European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 30, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 sports letters blowing the whistle on Low ref fees How would you like to work at the same pay rate for Over eight years with education and experience i have been Able to improve my Job performance and knowledge As Well As receive More respect and recognition with each passing year. Yet instead of receiving a pay raise i will get a 20-25 percent pay Cut i am a sports official. To me officiating is More than just a Parttic Job to earn a few Bucks. It s a profession. One in which Many additional hours and dollars arc spent to improve my skills As Well As my fellow officials. Prices Are always on the Rise. Uniforms and equip ment costs Are incurred by All officials. Then there arc the other out of pocket expenses such As Rule books professional publications sport organization dues fees Gas and car maintenance. Since officiating is a profession self employment taxes Are paid at the High rate of 13.02 percent in the 1988 tax Yea not to mention an even higher rate of abuse tax. The better officials arc Low profile since the Best Job done is where the official goes unnoticed. The Low profile has Hurt most from receiving fair compensation for their services. The current rates at least for basketball and soft Ball were set in 1981. During fiscal year 90, Vii corps sports will reduce officiating fees for All sports at the company intramural level. While i recognize that budget constraints have led to this action he costs and irritants associated with officiating will drive the experienced official such As myself away from his vocation. It is already proving difficult to lure new people into officiating. A reduction in game fees will Only Lead to lesser Quality officiating leading to More conflicts and less control at these games. An Intra mural league should be fun and encourage maximum participation for our soldiers the same soldiers who revel in Competition and the thrill of winning. Another look need be taken at these fees. Let s keep a Quality program with proper compensation for these needed officiating services. Fred Schomburg Bamberg West Germany proud of civilian athletes i read with much anticipation the recent article titled softball civilians fan against the  i just knew the rugs were As Strong and hard Hilling As the babe but also As flexible and Wise As the for Mer commissioner. Or. Ueberroth but like Casey at the Bat i too struck out. Allow me 10 elaborate. In Parma sons we Lake great Pride in Pur civilians and family members and encourage their participation in All Community activities which we feel contributes to the True Mission of the Usa eur program which is to Advance sol Dier readiness. Someone probably not a Usa eur sports offi Cial once said a Happy Soldier is a Good Soldier and even tied together the fact that if families arc Happy so arc the soldiers. We Are in this thing to Gether teamwork cohesion win one for the  if you asked me or anyone in Pir Masens i think Usa eur sports programmers Are the ones that fanned and Don t see them even reaching first base but come to think of it. That was a fairly decent hit and run  i would think we could do More for readiness if we All played on the same team while in Usa eur. John j. Volkers Pir Masens West Germany Pete Rose leaders i do not know Pete Rose nor do i know Ollie North. However i la bet one sure thing that were Pete Rose Zilic North All those leaders including the baseball commissioner would be in jail. George Szajkowski Paris France thanks from soccer fan being a fan of German soccer it was quite a treat to see a full Page Story on the beginning of the Ger Man soccer season 1989-1990. I congratulate Rusty Bryan on his excellent Story but there arc two areas that i feel need clarification for your other Reader. Or. Bryan told us that Saar Bruckn and Stuttgart kickers both missed first league berths by an eyelash last season. In fact the Stuttgart kickers were in the first league last year and based on their i eth place finish were relegated to the second league. Concerning the Union of european football association uefa play  will not be participating this year. Had Bremen Defeated Dort Mund in the German cup championship game  would have received a berth in the uefa cup. Editor s note because Bremen would be be in the european cup winners tournament instead of uefa freeing one More German spot for the uefa tourney. Thanks from a soccer fan. Keith e. Melton Ramsten a West Germany for Young naive minds i read the letter to the editor remember super eagles no doubt in the aug. 25, 1989, paper with some amusement. The commentary Page is nearly always interesting with the exception of Bucky Fox s articles of course. I must agree with the writer who considered Ducky Fox a minor league sports  his Arti cles Are Good for the Young naive minds not the True sports fan. But i realize finding a legitimate sports writer in t always easy especially overseas. The letter by Gene Isbill a coach for the 1986 