19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

WEST POINT WINNER
Sirs:
John Underwood deserves to be commended for his story On, Brave Old Army Team (April 29). This is the first article I have read that not only dealt with Tom Cahill as a coach, but, more important, it examined Tom Cahill as a man.
RICHARD N. FRIEDMAN
Washington

Sirs:
We at the University of South Carolina were somewhat disheartened with your characterization of Paul Dietzel 's coaching stint at the U.S. Military Academy . We, too, have failed to field a winning team since Coach Dietzel came to USC . Upon closer examination, however, we realized that the two teams fielded by Tom Cahill since Coach Dietzel 's departure were entirely Dietzel-recruited and largely Dietzel-coached.

Football prospects here are certainly looking up after two highly successful years of recruiting prep talent. We are anxiously and confidently awaiting the chance to compare our record with that compiled by Coach Cahill 's own team over the next several years.
HUNTER ALLEN JR.
JAMES G. JOHNSON
Columbia, S.C.

THE BARBER (CONT.)
Sirs:
Your article Baseball is a Tough Business (April 15 and 22) was excellent! It showed the people of New England just what kind of person Sal Maglie really is. He is just one of those men who has to find someone to blame for his failure.

Maglie says that the staff will falter because the Red Sox lack a competent pitching coach. But Boston 's 1968 record is better than its record at this time in 1967, so chalk one up for new Red Sox Pitching Coach Darrell Johnson . If Maglie was trying to get sympathy he failed. In my opinion the Boston Red Sox are better off without him.
GLENDON H. POMEROY
Worcester , Mass.

Sirs:
There is no doubt in my mind that the sport of baseball is fast approaching the tragedy trail. Having been present last August 18th when Tony Conigliaro , our fine young outfielder, was beaned, I wonder when Eckert, Cronin and Giles are going to get tough with the Barbers of this world.

Unfortunately, many months transpired between the Conigliaro beaning and the April diagnosis that he will probably never play again. The public has a short memory. It actually takes a death to get action, witness Benny Paret . "It's a part of the game!" yell the advocates of this lunacy which now exists. Ask Jimmy Hall, who has never been the same player; ask young Conigliaro , who had more than 100 home runs and a promising career ahead of him. Ask Carl Yastrzemski or Frank Robinson .

Any pitcher who hits a batter, deliberately or not, should be removed from that particular game and suspended for his next pitching turn. Now we argue about intent and everybody hides behind semantics. Take a pitcher from the game, and you'll be surprised how noticeably these "pitches that get away" diminish.
JOHN CURRY
Saugus , Mass.

Sirs:
Although the recent series by Sal Maglie proved to be as colorful as the man himself, the indefatigable Barber did manage to hang two factual curveballs in Part Two. Despite the fact that Sal asserted that he started the second game of the 1954 World Series and the fourth game of the 1956 Series, he was, in fact, the starting pitcher for the first and fifth games, respectively, of those two Series. Any follower of baseball would admit, however, that no pitcher should be held responsible for remembering the games he did not win.
ROGER W. GAESS
Syracuse , N.Y.

OLD SCORES
Sirs:
I was greatly disappointed in reading the reaction of your readers in 19TH HOLE (April 29). The Masters officials could have allowed Roberto de Vicenzo to correct his scorecard without penalty and without informing anyone of the error. Such an action would have avoided much criticism and controversy. However, Cliff Roberts and the rest of the officials were honest and honorable. They applied the rules of golf, fully realizing the consequences. Their action should be applauded, not criticized.
BRUCE BUDNER
Dallas