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Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Editorials printed in The Michigan Doily express the individual
opinions of the author. This must be noted in all reprints.
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WEDNESDAY AUG. 6, 1972 News Phone: 764-0552
T0
The Economic Picture
The Mets... er, Yankees
are tops in New York
By BOB ANDREWS
UP UNTIL THE exciting sev-
enth game of the 1964 World
Series, baseball fans in New York
City were accustomed to the
Bronx Bomber dominance in the
major leagues.
From the 1920's to the 1960's, the
Yankees relied upon the Ruths,
Gehrigs, DiMaggios and Mantles
to carry the team into the October
classic and all their devoted fol-
lowers had to do was wait pa-
tiently.
However, in 1965, the superstars
had passed their peaks and in-
stantly the Yanks were trans-
formed from the perennial league
leaders to cellar tenders. And, as
the wins became less frequent,
the crowds in the "House that
Ruth Built" dwindled to a mere
handful of loyalists who could not
accept the fact that the dynasty
had collapsed.
THE SOUTH BRONX, a rapidly
deteriorating neighborhood, had
lost its last major social attraction
and all seemed doomed for this
area of the city.
The disenchanted baseball de-
votees quickly switched their al-
legiance to the upstart New York
Mets, who provided its fans with
comical defeats rather than the
solid victories they had always
been accustomed to previously s
From 1965-1968, the Bombers
continued to sink deeper into the
mire of mediocrity while slowly
but surely, the Amazin' Mets
trodded upwards to a point where
National League opposition con-
sidered them formidable compe-
tition. The Mets would draw the
40,000 crowd, while the Yanks
averaged only 10,d00.
Then, what appeared to be the
kiss of death for the Yankees'
chances of recapturing the hearts
of New York, the Mets pulled off
the miracle of miracles and
streaked to the National League
championship as well as a World
Series triumph against the touted
Baltimore Orioles.
Odds are if one were to stop a
person on the street and ask him
who Gene Michael or Bobby Mur-
cer was he would figure they must
be the newest candidates for the
mayorality, not two members of
the Yankee ball club.
The following season, the Mets
again were in a tight race for the
National League East champion-
ship, yet the Yankees were win-
ning the same number of games
but found themselves trapped in
second place 15 games behind
Baltimore.
People, feeling the urge to
scream, "We're No. 1," still
You can trust In
Nixon's Pay Board
PRAISE THE LORD. In its almighty wisdom and gen-
erosity, President Nixon's Pay Board said Monday
that it was not going to lower its 5.5 per cent guideline
for granting wage and salary increases.
Despite speculation that it might lower its guide-
line the board said, "The board has concluded that it
will make no change in the standard at this time. It will
be reviewed again as additional data becomes available
in the year.
"These wage trends are clearly helping to slow in-
flation," the board added.
WE'RE SURE ALL the consumers in America are happy
to find out that inflation is slowing. They might not
have realized that fact from just watching the prices
rise every week as they do their shopping.
It would have been hard for them to figure it out
when they read about the Big Automakers making re-
cord profits and begging for a price increase in the new
models.
WHILE THE RATE of inflation may have slowed a little
bit, the rate. of unemployment has not lessened.
There are still as many people out of work and looking
for a job now as ever before.
It must be small consolation to them that the rate
of inflation has slowed when they have no money and
no prospects of a job.
It must be clear by now that Nixon's wage-price
guidelines was not designed to help the average wage
earner.
From the onset, the worker has suffered, been de-
nied raises, and forced to pay higher prices while most
of America's major companies have recorded huge pro-
fits.
WHAT HAPPENS to those profits? Does the company
reinvest it all into creating more jobs? Improving
working conditions?
Hardly. The comoanies have sat on their profits be-
cause their analysts have said that the time is not right
for expansion.
The time has come for the average American to rea-
lize he is being cheated by Nixon and make perfectly
clear to the President that they are tired of it.
-PAUL TRAVIS
Today's Staff:
News: Meryl Gordon, Alar Lenhoff, Morilyn Riley
Editorial Page: Carla Rapoport
Photo Technician: Denny Goiner
RALPH HOUK
... Yankees' Manager
flocked to Shea Stadium while the
depressing echoes of emptiness
continued to plague the down-
trodded Bombers.
SOMETHING HAD TO give and
it did. The Yankees claimed the
high crime area in which the Sta-
dium was located was a major
factor for the sparse attendance
and rumors sprung up everywhere
that the Yanks were going to fol-
low in the footsteps of their foot-
ball counterparts, the New York
Giants, who already had made up
their minds to switch their home
locale to the meadowlands of New
Jersey.
The loss of the Giants angered
many New Yorkers, but the pos-
sibility of seeing one of the city's
greatest traditions split the scene
changed the anger into alarm.
A campaign was instituted to
save the Yankees and finally last
season, the city agreed to buy the
Stadium and spend 24 million dol-
lars to renovate the aged struc-
ture as well as the decrepit tene-
ments that neighbored it. The dy-
ing organization had received a
badly needed shot of adrenalin.
