THE MICHIGAN DAILY Tuesday, July 23, 1974 { f ff) Gaylord checked S {JiC1 MANAGER Dick Williams of the American League All- Stars and the California An- gels checks to see where Gay- lord Perry of the Cleveland Indians has been hiding the greasy kid stuff. Perry, on the other hand, is examining whether that is really an An- gels' cap the ex-Oakland skipper is wearing. Both of them found the ir way into Pittsburgh for today's Mid- summer Classic, where Perry will oppose the N a t i o n a l League's Andy Messersmith. - -_-_AP Photo BASEBALLERS IN PITTSBURGH BY GEORGE! All-Stars play tonight George Hastings By CLARKE COGSDILL . E'O Q$ d~'ftgs nrrr rr ...,. ...::::::::":.:;.,;";::.:.;:;: >:":f > T'F ~hTri mns ncr4" r. w.. ._' Billie Jean King ... . .. superstar of WTT THE THRONGS at Cobo Arena crowded around the star athlete. Hordes of teenage girls squealed and pushed in closer for an autograph or a better look. The hapless television crew tried to keep the mob back to get their post-game show started. The object of this adulation? Jerry West, perhaps, or maybe Walt Frazier? No, the famous jock drawing all the attention Saturday night was none other than Billie Jean King, proving just how far women's athletics and the game of tennis have come, even in Detroit. Billie Jean was in town with her Philadelphia Freedoms of the World Team Tennis, and better yet, she was scheduled to take on Rosemary Casals, the Detroit Loves top player and number three-ranked woman in the U.S. in the women's singles. With that confrontation in mind, 8,671 fans paid their way into the contest, well more than double the Loves' largest previous attendance. Not only are the Loves and the Freedoms the league's best two teams, but King and Casals sport the loop's best singles' mark by either men or women. The fans may have been there to worship King, but they were there to cheer for Casals. And Rosie gave them lots to cheer about as the set started. King served the first game, and three pinpoint passing shots and a perfect leaning overhead smash by Casals later, the monarch of the sport had lost her serve without gaining a point. The crowd went absolutely ape, and the home town favorite continued to look strong through the next three games, taking the fourth game again in four straight points to pull ahead 3-1. But then, Casals' serve deserted her, and more important, King started to get her own devastating game together. The Freedoms' player-coach slowly took control of the match, getting in nearly every first service, and waiting for her op- ponent to make mistakes. King took four straight games, to go ahead 5-3. But in this grudge match between these two proud, fiery, and scrappy athletes, Rosie was not giving in yet. Glaring at her long-time doibles partner King with as menacing a look as Wilt Chamberlain ever cast on a hapless official in that same arena, she fought back gamely, breaking King's serve in the ninth game and then pulling even at 5-all. But the best female tennis player in the world was just too tough for Casals. King swept the eleventh game, and Rosie's concentration was broken. Incrediblv, she doublefaulted on the last two points of her final service to fall 7-5 in an epic battle. More imnortant than the outcome, however, was how tre- mendously entertaining the set was, and the reaction it brought. The excitement the match and the appearance of King engen- dered shows how ponular an athlete a woman can be, and proves that peonle will not only come and pay a good piece of cash to see tennis, but will cheer like maniacs too. Afterward, King proved to be as big a ham as any male superstar, but, refreshingly, a lot more honest. Noting the way Casals gave away the final game that she obviously wanted so badly, King admitted that "It was a choke match." But regardless of Rosie's collapse, it was also a very good match. If anything will bring some of the Detroit fans that attended back for more WTT action, the King-Casals battle will. The way the Tigers and the Wheels have been playing lately, right now the Loves are the best sports show in town. iyour mina hasn't come down from last week's Arts Fair yet, today's All-Star game might be just what you've been looking for. With all the pre- dictability of a Ron Ziegler press conference, the best players of the American League square off every year against their counterparts from the Sen- ior circuit, and lose. It's been that way for ten of the last eleven years, and al- though AL prexy Lee McPhail has resorted to desperation measures (most notably, order- ing his managers to keep the All-Star pitchers well-rested for tonight's game), all logic sug- gests that the National League ought to be able to make it eleven out of the last twelve. BUT IT SHOULD be interest- ing for awhile, because this year - for a change - the AL has a starting lineup that com- pares favorably with what their competitors have to offer. At first base, Dick Allen of the White Sox is far superior