'Page Twelve THE SUMMER DAILY Wednesday, May-23, 1973 Brock nears record haul By DAN BORUS .HENRY AARON didn't pop any out of the park this weekend, but he still stands on the verge of breaking one of baseball's cornerstone records: the 714 home runs of Babe Ruth. Aaron's quest has received the atten- tion of the entire sporting world and well it should. But there is another record on the line this year which is just as re- markable in its way as the home run record. The record: the most seasons with 50 or Commentary more stolen bases. The man after the mark is a 5-11 speedster from El Dorado, Arkansas and the record he is currently chasing was set by Ty Cobb. Although he is 34 years of age, no one is betting that Louis Clark Brock is not going to get his 50 for the ninth year in a row and establish himself as the most proficient practioner of lucrative larceny in baseball annals. Age and the strong arms of National League catchers are not the only ob- structions in the way of the Cardinal out- fielder: An early season groin injury has slowed him down considerably. As a result his name is absent from the top five base thieves in the league. Yet slowly but surely, Brock is climbing back to his old form. With a theft against Montreal Sunday, Swift Lou has nine to his credit. The warm summer months could again mean that Brock will prosper on the base paths. One thing Brock certainly doesn't have in his favor is the element of surprise. With his reputation, you can bet that the opposition hurler and backstop are keep- ing a sharp lookout for his streaking form whenever he reaches first.. But despite all precautions, Brock has a success ratio of 75%. Three out of every four attempts result in a stolen sack for Lou. That's consistency .and that's nearly a National League record. Much has been made of the Cardinals' slow start this spring, but old National League hands know that as goes Brock, so go the Redbirds. His presence on base is a constant source of RBI's for the likes of Joe.Torre and Ted Simmons. At one point this spring, Brock was swinging at a hard to fathom .108 clip. But now that he is hitting at a .295 pace, the Cardinals don't have that cellar- dweller look. Brock's arrival in St. Louis was met with the kind of response that rhymed with his first name. After all, the floundering 1964 Redbirds had disposed of a twenty- game winner in Ernie Broglio and Brock was an unknown quantity in a somewhat shaky outfield. "Brock as in Rock," the name that the Wrigley Field Bleacher Bums had given him, had the distinction of a) hitting a hugemongous blast to center field at the Polo Grounds and b) playing the worst defensive left field in the business. Well, he won the pennant for the St. Louis team that year and added to titles in 1967 and 1968. In 1965 he started his run at Cobb's mark and is still going strong. Detroit fans will remember him for his record 13 hits in the World Series and first baseman Norm Cash probably can't tell you what he looks like since Brock didn't make a habit of hanging around With flashes like Astro Cesar Cedeno and Dodger Dave Lopes in the league, Brock most likely won't win the theft title which has been his private property for these eight or so years. But until they can steal 50 sacks consistently, they won't be able to tie his laces. Summer Daily S$ports DROP 7-2 DECISION Hart's bat stops T i gers DETROIT UP) - Designat- ed hitter Jim Ray Hart started a two-run rally with a double and climaxed a five-run uprising with a three-run homer, leading the New York Yankees and Mel Stottlemyre to a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tig- ers last night. Hart, the American l eagoe's leading designated hitter, also had two singles and raised his batting average to .368. He dou- bled to open the second inning against loser Wooie Fryman, 2- 4, and scored on Thurman Mon- son's double follwing a walk to Graig Nettles. Felipe Al'i's in- field hit sent home Nettles. With two u-t in the seventh, Horace Clarke and Roy White singled, moved up on Fryman's wild pitch and scored on Matty Alo-'s single. Fred Scherman relieved Fry- man and walked Bobby Murcer before Hart smashed his third home run of the season off the facing of the upper left field stands. Stottlemyre, 6-4, was nicked for a run in the eighth on two singles, an error and a wild pitch Major Lecgue Stop-dines American Leagu New York 7, Detroit 2 Cleveland 5, Baltimore 3 Milwaukee 5, Boston 2 Chicago 6, California 2 Texas, Oakland (night) . American League Cleveland Wilcox 3-0 at Baltimore Cuellar 1-5. Milwaukee Champion 0-2 at Boston Pattia 2-7.- New York Peterson 3-6 at Detroit Coleman 8-2. C alifornia Singer 7-1 at Chicago Fishee 4-3. Kansas City Busby 3-5 at Minne- sota Kaat 5-2 Texas Siebert 1-2 at Oakland Blue 3-2 National League Yesterday's Results St. Louis 5, New Tack 3 Philadelisla 7, Pittsburgh 4 San Francisco 7, Atlanta 3 Montreal 4, Chicago 3 (11 innings) Cincinnati 6, Houston 4 San Diego, Los Angeles night Today's Pitchers St. Lakis Faster 2-3 or Spinks 0-4 f it New Tack Seaver 5-3. Pittsbugh Manse 3-3 at Philadel- phia Ruthven 1-3 or Brett 2-1. Chicago Baaotan 5-3 at Montreal Torrez 3-5. San Francisco Willoughby 3-3 at Atlanta Reed 2-4. - Mouston Wilson 4-4 at Cincinnati Dillinghsama7-1. San Diego Corkins 3-4 at Los An- geles Messersmith 4-3. AP Photo 'Tiger second sacker Dick MacAuliffe fires the ball to newly-wed No rm Cash as the Tigers complete a double play in last night's game. Felipe Alou is the Yankee sliding way late into second. In losing~7-2, t he Tigers are now only one game up on the Yanks and the Brewers. Fischer winner Left fielder Tom ' Kettinger was awarded the Ray L. Fischer Trophy, emblematic of the Most, Valuable Baseball Wolverine, yesterday. Kettinger finished his senior year with a .349 batting avera pe II Sports of The Daily I __ YMCA squad in the finals. The club will be playing a triples Spiker flyhigh schedule this summer and if you are interested. in playing 3-man Michigan volleyballers, beset Andy at 663-3084 will give you by manpower shortages at one the low-down. point, captured the champion- a a * ' ship of the B Division of the Hockey notes Region 7 at the USVBA held at 'n t Ball State this weekend. After Gentleman Gill Perrault of the starting off slowly against weak- Buffalo Sabres carried off the er teams, the spikers came on honors as the most sportsman- strong to destroy the Fort Wayne like player in the NHL, as he captured the Lady Byng trophy. Perrault is the seventh center in eight years to win the award .. . The Boston .Bruins, whose goal- - ies at times have, done 60 min- ute imitations of a SIEVE dealt forward Freddie Stanfield to the Miinesota North Stars for goalie Giles Gilbert. The Bruins indicated that Gilbert, third string up north, would be their -number orie netminder as they had sent Eddie Johnston to Tor- onto. New loop CHICAGO - A new tennis league, World Team Tennis, was announced yesterday. The league will have franchises in 16 cities and will have both male and fe- male players. 1974 is the blast-off date. Another wonderful way to spend your sports dollar. On tab... The Tigers go after the Yanks again, same time, same place and maybe tomorrow it won't rain. If it does, then WJR will be the perfect way to keep up with the Bengals.