European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Be our guest stepping up with predictions As baseball opens Robert n. Mirelson the world changed a lot in the last year and i can to say it got much better. The Economy is sluggish nobody knows what to Call Russia and we still have a Lousy bobsled team. Its an election year which really Means a lot of bad television commercials be thankful for an. There a a lot wrong with our world but it always looks better in the Spring and Spring Means baseball. Even better monday Means the opening of the baseball season this Spring has been a time of Hope and renewal. The coaching staff of each club worked Long and hard to evaluate Talent and potential. After the managers made their recommendations the general managers and team owners generally botched things up. When trades and players done to pan out they can always fire the manager. But on the eve of the regular season All managers have Job Security and arc potential geniuses and even the cubs have a Chance to win the Pennant. Yes it docs happen every Spring. Its a time of potential Luck and coincidence. Every team has its stars and potential phenom. The disappointments disabling injury Fluke and fold up arc far from everyone a mind and even Boston fans believe in miracles its a Lime of mixing the old and the new. The aging veterans and their Brash replacements clash for roster positions. The fans at the Spring Parks perhaps Best personify the contrast. On this last weekend of Spring training tanned and leathery Florida retirees remember the real greats the old Parks and still talk about the old eight team leagues. Mixed in with them Are the a Jose Canseco a athletics will overpower Al West. Young fans carrying their gloves and seeking to be close to the superstars. Television brought us closer to the mighty sometimes too close. At the Small intimate Spring Parks you can see the players not their Media image. Baseball benefited from the written word More than any other sport. The old time writers were part poet part fan statisticians and often giants in their own right. Think about it nobody Ever really wrote a Good poem about football Bowling or Stock car racing. Compare those legendary baseball stories to paragraphs in Usa today and we re not Reading about the same game. Its True the game is different. Forget the live Ball dead Ball argument and think about the grass. I have a nostalgic memory of old Yankee stadium Back when if my dad was in a great mood he would tip an usher and i could actually walk up and touch the monuments in Centerfield. The game was played on grass in the Sun on glorious summer afternoons. Television brought the game to All of us but a painted Green Rug under the lights in a Park requiring armed Security guards Isnit the same. Any fan Worth his Salt is an expert in the Spring. We be had All Winter to Analyse last season trades injuries and lifestyles of the millionaires club its time to go on record with this seasons picks. In the National league the senior circuit where pitchers still hit and players actually know How to bunt the race will be close. In the no East the prideful pirates and overpaid mets will Battle to the wire. Midwest values will beat out East coast hype. Pirates by two games. The no West pits the . Pocketbook against the Youthful vigor and hunger of the braves but its the year of the reds. Cincy not Moscow. Cincy by three. In a a born again american leaguer and even worse a 40-year Yankee fan but its not our year. The dark House Al East orioles finally rewarding the years of great play by the Ripken clan and with an assist from the Ever choking red sox take the Flag by five. In the Al West Long suffering White sox fans remain so As the cans eco red athletics regain their top position. The Pitcher less twins fall to fourth. Oakland by 10 games. About this time every year i Start feeling better. The Days Are getting longer and people seem More upbeat. Many Call baseball a portrait of life. Of if it were Only True. If we could All be called successful for succeeding Only 30 percent of the time not striking out too often and catching most of what came our Way just think How much better we would Feci. Maybe we just need to think about that philosophy a Little More. Whatever your persuasion be it fan or non fan think about baseball this Spring and the time of renewal. If you Ever get to Florida or Arizona during Spring training take the time to visit one of the Parks. If you would enjoy a Brief respite visiting a slower simpler Era an afternoon at a1 Lang Field joker mar chant or Miami stadium is just the ticket. Even if you never get there take a look at the new grass on a warm Spring afternoon smell the Sunshine and newness of the season and look ahead to a better future life is baseball baseball is life. Life gets that much better on mondays opening Day. U. Col. Robert n. Mar Olson works in Heidelberg Germany. Send in your column plus a photo of yourself to be our guest sunday Magazine the stars and stripes Apo 09211 or Postrach 11 14 37, d-6100 Darmstadt 11,  laugh Farris Usa copyright a 1992. Cartoonist a writers Syndicate Conti v \ from the cover .4-7 babes in Joy land. Sidelights.8-9 the Bagpiper of Bent Waters. Updating Quot who son first Quot Odds amp ends .10 yes Erma Bombeck in t running. In tune. 11 Quot profile Quot goes into action. This weeks films.12-13 Chuck Vinch Quot article 99&Quot could use surgery. A a fes circuit listings. A television listings .14-16 local Cable and satellite schedules. Home entertainment .17 the fantasy world of Quot the Fisher King. Quot on Parade .18 cutting video pirating on pause. Voices .19 Joe Bob Briggs drawn to japanese cartoon. Words and wit.20 Tony Konheiser on Clinton and Congress. Books .21 swinging through baseball pages. Classified ads .22-27 last laugh .28 Dave Barry tries to understand taxes. _ Orion Lefur Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins sweep. Page 11. Sunday is a weekly supplement of the stars and stripes editor Bucky Fox Art direction Sharon Kilday Tarrant production Susie Stonum editorial assistance Marian Hamilton Louis Pierce Page 2 a sunday april 5, 1992