European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 12, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 12, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 25 commentary pop by " dry Tang of Smith s style missed by George will Washington newspapers drop by our Homes every Day generally at breakfast when any thing other than a velvety voice is jarring. Newspapers Are however by their natures brusque and Businesslike and Given inc nature of the world the report bruising to our spirits. But newspapers should not be severely free of ornaments Hal improve the scenery of life. One such was red Smith the subject of a new biography by Ira Burkow. What Are we missing we who miss that sport columnist whenever we open a newspaper this for example society kid Hogan was hurrying through the Illi Nois Central pedestrian Tunnel under Michigan ave nue on june 9, 1930, when a Man in the crowd put Agun to the head of Jake Lingle. A grafting crime re Porter and it went Bloomie. The kid kept right on walking. " Why the Law asked him later. " the last train was leaving for the race track,1 be said reasonably. " did you see the killers they asked. " sure " could you identify him the kid Drew a hand across the knot in his Fla shy Necktie. " Only up to Here he  thai could have been written by Damon Runyon or Mark Twain. It could Only have been written by an american marinated in this nation s distinctive Road Brush drollery. Smith heard americanisms spoken on the adult playgrounds where he worked As when he asked Pepper Martin How he Learned Torun so Well Well sir 1 grew up in Oklahoma and once you Start Runnin out there there Ain t nothing to Stop  when Smith asked Early Wynn a Roughneck Pitcher if he Ever deliberately threw at Batter s head Wynn mentioned a .230 Hiuer who Cut open Wynn s Chin with a line drive the Pitcher sound is my office and i Don t like my office messed up with a lot of  listen to such talk Long enough and the dry Tang will seep into your style As it did into Smith s. He explained that Paul Waner s eyesight was so bad when he was hitting about .350 for inc pirates he could not read from the Bench the advertisements on the Outfield fences. Smith said Waner gave the Mai Ler no thought for in his philosophy fences were targets not  on a throne at the Center of a sense of humor Sitsa capacity for irony All wit rests on a cheerful awareness of life s incongruities it is a gentling awareness and no politician without it should be allowed near Power. Smith had it but was interest Din laughter not Power. He was an american . Wodehouse. Wodehouse like Smith was a souffle chef of Light literature. His prose was flawless and he had an almost Pristine absence of solemnity in the employment of it. Smith unlike Wodehouse was capable of seriousness even anger. But not for Long. Berkow s Book is a study of craftsmanship always commodity in Short Supply. A biography of a writer succeeds if it sends readers scurrying off to the writer s books. Even people utterly uninterested in sports should Sample Smith. Do you care about rodeos neither do i. But i believe thai any Good use of the English language is Good for the soul and that this opening sentence of a Smith column should be put in front of All fledgling writers ". Pc Csc Tooke born in Redfield South Dakota fifty nine years ago but dragged up on a Home Stead outside Ekalaka Montana was having the very hell of a Lime with the showy Palomino Between his Knees but he wore a Grin that lit up the Corners of Oklahoma City s Fairgrounds  Smith says Burkow suited America s mood in the ate 1940s, when inc nation wanted to catch up on missed fun. Smith s syndicated column prospered Hen. Smith says Berkow wrote the Way Smith said 1 cute Rose plays baseball with an almost  the columns about society kid Hasan and . Focke took were obituaries and were included in a Book to absent friends composed entirely of farewells. Melancholy Reading hardly. Bill Alexander coach at Georgia tech was Gallant gentleman and an intractable fighter for the football player s inalienable right to sign checks Withan x. If a Good defensive tackle wished to carry a Book under his  when he strolled the Campus Bill did not offer serious objections although he disliked ostentation. He was however unalterably opposed to  journalism is generally perishable stuff but you local Library will have some of Smith s books in which you will constantly bump into sentences that begin like this three Winters ago when purity like a worm in inc Bud was making inroads into  i never met Smith who died in 1982, bul i imagine he laughed in 1962 when he wrote that sentence about purity just As i laughed when i read it 24 years later. To live on As Smith does in transmitted laughter is a tolerable approximation of immortality. 