The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 69

Section The Pittsburgh Press Sunday, July 17, 1977 Fore Front Frankely Speaking Blackboard Great Outdoors Baseball ,.3 ..7 ..8 10 12 Ec Sports Mm By BOB SMIZIK Pirate Box over, he looked at me like, 'I don't believe Henderson gave it no home-run trot as the ball left the bat. "I thought it had a chance to hit off the wall, that's all," he said. The homer was Henderson's fourth since coming to the Mets June 15 in the controversial Seaver trade. Three of his homers have won games and the other tied one that the Mets went on to win. Home runs played a large part in the game's scoring.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead off winning pitcher Craig Swan in the fourth when Oliver singled and Stargell homered over the wall in left-center, his 13th of the season. The Mets chipped away at Kison. Ed Kranepool's 10th homer made it 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth and Lenny Handle's walk and stolen base and Henderson's double tied the score in the fifth. But just as quickly the Pirates went back ahead. Parker led off the sixth with a fly-ball double to left, advanced to third on Oliver's infield out and scored on Bill Robinson's sacrifice fly.

But that was it for the Pirates. Following Parker's double, the last 12 batters went down in order, six to Swan and six to Bob Apodaca, who earned a save. A save was what Gossage was supposed to give the Pirates. But this was one day not even the Goose could solve the Pirate problems. PIRATE NOTES With a runner on second and one out in the eighth, Stargell tried to backhand Lee Mazzili's grounder but it went past him for an error that allowed the final New York run to score Kjson walked one and struck out five in his 6ft innings.

With two hits, Phil Garner raised his average to .257 The Pirates had only five hits Millan said a few words to Kison after being hit by a pitch in the third Ed Ott had no chance to nail Randle on his fifth inning stolen base that set up the second New York run. The pitch was way inside and Ott wasn't in position to throw after catching it He threw out two other runners who tried to steal. Bill Mazeroski and Hal Smith represented the Pirates in an old-timers game involving World Series heroes before yesterday's regular game Ralph Kiner, not a World Series hero but a Hall of Famer, also put in an appearance in a Pirate uniform. Frank Taveras was out of the starting lineup because of a slightly sprained ankle that is slow in healing The Pirates and Mets close out the five-same series at 1:05 this afternoon with John Candelaria and Terry Forster pitching against Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack The Pirates are then off until Thursday night with the exception of Candelaria and Parker, who will stay in New York for Tuesday's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Gossage got a force out on Felix Millan.

But Steve Henderson, paying large dividends on the Tom Seaver trade, lofted a 1-2 Gossage pitch over the center-field wall and the Mets had a 4-3 lead. A Willie Stargell error in the eighth gave the Mets their final run. Is the Goose tired? Has Tanner's constant use of him taken its toll? The answer was a resounding No. "I felt great today," said Gossage. felt as good today as I have all season.

I felt as good as I did on opening day. In fact, if anything I was too strong. I may have been over throwing the home run fooled everyone, including Henderson. From the mound, Gossage saw it this way: "I thought it was going to be a routine play. But the ball Kept going and going and going." In right field, Dave Parker gave chase.

"It kept carrying and carrying and said Parker. "I thought Press Sports Writer injlw yukk mere is a cure for almost every problem and for the Pi-k rates that cure has almost always been Rich Gossage. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, an ounce of Goose is worth even more. Most of the time. mi.

me uoose was cooxea yesteraay. When the slightest hint of trouble from the Mets appeared on the horizon, Man- ager Chuck Tanner bounced out of the augout ana motioned tor the man who has meant so much to his team. The Pirates had a one-inn lead when Gossage entered but soon enough they HUM AnttlWt kit AM A AHll HIA( AH A IftAn to the Mets, 5-3. The loss dropped them Sft games behind the first-place Cubs. The Pirates led 3-2 when Tanner called for Gossage to replace Bruce Kison with one out and one on the seventh.

