European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. September a 1980 the stars and stripes Page 23 swinging away with italian baseball baseball italian style. You can hear it. The craziest fans Are in a town called Nettuno near Rome. Ai soon As our bus hits the Ballpark. They Sun up the  the Peaver Jim Fradera does l like Neu Uno. He � an american who plays for a team from Rimini and any sane opposing player would rather be Home cooking pasta than playing in Nettuno. It i like a soccer game fradello says. The people Are right on you hanging on fences Trees. The have Drums Bells. They sing and even set fake bodies on  now let s not put All the blame on Nettuno. After one of our Garnet on the Road these fans threw rocks at our bus Fradella says. One stadium even turned out the lights in the Middle of the  baseball italian style. You can taste it. On the last night of the season we had a special night with free we and Sweet bread says Francl h i teammate John Long. It packed the place. Those italian if anything free they come  italians of course would come Back with his line those americans if anything free they come Here to play  is exactly the Case with americans like Fradella and , italian style is the Good life. It s a free plane trip overseas a free apartment in the town where you play a car at your disposal. Of sure you have to work if you Call playing baseball work. Bui then you Piny baseball Only twice on weekends and practice a couple older Days. Domeic Emmalu even speak English each team employs a maximum of five americans one of whom is former Baltimore orioles outfielder Tom Shopay who plays for Bologna. In the meantime you re invading Italy like a True  Money is nothing like in America s big leagues but who s going to turn Down All those Bene Fiu plus 500 to 1,500 Bucks a month Over a five month 36-game season like Long says it s belter than going Home and working every Day. The travel ing alone is great Long 24, and Fradella 29, found time recently to travel around Germany. Their italian league called the federation of Italy baseball had concluded its regular season. Their Cam Rimini won the championship for the second straight year. Come october Long and Fradella will play in a european Tournai  players made the most of the championship summer. Fradella a shortstop batted an in shortstop like .420 and Long a Catcher hit .357 following his .436. 17-Homer performance of 1979 that won him the most valuable player award. On pitchers you come Over from re e states and Rimini shortstop Jim crud Coli. On Way to Lusty .420 average ump join Loox Jim frat la after seeing hat kind of pitching Over there you re Way out in front Here Fradella says. The curve Ballis slower the fastball ii  one Lime you la go against real Good american Pitcher and then they la have to Pilch italians so it a different situation at different times up Long says. Some of the italians arc fast but you Don know where the Ball s  on umpires the umpires in the league really Hurt the league Long says. They Don t understand the  some of he umps can hardly throw the Ball Back to the Pitcher Fradella says. They never played the game. Once Here was a right handed hitter up and he hit it and you know How the Ball slices to the right. Well the Ball was fair by a wide enough mar Gin so that everyone knew it was fair. Bui the i had his Back to the play and called it foul when two strikes Are on you you belter be swinging on the next pitch Fradella continues. It seems like All the two strike Calls Are  the Competition you have four or five Good teams four or five had ones Fradella says. It s like pretty Good College Ball or a , in his fourth year in the league and Long in Liis second went to Italy because they could t make the american major  playing College Ball at Cal poly Ramonn with current major leagues Mitchell Page a Dwayne Gross Fradella signed with it Philadelphia Phillies in 1973, played on the a minor league level and was released the next year. He Beard about Italy s baseball and joined in 1976. Long played at Miami Dade Community College and South Carolina heard coaches talk about Italy and flew overseas right after he 1978 College season. Both Fradella and Long say they la be Back in 1981. They can already Laste in. And hear it to suns St to coach appraises bears chances Armstrong 10 wins could Clinch it by United press International to Chicago Bear coach null Arm Strong the magic number is "10.""i think 10 victories May do it he said wednesday of he bears chances to Cap Ture the 1980 pfc Central division nil Roundup Crown. The bears who open at Green Bay sunday finished the 1979 season with a 10-6  would seem to be a safer num Ber Armstrong Aid. It s Early to be talking numbers. A lol can happen. Few people thought Tampa Bay would win our division at this Lime one year  bears who qualified u one of the to pfc wild card team last year Are picked by Many As the pm to beat in the conference this year. Armstrong sees a Long Road ahead Hough we realize Green Bay had some Trou Bles during the pre season but the pre season does t count in the standings Armstrong said. We know of the rivalry that has been existing Between these two teams and we Aren t about to look past this  bears Defeated Green Bay twice last year. They opened with a 6-j Victory at borne Over he packers and Hen edged Green Bay Li-14 in the Hreish drive 10 Ward the  played us Sirc Melv Tough last year especially when we were playing w Well at the end of the  Armstrong  Phipps sidelined by the flu in the final exhibition game against St. Louis last saturday will be the starting quarterback for the bears. And. Of course Walter pay ton will Jain be carrying the Ball. In other news the Dallas cowboys placed Wade Manning a second year defensive Back and kick return specialist on injured Reserve and re signed Rookie Cor Ner Back Eric , who signed with the cowboys after a baseball career it Ohio slate had been traded to Buffalo earlier in the week but failed the Bills physical and the Deal was voided. He suffers from Loose knee cartilage. Hurl a Rookie free agent from sin Jose stale was waived by the cow boys in their final Cut wide receivers Wesley Walker and Johnny Lam Jones of the new York jets Are nursing injuries just four Day before sundays nil season opener against the Ballimore  re signed offensive Gunraj con my Dobler and Rookie punier Gref Cater after both were Cut and cleared  England signed free gent defensive Back Bill Currier