Pressing the Issue BOB MILLER All-Star questons . . can AL answer? W HY? Any self-respecting American League fan has to be asking that question after the National League got serious and stopped toying with the junior circuit men en route to a 7-3 victory in the 1978 All-Star game. How? What was the reason the American League dropped its guard and blew a 3-0 lead? And most important, when? When is the American League going to stop fooling around and start playing baseball in the midsummer classic turned mid-season catastrophe? The answers to those questions are easy to obtain. Easy, that is, except for the manager and players in the American League. It can't be a matter of apathy. The AL players themselves must be won- dering what they must do to win the All-Star game. And don't blame it on bad luck. Luck alone, in any form, didn't help the NL 15 times in the last 16 years. The problem is actually two-fold. First, the National League has done a far superior job using its available players, and second, the players them- selves detract from the original meaning of the game when they decline to show up, or make ridiculous demands on the managers. Martin covered all angles For example, in the 1977 All-Star game, Billy Martin decided to send Thurman Munson up to pinch hit in the ninth inning with the game still not out of reach at 7-5. Martin used his own catcher, a right-handed batter again- st a right-handed pitcher, even though Detroit's Jason Thompson was available. Since the game was played right at Yankee Stadium, Martin couldn't go wrong. If Munson came through, Martin would have been a hero. If Munson failed ... at least he was playing in front of the home town fans. Munson failed and the AL lost. Then again, on Tuesday, Rod Carew wanted to play all nine innings at first base. Fortunately, Carew relented from his selfish demand and Thom- pson finally did get a plate appearance. In the meantime, the National League was substituting right and left, but not without meaning to the switches. During the 1977 season, the American League dominated the National League in all the hitting, pitching and fielding stats. The American League also defeated the NL in the World Series. And if you want to get picky, the AL won the season series vs. the senior circuit during Grapefruit and Cactus League games. The AL topped the NL in everything - except the All-Star game. Again this year, although the domination is less pronounced, the AL has the statistical advantages. But unless the fans vote for the stats to decide the All-Star game, then any claim by the AL to be as good or better than the NL are unfounded and untrue. The ad fact is that the National League has out-psyched the AL, a con- dition which has perpetuated by the latter's long losing streak. The NL began its run in 1962. After putting together a mild five-game winning streak, the NL began to snakebite the AL in 1967. AL plays patsy Cincinnati's Tony Perez's home run in the 15th inning gave the NL a tor- turous 2-1 win. The AL blew its chance to win the game in regulation nine in- nings. Another extra inning affair came in 1970 when Pete Rose's famous slide into home toppled Cleveland's Ray Fosse and the American League 5-4. In that game, Oakland's Catfish Hunter botched a 4-1 lead in the ninth inning as he tossed a gopher pitch to San Francisco's Dick Ditz. Two years later in Atlanta, the Indian's Gaylord Perry flubbed a one run lead, allowed the NL to catch up and finally succumbed 4-3 in ten innings. Time and again the story was the same - some AL hurler choked and some opportune National League hitter was waiting to grab some glory. So, the AL wised up and managers started choosing relief specialists in case they were needed. Nothing the AL did worked to stem the tide. Even an executive order by league president Lee MacPhail to win at all costs failed miserably a couple of years ago. But out of all this misery, there is a faint glimmer of hope for the junior circuit. It isn't so farfetched to believe that with a couple of minor adjust- ments the AL couldn't regain much of its lost pride. First, any AL player who is chosen to start and begs off shouldn't be allowed to participate in the following year's All-Star game. Secondly, any player that doesn't want to play in the game if selected should not receive any of the pension benefits for which that game is played, and lastly, it should be mandatory for the managers to use all the active players on the roster with the only exception being pitchers. When the American League players start taking the game as serious as any major league competition they are involved in, then if and when they lose, it will be because they were beaten by a better team. TheMichigan Daily-Thursday, July 13, 1978-Page 11 SPORTS OF THE DAILY Unknown fires a 68 to lead British Open ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - Some late putting heroics enabled Isao Aoki to avoid the disasters that struck down the American stars and staked the Japanese veteran to a one-stroke lead yesterday in the first round of the 107th