European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 11, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 18 the stars and stripes ,juyn.10a. When the Story appeared last week about the Twoheart transplant patients attending an astros mets game in Houston it suddenly occurred to me that a whole new future Maywell be in store for baseball. Talk about comebacks. For More than a few years now anti baseball people have been delighted in the idea that the sport was slowly surely losing its image As the National pastime. Football claimed they was Elbow ing its Way to the position of America s favorite sport. Wicked propagandists from the communist inspired National society in favor of he overthrow of nonviolent baseball is font have been accusing baseball of being pitifully Boring. They have mercilessly ridiculed the game for its reluctance to change insisting that the sport would have to give up either its conservatism or its popularity one or the other. Similar thoughts have been spread by the political Arm of thens font the organization for the abolishment of everything Boring Tae which it is suspected takes orders directly fro the is font. scoundrels have let s face it been successful. Foot Ball has been taking Over just because it is More exciting. Foot Ball in fact has been out drawing baseball game for game for quite a while now at every level professional College High school everywhere. But now just when All these Nasty people began to take comforting the notion that they were winning out the new future emerges for baseball. Just when the catty song baseball s on its Way out son to the tune of ring around the Rosie was starting to really Hurt us baseball fans our game s new world pops out. Baseball s place it turns out is in Medicine. Let everybody Goto the football games basketball tournaments boxing exhibitions etc., to get All worked up. Then they la have to go to baseball games to Calm Down. All this boredom so Long considered baseball s most undesirable trait suddenly becomes its most attractive one. Baseball becomes recognized All Over the world As the perfect antidote for All the Hustle and Bustle of life. History will no doubt record that this new world was opened up for baseball when those Houston doctors sent the transplant patients to the Astrodome. Everybody of course is going to wonder Why somebody had thought of All this sooner. Consider the possibilities. Baseball its overthrow As the recognized National pastime imminent begins life anew As the world s no. 1 therapeutic Spectator sport. Doctors will soon be scribbling attend As Many baseball Kamesas possible on prescriptions for people with High blood pressure. Baseball stadiums across the country their stands now beginning to grow emptier by the Day will in time be chock full of insomniacs and various other High Strung May Well be the greatest comeback in the history of sports. Pro be truthful i have to admit that this new movement Al catches me by Complete Surprise. Funny part of it is that i of All people should have known it was coming a year was when of Dave Belli Ful a very Good Friend of mine had All his trouble with his blood pressure. I remember Dave telling me about what the doctor had told him when the condition was first noticed. Dave had gone through a series of fancy tests and flanked every one of them so the doctor was quite sure he was too High Strung got too excited too easily. Anyhow the Doc told Dave that he would have to take three months off work and have nothing but Complete rest and uninterrupted relaxation. He was going to have to go three whole month without Ever getting angry excited or emotional in any Way at All. Dave right away bought the part about taking three months of work. But this no excitement idea got him a Little excited. He wanted to know just what sort of restrictions would be he for instance watch television absolutely not the doctor ordered. First thing you know you la get All excited about some program and your pressure ii be right up there again. Just sleep As much As possible and take lots of hot Dave already did t like the sound of it. Sleep and Baths were Nice but a Guy might get pretty sick of that Type of life after a while. So he asked if he could maybe get into an occasional car game. Surely there would t be any harm in a Little old Friendly card game once in Ano cards whatsoever snapped his doctor. People get excited Over cards same As television. And no music either. Too Stira ulat ing. And no driving no doing any laundry no shopping no relaxation i could he Dave asked go out to dinner once in a while?"no." could he work on his stamp collection?"no." could i e go to a baseball game sure said the doctor rubbing his Chin while thinking it Over. "1 Don t see Why not might do you right then and there when Dave told me that Story i should have seen the of handwriting on the Wall should have sensed baseball s now role in society but i did , Well. You know what they say about Hindsight. National league expected to realign �. In Settle Montreal problem at meeting to to Al a it tvs to
