CHAPTER FOUR
1973:
D-J Lee/Violetta Nesukaitis Win U.S. Open. 1973: Dempsey/Gray Golden at World
Paralympics. 1973: D-J/Angelita Rosal Take Eastern’s. 1973: E.C.
Officers/Committeemen.
Readers had been praising my Topics, but one fellow had a just complaint—that I didn’t have my usual story on the U.S. Open, or, as also happened, on the Eastern’s that immediately followed. I’d be off to the Mt. Airy Training Camp with the U.S. Team and then to Sarajevo for the World’s and, with only a few days to spare, I had to get done what I could of the enormous 60-page May-June issue I’d put out on my return. Fear not, however; the 1973 U.S. Open results have been preserved, and you’re about to read them—along with the division of the $2,614 prize money that Tournament Manager George Buben later complained I’d not mentioned in Topics. Not mentioned, likely, because I’d not at the time been told what it was—certainly it wasn’t stated in the Program.
But, having that Open Program in front of me, I’ll give you now, first, something that’s not in there, then something that is. When USTTA Past-President Graham Steenhoven was a boy growing up in England, he had two ways of making pocket money—one, working a hustle shooting marbles, and, two, picking up horse droppings and selling them for sixpence…that is, until his father found out and became furious: “You sell them to me, and not to a neighbor!” he said. (So his father could then profit? Or was he just embarrassed?) Decades later, Graham, in a manner of speaking, was selling again—paying homage to the “driving force behind all of the major tournaments held in Metropolitan Detroit in the last decade [including this U.S. Open].”
“…Madeline and George [Buben] are a unique blend of management talent and table tennis expertise. They combine conscientious effort with exacting performance standards and inflexible integrity to produce a well-organized efficient team. They are gracious hosts and good friends and with charm and good humor they motivate us to increase our commitment to Table Tennis generally and to the Detroit Table Tennis Club in particular. Under their direction the Detroit Table Tennis Club has benefited its members far beyond any normal expectation….”
Results of the Open Men’s: Sixteenth matches of note: George Brathwaite (from down 2-0) d. Bill Lesner; Fuarnado Roberts d. Jim Lazarus in 5; and Houshang Bozorgzadeh d. current Ontario Closed Champ in Singles, Men’s and Mixed Doubles, Errol Caetano, in 4. Eighth’s: D-J Lee d. Bill Sharpe; Bozorgzadeh d. Lim Ming Chui, 17 in the 5th; Joong Gil Park d. Fuarnado Roberts in 5; Bernie Bukiet d. Mike Veillette; Brathwaite d. Danny Seemiller, 23-21 in the 4th; Alex Tam d. Dell Sweeris, 18 in the 4th; Errol Resek d. Peter Pradit in 5; and Derek Wall d. Franz Huermann. Quarter’s: Lee d. Bozorgzadeh ($75), 24-22 in the 4th; Park d. Bukiet ($75), 3-0; Tam d. Brathwaite ($75) in 4; and Resek d. Wall ($75), 3-0. Semi’s: Lee d. Park ($100) in 5; and Tam d. Resek ($100), 3-0. Final: Lee ($332) d. Tam ($250), 18 in the 4th. This was D-J’s 6th straight and last U.S. Open Men’s win. That precise $332 seems a strange amount to award, does it? It’s because, according to ITTF rules, the winner of an Open could receive only 1250 Swiss Francs, or $332—a ridiculous rule that had to be changed if the Sport ever hoped to gain an audience.
And from what Caron Leff says, D-J deserved to retain the title. “I don’t think I have ever seen anyone [certainly not Erwin Klein?]** work as hard as this man did” readying himself a week before these National’s as a guest of Fujii’s Miami Club. Immediately after the tournament, a large group of players, maybe 60 in all, were eating at Carl’s Chop House when D-J came in. We gave him “a rousing cheer and a standing ovation. Some gentleman from the back of the room got up and started singing ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow’”—all of which prompted D-J to buy champagne for the whole room.”
Lee Gutkind, in his Sports Illustrated Profile of Danny Seemiller after Danny’s #1 finish in the U.S. Team Tryouts, catches him at home in Carrick, a suburb of Pittsburgh. It’s a week before these Detroit National’s, and Danny’s feelin’ high. He’s rallying with brother Ricky “in an old shed, remodeled by his father—a salesman—to resemble a clubhouse. There is an unpainted plywood bar in the back of the building. A ribbon of chairs lines the walls, surrounding a jerry-built practice table. Nearby stands a greenhouse in which are planted hundreds of gold and silver medals and trophies that sparkle and blink under the fertilizing rays of the afternoon sun.”
Danny said that some months before the Chicago Tryouts he’d thought of quitting table tennis, but when he accepted Dell Sweeris’s invitation to train at Woodland his perspective—and game—changed. So now he’s confident, or appears to be. He notes that the perennial U.S. Champion “Dal-Joon Lee has been selling equipment rather than training; he’s falling apart. And he is too old; he’s already 26 [sic]. Alex Tam, who was 14th in the world before he escaped from China, is the only guy with a chance. My problem is that everybody’s going to be psyched up against me. I’m like UCLA in basketball. Everybody tries a little harder to put the No. 1 down.”
Yeah—but you needn’t tell it to The Chief.
Danny’s thoughts also go to the upcoming Sarajevo World’s. In preparation for play there, he’ll “be running three miles each day, exercising and lifting weights.” He is upbeat: “As it stands now,” he says, “I’m not scared of anybody and nobody could beat me easily. If I can keep my concentration I have a chance to beat them all—including Bengtsson.” Gutkind closes his article with this quote from Danny: “I won’t make predictions for 1973…but by 1975 or at the latest ’77, I’ll be the world champ.”
