European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 6, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thu stay August 6.1387 the stars and stripes commentary umpires ready to be eve the worst Al. .i., la i a Nisi of Dir of mini Tell 11 Utill those american league umpires thin they re so smart. They find a few scum cd baseballs and right away they get suspicious. They jump to conditions ready to believe the worst of a Pitcher instead of listening to simple rational explanations. The other night in California when a half dozen baseballs showed up looking like they were ready to bleed the umps searched Minnesota Pitcher Joe in Ultra. Imagine their Surprise when first an Emery Board and then some sandpaper came tumbling out of the Pitcher s pockets. Now wha Ever would he be doing with those things one and one the umpires reasoned make two. And Nickroo was thrown out of inc game. This How Ever can be interpreted As nothing less than a Ila grand attack on personal Hygiene. Here is a Guy standing on inc Mound with time 10 kill Between outs his Leam Maies Are chasing Ner Fly balls or Busy with grounders and he s stand ing out there wish nothing to do. So rather than waste valuable Lime he whips oui the old Emery Board and works on. His nails. Hey. The Guy is a Knuck Leball Pitcher. He needs neat nays do you have any idea How Long a Fingernail can grow while you re stand ing around on the Mound during an inning but the sandpaper Joe. What about the sandpaper  Nickroo explained with appropriate nonchalance the Emery Board gets wet Anil you can t file Jour fingernails with it. That s Why i have inc  Why of course Umpire Darcy Phillips one of he Best in tie business used Nasty words like Forcin substance and evidence to describe the episode. He shipped the Supply of wounded baseballs As Well As Niekro manicuring equipment to the american value of fico. The umps it should be Nolod have been especially vigilant this season about pitchers monkeying around with baseballs. Rick Rhodon of the new York Yankees often the subject of some curious looks from batters has spent much of inc summer under the Microscope. In fact. Before Rhodon threw a Pilch in his last Start sunday Home plate Umpire Drew Coble visited the Mound for a Little heart to heart talk. It was apparently reminder about the ethics of the game. It was also inc Day before Nickroo got nailed. Now Why in the name of Rick hone cult would umps be so suspicious just because Hall off Amer Hilcy Ford confessed in his autobiography to occasionally farming the baseball with inc ragged Edge of a ring in the latter stages of his career just because Joo game Winner Gaylord Perry applied everything Bui a Hammer and chisel to inc Hall and dared Ihm to catch him doing it just because it has been cruelly suggested that some pitchers like Dun Sutton another to game Winner ought to Wear j Utility my u the Mound arc those reason i question Joe Nickroo s inno Cence Over entirely explainable equipment like an Emery Board and sonic sandpaper Ever since i be been throwing the knuckle Ball i be kept those things in my pocket Nickroo said. Does t everybody Niekro is the first Pitcher to he charged with funny business since Honeycult got caught in 1980 with a thumbtack taped to Liis Finger. You know just in Case he had 10 scrape some dirt out of his spikes. Honey cult was suspended 10 Days for that Misdemeanour. Now or. Bobby Brown inc Al president must study inc beat up balls the Emery Board and Sand paper and make a diagnosis. Nickroo May be in Trou ble in this particular forum or. Brown is a heart specialist. What docs he know about fingernails the attained Prtt Niekro from Page 17 and first examined Niekro s Glove. Then As 39,983 fans watched at Anaheim stadium Niekro was ordered to empty his pockets. Surrounded by the umpiring pm he flipped i Back pockets inside out bringing his hands Over his head in the process. The umpires then saw the Emery Board lying on the grass. The balls Are cheeked after every in Ning of every major league  said umpiring Crew chief Davey Phillips. We were aware of what we might have be cause we had collected several balls that had been scuffed in the same manner at the same place. We Wen out there with the intention of warning him and to ask to Sec his Glove and hands. He put one hand in his Back pocket As if to hide u and when he brought it out he brought an illegal sub stance with him. We fell we had to eject  he Tschida said let me see you pockets. I did t have to but i did Nickroo said. I did t think i had any thing to hide. I guess i was wrong. 1 never went into my Back pocket the whole game. I be been doing it for is years carry ing the Emery Board and sandpaper in his hip pocket and i be never been questioned. I know Charlie Hough does i m sure Phil Nickroo his brother docs too he said of two other . If i was wrong i m sorry. I Don t feel i did anything wrong-1 guess i found out i can t carry it out there with  Texas Hough supported Niekro s de  s a common practice for knuckle Ball pitchers to carry them Hough said prior to tuesday s game against the bos Ion red sox. I carry one All the time. Bui i carry it in my Cap not in my pocket where it might get  Hough said the Emery Board is Nec Essary to file the fingernails Down to the proper length and to smooth any rough spots on inc skin of Floc fingertips. You can l Cut up a Ball with an Emery Board said Hough who then look aboard oui of his Cap and vigorously worked Over a baseball Wilh it. "11 does t do anything to the Ball Al  Palermo said the twins backed Niekro s claim Hal the roughing stuff was just for his nails. But we Felt otherwise Palermo said. They can carry a Chainsaw As Long As they Don t use it on the  after Niekro was replaced by Dan sch Alzader the twins went on to Belthe Angels and increased their Al West Lead to two games Over second place Oakland and 2 i games Over California. An intense looking Gary c"1" a Mil %5, gianl�4 Houston Glenn Davis iwo out infield single in the eighth inning score Pinch runner buddy Biancalana As Houston Defeated san Francisco. Wuh Biancalana Al third and Alan Ashby Al first and the score lied 4-4,Davis hit a grounder fielded behind Sec Ond base by Robbie Thompson. Thomp son s throw to shortstop Randy Kulp Hirwas too Laic to Force Ashby and Biancalana scored. Jeff Heathcock la was the Winner Wilh one inning of scoreless Relief. Dave Smith recorded his 19ih save. Braw 11, padres 7 Atlanta Ken Oberkfell drove in four runs and Dak Murphy added a i rec run Homer leading Atlanta Over san Diego despite seven runs batted in Bojoh Kruk. Kruk had three run homers in the first and ninth innings and a run scoring sin Gle in the fifth. Oberkfell s second Home run of the sea son and stoic Virgil s triple to right Center keyed a five run Atlanta second inning off padres starter enc shows a 1. The game was delayed one hour and 42 minutes Al the Start by rain. Reds id dodgers 4 Cincinnati to Diaz drove in four runs with a pair of homers to Pace Cincinnati s Victory. Diaz nil a Solo Homer in the second off Tim Leary and a three run Homer in the fifth off Rick lion Cycil m give him 13 homers for the season and three in his last four at Bais. He has driven in 70 runs for the reds trailing Only Eric Davis and Dave Parker in that category. Dial s Power helped left hander Guy Hoffman. 8-6. Gam pm i it Victory since july 3. Hoffman had lost his four pre Vious decisions. Hoffman allowed three runs and nine hits in 5w innings including a pair of Solo Homm by John Shelby