European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday july 26, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 19 Rose belongs commentary in and All by John Steadman the Baltimore evening san All members of the baseball writers association of America who never cheated on their expense accounts please raise your hands or forever hold your peace. It seems there is a double Standard. Some of those same dead honest reporters with impeccable records now want to Bury Pete Rose who has admitted to shortchanging the internal Revenue service in the All important fiscal Box score. Rose of course is going to pay a penalty by being sent off to a Federal institution for a five month sentence. Now there is conjecture that some of the same writers who used to Praise him arc saying because of the fact he a headed to jail they can to see their Way Clear to vote a Felon into the Hall of Fame. Suddenly they have become self righteous. Maybe even hypocritical. Sanctimonious too. If they Ever a a fudged an expense account and put in for Money they did no to spend while on company business such As a cab ride or a meal or an invisible tip to a Bellhop they Are gaining a financial Edge that the irs should know about. The Only difference is Rose did no to Nickel and dime the country and got caught for trying to put a serious Money in his Back pocket by deliberately failing to provide a truthful accounting of his earnings. But lets look at it this Way in an attempt to personalize the entire episode and provide a semblance of balance if Only one Penny is made that goes unreported by a writer or a travelling Salesman for instance it Means the government technically Isnit getting a Square Deal. So maybe those a knights of the keyboards Quot As Ted Williams preferred to Call the denizens of the press Box should put their own houses in order before throwing More rocks at Pete Rose who is battered As though he san old broken Down batting practice Pitcher. Some who want to offer a thimble of compassion Are saying they wont vote for him when he son the list in his first year of eligibility a 1992 a but May consider doing it the second time around. Taking an extra year to think about it unless they consider themselves slow learners Isnit going to convey a lesson in morality to anyone except to make themselves look foolish and delay the obvious a that Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. If his baseball accomplishments done to Merit unanimous approval by the writers then lets vote to remove Tycobb a. The Man Rose surpassed in amassing his All time hit total from the Hall of Fame because he was alleged to have bet on games while he was a player. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis claimed the statute of limitations exhausted itself so he did no to assess any kind of a penalty and Cobb never had to face the determination of being guilty or innocent. Except he was Able to walk away from the controversy without penalty. Rose was barred from baseball for betting on games which is a serious violation but this does not detract from the abilities he displayed in the National league for 23 years. Now along comes failure to properly discharge his tax responsibility to the gov Ern Mem and he is going to be incarcerated in a minimum Security facility. Additionally Rose is hit with a $50,000 Fine and furthermore is going to have to compensate the irs for what it took to prosecute him plus what it la Cost to confine him and provide supervision. This also will be the first time in his career he Ever had to pay for his own meals a while on the Road but of course its at the request of the government. Rose tried to Hustle the irs out of taxes to the amount of $162,703.15, which he has now paid Back to Square the account. It covered a time Frame from 1984 through 1987, when he re Oakland fans air their View of the Rose affair Over the head of outfielder Felix Jose. Ported income of $4,660,368.00 and paid taxes totalling $2,027,417.20. So he paid More than $2 million in taxes which Means he did no to attempt to stiff the irs for the full amount except he failed to give them a truthful accounting As required by Law. The tax Issue regarding Rose has clouded his Hall of Fame status when it should have nothing to do with it. His suspension from baseball for betting will be weighed by the writers who fill in the Hall of Fame ballots in de Cember 1991. This is what they must address Rose the player not the lax evasion aspect of the Many a life. Last year 444 members of the baseball writers association of America cast votes with 75 percent necessary for election. Here a one vote in roses behalf. And he can take it to prison the Bank or to Cooperstown. It s the baseball Hall of Fame where players steal signals bases and even locker room towels. Lets not confuse it with the canonization of a . Women reclaiming swim dominance by Bob Baum Federal Way Wash. Apr if eight individual Gold medals in 10 events did no to prove it a double whammy in the 400-meter Medley relay did. There is a new emerging superpower in the world of women a swimming and it wears red White and Blue. . Women swimmers have dominated the Competition at the Goodwill games punctuating their Superb performances by beating the East germans monday night in a relay for the first time since 1978. And not Only did the . A a a team beat the germans but the a a by team did it too. A i Don t know if this proves that we re the Best swimmers in the world but we be had one Heck of a meet a Butterfly specialist Betsy Mitchell said. For More than a decade the sport has belonged to the East germans. But retirement and the uncertainty surrounding the historic political changes in that country have shaken the East German team. After nearly six weeks in the United states and with concerns about the future of their sport in their soon to be unified Homeland the East germans have won two relays but no individual Gold medals at the Goodwill games. But Richard Quick of Stanford the . Women a coach said the German downfall detract from the americans accomplishments. A you always dream about beating the Best Competition in the world at their Best and that obviously Isnit quite the situation because they apparently Arentt at their very Best Quot he said. A but i done to think it should take anything away from what we be a you can to control what the germans do Quot Quick said. A you just control the Opportunity to do your Best and that a what our team is any discussion of the . Resurgence begins of course with Janet Evans the 18-year>old who has three golds and two silvers at the Goodwill games. The 5-foot-7 freestyle Dynamo whose three medals were the Only Gold for . Women swimmers at the 1988 olympic games has served As an inspiration to the crop of Young swimming sensations making its Mark at the Goodwill Competition. A the great thing that Janet has brought to the sport is a work ethic and an attitude of never giving up and that you can win a Quick said. A you done to have to be beaten before the race starts. Any time you see a Little girl like that stand up and compete against people who Are bigger and stronger and come out on top its an inspiration. _ a i think her performance in �?T88 had a significant effect on the Young Talent in the United states. A that Young Talent has had its coming out party at the King county aquatics Center. They include a summer Sanders the 17-year-old from Roseville calif., who handed Evans the first defeat in one of her specially events in three years saturday when she won the 400-meter individual Medley. Sanders added the 200 intermediate Medley Gold on monday. Shell join Evans at Stanford this All. A a summer a establishing herself As one of the top swimmers in the world Quot Quick said. A Nicole Haislett 17, of St. Petersburg fla., who won the Goodwill Gold in the 100-meter freestyle the first time the East germans Haven to won that event in a major Competition since 1972. She also anchored the winning 400 Medley relay team which set an american record. A Janel Jorgensen 19, of Ridgefield conn., a teammate of Evans at Stanford who won the Igo Meler Butterfly and also was on the record setting relay team. A Mary Ellen Blanchard of Norcross a who turned 17 tuesday rebounded from a fifth Olace finish in the 200 breaststroke to win the Silver in the 200 in. The team is fortified by veterans. Leigh Ann Fetter 21, a five time Mcaa Champion at the University of Texas won the Goodwill Gold in the 50 freestyle. Mitchell 24, won the 100 backstroke and swam the first leg of the victorious relay team. Mcfarlane 24, was part of the winning Medley relay team