You can believe Danny wasn’t happy when he saw that last quote in print. “His statements,” he said, “were changed around just enough so that he came out sounding like a cocky young squirt. ‘They made me sound like a braggart.’”
Now to the Women’s—though neither Connie Sweeris nor Pat Hildebrand will be playing; both are 7 months pregnant. Connie with Todd Allen (“T. S.”—those are his initials, said father Dell, to which their friend Jairie Resek said, “Sounds like a competitor”; Pat, with continued support from husband Bob, is expecting Russell Christopher.
Women’s 8th’s match of note: Karen Berliner d. Kathleen Remington, 19 in the 4th. Quarter’s: Violetta Nesukaitis d. Olga Soltesz, 3-0; Patty Cash d. Berliner, 3-0; Alice Green d. Judy Bochenski in 5; and Angie Rosal d. Sue Hildebrandt, 19 in the 4th. Semi’s: current Ontario Closed Champ in Singles, Women’s, and Mixed Doubles Violetta Nesukaitis d. Cash ($50), 19 in the 4th (Violetta had been coached to chop heavier and hit any loose ball?); and Green, on defeating Rosal ($50), 17 in the 4th, came rushing into her father’s arms. Final: Nesukaitis ($200) d. Green ($100), giving up only 33 points. This was Violetta’s 4th and last U.S. Open Women’s win.
A rancorous Letter writer (TTT, Jan.-Feb., 1973, 29) accused Rufford Harrison of being crude, of “lacking civi1ized behavior,” for mentioning Rosal’s Indian heritage on introducing her at the Dec., 1972 Chicago Team Trials. This anything but civilized writer said that, instead of the deplorable racial remark, Harrison “might as well have told us whether or not his victim were a virgin and, if not, the reasons and circumstances, and, if so, the reasons and circumstances.”
Mal Anderson (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1973, 3) and Freb Herbst (TTT, May-June, 1973, 6) quickly came to gentlemanly Rufford’s defense. Mal said that he told Rufford to make that announcement. Why? Because Mal was aware that during the 1972 “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” Tour of the Chinese, Angie requested that at each exhibition the announcer mention she’s an American Indian. In one city the announcer neglected to do so, and, as she’s quite proud of her Sioux heritage (on her mother’s side), she indicated her disappointment. Fred pointed out that Rufford was bedeviled as racially prejudiced when “it so happens that the background information about Miss Rosal is publicized specifically at the request of her and her parents. The reason is that she is assisted financially for her tournament travels by a native Indian foundation which wishes the fact known.” Herbst said that he “helped Angelita obtain this sponsorship with letters of recommendation.” When the Chinese played in L.A. on their Tour, Angie and the foundation were irritated when she couldn’t “formally present the Chinese with a gift…as a representative of the American Indians.”
Men’s Doubles: Final: Sweeris/Tam ($332) d. Resek/Chui ($200), 3-0. Semi’s: Sweeris/Tam d. D-J Lee/Pradit, 23-21 in the 4th; Resek/Chui d. Canada’s best, Caetano/Peter Gonda, 24-22 in the 4th. Quarter’s match of note: Chui/Resek d. Jack Howard/Paul Raphel, 18 in the 5th. Women’s Doubles: Bochenski/Cash ($100) d. Rosal/Hildebrandt ($50) in 4. Semi’s: Rosal/Hildebrandt d. Violetta/Flora Nesukaitis, 19 in the 5th (the sisters just can’t get it together as their father/coach John had hoped). Mixed: Defending Champions Caetano/V. Nesukaitis ($200) d. Pradit/Rosal ($100) in 4. Semi’s: Pradit/Rosal d. D-J Lee/Cash, 24-22 in the 4th. Parent-Child Doubles: Dick/Ricky Hicks over Red/Mark Wilder in 5.
Men’s A’s: Richard Ling d. 1942 U.S. Open Men’s finalist Chuck Burns. Other matches: Jerry Fleischhacker d. Richard McAfee, 17 in the 5th; Burns d. Cecil Kost, 23-21 in the 4th; Steve Feldstein d. John Quick, 22-20 in the 4th; and Jim Davey d. Lem Kuusk, 26, 21, -11, 12. Women’s A’s: Toronto’s Birute Plucas d. Jose Tomkins (from down 2-0), 19 in the 5th. Other A matches: Marie Kerr d. Monica Rosal in 5; Plucas d. Flora Nesukaitis, 23-21 in the 4th; and Tomkins d. Pat Crowley, 19 in the 4th. Men’s A Doubles: Homer Brown/Richard Hicks d. Paul Wong/Heng-Chi Chang in 5. Semi’s: Wong/Chang d. Dan LeBaron/Stadelman, -17, -13, 18, 18, 19; Brown/Hicks d. Marv Leff/Quick in 5, after Marv and John had outlasted Bill Sharpe/Marty Theil, deuce in the 5th. Quarter’s: LeBaron/Stadelman d. McAfee/Thrasher in a gutsy thriller, -23, -13, 20, 17, 17. Women’s A Doubles: Plucas/Kerr d. Jose/Christine Tomkins. Mixed A Doubles: Brown/Jean Varker
Men’s B’s: Joe Mimoso d. Joe Rokop after Joe had eliminated Joe Ching, deuce in the 5th. Quarter’s: Bill Edwards d. Thrasher, deuce in the 5th; Rokop d. Paul Wong, 18 in the 5th. B Doubles: Rokop/Bill Zatek d. Laszlo Keves/Mike Carter, 18 in the 5th. Men’s A/B Consolation: Wong d. Jeff Smart. Semi’s: Wong d. Kuusk, -22, 19, 18; Smart d. Don Larson. 22,15. Women’s Consolation: Debbie Foster d. Kerr.