Kison may not have liked it. but it's tough to argue with Gossage's success. i i jm'. I MelB bunt Unhappy Prior To 'Criminal List' 1 7 TjAi jr-tr OUT AT THE PLATE Actually, Steve Ontiveros of ros scored from third base in the third inning on the Cubs is safe, but he's unconscious after colliding wild pitch and had to leave the game with a cut on with pitcher Warren Brusstar of the Phillies. Ontive- his head.

Cubs Outlast Phillies, 9-8 Mel Blount ness. And the chief source of turmoil is money. Blount's agent said the eight-year veteran has three years remaining on a contract with a base salary of $50,000. Because such a salary is lower, by NFL standards, than many other similarly recognized players in the league, Blount has been unhappy. A few weeks ago, in fact, Blount and agent Foster wrote a letter to Noll saying "Mel had no intention of coming to camp unless adequate adjustment" was made to his salary.

Blount also returned his training camp airline ticket to the Steelers at that time. Foster said Jim Boston, the Steelers' PITTSBURGH NEW YORK Gamer 3b 4 0 2 0 Handle 3b I I 0 0 Millan abrnN jjif till Slier ft Oliver cf RoMnsn If Stargell lb Stennett2b Mendoi Kison Gossegep nenorsn it 3 0 3 0 0 1 Kranepl lb 3 117 Harrlsn pr 2 0 0 0 Valenln lb 3 0 0 0 Stearns 3 0 0 0 Msiillll 0 0 0 0 Flynn st Swanp Hodges oh Apooacap I Vail rt 3 12 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 6 it ml lln Totals Pittsburgh jo a a lows OOOlOIOOO-j 000110211-i New rone York 6. 2-Garner, Maiillll, Henderson, Parker. HR-Stergell (131. Kranepool (10), Henderson (J).

SB-Randle. SF-Robtnson. E-Staroell. LOB-Plttsburgh 3, New Kison til i 1 1 I (Millan). T-m Save-Aoodaca (2).

HBP-bv Kison it might hit off the wall. But I definitely didn't think it would go over. Scoop (Al Oliver) was playing the ball and I was playing the wall. When it went bled and scored on an error in the fourth. The Phillies came back for three in the fourth.

Bake McBride beat out a single to second and Larry Bowa walked. McBride scored on Greg Luzinski's groundout and, after Richie Hebner singled and Garry Maddox was hit by a pitch, Bob Boone singled to make it 6-3. Philadelphia knocked out Reuschel with three in the fifth on an RBI double by Luzinski and a two-run single by Maddox. "It's much too early to start worrying about one game," said Boone, who has raised his average almost 30 points this week. "We learned last year not to get too high after a big win, or too low after a tough loss.

Last night we had two big wins today we had a tough loss." "If you ask me," continued Boone, "I think it's easier being in our position. We're right on their heels and they have to feel the pressure. Last year we got the big lead and got too conservative." Expos' Bahnsen Shuts Out Cards MONTREAL (UPI) Stan Bahnsen fired a three-hit shutout for bis fourth straight victory and Chris Speier's solo homer ignited a three-run first inning Saturday night to pace the Montreal Expos to a 3-0 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals. Bahnsen, 5-2 with Montreal and 1-2 with Oakland before joining the Expos in a trade this year, gave up singles to Keith Hernandez in the fourth and Ken Reitz in the eighth and a double to Lou Brock in the ninth.

He struck out six batters. Speier's home run came in the first inning off Cardinals' loser Larry Dierk-er, who dropped his sixth game in eight decisions. It gave the Expos a 1-0 lead. With two out in the same inning, Dierker issued walks to Tony Perez and Gary Carter. Perez then scored on Warren Cromartie's single and Dawson made the score 3-0 when he singled home Carter.

