European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday june 7,19bb the stars and stripes Page 25 commentary Thompson Banks on 2.3-po/nf beast Gene Smith was out in Oregon running a sneaker outlet pursuing a profit As zealously As he used to pursue a basketball Tor John Thompson 5 Georgetown hoyas. One Day the phone rang. Beast Are you in shape asked a familiar deep  Patrick Ewing was playing people used to Call Georgetown the beast of the East. It was not a totally benign nickname but Thompson fumed it into a  Smith is always in shape. When he played Tor Georgetown his mail could have been forwarded o the weigh room. He scored Only 383 Points i four years under Thompson a Gaudy average of 2.3 Points per game but that was because he was Busy disorienting the other team. I always figured the other team would give up before 1 would. Smith said. Now he was a management trainee for Nike and had not played an official game of basketball in four years. And John Thompson the coach of the 1938olympic team was calling to see if he was in shape. "1 could help out if you needed me Smith re plied. What he meant was he would be glad to work for Thompson chasing some of the 2,000-Point College stars on their Way to millions of dollars in pro Ball. Thompson did not need any More assistants. Would you like to try out Thompson clarified. Smith replied would i have a Chance to play for you again All the Way to Seoul maybe Thompson an swered. Coach Are you serious Smith asked but then he realized John Thompson is always serious on one level or another. Since that conversation Gene Smith has scrapped his Way through the olympic trials in Colorado Springs an intriguing Story that did not catch As much attention As it should have. The Amateur basketball association of the United Stales Giddy with its Brief quadrennial Power chose to keep the press As far from the athletes a legally possible. This dog in the Manger foolishness kept americans from knowing More about the re turn of Gene  is now one of 20 finalists who will eventually be pared Down to 12 players and 2 alternates. I wish i could have a i3lh Man Thompson said you wish you could Deal with him As some thing special. Bui he can easily fit into the 12, too the idea of a 2.3-Poinl Man making the olympic team could Only come from the creative mind of John Thompson. Since he came to affluent White roman Catholic Georgetown in 1972, Thompson has brought other colors other Back grounds of her age groups to the rooting Section the halftime bands the summer Camps and the team itself. Almost All of his Georgetown players Are Black but not without thei r diversity. Fth photo Georgetown s John Thompson wanted a Workaholic Strong person he recruited de Spriggs out of the playground Sand a Job with the postal service to become a vital rebound Der and now Thompson s conditioning assistant. He welcomed Ronnie Highsmith from an army base in West Germany. Thompson has a feel for the mix the homogeneity of a team. Thompson knew he would have it. David Robin son of the United states Navy and most any other Amateur Star in the land. But Thompson does not coach individuals. He is in fact a hockey coach at heart who believes in sending fresh players into the game for Short furious  favorite offensive play is a stolen pass and a fast break. But who Amon the 2,000-Point scorer would do that dirty work the United slates loss to an older professional brazilian team in the pan american games last summer partly because of complacent planning partly because inc 2.000-Point scorers were none too eager to Chase Sharp shooting Oscar Schmidt out to the a Point  try to think about inc chemistry of the team Thompson said. And i though about Gene. 1 know he is a Workaholic a Strong person. I needed that kind of personality. A lot of Layen Start a Gam thinking 1 can score off him. Gene slam the game thinking 1 can Slop my Man in four years at Georgetown Smith became the c action of Thompson s hockey coach style Epson had old him you will never Start forme but Smith wound up starting and making 298 assists inc ninth highest total in school history. One of his most impressive games was one i which he never played the National championship game in Seattle in 1984. Smith had turned his ankle in the semifinal game and tested it before the final against  said coach you be got of her player you can do More for us tonight Thompson  look at the films of that game. You recall How Houston was giving us trouble Laic in the  is Gene standing in front of the by non in tense following every play Thompson knew Smith had been nil by the Indi Ana and Seattle