-Poge Twelve
THE SUMMER DAILY '
+riday, July 20, 1973
a~oge Twele THE SUMMR DAILY fIdyJuy2,17
CHUCK BLOOM:
Friday on
HERE ARE EIGHT million stories in
the Naked City, and this isn't one of
them.
It was hot in Ann Arbor on a Thurs-
day afternoon. I was working out of
Sports Department in the air-conditioned
editorial offices. My partners were
Charles Stein, Bob Barkin, Gordon Atche-
son, and Ken Fink. My name is Friday
. . I mean Bloom.
Thus. afternoon
Summer Daily
1ports
IT WAS 12:22 P.M. and John Chancel-
lor was just signing off the Watergate cov-
erage on our rented Magnavox when
Stein burst through the door.
"We just got a call from some guy who
said Muhammed Ali is at St. Joe's!" he
said excitedly.
Our reactions were mpstly smug dis-
belief. A man of Ali's stature would not
likely set foot in Ann Arbor. But the little
man from Merrick, New York was ada-
mant in his conviction that the caller was
telling us the truth.
WE LEFT The Daily at112:26 p.m. and
proceeded down Maynard St. running in
a non-geometric line. I, being the slowest
on foot, led the way. After turning in the
Nickles Arcade; we were delayed in the
traffic caused by the sidewalk sales on
Stale Street.
Stein suggested that we quicken our
pace even if it meant grinding several
pedestrians into the asphalt. In a re-
porter's line of work, the story is all-
encompassing.
We arrived some four minutes later only
to discover that the suspect was gone,
having left no more than 60 seconds be-
f r- our arrival.
WE BEGAN an intensive door-to-door
search which lasted some 15 minutes, only
to discover that Ali had slipped into a
doctor's office just across the street.
12:45 p.m.-Barkin attempts to verify
Ali's presence by walking nonchalantly
by a window and peeking through the
open curtains. When a nurse draws them
in disgust, Barkin raises two clenched
fists high in the air, and comes charging
back shouting "We got him! We got him!"
12:51 p.m.-Photographer Fink reveals
that he knows nothing about sports and
would not recognize Ali if he saw him.
Atcheson mumbles a word resembling a
slang word for a natural act. Fink is also
worried about food which befuddles Stein
who states "How can you think of eat-
ing at a time like this?" I, at 280 pounds,
can only agree.
1:00 p.m.-Barkin is growing impatient
from the wait. But Stein is continuing to
function as a good reporter. He is hiding
behind a tree trying to catch a fleeting
glimpse of the man who made draft
'sisting famous.
1:15 p.m.-The stake-out continues but
still no sign of Ali. I am seated on the cor-
ner of Catherine and N. Ingalls trying to
decide the proper way to address the for-
mer heavyweight champion. The only
definite conclusion I reach is that Cassius
would be inappropriate. Sir would do just
fine.
1:30 p.m.-The wait continues. However,
we spot rival journalists across the street
in thse St. Joe's parking lot. Barkin, he-
lieving that our exclusive is in danger,
states that the proper thing to do would
be to "go over there and beat 'em up."
1:45 p.m.-A crowd is gathering around
the offices of Drs. William Grabb and
Reed Dingman. S o m e are autograph
seekers. Most are patients whose appoint-
ments are being delayed by Ali's pres-
ence. One lady whose jaw was wired shut
strains to explain that Dr. Dingman is
never this late in keeping appointments.
2:00 p.m.-Finally the doors swing open
and Ali emerges. The five of us start to
converge on the man we had come to
get. Suddenly Ali stops and points a
strong index finger at my inconspicuous
figure. He then shouts in mock anger, "I
don't want no trouble from you!" This
startles me even though my colleagues
are rolling on Catherine St. guffawing.
Even at 6-6, 280, I know better than to
provoke him. I find my life too precious.
Ali consents to answer a few questions,
sign a few autographs, including a girl's
lab coat and someone's dollar bill, and
even finds time to oblige a female ad-
mirer with a kiss on the cheek and a
gentle hug. Gentle, because otherwise he
would have crushed her.
I shake his hand as his AMC Hertz
rent-a-car speeds away, vowing never
again to let water touch my hand again.
I regret only that I forgot to ask hirn
"What's a Matador?"
3:45 p.m.-Atcheson calls Grabb's of-
fice to inquire further into the story only
to be stymied by a receptionist.
Atcheson: "I'd like to find out more
about Ali's visit today?"
Receptionist: "Mr. Ali wasn't in today."
Atcheson: "How can that be? I was
standing outside and I saw him come
out."
Receptionist: "It must have been his
double."
EPILOGUE-Good help is hard to find.
Major League
Standings
AMERICAN LEAGUE
East
New York
Baltimore
Boston
Detroit
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Vw . Pet. GB
54 43 .557 -
48 40 .545 t'
50 43 .537 2
49 45 .521 3 _
47 46 .505 5
35 60 .368 18
West
Cubs gain
on Cards
in NL East
Oakland 53 42 .558 -
Kansas City 52 46 .531 2
Minnesota 48 450.516 4
California 47 45 .511 4!
