19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

You could at least have recognized Glenn Beckert's 27-game hitting streak and put him in the "Highlight" section of BASEBALL'S WEEK. The Cubs have the most talented team in baseball. They could break a game wide open with sluggers like Billy Williams (22 home runs, 79 RBIs), Ron Santo (20 home runs, 72 RBIs) and Ernie Banks (25 home runs, 68 RBIs). It's just disgusting the way you pass up this great team.
STEVE DE SALVO
River Grove, Ill.

COLOR OHIO BROWN
Sirs:
I would like to congratulate Tex Maule on his article about Paul Brown and the new Cincinnati Bengals of the AFL (Rude Welcome Back for Paul, Aug. 12). It was a most interesting and relaxing story, and the color photographs helped to show what the Bengals might look like in their first season.

Doesn't it seem remarkable that Paul Brown has coached a champion high school team, a champion Big Ten team, a champion pro team and, maybe soon, another champion pro team all in the state of Ohio?
STEVE JASPERS
Columbus, Ohio

STRIKES AND SPARES
Sirs:
Thanks to Curry Kirkpatrick on the long-awaited and excellent pro bowling story (Life Is Not a Bowl of Cherries, Aug. 5). But I have to challenge Dave Davis' contention that "nobody knows me." He received a tremendous amount of national television exposure last season by winning those six tournaments, including our own Miller High Life Open here in Milwaukee. There were also more radio interviews than he can apparently remember and hundreds of stories in print (we have a scrapbook to prove it).

Consider these figures: the Pro Bowlers Tour on ABC was carried last year for 13 weeks by 205 stations to an estimated 11 million viewers weekly. They were usually viewing Davis. We can further verify that there were 236 reports on the Miller High Life Open alone this year carried by 788 radio stations (including two national networks) with an estimated cumulative audience of 176 million. Of course, Davis was among the pros interviewed. In addition, there were 1,177 printed reports on the Miller tournament this year (including one in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED), with a total circulation for those publications just short of 125 million. The wire services sent out newspaper reports which appeared in 43 states on our tournament alone. If nobody knows Dave Davis it's because he is wearing a mask.

I also have to take exception to one statement by Mr. Kirkpatrick. While Firestone has sponsored pro bowling tournaments for years, Lincoln-Mercury has held only one event. Miller Brewing Company will hold its fourth $60,000 tournament next March. Only Firestone has contributed more prize money to Professional Bowlers Association members ($400,000).
CHUCK WERLE
Miller Brewing Company
Milwaukee

Sirs:
It is only natural that Dave Davis should seek more publicity for bowling in general and himself in particular, but to issue statements for public consumption attempting to compare bowling with golf is ridiculous. How can a representative of a sport in which every tournament site is identical in dimension, design and material composition, where the atmosphere is controlled, imply that bowling is more difficult because of the variable conditions encountered?

During every bowling season there are untold numbers of 220 to 250 games rolled by high-handicap bowlers. How many 18-hole rounds of par or better are recorded on a good golf course by 100 shooters?
HARVEY SHAPROW
Flint, Mich.

BEHIND THE WHEEL
Sirs:
Kim Chapin must be highly commended for his article about Lee Roy Yarbrough (The Loner Leads the Charge, Aug. 12). Although Mr. Chapin's article is short, it is very revealing. It also proves what the late Fireball Roberts said about Lee Roy; he has had the worst luck of anyone this year.

Now Lee Roy Yarbrough has been recognized, and more recognition will come. Chapin's article on Cale Yarborough was also commendable.
PATRICK BARTON
Oak Ridge, Tenn.