From the S&S archives: Gibson, Bench, Reichle sparkle at USAFE clinic quiz session

WIESBADEN — Bob Gibson on speeding up the game — Johnny Bench on the use of equipment — Art Reichle on tall first basemen.

These three had comments on these subjects Thursday morning during the question and answer period that closed out the final day of the three-day USAFE Baseball Clinic here.

Gibson, the hard-throwing St. Louis Cardinal ace, was asked if he thought the intentional pass should be completed merely by motioning the batter to first base instead of pitching the four balls in the interest of speeding up the game.

"Who said the game needs speeding up?" inquired Bob. "The fans are satisfied with the game the way it's being played now," he continued. "But they are being brainwashed by the press that the games are too long. It's the reporters that want to get their stories filed and head for their favorite bar and a drink as soon as possible that keep telling us the games are too long.

"Witness the large crowds that show up for doubleheaders," Gibson went on as he warmed up to his subject. "It's obvious that they want to see plenty of baseball and are not in a hurry to get home. The average game in the majors lasts about two and a half hours, and my advice is that if you don't have that much time to devote to baseball — don't come out. Although I hope too many don't take THAT advice," he hastily added.

Next Bench, the young backstop for the Cincinnati Reds was asked why he always wore his mask from the time he stepped out of the dugout, instead of warming up his pitcher without it.

"The mask is a protective bit of equipment," Johnny explained, "and I wear it for protection. You've seen these catchers that step behind the plate, cast their mask to one side and nonchalantly proceeded to make one-handed stabs of their pitchers offerings.

"Well," he continued, "it's just as easy for an errant pitch thrown during a warmup to bounce off the plate and leave you with a mouthful of floating teeth as it is for a pitch thrown during the inning to do the same thing."

What was probably the most direct question of the session was the one put to Reichle who coaches baseball at UCLA. Reichle was asked what UCLA basketball coach Johnny Wooden told him when he asked if he could use Kareem AbdulJabbar (then Lew Alcindor) at first base on his team between basketball seasons.

"As I remember it," deadpanned Reichle, "he advised me to take a trip — just where he told me to go I don't remember."