Mays makes his choice, leaves bas NEW YORK (AP) — With tear in his eye and an ache {n his heart, Willie Mays has walked away from baseball, . Forced to choose between the game he loves and a luctatlve contract to work for an Atlantic City hotel and gambling casino, Maya announced he would ter- minate his active relationship with the sport, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn had warned Mays that the Hall of Famer could not maintain his tion as a part-time coach and goodwill ambassador for New York Mets if he accepted the jad with Bally Manufac Co., cperators of the Park Place Hote] in Atinntle City. Mays met with Kuhn for ome hour Monday morning before heading for the news conference that made his move official, “The commissioner didn't ~ Still, try to change my mind," Mays sald as tears welled in his eyes. We just talked the matter over. When I saw that his decision was going to stand, I said ‘thank you’ and got up and walked out, “Don't blame the commis- sioner, The decision was with me. We left with kind words, I have no bitterness in my heart.” Mays seemed troubled by the. turmoil his decision had caused and by the impression that Kuhn had barred him from baseball. He sald he felt he had been lumped in the same class as Shoeless Joe Jackson, the Chicago White Sox outfielder who waa banned from baseball as a result of the 1919 Black Sox scarcda “The commissioner told me the only restriction was that I couldn't wear 4 uniform and represent any team,” Mays said. "I can still play in oldtimers’ games and do other special events, I can always return to papell if 1 give up this Maye will do community work, visit“ hospitals and work with youngslers in his promotion position with Bally. He will be pald $100,000 a year for the first three years, and his salary will Increase over the next seven years to a top of $150,000 in 1689. He was making $50,000 a year from the Mets under terms of an agreement he signed with Joan Payson, the late owner of the club, after New York acquired. him from San Francisco in 1972. That deal my life,” Mays said, “Il worship the game,” . He said he did not plan to teat Kuhn's edict in the courts. Martin out, Howser gets dubious honor By HAL BOCK panw ORK (AP) — ps the moat surprising . part of Dick Howser's ap- pointment ae manager of New York Yankees is that ha got the job and Gene Michael did not. Thereason ls that the Yan- kees have other plans for Mi- chael, who is expected to be named the team’s general manager Thuraday when Howser ia introduced at a news conference. Howser was hired to replace Billy Martin after a brawl involving Martin in a Bloomington, Minn., hotel left marshmallow salesman: Joseph Cooper of Lin- ire, Il},, with a cut lip. requiring 15 to 20-ptliches, Martin’s .. :‘publig. ii: ex-: planation was that Cooper d fallen and cut himeelf. But a source told The Associated Press the man- ager got word to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner privately that he had hit the man, That disclosure per- suaded Steinbrenner to make the change, Martin waa reported dis- . traught and unavailable for comment, . Michael had been-