KC stuns Twins in opener
By BOB KEARNEY
Kansan Sports Editor
KANSAS CITY—Something was missing when American League baseball made its Kansas City re-entry yesterday.
No hee-hawing mules, no grazing sheep, no mechanical rabbits. Ho hum, just a baseball game.
And many of the 17,688 spectators were indeed yawning—because that game lasted 12 innings. Everyone was wide awake at the finish—because Kansas City's Royals edged the Minnesota Twins, 4-3.
Pinch-hitter Joe Keough's single with the bases loaded gave the Royals the triumph. Keough drilled reliever Dick Woodson's first pitch over right fielder Tony Oliva's head, scoring Joe Foy with the winning run.
But the crowd favorite in the Kansas City debut, second only to owner Ewing Kauffman, was a fellow named Lou Piniella. That's pronounced (pin-ELLA), but it has never been very much pronounced.
A rookie—those ballplayers who have not yet posed for their bubblegum cards—Fiinella collected four hits, including a game-tying single in the sixth. The Royals centerfielder also
KU fencers end season
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The hopes three KU fencers had of earning All-America fencing honors were crushed when none qualified for the finals of the NCAA championships March 29.
KU fencing coach Steve Keeler and squad members Tom Fenton and Ken Muller competed with Keeler and Muller making their third NCAA appearances.
Keeler, in the foil division, and Fenton, in the sabre, advanced as far as the semifinals. Keeler then won 2 of 9 matches in the semis while Fenton posted a 4-5 mark.
Fencing in the epee division, Muller failed to get past the preliminaries.
Fenton finished 18th in the sabre competition, Keeler 24th in foil, and Muller 34th in epee. Approximately 40 men competed in each weapon division.
The format of the tournament was changed this year. Previously each fencer met every other fencer in his division, but the three weapon divisions were broken down into pools of 10 men this year.
Those with the best records in the prelims advanced to the semifinals, and then to the finals.
6 KANSAN Apr. 9 1969
Muller said the format was altered to speed the tourney, but so many coaches complained that the new format will probably be changed for next year.
The Twins tied it in the second with rookie Graig Nettles' bases-empty homerun. Minnesota went in front in the top of the sixth, taking a 3-1 lead on singles by Rod Carew and Tony Oliva, an infield out, and Rich Reese's double.
clubbed a lead-off double in the first inning, scoring on Jerry Adair's single for a 1-0 jump.
Rovals bounce back
But Kansas City, which had a scoring threat fizzle in the fifth after Wally Bunker's double and Piniella's third hit, came to life in the sixth. Twins rookie southpaw Tom Hall had scattered seven hits before trouble erupted with two out.
Catcher Ellie Rodriguez doubled to left centerfield, and shortstop Jack Hernandez bounced to Harmon Killebrew. The Twins third baseman bobbled the ball and threw late to first base Pinch-hitter Jimmy Campanis cracked a run-scoring single, and Hall was replaced by Bob Miller.
Piniella delivered his fourth straight hit, a line drive single, and Hernandez came across with the tying run. Adair legged out an infield hit to fill the bases, but reliever Ron Perranoski retired the side on a forceoff.
From the seventh through the
eleventh, it was Perranoski vs. Kansas City's Dave Wickersham-neither being threatened. Moe Drabowsky retired the Twins in order in the twelfth.
Gordon called Wickersham's performance "the best he's thrown in three or four years." Wickersham, formerly with the Athletics, owns a 17-8 lifetime record against the Twins.
running and sliding and falling down, always working hard."
Minnesota's fourth hurler, Joe Grzenda, was a victim of an infield single by Foy—actually, Reese dropped the throw at first base—and a passed ball. That brought an intentional walk to
Tonight, the Royals send their No. 1 draft choice—Roger Nelson—against the Twins' Jim Kaat in a 7:30 contest.
KANSAN Sports
"Sure, we saved him for four hours to go up and hit the ball," manager Joe Gordon said of pinch-hitting Keough.
Chuck Harrison, and a wild pitch that advanced the runners meant another intentional pass to Bob Oliver.
"This game could have gone either way, but we would have been real disappointed if we lost it after having battled all day."
"Larappin' Lou, huh?" asked Gordon with a smile. "I like the way he plays--like a dead end kid trying to make a buck. His
Woodson relieved Grzenda, and Keough belted his first offering.
Pilot praises Piniella
Kansas City AB H R RBI
Pinielie, CF 5 4 1 1
Adair, 2B 5 2 0 1
Kirkpatrick, LF 6 0 1 0
Foy, 3B 6 1 1 0
Harrison, 1B 5 1 0 0
Oliver, RF 5 1 0 0
Rodriguez, C 4 1 1 0
Keough, PH 1 1 0 1
Hernandez, SS 5 1 1 0
Bunker, P 2 1 0 0
Burgmeier, P 0 0 0 0
Campanis, PH 1 1 0 1
Wickersham, P 1 0 0 1
Taylor, PH 1 0 0 0
Totals 46 14 4 4
Minnesota AB H R RBI Uhlander, CF 6 0 0 0 Carew, 2B 5 2 1 0 Oliva, RF 5 2 0 0 Killebrew, 3B 5 1 0 1 Nettles, LF 2 1 1 1 Tovar, PH-LF 3 1 1 1 Reese, 1B 5 2 0 1 Cardas, SS 4 1 0 0 Roseboro, C 5 2 0 0 Hall, P 2 0 0 0 Miller, P 0 0 0 0 Perranoski, P 1 0 0 0 Manuel, PH 1 0 0 0 Grzenda 0 0 0 0 Woodson 0 0 0 0 Totals 44 12 3 3
Gene Shue wins NBA's coach award
NEW YORK (UPI) — Gene Shue, who guided the Baltimore Bullets from last place to first place in the Eastern Division in one year, Tuesday was named 1968-69 Coach of the Year in the National Basketball Association by a panel of sportswriters.
Shue received 24 votes in the balloting of a 39-man committee to easily outdistance his rivals. Only three other coaches received votes. Jack Ramsay of Philadelphia received 11 votes, Red Holzman of New York got three and Larry Costello of Milwaukee received one.
Shue, a native of Baltimore, took a low-spirited collection of players and molded it into a winning combination this past season. Lacking only a consistent rebounder last season, Shue selected Wes Unseld in the draft, and the big center from Louisville proved to be the necessary catalyst in building the Bullets into the NBA's top team during the regular season.
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