European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday May 31, 1937 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Browns desertion inspired Devotion its remembered Best As the Only major league franchise hat Ever had a. Midget and a one armed outfielder. But it had a first baseman who still holds the record for the most bits in a season 257, it had the Only Pilch to throw no hitters on consecutive Days. And when its Best team did t win a Pennant because a rival was strengthened in a late season Deal he june 1s Trade deadline was imposed. Even in their belter seasons the is Louis Brown hardly had enough fans for a fan club. The crowd did t dare boo you Ned Garver has said. The players bad them  on a recent thursday night nearly 14 years after the franchise evolved into the Baltimore orioles the Browns fan club honoured Garver in is. Louis at its third annual Browns Hall of Fame dinner. Last year the Browns fan club even had a Mississippi River cruise to nowhere in Honor of where the team usually went each season old bail clubs never die they just fade away int fan culls. Brooklyn has a fan club that clings to the memory of he dodgers three decades alter their departure. Fans of the new York Gianis the Bosto braves and the Philadelphia a s still cherish i he glory of those learns. Bui with the Browns fan club desertion inspired Devotion. I went to Cooperstown for the 1984 Hall of Fame induction when Rick Ferrell got in Bill dorsal re Calls. I realized nobody in St. Louis will Ever retire Rick Ferrell s number. I said to myself 1 live in St. Louis Why not me " now 43 yeahs Aid Borst who leaches baseball social history at Webster University is the author of last in the american league a Browns history he is also the founder and president of the Browns fan club that recently retired its first number the 31 that Ned Garver wore in 1951 when the right Handor had a 20-12 record on a Browns team that won Only 52 games. We paid $45 for a replica uniform Shin Borst said it la go in our Browns Hall of Fame exhibit in Macy Villa  the Browns Hall of Fame is almost a contradiction in terms. Of the 69 8 players on the Browns from 1902 through 1953, Only one George Sisler the do Dave Anderson baseman who had 257 hits in 1920 when he batted .407, is in the baseball Hall of Fame Ai Coop re Lown primarily for what he accomplished As a brow Nie. Sisir was the first one chosen for our Hall of Fame Borst said. But we Haven t been Able Toi retire his number. In the years when he was playing they did t Wear  other charter Mem Bers of the Browns Hall Fame were ,1 George Mcquinn and i Ken Williams. Selected last year were Roy sick i ers Harlond Cliff Urban shocker and Jack Tobin. The latest inductees were Luke i Sescil Satchel Paige and Bill baby doll Jacobson. Sewell who died two weeks ago \ managed the Browns of Only american league f Pennant Winner the Ned Ganer 1944 team that loss the Streetcar world series to the cardinals at sports Man s Park the stadium inc two teams shared. There s no plaque to show where sportsman s Park was Borst said. Just the building where the Herbert Hoover boys club is  this year the Browns fan club issued its first Calendar featuring a Brown tinted photo of the 1953 team 54-100 last place with a Brownie Ria led fact for each of the 365 Days. In "47," the May 17 item reads sea Gull swoops Over Fenway Park and dumps smelt on Brownie right hander Ellis old folks  lit heir Early years. Inc Browns were St. Louis Best learn. During inc 1917 season Ernie Koo pitched a 1-0 no Hitler against the Chicago White so on May 5. The next Day in the second Samc of a . Bob Groom slopped the while sox i ha3-Ono-Liiter, that team finished seventh but in 1922 the Browns appeared on their Way in september to their first Pennant. Suddenly the Yankees obtained Jum pin Joe Dugan a third baseman from the Boston Rod Sot the next year recalls Bob Brace the now re tired sports editor of he St. Louis Post dispatch judge Landis Pul in the june 15 trading  Branch Rickey a two time manager of the Browns had tried to persuade the Browns owners Phil Ball and Robert Hedges to build a minor league farm system. When the Browns spurned him Rickey joined the cardinals and built the farm system that helped win nine pennants from 1916 through 946. If the Browns had picked up the farm system idea first Broeg said who knows what the differ ence would have been in the history of the two bal i clubs while the cardinals soared the Browns struggled except for inc 1944 Pennant winning team. The next season As world War ii was ending they signed pole Gray a one armed outfielder who tailed ,218 in 77 games. And on aug. 19, 1951. The Browns owner. Bill Recck signed Eddie Gacci a 3 fool-7-Inch, 65-Pound midget. Against the Detroit tigers that Day. Ii excl was sent up As a Mcadoff Pinch hitter for Frank Saucier. De Hurley the plate Umpire objected but Zack Taylor the Browns manager showed him a excl s contract. Bob Cain walked Graedel who was replaced by a Pinch Ninner Jim Delsing. Most people remember the Browns Foj ice causing the midget Borst said. But for All that Veeck did for baseball in so Louis he s not that popular. When his name comes up at our meetings some four members grit their Teeth. To them he s the Guy who Jet the Browns go to  and when the orioles play in Kansas City on july 18, a posse from the Browns fan club will be there. To recapture the franchise