European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 27, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 27, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Clemens Aims at by Young map the award is most valuable player not most valuable Pitcher. This year though it could Well be one and the same in the american league. Boston s Roger Clemens is not Only a cinch to win the by Young award As the Al s Best Pitcher he also is a Bona fide candidate to become the first starting Pitcher since Vida Blue in 197 to win the map award. Clemens by Young credentials Are impeccable. He is one of two american league 20-game winners As Well As the strikeout and Era Leader. He has enjoyed the kind of dream season that made Dwight Gooden of the new York mels a unanimous no by Young Winner last year. Bui that s he problem Wilh the map. Gooden was almost unit table in 1985, about As dominating As a Pitcher can be and he finished third in the map balloting. Thai award went to baiting Champion Willie my acc certainly the season s Best non Pitcher. Since the by Young was established As a pitchers Only award in 1956, some people believe he map should be off limits to them and reserved for every. Day players. The debate a pertinent this season be cause Clemens besides being by Young cinch is a viable map candidate As Well there Are four guidelines included with the map ballots distributed to the panel of two voters in each league City. The first three criteria actual value of a player to his team thai is strength of offence and defense number of games played general character disposition loyalty and Effort have been there since the award was introduced in 1931. The fourth at player arc eligible including pitchers Start ers or reliever was added when it became obvious that some voters were shunning them. Since ims Only four Al pitchers Willie Hernandez in 1984, Noflie Fingen in 19ji, Blue in 1971 and Denny Mcuin in 1968 have swept both the by Young and map. Only two of them. Blue and my lain we starters. In the no there have been Only three by Young map doubles and none since Bob Gibson in 1968, when be posted a 1.12 earned run avenge. The map arguments for Clemens however Are persuasive. He punctuated Boston s Early season Suc Cess with a record 20-strikeout performance april 29 against Eattle. Two weeks later the red so took Over Fini place when he beat California and they have been there Ever since. They built their Lead to eight games just before the Alt Star break then saw ii dwindle to 24 during a mid summer swoon. Boston lost 10 of 13 games Over a stretch from july 11-28. The Only three games they won were pitched by Clemens. At the time Boston s pitching staff was a mess. Dennis Oil can Boyf was out. Al Nipper and Bruce Hurst were struggling Back from injuries. Tom Seaver was still getting adjusted. Clemens was the team s one constant the slump stopper who prevented the red sox from tumbling out of the Lead. Four teen of his victories came after Boson losses does that make Clemens the map on a team that has Wade Boggs battling for the batting championship and Jim Rice among the Leaden in hitting and Bis teammate Don Baylor he 1979 map. Compares this Battle with 1978 when new York Pitcher Ron Guidry and Boston s Rice both bad dominating sea sons. Guidry won the by Young Rice the map thai year. It does t say most valuable Pitcher,1" Baylor said. It says most valuable player. We can l win his by Young award. It s an award that should go loan everyday player i Don t think it should be a Pitcher said George Brett of Kansas City the 1980 Winner that s Why they have the by Young award in that respect Brett is right. As baseball commissioner. Ford Friek came up with the by Young award 30 Yean ago because he believed pitchers were being overlooked in the map balloting. Ironi Cally the first by Young Winner Don Newcombe toot the map As Well. But in the 10 Yean before the by Young was established the Only map pitchers were Jim Konstanly of Itte no Champion Phila Delphia Phillies in 1950 and Bobby Shantz of the Philadelphia a j in 1952. Blue then with Oakland was the last starting Pitcher to win both awards and that was 15 Yean ago. He was 24-8 with a 1.82 Era thai season and beat out teammate Sal Bando who hit .271 with 24 Home runs and 94 runs batted in to finish second in the balloting. While Clemens could sweep the Al honors it is almost certain that there will be no double Winner in the National league. When summer turned into september the no l map Battle was scrambled with a number of Candi dates. The acts offered steady Keith Hernandez and slugger Gary Carter. Houston had Glenn Davis with a 30-Homc run season in the cavernous Astrodome. Cincinnati s Dave Parker soared past 100 Bis. But out of the pack came Philadelphia s Mike Schmidt charging through a Brilliant final month As he bid for a third map trophy. He will Lead the league in Home runs and almost certainly in runs batted in two thirds of the triple Crown on a team that will finish Well off the championship Pace. The no by Young favorite appears to be the league s Only 20-game Winner. Fernando Valenzuela reached that plateau for the first time in his career while pitching for an injury riddled los Angeles team that will spend the final week of