Chicksands football team is a travesty just As the Onchi ref Rcd loin the aug. Ii paper was. If he and Pitburg coach Ernie Treubig who was replaced last month want to hurl childish insults at each other let them Send each other private letters. I Don l want to read it in the paper. I was t even in Safe in 1986, but since when did a 7-Point margin constitute a butt kicking that s simply one score and the number of penalties handed out in that game deserved or not Only Indi Cates that the Victory could just As easily have gone to Pitburg. Hut who cares that was three years ago. I d pre Fer to read about More up to Date events written by More up to Date sportswriters. Keep the arguments and Bucky Fox out of the paper please Tim  a West Germany Ripken might collect map award  a baseball writer the american league East title is not the Only thing that s being decided in Toronto this weekend. The Al s most valuable player race is wide open and if the Baltimore orioles should win the division or tic the Blue jays there is a Good Chance Cal Ripke will win the Honor. Ripken does t have classic map numbers but he has been the Leader on a team that has produced one of the great turnarounds in baseball history. The Blue jays Fred Mcgriff looked like a solid contender until a Io-for-64 slump with no Home runs in 20 games entering the Baltimore series. Others to be considered Are Ruben Sierra Kirby Puckett Robin Yount and to Jackson. If Ripken does t come up big this weekend Yount deserves it. Dave Stewart has won 20 games each of the last three seasons but once again will not win the by Young award. The award will go to Kansas City Bret Saberhagen 22-6. Saberhagen is 60-22 lifetime in Odd numbered Yea Sand 31-39 in even. The Al Rookie of the year is Between Gregg Olson Ken Griffey jr., Tom Gor Don and Jim Abbott. Without Olson in the bullpen the orioles would have been out of it Long ago. Things Are a Little simpler in the National league. Despite Fine seasons by will Clark Howard Johnson Pedro Guerrero and sync Sandberg the map award will go to san Francisco s Kevin Mitchell who baseball notes entered the weekend with 47 homers. Tim Belcher eight shutouts May Der so rec the by Young award but it will probably go to 20-Gamc Winner Mike Scott. If Scott wins the by Young he will get a $ 100,000 Bonus from Houston. Chicago Mcadoff hitter Jerome Walton is the favorite for no Rookie of the year with teammate Dwight Smith close second. Frank Robinson is the leading Candi Date for Al manager of the year and Don Zimmer has to get in in the no. By who if Orel Hershiser loses his last Start of the season he and Frank Viola would become the third pair of by Young winners to follow their award winning seasons with losing years. Mil Waukee s Pete Vukovich 0-2 and Phila Delphia s Steve Carlton 15-16 did it in1983, and Boston s Jim Lonborg 6-10 and san Francisco s Mike Mccormick 12-14 had losing seasons in 1968. Mookler fever Moosic Wilson is be coming a National hero of sorts in Canada. Wilson who has sparked Toronto since being acquired from the new York mets is on the cover a National mag Azine Maclean s this week and being celebrated in song the Moosic Mash and help us  Surprise Surprise Shock of the week was Montreal keeping Buck Rodg ers on As manager. The expos were in first place in the no East in Early August and then collapsed. The two teams now most Likely to be looking for new managers arc Cleveland and Cincinnati. The reds have struggled under interim manager Tommy Helms and Mike Hargrove is expected to replace John Hart in go Ucland. Acts manager Darcy Johnson is on shaky ground and it s no better than 50 50 hell return looking ahead to next season Joe Morgan of Boston Bobby Valentine of Texas Jim life Burc of Seattle Jeff Tor bore of Chicago and Nick Levya of Phil Adelphia will All be expected to get off to decent starts. Of course Bucky Dent might not even make it out of Spring training if he does t have a winning record. Strawberry Jam Darryl Strawberry has had a confusing season in Many ways and he does t seem to know what he wants. Before wednesday s game the acts right fielder said he wanted to become a free agent after the 1990 season. After the game he said he would consider a Long term contract with the acts. Strawberry is in the process of being divorced and his two children arc living in California. He misses them and being closer could be a Factor in his decision. The mets Best Chance of keeping Strawberry might be to acquire Center fielder Eric Davis from Cincinnati. Strawberry and Davis Are close friends and Davis wants out of Cincinnati. New York could probably get Davis for Ron Darling and Kevin Mcreynolds. Big Bucks the salary season has started and the players arc already ahead. The twins Juan Burc Nguc has i Cal Ripken does t win it. Robin Yount could signed for si.9 million Over two years. He got a $200,000 signing Bonus and a $650,000 salary in 1990. Burc Nguc who has three saves this season will make $1.05 million in 1991. Do you wonder what Mark Langston might ask for