19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER

PRESSURES
Sir:
I read with particular interest the article by Richard Demak about Kathy Ormsby's apparent suicide attempt ("And Then She Just Disappeared," June 16). As a high school athlete (I was the quarterback on our B-division champion football team and also played guard on the basketball team), I suffer, and possibly many other athletes do also, from the same kind of pressures that she apparently felt—of being No. 1, being in the spotlight all the time and being looked upon as an example for others. These pressures come from all different directions: from parents, coaches, teammates and classmates, and from within yourself. Other people may not know—or may not want to know—that they are applying pressure on you, but believe me they are. I can certainly understand how they might have affected Kathy.
JOHN WALSH (age 18)
Brooklyn

Sir:
We in North Carolina are shocked and saddened by Kathy Ormsby's apparent suicide attempt and resultant paralysis. I feel, however, that the pressure to win each race caused her to jump. That very same kind of pressure caused me to quit track in high school. The pressure to win got to me. I still run, but for health reasons only.

Kathy had the same high school track coach that I had some years earlier, Charlie Bishop, an excellent coach who taught us all how to be winners. It was after he left Pine-crest (my school) for Richmond Senior High in Rockingham (Kathy's school) in 1977 that I began to feel pressure from other sources to go on winning each and every race. I feel bad for Kathy because I once came close to suicide myself.
BILL HICKS
Southern Pines, N.C.

Sir:
I hope Kathy Ormsby's experience will serve as a red flag for coaches, sports leaders and parents and make them look out for their overachievers or "model student-athletes." The stories we read and hear of paragons of society gone awry should make us aware that preventive psychological guidance should be provided for these people and their parents. Extreme "success" can often mask severe neurosis or mental anguish. Ormsby and others like her need to know that they are loved for who they are, not for what they did or did not do in competition.
PAM ERSELIUS
Solana Beach, Calif.

TOO VIOLENT
Sir:
Thanks for another fine story by Jack McCallum on the NBA championships (No Stopping 'Em, June 16). Although our Rockets lost, we are still proud of them. They had a tremendous year, and there's no shame in losing to the best team. Few teams excel at as many of the fundamentals of the game as do the Celtics. Their shooting, passing, defense and unselfish teamwork are something for even a Rocket fan to marvel at.

However, it is a shame that so much non-basketball activity detracted from the games. No one in Houston with any brains (yes, there are a few of us, Boston) condoned Ralph Sampson's behavior in Game 5. Too many of us remember the horrible sight of the Rockets' Rudy Tomjanovich's broken face after he was punched by a frustrated and angry Kermit Washington during a 1977 game against the Lakers (Shattered and Shaken, Jan. 2, 1978). Although Sampson later said he was sorry the incident occurred, he should think about what happened to Tomjanovich and be grateful he wasn't apologizing to Jerry Sichting in a hospital room.

Then there is Larry Bird. What a talent. Too bad he doesn't have the humility and class to match. He is pure art on the floor, but a pure bore to the ear.
ROBERT FILLMAN
Houston

Sir:
Bravo! I say this in reference to the SCORECARD editorial "Bad Call" (June 16). CBS's Dick Stockton was out of line in his commentary on Ralph Sampson's ejection for fighting in Game 5. However, I hope that the media will allow Sampson time to live down the incident. He will be a star for the remainder of his career, and that should be what the media focus on, not just one misplaced blowup.
JERRY TANNER
Valparaiso, Ind.

Sir:
Good call. Your editorial was an echo of my thoughts. I am glad someone took CBS's Stockton to task for his remarks.
HAROLD N. FATE
Mount Gilead, Ohio

Sir:
It is true that Sampson threw the punch, but I think everyone's eyes were closed to what Sichting did. On the low post, he had both arms around Sampson for what seemed like a few seconds with no whistle being blown—right in front of the referee. A call there would have alleviated Sampson's frustration and perhaps prevented a fight. The second party should be ejected also.

In the future, the commissioner should assign three referees to work the court during all playoff games. Too much acting is going on. True rough play is not being called. And your whiners are getting favorable calls the next time downcourt, a la Larry Bird.
WALTER JOYNER
Omaha

Sir:
A picture caption in your June 16 issue says "In Game 5, 7'4" Sampson came out swinging when 6'1" Sichting played tough Celtic D." I saw the game and what Sichting played was typically dirty NBA defense. The whole league is guilty, because what they play is not basketball. Refs could justifiably call 50 traveling violations and 200 fouls per game, if they called it halfway close. Dr. Naismith must be spinning in his grave because of what they've done to his beautiful game.
H.E. RAGSDALE
Montgomery, Ala.

JUDGING THE JUDGE
Sir:
I had always thought of Pete Rose as Mr. Baseball...until I read Craig Neff's article on the Boston Red Sox' Don Baylor (His Honor, Don Baylor, June 16). Because Baylor's diverse career had never brought him to a Chicago team, I was not very familiar with him. Neff gave us vivid insight into a man who truly knows and cares about what he's doing. May Baylor have unprecedented success in whatever he does. He surely has earned it.
ETHAN WEISS
Evanston. Ill.

Sir:
Until now, I had always considered Don Baylor an overpaid strikeout artist who occasionally hit a home run. I failed to realize what kind of man Baylor is. He has obviously given more to his teams and to baseball than he could ever ask in return. If he doesn't win the World Series as a player, I have no doubt he will win one as a manager. Thank you for opening my eyes.
TOM EATON
Santa Cruz, Calif.

Sir:
While Don Baylor is acknowledged as one of the leaders of the game, Craig Neff glosses over his demand for a trade last year. It was not the idea of the trade that I objected to, for many players have wished for release from George Steinbrenner's Siberia; it was the timing. The Yankees were in the midst of their late-season drive to catch Toronto when Baylor demanded his release. It was a time when his club needed his leadership and inspiration the most, and he was thinking of himself. To my mind, a sulking attitude like that is definitely bush.
MATTHEW HALLOCK
Astoria, N.Y.

ONE MAN'S MUSEUM
Sir:
While reading and enjoying Ron Fimrite's article on Giants manager Roger Craig and the split-fingered fastball (The Pitch Of The '80s, June 9), I noticed that the photo credit alongside the picture of Burleigh Grimes read "Burleigh Grimes Museum." Where is this museum and what does it display?
JOHN A. MOLINELLI
New York City

•The museum is in Clear Lake, Wis., where Grimes was born. In fact, it's part of the Clear Lake Museum, which is located in that village's "old schoolhouse." In addition to clippings and photographs, the Grimes collection includes bats, balls, gloves, uniforms and other paraphernalia used by Ol' Stubblebeard, who pitched for the Dodgers and five other clubs from 1916 through 1934 and managed the Dodgers in 1937 and '38. The Clear Lake Museum is open seven days a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day.—ED.

PHOTO

RICHARD MACKSON

Sampson did not like getting the heave-ho.

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