Page 4—MIRROR-HERALD—Tuesday, January 3, 1978
‘Some People Play Golf And Rsh,
I Run A Baseball League’ • John Henry Moss
Kings Mountain Mayor John Henry Moss is in the
news frequently these days, usually obtaining federal
grants for the city, breaking ground for a new city
project or cutting a ribbon to open a new store in the
business district.
Everyone knows about the Mayor with the Midas
touch.
Lost in the shadows of those accomplishments in
recent times has been John Henry’s baseball life, which
many may have thought had died.
But Moss is still active in the sport, probably more so
than ever.
Organizer and President of the Western Carolinas
League, Moss recently reached the Pike’s Peak of his
baseball career. At the annual winter meeting in
Honolulu, he was elected Vice President of the National
Association of Baseball Leagues and Chairman of the
Executive Committee.
In short, his new duties is to assist President Bobby
Bragan in overseeing the 19 minor leagues in the United
States, Canada and Mexico. Others on the Executive
Committee are Joe Rhyne, President of the American
Association, and Pat McKernan, President of the
Eastern League.
Moss, needless to say, is happy with his selection by
his peers.
“It’s the highest positirai I’ve held in baseball to
date,’’ he said, “and I’m honored to be selected. I look
forward to serving in this capacity.’’
More than the title, however. Moss is excited about
being in a better position to better the game of baset)all.
“I feel we can do many things to develop the game on
a broader scale in addition to continuing to develop the
respective leagues in the National Association,’’ he
says. “I feel we can support community recreational
and scholastic programs from the tee leagues on up
through Babe Ruth, Legioi, high school and college
baseball.”
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One of die ways Moss feels youth baseball can be
imfxoved is through better practice equipment and he’s
recently been involved in a study to urge the use of
pitching machines in baseball and passing machines in
football.
With the use of a pitching machine, Maes says, teams
can get three times as much batting practice in a single
session, simpdy because the use of a machine eliminates
the wildness of a batting practice pitcher. Also, he said,
the machine throws four pitches (fastball, curve, slider
and knuckleball) and throws the corners of the [date as
well as down the middle.
He can foresee the WCL retiming to an eight-team
league in the near future as there is now considerable
interest in Greenville, S. C., and Hickory, N. C. The only
thing standing in the way of those cities is the lack at
adequate facilities.
The minor leagues, he feels are still the best training
ground for major league talent and Moss is proud of the
fact that last year the 19 minor leagues drew more fans
than in any year since 1954, 13,481,356.
Several years ago, you’ll recall, some baseball peofde
were urging the major league clubs to throw more
siqq^xnrt to college basM>all in hopes of using the colleges
as a training ground.
But, Moss said that idea didn’t work and never will.
“It was found lacking for two reasons,” he says.
“One, the colleges play a limited number at games,
and, two, it’s a four-year process.
Promoting baseball is one of the things Moss loves
best. In 1948 when he first organized the WCL, he was
the youngest league presidmt in the history of the
game. After spending several years in the Detroit Tiger
front office, he returned to Kings Mountain and re
organized the WCTj in ’59 and has been its president
ever since.
As for any more personal goals. Moss says he has
none. He looks on his recent appointment as head of the
executive committee as the tq>s.
“Baseball for me is a hobby,” be says. “Some people
like to play golf and fish. I run a baseball league.”
For the minor leagues in general and the WCL par
ticularly, however. Moss has plenty of goals left to
achieve.
“A young man can come into a dass A league like the
Western Carolinas League and in three years or less go
to siqierstar status in the major leagues. It’s difficult to
go frcm college to the major leagues.
“I think we had a tremendous year in the majors and
minor leagues,” he said of ’77. “We’re developing
outstanding players and both leagues are very com
petitive. We’re getting a good flow of talent from the
minors... just look at the rookies of the year.'’
Moss takes great pride in the fact that almost one-
third of the over 600 major league ballplayers are WCL
products.
“A man could make a good living representing the
free agents who are WCL graduates,” Moss quipped.
“We could take a long vacation with the percentage we
could have made fiiis year by representing Lyman
Bostock and Richie Zisk.”
Probably the biggest honor Moss has achieved in
baseball, ttiough, is the close relationships he has en
joyed with the greats of the game. He can walk into any
John Henry Moss
minor or major league park in three countries and be
recognized He’s on a first-name basis with people like
Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, and Bob Feller, and the
list goes on and on.
Now, that’s a hobby.
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Mountaineers Second In Tipolf Tourney
Cagers Resume SWC Hay Tonight At R-S Central
Kings Mountain High’s
cagers resume Southwestern
3-A Conference play tonl^t
with a twinbill at R-S Central.
The KMjlS girls, who have
been idle since December 20
when they defeated East
Rutherford, will carry a 4-2
SWC record into the contest
and they’re two games bdiind
league-leading Bums (6-0).
The Mountaineers will carry
a 3-3 SWC mark and 4-4 overall
Ogure into tonight’s game
after a finishing second in
last week’s Cleveland County
Upoff Tournament.
KMHS fell to unbeaten Crest
77-63 in the championship
game Thursday after
knocking off host Shelby in the
first round. Shelby defeated
Bums 74-36 to claim third
place.
The Mountaineers played
the highly-rated Chargers on
almost even terms for three
quarters, but ^ Peeler’s men
used a full-court pressing de-
f«se and an excellent test
break offense to break the
game open early in the fourth
period.
Kings Mountain trailed by
just 30-25 at halftime and 46-42
going into the fourth quarter,
and the Mountaineers pulled
to witlan two (46-44) after the
fourth perM tipoff, big die
Chargers reeled off six
unanswered points and broke
to a 59-49 lead with five
minutes to play,
KM’S Vernon Bell led all
scorers with 22 points and
Ehrerette Burris added 14 but
they were the only double-
John
digit scorers for
Blalock’s charges.