Veteran’s: the Detroit Tournament Committee responded favorably to Abe Rudick’s 10-paragraph plea in Topics that the Veteran’s (Over 70’s) be included, as it was last year—and, sure enough, Abe successfully defended his title from runner-up Paul Jackson and Ramon Williams. Senior Esquire’s: Laszlo “Laci” Bellak d. Sandor Glancz. Esquire’s: Max Marinko d. Burns, 13, 10, 15. Semi’s: Marinko d. Sol Schiff, -15, -15, 13, 8, 10. Max, with that comeback, appears to be in good health, eh? Earlier, Bellak edged Bill Rapp in 5. Esquire Doubles: Burns/Schiff d. Fred Coryell/Elmer Ybema who’d downed John White/Bob Walker, 25-23 in the 4th.
Bellak, 3-time World Singles finalist, on or off the court loves a joke. He lives in sunny Florida where he sees any number of elderly retirees, who are of course doctors’ patients. Indeed, the area is called “God’s Waiting Room,” for every day someone dies. Mostly, though, it’s the men who die first, so, as Laci tells it, for every three men who survive their spouses there are maybe 50 or so widows.
Recently, says Laci, one elderly woman gets into an elevator and sees a gray-haired stranger. She looks him up and down and says, “Who are you? I haven’t seen you before.”
“Oh,” he says, I just got out of prison. I killed my wife.”
“So you’re single?” she asks.
Senior’s: Derek Wall ($100) d. Bernie Bukiet ($50), 2 [sic], 23, 12. Quarter’s: Wall d. Schiff, 19 in the 5th; Burns d. Sharpe in 5. Senior A’s: Rapp in 5 (winning a pivotal 4th at deuce) over Don Coluzzi who was extended into the 5th by Bob Quinn. Senior B’s: Quinn d. Hugh Shorey. Senior Women: Inez Frazier d. Ruth Hunter. Senior Consolation: Joe Bujalski d. Quinn. Senior Doubles: Burns/Schiff d. Sharpe/Al Nochenson who’d advanced over Neil Holloway/Dick Evans.
Dick, Ohio’s #1 Senior, will one day build his “Friars Knob” private hilltop retreat on the 143 acres in Hillsboro, W.VA he’d had the foresight to buy in 1970. He says that “if you strike a nail several times with a hammer while pointing it north, the nail will be magnetized to continue to point in that direction.” Now in 1973, Dick who’s been part owner of the Columbus, Ohio Club, is pointed North by Northwest. It was the obligato of “Let’s go/Come on/Let’s go”—and off he went to Berkeley (the Don Gunn Club), to San Francisco (the Les Madden Club) and the poetry of City Lights—Appalachia coming to Ferlinghetti. There, listening to the sounds of a different drummer, he’d, finally, as he’d say, get it right with Sue, his 3rd wife of 30 years now.
Boys U-17’s: Paul Raphel d. Paul Klevinas by default when Paul’s father said Forget it! (I don’t know disputatiously why—some argument with Canadian officials.) Semi’s: Raphel d. Mike Veillette in 4, after Mike had stopped Steve Hammond, 19 in the 4th; Klevinas d. Eric Thom, 23-21 in the 4th, after Eric had rallied from 2-0 down to oust Rick Rumble. Mark Kohn, a precocious 10-year-old, wrote a 32-line poem in Mike’s honor…sort of. It starts off well enough: “Mike Veillette’s a good player,/His game is quite adroit./ He’s playing in the Nationals,/This year they’re in Detroit.” But it takes a slippery slide from there, and so does Mike: “And now Veillette gets set:/ He tries his mighty loop/And…hits it squarely in the net.” Boys U-17 Doubles: Quick/Rumble d. Seemiller/Rokop. Boys U-17A’s: Dean Galardi d. Mike Bush, 25, 17, 21. Semi’s: Bush d. Roger Sverdlik, 16 in the 5th. Quarter’s: Alan Sverdlik d. Montreal’s Alex Polisois, 19 in the 5th; Bush d. Phil Pinnell in 5. Boys U-17A Doubles: Carl Danner/Gary Wittner d. Eliott Katz/Scott McDowell, -19, 21, 22, 18, after Eliott/Scott had survived the Berg brothers in 5.
Girls U-17’s: Bochenski d. Rosal. Judy’s about to be selected by the Oregon Trail Council “as one of six to receive the ‘Young American’ award in 1973.” She’ll be a guest of the Boy Scouts of America at the Council’s May Meeting in Minneapolis. Girls U-17 A’s: Laurie Miller d. Christine Forgo. Girls U-17 Doubles: Bochenski/Rosal d. Hess/Newgarden. Mixed U-17 Doubles: Thom/Rosal d. Veillette/Hess who’d beaten Berg/Varner in 5.
Boys U-15’s: Ricky Seemiller (his 1st U.S. Open Championship) d. Steve Hammond in 5 (after winning the 4th at deuce). Semi’s: Seemiller d. Mike Baber, -10, 15, 21, 19. Quarter’s: Hammond d. Perry Schwartzberg, 19 in the 4th. Boys U-15 Doubles: (a second birthday present for Ricky) Seemiller/Baber d. Bruce Plotnick/Jeff Zakarin in 5 in the semi’s, and Hammond/Dale Donaldson, deuce in the 5th in the final. Boys U-17/U-15 Consolation’s: Octavio Pinnell d. Greg Jelinski. Girls U-15: Hess d. Plucas. Girls U-15 Doubles: Gloria Nesukaitis/Christine Tomkins d. Michele McKinstry/Cathy Payotelis. Girls U-17/15 Consolation’s: Maureen Farmer d. Christine Tomkins.
