NEXT STOP FOR MARTIN:
Billy for hire?
The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, July 26, 1978-Page 15
Sportfolo
By The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Billy Martin is
volatile, combative and sometimes un-
disciplined. After run-ins with
management he has been fired or for-
ced to resign from all four of his major
league managerial jobs. But he's also a
proven winner, which is why baseball
will undoubtedly have Billy Martin to
kick around again.
Reactions from several ballclubs in-
dicated that Martin's checkered past
would not keep him out of baseball.
Club executives were asked whether
they would consider hiring Martin as
their manager and whether Martin's
experiences, including his recent for-
ced resignation from the New York
Yankees, wouldscare them off.
CHARLES O. FINLEY, who seems to
have had everybody else managing the
Oakland A's, wasn't interested in Mar-
tin. And one general manager,
requesting anonymity, said he didn't
think Martin got along with his players.
But the rest gave the former manager
of Minnesota, Detroit, Texas, and the
Yankees varying endorsements.
"I don't think he'll be unemployed
long," said Bill Veeck, the Chicago
White Sox principal owner. "I know
him pretty well. I don't think there's
any manager better than he is. Just
look at his track record. While he's got-
ten fired, he's always won."
Brad Corbett, Texas owner who fired
Martin in 1975, is another Martin man.
He said he would hire him as an ad-
visor. "Billy and I have had our dif-
ferences," Corbett said. "But we've
squared them away and we're good
friends now."
Buzzie Bavasi's son, Peter -
president of the Toronto Blue
Jays-said he would consider hiring
Martin if he had a veteran club.
"I'M AN ADMIRER of Billy's
managerial skills," said Peter,
speaking by phone from Toronto. "It
would depend on the type of personnel
we had. I'm not sure he would be
challengedby a young organization.
"But I don't think I'd hesitate con-
sidering Billy if we had veteran players
who knew how to perform. He's the kind
of manager who could bring a veteran
team together. He's proven that."
LAST MONTH, Veeck fired Bob
Lemon, Martin's successor with the
Yankees, but remains friendly with
Lemon. That's why Veeck feels he
could work with Martin.
"Four firings for much the same
thing don't come out of the blue," Veeck
said. "But at all those places, he came
across a couple of fellows who had
strong personalities themselves. That
set the stage for collisions."
Maybe next time,
Pete
Baseball fever was finally settling
in last night, much to the delight
of Roone Arledge and the rest of
the ABC crew. The Red Sox were
playing the Royals in what could
be a preview of the American
League Championship, plus live
coverage of Pete Rose's quest to
keep his consecutive hitting
streak alive. A, killing in the
ratings for ABC, right? Wrong,
beauty contest breath. CBS
received a 38 percent rating for
coverage of the Miss Universe
Pageant, won by Margaret Gar-
diner of South Africa, as com-
pared to the 31 percent of the
viewing audience watching
baseball players spit tobacco on
artificial turf.
Foot fit
This pair of feet belong to a
disgusted man. This man became
so incensed over being lifted for a
relief pitcher in a Monday night
game that he kicked the dugout,
bruising and spraining his left
foot. For Cincinnati Reds' pitcher
Pat Zachry, he didn't end up the
losing pitcher. Otherwise, he
might have performed the same
feat on his right foot.
Leaders
AMERICAN LEAGUE
G AB R H Pct.
Carew Min.........89 331 55113 .341
Lezcano Mil ........ 80 261 44 84 .322
Rice Bsn ........... 96 401 71 129 .322
Lynn Bsn ........... 88 318 49101 .318
GBrett KC.......... 80 327 52103 .315
Sundberg Tex ...... 90 315 31 97 .308
AOliver Tex .........70 281 29 86 .306
Fisk Bsn ...........90 328 61100 .305
BBell Cle,........88 351 48 107 .305
Piniella, NY .... ... 68 244 34 74 .303
Home Runs
Rice, Boston, 24; Hisle, Milwaukee, 23; Baylor,
California, 23; Thornton, Cleveland, 20; JThompson,
Detroit, 20; GThomas, Milwaukee, 20.
Runs Batted ln
Rice, Boston, 81; Staub, Detroit, 81; Hisle, Mil-
waukee, 72; JThompson, Detroit, 68; Thornton,
Cleveland, 51.
Pitching (9 Decisions)
Guidry, New York, 14-1, .033; Romo, Seattle,
8-2, .800; Eckersley, Boston, 11-3, .786; Gale, Kansas
City, 11-3, .786; Tiant, Boston, 7-2, .778; Gura, Kansas
City, 7-2, .778; Sosa, Oakland, 7-2, .778; Tanana,
California, 13-3, .722.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
G AB R H Pct.
Clark SF,..........96 365 61 117 .321
Burroughs Atl ...... 91 297 42 95 ,320
Madlock SF ........ 71 267 43 85 .318
Whitfield SF ........94 311 53 98 .315
Bowa Phi........91 382 43120 .314
Rose Cin ........... 97 411 68126 .307
Parker Pg,...........80 317 48 97 .306
EValentine, Mtl .... 96 370 50 113 .305
Foster Cin,........97 379 60115.303
RSmith LA .........79 290 56 88 .303
Home Runs
Luzinski, Philadelphia, 23; Foster, Cincinnati,
23; Rmith, Los Angeles, 20; Evalentine, Mon-
trea, 17; Clark, San Francisco, 17.
RunBatted In
Last Tango in Texas