19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

POSITIVE THINKING
Sirs:
A few nights ago I was barely able to pick up a Detroit station and hear the Tigers snuff out a ninth-inning Oakland rally. Earlier in the afternoon I had seen Dick Allen, against the Yankees, hit a towering home run into the center-field bleachers of White Sox Park that almost decapitated Harry Caray, who was broadcasting out there. With the A's loss, the Sox took over first place.

The next morning I read William Leggett's article about the excitement filling the South Side of Chicago (Happy Days Are There Again, Aug. 28). The cause of the excitement is simple. The Sox organization has brought us Chuck Tanner, a man who respects every individual player on his team and who loves the fans. The Sox have brought us Johnny Sain, who in turn has brought Wilbur Wood to a 20-game-winner status by letting him throw the pitch he has mastered. They have brought us Dick Allen, who has helped attract one million pennant-hungry fans to the gate so far this year. And, finally, they have brought us P.M.A.—positive mental attitude—which has all Sox fans believing the elusive pennant can be ours, and that we may even lay claim to a World Series title.
LINDA JAWOROWSKI
Steger, Ill.

Sirs:
Yes, it is true, the Chicago White Sox are alive and well and challenging in the American League West. William Leggett's article gives the Sox credit that they well deserve. There are not many teams that have come from last place to pennant contention in two years. But then, how can they lose with a scoreboard that has eyes?
DAVID KOSS
Chicago

Sirs:
I think Wilbur Wood deserves the Cy Young Award. Dick Allen should be the Most Valuable Player and Chuck Tanner is the only man deserving of Manager of the Year. Everyone now knows the White Sox are the first team in the Second City.

In reference to Dick Allen hitting all his homers before nine p.m., he broke the spell by hitting one in White Sox Park Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9:48 p.m. before a crowd of 43,433 that gave him a standing ovation.
JUDY FUSS
East Chicago, Ind.

Sirs:
While it would be foolish to ignore the great individual contributions of Manager Chuck Tanner and his superstars ( Allen, Carlos May and Wood), I feel quite certain that the latter would be the first to acknowledge the input of their less publicized teammates—Pitching Coach Johnny Sain, the yeomen of the bullpen, supersub Eddie Spiezio, Pat Kelly and all the others who have helped move the White Sox out of the doldrums. The '72 White Sox are winning games not because of a magical scoreboard in center field, as is often alleged, but because of a genuine team spirit that is the hallmark of the major league winner.
JOHN N. COLAS
Washington

Sirs:
The White Sox are chasing a pennant, and Allen and Wood are cinches to win the MVP and Cy Young awards. But William Leggett is way out in left field when he says, "The only place you'll find a genuine Cub fan is under a rock."

There are no rocks in the stands at Wrigley Field (although the Cubs have pulled more than a few in the field) and yet the Cubs' paid home attendance exceeded the White Sox' attendance 1,041,990 to 1,016,828 as of Aug. 24.

More significantly, these figures are for 54 White Sox home dates compared to only 51 Cub home games. And let's not forget that the Cubs still play only day games, have had only two home doubleheaders and play in a much smaller Park.

The White Sox may have a winner but the Cubs have real fans.
ROBERT J. BREGENZER
Arlington Heights, Ill.