European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday August 20, 1991 the stars and stripes . Again for alibis Quot i lost it in the Sun. A a dodger Pitcher Billy Loes explaining Why he missed a ground Ball in the 1952 world series. By Jim l1tke the associated press so the rest of the hemisphere can play a Little baseball and a Little basketball by now and maybe they even hit a Little harder. So what a glance at the record shows the United states is still untouchable when it comes to our real National pastime. Think about it when was the last time anyone anywhere outside this country came up with a world class Alibi for botching something like the pan am games on their own poverty we gave them that one some 40 years ago. Lack of coaches equipment and training facilities forget it same source and almost As old. No esp sorry ours too. Alibis we be got in abundance an embarrassment in fact of riches. Tune into a pro sporting event when things get tight for someone or some team and sometimes you can almost sense the alibis being practice along with the ground strokes or Golf shots or batting swings. Some of the athletes Are searching for ways to Prosper regardless of the wind and the Sun and the Moon and the stars the officials the stakes and the deep ruts in the playing surface. But others Are just searching for excuses. And More and More at lower and lower Levels of sport it seems Yankee ingenuity is being pressed into the service of finding the perfect Alibi. This for instance is Why the United states tripped Over puerto Rico on its Way to the Gold medal basketball game a the thing i noticed the last three minutes a Forward Christian laettner said a was that every Call went their Way. We settled into pushing and shoving the whole game and they the referees started calling touch fouls the last three minutes a and this is Why the . Baseball team stumbled and fell to puerto Rico on its Way to the Gold medal game a Steve Johnson of Denver needs no excuses against Mexico a Edgar Ruiz. Johnson won the Lone boxing Gold. A was i started my Windup my Spike got caught on the Mound but i was Able to recover and get my balance a Pitcher Jeff Ware said. A i just Wasny table to locate the pitch and i threw it right across the plate. I Stop in the Middle of my motion because it would have been a balk and i did no to want the runner on third to score so i had to pitch to him. Unfortunately for me he hit it at least Usa basketball chief Bill Wall was succinct. Asked if there was anything the . Women a basketball team a reduced to yet another third rate Power a was lacking Wall hit the Nail and Vivian Stringer one of his employees right on the head a yeah a he replied. A a new in fairness to the three men above they were just taking their cues from the top. George Steinbrenner a . Olympic committee vice president in Good standing once again blew into Havana at the Start of the games passing out excuses like hard Candy. First he ripped the athletes who stayed away. Then he ripped the athletes who came. Judging by his answers to most questions either Steinbrenner Sears were still clogged from the Short flight Over or he had slipped into a time travel Warp. He seemed to think that someone had asked him about the Yankees in new York and that those old nostrums threats and fines floating on a burst of hot air would be enough to carry the Day next time. Maybe so but More Likely not. Its True that most of the athletes who went to Cuba were the runners up in this country a National competitions. And its True that a wealth of Talent a basketball players Shaquille of Neal and Alonzo mourning track and Field stars Carl Lewis Leroy Burrell and Jackie Joyner Kersic swimmers Matt Biondi and Janet Evans boxers Oscar do Lay Hoya and Eric Griffin a were either off chasing dollars or preparing for More prestigious championships elsewhere. But its also True that the athletes in the rest of the world even the former patsies in the rest of the hemisphere Are a coniing Tough in the Way that . Athletes used to be but seem less and less with each passing Competition. They Are the ones now who grow up hungry and Over matched who play much of the time on Lousy surfaces with Lousy bounces and Lousy Calls by Lousy referees. A and they Are the ones now making the plays a instead of excuses. Army Europe track runs this weekend compiled by Klint Johnson assistant sports editor the army european open track and Field championships with civilians and family members eligible for the first time will be held at Warner Barracks in Bamberg Germany saturday and sunday. The Competition is open to All army military and civilian . Card holders. Registration is 10 both Days. Categories for the Competition Are menus open 27-and under men s sub local sports masters 28-34 and menus masters 35 and older. Women will compete m one category. All the regular events will of Neid except the Hammer throw. The track at Warner Barracks has a synthetic surface so runners should bring the appropriate shoes. Overnight accommodations Are available on cots in the Juk fitness Center at Warner. Camping is also available. For More information Call Liz Moore at ets 469-7597/8890. Basketball a the United states cism team continues its tuneup schedule this week with a thursday game far East wins senior series Kissimmee Fla. A the far East team beat the Usa West twice saturday afternoon to win the senior Little league world series. The far East had to win the first game saturday to stay alive said Don Miers who is stadium manager for the Osceola astros who hosted the event. The far East edged Usa West 2-1 to Force the championship game which it won 7-3. Earlier saturday Kaiserslautern military Community completed the Best performance Ever by a european team in a stateside world series by winning its fourth straight game to lock up third place in the tournament for 14-15-year-Olds. Kmic stopped St. Cloud Fla., 7-4, to take Home a 4-2 record. Dave Roser tossed an eight hitter Justin links went 3 for 3 with two rib while Harvey Hargrove tripled and singled to Lead pm cd a 10-hit assault. Against the German first division team in Bamberg 8 . And a Friday Date with a belgian club at Lich Germany near Giessen 5 . The . Armed forces squad will compete in a six team tournament at Speyer Germany Over the weekend. The . Plays at 12 30 . Against pc Bau Nach and again at 3 30 . Against to Kirchheim Blanden. The championship game will be at 1 . On sunday. Site of the tourney is the sport Halle Des Georg Friedrich Kolb Schulz Entrum. The . Forces squad which won All three of its games in a tournament at Langen last weekend departs for the cism tourney in Athens on monday. Soccer a the 5th signal command Archibald cup tournament will be played at Jastatt Germany aug. 28-30, with american British Canadian French and German teams competing. The annual five team event will be hosted by last years Winner a 42nd regiment do transmission a French unit. All the participating teams including the . 5th signal come from Worms and a Canadian squad from Baden Solingen arc nato sister units of 5th signal. Distance running the Kuh Berg kicker run a 10-Kilometer race is scheduled for the Ruhberg Community Park in bad Kreuz Nach saturday. The entry fee of $10 or 15 Marks includes a to shirt. Registration will be held from 9-10 45 . On race Day with the event starting at 11 . Awards will be presented to the top three in each menus and women a category. To pre Register Call the bad Kreuz Nach sports office at 490-6177. Sopr balls bad Kreuz Nach and Derheim will play Host to the monster invitational slow pitch tournament aug. 30-sept. 2. Tourney games will be played in Baa Kreuz Nach and Derheim. The team entry fee is $150, with trophies and expense Money awarded to the first through fifth place teams $1,000, $750, $500, $250 and $150. Checks or Money orders should be made out to Usma by eco 2094 and mailed to Usma Dupca cd sports Apo 09252. Call 490-6177 for information