teams had never tried the european or other basketball circuits. He guessed thai Smith would never let his body go  was playing in a City league Smith said. Guys would compete with me because i was Gene Smith from Georgetown but 1 missed inc team com petition. When coach Thompson called me i was glad for the Chance to turn Rex Chapman s head lot urn Charles Smith s head to show them hey de sense will help you male inc learn when Thompson invited his disciple he watched to Sec How his Peers reacted. Dave Gayil the commissioner of the big East chimed in with interesting  and when Thompson kept calling Smith old Man Rollie Massimino of Villa Nova said the Heck with thai old Man stuff. Gene Smith is Good after Smith took six shots in one trial game Thompson called him Over and said Gene Youdon t have to score to make this  now Smith is going to Europe for an exhibition Lour. He said. "1 Don l think i can come away from this scenario Dis  first Thompson said. Smith was like the Rab bit at the dog track meaning Smith was a moving target for inc greyhounds with the 2,000-Poinl Ca Reers. Now. Thompson said i Don l know to far it will go. But i also Don t know How far it won t   Tut mows s4tvic4 Mcmana having fun fooling batters byjoe Laplonte Detroit not you can t fool All the hitlers All the Lime but you can fool Many of them much of the Lime. As a result Frank Tanana of the de troit tigers using a wide variety of breaking pitches and precise control is approaching his 35th birthday with a $1.1 million contract an s-2 record and peace of mind. I am having fun out there right now said Tanana a left hander who is a 16 year Veteran and a much different i in Erand person than he was 10 years ago. Tanana whose birthday is july 3, was acquired by Detroit from Texas in june 1985 for Duane James a minor league Pitcher. At the time Tanana had a 2-7 record and a tendency to give up Home runs in the rangers Home Park. After his first 12 big league seasons three teams almost 2,500 innings and a major Arm problem it seemed to some As if Tanana s Best years were behind him. Sparky Anderson the tigers manager and Bill Lajoice the general manager thought differently. He was in such Good shape and we knew he was t really old Anderson said. And he is definitely one of in smarter pitchers in baseball. He s in the top 10, no question about  since joining the Tigre Tanana is 45-28. He was on the Mound the final Day of 1987 season when the tigers clinched the Ameri can league East division Pennant with a 1 -0 Victory Over the Toronto Blue jays last Winter after a 15-10 season an arbitrator awarded him a salary of  million. This Spring his teammates re elected him player representative. That awareness of teammates he said was a direct result of changes in his professional and personal life that occurred 10 years ago when he played for the Cali fornia Angels. According to Tanana he then was a Young selfish Playboy with a live fastball and Little regard for anyone else. In a three year stretch through 1978, he won 52 games. Back then it was always i i i me " he said. "1 always wanted to be the hero 1 always wanted All the glory. 1 was t even Good for a team. If someone else was doing Well i would t be Happy i was with Nolanryan for years and i could never even appreciate him. He was always the family Man and 1 was the Playboy and All i thought about was myself. Consequently i really missed out on a lot of the  several things happened to Tanana around that time. He developed a sore Arm that robbed him of his explosive fastball his Friend and teammate Lyma Bostock was shot to death he became a reborn Christian and his wife gave birth to inc first of their four children. "1 am not the same Guy i was then he said. It changed my whole Altitude and my whole View of life and my perspective of my work and Roy Job it just freed me up to do my Best on the Field cheer for my teammates appreciate my health appreciate my Job and the peo ple 1 play with. 1 became a better person belter father a belter ballplayer  off to his Busl sum since 1978, Tanana has a Chance to win 20 games for the first Lime in his career. It s really not a big Deal but in would be  he said. Believe me i pitched a season in Texas 7 and is and in was a Good sea son. Then i went 15 and is and in was a great season like 20 or 25 victories with any other bal club. If i win 20, in will be a Feather in the Cap of this  Arn sports television basketball Aba finals Detroit at los Angeles lakers 3 �.m. Wednesday. Baseball Boston at new York 10 30 . Tuesday delayed. Radio basketball Aba finals Detroit at los Angeles 3 a in. Wednesday