Schmidt To Play In All-Star Game PHILADEPHIA (UPI) Philadelphia Phillies' slugger Mike Schmidt will be a member of the National League All-Star squad even though he had asked to be excused from Tuesday's game because of a fractured finger. A Phillies' spokesman said Schmidt, picked as a reserve third baseman by All-Star manager Sparky Anderson, met Saturday with National League President Chub Feeney and Philadelphia owner Ruly Carpenter and agreed to make himself available fonihe game. Stanley Overcome By Heat At Game PHILADELPHIA (UPI) Between losing a doubleheader to the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night and then blowing a 6-0 lead amid the 135-degree field temperature on Saturday, things were getting awfully hot for the struggling Chicago Cubs. But that was before some seventh inning strategy by Phillies manager Danny Ozark backfired and pinch hitter Greg Gross delivered a bases-loaded triple to push the National League East-leading Cubs back to three games in front with a 9-8 victory over the sec-ondplace Phillies. The Cubs got their three key runs when Ozark ordered .186 hitting Dave Rosello walked intentionally to load the bases with one out in the seventh.

Cubs manager Herman Franks countered first with Bill Buckner, who Ron Reed got on a soft fly to right, and finally Gross, who batted for winner Pete Bro- kMi iU ltci aim puitoi a uipic iiuv uic iikjiu field corner. "It was my biggest pinch hit ever," said Gross. "I didn't hit it very good, but I got it into the right place. Every traveling secretary, visited Blount last week concerning his salary situation. Foster said Boston was expected to "get back to Mel this Monday (tomorrow)." What this all means is that Blount wasn't content with the Steelers before Noll's testimony.

Even his agent felt that only the suit is a direct result of Noll citing Blount's "willful and wanton act." Yesterday Blount was refusing to speak with The Press and other Steelers mentioned were unavailable for comment. However, Foster was speaking for Blount and said that "Mel's feelings are hurt. He's upset. "Mel was saying to me last night that he has appreciated playing for the Steelers and that he has always admired (Noll) as a coach and a man," Foster said. "But Mel said, 'I don't know what happened to him.

The pressure must have gotten to At his press conference in New Orleans, Blount was asked if he was ever criticized by Noll for being "overly aggressive." Blount said he had not been so warned. This is in direct contradiction to Noll's testimony that Blount and other Steelers had been severely reprimanded for such hits as the one Blount made on Branch in 1974. Foster also said Steeler President Dan Rooney telephoned Blount Friday night after hearing of the threatened suit. Blount, Foster said, refused to take the call. Perhaps Blount's promised suit against Noll is merely an attempt to force a contract renegotiation.

Regardless, it is apparent George Atkinson is not the Steelers' and Noll's only problem. quickly determined that Stanky was merely overcome by the near 100-de-gree heat. He was taken from the field on a stretcher and his wife, Dickie, urged the participants to continue with the game. Stanky was given a large ovation by the crowd when he was introduced before the game. It was his first public appearance before the Texas fans since his brief managerial stint.

Doctors examining Stanky in the Rangers' lockerroom said his pulse and blood pressure were normal but he would be taken to Arlington General Hospital for heart tests. players, his respect for authority came through articulately to the panel of middle-aged jurors. In the end, Chuck Noll had survived Mason. Even Willie Brown conceded that. "The first rule of examination," said Brown in the hallway after the rambling inquisition, "is never question a man who's smarter than you at his own game." But, in the last analysis, Brown will be the axle upon which the trial turns.

In summation, he's going to get a crack at that jury. He could be a problem for Noll. Brown, a California assemblyman, couldn't be poured into the traditional mold of a ward politician, which he is on a part-time basis. Lawyer first, he is of infinitely more substance than a bag of wind. He is trim, intelligent, direct, and out going, a man of such self-assurance that he can wither a witness under cross-examination and then be jovial with him in the hallway.

He is affable and laughs easily, but swaggers when he walks around the courtroom. Willie Brown is an adversary with a cause, which, at the moment, happens to be George Atkinson. "I wouldn't mind if they called it a 'cheap said Brown, his eyes blazing, but criminal, uh uh. That's San Quentm wSoledad." By GLENN SHEELEY Nearly three months ago, Mel Blount announced to a New Orleans newspaper, "I have no objections to being traded by the Steelers. Elaborated the All-Pro cornerback, citing a contract he and his agent felt should' be renegotiated, "I am in a bargaining position.

If it works out, fine. If not, they know football is not my only means of making a living. I can leave it alone. I could survive." This is pointed out now only to establish the fact that Blount was seriously pondering a desire to play elsewhere unless granted a "significant" salary increase long before he reacted to Chuck Noll's "criminal element" comments at the Noll vs. Atkinson trial in San Francisco.