Boys U-13’s: Plotnick d. Perry Schwartzberg in 5 in the quarter’s, d. Robert Nochenson in 5 in the semi’s, and d. Pinnell in the final. Boys U-13 Doubles: Plotnick/Schwartzberg d. Ricky Hicks/Jeff Williams, after Ricky/Jeff had finished Stern/Scott Boggan, deuce in the 4th. Girls U-13: Forgo d. Sylvia Franz, -17, 11, 19, 21 in the semi’s, then Debbie Wong in the final. U-11’s: Pinnell d. Joe Napoles, 19 in the 5th, after Joe had eliminated Chuck Zakarin, 19 in the 4th. U-13’s/U-11 Consolation’s: Scott Boggan d. Eric Boggan. Jeffrey Lee’s a little young yet for the U-11’s, but already he seems to be following in his father’s footsteps.
Men’s Wheelchair Open. 1. Mike Dempsey d. 50-year-old runner-up Sam Fletcher, a corporate lawyer “crippled in a military plane crash during World War II.” (Before leaving Miami for Detroit, Sam good-naturedly watched airport inspectors check out his crutches.) John Gray, along with Mike, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Wheelchair Athletic Association, was 3rd. Stef Florescu, “past National President of the National Association of the Physically Handicapped,” finished 4th.
Women’s Wheelchair Open: 1. Jeannie Kish. 2. Angie Corrieri.
Men’s Paraplegic Singles: Gray d. Florescu.
Women’s Paraplegic Singles: Kish d. Corrieri.
Men’s Wheelchair Doubles: Dempsey/Gray d. Fletcher/Florescu.
Mixed Wheelchair Doubles: Gray/Pat Nevin d. Fletcher/Jacqueline Visner.
At the June 14-15 (17th Annual) National Wheelchair Games on Long Island, the 47-year-old Florescu (Quadriplegic Class 1A) will finish first in 1-2-3-4-5 National events. The “Rolling Romanian,” Editor of “The Wheelchair Competitor,” will successfully defend his National 40-yard dash Championship, and will score a 1st in table tennis, and in 25-yard freestyle, back, and breaststroke swimming. He’ll also win these same 5 events at the first annual Toledo Jaycees Wheelchair Athletic Games in Toledo, Aug. 24-25th.
Not only are Columbus, Ohio Clubmates Dempsey/Gray U. S. Open winners, but they’ll go on, as Lyn Doudna tells us (TTT, July-Aug., 1973, 24), to triumph at the Paralympics held at Stoke-Mandeville, England (near London). Mike, the Gahanna-Lincoln High senior, will win the Men’s Class 4 World’s Singles Championship from Israel’s Haigai, the titleholder “for the past eight years.” He’ll also partner his friend and former mentor John, the electronic technician at OSU’s Dodd Hall, to bring home the Men’s Class 4 World’s Doubles Championship, downing an Israeli pair, 3-1 in the final. “This is the first time in the 21-year history of Paralympic competition that U.S. competitors have won gold medals in table tennis.”
Sandor Glancz, Hungarian star of the 1930’s, opens his short write-up on the Eastern Open, held Mar. 23-25 at the State University of New York, Farmingdale, Long Island, with a congratulatory GUT GEMACHT to the LITTA organizers headed by President Chris Schlotterhausen. Given “the atmosphere of friendliness and goodwill,” Sandor pronounced the prevailing mood GEMUTLICHKEIT.
D-J Lee is aging, has entered his 30’s, but I expect he’ll be able to play a little longer, especially after we see him win the Men’s here. In the final, Lee allowed Rory Brassington only 34 points, but in the 8th’s D-J gave up a game to Mark Radom; in the quarter’s another to Mike Veillette; and in the semi’s, after losing the 4th at deuce, was forced into the 5th by George Brathwaite. How The Chief must be chafing as the U.S. Team leaves for its Mt.-Airy-in-the-Poconos warm-up and then goes on to the World’s. Chance worked its unpredictable wiles, and he who beat Danny Seemiller in last week’s National’s and then went 5 with D-J here sure proved he had the game to play in Sarajevo. And—quirky Chance again—who does Brassington upset, embarrass, 15 in the 4th in the 8th’s, but Danny Seemiller! Also in the 8th’s, then in the quarter’s, other U.S. Team members go down: Veillette beats Fuarnado Roberts, 12, -14, 21, 19; Bill Lesner topples Bernie Bukiet, then Peter Pradit, 18 in the 4th. In other good matches, it’s The Chief over Lim Ming Chui, -15, 18, 20, 19, and Brassington over Errol Resek, 17, 18, -20, 21.
And damned if Lee/Pradit aren’t shaky in the Doubles too—going 5 with Brathwaite/Alex Shiroky in the semi’s, and dropping a 25-23 3rd game in the final to Chui/Resek. Women’s went to Angie who maybe gave out just a little war-whoop after rallying from two games down and deuce in the 3rd against Judy Bochenski. In the semi’s, Angie stopped Alice Green, -17, 19, 18, 15, after Alice had –21, -18, 18, 13, 11 stubbornly prevailed against Sue Hildebrandt. Alice was wired to go to the World University Championships but not the Sarajevo World’s? Women’s Doubles: Bochenski/ Patty Cash (did Patty play Singles?) over Rosal/Hildebrandt, 13, 18, -21, 19. Mixed: Pradit/Rosal over D. Seemiller/Hildebrandt, -15, 22, 21, -19, 22! No—these two major tournaments weren’t a confidence builder for Danny. He’ll be 10-10 in Swaythling Cup play in Sarajevo, which didn’t impress Ogimura for one.
Other results: Men’s A’s (79 entries): Tim Boggan in a battle of forehands over Veillette, 18 in the deciding 3rd. Semi’s: Boggan over Horace Roberts in 3; Veillette over Stan Smolanowicz in 3. A Doubles: Peter Holder/“Bobby” Cousins over Dave Philip/Jerry Fleischhacker. Women’s A’s: Debbie Wong over Muriel Stern, 21, -16, 19, after Stern had struggled by Louise Chotras, 19, 20. B’s: Roger Sverdlik over Alan Sverdlik, def. Semi’s: R. Sverdlik over Ralph Robinson, 26, 15; A. Sverdlik over David Steinberg, 19 in the 3rd. Men’s Consolation: Fleischhacker over (late entry) D.S. “Dodge” Bhalla, -20, 18, 16. Women’s Consolation: Stern over Gloria Amoury.
