European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I saturday May 9,19b7 the stars and stripes Paga 23 commentary red sox of Shea one More time their Armos More spiritual than literal the Boston red so returned to the acne of the disaster thursday night ducking memories rather than pop bottles. Then the new York mets did it to them again this time by 2-0 in an exhibition details on Page 26. The last Lime the red sox had been at the Edge of new York s Rushing Bay they lost two straight games and the world series to the mels in one of the classic reversals in baseball history and then had to stage a Velrea through hostile territory. They received one reminder of last fall s barrage when they returned to Shea stadium Tor the Charity fund exhibition against the mets thursday night Jack Rogers their travelling Secretary who had taken a bottle in the head after the final game was Given a while construction helmet by Arthur Rich Man i Friend and counterpart with the mels. Ill Tell you one thing we re going out through the Tunnel after the game said John Mcnamara. The Boston manager. I m not walking out on the  for the most part the a i sox treated the game with the expected distance for a Road game exhibition even for such worthy causes As Boston s Jimmy fund and the new York sandlot charities. Even Bill Ruckner who let cookie Wilson s grounder slip through his aching tags for the winning run in the sixth game showed no visible terror of Strong armed met fans or terrible memories. I used to like playing Here Buckner said with a wry unite As he arrived at the Hajj Park. Now i Don l play Here anymore except for special  on the last special occasion Rogers was hit by a Billle As he escorted Mcnamara and other red sox to the team bus behind right Field. He was treated by paramedics and resumed to Boston on the charter flight and did not require hospitalization. The Markof the Billle was still visible on the top of Liis Scalp. I was t Sven thinking about it today he said thursday night but one of our stewardesses saw me and said the last Lime i saw you you looked like the Sheik of Araby " seeing their Road Secretary go Down had prompted Roger Clemens their Star Pitcher to say the throw Golf balls out of the stands and now this. Baseball like it ought be. This place stinks. They ought to blow the place  c1.emens had vowed his club could Dock me one Day s pay. They Ain t going to see me at Shea and was not on hand thursday night. He had taken Aline drive on the ankle wednesday and was left Home along with Bruce Hurst Calvin Schiraldi and Bob Stanley fellow pitchers and sufferers last october. Clemens had added the Security guards in the retrying to protect us were saying you re losers. You sunk " was this an isolated complaint of a frustrated ath Lete who Tad seen a Friend take a bottle in Hie head nol totally a Friend recently told of being harassed by a met fan because she and her companion were wearing red sos shirts real provocation she said dryly during the sixth game. A Man behind us told us to shut up in inc Strong est possible language she said. Right in from of his 10-year-old Ion. Late in the game when in looked like we were going to win he sucker punched my Friend from behind some met fans told the Man to Stop it and told us they were embarrassed As new yorkers. But when we told the Ushers they said in t in enough that you won we finally had to watch inc end from another Section. And we saw that we had t won a  this viciousness to opposing fans is particular Strong in new York sometimes giving the impression that new York fans have the characters of assassins. But Buckner who played at Shea with the dodgers and cubs praised the  Only place i be Ever heard More noise was Anaheim during the playoffs/1 he said. Not Fen Way. They Don t make a lot of noise in Fenway. Thebans Are Good Here except for a  by Ckner was gracious As he daubed ointment on his left ankle which needed surgery after the series his immobility undoubtedly Hurt him on that Damp fateful night of oct. 23, when Wilson s slow roller slipped Between Buckner s legs for the error that ended the game. I Don l think about it All the time by Erncr said thursday night. The one thing i remember from thai game is Wilson playing me out of position in Center Field Dykstra had played me to right Center and Wilson played me to left Center. I hit a Ball there Wilh two runner on base. If it went in we had a 5-0 Lead instead of a j-0 Lead and you go from bum to  Mays helps open voting for All stars new York a Willie Mays one of the game s greatest players and mils my last year in baseball i used to cheat a  whal the Hall of Fame player meant