European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 24,1990 the stars and stripes Pago 25commentary by Marty Noble last things first. Rollie fingers the All time Leader in saves and the Premier closer was checked on my ballot for the Hall of Fame he should have been checked on All others As Well. He won t be a that s another Story a but he is All but guaranteed of election. Fingers needs no Campaign speech. He did for Relief pitching what Elvis did for Rock v Roll. He did t invent it he popularized it the Way Edison popularized Benjamin Franklin a discovery. Rod Carew was checked too but he probably will require some campaigning to gain election in this his first year of eligibility. He willbe condemned for not driving in runs a he had 1,015 rib in 19 seasons and for not hitting Home runs. He hit 92. And yes in this age when people look beyond batting average to measure a player s Worth on offence Carew May not show As Well As others on this ballot who did no to receive my vote a Vada Pinson Rusty staub and Joe Torre. But Carew was the Best at what he did. No matter that batting average no longer is the primary measure every player wants to Bat .300. And All Carew did was Bat .300 15 times winning the batting title on seven occasions and batting .328 for his career. In a Way he is similar to Nolan Ryan whose worthiness for the Hall also should go unquestioned. But there Are some among the electorate a la year Mcm Bers of the baseball writers association of America a who confuse the Hall of Fame qualifications with voting for an map. It Isnit that. Ryan with All those strikeouts and Carew with All those hits ought to be in the Hall. Yes even on the first ballot. So should Ferguson Jenkins Thurman Munson and. Bill Mazeroski. Each was checked on my ballot As Well. And i prefer to vote for Only two players a year but in a not going to be the one to keep Mazeroski or Munson out of the Hall As their years of eligibility dwindle. And Jenkins who should have been a first year lock certainly deserves support now. He too was the Best at what he did Mazeroski a worthiness for the Hall should be underscored by what appears to be growing support for Larry Bowa who appeared on the ballot for the first time. Bowa was the Best defensive shortstop in the National league before Ozzie Smith began his Wiz Wardry. And because the term a american league Rollic fingers shortstop Hadnot been invented at the time a see Robin Yount 1982 Cal Ripken 1983 and Alan Trammell 1984 a the designation a Best defensive shorts Stop meant Best shortstop period. And Bowa hardly was a Ray of Lempe As a Batter. He batted .260. Granted his defense and offence benefited from the artificial surface in Philadelphia. But his credentials Are genuine. But i did not vote for him. My ballot was too crowded and somehow i feel no primarily defensive Middle in a fielder should be elected before Mazeroski. For that matter i have trouble voting for Bowa knowing that Phil Rizzuto is not in the Hall. Each was dominant at a critical position for a championship team. Number 9 a a delicate situation has developed within the new York Yankees. Graig Nettles is re turning As a coach to the club with which he made his Mark in the majors. Nettles wore uniform no. 9 throughout his 11-year tenure with the Yankees and through most of the subsequent seasons he spent with the san Diego padres Atlanta braves and Montreal expos. But no 9 is one of 12 numbers the Yankees have act itch. It was retired in Honor of the late Roger Maris in 1984, a few months after Nettles departure to the padres. So what number is Nettles to Wear w Hen he begins his Job he would like to Wear Quot his number but recognizes the situation. General manager Gene Michael intends to ask Marisa widow if she would have a problem with the number being assigned to another  was assigned the number in 1973 by the tale Pete so achy who ran the Yankees clubhouse for Many  when i got there a Nettles recalled Friday a Pete said he thought i looked like Roger and thought our swings were alike. He said i should Wear it. I was Happy to Wear  the resemblance of the two left handed Hilting sluggers is striking. Nettles wife Ginger said she has a photograph of Maris and her husband taken at a Golf tournament in the mid-70s. A Roger and Graig looked like twins a site said. Quot i always thought Pete did the right thing by giving Graig Roger a number a if the Yankees can t accommodate Nettles with no. 9, they co ild give him no. 19. Its available now. And there always has been a relationship Between nellies and Dave Vighetti. Number please a the new York mets could have had a numbers problem too. But Hubie Brooks As gracious a Man As there is in the game declined to take no. 7 when it was offered to him last week. Brooks wore no. 7 during his first tour Wilh the mels and during his five years with the Montreal expos and he could have had it again. But he did no to want to take it from Daryl Boston. A you done to hit with your number a Brooks said. He accepted no. 19,worn by Bob Ojeda the past five years. Brooks wore no. 21 with the los Angeles dodgers last season. That number could become available with the mets sometime next summer if the club carries through with this foolish notion of dealing Kevin Elsier a a. A a naw Day a ,. S by Joe Lapointe Detroit a a on warm humid. Nights through transistors and earphones they whisper to us like lovers across a Pillow on hot sunny Days through stereo speakers in the Back of the car they shout at us like Happy children on the Way to summer Camp they Are the local baseball