European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday a Emory 12, 1969 the stars and stripes Page 21 in Sench by Ben Abrams of a of de less 8hlp baseball finds itself Drifting across these of confusion. Nieds de8perateiy a new Captain commissioner if you will if its Hopes for survival Are to be realized and it must find a Strong willed Man for such a position immediately. Who is this Man this person who will save baseball from its worst enemy baseball itself Many people have been mentioned As the key Man Yankee president Michael Burke american league president Joe Cro nil vol Beebey of the san Francisco giants Lee Macphail of the Yankees and Montreal expos general manager John me Hale to mention a few of the most prominent bit baseball magnates have not been Able to agree among themselves when it got Down to the actual voting. They simply could not shed their individual animosities Lon enough to come up with a suitable replacement for William d. Eckert whom they banished at the end of three years of a seven Yea contract. Akin to impossible baseball is beset with Many woes. Professional football has made deep inroads in its claim As the National pastime fans have been complaining that baseball is no longer the exciting sport it once was that it has become Dull and drab and that the games Are altogether too Long and now the players Are holding the threat of Mutiny Over its head. Now this is a position some one must walk into something a into the impossible. It has been said that what is most needed is a baseball Man Butalla of the above with the exception of Burke who has been a radio and television executive until lbs purchased the Yankees three years ago have been Well schooled in baseball lore and Are ap-1 patently the Best baseball has to it the baseball bigwigs themselves have not been Able to come to agreement Over any of them except possibly Mchale who withdrew because of other commitments when it seemed he would be chosen signifying perhaps that an outsider would be a More effective history would tend to support such a claim because Only Ford Frick of the four men who have served As commissioner had More than a casual acquaintance with the game. On the other hand it can be argued without much Effort tha Teckert a retired air Force general who came to the game with Topnotch credentials covering leadership and other important characteristics was a Complete Dud. The position of commissioner of baseball is not one for which one can train. It is a position demanding firmness and fairness one requiring deliberation and yet one to which immediate re action sometimes is an attribute. The Man wearing the com missioner s hat most be Able to Deal effectively with manage ment and labor and he must not forget that both owe their existence to Joe fan and that Joe fan deserves the Best base Ball can offer him. Where can baseball find such a sir Lancelot a Man who in far off somewhere hears its Call and comes Forth to give his ail Branch Rickey we feel would have been the Ideal Man be cause he always thought about How Good something would be for baseball before he acted and he made few mistakes. He had Sharp ideas about making the game a better one ideas which Are being bandied about now in desperation after they had so often been so unceremoniously rejected by baseball Peers when old Branch had the audacity to make , Branch Rickey has gone to baseball heaven. So the thing to do it seems would be to try to find a Man who loves baseball As much As Branch Rickey did a Man who would act Only in the Best interests of the game a Man who would always be striving to improve baseball but would be sure to protect it from complacency and self destruction. The sports writing fraternity contributed Frick to baseball front office first As president of the National league and later As commissioner and it does t seem too unreasonable to be Lieve there might be another qualified personality from either journalism or radio and television who might just fill the Bill right now. Reichler or Spink perhaps the moguls cannot see the Trees for the Forest but Joe Reichler who was a a baseball expert for Many years might just have All the qualifications that is if his reputation has been tainted by association with Eckert As director of Public relations for baseball the past three years. You know they say Aman is judged by the company he keeps tie sporting news baseball s Bible has kept a vigilant watch Over the game Over the years and its publisher . Johnson Spink has taken the game to task when it has needed it and Fiat been quite often the past few years and he s come to its defense when such action has been deemed necessary. And the sporting news has been lavish in its recognition of baseball personalities Over the years for jobs Well done. Players and executives fro the lowest minor leagues to the majors have shared in the recognition. These Are two men who come to mind immediately from the journalistic world. Both Are dedicated men who have displayed Over a Span of Many years the qualifications baseball needs right now to right its ship and steer a course to smooth Waters beyond the sea of confusion. Wiesbaden cuts Down Hof Ana 86-80 Wiesbaden special the Wiesbaden flyers went Oil a 59 Point scoring spree in the second half and nailed Down an easy 100-64 Victory Over the Hof hustlers Here saturday after flyers were on top at half time 41-30. Ray Ford tallied 20 Points Jim Patterson hit for 17 and Clarence outland added 13 As the flyer raised their league record to 7-41. The hustlers now 3-7, were paced by John Hartman s 21 markers and