AT THE OPENING of the 1972
season, even the promise of gen-
erous economic relief could not
alter the anemic attendance situ-
ation. Simply, the Yankees could
not sport a winning squad and
their chances of winding up at the
bottom of the standing were bet-
ter than the dream of a division
championship.
To worsen matters, the Mets,
with the acquisition of Rusty
Staub, Jim Fregosi and Willie
Mays, seemed destined to have
their greatest season to date and
all eyes watched to see if they
would live up to expectations.
In the Daily News, the Mets.ran
on top, win or lose while the Yan-
kees could only manage minor '
covers near the bottom of the
page.
Until the beginning of July, the
teams were running their nor-
mal course; the Mets were win-
ning and on top with the Yanks
losing and breathing on the necks
of last place Milwaukee.
BUT FROM THAT point on, the
pendulum has started to swing
the Yankees' direction. The Mets,
suffering from numerous injuries,
slipped badly and fell 10 games
behind first place Pittsburgh,
while manager Ralph Houk of the
Yanks got his team rolling and
before the baseball world could
realize what had hit them, the
Bombers found themselves in-
volved in a four way divisional
race with Detroit, Baltimore, and
Boston.
New , Yorkers pinched them-
selves to make sure they weren't
in a dream world, and the reality
became the sweetest thing to the
fickle New Yorkers, who will al-
ways support a winning combina-
tion. Cries rang out, "The Yan-
kees are coming!"
A L M O S T IMMEDIATELY,
the nearly non-existent ticket sales
for Yankee games boomed at a
hectic pace and the Bronx had fin-
ally regained its status as the fo-
cus of attention for the city's en-
thusiasts.
Even more beautiful than the
resurgence o f t h e American
League interest in New York is
the side effects it has had on peo-
ple and business in the lower
Bronx.
With fans flocking back to see
if the miracle of 1969 can be re-
peated, business in the bars, res-
taurants and concession stands
has been rejuvenated and the
promise of urban renewal in the
next few years has sent the com-
munity spirit flying high.
WHETHER OR not the revitaliz-
ed mini-Bombers go all the way
or not, the success they have ex-
perienced in the last half of this
season has had a healthy effect
on the populace of New York,
which for the first time in almost
a decade, recognizes that New
York hosts two professional base-
ball teams, not one.
4
Letters to The Daily
To The Daily:
SOME PEOPLE in Ann Arbor
have objected to the Miami de-
monstration. They seem to have
three basic reasons for staying
home:
1. That many demonstrators are
not politically serious. They a r e
just going to Miami to have a good
time at rock concerts and t h e
beach.
2. That the money and effort put
into national demonstrations would
best be applied to the local com-
mutnity.
3. That a demonstration against
the Republicans might hurt George
McGovern's chances for the Pres-
idency.
We strongly disagree with all
three.
A demonstration against a na-
Letters to The Daily should
be mailed to the Editorial Di-
rector or delivered to M a r y
Rafferty in the Student Pub-
lications business office in the
Michigan Daily building. Let-
ters should be typed, double-
spaced and normally should
not exceed 250 words. The
Editorial Directors reserve the
right to edit all letters sub-
mitted.
tional political convention rigged
for the renomination of ID i c k
Nixon could be a tremendous poli-
tical statement. The serious busi-
ness of a demonstration can be
coupled with a joyous celebration
of life without losing the important
intent of our meeting.
Working in the local community
is important but national attention
must be constantly focused on the
national policies which lead to war,
racism, and repression. The at-
tention of the nation is already fo-
cused on Miami. By going there
we can contrast the dusll proceed-
ingscof the closed clique inside the
hall with the vitality of the forces
for change outside.
Demonstrations will show the
American people that deep divi-
sions still exist within the nation.
If there were no demonstrations
many Americans might be lulled
into a sense of complacency, that
all is quiet, and that there no long-
er exists a need for change.
Vietnam Veterans Against t h e
War and other sponsoring organi-
zations are leading two convoys of
cars and riders for anyone going
from Michigan to Miami. The first
convoy leaves Thursday, August 17
from the parking lot of the Bless-
ed Sacrament Cathedral at Wood-
ward and Boston Streets in De-
troit between noon and 1:30 p.m.
The second leaves from the same
place Saturday, August 19 between
5 and 6 p.m.
To get in touch with these con-
voys driving south call 873-4858 or
831-9659 in Detroit; come to a
meeting of the Ann Arbor Con-
vention Coalition Wednesday, Aug-
ust 16 at 8 p.m. on the 2nd floor
of the Student Activities Building;
or call 663-4208 in Ann Arbor for
information.
-Michael Lewis
-David Gordon
August 14
Get involved-
serite your reps!
Sen. Philip Hart (Dem), Rm.
25.1, Old Senate Bldg., Capitol
Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep),
Rm. 353 Old Senate Bldg., Cap-
itol Hill, Washington, D.C.
20515.
Rep. Marvin Esch (Rep), Rm.
112, Cannon Bldg. Capitol Hill,
Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Gilbert Bursley (Rep),
Senate, State Capitol Bldg.,
Lansing, 48933.
Rep. Raymond Smith (Rep),
House of Representatives, State
Capitol Bldg., Lansing, 48933.