to Steve Garvey of the Dodgers- even allowing for the latter's super RBI season - the Twins' Rod Carew is the only second baseman in the game who can be mentioned in the same breath with Joe Morgan and not draw giggles. The left side of Bert Campa- neris and Brooks Robinson is far more experienced (and cap- able) than Larry Bowa and Ron Cey; and Reggis Jackson is so much better than Hank Aa- ron in every phase of the game that it almost makes up for Jeff Burroughs' and Bobby Mur- cer's inability to keep up with Jimmy Wynn and Pete Rose. The American League's only seriousiweakness is behind the plate: it doesn't have a legiti- mate All-Star catcher, while the National League will start Johnny Bench and have Ted Simmons in reserve. But cat- chers don't mean that much. How else would the Tigers have won for so long with Bill Free- han? IN PITCHING, too, the Amer- ican League does quite well, partially because of the qual- ity of its staff, and partially _ because of Yogi Berra's ques- tionable judgement. The Na- tional League cohort "features" such aces as Jon Matlack - a .500 pitcher with a good ERA -and Steve Rogers, a .500 pitcher who's been getting bombed all year. Couldn't Yogi have picked a different Expo? American League starter Gaylord Perry has been strug- gling his last two, starts, and Te Lineups American League National League Rod Carew, Minnesota, 2b Pete Rose, Cincinnati, if or rf Bert Campaneris, Oakland, ss Joe Morgan, Cincinnati, 2b Reggie Jackson, Oakland, rf Hank Aaron, Atlanta, rf or If Dick Allen, Chicago, lb Johnny Bench, Cincinnati, c Bobby Murcer, New York, cf Jimmy Wynn, Los Angeles, cf Jeff Burroughs, Texas, If Steve Garvey, Los Angeles, lb Brooks Robinson, Baltimore, Ron Cey, Los Angeles, 3b 3b ' RnCy o nee,3 Thurman Munson, New York, Larry Bowa, Philadelphia, ss c Andy Messersmith; Los An- Gaylord Perry, Cleveland, p geles, p could get the quick hook. But belong in the Hall of Fame, with Rollie Fingers and even not on the playing field, and the John Hiller in the bullpen, that only reason Dave Chalk is on shouldn't cause too much con- the squad is that a California cern. Angel had to make the team The NL pitchers - Steve somewhere. Carlton, Ken Brett, Buzz Capra, The National League bench, and Lynn McGlothen - are yTcenNatooksLsuspic , capable enough, but they ab- by contrast, looks suspiciously saleelynougdabstrongthe e like the list of "National League soltitely need a strong three Leaders." Such notable stick- innings from starter Andy menas.Ralphnabe.3t)Rk- Messersmith (and they should ie as Ralph32arr (.363) Reg- get themr) and you can bet that g h 316), Dave Cash (.315),M Mike Marshall will be in thereScmd (.316),DavJCahnny3tGruMik sooner or later. Schmidt (.314) Johnny Grubb On paper, the AL secondlin- (.300) and Cesar Cedeno (.299 ers:-Steve Busby, Jim Hunter with 19 HR and 75 RBI) will all Lois Tiant, Wilbur Wood a n sit out the first three innings. Mike Cuellar - stack up Simply put, the National much more favorably than their League has better players, and counterparts. They did last more of them. Over a series year, too, and you remember of any length, this difference all those Nolan Ryan gopher would be enough to establish pitches, don't you? superiority. T h e American WHEN IT'S time to lose the League could, I admit, win this game, the American League one, but even Richard Nixon will lose it with the bench. tells the truth every now and Frank Robinson and Al Kaline then. The galaxy of Stars American League National League PITCHERS-Gaylord Perry, PITCHERS - Andy Messer- Cleveland; Steve Busby, Kan- smith and Mike Marshall, Los sas City; Jim 'Catfish" Hunt- Angeles; Jon Matlack, New er and Rollie Fingers, Oak- York; Steve Carlton, Phila- land; Wilbur Wood, Chicago; delphi;SeeRgr,'Mn Mike Cuellar, Baltimre-e Lois dphis; Steve Rogers, Mon- TikenCueBlasBa-tiJore Hisr treal; Buzz Capra, Atlanta; Tiant, Boston; John Biller, Lynn McGlothen, St. Louis; Detroit. Ken Brett, Pittsburgh. CATCHERS-Thurman Mun- C son, New York; Darrell Por- ATCHERS-Johnny Bench, ter, Milwaukee; Jim Sund- Cincinnati; Jerry Grote, New berg, Texas. York; Ted Simmons, St. INFIELDERS - Dick Allen, Louis. Chicago; Rod Carew, Minne- INFIELDERS - Steve Gar- sota; Brooks Robinson and vey and Ron Cey, Los An- Bobby Grich, Baltimore; Bert geles; Joe Morgan and Tony Campaneris, Oakland; Cookie Pe r e z, Cincinnati; Larry Rojas and John Mayberry, Bowa, Dave Cash and Mike Kansas City; Don Money, Mil- Schmidt, Philadelphia; Chris waukee; Dave Chalk, Califor- Speier, San Francisco; Don nia; Carl Yastrzemski, Bos- Kessinger, Chicago. ton. OUTFIELDERS - Ha a k OUTFIELDERS - Jeff Bur- Aaron and Ralph Garr, At- roughs, Texas; Bobby Mur- lanta; Pete Rose, Cincinnati; cer, New York; Reggie Jack- Jimmy Wynn, Los Angeles; son and Joe Rudi, Oakland; Cesar Cedeno, Houston; Reg- Frank Robinson, California; gie Smith and Lou Brock, St. George Hendrick, Cleveland; Louis; Johnny Grubb, San Al Kaline, Detroit Diego.