European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday july 25, 1986 the stars fwd stripes Page s3 commentary the word is out on 1986 red sox professional athletes have  utter four letter word on occasion but if five letter variety amt makes most of them cringe. If you Don t know what the word is. Here s a hint it Bugtai with a and end wit i  Here s a bigger Bint think Boston red sox. Hot s the biggest hint think 1978. Don t remember what happened keep that five letter won in mind. The red sox have been around a lot longer than eight Yean but it s their performance of eight Yean tip that gives the Boston team ill identity. That Effort was the All time dive the Ali time Cave in Utecall time cd of a. The Mew have everyone drooling this year but eight Yean ago it was the red sox who had every a going gaga. They had a solid rotation a great reliever a slugger on fire and a supporting cast that featured six bitten with 12 or More Home runs. How could they lose it was t easy. It hard to be up by 10 Gomes in August and blow it it1 hard to lose three to Raight at borne to the Yankee in september. In i harder to lose a one same playoff at Home after leading 2-0 after six innings. But the red sox managed All those things. Some credit the Yankees for coming on to win the Ameri can East thai year. Bui they could t have done it if the red sox had t choked. Eight Yean later the red sox Nail along featuring a team that looks like a Champ. Boston has the league s top Hitler top Pitcher and lowest team Era and had a big Lead Al the All Star break. But in also Hai the reputation that boils Down to that rive letter word. Hid sox pans would have you believe that drawing parallels Between teams eight years apart makes no sense. Only Jim Rice Dwight Evans and Bob Stanley Are left from the can Lake the pressure club of 1978, the red sox have a different manager and they would have you believe a different out look. Still it s near impossible to think of the red sox As champions. Even when they gel to the world series they pull the same stunt entice you into believing their show it a blockbuster Only to fold before the final curtain. Who can forget Carton fist in game 6 of the197 world series standing at Home plate he Waves Al the Ball As if to push Hii Long Fly into fair territory. The Ball tails Over the Wall in left Field giving the red sox a 7-6, 12-inning Victory in what some called he realm baseball game. The next Day the red sox blow a 3-0 Lead and lose 4-3 to give Cincinnati the title. Want More try 1967. Again the red sox provide the Hon d oeuvre i but muddle up the main course. They win the Al Pennant Shefl win games 5 and 6of the world series. Result they manage Only three hits in game 7 and lose to St. Louis 7-2 in the finale. You can t predict exactly when the red sox will choke but it s always late in the season. In 1977, the red sox were cruising along at mid season the dropped nine straight games in july and followed thai up with an 1 a game swoon a month later. Re sult they finished 97-64, three Garnet behind new York. Signs of the red sox s demise in i9s6 have begun to appear. Dennis Oil can Boyd was undergoing Hospital tests after a run in Wilh police. Earlier he had a Tantrum in the clubhouse locker room. Injuries continue to haunt the team with Rice Tony Annas. Al Nipper and Bruce Hunt spending time nursing injuries. And the Yankees and Toronto Blue jays have finally begun to show their Kurt. Boston already got off 10 a bad Start fallowing he All Star came. Leading by seven games the red sox managed to lose three times to Seattle and thereto Oakland teams so bad they re not contending in the Al West the red sox Lead to fell to three games by thursday. The heat is on. I d like to believe that this year will be different i d like to believe that Roger Clemens will pitch in the world series and win the big one. I d like to believe that Boston s 1986 Tea party wit include a world championship. Bui All that seems too much to Swallow. Al from Page 21  eager notes weaknesses the tide in the 10th, tee Jalifi Mariner 2 Seattle Jose Barfield hit a two run Homer Hii 25lb, and Jim Clancy combined with Dave Steib on a six hitter to Lead Toronto Over Seattle. Clancy 11-j, Tuu won his last five decision in Bis Lut six Tan. He struck out four and walked two in 7vi innings. Dive Seleb finished up with Hii second Relief appearance of the season for his first major league save indians 7, Whites a Cleveland Ken Scarp to stretched his winning Streak to a major league leading eight games and Andre Thornton belted the 250th Homer of hit career and scored three runs to Lead Cleveland past Chicago. Schrom 11-2, who allowed five hits struck out four and walked none in pitching his third Complete game. Floyd