European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 9, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday August 8,1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Sandberg Cash from a spec a Mold the thing about sync Sandberg of foe Chi Cago cubs is that he s just Sood. Period. Not too Good lobe Trae. Not flashy. Just Good. They used to Call ballplayers like that old Relia ble or. Consistency or Charlie steady. A manager just has to Pencil their names into a lineup and go on to his problem positions. The skipper know he will get nine innings of impeccable bwe Ball out of Sandberg. He does l nuke errors he does t swing at bad pitches he does t have to be hauled off to a rehab Center he never nukes the front Page instead of the sports Page and he never shows up unfit to work. There Are never any temperamental outbursts and he rarely makes an error on or off the Field. He s like master Mechanic or a dulled Diamond Cutler. An opera Singer. Carmen was announced Carmen will be Sung. Then have been ban Pityer like this throughout the game s history. It almost seems As if lie Mana Ger Slick them on Tec Ion base and forget about them. And so Doe the rest of the game. For instance in any discussion of the i game s greatest players How often Doe Charlie Behring or j game Cone it n pm ahem a boat. Yet human was one of the beat a avenge were unbelievable .371,1 js4, so .339 and _.330 twice. The Home runs were respectable for a time _ 20, 19, 19, 16 he Ted the league in stolen bases once. He stole Only 28 but that s what the league was stealing in those Days. Me was a Complete ballplayer yet he did t gel into the Hall of Fame on the first Bounce he should have and. If anyone proposed Gehn Geras candidate for history greatest the nearer would probably frown and say you mean Lou a Brig dont you me spent his entire career in one place Detroit. Stan did that in those Days. And nil most famous manager Mickey Cochrane once whenever the tame or the season was on the line Charley Jumi Hifton that chaw of tobacco and went up there trip hit you a double Dowa the he hit s74 of them in in was a hero in Detroit but pretty much a mystery Man Ehe where. No one knew or bothered to find out what Charlie Gehringer had for breakfast or which car he preferred or Liow he stood on the Tariff. He just flood Mere and knocked the Ball off the Wah Bobby Doerr of he Boston red sox was a play Erin the same Mold. He Dida i put up the numbers Zehringer did but he made second base As secure Assort Knox for the red son for 14 Yean. Schoolboys know Boal babe Ruth and Tycobb but Only aficionados con Tell you about Eddie Collins or Nap Cujow. They were second basemen. They axe a Breed a Mold and Sandberg fits it they Don t get nicknames Lite the Man or eve the lip. The Only second baseman i can flunk of who Teal the rap a frantic Frisch the roof Ham in the heyday of nicknames the treat Eddie Coulias never managed one. Joe Morgan was just Joe base ii just not a Clamour position but that May be More because of the people who play edit than the position they played second basemen Are supposed to turn the double play move the runners along steady the Pitcher and be there when the ground Ball comes along wherever it they were golfers they d shoot for 9s. If they were fighters they d win on Points. In card games i they bet them they d have them. In a movie they d be die Best Friend. Ryne Sandberg is a second baseman in the grand tradition. Second basemen Tho old be seen and not heard. Sandberg was so Tilert u a Rookie with the Philadelphia Phillies that be was a throw in when the Phillies traded Larry Bowa for Ivan do Jesus. His Bat is very eloquent though. In fact Ryn Sandberg has hit the Ball so hard and so far All hit life it is a minor mystery Why he is a second base Man at All and not an outfielder. In mud base is not ordinarily thought of As one of your Power positions. It is a skill position Guys who Rise 6 feel 2 inches react up posed to have the agility quickness and Speed to play the Keystone. Guys named Rabbit or pee wee get infielders Sandberg not Only i is Long he runs fast. He Hole 54 bases in 1985. I try to steal 40 bases year he says playing half Hii games on the cubs natural grass and dirt is no Aid. I have never played any place but the infield Sandburg adds. "1 ran the 40 in 4.5 and 1 had the quickness and