Bill Bors joked. The a York tint Al Sheba horse to beat Stephens says by Dick Joyce new York a before the Ken Lucky Derby Al Sheba bad won Only one race a Maiden event in 1986. Now the son of Lydar is one Victory away from thoroughbred racing history As the 12th triple Crown Winner. First though he must get past Woody Stephens Al Belmont. He s met every horse but me Stephens said. The Belmont Slakes has been the 73 year old Miner s exclusive property the past five Yean and he wiil be Back again for the june 6 race with gone West and in Case of rain Conquist Orose. Bui this year s Belmont is a it tie Dif Ferent. For the first time since 1981 the triple Crown is at stake. I think hell run from Here to califor Nia said Jack Van Berg Aly Heba s Trainer after his Colt added the Preakness to his Derby Victory it was a reference to the Belmont s punishing Ivi Miles the farthest these 3 year Olds will run. The purse is Worth ten horses Are expected in the Bei Nikont Field. Gone West Winner of the Withers and second in the Peter pan is the Only starter who bypassed both the Derby and Preakness. Gone West is also the Only Belmosa Colt who has t Jost to a Sheba this year. That has t been loss on Stephens whose Belmoor string includes Conquistador Cielo swale Creme Fraiche and Danzig connection before Stephens Streak Only two trainers before the turn of the Century Ever won three in a now. Van Berg Al Sheba is strictly the horse to beat Stephens said. The Derby and Preakness proved he s a solid horse. It s a different track and there s no la six. It la be interesting without  la six is a medication used to treat internal bleeding in horses. Alys Beba ran on la six in the Derby and pc Akness As a precautionary Mea sure after surgery. While Kentucky and Maryland allow horses to run on the medication new York docs not. Some horses need it Stephens said. But Van Berg said not having la six won t matter to his Coll. If Al Sheba wins at Belmont he not Only will become lie first triple Crown Winner since affirmed in 1978, he will be guaranteed a j5 million Bonus including the triple Crown purses for sweeping the series. It would nuke him the no. 1 Money Winner in history behind John Henry. S6.6 million and ahead of spend a Buck the 1985 Derby Winner. If Al Sheba does t win he is still capable of earning a is million Bonus under the Point system inaugurated this year. Only bet twice second in both this Demy and Preakness. Can beat Aly Sheen for the $1 million. Bet twice would have to win the by Mon and Al Sheba would have to finish worse than third for bet twice to get the Al million. Van Berg who turns 51 the Day after the Belmont always has been confident of Aly Sheba s ability. But until the Colt underwent a Throat operation a Mont before the Derby a Sheba had not been Able to fulfil i potential. A membrane covering the Epiglottis a thin Flap behind the Tongue tended to swell when Al Sheba exerted himself blocking his Trachea and hindering Bijj breathing. With his breathing problem relieved Al Sheba showed staying Power in inc in mile Blue grass stakes at Kec Neland although he was disqualified from first to third for interfering with Leo Castilli. Thai s when i knew he was gelling his air Van Berg said. Before that he d gulp for air and could t gel any. He made a firm believer out of  in the rough 17-horse Derby. Al she a almost fell in the stretch run and twice had to avoid Bel twice before win Ning by three quarters of a length. With Only eight rivals and no traffic in the Preakness Al Sheba won by a half length. And he has accomplished what his sire could not Lydar ran a close second to affirmed in All three triple Crown races. Van Berg the leading All time Trainer with almost 5,000 victories managed to do this year what his late father Marion could t Saddle a Derby Winner. Both father and con Are in the Hall of Fame. So is Woody Stephens. Van Berg won the Preakness in 1984 with Gate dancer but never won the Belmont in two tries. It is the first by Mon for any Sheba s owners Dorothy Scharbauer and daughter Pamela of Midland Texas. They purchased the Coll for 5500,000 at the pc England yearling sales in july 1985 and tic has earned $1.5 million. Chris Mccarron Al Sheba s jockey also is trying to keep a Streak alive. He is won the past three triple Crown races beginning with Danzig connection in the 19s6 Belmont for Stephens. Mccarron 32, has bounced Back after suffering a broken Bone in his left leg during a five Mcrae spill at Santa Anita oct. 16. The rest of the Field is expected to include crypt clearance the Florida Derby Winner who ran fourth in the Derby and third in the Preakness the Leroy Jolley trained entry of Gulch the metropolitan Handicap Winner and Leo Castelli the Peter pan Winner Avis copy who won the recent Jersey Derby after running third in the Ken Tucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness Shawk lil wort 11 111 in the Derby and Templar Hill fifth in the Derby. If Al Sheba wins he will join previous triple Crown winners sir Barton 1919 Gallant Fox 1930 Omaha 1935 War Admiral 1937 whirl away 1941 count Fleet 1943 assault 1946 citation 1948 secretarial 1973 Seattle slew 1977 and affirmed 1978. There have been 21 winners of the first two legs who lost the Belmont. The last two were spectacular bid who stepped on a pin in his stall and finished third to coastal in 1979, acid pleasant Colony who ran third to summing in1981