European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 20, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 25 Barons Eye titles with 20-20 couple by Tim Boivin suit writer Rhein main West Germany Baron and Baroness Baltimore Hope to help make Pitburg the King and Queen of the Continental sports conference basketball leagues this season. No the barony of Baltimore that founded the Maryland province in 1632 has not cast its eyes on annexing the Eifel Region in 1989. However Ralph and cabriole Balti More have helped Pitburg Annex the top spots of the Csc . On the court it s not hard to find the Baltimore husband and wife team that transferred earlier this year from Home Stead fab Fla. Whether it s a men s game or a women s game just look for number 20 roaming the Low Post. I picked the same number As Ralph and he thought that was really goofy Gabriele said with a laugh Friday As she watched Ralph and the Barons blast Rhein main 98-64. Ralph had 17 Points in the win 13 in the first half. Earlier Friday he had watched the lady Barons get burned 62-60 in an upset by the rockette despite a dominating performance by Gabriele. His wife a 6-foot Center had 22 Points 21 rebounds four steals and three blocks. The Barons stayed undefeated by beat ing Ramstein 124-93 saturday for their 14th straight win of the season while the lady Barons improved to 11-3 with a 77 64 win Over Ramstein saturday to stay tied with Hahn for first place. Ralph was one of three Barons with 19 Points against the rams while Gabriele tallied 27 in the lady Barons win. So How did the Baltimore Roun Dball Romance turn into a full court courtship we did t meet through  Ralph said. I did t even know she played. She was attractive but marriage was t even on my my mind. Then i found out she was Nice and it blossomed from  the soft spoken Ralph who incidentally is a native of Maryland will Only divulge that the couple met in a Home Stead dining facility. Gabriele picks up the dribble from there i had just come Back from a toy in puerto Rico and i went through the Lin and got my food. Then i saw Ralph sit Ting there looking All lonely while he was eating. I just said i and walked on past. Later at the club he asked me to dance and after that we were pretty much inseparable. A year later last april we got  Ralph says that the thing he found so appealing in courting Gabriele that she was Nice is also her one problem on the court. She s too Nice in some situations Ralph said. Somebody fouls her really hard knocks her Down and she very Seldom gets rattled. Sometimes you have to get  Gabriele agrees saying she is not Amean player. She does not believe in giving As Good As she gets and that has meant problems like stitches at times. I Don t try to intentionally Hurt peo ple when the girls Hurt me. If i Knock somebody Down i la try to help them up Gabriele said. Ralph does Admire his wife s work in the Low Post despite her pleasant personality on the court. She knows her role Ralph said. She the big Man. She stays in the Low Post and Seldom deviates from that. She knows she can dominate a game from  As for her husband Gabriele said what attracted her to him can also be his weak Point on the court. Ralph is too unselfish Gabriele said. He does t want to hog the Ball. But he s a smart player too. He s mod est does t like a lot of attention and his game reflects that. It will seem like he has a quiet game then All of the sudden you will look at the Book and wow he has 30 Points. He just kind of Slinks on in there. He s a finesse player not a Power  George Price the Pitburg men s coach said the unselfishness of his 6-6,203-Pound Center is just one Quality that helps provide the quiet kind of leadership his teammates Admire. He brings a great Deal of happiness to the floor Price said. He knows when to give that Little smile to pick his team mates up in a Tough situation. He s hum ble the quiet Type of team Leader. He has lots of experience and most important he has a huge  Gabriele said the Balli orcs try to so the Blomn or. And mrs. Baltimore Ralph and Gabriele handle the Post dirtiest for Blob org s teams. Avoid criticizing each other s game. Of. Ralph might laugh at something stupid i do out on the floor but As far As giving advice no we Don t do  both Balti orcs played on the unified command teams that swept the air Force championships earlier this year but Gabriele said that was As far As she would  Hopes to have a part in bringing the air Force title to Safe but won t consider playing incr Scricc Ball. The main reason is her eight year old son Steven. We usually take Steven everywhere we go on the Road except to the tourneys Gabriele said. I think All of his life he has had to be at the gym to watch us play and he s sick of  Ralph said that May be Why Steven does t seem interested in following in the path of his Pivot playing parents. Ste Ven is interested in martial arts. Steven rides the team bus with his parents to Road games and despite his Lack of interest in taking up hoops remains the couple s biggest Booster at the games. If someone heckles us Gabriele said Steven