Senior Esquire’s: Glancz over Joe Blatt (returning, says Sandor, to play in a tournament after a 37-year absence!). Esquire’s: Benny Hull over Alberto Resek (Errol’s father), 18 in the 3rd, then over Irv Levine in the final. Senior Doubles: Schiff and Bill Cross (winner of the 1940 U.S. Open Men’s Consolation) over Hull and Manny Moskowitz who’d gotten a thrill out of umpiring some U.S-China matches during last year’s “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” Tour. Wheelchair Singles: Mike Dempsey over Serge Jelenevsky.
Boys 17: Veillette over Rumble, 18 in the 5th. Girls 17: Rosal over Bochenski. Junior 17 Doubles: Rosal/Bochenski over Veillette/Scott Boggan. Boys 15: Ricky Seemiller over Jeff Zakarin, 17 in the 3rd. In reviewing a 1972 book, Better Table Tennis For Boys And Girls, Jeff says author George Sullivan’s copy is o.k., but, boy, “the models used in the photographs have awful strokes.” Boys 13: Bruce Plotnick over Robert Nochenson 21, 16. Best match: Rutledge Barry over Mike Stern, 23-21 in the 3rd. Girls 15/13: Gail Garcia over Orli Himmelweit. Under 11’s: Barry over Chuck Zakarin, 8, 21, after Chuck had squeaked by Eric Boggan, 24, -17, 19. Parent/Child Doubles: Ray/Scott McDowell over Tim/Scott Boggan.
Sandor loved the Danny Ganz party. Enviously he watched as Rutledge “scored heavily with the beautiful and shapely Angelita Rosal. Whenever she had a chance she hugged him. When I kidded Rutledge about this, he said, ‘She’s doing it because I’m a kid.’” Hence, no repercussions? Sandor kept it up: “I told him I’d seen many a hot Hollywood movie scene, but nothing like this.”
Much of the Dec., 1972 E.C. Meeting had been taken up with preparations for the World Team Tryouts. Treasurer Dell Sweeris would present a Statement of Cash Receipts and Disbursements for the six months ending Nov. 30, 1972 in which the Association had $6,237.37 more Income than Expense. Our Net Worth was reported to be $35,045.28. The International Fund Balance totaled: Senior: $5,635.74; Junior: $2,568.59. A bid was made for the 1974 U.S. Open by a “delegation from Oklahoma City consisting of Ron Shirley of the Oklahoma Table Tennis Club, and Dan Saunders and Stan Draper, Jr. of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. They guaranteed $10,000 in ticket sales and $5,000 in prize money with the event to be held in the Myriad—a new sports complex—March 22, 23, 24.” The E.C. unanimously accepted this bid. (Later, the date was changed to May 17-19 then to May 23-26.) Of not so singular importance was Geza Gazdag’s proposed $25,000 North American Open. E.C. discussion brought out the negotiations needed to make this Open a reality. But reality it never was. Frank Tichy announced he had plans to run a $20,000 International Open in Chicago in Sept. Think that will happen?
Following the two March majors, there was the annual election of USTTA Officers. Meanwhile, that rancorous Letter writer who’d insulted Rufford Harrison had come at Cyril Lederman too, reminding us of “Mr. Lederman’s facial expressions and body contortions when he chops,” and of a mistake he made when umpiring. Cyril may have agonized regarding his decision to resign as Executive Vice-President (for fear, given the circumstances, he could not continue to do a good job), but let’s hope his choice of devoting more attention to his livelihood is not a mistake. In his stead, President Boggan appointed Charlie Disney. USTTA Treasurer Dell Sweeris also resigned, and in his place Boggan appointed Fred Danner.
The Mar.-Apr., 1973 Topics (13-15) presents the Campaign Statements of those seeking office, and my President’s view (17) of those I’d like to see in office working with me. A Treasurer and three Vice-Presidents will be elected.
Those running for Treasurer are Jack Carr, Fred Danner, and John Read.
Jack says, “I was the top man in my college Accounting course. He offers, unlike the other candidates, a specific list of things (“What a Treasurer Ought To Do”); and says he’s “had the impression that the USTTA Executive Committee tries to keep secret how it makes and spends money,” but that he’ll open the books for all to see. He takes credit for being the one who started the money tournaments, and for coaches being paid. He reminds us of all the positions he’s held, and of the book royalties he’s turned over to the USTTA. He says, “I will try to be the best [Treasurer] the USTTA ever had. If my invalid wife can put up with me for 30 years, perhaps I have a few more useful years for the USTTA.”
He says, President “Tim is doing one hell of a good job”; says, “I have worked well with Tim”; says Tim has “confidence in me.” Uh, as readers of Vol. VI know, Jack and I are not exactly buddies. After I defeated him for the Presidency, knowing much of his life is dedicated to table tennis, I’d appointed him to chair two committees. But, as I said in my article, “I want to make it clear to everybody that I’m still running against Jack and his small time deviousness—regardless of what he falsely implies in his campaign statement.”
Fred speaks of the expansion—clubs, juniors—on Long Island he’s been behind, and his proven experience via table tennis positions he’s held in the last 10 years, including his current tenure as National Director of Junior Development. He has my unqualified Presidential endorsement.
John, a Chicago Insurance man, mentions his Accounting background, says he prepares “budgets in excess of $200,000 each year.” As Captain and Manager of U.S. World Teams he’s used to watching expenses. Says he got the IL Jaycees to sponsor the World Tryouts, and that he’s running in part because he doesn’t want the N.Y. area taking over the E.C.
