European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 15, 1969 the stars and stripes Page 21 Phe hot stove and knife & Fork leagues were interesting this Al year what with All of the happenings in baseball. Baseball fans were offered a different menu commissioner William d. Eckert was fired division baseball became a reality the threat of a player Boycott Hung Over the game Bowie Kuhn was named new commissioner and immediately called for the re structuring of the game from the conversation  Eckert firing came like a Bolt out of the Blue and the Selec Tion of his successor left Many people wondering Bowie who the division program had been adopted last fall and Many people believed that baseball had Hurt itself by resorting to such a , the biggest news has to be the Boycott. No one paid much attention last november when the players indicated their dissatisfaction and mentioned the possibility of having to strike but As time passed and the players attitude did t change the Impact hit borne it just might be possible that there won t be any baseball in 1969. Not Only a few players Aphis in t a holdout of a few dissatisfied players. It is a bonafide Al Boycott threat involving 90% of the major league players personalities of such magnitude As Willie Mays Carl Yastrzemski Juan Marichal Bob Gibson Willie Mccovey and Don Drysdale to mention Only a  is a serious threat to baseball and True baseball fans must feel a bit More than a Little concern Over the game s  re a True baseball fan and we confess to some concern but we Don t really believe we will be deprived of our National  Boycott certainly is making things interesting on the hot stove circuit though much More exciting than Reading a release saying Jim Smith has signed his 1969 contract White sox officials announced  of the refreshing aspects resulting from the players boy Cott has been the absence of All those inane contract signing stories that annually clutter up the sports pages Between new year s Day and Spring training. We have always contended that the signing of contracts was news but rather a Mere formality. Everyone knows that no player can take the Field unless he has signed an agreement with his  that the True details Are never revealed it is newsworthy when an established Star manages to negotiate a fabulous contract one calling for say $100,000 or covering several years. It is even More newsworthy when a Star does t sign a contract and be comes a prolonged holdout but it has to be a name Star performer not the Journeyman ballplayer. When one of the run of the Mil players does t sign who really cares sex stars in key slots i thought there were a couple of other newsworthy baseball developments recently. These were the naming of Allie Reynolds and Bobby Bragan As presidents of the american association and Texas league respectively. Also Reynolds appointment of Carl Erskine As special  minor leagues just might have something going for them with the trend of naming former players to key executive positions. George Sisler has been president of the International league for several campaigns. Tete think this could be one of the restructuring projects in base it Ball to get More sex players in the upper Echelon. These men have played the game and they know what it needs More than Many people. In an earlier column we said that it was t absolutely necessary to have a baseball Man As commissioner but we Don t see any thing wrong with such personalities As president of the two league Sand general managers of the clubs. Joe Cronin of course is president of the american league but Only four of the 24 major league clubs have former players in the key administrative positions. The great Joe Dimaggio is vice presi Dent at Oakland. Sex Yankee Johnny Murphy is general manager of the new York mets former Tiger infielder John Mchale is presi Dent of the new Montreal expos and his general manager is Jim fanning a former Catcher who saw duties with several clubs an Paul Richards is the general manager at Atlanta. Richards is also a former Catcher. George Selkirk another former Yankee was general manager at Washington until a Short time ago when new owner Robert Short fired him. ,.v doubtless there Are Many other qualified former baseball play ers who would jump at the Opportunity to get Back into the Gameon an administrative level. These men probably could make some important recommendations that would pall the game out of it doldrums and chances Are the suggestions would involve a minimum of rules , the hot stove and knife & Fork leagues had a Little something extra going for them this year. Raiders move 5 to finals grab prep wrestling Lead by Bob Wicker staff writer Wiesbaden is the Kaiserslautern raiders took a Light grip on first place in the team standings by moving five wrestlers into the finals of the1969 us Desea mat Champion ships Here Friday  the completion of the winners bracket semifinal matches the raiders led 25 other schools from six countries with50 Points. Wiesbaden s warriors were giving the favored a town ers a run for the class a trophy As they trailed by Only Ninepoints with four madmen advancing to saturday afternoon s 2p.m. Finals. The Karlsruhe knights had the class b championship All but in the bag after the first 90 matches of the two Day meet which annually throws us Desea s 120top grapplers into action. The knights with 33 Points in the Over All a and b standings moved three boys into the final Sand held an 18-Point Lead Over the Baum older bugs their closest class b foe. Former