announcers for the local teams on the local radio stations As much a sound of summer As the singing of Birds the chirping of Cricket Ana the hissing of Lawn sprinklers just As the summer solstice brings Long Days that Are warm and soothing so too do Winters Long nights turn cold and harsh. In terms of local radio baseball broadcasting the equivalent of a killer freeze seized Detroit and Michigan in the middie of december when the tigers and radio station War told Ernie Harwell this week that the j991 baseball season. A his 43th in the major leagues and his 32nd in Detroit a would be his last at Tiger stadium  resulting blizzard of angry reaction rivalled that displayed in Pittsburgh in 1975 when the pirates dismissed Bob Prince in St. Louis in 1969 when the cardinals dismissed Harry Caray and in new York in 1964 and 1966 when the Yankees dismissed Mel Allen and red Barber. Bumper stickers to shirts and billboards a say it ainu to so boy appeared denouncing to Schembechler the team president. At a ret wings hockey game in Joe Louis Arena last week fans began to chant a we want Ernie we want Ernie a talk show phone lines and newspaper headlines sizzled with threats of Boycotts against the team the radio station commentary and the pizza marketed by the team owner Tom Monaghan. 7 the juror Wasny to just local. As the 1981 Winner of the Ford Frick award for broadcasting that is presented at the baseball Hall of Fame Harwell is known nationwide As one of his crafts friendliest and most respected practitioners. At the age of 72, he is one of its significant elders with minor league roots in Atlanta and m ajor league experience with the Brooklyn dodgers the new York giants and the Baltimore orioles. Curt Smith an author and historian of baseball broadcasting said Harwell a dismissal differs from those of others be cause there were no extenuating circumstances such As personality conflicts with front office executives objections from commercial sponsors or deterioration of skill behind the microphone  and the station offered no explanation. A ibo Schembechler and Tom Monaghan should be ashamed of themselves Quot Smith said by Telephone from the White House where he works As a speech writer for president Bush. A you cannot overestimate the damage this has done to the tigers. If you Are a businessman you done to fire your Best asset. A Ernie Harwell is one of the three or four finest announcers in the 70-year history of baseball broadcasting a said Smith w Hose a voices of the games was a blushed by Diamond communications no. In 1988. A this is an abject insult not Only to every Tiger fan but to any person in this country who loves baseball a Bob Prince jr., who lives in Michigan a and works in the plastics Industry predicted that Detroit a ticket sales will Ful Ter for a while As they did in Pittsburgh after his father was dismissed. A the fans will have a Quick reaction a Prince said a and in a couple of years they will Start to forget.�?�. Bob Costas an Abc television sports Caster who occasionally fills in for St. Louis cardinals radio broadcasts said a i think All of us Are aware that it is. A business. That does no to mean that it is 100 percent cold and heartless. But you have to be aware that the sentimental Side in sports is  Costas noted Harwell a departure will leave Vin Scully of the los Angeles dodgers and Jack Buck of the cardinals As the remaining members of the Honor Roll of the senior class that broke in around 1950. Although Scully and Buck have worked in television and in other sports both draw their strength from baseball and from radio. That game and this medium make for a special blend of americana for Many reasons including the length of the season along with the intimacy and imagination inherent in both j Harwell born in Georgia in 1918, remembers the Early years of commercial Bra casting when Many Homes including his did no to have this mystical modern invention. V. A you had to go Over to someone a House to hear it Quot Harwell said. A that made it even More  Harwell Allen and Barber All Are from the South and Harwell has said he wonders if their gifts evolved from that culture when families and neighbors would sit on porches and entertain each other with stories during the. Long Twilight of summer evenings. Instead of addressing an audience of thousands or millions Harwell tries to speak to Only one listener and often visualizes his late father who spent his final years housebound the highlight of his Day being the afternoon baseball broadcast. A a a a a a. Jack Buck recalled a similar situation. As a teen Ager in Ohio he listened to Cleveland games described by Jack Graney. Years later Graney a daughter wrote Buck a letter saying that her father was retired in Missouri and had lost his eyesight. / one of his enduring pleasures she said was to listen to cardinals games and to envision them through eyes and word pictures of Jack Buck. A that was very meaningful to me Quot Buck said. A people count on you. You Are a Friend. Sometimes you Are their Only Friend a a Barber says a there is a stronger Bond Between fan and the radio announcer than with the television  and Harwell says an established announcer fits a like an old  All Are practitioners of a classic style in which the announcer acted As a soloist speaking directly to the listener a is there anything unprecedented or unique about the Harwell dismissal not really. A you can almost expect something to happen when new people come in a barter said by Telephone from his Florida Home. A Detroit made a change when they brought in  the a Yort Torrn