Page 12-Tuesday, July 8 1980-The Michigan Daily
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Cjurtain call
San Francisco Giants great Willie McCovey, who last week announced his
retirement, catches flight of ball after he belted a pinch-hit, sacrifice fly to
centerfield during the eighth inning of a game Sunday against Los Angeles.
McCovey's swipe drove in Giants' Jack Clark to give McCovey his final major,
league RBI.
J.R. VS. STONE:
Stars set to perform
The Sporting Views
By BUDDY MOOREHOUSE
Aftermath of fight ...
... Cowens should be arrested
On May 8, 1979, pitcher Ed Farmer of the Texas Rangers hit outfielder
Al Cowens of the Kansas City Royals with a pitch that broke Cowens' jaw.
On June 20, 1980, the two men faced each other again. This time Cowens
was a Detroit Tiger and Farmer was the bullpen ace for the Chicago White
Sox. In the 11th inning of a game that was deadlocked at 3-3, Cowens hit a
routine ground ball to Sox shortstop Todd Cruz. While Farmer was turned to
follow the play, Cowens, instead of trying to beat out the grounder, decided
to beat out Farmer.
The Tiger rightfielder made a bee-line for the pitcher's mound and took
a blind-sided swipe at Farmer's head. The Sox infield immediately
converged on Cowens and both benches emptied on to the playing field.
The Tigers went on to win the game 5-3, but Cowens was slapped with a
fine and a seven day suspension for his actions by league president Lee'
MacPjail. In addition, White Sox owner Bill Veeck has filed a criminal suit
against Cowens, so the newest member of the Tigers faces arrest the next
time the Detroiters go to Chicago, which is scheduled for late August.
Despite the uproar from the Tiger partisans at this act of legal recourse,
the fact is that Cowens should be arrested and made to pay the consequence
for his immature action.
That opinion might not sit well with the fans who have enjoyed the
Tigers' surge to second place in the AL East with the arrival of Cowens, but
the fact remains that he must be punished for his hot-headed act of revenge.
If a drunk rowdie in the bleachers at Tiger Stadium attacked another
fan, he would be in the slammer before he knew what hit him.
But if one athlete does the same thing to a fellow athlete, it is excused by
many sports enthusiasts as being "part of the game."
How can you expect the fans to control themselves and not fight in the
seats if the same actions are condoned on the playing field? There can't be
such a ridiculous double standard.
Sparkv shrugs off mel(e
Detroit manager Sparky Anderson defended his rightfielder's actions.
"I don't think it was that big a deal," said Anderson. "It was just a case of
something that was on his mind for a long time. Now, it's off his mind."
The Tiger mentor also insisted that there is only one measure available
that would reduce the frequency of incidents such as this. "Eliminate the DH
(designated hitter) and get back to honesty. Make the pitcher stroll to the
plate," said Anderson. "He thinks different then and don't think otherwise. I
always had a rule that ifa pitcher gets one of us, then we get him. That's an
eye for an eye. That's justice."
That's stupid.
What will become of baseball if everyone were to follow Sparky's
brilliant philosophy? You get one of us, so we get one of you. Where will it
end?
The whole idea of getting revenge on the playing field is childish. It is
doubtful that an athlete with class, a truly mature athlete, would have done
such an immature thing. Athletes such as Al Kaline or Willie Strgell would
not have lost their temper like Cowens did. They have too much class.
But fans will continue to revel in watching their favorite athletes slug it
out every time one of them feels that someone took a cheap shot at him.
Hockey-the most violent sport of all-attracts many fans who just want to
see a good fight.
Well, if you want to see a good fight, then stick to boxing. But leave it out
of everything else.
Some will say that fighting is an inherent part of sports such as hockey.
Fighting belongs in sports. It shows who the real men are. Nonsense.
Not wanting to wound trite, but that's setting a terrific example for all
the children who idolize sports figures. "But mommy, if Al Cowens can
punch a guy, how come I can't?"
Take them to(ourt
So we seem to be left with only one alternative to stop this violent,
childish mess. Prosecute the offenders. There can't be one set of laws for
athletes and one set for everyone else. We all live under the same system.
If one hockey player beats up on another, treat it Jike a common bar-
room brawl. If a baseball player slugs another, arrest him. If a football
player hits another, take him to court. The force of the law might act as the
best deterrent to this unnecessary activity.
It's time to stop treating our athletes like they are better than everyone
else. They might be able to run faster, jump higher or throw farther than us,
but that in no way gives them the legal right to beat each other up.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - It will be the
controlled curveball artistry of Steve
Stone for the American League against
the sheer fastball power of J. R.
Richard for the National League at the
start of tonight's 51st All-Star baseball
game.
Stone of the Baltimore Orioles and
Richard of the Houston Astros were
named to open the game by managers
Earl Weaver for the American League
and Chuck Tanner for the National. It
will be the ultimate contrast of styles.
Stone is a finesse pitcher. Richard
relies on speed.
Tanner, always helpful to the op-
position, offered some insight into
Richard's style for Weaver. Planting
his tongue firmly in his cheek, the
manager of the world champion Pit-
tsburgh Pirates began this way:
"Well, Earl, you have to watch for his
screwball first," the Pirate manager
began.
"And his palmball, boy he really gets
good rotation and movement on that
one. You know, he really spots the ball,
in and out."
Sure he does.
What Tanner neglected to mention
but what Weaver already knew about is
Richard's fastball, a burner that could
be awesome in the twilight of Dodger
Stadium.
Weaver inserted New York Yankee
teammates Willie Randolph and Graig
Nettles and Milwaukee slugger Ben
Oglivie in his starting lineup replacing
three injured players. who had been
elected in the fan balloting. Randolph,
playing second base in place of
Milwaukee's Paul Molitor, will lead off.
Nettles, replacing George Brett of Kan-
sas City at third base, bats seventh.
Oglivie, the major leagues' home run
leader with 21, will bat fifth and play
left field.
Tanner had one lineup change of his
own, substituting Ken Reitz of St. Louis
at third base for injured Mike Schmidt
of Philadelphia. Reitz will bat seventh
in the NL batting order.
Tanner said his selection of Richard
for the start did not involve the twilight
starting time.
"I felt Steve Carlton and J.R. were 1-2
for the honor," he said. "Carlton pit-
ched Sunday, so that left Richard."
The Astro ace last pitched Thursday
so he comes into the game with a full
four days of rest. He is 10-4 for the
season with an earned run average of
1.96.
Stone was chosen by Weaver because
the Baltimore manager thinks his
veteran curveballer could have an ad-
vantage against a National League
lineup which has seven right-handed
hitters.
Here are the starting lineups for
tonight's 51st All-Star Baseball Game:
American League
Willie Randolph, 2b, New York
Rod Carew, Sb, California
Fred Lynn, cf, Boston
Reggie Jackson, rf, New York
Ben Oglivie, If, Milwaukee
Carlton Fisk, c, Boston
Graig Nettles, 3b, New York
Bucky Dent, ss, New York
Steve Stone, p, Baltimore
National League
Davey Lopes, 2b, Los Angeles
Reggie Smith, rf, Los Angeles
Dave Parker, cf, Pittsburgh
Steve Garvey, lb, Los Angeles
Johnny Bench, c, Cincinnati
Dave Kingman, If, Chicago
Ken Reitz, 3b, St. Louis
Bill Russell, ss, Los Angeles
J.R. Richard, p, Houston.