European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 24, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Gum hurls royals by Chison 6-3 by Mark Friedman Dpi sports writer the hiring of Billy Martin As new York Yankee manager in 1975 spelled trouble Lor Larry Gura. But it turned out to be a Lessing in disguise. Bill Virdon was managing the yanks then and liked what he saw in Gura Start i ing him regularly. But when Virdon was fired and Martin hired. Gura lost his spot and sat on the Bench with a 5-1 record Virdon let me pitch and i was doing Well said Gura tuesday night a Tor Lead ing the Kansas City royals to a 6-3 Victory Over the Chicago while sox. Then he got fired and Billy Martin came in and i did t pitch anymore. I m grateful Whitey Herzog. The royals manager has give me the Opportunity to  Herzog is probably grateful too. As Cura raised his record to hug to go along with a Sterling 2.78 earned run average the left hander is a major reason Why the Al Roundup royals hold a slim one game Lead Over California in the american league West. I Don t think i know if we can win it Gura said. If we lose we re going to beat ourselves. There in t a team in the league that can go out and beat us  Al Cowens drove in three runs with a single and a two run Homer for the royals. Owens Homer his fifth came in the fourth after Frank White opened with a triple and scored on Hal Mcrae s single. The White sox then protested the game charging that Mcrae used a Cork filled Bat. The royals scored three limes in the third when White walked George Brett singled and Cowens singled in White. Brett was out at Home trying to score on Amos Otis grounder but John Wathan and Dar Rell Porter followed with rib singles. Gura worked 7 1-3 innings giving up continued on Page 23 Leflore steals no. 27 to surpass Al record Budo Mington. Minn. Up de troit s Ron Leflore swiped second base in the third inning of a game Between the tigers and the Minnesota twins tuesday night to set an american league record by successfully stealing his 27th consecutive base. Flore led off the third with a single to Centerfield off Pitcher Darrell Jackson and we second on the first pitch to the next Batter John  year Oakland s Mitchell Page set the record of 26 that was tied monday night by Flore. Thursday August 24, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 21 mets John steams 12 collides with san Francisco shortstop Roger Metzger after Stearns stole second and tried for at least one met topped the giants third on a bad throw. Stearns recovered his equilibrium and scrambled safely Back to second. But his teammates weren t so Lucky tuesday during the rest of tuesday s game san Francisco went on to trip the mets 7-4. A National league Roundup Young bucs show up braves 3-1 by Bill Madden up sports writer buoyed by a couple of Brash Young  the Pittsburgh pirates Are show ing signs they re not yet ready to walk the Plank. The pirates written off As contenders in the National league East As recently As last week when they were languishing in fourth place nine games under .500. Are suddenly Only 5 games from first place on the strength of an eight game winning  while Many of those familiar Cor Sair names from years past Willie Star gel. Rennie Stennett John Candelaria Etal have made their contributions it s been the rookies who have helped keep the pirates afloat. Don Robinson a precocious 20-year-old right hander notched his 10th Victory tuesday night combining with Kent Tekulve on a five hitter in he pirates 3-1 Vic tory Over the Atlanta braves. Providing some of the offence was another Rookie 21-year-old Dale Berra. Who belted his second Homer of the season in the fifth inning. A lot of credit to our still being in the race must be Given to our farm  pirates manager Chuck Tatiner. I know that they be been maligned in my opinion something awful this year and it in l deserved. If you bring up one Good Prospect a year the farm system is really productive in one season when you can bring up Don Robinson then de Whitson. Then Dale Berra and have All three of them do he Job Why that s almost unheard  the 37-year-old Stargell. Who also hit asolo Homer agreed. We be had some Guys in situations who have been Hurt and we be been Able to Call upon our Young players to fill in he  main thing is thai you Vegol to re Alize everybody up Here is no different continued on Page k Martin tries politics stumps for Senate candidate Minneapolis Al Billy Martin Fried on to a new team tuesday but win ruse hell be out of the Job by november. The former Yankee manager made his is plunge into politics announcing tues a that he would head a sportsmen com pure to Campaign for Senate candidate we Short. Short millionaire hotel owner and for a owner of the Washington senators lews rangers and los Angeles lakers is Rosing congressman Donald Fraser in a in socratic Farmer labor primary sept it the Winner will be the party nominee in a general election for four years remain gon the late Hubert Humphrey s Senate wearing a big Bob Button on his White Golf shirt. Martin told reporters that Short was for the Little Man who likes to Hunt and  he called for continued use of motorboats and snowmobiles in and near the Boundary Waters Canoe area in North Ern  Boca is a volatile Issue in the Fra ser Short Campaign. Fraser supports fur ther restrictions on the wilderness area while Short campaigns for what is called multiple use Martin the fired and rehired Yankee manager said he would travel Taroiu Ghoul Minnesota talking to people about Short baseball Hunting and i shag asked in he joined the Campaign. Martin said be Causi i saw my Riend was in a Little Dis Pule concerning something i m in love with that is. Fishing and Hunting and i figured i d come to his Aid. " Martin managed a Short owned team the Texas rangers in 1973 and 1974. And Short joked that he was the Only team owner who had not fired Martin Martin who is still drawing a Yankee salary pending his return As manager in 1980. Said he would Campaign for Short Smuch As possible " after the news Confer ence he and Short made a Campaign Swingl Duluth Short said Fermi r twins slugger har Mon kill brew Kod Carew and other sports figures would serve on the sports men fur Short committee he said he had Strong support among Allier los. Who usually stay at his Leamington hold while i town Martin snid to was spending his time playing Golf and scouting major league players for the Yankees. He also revealed that he had applied for an unpaid Job As a Federal game Warden about three weeks ago and planned to talk to Washington wildlife officials about it. I fish and Hunt Al Over the country and i m in love with our United states and i like in set it kept clean. And i think i know More about fishing and Hunting than som people Lio arc talking about  although his plans for the Warden Job were unclear Martin said he would like to travel around the country talking about Hunting and fishing