Tuesday, July 11, 1972
THE /MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Eleven
Tueeday e Juy1,172TEMCIGNDIYPaeEee
Inn~rtf fThe baI Chess title duel opens
0711J to V1 L~ J. ttII j
More sports * .
see page one
ByELLIOT LEGOW
WHICH IS AMERICA'S number one sport? Baseball, foot-
ball, basketball, horse racing? Bowie Kuhn, Pete Rozelle,
maybe even Richard Nixon waste their time trying to answer
that question but all have the wrong answer.
Spectator sports like pro baseball andfootball may enter-
tain millions a year, horse racing may take in scores of mil-
lions of dollars, and golf, tennis, or softball may involve mil-
lions of participants but none matches the universal appeal of
our national game-politics.
Nearly every American participates in the political game,
especially in the quadrennial battle for first place and nearly
as many are involved as spectators of the nationally tele-
vised political battles.
And as today marks the opening of one of the biggest
political ball games in several years, maybe even decades,
the Daily Sports Staff wishes to make a confession. We
will be unable to keep all you mundane-sports fans out
there filled in every day this week with those crucial late
night baseball reuslts, the latest style in magic number, or
even the position of Bobby Fischer's king's knight's pawn
as of 11:00 p.m. EST. We'll be too busy watching the con-
vention.
But we. do want to keep you up -to date on the sports
angle of the Democrats' dealings, so here's your first install-
ment.
With only three days until the close of their training
camp the Democratic Party has still not decided on its pitching
rotation for this fall's schedule. The most likely candidate to
go to the hill against the GOP's "Tricky" Dick Nixon, the coun-
try's most proficient tosser of the underhanded curve and the
dry spitter, remains the rookie left-hander George McGovern.
McGovern owes his front runner position to his busy and
successful work in the off-season playing winter ball, barn-
storming the country, and making many token appearances at
semipro games.
Back again this spring (summer) as a challenger
to the ro*ie southpaw is former left hander Hubert Hum-
phrey. Humphrey, who once worked from a wide left
handed delivery, has been forced to adapt his delivery over
the years to a more directly overhand motion and now that
his credentials as a left-hander are in ill repute has
switched to a right-armed pitch.
Humphrey also performed in the winter leagues but turned
in a disappointing 12-18 record with an inflated earned run
average of 4.69. However, Humphrey has filed a protest with
league commissioner Larry O'Brien and he may Yet get credit
for at least a part of the seven game series in California which
McGovern captured last month.
Ed Muskie, the tall slow-working righty who was the
number two man in the staff's rotation on the World Series
four years ago, and was early favorite for the opening day
job this year now stands as only an outside shot to get the
party's bid, although he again may get to go in the second
game.
Muskie's problems according to the pundits were his over-
confidence. Instead of challenging the hitters like McGovern
with a solid array of fast balls and sliders, Muskie tried to get
by with an assortment of slow stuff which kep getting knocked
out of the park.
Other contenders for the top job remain but most of them
are lightly regarded dark-horses. Fast working righty George
Wallace, who has refused to allow any left-handers on his
gtarting lineup, is in the Miami training camp this year, back
from his jump to the rival Independent loop four years ago.
Wallace, who objects to travel by bus, even in the
minor leagues, has many supporters for just that stand, es-
pecially up here in Michigan where auto workers' jobs could
be jeopardized by an increase in bus business.
Another rookie going for the opening day job is the com-
bination Bernice Gera-Jackie Robinson of the league, Shirley
Chisholm of New York. Despite her tough attitude Chisholm
was unimpressive in the winter and spring and is not looked
kindly to by some of the old pros.
Another outside contender is Hank Jackson, the big right-
hander who has a tendency to get badly bombed although he
is the best defensive pitcher in camp.
The Daily must remain biased in this as in all contro-
versial issues so we will affirm our support of McGovern to
hurl the opener. The left-hander may indeed have the best
repertoire of all the hurlers in camp to throw against the
Pachyderms in the fall, despite their emphasis on right-handed
sluggers and defense. McGovern presents the party with youth
and a willingness to experiment and change, badly needed after
the failure four years ago with a veteran lineup.
In the second game manager O'Brien is still "undecid-
ed, but it may depend on who hurls the opener." Two
pitchers not vying for the opening assignment, Endicott
Peabody and Mike Gravel have announced as possibilities
for the nightcap but neither the Ivy League ace Peabody
or the Klondike circuit's top lefty has a good chance.
