19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

But I don't think Holbrook's formula for a three-league round-robin World Series would be feasible. Not only is there a possibility that the Series could go the 11-game limit, which is too long, but the fans are so geared to the traditional two-team, best four-out-of-seven setup they would be reluctant to accept any other postseason playoff system. Also, with the adoption of a new set of records, the fans would be unable to readily compare the various records of the two systems, and a lot would be lost.
TED BERKELMANN
New York City

Sirs:
"At first glance" Tom Yawkey likes Bob Holbrook's suggestion for a new, geographically arranged baseball schedule. I might add that I do, too; but what happens when some future Lou Perini or Walter O'Malley decides to move the Montreal or, Heaven forbid, the Pittsburgh franchise to Vancouver or Dallas or some such place?

Of course, implementation of Holbrook's suggestion would make that awful asterisk beside Roger Maris' name more meaningful. On the other hand, an 11-game World Series would spawn a whole new asterisk culture. What's a schedule maker to do?
RICHARD S. WELLS
Glenshaw, Pa.

Sirs:
I think Mr. Holbrook's original intention is to upgrade the American League to the standards of the National. I don't know how you feel, but I think the National League is much superior to the American. I would hate to see the National League ruined just to upgrade the brand of baseball in the American. Mr. Holbrook's idea is foolish, and Tom Yawkey and Joe Cronin are fools for being in favor of it. Why can't they just leave things alone, instead of always wanting to tinker around? I like baseball very much, and if Mr. Holbrook's idea was carried out I think baseball would be ruined (for me anyway).
JAMES R. PARRY
Zanesville, Ohio

Sirs:
I certainly favor Bob Holbrook's proposal for three major leagues with eight teams each. While the current setup prevents a team from finishing 12th, it also prevents two division winners from playing in the World Series. Furthermore, those natural rivalries would bring back the Subway Series (Yankees-Mets) and initiate the El Series (White Sox-Cubs), the Bay Bridge Series (Giants-Athletics), the Freeway Series (Dodgers-Angels) and the Auto Series (Royals-Cardinals).
WAYNE R. HARRIS
Lakewood, Colo.

SPIRO STIRS 'EM UP (CONT.)
Sirs:
The self-portrait of our sporting Vice-President in your June 21 issue (Not Infected with the Conceit of Infallibility) brought me closer to the man than has any other output from the mass media. He is awesomely impressive in his prose and in his strength of conviction but awsomely frightening in his eloquent dismissal of those whose differences are intolerable to him.

It should not matter whether one is more impressed by Spiro Agnew's virtues or by his vices: it is foolish to ignore either.
RONALD G. HEYDUK
Ann Arbor, Mich.

A CLOWNING BLOW
Sirs:
I used to be a fan of Lee Trevino (Remember the Bottle of Merion, June 28). However, since he has become so devoted to cracking jokes and clowning (sometimes at the expense of his playing partner), I have dropped him from my list of sports idols. This reached its breaking point when he threw a rubber snake on Jack Nicklaus in the U.S. Open. Jack took the incident in good humor, but I'll bet this really upset him. It's tough enough having to play a course like Merion without having the added pressure of worrying about what some clown is going to do next to get a laugh from the gallery. The USGA should fine Trevino $15,000, withdraw his Open title and suspend him for one year from the tour. Hats off to Jack. Anybody who can shoot a 71 on Merion after the incident on the first tee clearly deserves the title of "Greatest Golfer in the World."
CHESTER DEBNAM
Fresno, Calif.

MINOR KEY (CONT.)
Sirs:
I have been waiting for the Pittsburgh Pirates to call up Pitcher Bruce Kison ever since Pat Jordan's article (An Old Hand with a Prospect, June 14), but did not think it would be this soon. Kison's 10-1 record and 2.86 ERA at Charleston certainly put him in an excellent position to temporarily replace Bob Moose, the Pittsburgh starter who went on two-week military duty.
JOHN HELLMOLD
Lodi, N.J.