Carr will win this election (379 votes) over Danner (351 votes) and Read (214 votes).
There are 10 candidates for the three Vice-President spots—Mal Anderson, Ralph Bender, “H” Blair, George Buben, Steve Isaacson, Bob Kaminsky, Bowie Martin, Coach Schleff, Marv Shaffer, and Joe Sokoloff.
Mal says he’s a needed follower, is a very good correspondent, and is skeptical of those who promise much. He urges voters to look at what the candidates have actually done. He points to his several USTTA positions, and especially to the hundreds of photos he’s provided to tournament sponsors. He urges a vote for Carr as Treasurer, praises his work as Equipment Chairman. In my article I explained why I didn’t want to work with Mal, and, as I indicated in Vol. VI, a reader publicly questioned my judgment.
“H” reminds us he started the Orlando Club, was its President for many years, and has been “chairman for twenty-six tournaments.” He also worked hard at being Southern Region Tournament Director and as Editor of Topics.
George says he’s “not obligated to any one person or group of people,” and believes in “equality of all players.” He thinks the E.C. “should be a composite of all sections of the country.” He has John Read’s endorsement.
Steve tells us he was a good player; that as former Selection Chairman he’d urged Tryouts. He wants “the better players to reap all the benefits possible, much as do the champions of other sports.” And he wants to revive the Hall of Fame that he started.
Bob urges that voters be conscientious, that they familiarize themselves with what the candidates have done. Vote for the executive type, he says. The USTTA ought to “operate like a business corporation.” The problems the Association needs to solve revolve around “FUNDS and PUBLICITY.” Every E.C. member should help to develop 1-year, 5-year, 10-year goals toward these two ends. The USTTA should construct “a stronger foundation through its local organizations—i.e., its clubs.” Bob details his numerous positions, as, indeed, they’ve been documented in my volumes. He has my unqualified Presidential endorsement.
Bowie Martin would represent the USTTA “as a table tennis professional.” After all, as President of the Martin-Kilpatrick Co., table tennis is his full-time job, and he has a know-how with the table tennis industry that can be of benefit to the Association. He points to his background “as a table tennis promoter, table tennis businessman, and table tennis player.” He’s for “Juniors,” “big money tournaments,” and “seriously thought-out programs.” He wants to “increase the number of players,” “elevate the status of the game,” and “increase the standard of play.”
Dick says, “Tim should be surrounded by people he feels comfortable with.” The E.C. “ought to start thinking as a committee of executives. They should begin to think in terms of priorities for the game’s growth, plans, long and short-term goals.” The Sport needs participants, needs places to play—“not 8-table clubs that meet twice a week in a high school gym” but “70-table public places that are attractive and reasonably conspicuous.” Club proprietors need to make money. To enable them to try to be successful, the USTTA might try a long-range plan—might “consider setting up a borrowing fund for potential tt center operators,” lending the money out judiciously of course. If the proprietor is successful, repays the loan, another can be made, and so on. Also, the Association needs to establish “a plan by which school organizers can make some money for their work.” Workers need incentives. Just as Boggan is paid for editing Topics (increased now to $300 an issue), and Marv Shaffer is paid to handle Membership, so should Fox be paid to do the important Ratings. Dick has my unqualified Presidential endorsement.
Marv is proud of the job he’s done “with Membership the past two years.” Others are proud of him too—he’ll receive this year’s Barna Award. Marv says he’s supported President Boggan in his selections of people and courses of action, and will continue to do so. He has the endorsement of both Danner and Read.
Joe is an experienced table tennis player/coach/traveler. He gives about “30 Table Tennis exhibitions a year in Churches, during Basketball games, at Elks clubs and other such places to promote the sport.” He runs a Sporting Goods company, and is the sales rep for Table Tennis wear that he can make available to clubs at wholesale prices.
Results of this Vice-Presidential election: Dick Miles (660 votes), Bob Kaminsky (372 votes), Marv Shaffer (345 votes), Joe Sokoloff, 224 votes), Mal Anderson (218 votes), George Buben (202 votes), Bowie Martin (169 votes), “H” Blair (153 votes), Steve Isaacson (100 votes), Coach Schleff/no Campaign Statement (80 votes), and Ralph Bender/No Campaign Statement (75 votes).
When Miles was elected Vice-President, Mort Zakarin, the USTTA Corresponding Secretary, resigned because he didn’t want to work with Dick. Since Carr became Treasurer replacing the interim-appointed Danner, Fred was now free to take Mort’s place and thus I could keep him on the E.C. Committee Chair changes occurred as follows: Advertising: after Zakarin’s resignation, this Chair was Vacant for several months, then Gus Kennedy took over (as of Mar., 1973 Topics advertising rates would be increased 50%). Affiliates: Co-Chair Chris Schlotterhausen resigned, left the Committee in the longtime hands of Richard Feuerstein. Dick not only has had endurance as a USTTA Affiliates Chair (the USTTA now has 10 times the number of clubs when, dedicated, he took over the Chair), but, since jogging is even more his sport than table tennis, he repeatedly competes in 25-mile marathons. Jogging, he says, “helps [a person] physically, mentally and morally.”
Coaching: Jeff Smart replaced Earl Adams. Disciplinary: Dr. Michael Scott II replaced Jack Carr (who as Equipment Chair finds out that the Federal Trade Commission can’t do anything about non-USTTA equipment labeled “Official”—such a labeling means “Nothing”). Fund-Raising: Miles replaced Boggan. Library and Film: Dr. Warren Rasmussen replaced Ralph Bender. Rating: Neal Fox replaced Jack Howard. Rules: Mal Anderson replaced Cyril Lederman.