3 army fast pitch meets this weekend compiled by Tim boiv1nsara writer softball it s tournament Tim for Usa eur fast pitch learns this weekend the Usa eur positional tournament for the trailer commands will be held at hone feb Germany Friday through sunday. Tesij from 26th sup port group 7th army training come Berlin and setae will compete for the final Usa eur spot. Heidelberg will play 7th at in the opening game Friday at 3 ., followed by the Berlin setae contest. Saturday games begin at 11 ., with the championship game slated for sunday at t  The 21st support come opens it tournament Friday on Lincoln Field in Benjamin Franklin Village at Mann Heim Kae Fertal not Coleman Barracks As reported in stripes Magazine. Two games open the championship series be tween Mannheim and Karlsruhe startingat430p.rn. The cries Ihen moves to Karlsruhe sneer but Barracks saturday for a third game at i ., followed by two if Nec Essary games. Vii corps tourney is Friday sat local Roundup urday and sunday at Wuerzburg s Leigh ton Barracks. Games in the double elimination tournament Start at s  Friday and 10  Saturday with the championship game sunday at 1  Frankfurt won the v corps championship last weekend. Toe Usa eur tournament i scheduled sept. 19-21 at the Home of the 21st support come Champion. Swimming an invitational Meetis scheduled saturday at 10 30  In Baum older. Registration is 9 .-10a.m. At the Baum older american Pool and the fee is is each individual can enter two individual races and two relays. For More information Call Steve Bonar at ets 485-7182. Bowling a 3-6-9 no we tournament will be held sept. 20-21 Al the Kirch Goens lanes known As the  the tournament sponsored by in Giessen men s Bowling association is open to men and women. Entry fee is$10 and the shifts run Between noon and 6  Each  of Contact is Lew Morrison Al g is san military 343-6172. The Giessen area women s bowl ing association will hold a Moonlight tournament saturday and sunday at the Kirch Goens lanes. Sign up limes Are from 6 .-6 45p.m. Saturday with Competition starting at 7  Contact Belinda Brigner al06033-63628 for More information. Golf the 7th army training omd Wilt Host the general s invitational tournament saturday at Grafen Wocher. An entry fee of 15 will be charged forthe tournament which is open to All id card holders. The Point of Contact is Kevin Cornelson i ets 475-6167 or Crafin Woehr civilian 09461-2039. Distance running the association of the . Army will hold a 10 Kilometre run sept. 27 at the sports Platzar Edwards Cavern in Frankfurt. The race starts at 9  Pre re isl a lion Post marked before sept. 19, is $5. Late registration is $7, for More information Call ets 325-5633 or Frankfurt civilian 069-3101633. General the 1986 Usa eur sports Council meeting is scheduled for tuesday and wednesday in the Kolsch stadium Gasthaus in Schwelm Zingen Ger Many. For More information Contact Larry Parker at a Chinau military 2136 ets 379- 7713 or 8863. An to feature Ohio . Frankfurt the Ohio state Washington Gam will be shown the it 8 30  Saturday in the feature College contest on an to the Michigan Nolde Dame tame will be taped delayed an shown at 2 a. Sunday. But it can be heard live on an radio Al 9 30  Saturday. The text  Lou Slana state contest also can be heard on radio at 1 35  Sunday the baseball game Between the new York Yankees and Boston Redfox can be viewed at 1 30 , sat urday. No feud seen in bears eagles game Chicago a feud whal feud buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka say Sun Day s upcoming Battle Between the Phila Delphia eagles and the Chicago bears in Soldier Field is just another football  game has been hyped As a Gridiron grudge match since Ryan left the bears shortly after their super bowl Triumph to take Over As head coach at  the Lime Ditka said he was glad to be rid of Ryan and criticized him forsaking More credit than he was due As the bears defensive  countered i d sure like to have a buddy Ryan on my  wednesday however to Dismie cd the notion of hard  never thought there was a feud. You Guys always had that feud thin going 1 Ryan said during a Telephone news conference with reporters in Chi Cago. Week although the subject came up. Rivalry what rivalry he  d like logo 2-0. I m sure the game Means More to them because in Eye 0 the eagles lost their opener Al Washington 41-14, spoiling Ryan s debut As a head coach. Asked about the pressure of going against the bears Ryan laughed and Sid it s killing me. A hat a h Slike eating Candy Ditka never mentioned Ryan by Nam eat his news conference earlier in the  tied at questions about his relationship with  Don t have a degree in psychiatry so if you want to talk football Lei s talk he said. Ditka who inherited Ryan when hews hired As head coach in 1982 by the late George Halas added the Guy who was Here when i got Here i liked. But that Guy in t Here  for the game Ryan is hoping for belter things this  lot of things did t work last week he  Soroczak is filling in for Chicago quarterback Jim Mcmahon who has shoulder injury