will say hey watch it that s my mom or dad out there play ing he s our biggest  playing basketball for Pitburg actually makes us closer Ralph Points out when asked about the Strain put on a family by both parents playing Community Basket Ball. We re together most of the time but it can be strenuous on  also affects their Home life. Talk about a hectic lifestyle Gabriele said. We both have work an practice then i have my son to take care of and i m the Only one who Cooks. Sun Day is the Only Day we really have off. But i think i m better off playing. If iwas just a wife sitting at Home maybe i would t understand when Ralph came Home tired or upset after practice or game. As a player i do  Gabriele said she appreciates the Way Pitburg fans have responded to her and Ralph s situation. At Homestead we were always to Gether and it Felt like there was a lot of jealousy comments like pm. There goes the perfect couple " Gabriele said. But the support we get from the Pitburg Community is Nice. I love it Over Here. The even Call us the Baltimore Force  and Pitburg fens Hope the Force will be with them when Csc and Safe tournament time Rolls around. Berlin bit the Bullet for Usa eur s wrestlers by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Berlin Darrell Manuel still has t got the word. He s waiting. When Usa eur announced on nov. 13 that the command would not sponsor any More european Thea Ter championships the Berlin chief of recreation was left in a quandary. A month after the a Cuison was made Public Manuel and his staff were committed to Host ing the command wide wrestling championships. The meet went on As planned because As Manuel put it what s important is the value that is Given to the athlete who s trained All year and has been looking Forward to a conclusion to the wrestling season. If we had to bite the Bullet then  Berlin bit the Bullet right in the jaws of the Community pocketbook saving army wrestlers from a season that would end in Purgatory. To the tune of $ 1,700, the meet went on last weekend with More than 70 grapplers competing in the freestyle and Greco roman championships. The $1,700 Cost was officials fees and a $700 Wel coming banquet was just a Nice touch said Larry Parker Berlin s assistant director of Community an family activities. The Ash tics Are very important. Put the Guys in a Nice looking tournament and they la wrestle  the Community housed the 70-plus wrestlers free of charge in modern four person dorms on Berlin Roosevelt Barracks. Transportation was provided to and from the gymnasium. When Usa eur issued the edict i read about it in the newspaper said Manuel. Not an official let Ter not even a phone Call. Still Haven t heard. Don Claycomb Usa eur sports chief called Parker but did t bother to Call me the sports chief who s responsible for putting this thing  there was t much financially to gain from hosting the championships Manuel said but he Felt he could t just drop the whole idea. That would t have been fair to the wrestlers. Sure the returns arc not that big. I mean we be got a few wrestlers from Berlin but wrestling in t a big Spectator sport. It does t draw Well at the Gate. That s not important. When the rumours started floating around about the decision we marched on  Vii corps grappler Gary Mitchell a 149-Pound free style Gold medallist from Augsburg went to the states before the Vii corps championships. When he got Back from his brother s wedding the Mansfield. Ohio native said everyone was telling me wrestling was Over. I could t believe it. I was beginning to Tram for Usa eur at the time and i was crushed. A couple of Days later i found out the real  commitment Manuel said is the key to making european championships happen. Individual communities must reach out to save an already damaged pro Gram. If we have the commitment of the Community sports offices and Mac oms and if the athlete inter est is there it s going to happen. There will be Champi  like other sports officials gathered Here for the wrestling championships now called the army european championships Manuel feels the whole ordeal was t handled correctly. It s a weak Way to handle it Manuel said. It was an unprofessional Way of going about it. I mean when your sports directors have to read about it in the paper instead of getting a phone Call or even a note that s just weak. A letter would t have taken  it stinks said Parker. Why they did t sponsor the wrestling tournament As the last event on the Calendar remains an unanswered question by  the Usa eur command did not answer a stars and stripes query on the matter. A spokeswoman for Usa eur did say that All the major commands knew about this since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile the Andrews sports Center where the wrestling invitational was held looked the pan of a championship venue. Banners were posted on the Walls a Welcome Banner even graced the Wall. Yeah i brought it Over to the shop to get the Usa eur off of it said a dismayed Parker who at one time headed Usa eur sports. The Guy put . Army Europe on it. Which is the same thing Agusar  not anymore