European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                April 15, 1907 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary i i my father worked at a cwt Agency so we often heard Ike bit news before in was on the radio or in the Pap Cit. There were two Calli in a single Yea thai i remember most the Fini on april 12,1945, and my Mother crying because for was dead. How would we manage without him there was another Call in tale october and in time there was no erring. If for had been oar president then the Brooklyn dodgers were our team and they had just done a momentous thing they hid signed a negro a we said in those Days ind Hii name was Jade Robinson we were a White family in an All while neighbor Hood in Queens but we were More Sun prepared for what Oam Eam had done. The two singers mos Likely to be heard on our Victrola were Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson not just for their Beautiful voices but for to ideals and for the it daily she had suffered snubbed by he  die Amer ican revolution. In my family we be seved better Days fairer Days were coming. Jackie Robinson was living proof. That name had epic proportions to a boy of 6. Papular expression of the time Wai before you could say Jack  it connoted blinding Speed As fast As you could be. We followed Robinson through his season on inc Montreal farm team wondering if he might have helped the dodgers avoid the loss to the Cardi nals in a special playoff. We followed his conversion to a first baseman in Spring training. My father brought Home rumours that some Dodg ers did not want to play on the lame team with Robinson. Apparently one of those dodgers was Dixie Walker who had hit a borne run Over the right Field screen in the first game i attended at ebb Ett Field in 196. After that it was not hard to Transfer allegiance from no. 11 to no. 42. From his office at toe news Agency my father brought Home Glossy photographs Oral the dodgers and i brought them into How and Tell. One of Ray classmates from a wealthier part of town asked me for a photograph of Robinson to give to his  could Only guess at the Pride the maid Felt what Hopes Robinson might have kindled. We were anguished when the Fhi Lipics Hung racial barbs and Enos Slaughter stepped on Robinton foot Ai first base and we rejoiced when Robinson helped win six pennants in 10 seasons. When hushed the Meek role he had played in his Rookie sea son even when he began to be pictured As a troublemaker for complaining about segregate action far goading his teammates for taunting toe umpires we Only respected him More. My parents had stood of for their rights in the Union movement Robinson did the same in a dodger uniform. The dodgers were winning and doing the Riili thing at the same time. Was life really by coating that compassionate not Long after he joined the dodgers Rob Inson moved his family to so Albanos the town next to ones. I often entertained the Youthful fantasy of spotting Robinson driving to work on our heavily travelled Street when the dodgers were in town i would throw the rubber Ball against the front Sloop playing dodgers is. Cardinals stopping to look at every car with a negro Driver wondering if thai might be to Button. I never saw bin in a car Bat one Day at ebb Elsfield All the childhood dreams came True. It was a weekday doubleheader against the hapless pirates the Ballpark half empty and Robinson was out with an injury. During the game i stood in line for snack in the Rotunda behind Home plate and noticed a Large Black Man in a Blue Warmup jacket and White uniform pants. It was Jackie Robinson ordering a hot  Friend and i were not carrying pads and pencils but we did even better than ask for an autograph we talked to him. We asked How serious was his injury How the dodgers would do the rest of the season anything to prolong the conversation. His voice was High pitched As he talked 10 us respectfully while eating his hot dog before he turned Down the runway to the  next time i talked to him was More than is years later. I tried to remind him of that Day tinder the Rotunda but he had other fish to Fry. By then he had been retired for Many years and i was a Youn reporter assigned to write about the status of Blacks imports. I reached him by Telephone and he engaged me Ina caustic Socrati dialogue How Many Meek manag ers had i covered How Many Black executives on and by the Way How Many Black reporters were Cov ering the mets and the Yankees none none and none i answered. The answer is still nearly none none and none last week Ai Campania a former Monarca team male of Robinson had to resign As dodger vice president after a live television interview made him sound less than accepting of Blacks aptitude for leadership. A worldly Man a disciple of Branch Rickey Cam. Paizis has never Given friends like me any sign of bigotry. One can Only wish that his of teammate or somebody had managed to purge those leftover phrases from a forgotten storage Chest in Campari mental attic to Challenge Campania the Way Robin sob prodded me on the Telephone 20 years ago. How did you feel about that Rachel Robinso asked recently using a favorite question of the psychiatric social worker. I did t mind i think he had an Agenda