The Mountaineers came
finm a 53-49 deficit m the final
aoseconds Wednesday night to
defeat Sbelby 5661 and
spot in the championship
game against the Chargers.
Baskets by Timmy Adams
and Jeff Prescott, who scored
16 and 10 paints, respectlvdy.
the score at 53-all and then a
bucket by Vernon Bdl, who
had ntoe points, gave tbe
Mountaineers the lead for
good, 55-53. KM’S final point
The victory enabled the
Mountaineers to break a
three-game loeing skid. It was
also their second wm of the
season over the Golden Lions,
worst starts in years.
Kings Mountain trailed m
the early stages but came
back to lead by 25-21 at half
time and 41-35 going mio the
-toleadtheKM adert, kaotted came on a flee throw who ate off to one of their fourth quarter.
WEDNESDAY
GAME
KM (56) — Dixon 6, Prescott
10, Bell 9, Burris 8, Adams 16,
Lockhart 2, Friday 2, McClain
4, Cloninger, Ellis.
SHELBY (53) — Roark 3,
Terrell 7, Mack 9, Toms 10,
Hamilton 7, Cannon 6, Barrow
2, Smith 9.
G-W nays The
Wednesday In
Abbey
Charlotte Dome
THURSDAY GAME
KM (63) — Dixon 9, Prescott
2, Bell 22, Adams 9, Burris 14,
Friday 2, McClain 6,
Lockhart, Cloninger, Cald
well, Ellis, Oates.
CREST (77) — Hunt 12,
Young 16, Wilson 12, Cannon 9,
Huskey 18, Petty 3, Hunt-
singer 3, Thurman 2, Clark,
Rice 2, Rippy, Michaels,
Oosby.
A big college basketball
doubleheader is slated
Wednesday night at the
Charlotte Coliseum.
Two of the top NAIA clubs,
Gardner-Webb and Belmont
Abbey, will get the action
underway at 7 p. m. and tbe 9
p. m. nightcap will match two
of the top teams in die
Southern Conference,
Davidson and Marshall.
The Davidson-Marshall con
test will feature three of the
Southern Conference’s top five
scorers. Davidson’s John
Gerdy (28.4) leads the SC and
ranks foirth nationally. Chris
Dodds (23.9) is third in the
conference and 22nd
nationally. Marshall (4-4
QUALITY RETREADS
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FOR WHITEWALLS
HAPPY HEW YEAR
CLARK TIRE & AUTO
407 S. Battleground Phone 739-6456 Kings Mountain
Tim Taylor, Store Mgr.
going into a Dec. 30 game
against Detroit) counters with
Carlos Gibson, a 22.6 scorer
who is fifth in tbe conference
and 40th in the NCAA. Before
the Detroit game Gibson led
the nation in free throw
shooting and had made 44
straight over two seasons.
The opening game of the
doubleheader matches two of
tbe area’s top NAIA schools.
Gardner-Webb, led by for
ward Carl Martin and Lewis
Young was 166 entering the
Bulldogs own tournament
Dec. 3631. Abbey, keyed by
senior foward Desmond
Dennis, will take a 62 record
into the doubleheader at the
Coliseum.
Tickets for the
doubleheader may be pur
chased at the Charlotte
Coliseum or through the
Charlotte Chamber of Com
merce. They are priced at $3,
$4 and $5.
WeYe
Fighting forYbur Life
American Heart Association
Famous iost words
“K’s Just a Httla ehoot pobi, K couldn’t ba anything oorloua.”
“Two oopirlna, on antacid, and In a eoupla of hours I’H bs os good os now."
“This couldn’t bs anything to worry about, I’m os hooNhy os a horoa.”
"If I wont to the hospital and K wasn’t a hoart attack, thay’d
probably think I was soma kind of nut”
Gamble
"It’s only Indlgsatlon.”
“It’s probably Just tonslen.”
"N til# pain dossn’t stop bi th# noxt hour, then I’H esH the doctor.”
“It’s Just a Httio hoart bum, what olao oould It bsT”
Fourth
In Golf
Klngi Mountain’s Johnny
Gemble, a freshman at the
University of North Carolina,
fkiiahed fourUi in the collage
division of the Riverband
Hdiday, Claasic Golf Tourna
ment last Thursday.
Gamble fired a five ov« par
77 to finish seven strokes
behind Garchicr-Webb’s Steve
Sherman. Larry Penlay of
Dellae and asmeon woo a
sudden death playoff for
socond placo ovor UNC-
Charlotte’s Chris ’Tucker after
they tied at 76.
Several Kinge Mountain
golfers competed in the 1617
year old division. Including
DorreU Austin, Herbie Boom,
Darrell Forbes end Dalk
Halglar, but none of them
pMoed.
The facts are simple And tragic
Many people who have a heart aitacK will deny ii
They refuse to believe that something that serious could
be happening to them
They come up with all sorts of excuses and
explanations They worry about the embarrassment of
being wrong Hall of them wart three hours or more
before they try to get help But by then one out ot two
It past help ^ause he s deacj
Don t let this happen to you it you leei an
uncomfortable pressure fullness squeezing or pain m
the center of your chest (that may spread to your
shoulders neck or arms) and if it lasts for two minutes
or more gel help for you could be having a heart
Severe pam dizziness lamtmg swealmg nausea or
shortness ol breath may also occur but these signals
are not always present Sharp slabbing iwmges ot pam
are usually not signals of a heart attack
Don t delay Call ihe eniergency medical service
immediately It you can gel to a hospital wrth
emergency cardiac care faster m any other way do so
Recognize What s happening r,et help last Your life
may depend on it
American Heart Association j
WE'RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE
H