European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday july 14, 1990the stars and stripes Page 23commentar in you would think the configuration of Fenway Park in Boston would Send a class left handed Batter screaming into the night. It would look to him like the structural equivalent of Frankenstein a monster a Nightmare in steel and Concrete. There Isnit even a Geometric figure to describe its eccentricity. The Way the expanses of right and Center Field Are Cut into by the left Field Fence make it look like a balloon with a Corset in it. When Ted Williams first came up to the Boston red sox they had Only one left handed hitter Roger a a Doc Cramer. Cramer came up to the Rookie Williams with a word of advice. A kid a he said a a done to try to pull the Ball to hit Home runs Here. It can t be  Cramer knew whereof he spoke. He had come to the red sox from friendlier Philadelphia a Ballpark with modest Power. But he had hit Only one Home run in five years at Boston. Williams did no to listen to him and proceeded to hit 31 Home runs that season. But that was Williams the greatest striker of the baseball for his time. For the merely mortal left handed hitter the right Field seats were 380 feet away. Most major league Home runs Are in the 330350-foot Range some less. You would think a great left handed hitter would need smelling salts the first look he got at Fenway a outposts. For Wade Boggs it was like his first sighting of the Taj mahal or the grand Canyon. It caught his breath. He got weak in the Knees a dreamy look in his eyes and he looked like a Guy about to sing under a Balcony. You know How some Guys at the school dance actually opt for the girl with the Buck Teeth and the thick glasses she looks just gorgeous to them. They step right Over the Marilyn Monroe lookalikes to get at them. That a the Way Wade Boggs was. He got Tongue tied just looking at that old Bawd the most Beautiful thing head Ever seen. Every place he looked he saw Money. He  change a thing. You would think Only a right handed hitter could love Fenway. After All that left Field Wall is Only 315 feet away and it cuts directly across into Center Field without veering out. Its so close they have to put a 30-foot net atop it to keep balls from breaking across the Street. It was built in the Days when ballparks were constructed to accommodate swing Jim Murray up1 Wade Boggs entered this season hitting .352 lifetime. The streets around them not vice versa. The Wall not Only does no to scare Boggs he embraces it. He loves every wart and wrinkle on her. They could make Beautiful music together he was sure. Boggs plays the Wall the Way Heifetz played Mozart or Chopin an etude. He can play a stars and stripes forever on it if you give him enough hanging curve balls. Other lefties May curse and fume at the lopsided dimensions of the Ballpark but Wade just incorporates them in his game plan. Wade plays the hand he a dealt. Some years ago Wade Boggs went to arbitration in a bitter dispute with the red sox. Boggs did no to really want More Money. He just wanted to stay around his soulmate the Ballpark. He wanted a five year no Trade Deal. He just did no to want a divorce. It would be like asking Toscanini to leave his or Chestra. A i love this Ballpark 1 love Boston Quot Boggs explained. Why  he in 1985, Wade Boggs lapped out-240 hits the most in the american league since 1928 Heinie Manush 241 and the most in the big leagues since 1930 Bill Terry 254. His lifetime batting average going into this season was an astounding .352. That s Tycobb territory. The Only batters ahead of Boggs in history Are Cobb Rogers Hornsby and shoeless Joe jackson.1 pretty Heady company. He is supposed to be a Ping hitter but be has rapped out 335 doubles Many of them off the left Field Wall and he once hit 24 hornets in a season just to show he could. Mostly he just wears out left Field. Around the league it used to be said Wade Boggs was the Only hitter in the league who Only needed one strike. Some seasons he got Over 50 percent of his hits with two strikes on him. A this Only real weakness is called strike three a his former manager John Mcnamara once observed. Boggs a umpires Quot himself out of an at Bat at times. He also walks 100 times a year. So he also umpires his Way on base. Most kids Are still teaming to walk at 18 months. Wade Boggs was learning to hit. He has a picture of a himself at Bat at 18 months a Ted Williams once saw a picture of me As a baby and he said i had perfect form a Boggs says proudly. Gifted with 20/12 vision he sees at 20 feet what others need to be 12 feet to make out and sound mechanics at the plate his stance Hasni to changed since 18 month Boggs swings a telescopic Bat. A broadcaster on the fourth of july telecast As he came to bal noted Boggs was batting a a Mere .300.