the season trying to avoid a last place finish. Valenzuela who won the award As a Rookie in 1981, benefits by the absence of a single dominating Pitcher in the league this year. Both division leaders Houston and new York will finish without a 20 game Winner on their staffs. If the dodgers finish last and Valenzuela wins the by Youngil would be a remarkable  matched Only by Steve Carrion who won 27 games and the by Young for the 59-97 last place Phillies in 1972. Most maps come from teams that finish first or second. Shalz a s were a fourth place team. The Only other Al map from a team that finished that Low was Rod Carew who won it in 1977 with the fourth place Minnesota twins. But when Ernie Banks became the first no player to win consecutive maps in 1958 and 1959, he played on a Chicago cubs team thai finished fifth both years. Hank Sauer won in 952 an another cub team that also finished fifth. He and Banks share the distinction of being the Only players to win the map with second division teams. Now Clemens Iriemi for some distinction of his own the difficult by Young map sweep.  turned 2 blocked punts into ads lost week skins fear sea Hawks specially teams  a Spotti writer even it things go wrong for the Washington redskins offence sunday s meet ing with the Seattle so Hawks could be a whole Tot More interesting than 1-2-3 punt we got a headache watching their special learns on film this week Washington coach Joe Gibata said while pre part i he 3-0 redskins for the matchup of Lealen nil teams Al Frk Staci  headache must have been a Dandy because the sea Hawks converted two blocked punts into touchdowns in a 3$. 31 Victory last week that knocked new England from the ranks of the  it was no Fluke considering the re Cord of Seattle s special teams. Since 1984, they have blocked sin Field goals and nine punts leading to 10 touch Downs and two Field goals. But there s More to the sea Hawks than fourth Down defensive efficiency. They re a much More balanced team than san Diego said Gibbs whose redskins beat the chargers 30-27 last  run the football very Well and Alliey it one of the Best defensive teams Well play this  just having a Good defense in t enough however Seattle coach Chuck Knox  Vegol a quarterback with t sir Ongaro Jay Schroeder Power run Ner Genje Rogers and great Speed at wide receiver Art Monk Gary Clark Knon explained i Juil Hope we re in the right defense Al the right time. Four other 3-0 team the Chicago bears Denver Bronco Atlanta Falcons and los Angeles rams win iry 10 re sin that status in week 4 of the nil  defending super bowl Champion bears visit Cincinnati the Broncos play Host 10 new England the Falcons travel 10 Tampa Bay and the rams Are at Phil Adelphia. In other games sunday it will be Kan Sas cily at Buffalo the new York jets at Indianapolis Pittsburgh Al Houston san Diego at the los Angeles raiders Greenbay at Minnesota. New Orleans at the new York giants Detroit at Cleveland and son. Frncisco at Miami. On monday night. Dallas visits so  interesting sidelight in the Seattle Wasbin Glon Fame will be the Streak of sea Hawks receiver Steve urgent who by catching a pass will lie the league record of Harold Carmichael. He caught at least one. Pass in 127 consecutive  the sea Hawks stay in character there won t be Many opportunities How  Dave Krieg put the Ball in the air just 20 limes against new eng land although two of the passes resulted in touchdowns of 54 and 67 Yards to wide receiver Ray duller. The sea Hawks Are landlubbers Wilh Curt Warner leading the acc with 267 Yards on 64 carries. Al Cincinnati the bears will try to make the most of a Short week following a 25-12 Victory monday night Over Green  Jim Mcmahon is still out with a shoulder separation but Chicago continues to Prosper thanks to a Strong defense and Walter Paylon the game s most prolific rusher. The bengals have won two straight after dropping their opener to Kansas  Are built around quarterback Boomer Esiason and a Stout running game that produced 2s7 Yards last week and three touchdowns for Larry Kinne  quarterback Duel is in the offing at Denver. The Broncos move behind John Elway who has tossed sin scoring passes this season and has not been intercepted in tin last 136  once beaten patriots have Tony Eason who has not been intercepted in 145 attempts and has passed for five scores in three  rams with Eric Dickerson Ryuh ing for 121 Yards in a 24-7 Victory Over Indianapolis Are Oil to another fast Start shooting at the 7-0 Start of last season. The Philadelphia eagles Are still looking for their first Victory Ever under new coach buddy Ryan. Surprising Atlanta off to its Best Start since 1981, needs to beat the 1-2 bucs to remain tied Wilh the rams for the Lead in the pfc West. The Falcons with quarterback David Archer improving each week arc coming off a 37-35 upset of Dallas. In addition to Philadelphia Indiana polls Pittsburgh and Green Bay the raiders and St. Louis also Are looking to win for the lint Lime. The giants Dallas san Francisco the jets Minnesota Kansas City Are 2-1 teams hoping to keep Pace with the Lead ers in their divisions. The jets Are tied Wilh new England. Buffalo Miami san Diego Detroit Tampa Bay and new Orleans Are Alt i and in danger of falling far behind should they lose