19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER

SKY BUSTERS, UNLIMITED
Sirs:
The northern slaughters referred to in the article Big Brother, Go Home! (Oct. 10) are enough to enrage duck hunters here in northern Texas who have to spend an entire day in the blind in hopes of getting a limit. The one-trip hunter, the sky busters and jelly beans completely destroy the true hunter's season. Large investments on the part of many real hunters in equipment, blinds and decoys now are rotting away in attics and storerooms thanks to these so-called sportsmen.

What can we do? First, increase the price of the duck stamp to $10. This will immediately eliminate many one-shot boys and give additional monies to preservation efforts. Second, require every waterfowl hunter to pass written tests proving his ability to identify all waterfowl hunted and his knowledge of game laws. Third, institute greater fines for violators and a two-year suspension of hunting privileges.

I don't know about other hunters, but many of us here in Texas would like to see more action and less talk!
BUD BALDWIN
Dallas

NAIVETE, INC.
Sirs:
William Furlong's thoughtless attempt to smear the sport of boxing with his slanderous description of Jim Norris and certain members of the Illinois State Athletic Commission (Is it Goodby to All This?, Oct. 10) cannot pass without criticism. I strongly dispute Furlong's reference to Frank Gilmer, chairman of the ISAC, as a "lumpy, belligerently naive ex-referee." He deliberately attempts to verbally paint a picture that would make the reader question Mr. Gilmer's ability and integrity. To those people who know and admire Mr. Gilmer (and people who do know him do admire him), the writer is revealing only his own naiveté.

Enough credit cannot be given Mr. Gilmer for his fine dedication to the sport of boxing, his matchless ability to mold boys into men and his sincere campaign to improve the nation's physical fitness.
TRUMAN L. STURDEVANT
Libertyville, Ill.

BOBBY'S DAY
Sirs:
May I compliment Roger Kahn for his excellent piece of nostalgia about Bobby Thomson's dramatic 1951 home run (The Day Bobby Hit the Home Run, Oct. 10)?
BOB WILT
Muncy, Pa.

Sirs:
What heartless editor would permit Mr. Kahn, obviously a bloodthirsty Giant fan (fifth place this year), to describe the day that ranks only behind Pearl Harbor in the minds of most alert baseball fans?

I'm referring, of course, to the terrible story concerning the lucky "pop fly" hit by Bobby Thomson.
J. B. WELLER
Lyndhurst, Ohio

ANTI-AMERICAN?
Sirs:
Your typewriter tyrant, Tex Maule, who evidently thinks the NFL is as close as you can get to heaven without unlocking the pearly gates, has come up with the wrong villain in Dallas.

How can Maule swing a haymaker at Lamar Hunt when all Mr. Hunt is doing is bringing pro football to cities which the NFL would not consider?

With his obvious bias, I suggest that Mr. Maule be removed from the coverage of pro football and assigned to a sport more in accord with his ability—such as the national marbles tournament.
ANN WILLIAMS
Richardson, Texas

Sirs:
There's an old saying—"If you ain't tried it, don't knock it!"—and so far you sure as hell ain't tried to cover the American Football League.
TED M. HOWELL
Dallas

THEIR PAL HAL
Sirs:
As a member of the St. Louis Cardinals hillbilly rootin' section I want you to know that that hillbilly gem I Got a Churnful of Chitlins and a Belly Full of You is the original work of the St. Louis Cardinals' Hal Smith and not the urbane Pittsburgh Pirates' Hal Smith. You're lucky if Joe Garagiola doesn't catch you on this, too.
GERALD E. GILMAN
Coolidge, Ariz.

Sirs:
Hal Raymond Smith, the one who wrote When You Kiss a Girl Underneath the Rose Don't Mind a Little Powder on
Your Nose and I Hit a Dilly in Philly, Milly, is not the catcher for the Pirates but for the Cardinals. The Pirates' Hal Smith came to them from Kansas City, and the Cards' Hal Smith through Red Bird farm systems.
MELROY HORN
Tucson, Ariz.

•Both Hals are composers and singers, but credit for Churnful of Chitlins does belong to St. Louis Smith. Pittsburgh Smith can counter with other gems, including Oh, How They Hit Me Tonight.—ED.

FOOTBALL FUDGE
Sirs:
My dad and I tried Coach Duffy Daugherty's fudge recipe (Grill and Gridiron, Oct. 10) Sunday afternoon with excellent results.
DEBBIE REYNOLDS
Robbinsville, N.J.

PICK OF THE SEASON
Sirs:
"These Are the Players Who Made the Season What It Was" (BASEBALL'S WEEK, Oct. 10): I agree with all but two, worst trade and best manager.

Granted the McLish-for-Temple trade was bad, but the one that sent Ron Kline to St. Louis for Cimoli and Cheney has got to win this rather dubious award.

Your best manager, Solly Hemus, did a good job, but in no way did he do the job that Danny Murtaugh did with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
HARRY DEL GRANDE
Greenbrae, Calif.

Sirs:
Cookie Lavagetto did a better job bringing the Washington Senators from the AL cellar to a fifth-place finish.
JACK MORELAND
Wayne, Pa.

Sirs:
How can your staff pick Maury Wills over Luis Aparicio as best base runner? Aparicio not only stole more but hit and fielded better than Wills.
DONALD KOCINSKI
Chicago

MICKEY'S MASTER
Sirs:
It might be of interest to you to learn that one other fairly well-known athlete had the benefit of Mr. Allen Woolard's early tutelage in addition to Shotputter Bill Nieder (PAT ON THE BACK, Oct. 10). His name is Mickey Mantle, and, some time before joining the Yankees, he performed for Commerce, Oklahoma High School while Mr. Woolard was building character and forging winning teams at that school.
W. A. SPALSBURY
Houston

TWO PHOTOS

CARDS' HAL AND PIRATES' HAL