&Quot batting .300 would be cause enough for most _ Ugi players in the league to throw a party Ana Bronze the Ball. With Boggs they want to Send him to the Hospital for testing. He gets on base a phenomenal 300 times a year. The red sox cannot win the Pennant without him. If other people Sec Fenway As an ugly old Baltic a who left har. Hates for. Handers Boggs secs her As Michelle pfc if a i always hit the Ball to left Field anyway Quot he said recently As he sat in the red sox locker room munching a Chicken Sandwich. Quot this place was built for  the lot Angulot Limtt Foreman itching for who title i amp by Phil Berger new York times George Foreman Isnit taking his marching orders these Days from Home Box office. Foreman is supposed to fight Francesco Damiani the world boxing organization heavyweight Champion As part of a sept. 22 Hob double header co featuring Mike Tyson against Alex Stewart in Atlantic City the hitch is that Foreman wont go along with Hbous plans to make the Damiani fight a non title 10-round bout. Quot George wants Damiani for the Mia Quot a promoter Bob arum what he a saying to me is a nobody is telling me what to do fight for the title not fight for the title a a arum conveyed Foreman a sentiments monday to Bob Greenway an executive at Hob. Greenway said Hbous program guide deadline gave the pay Cable serv be another week to work out things the Foreman and if the non title status of the Damiani fight proved a Deal breaker Hob would just go ahead with Tyson against Stewart. Wed prefer the double header but l Yson Stewart stands on its own a said Careen Way. What a Hbous problem with Foreman fighting for the who title just this Hob spent $22 million for boxing Roundup a series that unified the heavyweight division when Tyson As the world boxing Council world boxing association Champion won a decision Over Tony Tucker the International boxing federation Champion in August 1988. While few people take the idea of Damiani As Champion seriously the who title would surely add to Foreman a stature and ultimately Sully the notion of an undisputed heavyweight Champion. Whether Hob is prepared to allow that to happen remains to be seen. Arum for one Isnit worrying a if Hob wont agree then Well do our own thing a he said. Greenway said he was aware arum had been a shopping Quot Damiani fore Man around a to Showtime to pay per View exhibitors and to the television networks As a primetime attraction. # Michael Buffer the ring. Announcer who is Given to say a a let a get ready to rumble a is a pretty fair mimic Good enough so that friends sometimes phone him using voices other than their own. That is what made Buffer suspicious a few years ago when a woman called and said Quot hold on for or. Grant  when the next voice sounded like that unmistakable cadence of Cary Grant Buffer  resist responding with his Best Cary Grant. The caller who was inquiring about a yellow Bow tie and Butterfly Collar that Buffer had worn on an esp boxing telecast put up with a few of buffers lines before telling him a you know you re doing me quite  a turns out a said Buffer a it really was Cary Grant. I apologized. He told me a happens All the time. I can to even make reservations in  after that wed speak from time to time until he died. He was a boxing Fanf and told me he used to Box Himsel a earlier this year Harold Smith the promoter who was convicted of embezzling $21.3 million from Wells Fargo National Bank was involved in a fight promotion in Indonesia featuring Tim Witherspoon. Witherspoon is guided by Dennis Rappaport who is known to have his share of boxing enemies but Smith is not among them. In time of need said Smith Rappaport proved to be a Friend. Quot id been arrested for the Wells Fargo problem at the same Lime my Mother died a said Smith. �?o1 happened to be talking to Dennis when i got a Call on another line front my brother. After talking to my brother about funeral arrangements i mentioned to Dennis there was a Money problem in burying my Mother. When George Foreman plans to flex his Muscles ,.against Francesco Damiani he heard that he offered to pay and did pay for my Mother s Gravestone and later refused to take Money for  # Shelly Finkel the manager of former Aba welterweight Champion Mark Breland said he has asked the fighter to wait at least a month before deciding whether to continue his career. Breland was knocked out in nine rounds sunday by Aaron Davis and looked like a fighter susceptible to future damage. Quot i done to want to see him Hurt again and i have to weigh it very heavily a said Finkel