Chieago 48 46 .011 4',
Texas 31 61 .337720'Sy
Yesterday's Results
Minnesota 6, Boston 2
Milwaukee 4. Texas 1
Baltimore at California, inc.
Today's Games
Chicago (Wood 18-12 and B. John-
son 2-2) at New York (Medich 6-5
and McDowell 4-1), 2n
Minnesota (Decker 3-5) at Boston
(Curtis 7-8)
Detroit (Perry 9-9) at Texas (Mer-
ritt 3-5)
Milwaukee (Bell 7-8) at Kansas City
(Drago 10-9)
Cleveland (Perry 8-13) at Oakland
(Hunter 14-3)
Baltimore (McNally 8-10) at Cali-
fornia (Singer 14-5).
NATIONAL LEAGUE
East
W -L Pet. GB0
Chicago 51 43 .543 -
St. Louis 49 44 .526 1 z
Montreal 44 48 .478 6
Pittsburgh 42 48 .467 7
Philadelphia 42 51 .452 8'f
New York 40 50 .444 9
West
Los Angeles 62 35 .639 -
Cincinnati 54 42 .562 734
'San Francisco 53 43 .552 8'
Houston 01 48 .510 17
Atlanta 45 53 .459 17'j
San Diego 33 61 .351 277/
Yesterday's Results
Chicago 12, San Diego 5
Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 2
Cincinnati 3, Montreal 2
Today's Games
San Francisco (Marichal 7-5) at
Chicago (Reuschel 10-6)
San Diego (Jones 2-3 and Troed-
son 4-1) at Pittsburgh (Morlan 0-0)
and (Rooker 3-2), 2n
Philadelphia (Ruthven 3-8 or
Twitchell 7-3) at Atlanta (Niekro 9-4)
Montreal (Torrez 5-8) at Cincin-
nati (Norman 7-9)
New York (Matlack 7-11) at Hous-
ton (Robets 9-7)
Los Angrles (Os)een 11-5) at St.
Louis (Murphy 2-3)
By The Associated Press
CHICAGO - J o s e Cardenal
slammed a three-run double and
a solo homer, helping the Chi-
cago Cubs erase a 4-0 deficit and
snap a six-game losing streak
yesterday with a 12-5 victory
over the San Diego Padres.
Five unearned runs in the sixth
helped the Cubs increase their
slim National League East mar-
gin over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cardenal's double in the third
cleared the bases and then he led
off the fifth with a homer, tying
the score at 4-4.
The Cub go-ahead run also
BULLETIN
IRVINE, Calif. QP)--The San
Diego Chargers traded running
back Duane Thomas to the
Washington Redskins last night
for two high future draft choices,
ending a bizarre one-year epi-
sode in the career of the con-
troversial football player.
The Chargers announced that
the Redskins gave up their No. -
I draft pick in 1975 and No. 2
choice in 1976 for Thomas, 26,
who was traded from Dallas a
year ago but never played a
game for San Diego.
came in the fifth on singles by
Carmen Fanzone and Randy
Hundley and a run-producing in-
field out by pinch-hitter Gene
Hiser.
Two San Diego errors, a wild
pitch and two walks figured in
Chicago's five-run spree in the
sixth, keyed by Hundley's two-
run single.
Cards d od gered
ST. LOUIS-Al Downing main-
tained his mastery over St. Louis
last night by throttling the Car-
dinals on three hits in pitching
the Los Angeles Dodgers to a
3-2 victory with last-out help
from Jim Brewer.
Over the first eight innings,
Downing, 8-4, yielded only a lead-
off single by Lou Brock in the
first inning and a sixth-inning
double by Ted Sizemore.
With two out in the ninth, Ted
Simmons singled and Luis Me-
lendez walked. Brewer walked
Ken Reitz to load the bases but
then retired Bernie Carbo on a
grounder to second to preserve
Downing's seventh career win
over the Cardinals, who have
never beaten the veteran left-
hander.
The sizzling Dodgers won for
the 11th time in their last 13
baseball games on the strength
of a tie-breaking two-run third
inning against former Dodger
Alan Foster, 6-6.
Downing led off the inning w:th
a bloop double to right-cenwer
and Dave Lopes sacrificed hi
to third. After Bill Buckner
grounded out, Willie Davis dou-
bled Downing home with the lead
run and scored on a single by
Joe Ferguson.
The Cards, who scored in the
first inning, came back with a
run in the sixth. Pinch hitter Bill
Stein walked, went to third on
Sizemore's double into the left
field corner and scored on Joe
Torre's grounder.
Al- CPoto
CHICAGO CUB OUTFIELDER JOSE CARDENAL doffs his hat
to Padre third sacker Dave Roberts as to suggest thanks for a
safe entry to third. Jose and his fellow Cubbies had a good day
whipping San Diego 12-5.