European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 23, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 21 Moss of replace Tiger Pilot Houk says he is retiring Ralph Hook. In baseball Over 40 years Detroit up Detroit tigers Man Ager Ralph Houk announced thursday he will retire at the end of the season and one of his coaches Les Moss was named to re place him. It s time for me to spend some Tim with my wife. I be been in baseball for Over 40 years said Houk. It s not easy to do this he said yet i feel it s the thing to  tigers have been Nice enough to give me a Job As a consultant although i Don t know what that would  Houk said he club president and general manager Jim Campbell and vice presi Dent Bill Lajoie discussed a successor and were 100 percent unanimous in favor of Moss. He s had 18 of our players that have come up Here Houk said. Campbell said Moss Given a one year contract had been programmed into this thing for Over a  Houk Moss is a former major league Catcher who spent the bulk of his to Maggo Ciacco get police Protection 2 suing All claim lives threatened new Orleans a two partners Jin the promotion of the Muhammad Ali heavyweight championship fight said thursday that their lives and their Fame jibes have been threatened since they filed suit against Ali and their partners in the record setting event. I it was the latest in a series of after shocks from the Ali Leon Spinks fight Evv hich 63,532 fight fans paid $4,806,675 to Java tech the most Money Ever paid to watch a sports event. I a police spokesman said the Homes and families of businessman Jake Dimaggio and City councilman Philip Ciaccio were being watched by police patrols. Councilman Ciaccio has received " threats against his life and his family said Dimaggio. I have received threats against my life my family and my Busi Ness. We have complained to police who have granted both of us around the clock  Dimaggio and Ciaccio filed suit against Sherman copelin Don Hubbard and Butch Ewis after the fight last Friday night accusing the three of conspiring to divert Noney and contracts from the promotions irm. That suit was dropped monday. However Ciaccio and Dimaggio filed a 510 million slander suit against Ali after he heavyweight Champion said their suit against copelin Hubbard and Lewis was racially motivated and a White Man Black Man  Ali offered an apology for his remarks through his office in Chicago thursday. Hubbard and copelin Are partners with Maggio and Ciaccio in Louisiana sports toe. Psi the firm which paid $3 million or the rights to the Gate and related sales or the fight. Lewis was a vice president of top rank inc., the new York based promotions firm which sold Gate rights to the fight to Psi and sold television rights to Abc and a Host of stations and networks around the world. Even though the fight Drew a record Gate promoters and investors were some what disappointed in the final accounting. Costs of staging the event burgeoned to the Point that a profit of Only $600,000 was realized from the $4.8 million Gate. The four partners in Louisiana sports inc. Share half of that profit and a half dozen investors split the other $300,000. Copelin Hubbard Ciaccio and dimag Gio formed Psi and risked about $600,000 of their own Money in the venture. The investors put up $3.6 million. Bob Wright of Lafayette la., president of the Louisiana bar association said he and other investors were counting on split Ting a Gate of More than $5.6 million. He said copelin and Hubbard approached him through Lafayette business Man Jude Alcindor about investing in the venture. Wright said his group put up All of the original Money and half of the operating expenses a $300,000 Advance payment to top rank plus a letter of credit for $2.7 million to buy the rights and land the fight then $800,000 for promotion staff Etc. My understanding is that copelin Hub Bard Ciaccio and Dimaggio each put up some $70,000 in Cash and borrowed the rest from the Liberty Bank and Trust co. Of new Orleans Wright said. Ali apologizes in statement for them White Lagos slur Chicago a heavyweight Cham Pion Muhammad Ali issued a statement from his Chicago office thursday apologizing for calling new Orleans promoters Philip Ciaccio and Jake Dimaggio them White  the statement read last monday at a press conference in new Orleans i made certain unfortunate remarks. Certain peo ple whom i regarded As my friends gave me a distorted version of events which so enraged me that i made unthinking angry remarks. I never met or. Ciaccio or or. Dimag Gio of Louisiana sports and hold no per Sonal animosity against them the state ment said. But even if they Are wrong i should not have called them a name particularly a name which offends a whole nationality of people. It is my True feeling that All people Are equal before god. My close italian friends such As Angelo and Chris Dundee and my close jewish friends such As Bob arum and Harold Conrad will attest to my Lack of  Ciaccio and Dimaggio had filed a $1 Mil lion suit which Ali branded As racist. The suit was dropped last sunday after Sher Man copelin and Don Hubbard of Louisi Ana sports inc., returned $200,000 in corporate funds. Former top rank inc. Executive Butch Lewis also was