European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 07, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and is flies saturday. September 7, 1985 Rose Cobb have 2nd parallel by my. Bock a sports writer Pete Rose s relentless Pursuit of Tycobb s hit record will reach its Climax non and his remarkable achieve ment is magnified by the fact that throughout this cd is. He has been doing a pretty Good Job of managing the Cincinnati reds. Bamont a Complete collapse they will finish no worse than third in the National league West a monumental accomplishment considering that this team had finished myth sixth and fifth in the last three seasons a Cumah tie 7ft games under .500. While obviously maintaining his own production. Rose has restored respect to a franchise that had fallen on hard times. Interestingly Cobb accomplished inc same thing a Detroit. In i920, Hughie Jennings 14th consecutive year As manager the tigers finished in seventh in the american league. 32 games under .500 and a hefty 37 games out of first place. The next year Cobb was the manager. He had batted .334 for Jennings last team but Man aging must have agreed with Cobb. His average shot up to k9. Then .401 the next season. More importantly the tigers shot up too. They were sixth his first year but just 11 games under .500. And in each of the next five years All with Cobb managing the team won More games than it lost finishing As High As second in 1923. In 1924 and again in 1925. Detroit brought up a Rookie infield or for trials. By 1926, Cobb s last year As manager 23-year-old c Harlic Gehrig Igor was the regular Sec and baseman. He was pretty Tough sch ringer recalled pretty hard to play for. He always wanted you to hit up the Middle. Inc widest part of the Field. And to hit it where it s pitched. He was the kind of Guy who d give you lots of instruction but if you could t produce the Way he did. He was unhappy with  not Many of course produced at the Cobb Levels which often left the manager in a snit. He d show play ers upon the Field Gehringer continued. I saw him do it to older Guys too. He did t care. He was an intimidator especially to a Young  the irony there is that in those two seasons when he was a raw recruit on his Way Back to the minors sch ringer was treated warmly by the manager. When he graduated to major league status however it changed his relationship with Cobb. The manager gave his second baseman the cold shoulder. The first two years he was super to me Gehringer said. But when i made the club there was hardly any direct Contact with him. You knew he had to respect you or he would t put you in but he just did t talk to  the silent treatment reached its limit in an incident involving Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns. We. Liams a lifetime .319 hitter led the league with 39 Home runs one year and his production made him a fierce enemy of Cobb. He hated Williams because he was such a Good  sch ringer said. One Day. Williams bunted toward second and beat it out for a base hit against the tigers. Cobb was irate at the nerve of the Browns slugger and took it out on och ringer. I was playing deep just the Way you would play against any  the second baseman said. I guess that s what made him mad. He never said. He just kept me after  when the tigers reached inc clubhouse Cobb had just three words for the Rookie you stay  i figured he was going to bawl me out Gehringer said. I just sat there. Everybody else took showers and went Home then he left. Too. I was still sitting there. He never said a thing. Just kept me after  How did the Rookie survive Cobb s Gruff style Geh ringer just laughed. Another year he said and i might have taken another  what Pitcher will Rose place in Hall of Fate ? by Mike Tully new York Dpi someone will soon be joining Tom Zachary Ralph Branca Tracy Stallard and Al Downing in the Hall of Fate. One Pitcher probably a member of the Chicago cubs or san Diego padres will be serving up Pete Rose s 4,192nd hit the one that zooms him past Tycobb and baseball fans All Over the world will forever know that Pitcher s name. The replays will show the sequence hundreds of times. The Pitcher win thus join Zachary who threw babe Ruth s 60th Homer in 1927 Branca the unfortunate victim of Bobby Thomson s shot heard round the world in the 1951 National league playoffs Belicen the new York giants and Brooklyn dodgers Stallard who offered up Roger Marls 61st Horner in 1961, and Downing who was touched for Hank Aaron s 715th in 1974. Such a Fate might not prove altogether bad. For some pitchers surrendering a hit 10 Rose might represent their Best Chance 10 be remembered for anything. Here arc the candidates the reds Are in St. Louis monday tuesday and wednesday. John Tudor is out because Rose does not Bat against left handers. Bob Forsch Joaquin Andujar Danny Cox and Kurt Kepshire arc All right handed starters. In a three game series in Chi Cago Rose would sit against left handers Steve Trout and Ray font not but per haps face Lary Sorn san or Derek botel to. The most Likely scenario of All has Rose breaking the record at Home against the san Diego padres. In that Case the immortality could fall to former by Young award Winner Lamarr Hoyt Andy Haw Kins or Eric show. Meanwhile the commotion and the crowd around Rose is growing. The cubs expect 150 extra writers to be watching the quest. The