Blount volunteered to the New Orleans media Friday that he is planning to sue Noll for $5 million, he won't report to training camp this week and will never again play for the Steelers. such a suit may not ever get to court Noll's comments were made during court testimony and might not be allowed as cause for slander Blount claims he was damaged when Noll testified this week. The Steeler head coach, himself being sued for slander by Atkinson, said Blount's hit to the back of the head of Oakland receiver Cliff Branch in the 1974 AFC Championship game was a "wanton and willful" violation of NFL rules. During cross-examination by Atkinson's attorney, Dan Mason, Blount's name was placed among a grouping the lawyer termed "Noll's NFL Criminals." Also listed there were Oakland's Jack Tatum, Atkinson and Steelers Glen Ed-Wards, Joe Greene, and Ernie Holmes. Blount, angered over Noll's statements, said, "I'm no criminal.

A criminal element? What does that mean? None of us is out there on the football field carrying weapons. A criminal to me is a guy who kills or steals." Blount and agent Reg Foster strolled into the New Orleans bureau of the Associated Press, The Times-Picayune and a television station Friday night and added, "Noll's ill-advised and utterly untrue statements about me have caused manifold irreparable damages and have had serious impact upon my family, my children, my friends and community neighbors, my business associates and various businesses and financial institutions." Blount's threatened suit notwithstanding, he is bending the truth if he claims Noll's remarks are the sole reason for his decision to boycott camp and vow not to play for the Steelers ever again. The Steelers, for some time, have been aware of Blount's unhappi- Brown SAN FRANCISCO-Of aU the personalities involved in this California lawsuit, no one has been more dominant than Willie Brown, the black political leader who represents the plaintiff, George Atkinson. Of all the witnesses in the case, none has been more articulate than the defendant, Chuck Noll. That is why, at the end of the first week in Atkinson's slander suit against the Steeler coach, no one can predict, with any reliability, what the jury is going to decide.

The basic issue is simple enough: Did George Atkinson commit a wanton battery on Lynn Swann? If he did, is that an acceptable standard of play in the National Football League? Anyone who cringed at seeing Atkinson's act would have no difficulty in deploring its unnecessary violence. Even one of Atkinson's teammates and friends, Jim Otto, would not, under oath, condone it. But in this courtroom, the U.S. District Court for Northern California, Willie Brown, has compiled on film, and shown to the jury, a series of acts by the Steelers which graphically demonstrate that football is scarcely a game to be played by bosom friends. To Willie Brown, George Atkinson is just a little guy scratching out a survival in a Sunday afternoon jungle of violent, sadistic men.

It was a cute ploy, cleverly designed and orchestrated by Al Davis, Oakland's general manager, to put Chuck Noll ontoe spot. ARLINGTON, Tex. (UPI)-Eddie quit after one day as Texas Rangers manager last month, collapsed from apparent heat prostration Saturday during an Old-Timers game at Arlington Stadium preceding the Texas-Cleveland game. Stanky was taking part in the game along with former New York Giants teammates against a team of Brooklyn Dodgers greats. The two teams were changing sides after the first half inning when Stanky slumped to the ground just in front of the tnird base dugout.

Doctors rushed to his side, and In The Majors Sunday, July 17, 1977 Problem For Noll body plays me toward left field. I have an inside-out swing." The game was delayed for 12 minutes in the bottom of the sixth inning when plate umpire Doug Harvey was overcome by the heat. Players from both teams left the field where the game-time temperature was officially reported at 130 degrees. "This was a big win for us," said Gross, "but good oallclubs can come back. They did it and so did we.

The morale here is going to be a great race." After winning the strategy war with Ozark, Franks called on his super reliever Bruce Sutter, who yielded a pair of unearned runs in the seventh but notched his 24th save. Chicago jumped out to a 6-0 lead with two in the first, three in the third and one in the fourth. Two walks and singles by Jose Cardenal and Jerry Morales gave the Cubs their first-inning runs. They added three more with two out in the third on two singles, a walk, an RBI double by George Mitterwald and-a wild pitch. Rick Reuschel dou- American League EAST Pet.

