Thursday, May 26, 1977
ree
By The Associated Press
Seven weeks into the 1977
baseball season, last winter's
expensive free agents are not
exactly dominating the batting
and pitching statistics.
In fact, except for a couple of
exceptions like Gary Matthews
of Atlanta and Joe Rudi of Cali-
fornia, the instant millionaires
are having quite ordinary sea-
sons.
Matthews, who. reportedly
pocketed $1,875,000 when he
switched from San Francisco
to Atlanta last winter, is
among the National League's
top batters with a .339 bat-
ting average. You can't
blame the Braves' disastrous
start on him.
Rudi, who settled in Califor-
nia in exchange for about $2.09
million, in only batting .260 for
the Angels but is leading the
American League in rins bat-
ted in with 38 through Tues-
day's games.
Two other expensive new An-
gels, shortstop Bobby Grich
and designated hitter Don Bay-
lor, have had only so-so starts.
Grich, who signed for about
$l.55ll,00 is hitting .263 with
five homers and 18 runs batted
in and Baylor, who got some-
thing like $1.6 million, is strug-
ting along at .199 with seven
homers and 19 runs batted in.
THE MICHIGAN GAILY
Page Eleven
THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Eleven
agents
Like their three new stars, ported $1
the Angels have gotten off to some mu
a sluggish start this season. problems
But the turnstyles in Ana- earned r
heim are spinning well ahead with his 3
of last year's pace with at- Besides t
tendance up by more than and Gullett
113,000 so far. kee atteni
Texas has enjoyed the best dragging w
success with its free agents. 123,000 fro
Shortstop Bert Campaneris, 19 dates.
who carried a $1.01 million The bigl
price tag, is batting .301 and appointmer
pitcher Doyle Alexander, a bar- Cleveland
gain at something like $955,000 land, signe
is off to a 6-1 start with a 2.61 jured in sp
earned run average. struggled 1
That production is quite a bit an inflated
better than the New York Yan- Bostonj
kees have gotten from their two bell, the
tree agents, outfielder Reggie sign, had 1
Jackson and pitcher Don Gul- of the set
lett. up seven
Jackson, the most expensive tories so f
player in the free agent draft Third b
at $2.9 million, is hitting a who went
sluggish .252 with six homers reported
and 19 RBI. He was benched ting .252
because of a 2-for-25 slump last and 23 R
week and has been the center of San Dieg
unrest in the Yankee club- land's e:
house. Earlier this week, he de- Rollie Fit
liberately avoided the tradition- Gene Ten
al handshaking in the dugout more than
after hitting a home run and Fingers 1
was reprimanded for the action able trans
by Manager Billy Martin and League w
several of his teammates, seven save
Gullett, who signed for a re- run averag
worth big $?
.9 million, has had
nor arm and neck
and is lugging a 4.56
un average to go
3-2 won-lost record.
he problems Jackson
have had, the Yan-
dance figures a r e
ith a drop of almost
rm last year through
gest free agent dis-
t so, far has been
pitcher Wayne Gar-
d for $2.3 million. In-
ring training, he has
to a 1-5 record and
6.17 ERA so far.
reliever Bill Camp-
first free agent to
problems at the start
ason but has picked
saves and three vic-
ar with a 3.44 ERA.
aseman Sal Bando,
to Milwaukee for a
$1.4 million, is hit-
with five homers
BI.
o signed two of Oak-
xpatriates, reliever
ngers and catcher
ace for a total of
$3 million.
has made a comfort-
ition to the National
Oth three victories,
s and a 2.79 earned
ge in 24 appearances
out of the San Diego bullpen. rookies and retreads. So,
Tenace, however, is hitting just Charlie Finley came up with
.226 with four homers and 26 third baseman Wayne Gross,
RB. who has slugged 11 home runs;
Montreal picked up second designated hitter Earl Wil-
baseman Dave Cash in the liams, who has 10; outfielder
auction for about $1.5 million Mitchell Page, batting .314, and
and he is hitting .290 with first baseman Dick Allen, hit-
11 doubles. The Expos can ting .276.