Three Committee Chairs who are intensely dedicated and look to share their preoccupations and hopes with readers of Topics are Danner (Junior Development), Smart (Coaching), and Fox (Ratings).
Fred (TTT, Nov.-Dec., 1972, 9) says that to start Junior Clubs round the country you have to combat two problems:
“…a)—You need 4 adults [they’ll be Club officers] who want to set up the junior club & stay with it for at least two years. b)—You must convince people who control the allocation of good facilities (schools, firehouses, American Legion Halls, etc.) that your program is worthwhile & should be supported by them….”
After you get committed people, you have to find a facility “where the whole family will come.” It must have “good lighting and space enough for six tables,” and the “floor must not be slippery.” The facility must be “NOT USED at least one night a week, hopefully more.” (The club can survive even if play is available only once a week.) Now you must “SELL YOUR PLAN TO WHOEVER OWNS OR CONTROLS THE USE OF THE FACILITY.” Arguments: stress that the Game helps kids to “become physically fit, morally straight”; and that the Junior Club is financially independent. It helps if you can get facility insiders on your side (at schools, phys. ed teachers; at firehouses, firemen—induce their kids to play).
Next, you’ve got to put up money for equipment, a big chunk of which goes for tables to run USTTA tournaments on. Fred details estimated expenses for a year: comes to $705. Sponsorship may be possible from such project-oriented Clubs as the Lions or
Rotary—give them a try. Of course you’ve got to “GET THE LOCAL BOYS & GIRLS OUT TO PLAY.” Hopefully the school system will give you names and addresses. You want 36 players for 6 tables. Dues will be “$16 a year for regulars [covers “about 30 playing nights”] and $1.50 per session for occasional players.” The play format will be a “ROUND ROBIN LEAGUE” (of the kind outlined by Fred in the Nov.-Dec., 1971 Topics). The plan is that school play will lead to Varsity Club activity and thence to “related adult programs.”
Danner then has two articles, “Progress on Junior Development” and “Methods For Play of Inter-School Matches” (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1973, 8). In “Progress,” Fred says there’s been a “general increase in Junior memberships in most states” since July, 1972, and an increase in Junior Development State Chairmen (12 to 23, later up to 26). He tells us that Minnesota Chair Rich Sinykin has “41 school teams playing, plus a 200-player Kiwanis-sponsored Junior league in Minneapolis.”
He also cites great progress on Long Island: “13 varsity high school club teams are actively playing inter-school matches in Nassau County, 6 high school teams in Suffolk have started to play along with a 60-member all-Junior club at Finley Jr. High in Huntington.” Fred reports that “Walt Whitman High School came from 30 points behind to edge Huntington, 112 to 109, then remained undefeated with a 137-113 win over Harborfields High. In the Huntington tie, Whitman Team Captain Marc Landman upset Long Island Junior Champ Carl Danner.
Fred’s the more enthusiastic because, he says, we’ve “just received a GO-AHEAD to run an All Long Island School Team Championships co-sponsored by Nassau Recreation & Parks Department with the Long Island Table Tennis Association. This will be a 3-man USOTC-type round-robin team event with FREE entry for teams from LI schools, youth groups, churches, etc. It will be held in a 30,000 sq. ft. facility in the Nassau Community College at Uniondale, on April 28-29.” Later, Fred will report that this 29-table tournament drew 173 players.
In “Methods,” Danner shares his Long Island experience to describe the factors
that make for a good team match:
“The scoring system must make points important in an uneven match to prevent the good player from fooling around.
Players must all play enough of the time to be satisfied.
Players should root for their team during the key points….
More than 3 players should play for a team to prevent domination of the match by one good player.
The system of play should introduce as much uncertainty about the match outcome as possible prior to the start, and for as long as possible during the matches.
Too many players on a team make it hard to get all of them available and transported to the match at the same time.”
He also shows how the innovative team scoring works (match=2/3 games):
“A game win of 21-6 or better gives 5 points to the winner, 0 points to the loser.
A game win of 21-13 down to 21-7 gives 4 points to the winner, 1 point to the loser.
A game win …down to 21-14 gives 3 points to the winner, 2 points to the loser.
When a player wins the first 2 games of a match he receives 5 extra points for the third game he didn’t have to play.
The player winning the match gets 10 additional [points].”
Fred urges that in, say, a 4-man team match with 8 singles and two doubles to be played, the mismatches go on first, with the more or less even struggles to follow. A scoreboard “visible to the spectators with a running total of match points” makes for more excitement, more fun.
Jeff Smart (TTT, Mar.-Apr., 1973, 5) wants clubs to “hire well-known coaches to spend say a week teaching AT THEIR CLUB, rather than making the players pay to go to the coaches [which most can’t afford to do].” Jeff, who’s become a USTTA Associate Coach and an Umpire, says that he, for example, if he can stay at a player’s home, is prepared to “teach 20 [club] members 6-8 hours a day for a week for $200. Each member only spends $10!” Moreover, says Jeff, he thinks he could arrange “several exhibitions” during evening hours, with the ticket money going to the club. Hence Jeff, for, let’s say, a 50-hour work week would be paid $4 an hour. Granted one loves the work, how many other qualified coaches would be job-free to travel about in the missionary footsteps of Dell Sweeris and Jack Howard? How many gigs could the most enthusiastic coach expect (along of course with travel expenses from one club to another)?
Jeff says (TTT, May-June, 1973, 4) he’d really like to plan a coaching circuit for himself, and, in what amounts to a perk of an ad, details his experience, and suggests a camp format. Of course he isn’t married, and has summer months off from his studies at Oakland University—these are big factors, not easily duplicated by those most qualified.
