Page 8, The Heraid, Friday, May 11, 107% Best happy with NASL NEW YORK (AP) — 2 Best wears a _ necklace that reads, “Yes,” In. his second season as a Fort Lauderdale Striker, _ Best finally can say Yea" to North American soccer, "I think I'm getting comfortable with the game here,” Best said during a recent visit. “Playing In Florida is rewarding and so is performing well. I feel I've been playing a steady game," Best's career has been anything but steady. English football's leading player in the late 1960s, Best's off-field endeavors have made him more famous than his goal- scoring talents. Often a front-page news item in Britain earlier this decade, usually in the company of a pretty lass, the flamboyant Best has been susperided, fined and eventually was banned from soccer. In 1974, Best quit Man- chester United, declaring he had retired. Three years later, after returning to the game with Los Angeles Aztecs af the North American Soccer League, Best challenged the English soccer system that allowed a club tohold a player's rights indefinitely, or until the club chose to get rid of him. After playing for the Az: tecs, Best returned to Britain and joined Fulham for $680 8 game, but did not sign a contract, . Hereturned to Los Angeles for the 1874 season and was traded to Fort Lauderdale in midseason, He again returned to Britain after the season but Fulham ended Its association with him last December, although the,club retained his registration and demanded a transfer fee for his services, When Bieat, 92, declared he would play for the Strikers Nelson early lead — Latry Nelson, off to the beat atart in his five-year career, tamed Preston Trall with a five- under: 65 Thuraday to take the first-round lead in the rain-plagued $300,000 Byron Nelaon golf tour- nament. But Tom Watson was six under with a hole to go before play was suspended, , ataon, the defending ehamplon, was to tee off this morning to play the final hole in the first round — a par-four, 423-yard ninth mole, The only other player who stood a chance of Watson in the hunt for the $54,000 firat prize was Bob Gilder, who had two holes left on his card and was four under when thunderstorms dumped heavy rain on the course. George Burns finished ‘with a four-under-par 64 before the deluge hit. Thirty: nine of the 155 players were ati] on the course, Nelsen one-putted ha greens during his me: round. Watson could tle the course record that he owns regardiess, he was banned by FIFA, the governing board of international tnotigible, to play bere 6 y a in the world. Bost and the trikers protested, an English court ruled in his favor and the ban was lifted. Best claims all that is behind him. He is married now, settled down and ready to establish himself as a star — on the fleld — in this country. “I run on the beach, play racketball, do anything I can to stay in shape,” be said. “America is the place to be for soccer now, the at- mosphere is tremendous. “We come to play the Coamos and 70,000 people are there, Even the games in the snow in Toronto are forgotten after that. It raises your game to see such ac: ceptance of the sport. I'd love to see that every week.” Although Best doesn’t grab as many headlines in this country, he is well-regarded around the NASL. "I get marked very closely, which shows me cue ee ee said "You stopping me,” he said. “You have to adapt to the ‘altuation, When I was with the English national team, I was one af many stars. Teams marked other players very closely and that set me free for good ‘scoring chances," Hf Best hes turned’a new leaf, the truest indication was his determination to avoid controversy during the recent players strike. Hoe stayed wielly in the ha “y signed a contract to y soccer," he sald, “So when it came time to play, [ rH other words, he said, "Veg, takes With Buddy Allin if he birdies the final hole, Watson, shot a two-under- 33 on thé back nine which played first. Then he birdied four holes on the front nine. He had to battle a hooking one-iran moat of the round, scrambling once out of trees and another time out of a bunker to save par. Watson played with Nelson, tram- ping the fairways behind his protege. There were three players at three-under-par 67 over the par-70 Preston Trail courne which plays to 6,903 yards. Tour sopohomore Brad Bryant one-putted nine times and joining him at 67 were Lanny Wadkins and Morris Hatalaky. Arnold Palmer shot a two- under: 8 patter a tum ey-bogey start to head & group of four players, Hubie Green was three under with two holes to play after posting a wild round which included seven birdies offset by four bogeys. Oificlals decided . to ret a delay of an hour by raln. Cubs, Reds play to a tie CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds battled to a 7-7 te Thuraday in a Natlonal League baseball game that ‘waa suapended to enable the : Cubs to catch a plane for Houston. The Cubs were unable to make plane connections after 6:05 p.m. Thursday, so the game was suspended at 4:30 p.m., at the completion of theninth Inning. The game will be resumed sta with the beginulng of the 1 inning on July 28, the next time the Reds are in Chicago. Johnny Bench’s two-run double Keyed a four-run Cincinnati first with Dave Concepcion and Ray Knight each singling in a run, The Cuba came back with three in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Dave mn, who scored on a 5 by Steve Ontiveros, Successive homers by Barry Foote, his third, and Ted Sizemore, his