Bannister 5-7, absorbed Chi do i third straight loss. Tigers 12, twins 1 Detroit Pinch hitter John Gnibba hit his third Home run in four at Bati a sixth inning grand slam that powered Detroit Over Minnesota. Jack Morris 11-6, Low his bid for a fourth straight shutout and had his consecutive scoreless innings Streak ended at 31 when Minnesota scored an unearned run without a hit in the first. Morris went on to hold the twins to four hits before giving Way to Jim Stolon in the  7, Oriole 3 Baltimore Sieve Balboni and Frank White each hit two run homers and Willie Wilson added a two run Dou ble to Power Kansas City s Victory Over Baltimore Balfa oni s 20th Homer ignited a four run second inning off Scon Mcgregor 6-10. Charlie Leibon met gave tip nine Biti Over 4ft innings but was relieved by Mark cubic a 4-5, who earned the Vic tory with 4ft innings of no hit  3. Brewers 2 Anaheim Calif. Brian Downing led off the Isth inning with Bis 111� Homer of the year to support Kirk my a Kilts 12-Strtkeoul Effort. Danny Darwin 5-6, took the loss. My Cash completed he eighth game. Soviet team overrated Kenny a mlle Obj thou by Elliott Warnock Chapel Hill . Up Nort Carolina Star Kenny Smith jays soviet basketball is overrated. Everyone thinks russian basketballs so much More advanced than it really is said Smith who helped key the United states to 87-85 Victory Over the soviet Union for the Gold medal at the recent world basketball championship in Spain. When you think of the soviet Union you think of a powerful nation. People tend to think of a nation s sports being just like its politics. People think the soviets Aren i going to miss that thearen t going to make mistakes. That just in t so he said. They re just like  they d be near the top of the Atlantic coast conference but they d have Trou ble in the acc Smith said the soviets were especially weak in coping with the fast break. That helped turn Burn the soviets for 23points, capped by Bis drive around from Arvida Sabonis Wilh 15 seconds left for an 87-83 us. Lead. The United states avenged a 1982 loss to the soviets and captured its in world basketball championship since1954. A loss to Argentina was the Only fast break was non existent defeat suffered by the americans in 10 games. They re big Man oriented Smith said of the soviets. Their fast break was non existent. We were playing a lot off Ait break. The two styles clashed and fortunately we came out on top Smith was pressed into full time duty at the Wing for the finals because of a injury to Steve pm of Arizona. Point guard Tommy am Alcor of Duke provided excellent support with nine Points in the final game. But in was 5-3 Tyrone begun of Wake Forest who baffled opponents. He picked a couple More pockets there than he does in the acc Smith said. They did t know whal to do with him. They tried to concentrate on trying to outscore us Al Bis position. That just Hurt them  one of the keys was coach Luie Olson s ability to Mold a unit. Coach Olson did an excellent Job blending a lot of different talents together Smith said. We had 12. 13 Guys who were All used to playing 30. 35 min utes a game. It could have Hurt the team. Individually we knew we weren t Thebes team that could have been sent Over there but teams Aren t based on individuals. I be come to the conclusion that no one player is As Good As they re reported to  spurs sign Dawkins to 4-year pact san Antonio Texas a Duke University Star Johnny Dawkins the san Antonio spurs first round draft pick signed a four year contract with the Aba team officials announced wednesday night Dawkins donned a spurs Cap Al a news conference where he was introduced by head coach Bobby Weiss with the words Here s  Donald Dell Rhymus of the Board of Proser Dawkins agents and spun presi Dent Arisclo Drossos come to formal agreement wednesday afternoon but terms of the contract were not  and Donald Dell spent a lot of hours talking and we finally made i official this afternoon general manager Bob Bass said Al the news conference at Blossom athletic Center where Daw Kins has been working out at Rookie free agent Camp. They did a lot of negotiating in Newyork last week and finished it off Here Bass  woot-2 guard led Duke to the Mcaa championship game and be aver aged 252 Points during the tournament. He finished his College career with a 19.2average and was Duke s All time leading scorer and a two time  said he his agents and parents discussed the matter and All decided it would be Best for him to come to the Rookie free agent  is a great town and the fans seem to be very enthusiastic Dawkins said. So far i be found that it s a lot More competitive. 1 am playing against lop of the line College players and some Aba veterans. It s More difficult but ican play he said