19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

BETWEEN THE LINES
Sirs:
I was interested to note that Jim Brosnan's article, This Pitcher May Need Relief (March 16), was the only feature on baseball in your March 16 issue. I must confess that his comments on the national pastime are becoming, for me, more enjoyable than the game itself. Perhaps next year at this time we may be fortunate enough to have Jim publish a journal on baseball as it is lived and played in Kyoto or Florence. After all, there is only so much that can be said about the unimaginative nature of American baseball management. Perhaps one day it will find that bad publicity is better than no publicity at all.

Please publish more of Brosnan.
JOHN B. CARR
Millville, N.J.

Sirs:
Charles O. Finley can start back on the right road if he can acquire Brosnan. Baseball is getting dull enough without a helping hand from the White Sox front office.
JOHN WADLIN
Syracuse, N.Y.

Sirs:
Being a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, I became a follower of Author-Pitcher Brosnan. In reference to two articles that have appeared recently in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED—Trouble Sprouts for the Yankees (March 2) and This Pitcher May Need Relief—it seems to me that two problems might be solved here. It seems logical that if Ralph Houk grabs up Mr. Brosnan he would not only get grade-A relief for his bull pen, but it would be very probable that the Yankees would also get a book, with Brosnan's unique style, about Yankee clubhouse life. If the move to put Yogi Berra in as pilot is a step to humanize the Yanks, then why not go all out with Brosnan?
GARY C. HUESTED
Hiram, Ohio

ON THE BOTTOM
Sirs:
Congratulations to Robert H. Boyle and SI for providing A New Look into the Sea (March 9), and for pointing up the fact that our oceans are not a bottomless fishery resource.

Hopefully many of SI's saltwater fishermen-readers will be moved to ask Washington why only $167,000 out of a budgeted $2.7 million has been made available to Director Walford and his dedicated crew in the Sandy Hook Laboratory who currently can work only in "water up to the knees."
JOHN G. ZERVAS
Chicago

GOOD LITTLE MAN
Sirs:
In your article on Tom O'Hara (March 16), Mr. Brody says, "He is, in fact, the best miler in the world." Come now, are you ignoring the fact that Peter Snell has run three of the world's four fastest miles (3:54.4, 3:54.9 and 3:55)? He ran the latter two miles within two weeks of each other in May and June of last year, beating America's best milers. In Tokyo, Snell will prove once again that a good big man will beat a good little man every time.
JAMES WILL
Arlington, Va.

Sirs:
In my opinion Tom O'Hara stands with the greatest milers of the past decade. There is no telling how far he will go. With the zeal and tireless determination that he has acquired in this past indoor season, he will run a 3:52 mile this year.
JIM FLYNN
Pittsfield, Me.

CURFEW
Sirs:
Your mention of the city of Saskatoon in the article on Gordie Howe (March 16) may lead our police force to indulge in some wishful thinking about "all our citizens disappearing at 10 p.m." However, we enjoyed the rest of the article, especially the cover picture by Bernie Fuchs.
Ross W. McKENZIE
DONALD R. WOODLEY
Saskatoon, Sask.

HOLY WAR
Sirs:
Before the recent Clay-Liston world heavyweight championship fight, I was thoroughly for Cassius Marcellus Clay. I looked up to him and respected the image he formed for himself, loud mouth and all.