throng at riverfront stadium will be even larger since Many people believe Rose will make sure to break the record at Home. Very quietly sweating out the Chase Are the official scorers. I can just see it now said one. "1 Call something an error then he gets Hurt and is out for the  when the reds and cards played 12 innings on aug. 28, the joke was that the game would go All night Rose would go 11-for-Il and finally break the record at 5 30 . With about 50 people and no television cameras in the stands. Ghost of Tycobb not scared of Pefe Cincinnati a a sports columnist has made a medium Effort to get comment from the Man whose All time hit record is about to fall. Columnist Tim Sullivan wrote in thursday s Cincinnati enquirer that he arranged a seance to try to Contact the spirit of Tycobb. Whose record of 4,191 hits is in danger of falling to Cincinnati reds player manager Pete Rose. Ii was not a terribly enlightening afternoon Sullivan wrote. Sullivan said he contacted medium Carol Broderick of suburban St. Louis while he was there to watch the reds play the cardinals this week. She came highly recommended he said. She teaches a class called the Abc s of esp and claims to have had a recent conversation with Harry tru Man Sullivan wrote. She seemed eager to Contact Cobb and she did t have a fee. It was Worth a  Sullivan said he met the medium in the Kitchen of her suburban Home. No candles. No hand holding. No shaking tables Sullivan said. Just cof fee danish and  when Broderick turned herself into Cobb s transmitter Sullivan asked a number of questions about Cobb s Back ground and teammates. He said he got vague or incorrect answers to the major Ity of the questions. Then the supposed spirit of Cobb a asked whether Rose five hits shy of breaking Cobb s record is As Good As he was. Yeah cause he has my help came the answer. He s Good. I m sup posed to be a Nice Guy about  Sullivan asked whether Cobb minds that Rose is breaking his record. Not really came the response. It does t matter now. He would t break it if i was still doing the work. He s great but he s not that  the spirit then said Rose s eventual All time hit Mark will fall one Day. Too. Broderick s voice said the next hit Cham Pion was in the farm systems now. Sullivan asked the youngster s name. Bob. I think the giants might gel him came the response. Larussa prefers 1 year pacts Chicago a manager Tony la Russa of the Chicago White sox is a rarity. He works under a one year contract but never worries about Job Security. I Don t think about that said Larussa. I Only think of what we have to do now to better our record. After All you Are judged on your wins and  wins and losses have been about even for the White sox who have been hovering around the .500 Mark most of the season and chasing three teams ahead of them California Oakland and Kansas City. There Are those who think Larussa has done an excellent Job this year considering the available Talent even better than in 1983, when be turned a struggling club around in mid season and won the american league West by 20 games. He s hoping for a Strong finish again this year a big winning Streak. But that might not be possible because the team lacks pitching depth. Our goal is still to have september mean something said Larussa. For that to be True you have to win put together a legitimate winning Streak. Quitting that s what a manager is paid to avoid he added. The danger is that when your one and Only focus is first place and that becomes impossible then you lose a big Edge in the games you could win going Down the stretch. If certain things happen and it s Tough to finish first then second or third can be come honorable. I Don t think it s impossible to finish first. It s possible for the first place team to go into a losing Streak. If that s possible anything is  Larussa like most managers laments the fact his team has not been Able to put everything together. He does t even men Tion the fact he has not had the services of pitching Ace Richard Dolson most of this season. Dotson came up with  trouble and then had shoulder surgery which put an end to his season. Early in the season our pitching was Good but we weren t hitting said Larussa. Now that our offence is there we re not getting Good pitching. We took the Lead in two games against Toronto and lost both games. Most of the times when you take the Lead you have a Good Chance of winning the games. Do we have the Talent to contend asked Larussa. Is Detroit s Talent Good enough to contend yes. But they re not contending. If the club does t play hard enough it s my responsibility he said. Last year we were not a 14-under .500 club. 1 have to take some of the blame. It gets Tough. The real fun is to play for something in september whether it s for first place or the first division. The pressure what makes it fun. That s still this year s goal first place or whether we have to catch a team ahead ofus Larussa said. He said he Lukca working under a one year contract. It gives you a Chance to make More Money if you have a real Good year said Larussa who quickly added i m being paid very fairly. Appah Tony Lii Rusu. Job Security no worry but you can negotiate for More if you have a he Kuva year he added. I think one year contract is fair and i would encourage it for everyone even the players. What would you prefer a guarantee Ora Chance at bigger Money