i always cell comfortable in an in his Case height is no Handicap. Last season Sandberg tied a major league record for fewest errors by a second baseman in a season five. He Doe not do Back flips or from somersaults. He does not usually dive for a Ball. Like nil the great second base men he s there when the Ball is. He won the league map in 1984 when the cub unaccountably finished on of in something Tor the first Lime in 39 years. The next Vear Sandburg had better year he hit .305 with 26 Home runs and 54 stolen bases and got to so Cath place votes. Sec Ond basemen slip Back in the scenery easier than most Sandberg is not Apt id Lead the league in cutting or homers. But the cubs cant win with . But Charlie Schringer played 11 years before his tigers won the s another thing about second basemen. They can be tall or inert fast or slow Quick or just they an have to be patient. And if the cubs do win the Pennant they ought at least to Call their second baseman Sandy. Pan am from Page 2 is 2 hours 12 minutes 59 seconds let last Meo i learn includes Greg Foster ranked no. 1 in the world in the up meter High hurdles Willie Banks world record Holder in the triple jump Mike Conley indoor Woid record Holder in the triple jump . Record Holder Johnny Gray 800 meted Henry Marsh 3,000-Mcter steeplechase. Sieve Scott. Dow Paitl who meter Sand Iii Logan Hammer throw Mike Tully defending Damp com in the pole vault and standout sprinters Mark Witherspoon and Lee Merae the uj5, men won Only sit Gold medals their fewest Ever in the 1983 pan am games at Caracas Vener Arfa. Their Hopes is More add were dashed when 12 Mem Ber of the team left after it was announced that drug scum would be enforced. Tolly was the Only one of the 12 to ret a and he won a Jota to tidal. The women Wen More eight Gondi in 1913. Their chances Are Good again. Along riia Joyner Kenee the women s team includes . Record holders Jedi Brown kit 400 hurdle Ramona Pagel e san Francisco 49en Defeated the Kansas City chiefs 20-7 m the annual pc pfc Hall of Fame a Tiibi Tion game. The a spoiled the debut of Kansa City coach Frank Gansz who was elevated from special Scanu coach to re place fired head com John Macc Csc in january. Taylor a third round draft Choice from Delaware stale in 19srj, mined All of last season Witta a Buck in tiry. But he made his presence in saturday s nil exhibition season opener. He returned a Lewis col Ben Prat 49 Yards to the Kama cily 41 Yard line Early in the second Quarter to Start the 49m first touchdown drive and he in holed 64 Yards Down the right sideline just before halftime to Pat san Francisco of 20-0. Vet enc Joe Nolua started at qut Turback for the 9ets my played Bjk of the first half although Steve Young the newcomer from Tampa Bay to the United Stales football Lea foe relieved him for several Dowie. Montana completed 9 of u passes Lor 120 Yard including a 39-yarder to Jerry Rice mat let up Ray Wersching s 25-Yard Field goal in the tint Una itch. He Aho completed Iii rec Long Pajares of a Aeo Oad Quaner drive capped by jeffhrockhaus41-Yard Field goal. Montana did not play in the second half. The Kansas City often so which ranked last in the nil a year ago showed Little improvement saturday penetrating no farther than the 49ers 38 Yard line Enlil a 41-Yard pass interference Kenahy set up Andre Garrood s i Yard to run in the fourth Quarter. The game at Fawcett stadium Fol Lowed the inductions of seven players into the adjacent pro football Hall of Fame. Enshrined were Miami fullback Larry Csonka and Center Jim Langer Kansas City quarterback Len Dawton Pittsburgh defensive lineman Joe Greene and running Back John Henry Johnson new York Jeu receiver Don Maynard and Oakland raiders offensive guard Gene Upshaw. The Only encouraging sign for the chiefs offence came from second round draft pick Christian Okoye. The Nigon an bom 253-Poundcr, who has played organised football for Only three years ran the Bill eight limes for 74 Yards. Bill Kenny and Todd buckle de shared time at quarterback for the chiefs. Kinney completed five of 10 tucs for j7 Yards in the first half bul was sacked three tunes. Blacl Dedge was 9 for 14 for 62 Yards in the second half. Young who threw Fow incomplete passes in the first Balf played the entire second half for san Francisco and finished with five completions in 14 at tempts for 45 Yards