One major decision confronting the party is just who will
get to make the decision on the starters tomorrow. At last
word in the sports department the California group wasn't
decided nor was the active presence of that umpire-baiter who
managed the team four years back, Deadly Dick Daley, certain.
So while you watched the convention last night so did
we. Sorry.
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (W1) -
Bobby Fischer didn't like t h e ..:: .;>.;;.::::.
site, the money, or living with Professional Lea
the Chinese.
He objected to the lighting, and Am erican League
the playing table. East
He wanted police protection w L Pet. GB
Batimore 40 34 .541 - pit
and fresh orange juice. Detroit 40 34 .541 - N,
He demanded a German sports New York 35 36 .493 3Y St
car with an automatic transmis- Boston 34 36 .486 4 ch
Cleveland 31 42 .425 80 i;(
sion. Zilwaukee 29 44 .397 10% Ph
He didn't like the chess board, Wst
either, but Icelandic and Ros- Oakland 48 27 .640 -- Ci
sian officials had beaten him to Chicago 43 33 .566 52 H
Minnesota 30 30 .514 7!/2Lo
the punch with their own objec- Kansas City 3 37 .507 10 l
lions on that point. California 35 42 .455 14 st
Texas 33 43 .434i15,E
Fischer has gotten most of Texas Yesterday'sGamsr
what he wanted, and today at 5 M t e rilwaukGames
p.m. - 1 p.m. EDT - he will Kansas City at Baltimore
emerge from his moody seclus- Chicago at Cleveland S
ion to play Boris Spassky of the Texas at Detroit t
Soviet Union for the w or I d ioston at Oakland
New York at California
championship of chess. Tuersday's Games
Boston (Pattin 5- atOakland
Luchei aed (Horlen 2-0) Sa
Luchesi axe New York (Paterson 7-10) at California
Philadelphia Phillies' manag- (May 2-6) L
er Frank Lucchesi was fired Milwaukee (Lockwood 4-9) at Minne-
sota (Woodson 5-8) H
yesterday from his last place Texas (Broberg 5-7) at Detroit
ball club and replaced by Gen- (Timmerman 6-7)
eral Manager Paul Owens. Chicago (Bahnsen 11-9) at Cleveland At
Owen wasname Phiadelhia (Lamb 2-3)
Owens was named Philadelphia Kansas City (Drago 7-7) at Balti-- P
g.m. only this June 3. more (Palmer 11-4)
The match, in 24 games, ought
to last about two months, a n d NEW OP
in it two men will be matching
their wits in the kind of intense STADIUM RE!
commitment and concentration
that few other endeavors r e- AND PIZ
At stake for Fischer, a 29- 338 S. Sl
year-old American, is a chance
to be rich, and to gain the al- We specialize
legiance of the American public
for the gane which has totally Italian PIZZA and H
absorbed his intelligence. Try us for the ULTIMAT
.:s.. u5215. :.
gue Standings
National League
East
W L Pct .GB
ttsburgh 40 27 .040 -
ts York 44 31 .587 4
. Louis 40 35 .533 8
hicago 41 36 .5320$
ontreal 32 43 .427 16
hiladelphia 26 50 .342 22%
West
ncinnati 45 31 .592 -
ouston 45 33 .577 1
s Angeles 40 30 .520 5
300(0t 30 42 .402 10
in Francisco 34 48 .415 14
an Diego 29 48 .377 16%
Yesterday's Games
is Angelesat Philadelphia, 2
,a aiego at Montreal
an Francisco at New York
ther clubs not scheduled
Tuesday's Games
anto Die (Kirby 6-8) at Montreal
(Torrer 9-5)
an Francisco (Bryant 6-4) at New
York (Koosman 6-3)
os Angeles (Sutton 10-4) at Philadel-
phia (Carlton 11-6)
ouston (Forsch 4-3 and Roberts 7-4)
at Chicago (Hooton 7-7 and Hands
6-6), 2
tlanta (Niekro 8-7) at St. Louis
{Santorini 4-0)
ittsburgh (Moose 5-4) at Cincinnati
(Bilingham 4-9)
ENING
STAURANT
ZERIA
TATE
Sin REAL
omemode SPECIALS
E in Dining Pleasure!
ARE, YOU A
Drunk? Debaucherer ? Degenerate?
IF SO, TRY THE
DAILY SPORTS STAFF
"No matter how bad you are,
we'll make you worse."