reported to have returned a $25,000 Advance. How Ever Lewis told the associated press that he never received an Advance and that there was no Money to return. Top rank promoted the fight in which Ali Defeated Leon Spinks to regain his title. Later angered by Ali s charges Ciaccio and Dimaggio said they would sue Ali for $10 million unless he returned to town and apologized. Ali at a news conference tuesday in Chicago was asked if he intended to go to new Orleans and apologize. He replied me Muhammad Ali apologize  but thursday Ali issued an apology through his office in Chicago. Career As a  be been treated so great Here Houk said. It s been an interesting Job but the Only Way i could have stayed Here five years was my associations with or. Camp Bell and or. Club owner John a Fetzer. Truthfully i did not intend to stay Here this Long Houk said. It s been Gratifying to me to see some of the Young players we have stuck with  Houk 59, originally signed a three year contract to manage the tigers but it was replaced after 1976 with a unique self renewing agreement that raised his pay above the average of his contemporaries and provided for additional attendance and club performance  also had a built in year of Severance pay should the contract be terminated by either Side. Campbell had said repeatedly Houk could manage the tigers for As Long As he wanted. Houk had been hinting at retirement the past season or two citing his age the aggravation of travelling and fan abuse but said he wanted to stay until he Felt the Job of rebuilding Detroit into a respected team again was accomplished. He became manager of a Tiger team that was already growing old before he took Over and it crumbled in less than a season. His second year featured a near record 19-game losing Streak before a step by step return to respectability began with an infusion of youngsters in 1976. Mark Fidrych and Jason Thompson joined Ron Leflore As regulars that sea son Steve Kemp and Dave Rozema Fol Lowed last season while the sparkling Dou ble play combination of Lou Whitaker at second and Alan Trammell at Short has provided the club with an excellent foundation for a return to Power in the near fun  was a non playing member of new York championship teams of the Early 1950s. The most times he Ever batted in a season was 92 in his Rookie year of 1947. He never had a Home run in 158 at bats and his major league playing career ended with an unsuccessful Pinch hit appearance in 1954. But like Many players whose Talent never matched their love for the game Houk spent his time on the Bench listening learning and asking questions. He became playing manager of Denver new York s american association farm club in 1955 and moved Back to the Yan Kees As coach in 1958. New York asked him to succeed Casey Stengel in 1961 and the Yankees won pen Nants his first three seasons and were world champions the first two. He resigned As manager to become Gen eral manager in 1964 but returned to the Field for the Start of the 1966 season when he found front office life unsuited for him. The Yankees Rose from 10th in 1966 to second in 1970 before three successive fourth place finishes and differences with owner George Steinbrenner led to his res ignation at the conclusion of the 1973 sea son. Win in Oakland could rekindle Fairbanks fires pass face make or break Battle with raiders by Greg Aiello up sports writer the new England patriots return sunday night to the place where their Streak of misfortune began almost two years ago. If they leave Oakland with a Victory it could go a Long Way toward fixing a season quickly threatening to break Down beyond repair. After the patriots came alive in the 1976 season winning 11 games after a 3-11 season the year before they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Oakland in a disputed 21-17 decision. The dispute concerned some questionable Calls against new England during Oakland s last minute winning drive. The raiders went on to win the super bowl. Nil Roundup last year the patriots based on a wealth of Talent were picked by Many to reach the super bowl. But Early season salary holdouts by All pro offensive line men John Hannah and Leon Gray disrupted the team and contributed to a pair of Early losses that wound up costing the patriots the pfc East title. This season again began with optimism and serious championship Hopes for new England. Then in an exhibition Victory at Oakland wide receiver Darryl Stingley suffered a paralysing spine injury when he was hit by safety Jack Tat urn. The Patri ots Haven t seemed the same since. Though unbeaten in preseason they travel to Oakland sunday with a 1-2 record and the look of a team in disarray. We simply must have better execution on the Field new England coach Chuck Fairbanks said. When things Are going wrong usually there Are sweeping changes. I be changed things before but i believe too strongly in what we re trying to do out  said he would Start Quarter Back Steve Grogan against the raiders de spite Grogan s ll-for-33 passing performance and three interceptions in an embarrassing 34-27 loss to Baltimore monday night. The patriots were 18-Point favourites against the Colts. We Are having breakdowns missing continued on Page 23