-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.