afford Cash's salary, thanks Jackson was the most ex-
to an atnac upo pensive free agent in terms of
t attendance jump of dollars hut Matthews turned
more than 365,000 for the dolr bu Matesund
first 19 dates this season. out to be pretty costly, too. At-
lanta owner Ted Turner's pub-
Perhaps the team most af- lic pursuit of the slugging
fected by the free agent exodus young outfielder resulted in a
was Oakland. The A's lost six $10,000 fine and a one-year sus-
front line players via that route pension from baseball for the
and had to replace them with Braves' boss.
Some assorted and very
inferesting spo rt trivia
The Cincinnati Reds have The New York Jets hold the
gone through 25 straight World Super Bowl record for fewest
Series games without a pitcher kickoff returns in one game.
going the route. The last Red- The Jets only brought back one.
leg hurler to do it was Bob Baltimore Colt kickoff en route
Purkey in a 3-2 loss to the Yank- to a 16-7 victory in 1969 at
ees in- the third game of the Miami's Orange Bowl.
1961 classic.
James McDougald of Wake
Forest finished the 1976 football
season with 1,018 yards rush-
ing. He is the first baseman to
crack the 1,000-yard mark in
Atlantic Coast Conference his-
tory.~
Jockey Eddie Arcaro guessed
wrong in the 1942 Kentucky
Derby. He had his choice of
two mounts, Shut Out or Devil
Diver, both owned by the
Greentree Stable. Arcaro picked
Devil Diver and Shut Out won.
ALSO RE-HIRE BROWN:
Pistons hire new GM
ty The Associated Press
ISETROIT - Coach Herb
Brown was given a new con-
tract yesterday and Atlanta
aide Bob Kauffman was named
general manager of the Detroit
Pistons.
THE MOVES were announc-
ed by tmscar Feldman, one of
the team's owners, who step-
ped down from his general
manager job.
"It relieves a burden from
tie, removing one of the hats
I've been wearing," said Feld-
man. He plans to continue as
the team's legal counsel and to
have final say in any matters
involving money. He also will
still be handling the Pistons'
possible move from downtown
Detroit to suburban Pontiac.
No terms of the contract
were disclosed. Brown, Kauff-
man and Feldman all refused
to say if multi-year contracts
were given.
"Like Coach Brawn said,I
think each of us is satisfied
with our contractual terms.
That's all I'll say on that,"
said Kauffman, 30, who comes
from the Hawks where he serv-
ed as assistant general mana-
ge( the past two years.
KAUFFMAN is a seven-year
NBA playing veteran from
Goiford College, Greensboro,
N. C., who was Seattle's first
round draft choice in .1968. He
played with the Supersonics in
the 1968-69 season, the Chicago
Bulls the next season, was with
Buffalo from 1970-71 through
the 1973-74 season, and then
played at Atlanta in 1974-75.
An arthriticerieht hin e.-
maturely ended his playing ca-
reer, but he went into market-
ing, ticket sales, scouting and
selling aspects of the Atlanta
organization after his playing
days ended.
Kauffman, a three - time All
Star while at Buffalo, becomes
the youngest general manager
in the league, the Pistons said.
FELDMAN SAID he chose
Kauffman as his replacement
because, "I think he has a
blend of basketball experience
and administrative experi-
ence."
Midway through this season
Feldman announced he planned
on giving Brown a new con-
tract.
"I'm satisfied that they'll
work harmoniously together,"
Feldman said of Brown and
Kauffman.
Brown, 41, said he was "very
pleased" with his contract and
that "it's the best contract I
ever had."
HE WAS AN assistant to
Coach Ray Scott during the
1975-76 season. He was named
head coach Jan. 26, 1976, after
Scott was fired.
The Pistons finished with a
44-38 record this season in the
Midwest Division. They were
ousted by the Golden State
Warriors in the first round of
the playoffs.
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