GB Baltimore 53 38 .582 Boston 51 37 .580 ft New 50 41 .549 3 Cleveland 40 46 .465 10ft Milwaukee 40 49 .449 12 Detroit 40 49 .449 12 Toronto 33 57 .367 19ft WEST Pet. GB Chicago 53 36 .596 Kansas City 50 38 .568 2ft Minnesota 48 42 .533 5ft Texas 46 43 .517 7 California 42 45 .483 10 Oakland 39 49 .443 13ft Seattle. 40 54 .426 15ft YESTERDAY Detroit 11 Toronto 3 Oakland 8... 2 Kansas City 5 New York 1 Boston 4 Chicago 3 Baltimore 5 Milwaukee 0 Texas 5 Cleveland 4 California 5 Seattle 4 TODAY (All Times EDT) Detroit (Arroyo and Sykes 1-31 a Toronto (Singer 2-8 and Lemancivk 8-7), 2, 1:50 p.m. Boston (wise 5-4) at Chicago (Stone 9-7), 2:15 P'm'New York (Clay 0-2) at Kansas City (Hassler 5-2), 2:30 p.m.

Baltimore (D. Martinet 8-5) at Milwaukee (Haas 5-6), 2:30 p.m. Minnesota (Thormodsgard 6-6 and GoWi 10-) at Oakland (Coleman 1-0 and Langford 7-8), 3, 3:30 P'm'Seattte (Wheelock 4-6) at California (Hartzell 3- cSveiand (Garland 6-9) at Texas (EJs 5-8), 1:35 p.m. 1 ftWfvl coreoor('l I VT4 SptriiUiter 1 National League EAST Pet. GB Chicago 53 34 .609 Philadelphia 51 38 .573 3 Pittsburgh ..49 41 .544 5tt St.

Louis 47 44 .516 8 41 47 .466. 12Vt New York 36 53 .404 18 WEST Pet. GB Los Angeles 58 33 .637 Cincinnati 48 40 .545 ZVt San Francisco ....43 50 .462 16 Houston 42 50 .457 16Mi San Diego 40 54 .426 19ft Atlanta 33 57 .367 24ft YESTERDAY New York 5 Pittsburgh 3 Chicago 9 Philadelphia 8 Montreal 3 St. Louis 0 Houston 8 Cincinnati 0 San Francisco 4 Atlanta 0 Los Angeles 1 San Diego 0 TODAY (All Tlmei EDT) Pittsburgh (Candelaria 9-3 and Forster 2-1) at New York (Matlack 4-11 and Koosman f-10) 2, 1:05 p.m. Chicago (Burrls 9-1) at Philadelphia (Carlton 12-4), 1:35 p.m.

St. Lguls (Rasmussen 6-104 at Montreal (Twrfcheirj-52, 2:15 p.m. san Francisco (Ban- -7) at Atlanta (Capra 2-7), 2:15 p.m. Houston (Forsch 4-7) at Cincinnati (Capllla 2-0), 2:15 Los Angeles (Raii 10-1) at San Diego (Shlrkjf 4 p.m. If Noll were to deplore Atkinson's act, could he, before a jury, condone Joe Greene's kicking of John McKay, Mel Blount's sneak attack on Cliff Branch, the punch that Ernie Holmes landed on Pete Banaczak's face, the jugular tackle by Glen Edwards that knocked Cincinnati quarterback Ken Anderson into a stupor? "Tell me, Mr.

Noll," chided Dan Mason, a waxen-faced, young attorney with a grating high-pitched voice, "why aren't these men criminals if George Atkinson is a criminal?" In the gallery, Al Davis, the svengali of the trial, sat back in his seat, a satisfied smirk on his face. Only time will tell whether he had driven a divisive wedge between Noll and the team the Raiders' general manager fears with a passionate dread. Had the jury left the trial to deliberate after Noll had finished his testimony, it is unlikely it would have found for the Plaintiff. Noll's defense of the rules, his concern for the safety of the.