was he began to glance Down hoping to steal the Catcher s sign on what pitch was coming. Once when Johnny Bench was catch ing it seemed like he was wailing a min Ute before nuking sign. You quit looking Down then we a hit Mays quoted Bench As saying. John i m 43 years  to Don t care if you re 10," Mays said Bench told him. Mays Bench and Hall of Fame pitch ers Warren Spahn and Bob Gibson at tended a news conference wednesday which was Mays Smith birthday to announce thai about 50 million ballots will be available for voting for the All Star game july 14 Al the Oakland coliseum. More than 5.2 million ballots we recast last year when voting was conducted by the office of baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth. This year the voting sponsored by Usa today will involve newspapers and commercial enterprises. I loved the All Star game said Mays who played in the National league. "1 just loved to play in it eve though we thought the Guys in the Amer ican league were Little  Spahn and Gibson Are members of the baseball alumni team. Also attending the news conference was former Pitcher Ralph Branca president of Bat which provides financial assistance to former Mjor leagues who do not Benefit from the baseball pension plan. It also helps pensioned players who might need Finan Cial Aid beyond a monthly pension. Usa today will contribute $5 to Bat for every ,000 ballots  newspaper also has agreements for ballots to be printed in the Toronto Star and be journal de Montreal. Withering heavyweight Witherspoon Hopes boxing career has f dried up App Tau Tim Witherspoon. Former two time Champ . New York a it was 1 35 . And Tim Witherspoon was and Lous. The news conference was scheduled to Start 35 minutes earlier. That a brr press conference ought lobe  the former two Lime heavy wig he Champion told a Lone reporter. He was referring to a noon news conference on the other Side of Manhattan Island to hype a show at Madison Square Gar Den s Felt forum. There Are going to be More writers Here i Hope Witherspoon said. At 2 ., three More sportswriters appeared in the ballroom of a Midtown hotel which had enough chairs to seat a couple Hundred people. There was a podium with a microphone which had been tested i 1, 3, 4," several times and there were piles of press kits. There was t a tape recorder or a Cam Era Sliu or television in sigh. It was a joke. It also was sad a Man hoping out loud thai at age 29, i was t Loo late that things would eel better. One could Al most hear promoter Don King s crack Ling laughter bouncing off he wadis mocking Witherspoon. King once said Tim Witherspoon could t draw flies to a  Witherspoon despite twice being a world Champion hits never been known As a drawing card. Should he fight Mike Tyson Gerry Cooney or Michael Spinks he would be the Bottom half of the at traction. Whatever his financial drawing Power Witherspoon feels his financial wort should be greater than in is. He has accused King of cheating him and has sued the promoter. I fought in inc ring Witherspoon said. I earned a Lenain amount of Money. I did t be it. Ill never go Back to Don King. I rather scrape beg and borrow than be a slave. I have an apartment i d be embarrassed to have you , who lives Wilh his wife and two children at Fairless Hills just outside Philadelphia did go Bucklo King once. He recalled seeking help fro the promoter after falling out with King following a world boning Council title loss to i Melon Thomas in 1984. I went to his office in new York to beg j50 just to gel my son pampers Witherspoon said. He said no i want to be Able to Send my children to College like Carl  Carl King Don s son has been Witherspoon s manager of record. Has been is. Right said Wilch spoon who spent the week leading up to his world boxing association title defense against James Bon Crusher Smith trying to break his contract with the younger King and also gelling out of the fight. Witherspoon contends that he agreed to fight Tony Tubbs Noi the substitute Smith who scored a first round Knock out last dec. 12. Witherspoon s mind was anywhere bul in Jhc Madison Square Garden ring that , Wilch spoon needs. It s nol All he wants. I want 10 be a Walter Paylun or a Kareem Abdul Jabbar or even Eddie Murphy someone successful he said. So he wants to work toward a shot at being a Champion again. The Boner s attorney Nicholas Clem Etc thinks Wilch spoon might gel a fight on the undo card of the Spinks Cooney match on june 15 at Atlantic City . Meantime he is serving As sparring partner to Ricky Parky the International boxing federation Junior heavyweight Champion who will fight Aba Champion evander Holyfield on May 17