well-Being Through
the Life Cycle
Well-Being and Ill-Being
Rackham Assembly Hall will follow the final lecture
ANNOUNCING
MSA Is now Accepting Applications for Positions Avail-
able on internal and External Committees:
Economic Affairs, Faculty Affairs, Special Projects, Budget
Priorities, U-Cellar Board, Personnel Interviewing.
Applications Available at MSA Office
3909 Mich. Union
Deadline for Applications Fri., Sept. 28-4:00 p.m.
YOUR STUDENT GOVERNMENT
£-TA-A---L
phitheatre - 8:00p.m.
rc penl to the public
S~'lOFop
Z /
SCORES
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 11, St. Louis 5
New York 8, Chicago 3
Atlanta 9, Houston 4
Pittsburgh 10, Montreal 1
Cincinnati 4,San Diego 3
B AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore 13, Detroit 2
Boston 6, Toronto 4
Texas5, Oakland 2
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1COLUMBUS DAY SALEI