Jim Mcauley s 14. Pitburg Germany special Pitburg s Barons took advantage of a switch in Sites to slip past Span Dahlem 88-80 Here Friday night in Safe Germany con Ference basketball. The Barons led 45-39 at inter Mission in winning their fourth game in 12 starts. Span Dahlem. Now 1-11, was the borne team but a current exercise resulted in the game being shifted to bit Burg. Ron Broadnax gave the Barons Early impetus scoring 22 of his 24 Points in the first Davis and Calvin Hardy helped out with 17 and 18,respectively. Robert Hunter scored 20 for Spang while Moses Ellis added 14, Jim Mallison 13 Gene little12 and Bob Stroud 10 for the losers. Sky Kin London 91-79 hold top so London is Durie Bur Sand Jim Thornton popped in 25 Points each Here Friday As the upper Heyford sky Kings maintained their slim . Conference Cage Lead by belting the London rockets 91-79. The 11-Point Victory enabled upper heyford12-34o remain a half game ahead of the Laken Heath eagles owners of an 11-3 Mark. London s record dropped to 19-5. Upper Heyford won the tilt atthe Charity Stripe cashing in on 23 of 35 free throws. The rocket converted half of their six free throw held an Early 14-6 mar Gin before upper Heyford ease ahead for Good 18-16, on Singon Hare s drive three jump shot inside the key by Thornton and a pair of Field goals by momentum staked the sky Kings to a 32-21 advantage margin they kept until the inter Mission when London trailed53-42. After closing the Gap to 67-60with 10 57 remaining London collected Only one Field goal while the sky Kings raced to their big Gest margin 79-62.manny Carlin topped the Rock ets with 23 markers and Darrell Hill toppers beat big Blue 90-64 Frankfurt special Theessen District Hill toppers downed Frankfurt s Asa b i glue 90-64, in a com z Northern league game Here saturday night. The Hill toppers took off to nearly Lead and maintained it throughout the game. The half time score was 41-34. Fred Irwin was High scorer forthe winners with 25 Points. Charles Rudd backed him with17, Bob Gregory contributed 18, and John Points. Seiford hit for 10 i cars Ray on waivers Indianapolis and. Up Jimmy Rayi uie Indiana High school or basketball nearly decade ago was been placed on waivers by the Indiana pacers of the american basketball association. Goeppinger chalks up 118-70 win Goeppinger Germany special Goeppinger raced to its third straight com z Centra league basketball Triumph Here saturday night when it Smoth ered Schwa Ebisch Hall 118-70. Under a six Man double figure assault. Goeppinger is undefeated i league play. The visitors dropped their second verdict in three out Ings. John Thornton and Dick bran non tallied 23 and 20 Points respectively to Pace the rolling into double figures mail wac Kasanos remained in included Mel Sanders 17 Mik Contention for a . Conference Leonard 15al Strawn 12 and it _ t -.-. Ilii Onam a Var i fix Phillips connected for 21 As Lon Don hit 38 of 80 Field goal at Baldwin canned 20 Points to support Burns and Thornton. Chicksands England Spe Cial Chick Sand. Conference basketball playoff berth Here the standings w Lupper Hector Al 12 3 Lakenheath 11 3 London 10 5 wether fiend 9 5 Chi Luand 6 be Newster 7 g Alconbury g 9 High Wycombe 4 n Mildenhall 3 u Welford 2 12 Friday results Chicksands 7�, Alconbury 72 Lakenheath 92, 8entwater 80 High Wycombe 93, Welford k overtime upper Rte Ford 91, London 79 mlle shall at Wethersfield postponed military commitment Duane Clark 10 Dave Brook tallied 20 Points to Pace the losers. Odell Moody Fol Lowed with 19 and Joe Smith contributed 13. Friday by upending the Alcon Bury spartans 78-72, for t h e i r ninth win against six losses. The spartans Are now 6-9. Alconbury ran into a cold spell at the outset of the last half As Chicksands increased a seven Point halftime Lead to a 21-Point margin 59-38. High Wycombe England special Al Harris tallied eight of his 34 Points in overtime Here Friday As the High Wycombe Bucks Defeated the Welford pirates 98-92, in a . Conference basketball game. The win boosted the Bucks to a 4-11 record while Welford has won Only two of 14 tilts. Ashe Smith vie in aussie finals Melbourne a two americans Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith advanced to the finals of the first victorian open Tennis championships the semifinals at Jooyong. Ashe Defeated the last remain ing australian. Ray Ruffels. 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Smith won a grueling five setter from Davis cup team mate Charles Pasarell 8-10 11-136-2, 6-3. 6-2. Ashe was in magnificent for against Ruffels dominating the match Early and returning Ruf Fels service with ease. Smith took 3 hours 20 min utes to beat Pasarell. Sex Tennis official Dies new York up1 Jotun Myrick former president of the . Lawn Tennis association and former Davis cup commit tee chairman died at his Parka venue Home of a heart ailment. He was 88. Small unit Cage tournament scheduled for 17th of clubs Pitburg Germany special act squad at teams will vie Here in the Germany. 17th air Force s Small unit Bas i games Are slated for 6 tournament a double 7 30 . Monday tuesday elimination meet starting Mon Day and going through thurs Day. Wednesday with the Champu ship and if necessary see Oil game set for 10 . And 6 pan expected to be on tap for us thursday. Small units tourney Are teams from the 32nd fighter squad at w .�., &iboes Terburg Holland the Darm players to compete in the Ger Stadt comets the 601st act Many conference playoffs at the squad in Frankfurt and the 616th j end of the month. The tournament Champion willbe permitted to augment two