first, put the Cubs ahead in the fourth. The Reds tied it in the fifth on a triple by George Foster and a single by Bench, but the Cubs regalned the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Kingman, an error and a sacrifice fly by Jerry Martin, Junior Kennedy opened the Cincinnati seventh with his second double of the game and Concepelon rested reliever Bruce tter with his fourth homer. Kingman tied it for the Cubs ‘in the bottom of the seventh with hia ninth homer off Pedro Borbon. Lend a hand... to clean our land The amatew umpires are at it again, spreading chaos around major league baseball at a dizzying rate. On three separate fronts Wednesday night, e inexperience men replacing striking umps produced drawn out and often raucous argl- ments. ' Tn Atlanta, both clubs filed protests in Pitt- sburgh's 17-9 victory over the Braves, Four Pirates and one Brave were ejected. Four players were hit by pitches and two near brawls erupted thumbing various partici- pants, Including manager Chuck Tanner and slugger Dave Parker of the Pirates. “That’s the worst ex- cuse for umpiring I've ever seenin my Iife,”’ said Pittsburgh catcher Ed Ott, who tried to smash a batting helmet which the Braves’ Rowland Office threw at Pirate reliever Kent Tekulve. “7 though (Office'a) head,” said Ott when asked about his attack on the helmet, Office also was ejected. Three Cardinals were ejected by umplre Dave Pallone in Houston's 5-4 victory over St, Louis. Manager Ken Boyer, catcher Ted Simmons and first baseman Keith Hernandez left during a 10-minute discussion over whether Cardinal short- stop Garry Templeton had been pulled off second base on an at- tempted force play. Palione said he had. The Cardinals said he had not, Pallone won, but not’ before a half doren towels were hurled from the St. Louis dugout in anger. AMATEUR UMPS SPREAD CHAOS ' vietory over Milwaukee. t it was his - -complaining players and Manager Jeff Torborg, whose patience is tested dally by. Cleveland In- diang, went sightly bananas over a balk call by plate umpire Rick Reed with two out in the ninth inning during an 8-7 The balk allowed a run . to scare and triggered a Brewer rally that almost cost the Indians one of their rare victories. said the usually mild- mannered “(Milwaukee Gorman Thomas told him. Thomas made the call for hlm, There waa absolutely nothing to call,” . Reed sald he saw the balk by Indian reliever Sid Monge. The Cleveland. pitcher then walked three straight battera, forcing in two runs. And the reason for the walks, he sald, was the umpire. “He walked those guys, I didn’t," Monge said, claiming Reed had reduced the strike zone dramatically after the ar- gument. “All of a sudden, he started squeezing the tcher. He had the corners fight in the middle of the plate, All I eould do was throw it right down the middle.” Now the purpose here is not to question the um- pires, The calls may have all been right and the managers may all have’ been wrong. But when can you remember this kind of turmol! erupting on three separate fronts on the same night nauge regular umpires on dui Meanwhile, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals have made af- ficin], fervent pleas to the two leagues to settle the continuing work stoppage by the regular umpires. Sports NEW YORK (AP) — Sonsam, the champion two- year-old pacer of 1978, has been resyndicated for $3 million, making him the highest-priced harness horse of all time, The transaction was announced Thursday by Louis Guida of Morrisville, Pa., and Morton Finder, of If you've Briefs Pine Hollow Stud Farm in Pine Bush, N.Y. The previous record for a Standardbred was $3.6 million for Nero and Falcon Almahurst, Sonsam, who has not yet started as a three- year-old, was syndicated last November for $8 million. got whatit takes... 7% ask us about you.. The Military Carear Counselior with the Canadian Forcas Mobile Information Unit can halp you to make important decisions . about your future. In the wide range of opportunities affered by tha Canadian Fareas, you may find just what you're looking for, And you'll be paid to learn a trade. Talk to Captain PHIL CHRYSLER Military Career Counsellor THE MOBILE INFORMATION UNIT will visit CANADA EMPLOYMENT CEATRE on Tuesday, 15 May from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM There's no life like It. The Canadian Armed Forces show & sale will will have 50 pieces of his work at the FRIDAY - 1 p.m.-8 p.m, SATURDAY - 1 p.m.-B p.m. SUNDAY - 1 p.m.-6 p.m. iia BES A Se en : CARVING SHOW : & SALE : May 11, 12413 : SAMMY'S i ; CARVING SHOP e Kitimaat Village : Wall known Haisla carver Sammy Robinson Sn so ae Rn Ln Nehenatotetatatetin RACING SCAM BOSTON (AP) — Anthony P, Clulla, 35, chief govern- ment witness in a $1 million race-fixing trial, saya he saw hia alleged partner in the scam smack a jockey who yon a race he'd been paid to Testifying in U.S. district . court, Ciulla snid Wednesday that Howard T. Winter, 49,.a - reputed organized crime boss, hit Edward Donnally as an. example to other jockeys in the alleged scheme. that involved six race tracks in five East Coast states. . Having agreed to hold his horse back out of the mon in the third race at Suffo! Downs on Oct. 16, 1974, Donnally won and then was told.to meet with Winter at Danny’s Cafe in nearb Somerville, Clulla testified. el He then recounted the in- © dent: “Howie said to him, ‘Do you realize you took my money and allowed your horse to run?’ “He