Letters

MIDSEASON REPORT
How can Peter Gammons renege on Eric Davis as his preseason NL MVP in favor of the Cardinals' Jack Clark (Baseball at the Break, July 20)? With all due respect to Clark, no one in either league was, or is, playing the game as well as Davis. Clark has more RBIs, but he has also had more RBI opportunities. At the All-Star break, Davis led Clark in home runs, runs, slugging percentage, stolen bases and batting average. No one, especially Clark, would doubt Davis's defensive superiority because the Reds' centerfielder has twice robbed Clark of homers. As for importance to his club, in the words of Davis's teammate Dave Parker, "Eric has carried this ball club."
SAMUEL L. TARRY JR.
Richmond

BEANBRAWLS
Congratulations to Hank Hersch for another fine article (It's War Out There!, July 20). Hersch is right when he says that "a game in which a Tony Gwynn is scared to hit is not a game anyone wants to see."
JON ISSELMANN
Kiel, Wis.

Hank Hersch did some hitting of his own—below the belt. He acknowledged that Eric Show is a most unlikely head-hunter, then he accused him of not being combative or gutty, noting "he left the game complaining of a bum foot after hitting Dawson." Obviously the Padres' management made the wise decision that Show would not return to the game after the incident. You don't win 67 games and pitch nine shutouts in the National League without guts.
BOB FUGLER
Fullerton, Calif.

I heard Red Barber suggest on National Public Radio that a hit batter should be awarded second base. I think this would help stop the deliberate head-hunting in baseball.
BILL KEUTGEN
Fort Myers, Fla.

STOCKS AND PUCKS
Your June 29 SCORECARD section contains two errors:

1) Contrary to your report, Boston Celtic stock did not drop more than five points the day after the sixth-game loss to the Lakers. Celtic stock has dropped at a steady pace to its present level since originally offered last December.

2) Kenny Hand is wrong in stating that there are no NCAA hockey teams in California. U.S. International University of San Diego has fielded an independent Division I program for several years now and annually plays many of the powers around the country.

However, your central points are not diminished: Boston Celtic stock is overvalued, and NCAA conventions are little more than junkets.
GREGORY R. AMBROSE
Lynn, Mass.

SUGAR RAY (CONT.)
Ralph Wiley's article on Sugar Ray Robinson (Bittersweet Twilight for Sugar, July 13) brought tears to my eyes.
WILLIAM MOWRER
Kennett, Mo.

SEOUL OLYMPICS
As assistant chef de mission of next year's Olympic team to Seoul, I note with interest almost everything in the media about South Korea and, in particular, the effect or potential effect of political activities there on the 1988 Olympic Games.