The Michigan Daily-Friday, August 11 1 'You're blind and so are your tonsils! Rocky Colavito was taking no chances. Having already questioned Steve Palermo's eyesight, he made sure to voice his opinions from a tight range thinking the umpire might also have impaired hearing. The result: the Cleveland coach was disqualified from the game. The Indians rallied around their coach to blow a 5-4lead and drop a 13 inning, 6-5 decision to the Boston Red Sox. Game story is on page 16. Oliver ARLINGTON, Tex.-Al Oliver is teaching American League pitchers a simple fact of life that National League hurlers have known for years-he's a, tough out. "If a guy can hit, he can hit, no mat- ter what league he's in," Oliver said. And there's no doubt Oliver can hit. He had a .296 batting average in nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and his .322 mark so far this season with the Texas Rangers is second in the league behind Minnesota's Rod Carew, the AL batting champion five of the last six 1 seasons. "We're both contact hitters and whoever wins the title depends on how 1 many hits fall in," Oliver said. "In 1 other words, whoever gets lucky." "The guys who have trouble when they switch leagues are usually guys with weaknesses," Oliver said. "And I don't feel I have any weaknesses as a batter."l Oliver is enjoying his third con- secutive .300 year and the chance of a winning his first batting title. BASEBALL IN THE NEWS 'tough out' "A lot depends on staying healthy," day. said Oliver, who was leading the NL Brett was in with a .360 average in 1976 when he was against Seattle sidelined with an ear infection. This Royals have lI year, he says, "I just got over a pulled he was injured rib cage muscle and I'm about 90 per- Brett's 15 d cent healthy." ended yesterd But Oliver also knows batting titles would not be are useless unless you're a winner, ready to play. "Right now the batting title is secon- dary as far as I'm concerned. We still have a shot at a division title and if the,,,0 * so s occasion should arise where I have to give myself up for the good of team, I'll BLOOMING do it. "My approach is 'Baseball is baseball.' You have to throw and hit the ball to be a winner." * * * Brett's back ... Deinq KANSAS CITY, Mo.-Kansas City By T Royals third baseman George Brett is expected to be back in action within INDIANAP three to five days following the removal a the end of of a cast from his right thumb yester- Manuel Orani in AL, too jured July 26 in a game e and the division-leading ost six of 13 games since -. ays on the disabled list day, but the club said he activated until he was * * * Mauch GTON, Minn.-Minnesota Twins Manager Gene Mauch will be released from St. Mary's Hospital today and will return to his playing field duties for a doubleheader this evening against the Oakland A's, a team spokesman said yesterday. The spokesman said that Mauch, 52, had been suffering from staph Infection of the right foot. He was hospitalized earlier this week and had missed the Twins' last two games. Coach Jerry Zimmerman handled the team during Mauch's absence. ry, wrong number iient digit causes distractions he Associated Press OLIS-Ron Ingram was his rope when tennis star tes called to ask the time us %aISUW ,+ uhsr1ua . s ~Opeu n-i Vruggink named new, SID at Northwestern By BOB MILLER A new season of Big Ten athletic competition will begin in just a few short weeks. When it does, people will see alot of new faces at Northwestern. Football coach Rick Venturi will be starting his first campaign as Wild- cat head coach and basketball mentor Rich Falk is also a rookie at his position. BUT SOMETHING else will be new at NU. Starting Monday, Jim Vruggink, the assistant sports information director at Michigan will be the new sports information director at the Evanston institution. Vruggink will replace Susie Prichard who resigned shortly before the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago in late July. Previously, Vruggink was a part-time SID assistant at Central Michigan, his alma mater. After graduating in 1970, he also worked at the Mt. Pleasant Daily News and the Ypsilanti Press before coming to Michigan in 1974. VRUGGINK LANDED the job after talking with Northwestern athletic director John Pont. "Pont indicated that there would be a serious commit- ment on his part toward the sports information department. Northwestern is serious about staying in the Big Ten and is anxious to prove it. Pont wanted someone who was already familiar with the Big Ten," said Vruggink. "It's obvious we didn't select him because his name is easy to spell or pronounce," kiddedPont. ONE OF THE FIRST things the new Wildcat SID will do is create a Nor- thestern'Sporits Linsirni dr ttth nef that is currently ini is'ehere: of nis match at the U..open Lay Courts championships. "He said, 'time please,' I looked at my watch and said 9:15. The voice said, 'morning of evening?' and I said 'evening,' and hung up." That brief exchange between Ingram and Orantes resulted in Ingram being called a yoyo and a prankster by tour- nament officials, a flood of telephone calls from strangers accusing him of trying to sabotage the tennis matches and a lack of sleep for his wife and son. Orantes, the defending Clay Courts champion, was 45 minutes late for his scheduled match at the Indianapolis Racquet Club on Tuesday morning. Orantes said it was because he was told he would play at night. Tournament director Stan Malless later said the mixup was caused by a typographical error in the players' in- formation packet. The phone number had one incorrect digit. And, instead of getting tournament information, the callers got Ingram's home. The situation worsened for the 31- year-old radio station sales represen- tative when his number was published in a loe'al news'perfticle'about-tie folu -- - - - - - - /"" /"" "I am new to the area and know nothing about tennis or the event," Ingram said. "I don't appreciate being labeled as ayoyo or a prankster." Janie Malless, wife of the tournament director and the event's publicity direc- tor, had said it was "some yoyo out there having a ball," who caused the problem for Orantes. Ingram said he had been getting calls since Sunday, when most of the players checked into town. At first, he tried to convince the callers to check with tour- nament officials, but since many of the players speak little English, it was doubtful they understood. Clay Courts officials sais there were other players who were given wrong times, but Orantes was the only player who showed up late. Ingram saidhe probably will have his phone number changed. If Anything about the Union starts at UINMIES. to6pm - - ' - -