I Hope

WIMBLEDON, England -- Pam Shriver can now do what she should have been doing all along -- take care of the stress fracture in her leg.But to convince her, it took a 6-2, 6-2 beating at the hands of Larisa Neiland and Jana Novotna yesterday to eliminate the women's doubles team of Shriver and Liz Smylie."

O. J. Brigance has gone back to linebacker school, where re-learning old habits has presented him with another challenge.Brigance, who broke into the Canadian Football League as a linebacker for British Columbia in 1991, when he was named to the all-Western Conference team, moved to rush end for the Baltimore Football Club last year, and eventually became the team's top point-getter on defense.Coach Don Matthews wants to use Brigance as his fifth pass rusher from behind the line, while Matthews hopes that a battle between rookies Jock Jones and Grant Carter will give Baltimore a new defensive end, solidifying its five-man rush.

A year has gone by, too swiftly for me easily to believe. But the first of these columns, on the first of these redesigned book pages, appeared on Sunday, Jan. 29, 1995.I have had a grand time of it. Whether you have been a regular reader or are a casual, occasional one, I hope you have found these pages as provocative and nourishing as I have.A year's end is a good time for reconsidering. Please help us do so.I want to see your responses and your ideas. Please write me, however briefly, with your criticisms, appraisals or suggestions for these pages.

PICTURE A columnist appearing before an audience of readers. Someone asks a question about an issue -- capital punishment, say, or abortion, or busing.The columnist replies, "It would be improper for me to discuss that because I plan to write about it in the future."Now, there's considerable difference between columnists and justices of the Supreme Court, the greatest being that the latter are infinitely more important, despite what the former sometimes seem to believe.The similarity is that the trade-secret response for either is insulting to the audience.

WIMBLEDON, England - At 18, Maria Sharapova not only has learned to win a Grand Slam, but has mastered the fine art of pre-match commentary. There were no edgy comments from her about Venus Williams before their Wimbledon semifinal today. "She has a big game," said Sharapova. "She's a great fighter. So every time we play, we always have a really tough match. Just have to go out and battle it out and see who can win the fight." With two more victories, Sharapova would become the first teenager to win back-to-back women's titles at Wimbledon since Maureen Connolly, then 17, started a three-year streak in 1952.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- When he lost his concentration over the past few weeks, Bob Milacki lost his spot in the Orioles' starting rotation. But if he finds his curveball, the 27-year-old right-hander thinks he could be back in the big leagues soon."

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton sought again yesterday to put aside his finger-wagging swagger about "that woman," Monica Lewinsky, wishing her well and expressing remorse for the ordeal she has endured.At a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, Clinton offered some of his most extended comments on the scandal since his acquittal.He said he did not watch Lewinsky's interview, televised this week on ABC-TV's "20/20," but said he hoped she "will be permitted to go on with her life."

THE VOTES ARE counted and we've had the ritual of winners and losers making their speeches, while their supporters cheered or wept.Here are a couple of speeches we didn't hear, but I wish we had."Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is a great victory. Not only for me, but for all of you who worked so hard to make this possible. You are the real winners."Actually, that isn't true. Let's face it, I'm the big winner because this is a real shot for my ego and my career. And now I'll have a very big office, lots of flunkies, power, influence and people will grovel and slobber in hopes that I will do them favors.

LOS ANGELES -- Bob Hope is still miffed -- miffed, that is, about not being able to bring women onstage in Saudi Arabia to entertain American troops over the holidays."

With so many voters dissatisfied with the choices in the presidential race, why should Gov. William Donald Schaefer be any different?"What about H. Ross Perot?" Mr. Schaefer was asked yesterday after ceremonies honoring graduates of the University of Maryland School of Social Work."He's a danger," Mr. Schaefer said."My problem with Ross Perot is he has never ever had any experience in government."And success as a business executive "is not the same," Mr. Schaefer said. "He's going to come in and go to Congress and try to talk to them and he's going to walk right into a wall."