European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 25, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 25, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary broken prom ses shattered dreams baseball s shame at Al Campanis recent Maiks that Blacks did t have certain necessities to fill big league executives jobs has shocked Ameri Ca Back into the sixties. In this the 40th year after Jackie Robinson blazed deeper trails around the bases of Post War America than anyone before or after americans Are shocked Al an executive of a team that helped break the race Barrier in sports and thus in life who said Blackston t have the Toots to make it in big league Board rooms. The Promise of Jackie Robinson s footsteps led tothe guts of Rosa Parks bus ride which led to he dream of Martin Luther King which Ted to what Samerica any farther Aton than it was when King was shot Down 19 years ago that s not As easily Eidentas most proud americans would like to admit the discrimination not Only in baseball but i american society is real if not a Little More Subtle. Football everyone knows does not have a Blackhead coach basketball with 80 percent of the play ers being Black has had just 12 Black head  current and now has just two Black general managers. Baseball s soul has been bared for All the world Locc since Campanis inserted fool in Mouth. But what about outside the fantasy world of the sports Arena and into the real world. Not Nych better there either. When it comes to equal rights it has been True thai the More things change the More they slay the same. Change must come and the Way it occurred before was through struggle always there was struggle painful struggle. Bui How Long has it Bee since America really knew struggle if the sixties equivalent of Al Campanis made Sucha remark. King would be organizing protests marches Boycotts whatever it look to effect  would get Hurt but things would change. I Don i Sec that happening although preliminary chess moves have been made. In the arbitrary eighties Jesse Jackson Mccols wit the commissioner As docs the Rev. Joseph Lowry of the Southern Christian leadership  is Only one threat of a Boycott that has been reported in Chicago by the a act. Think of what has happened since Campani Smade his remarks a couple of weeks ago. One owner Only one Edward Bennett Williams said his club the Baltimore orioles was going to change its hiring policies to make them More affirmative action oriented. Pressed for details he could give none be Tim Boivin Don t think ii is just on the major league level that discrimination exists. I spent a summer ii the class a minor league Columbia mics in 1984, spoiled Black coaches and managers even Ai hint level few and far  every Pete Rose that has stepped right into the big league managing Job after his major has the Promise of Jackie Robinson s Trall Ollife s Bas paths lust out to eighties complacency cause he had not thought any More or the Lack of lacks in management positions than anybody else until Campanis opened his Mouth nationwide on nightlife. Although this was not a new problem there were no old solutions hanging around for any body to grab. Did anybody notice lying Days arc Over there Ore 10 Earl Cav Trcic horns and Cal Ripkins Riding buses Jonh Dakota and Montana to coach play ers most of whom will never Sec the inside of a big league dressing  Success of Blacks making it to the major league managing level lies in the front scat of those minor league bus trips not in the lineup of an All Star Outfield. Few players period Are Good enough to step right into Amajor league manager s Job. Baseball s integration Job must be done at All Levels of coaching and management not just Al the major league level All the names All the organizations like the so land a act in addition to the Rev. Jackson s push arc there just like they Wen in the sixties and seventies to Force change. But they face a certain complacency thai has befallen All of us Black and White alike for Solon. Really now when was the last time you actually. Heard of a sit in or Boycott demanding equal rights i just does t happen anymore. Tired of sixties activism America has plunge headlong into eighties materialism regardless of color we were always looking for the Buck always concerned with me first. Could t be bothered. Life was Good or so it seemed so Why complain maybe this is As far As it goes. Maybe the original or. A Martin Luther King has seen the shattering end of his dream from the heavens. Maybe the guts of Rosa Parks have taken Blacks As far to the from of the bus As they think they can gel. Somehow i doubt it but the reaction of the Gener Al Public and Blacks in particular has been so lackadaisical that i wonder if this is it for the Black  they go this far and no farther that would be  Robinson immortalized for the Promise he brought the Black Man in America May Well have been a broken Man if he saw How Little baseball and America has come since he first blessed Brooklyn baselines. Somehow i think the Man who agreed to turn the other Check to All taunts threats and Provo cations in order to further the Good of his fellow Man would still be hustling Jackie Robinson would still be trying to even the score. The quest Ion is is America  Spring cup Ushers in a a baseball season  writer move Over fuss Ball. Hit the Road basketball. Melt those ice hockey rinks. It s baseball season in Germany. The German american baseball league is holding its Spring cup tournament saturday and sunday to get its ninth season  teams Are slated to partake in the single elimination contest including the Mannheim Kloc Amigos last year s defending league champions. Games pairings go this Way saturday at Darm Stadt s memory Field Gissen is. Stuttgart game i Al i . And Darmstadt is. Ramstein game 2 Al 4 .White at Mannheim s Benjamin Franklin Village sports Arena Rhein main is. Bamburg game 3 Al 3p.m. And Heidelberg is. Mannheim game 4 m 6 . Sunday at of via winners of games t and 2 play game 5 Al ii . And Al Roberto Clemenic Field in Mannlich a winners of games 3 and 4 play games 6 Al 11a.m. Tile championship game is set for 2 30 ., sunday at the of via clans Helmig will Lead the Champion Amigos again this season. Helmig is the father of a a baseball. His ideas de sires and planning were realized in 1979 when the league was formed and called the German american baseball bund Clifia. And it look  much so that Wisl Germany now boasts 80 Amateur Bunde Sliga learns. Helmig s league took second Billing to the motherland and dropped the bund Sliga from its title. The league now is simply culled the Ger Man Anu rican baseball league. Not Only has Helmig s idea soared to new be Toms but his Mannheim Klee Amigos raced to he top of the league and have become a permanent fixture to Post season  has won the league title six of eight years and has been in the finals every  be been pretty successful said Helmig who anticipate another Strong season this year despite a need fora few Strong pitching arms. The pitching problem is Simi Lar loan itch that lingers on regardless of How much you scratch it. All you can do is keep scratching. Helmig is attempting to scratch thai itch with a left handed control Pitcher named Mark Bloomfield. He pitched in the minor league system for the Kan Sas cily royals and just started working with us a couple weeks ago said Helmig Abdul the army re Cruit from Heidelberg. He s got Good control and Good breaking pitches. He s experienced and knowhow to pitch to  returners include infield cars Terry Jordan and pie Jackson and outfielders Miguel Luzunaris and Hal Mig s son , who resides at cok Man Barracks in Mann Heim pulls air traffic control duly for the . Army then sends baseballs on nights of his own for Hie Ami gos. Jordan is our Homer hitter Humig  is Back for his fifth year of Mannheim Ball. The army Dri it sergeant shuls Down third base on defens and is a lethal Citra base Hittu. He s hard Hilling. He in hit homers doubles extra base  said  returns As the designated Hitler while Martin Helmig who recently returned from the Balti More orioles Spring training Camp a Camp his father attended 25 years ago will rotate on the pitching stuff and supplement the Outfield. Mannheim kicks off its 2q-Gamc season May 10against the Bash org braves. Bamburg will be Strong again this year said Hal Mig referring to last year when Bemberg fought Mann Heim in the finals. Sas photo Tyr Murti n Lic Mig who Hunt to the Bull Mare orioles ramp is one of four vein on let Mun flu Ltd Amigos