with  was pushing me to write a tougher article and i  mrs. Robinson seemed pleased with my answer. I never had the Chance to speak with Jacki Robinson again. When their son died in an Auto Mobile Accident in 1971, i wrote a note that said they had thousands of sons and daughters now adults of a certain age who remember the bravery and the searing truths As much As we remember the flashing spikes and the headlong dive to save a game. When be died in 1972,1 was out of sports at the time so 1 never got the Chance to put into print thai Jackie Robinson was the greatest sports hero i Ever had that we spoke two times once in Tranquility and once in tension and lha 1 Treasu Reboich limes equally Clemens signs two year contract Boston apr Roger Clemens the1986 american league most valuable player and by Young award Winner who boycotted the entire exhibition season in a bitter salary dispute agreed monday Toa new two year contract with the Boston red sox. I m very Happy this Day came Clemens said to a news conference. I Don t have any hard feelings. I knew things would be worked out for the Best for Roger Clemens the red sox us usual refused to Dis close terms of the agreement however it was reported to be for about $2 Mil lion. Red sox general manager Lou Gorman said it included incentive clauses. We re really delighted that we we Reable to agree on a two year contract,1 Gorman said. Roger is one of in game s outstanding pitchers and he is very important in our bid to retain the american league championship in1987," said Clemens this takes care of things for me for this year and next year and Means that Fin in the team s plan for the future now i have to gel of with my pitching. 1 have to try to get Comfort Able out there on the  Clemens 24, led flip major league with a 24-4 record in pitching the red sox to their first Pennant in 11 years in1986. He lasted Only four innings giving up four runs in his 1987 debut against to Ronto saturday he left the game wit Boston trailing 4-1 and the Blue jays won 11-1. Right now i just want to go Back out there on my turn thursday in Toron to Clemens said. It might take two or three stuns but everything s there that has been there. The Arm is there. I just to get the timing and mechanics Down. It s a matter of getting the bal where i want to get  after be walked out of. Training Campin Winter Haven fix March 6, Clem ens pitched Balling practice to Young sters at Spring Woods High school in Houston near his Home. He then pitched six hitters innings against Harvard just hours after the red sox broke training amp on april 4, and then threw in a simulated intr squad game in Milwaukee last tuesday. Clemens Tat out the pit season at Home before baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth intervened and brought the two parties together for meetings in Arizona. Red sox co owner and chief operating executive Haywood Sullivan and Clem ens with his agents Alan and Randy Hendricks hammered out an agreement that was finalized monday. Clemens earned $220,000 plus $120,000 in Bonus incentive Money in his second full season with the red sox in 1986. Because he lacked 30 Days of being Athree year major league player he was ineligible to go to salary arbitration an had to depend on negotiations Wilb Ibe team. Clemens originally asked for $2.4 Mil lion for two years. The red sox who offered a one year pact of $500,000 plus1375,000 in Tough incentives rejected the Pitcher s demand and automatically renewed his comma for $400,000 after he walked Oul the team later increased its offer i incentive Money Only sticking with a base salary proposal of 1500,000. It in creased the incentive Money to 1450,000, altering clauses to Moke in cronus easier to achieve. Then the red so changed the incentive proposal again and boosted it to s47s,. Al from Page 21 from Philadelphia made his first american league Start after Tommy John came Down with a stomach virus. Hudson s win was his second  allowed Only Home runs to Mel halt in the Sec Ond inning. Brook Jacuby in the fifth and Joe Carter inthe ninth while striking out 10 and walking to. Daw win Frold homered and Don Mallin Gly and Ron Kittic each added two run singles among new York s is Hils off Greg Swindell 0-2, and three  indians lost for the fourth straight Lime As their pitching again failed. Cleveland starters have an s. 16earned run average this year in seven games six of them losses. Anger 5, mariners 3 Seattle Devon while hit a two run Homer inthe top of the i oth inning to lend California Over  Mcl Cmor singled for this third hit of the game off loser Edwin Nunez 1-1. After Brian Downing sacrificed Mclemore to second White hit an 0-1 pitch into the right Field scats for his first Homer of he season. Donnie Moore 1-0, the third Angels Pilcher picked up the win by pitching a perfect i oth inning. Athletic 6, Triu 3oakland, Calif. Reggie Jackson opened on eighth inning rally with a incl Phil single and Carne Lansford Sci Oakland ahead with a iwo run single As the athletics downed  got his second game winning Hii in two Days with the bases loaded with a two outline drive Mocenter Field it gave him Ihrck Bis for the night and seven in two  reliever Jay Howell 1-1, got the Victory with two Hill Sci innings