European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 1, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Basic obituary cant Tell Plante s Story the routine obituary cannot possibly do Justice to Jacques Plante. Of sure the Bare details Are there. Age 57. Stomach cancer. Hall of Famer. Seven Vezina trophies. Inventor of the modern mask for goaltenders. But that does t scratch the surface. It docs not begin to Tell the Story of one of hockey s greatest goalies and most fascinating characters. For Jacques was one of a kind an iconoclast in a sport that never quite accepted his idiosyncrasies. Not willingly at least. There was first of All the matter of the mask. Plante insisted on wearing one in practice despite the Macho image of other Bare faced goalies and helmet less players. To Plante the mask was self preservation simply a Case of common sense. The Montreal canadians Plante s employers at the time were not thrilled with the idea but accepted it. In practice after All no one would see the mask which they translated into fear the worst trait a goalie could have. Then Plante s nose was crushed by an Andy Bathgate slap shot in a game against the new York rangers on nov. 1, 1959. As his wound was being stitched the goalie calmly in formed bombastic coach toe Blake that he would not return to the ice without the mask. Blake was furious. Any other goalie Proba Bly would have been fired on the spot. But Plante was the league s Best net minder in the midst of a remarkable five year Streak of Vezina trophies. Given the Choice of having the Best goalie in a mask or a replacement without one Blake chose Plante and a new Era in hockey was born. Two years later Plante was headed for the Hart trophy As the most valuable player when he relayed a complaint to the National hockey league offices. The nets at new York s Madison Square Garden he said weren t regulation size six feet by four feet. When the suggestion was relayed to Ranger officials they scoffed at the idea. Of course the measurements were accurate they told the league. And How would Plante know if they weren to did he bring a tape measure on the ice with him nevertheless the league prevailed on the rangers to measure the net just to satisfy or at least shut up the goalie. Imagine the club s Chagrin when they discovered Plante was right. They had been using a mutant net a couple of inches too wide. No official admission Ever was made but it s a cinch Plante noticed the change in equipment the next time he skated on the Garden ice. Plante was considered something of a hypochondriac again an anathema in the Macho world of the National hockey league. He complained that his asthma flared up every time he had to stay in the Toronto hotel used by most visiting hockey teams. His explanation ranged from allergies to the rugs to the cleaning fluids used by the service personnel. Rather than argue his teams allowed him to Check into a different hotel. It was not a total cure but Plante said relieved the condition somewhat. It was a tribute to his Talent that his teams accommodated Plante s whims if not always anxiously. And it was a tribute to that same Talent when he ended a three year retirement to join the expansion St. Louis blues in 1968. It was As if he had never been away. He won a seventh Vezina trophy. Could he explain this remarkable comeback at age 39? Plante just smiled. Ash he said in his thick Gaulish accent i am getting old. I am just too slow to get out of the Way of the  associated press Jacques Plante file photo Odds Are someone is going to be tired by John Nelson a sports writer the Odd making mystery in Las vegas this month who would last longer Dick Williams Lou Piniella or Tony Larussa Williams was the first one gone As manager of the san Diego padres but his departure might also hasten Piniella s. If Piniella loses on opening Day As manager baseball Roundup of the Yankees watch out. Williams might be the new manager and Larussa would outlast them All despite leading both leagues in votes of Confidence from the Chicago White sox. Remember George Steinbrenner had t owned the Yankees for More than a year when he tried to get Williams from the Oakland a s and ran afoul of Charlie Fin Ley. When you aspire to perfection As Detroit tigers reliever Willie Hernandez did in 1984, you have to be ready to suffer the consequences when you fail As he did in 1985. Hernandez had 31 saves last year but he blew nine save opportunities and was booed each time. I warned everyone not to get spoiled by a perfect season Hernandez says. I wanted them to remember i m Only  drug problems led to Alan Wiggins Trade from san Diego to the Baltimore orioles last july. The padres had Given up on him but he has t Given up on himself. Wiggins voted in favor of drug testing in orioles contracts this year then reported Early to Spring training. The by Young Winner Bret Saberhagen is setting an example that could Well solve the squabble Between baseball and the players Union Over drug testing. The 21-year-old Pitcher won a $925,000 con tract in arbitration and asked the royals to put a testing clause in it. He asked for it. No prompting. I have nothing to hide he said. All our kids should grow up like that. O did the Boston red sox lose by win Ning their arbitration Case with Wade Boggs Boggs asked for $1.85 million and got $1.35 million instead. General manager Lou Gorman asked the pertinent question if you give him that much this year what do you pay him four years from now Boggs checked into the red sox s Camp at Winter Haven fla., last thursday and called arbitration a very unpleasant sex  Seattle mariners president Chuck Armstrong says people hold the misbegotten belief that baseball is a big business. The new York Yankees can bring in $40 million to $50 million a year but we re not the new York Yankees  Strong says. Our Gross revenues Are $16 million to $17 million. A Good restaurant in los Angeles probably has a higher Gross than the we  the Cleveland indians pitching staff had the highest Era in baseball last year 4.91, and manager Pat Corrales says he s not interested in finesse anymore. He has five spots open on his staff. I Don t care if they Are on the roster or not Corrales says. If they Are better than the other Guys Well find a spot. I la Tell you something else. It won t be a Camp to be working on a new  Montreal expos Pitcher Charlie Lea thinks he s coming Back from a rotator cuff injury that sidelined him last year and will keep him out of action All this year too. He thinks that if Rick Reuschel could do it so can he. Nobody likes to see a Quality player a photo Willie Hernandez. I m Only human knocked out because of a rotator cuff in jury just ask Bruce Kison who quit the red sox because of it. Lea s chances Are not Good. Sorry Charlie. Cincinnati reds player manager Pete Rose did a Fine Job last season Proba Bly better than anyone but he expected. But the ability to see the Lack of one key element needed to build a real Winner was totally obliterated during his Chase of Tycobb s record last season. What the reds really need is a Young first baseman who can hit with some Power. Blast rips Brewers Camp Chandler Ariz. A amazed and thankful that no one was killed Mil Waukee Brewers manager George Bam Berger re gathered his forces thursday after a fiery explosion Tore through the team s new Spring training Headquarters. Ten people were injured and four three Brewers coaches and a plumber working in the team s new clubhouse remained hospitalized thursday night. We have to regroup right now said manager George Bamberger. Well be a Little Short handed but it won t set the club  Chandler fire officials said they believed the explosion at about 8 50 . Thursday was caused by the ignition of built up Natu ral Gas. State investigators said Jeff Sutton a plumber who was working on the build Ings heating system apparently did not Fol Low safety procedures for venting Gas in an enclosed area. Bamberger and general manager Harry Dalton narrowly escaped serious injury and helped douse the burning clothes of the coaches and Sutton. In addition to Sutton those who remained hospitalized were third base coach Tony Muser pitching coach Herman Starrette and bullpen coach Larry Haney. It s amazing somebody was t killed in this thing Bamberger said. I just think this was one of those  of the coaches Muser and Starrette were the most seriously injured. They were in the coaches room where the explosion occurred. Muser 38, was listed in serious but Sta ble condition at the Burn unit of the Mari copa county medical Center in nearby Phoenix according to spokeswoman Shirley Dieckman. Muser suffered second and third degree Burns Over 50 percent of his body Hospital officials said. Starrette 47, was in stable but serious condition at Chandler Community Hospital with first and second degree Burns Over 18 percent of his hands and face