us Desea champions eve Stevenson led the raiders into saturday s showdown by pinning Ron Adams of shape in 1 minute 23 seconds in the Semi finals. Stevenson was slated to oppose Wiesbaden s Greg Dunnin the 112-Pound finale. Dunn registered the quickest pin Fri Day when he put away Baum Holder s Roger Webb in 1 15 of their  gaining the finals for k town were Peter Wallace 120-Pound class Ron Ochse 133ivan Rodriquez 175 and Mik Giese unlimited. Karlsruhe s semifinal Winner were Hector Seise 103john Zamecki 138 and Rudy David 175. David and Rodriquez the Southern and Northern regional champions respectively will put perfect 16-0 records on the line in their tussle saturday after noon. Another interesting match which will also see 16-0 records at stake will come in the unlimited encounter As Giese the Northern Champ tangles with Stuttgart s Southern Winner Bill Graham. One unbeaten Matman fell bythe Wayside Friday night and an other failed to make the weigh limit earlier in the Day. Wiesbaden s Dennis Grabulis dropped a 5-1 decision to my j Nich s Jim Smith in the Semi for his first setback. A town s Garnett Glenn came Here with perfect record but was three pounds Over his 103-Pound limit and had to watch his undefeated team go for the championship from the sidelines. The tourney being held at the Wiesbaden air base gym was to continue saturday morning at9 30 with the losers bracket Semi finals. The third place matches pro Grid notes Lombard picks Huff As linebacker coach by the associated press Sam Huff s return to pro Foo Ball As linebacker and coach with Vince Lombardi s Washington redskins was the most prominent of a number of developments in the sport thursday. Huff called his one year retirement the worst Yea i be spent in my  and Lombardi told a press conference we both came out of retirement inthe same  two other coaches and two other players also signed pro contracts thurs Day. Charlie sum Ner an assistant coach for six h8"years with the Oakland raiders signed As defensive Backfield coach for the Pittsburgh Steeles Luraner joins John Bridgers and Walt Hackett on the staff of Chuck Noll the Steeles new head coach. Jesse Richardson defensive line coach of the Boston patriots was re hired by Cli Verush the club s new head coach. Aba Deal sends tart from mavs to Denver Denver Colo. A the Denver rockets of the Ameri can basketball association obtained Levern tart from the Houston Mavericks thursday Ina Trade intended to strengthen their Jwj by Ridden  rockets will give up two High choices in the forthcoming Aba draft in return for tart said general manager etcher the Exchange was made be fore the wednesday Midnight deadline but the announcement was delayed because the hous ton organization did not want to inform tart of he Trade before game in los Angeles. We needed immediate Hel due to injuries Eicher said and tart is a proven scoring threat a Good Ball handler and he will be a Fine addition to the rockets 5 a Mike Holovak former general manager and coach of the patriots was reported by the bos ton Globe to be in line for the j Job of director of player person Nel with the new York  Sauer left that Job to succeed Holovak As the patriots pm joining Rush a for Mer new York assistant coach. Dave Costa Denver s defensive Captain signed his 1969 contract with the Broncos an Dave Cutler a linebacker and kicker from Vancouver Britis Columbia agreed to terms with the Green Bay packers. 0. J. Simpson drafted by Buffalo will be on display in his own stomping grounds when the ills play a preseason exhibition game against the rams at Losangeles sept. 6. Simpson was a Star collegiate runner at South Ern California. 8th div handball meet slated at Baum older Baum older. Germany special the 8th inf div hand Ball championships will be staged Here this weekend at the Smith Barracks gymnasium no. 2. Competition will be in two divisions open and senior Over 40 in both singles an doubles. The top four finishers in the open division and the Champion and runner up in the senior class will Advance to the Usa eur Northern regional schedule March 7-9. Were slated for 1 p.m., followed by the championship encounters. Friday s results preliminaries and quarterfinals 95 in Chin Roo Kim in pinned Pai Banning Nap 1 45 Charls Coleman aug dec Art Brady Lon 9-0 Garym Artum Karls pinned Bob Davis we 3 15 Cornell Lofton us 1" Paul ing we risen Kal 3-2 Craig a Aglan bit pinned Kim. 4 29. 103 in David Watson. Vic pinned my Rundman Lon 1 45 Bob Baffler Stutt pinned Bob Mcwey Lake. 3.59. Ritj Cmiller held dec Bald Blak we 8-2 Hector Seise. Karl dec. Pat Doolittle mad 3-0. 112 in Richard Bauer Vic dec Lloyd Morrison aues 5-0 Roger Webb Burn dec Abdul in Rabat Ken 1-0 r Steve Stevenson. Kal. Pinned Bauer 1 59 Ron Adams. Shape dec John calf re. Nuro.17-0 Gregg Dunn wies. Dec Glenn West Brook ism 1-0 Webb dec Doug Meick Mann 3-Bob , Baum in Ben Johnson bit 5 is Ron Osi in. K town dec Don scabbard Lou. 4-0. 13s in John Zamecki Kiu ius David Kelly fat. 3-0 Steve Thomas wies dec Jim Brady Lon 9-0.145 in John Shick Lon Dee Frank Huu Ort fat it Al Plu a Rev. Wies dec George Ward Bauin 7-0. 154 Loben Breest wies. Dec Tomolio Smitke fun 1-0 Ron in Iti Joii Maui dec Chuck Kaylor. Bituin o-o.165 to John Tiro Brua dec Mike Mulller held 8-1 Jim Smith Idun decl Una Gra Bulu wies 5-1. If6 in Ivan Rodriguea a town pinned Jim Flaherty. Muu 3 43 Hudy David., Karl pinned pal Hurley. We & 57.unlimitedbill Graham Stutt. Pinned Jamea Brock. Baum 3 30 Mike tee a town won on referee s decision Over bub Dornin Lak