Smart also urges (TTT, May-June, 1973, 54) we set up inter-regional play based on the European Union League format in which 6 or 7 countries compete in round robin competition, playing each other only once, at a rate of about one tie a month. Best of 7 matches are played, including 4 Men’s Singles, 1 Women’s Singles, 1 Men’s Doubles, and 1 Mixed Doubles. (For example, in a match on Mar. 4, 1973 in Leningrad, the USSR defeated Germany, 4-3: Sarkis Sarkhoyan d. Ebby Schoeler; Stanislav Gomozkov l. to Wilfried Lieck; Zoya Rudnova d. Diane Schoeler; Gomozkov/Sarhoyan l. to Lieck/Schoeler; Gomozkov/Rudnova d. Schoeler/Schoeler; Sarkhoyan l. to Lieck; Gomozkov d. Schoeler, 19 in the 3rd.)
Jeff posits a captain/coach and a squad of 10 from each region—with a Regional Closed to select the Squad and then a selection to be made by the captain/coach for each Regional match. With such a large squad, though, how many ties would any one player play? Transportation expenses would have to be worked out. Money could be saved by bringing, say, 3 teams to the same venue to play each other—but that would limit the number of sites, and the importance of these matches need be emphasized locally in each Region. At any event, though this particular suggestion has some bugs, Jeff’s all for promoting the Sport—is trying “to encourage each region to hold more training camps for its top players, give improving players a middle-step on the ladder to the top by making it easier to get on a strong team, if not the U.S. Team…[and, by more accurately comparing players from different regions,] improve rating and ranking methods in addition to promoting and advertising top-level table tennis.”
Jack Howard, who’d been working diligently, making progress with his Chess Federation-based rating system, had a long article in the Jan.-Feb, 1973 Topics (10) in which, contrary to Ranking Chair John Read, he felt that “a match in a local small tournament [should] be rated the same as if the match were played in a large national tournament.” Otherwise, he says, strong players wouldn’t play in small tournaments, and weak players wouldn’t play in large tournaments.” However, Ratings aren’t the be-all and end-all—the better players don’t want to play in small tournaments because there isn’t enough money to be won. But, if players are rating point conscious, why wouldn’t the weaker ones want to try to pick up upset points, more points, in a big tournament?
Jack says it’s “demeaning to local tournament sponsors and players to hear that their tournaments are unimportant compared to the ‘biggies.’ “Not as important” is a better way to put it, rather than the loaded word “unimportant.” But why would those who run small tournaments without prize money expect to draw strong players? Jack himself says, “top players…go where the money is.” Why should organizers who don’t offer money prizes take the absence of top players personally? Conversely, one might say it’s demeaning to the better player to give his support to those who continue to run unambitious tournaments.
At any event, Jack speaks of the future, gives no hint that he’s about to abandon this Rating project he’s made such progress with despite having for so long to play catch-up. But likely he’s just overwhelmed by the magnitude of a nation-wide rating system in which “over 20,000 [matches] will be rated this season.” There are always questions to be answered—i.e, “Shouldn’t a winner of a match be awarded the same number of rating points that the loser of the match loses?” Answer: No. Player A is young, fast-improving.
But though B is upset, his game hasn’t diminished to the extent A has improved. And, bummer, there’s just so much work to be done (for which Jack needs help): “reports for hundreds of ranking eligibles must be prepared; rating lists must be published regularly; certain separations (juniors, seniors, women) must be accounted for; stars must be kept track of”—it’s probably, especially when he’s involved for several weeks in World Championship duties, and has a job to hold down, just too much for him.
Neal Fox is ambitious, immersed in his Rating System. He’s innovative: “To get rid of the subjective guess for initial ratings, which can bias a player’s rating for several months, I have been generating equilibrium ratings”—the basic principle of which is that you repeat “the adding and subtracting procedures over and over for a set group of results,” as if “the results happened in identical fashion several weeks in a row.” These calculations continue “until everyone stops changing, or reaches his equilibrium point.”
Neal says (TTT, July-Aug, 1973, 7) the big difference in his, as opposed to Howard’s chess-based system, “is that all singles matches in all sanctioned USTTA tournaments (Closed included) count equally toward one rating per person. That “short-cut” does away with separations urged by CA Ranking Chair Dieter Huber that had been followed by Howard. Fox, too, needs help—from clubs, tournament directors, on-the-scene match-form preparers and recorders. Workers, including Neal, have to be paid—which means local tournament sponsors need “to add 20 cents to the entry fee for each singles event (10 cents per Junior Singles event).”
USTTA Leaders in the early 70’s are doers—they’re for expansion; hopefully, the money will follow to help them.
SELECTED NOTES.
*I’ve commented before on how the Programs for Detroit-held U.S. Opens have always been parochially oriented simply to Michigan matters, with never pictures or bios of country-wide U.S. stars, or articles of general interest, seen in other U.S. Open Programs. Still, I was surprised that the front page of this 1973 Program was given over completely to MTTA officers and a detailed listing and description of the State clubs, whereas my Presidential Greetings had been relegated to the bottom of the Program’s next to last page. However, I’m sure the slight didn’t bother me as much as did Michigan’s insularity over the years.
**Since in these volumes there’s the occasional negative word about Erwin Klein, I want to include here an e-mail I recently received from the well-known contract bridge player/teacher Eddie Kantar:
“…I remember that not all of the guys liked Erwin, but with me it was completely different. Never a mean word, nothing like that. And how he took care of his stepbrother after he had a stroke.
I once brought him over to my house for dinner to meet my parents (I was living at home at the time). Erwin’s mother was Hungarian and they never had salads. My mother made a huge bowl of salad for everyone. Erwin thought it was for him and he polished off the whole bowl!
I also played several exhibitions with Erwin where he was the featured player, of course. Several times it got down to the end of the last game and it was close and it didn’t bother Erwin one bit if I happened to win. I didn’t think I should throw the points so I just played normal exhibition points. He never ever mentioned that he was expected to win….”