British Open Golf Championship. "I was concentrating so hard I got a headache," the 35-year-old Aoki said through an interpreter after he'd com- pleted his 4-under-par 68. "Yeah, well, the Orientals are into that kind of thing," observed Tom Weiskopf. "I'm not intellectual enough for that. The only thing that gives me headaches are double bogeys." AND HE MADE one of those, a 6 on the treacherous 17th, thus becoming the major victim of the famed "Road Hole" on the historic Old Course at St. An- drews, the birthplace and cradle of golf. That double bogey knocked Weiskopf out of sole possession of the lead and sent him stumbling back into a tie for second at 69 with Ray Floyd and a couple of former British Open runners- up, Australian Jack Newton and Spain's 21-year-old Severiano Ballesteros. "The wind kicked up just about the time we started," said Jack Nicklaus, who shot a one-under 71 in a chilly, blustery afternoon wind. The morning starters - including Aoki and most of the other leaders - had almost ideal conditions, mild temperatures, over- cast skies and practically no wind. "THE FELLOWS who got out early were pretty fortunate," Nicklaus said. "The golf course was considerably tougher this afternoon." Asked for his assessment of Aoki, winner of 22 Japanese professional tournaments including three this year, Nicklaus replied: "He's a good player. I've played with him several times." Then he paused and allowed himself a smile. "I DON'T KNOW how good a wind player he is. But we'll sure find out." Ben Crenshaw and Mark Hayes top- ped a group at 70, two under par. Arnold Palmer, the legendary 48- year-old who helped re-establish the British Open as one of the world's big four titles with his victories in 1961 and 1962, dropped a five-foot birdie putt on the final hole that left him very much in contention. KSU names AD MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Kansas State University's beleaguered athletic program got a new director yesterday, along with his promise the university would remain a part of the Big Eight Conference. "Kansas State today is in the Big Eight and in the Big Eight for god," said DeLoss Dodds, who was head track coach at the school 14 years before becoming assistant commissioner of the Big Eight. DODDS, 41, replaces John "Jersey" Jermier, who resigned May 21, just three days before the Big Eight penalized the university for awarding excessive football scholarships. Dodds was adamant about rumors that the Wildcats would be dropped from the Big Eight in favor of Arkan- sas. "The only problem I would foresee would be for them to consider putting us out in the fpture for being too strong," he responded. The former Wildcat track star told newsmen he felt current penalties the university is facing could be overcome through extensive fund-raising ac- tivities and ticket sales prograrps. Blues' diehard retires ST. LOUIS (AP) - Veteran St. Louis center and former Michigan star Red Berenson, who in 1962 became the first collegiate star to jump straight to the National Hockey League, announed his retirement yesterday in order to become a Blues' assistant coach. Berenson, who performed for four NHL teams, will join long-time playing associate Barclay Plager behind the St. Louis bench. "I felt that they couldn't build a hockey team aroudn 39-year-old players," said Berenson, who will reach that age December 8. "I'm looking forward to starting with, I guess, what they call a 9-to-5 job." First signed by Montreal, Berenson played parts of five seasons for the Canadiens and was later traded to the New York Rangers, for whom he played 49 games in 1966-67. He became the NHL's first expansion superstar when traded to the Blues along with Plager in November, 1967, and steered St. Louis to three straight advances in- to the finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Berenson was later traded by the Blues along with right winger Tim Ec- clestone to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for current Blues' star Garry Unger and Wayne Connelly in 1971. He returned to St. Louis 3 years later via another trade. Among 261 goals he scored in 987 NHL games was a record-tying production of six against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 7, 1968. He marked his 500th game as a member of the Blues last February by scoring three goals for the fifth time in his career. While at Michigan, Berenson was ned to the All-American team twice, in 1961 and 1962. He shares the goals per -son record with Dave Debol (43), and is, 13th on Michigan's all-time scoring list. Berenson served as a St. Louis playing assistant in 1976-77 and was the Blues' captain this past year, the final 26 games with Plager as the team's coach. "I don't think that you could find a more dedicated, more determined hockey player," said St. Louis President Emile Francis in announcing Berenson's retirement at a news luncheon. "He's the type of fellow that when he takes off his skates you wantto brng into.the other end of the business. There's,4efinitely a need for an assistant coach in hockey."