McHenry Public Library District Digital Archives

McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry, IL), 11 Jul 1980, p. 40

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PAOClt the vyay it is now. "Many clubs today have only three or four farm teams, and that's it. Un­ fortunately, the lack of competi­ tion from within the organization by Steve K. Welz Kubek voices his opinions TV COMKH.OO MKVtClt. INC. Pressure At the risk of sounding like a young old-timer awash in the glories of happy yesterdays, Kubek says today's ball players suffer because they don't have to contend with one pressure pros of his era know only too well. "What works against a great number of today's prayers Is the lack of presstffl\which used come from witron your organization/* he^said. "The pressure maybe was somebody sitting next to you in the dugout, or the pressure from all the somebodys out there on 10 to 12 farm teams who were just drool­ ing for you to screw up some way." According to Kubek, that's not the within the organization to take your job away, has put a crimp in the -desire of a lot of front-line players to put out that little extra, to be thinking players, to be guys constantly working to improve." Like any honest former major league player, Kubek readily admits the front-line stars of today would have been front- liners when he played. He adds, "Some of today's stars are better. "The big stars in baseball today have that 'strong motivation by nature and they don't need the prod that comes from competi­ tion. They don't -need that, but too many of their teammates do." Kubek also maintains that mo­ tivation has also worked for baseball announcers. "I know what motivates me. I want to be completely credible to the viewers. I want them to think of me as a 100 percent baseball man." Credo This credo explains why Kubek has never knuckled under to the blandishments of spreading out into other sports. ^ "I've observed people who New York--Major league ba­ seball is a great form of entertain­ ment. It's the grand old game on television and in the ball parks, growing in the ratings and soaring at the box office. It's all this and more, but in some respects it's less. So says Tony Kubek, and he speaks from a solid platform of credibility. Tony put in long hours as a star shortstop for the New York Yankees in the 60's. Now he sees Abner Doubleday's creation as one of NBC Sports' top commentators on Major League Baseball Game-of-the-Week telecasts. move outside their sport as commentators and Jo me they lose credibility. You just can do i too much and that's when you V become less believable to your audience." When the baseball season ends, Kubek beats a hasty retreat to his hometown. Appleton, Wisconsin, where he coaches^a kids basket­ ball team while watching his own children grow. And when it's springtime again, Tony Kubek, an authority^on baseball, is back in the commentators booth dispens­ ing the kind of credibility he is proud to have.

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