European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 29, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday june 29, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 21 one of the 40o  t w a magician pulls cards from sleeve by Hal Boc four Hundred. Say slowly. Let the words Roll softly Over you Tongue four Hundred. In baseball that is a magic Balling percentage that signifies four Hils in every 10 swings eight hits in every 20 at bits. 12 hits m every 30  Hundred. Thi  time a Batter averaged that much for a entire season was 3fi years ago. It is not easily accomplished they say. After All. That Hilling a round base Ball  a cylindrical Bat is one of the most difficult tasks in sports Minnesota s Hod Carew. However makes ii look easy. Make no mistake about it. Carew is the very bes hitter in the Western world. The Man is a master with the Bat. He pumps out base hits the Way a magician pulls cards from his sleeve. With five Balling championships already lucked Way and a near miss last year he is Well on his Way to no.6 on sunday he ripped four hits in five at bats and raised his average past that extraordinary Barrier to.403 or. Monday night he had three Hils. Raising his aver age to .408. Knocked in i rec runs and stole Home. At a time when inflated Early averages Are beginning to dwindle. Carew s keeps going up and now. Saddled with endless night games and coast to coast trave which sometimes drops a player s body in one town while leaving his stomach in another Carew is above the magic number. Four  remarkable part of Carew s performance is that his numbers Are built mostly on old fashioned natural Fields thai dominate the american league. Me does t have the Benefit of ground balls that zip through the Slick plastic grass infield in the National league. He is the greatest hitter i be Ever seen bar  new York Yankees manager Billy Martin. In the National league with All the artificial turf he d be Hil Ling .400 every  if you want to know just How Good Carew is. Just ask his manager. Gene Mauch. The twins skipper uses All the superlatives when he talks about his first  have never seen a belter  Mauch began. I really believe he d hit 400 on artificial turf. I be Neverseen a hitter make As solid con acl As consistently As . You throw names at Mauch Start with Ted Wil Liams the last .400 Hitler who was considered baseball ultimate Batter during his career. Williams had More things going for him Sai Mauch he was bigger and stronger. And he had the umpires All zeroed in. If Ted did t swing at a pitch then the umps knew in was a Ball " How about Stan Musial yeah. 1 would say Rod s More like Musial  agreed Mauch. He has the same kind of  Carew is the heart and soul of the Minnesota  players consider him a veritable hitting machine. He s programmed for base hits like a computer said new York Catcher fran Healy. The Carew computer however is a silent Model. In is not a Rah Rah Guy who basks in the Center spotlight. He prefers the shadows of anonymity and Thal s Why begets overlooked so often by fans. Bui the other baseball professionals recognize and appreciate his talents. Noone is More impressed by them than Mauch. I be seen him have a couple of three hit Days when continued on Page 23 tagged out at Home pills Burgh s Bill Robinson is tagged out by a. Louis Catcher Ted Simmons As he slides Home. Plate Umpire de Monta gue is right on top of the play. Robinso tried to score on a single to Center by Al Oliver but Tony Scott fired the Ball Home in time to get him. The car stopped the pirates. A i. In the National league game. A photo National league Roundup Mccovey Breaks grand slam record by the associated press Willie Mccorty. Taking yet another Home run Trot around the bases was hunk ing of i Lank Aaron and in u Gehrig ii did t hit me until i was Halfway around the ," Mccovey said  1 thought. God i finally passed Nim " the san Francisco first baseman unloaded in a Norm runs in the giants 10-run sixth inning the Only player in major be history to Wace hit two homers in one inning including his 17th career grand  Power barrage carried the giants to a 149 Triumph Over the Csc Annali  bases loaded shot enabled the 39 year old Mccovey to pass Home run King Hank Aaron As the National league s All Lime grand slam  grew up in the same Lown. Mobile ala., and i be been his biggest Boosler Over he years Mccovey said of Aaron i could have played the next six years and not hit another grand slam and still Bee satisfied just having tied Hal Man. It s been in the Back of my mind for years Hal 1 was lied Wilh him. 1 knew could have hit another 300 homers and never got another grand slam. It really crossed my mind wondering if i d Ever do it again the homers Mccovey s 12th and 13th of the season gave him 478 for his 19-Yearmajor league career. Gohng the former i continued on Page 23 o s Hunter new Tex. Manager Arlington Tex i a the Texas a necks named Baltimore third base coach Billy Hunter As their Field manager monday the fifth Boss die club has Hadi Nissenson. The entire managerial Chain reaction was started because the hangers were 100. 000 fans behind 1976 at the Gate and in was decided Hal Frank Luchesi who started the year As manager had to  Stanky signed a three Vear con Trad managed one game and left because he was homesick for his family in Mobile. Al and third base coach Connie Ryan took Over last thursday. First base coach Pat Corrales had served As manage while Lucchesi was hospitalized following a beating by a disgruntled , according to owner Brad Cor Belt had agreed to a three year Contr Alworth $225.000 Wilh a Bonus clause if the rangers won the american league  Down offer Ryan who turned Down owner Corbett Soffer to manage the club the rest of the season will return to the third base coach ing lines. Everything s settled now and i  said Ryan who did l sign a Man Ager s contract in his four Days on the Job. The Best crack 1 heard in All of this was that Ryan was working on a Multi hour contract Hunter. 49. A former shortstop or five american league learns has been a coach with the orioles since 1964 although he had never managed in the majors his teams won the appalachian league title at Bluefield in 1962 and 1963 i m accepting this Job because i thin the Texas rangers have a contending team Hunter said from Baltimore before checking the schedules for the first flight to Oakland where the rangers played monday night. After Ryan eliminated himself from the picture monday morning Corbett went with the decision of Eddie Robinson the continued on Page 23