European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. June 26, t9b6 the stars and stripes Page 19 commentary it s a world of unknown sidekicks there used to be axioms in Hollywood never make a picture with a dog. Never up dance with Shirley Temple. Don t do a scene with belie Davis if she s smoking or Betty Grable in lights or Spencer Tracy playing a priest. It was not Loo Good to play an Indian in a John Wayne movie either or a japanese Admiral in one Ferrol Flynn s. The world of sports had its Don is too. It was not advisable to play third base in the tinker to Evers to Chancy combination. In was not too felicitous to play in he same Outfield with babe Ruth or the same infield with Jackie Robinson. Nobody should be heavyweight Champion be tween the eras of Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey or be in a Backfield with red Grange. It s like being the woman who gets sawed in half by the magician the Gay who holds the rope for the High wire act. The Guy who washes the elephants. It s better to be the hero s hone. Lincoln s vice presi Dent. Man years ago i had a Friend who had a Chanceton Fly to Texas on a private Jet with Bob Hope and a plane Load of pals. He declined saying if it crashes the headline will be Bob and 20 friends die in crash.1" which explains Why Pitcher Ron Darling of the met must feet As if he s Riding in an open car with the Pope these Days. The new commandment is Don t be no. 2 on a pitching staff Dwight Gooden is on. It s the deepest no. 2 there is. It s like being Cinderella s Slipper Blackbeard s third wife. Judge Crater. Ronald Maurice Darling is an outstanding major league baseball Pitcher. He would be the Star on 24 of the 26 big league franchises. But on the acts he s the other Pitcher. Tonto. The second banana. Not the Guy who gets the girl in his movie. There s plenty of precedent for his role in base Ball Don Drysdale was one of the Best pitchers whoever lived. He once pitched 5ft consecutive scoreless innings. He threw 49 shutouts. But in look him 10 years to get into the Hall of Fame because be pitched on the same staff with Sandy Koufax. Name two pitchers who pitched with Walter John son. Remember anybody who pitched with Grover Cleveland Alexander do you there were some pret by Good ones. Eppa Rixey who made the Hall of Fame Loo. Chief Bender who also did. Anybody make any movies about them dizzy Dean had some pretty Good Pitcher around him in his great Yean and not Only his brother Paul. He had Bill Hallahan Anil it Carllon. Paul Derringer. Ever hear of them Bob Gibson had Curt Simmons Roger Craig Ray Sadecki and Mike Cullar one year. Tom Seaver was Tom terrific but he had Jerr Koosman Jon Matlack Gary Gentry and tug Megraw around him at various times. Sometimes a Pitcher has to get out from under the Star glow to find his Fame. Sieve Carllon pitched with Bob Gibson but for All anyone noticed he need t have bothered. Nolan Ryan was on the staff with Seaver. They thought he was a Relief Pitcher. Goose Ryan. He started 10 games and relieved in 15 and got Only 89 innings in the mels big year 69. He pitched two innings in the world series. In Relief. You wonder what would have happened to his five no hitters if he had stayed with the mils. Saver s Caddie. Late inning Relief. The Short Man. That happens. On any other staff Ron Darling would be on a Magazine cover a week. Half French half chinese All Ivy league he has the dark eyed dark haired Good looks of the count of Monte a Sloor the hero of a Dumas opera. There Are 2 million women in new York who think his last name is a description. He went to Yale which is supposed to fit you for the world court not the world series and Darling has always had trouble convincing the hard bitten baseball types that the Ballpark was t just a Stop on a fraternity scavenger Hunt that he really wanted Tobe Burleigh Grimes. He probably does t even know Darling How