Conference back40::soapbox

        The White House should have stayed out of this mess!
    
    	In Bill Clinton's own words, this is about several hundred
    milionaires who can't decide how to divide a couple of billion dollars.
    (Or words to that effect.) 
    
    	The Clinton administration is looking pretty stupid!
                              

  >>>    There would HAVE BEEN no WILD PITCH by BOB STANLEY ... TYING THE GAME
    
    George:
    
    For the last time, it was Gedmans fault.  It was a bad pitch but it did
    make contact with Gedmans glove!
    
    -Jack

It wasn't even that bad of a pitch. It wasn't a strike, but it 
wasn't that far inside. Gedman was the all-star starting catcher 
that year. I would think that an all-star would stop that pitch. 
He didn't even move. He should've blocked it with his chest, 
instead, he waived at it with his mitt.

daryll

  It appeared to me that Stanley and Gedman got crossed up. The fact that
Gedman didn't move indicates that he wasn't expecting the curve he got. So
either he gave the wrong signal for the pitch or Stanley threw the wrong pitch.

  Somehow I'd have to believe that the guy who had just caught 10 innings was
probably more up on the signal than the relief pitcher who had just come in and
was pitching to his 1st batter. 

  George 

You guys are ignoring the ultimate, cosmic reason
for The Horror of Game 6 --

Curse of The Bambino, of course!	;^)

    
    Like I've stated before in the old box...
    
    One of my favorite stations is the sports one where every once in
    awhile, they'll re-play the game in it's entirety...
    
    
      What fun!!!
    

 Can't the 86 WS have it's (is that right, di?) note?




 Pleeeeze? ;-)

>>>> Can't the 86 WS have it's (is that right, di?) note?

	no, it's not.  you may need some private tutoring (ooh er).

 ;-)

	Gedman may have been an alstar, but he was never a gold glove type of
catcher. Didn't he USUALLY lead the league (or was close to it) in passedballs? 


Glen

  Maybe he did but they obviously got crossed up. That curve didn't look
that hard to catch. Clearly Gedman was not expecting it.

  George

I believe that Gedman holds the all-time record for most put outs in a 
9 inning game by a catcher.

Jim

    
    This should get a reaction from Boston fans
    
    
    Bill Buckner

                       <<< Note 291.13 by MSBCS::EVANS >>>


>I believe that Gedman holds the all-time record for most put outs in a 
>9 inning game by a catcher.

He caught the Clemens' 20 strikeout game against the Mariners.

Andy, who was president the last time NY was in the series?

daryll

    .15
    Nixon

RE            <<< Note 291.15 by SALEM::DODA "Stop Global Whining" >>>

>Andy, who was president the last time NY was in the series?

  Is this the trivia question for the day? 

  That would have been Ronald Reagan when the Mets were in the '86 series
that we are discussing here.

  George

    
    He means NY Yankees...  :)
    
     Daryll and I go way back on this merry-go-round.. :) :)
    
     I'll never forget the first work day after the series, I walked into
     the NUO cafeteria.. Daryll was sitting with some friends and there 
     was about 50 or so people in the caf... I was at one end and 
     he was sitting at the other end...
    
      I yelled to Daryll...
    
     "Hey Daryll!!! Who's this?"
    
     and then did my best imitation of Bill Buckner
    
     I thought he was gonna rip my lungs out... :) :) :) :)
    

RE    <<< Note 291.18 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful awound Zebwas!" >>>

>    He means NY Yankees...  :)

  Oh, that New York team.

  Lessee, I think that in 1981, the year of the last big strike, there was
a tournament in which 8 teams made the playoffs, the leaders going in to the
strike and the leaders of the games after the strike (that year the strike
was in the middle of the season).

  After all the commotion it ended up with the Dodgers and Yankees in the
World Series. Dodgers won in 6.

  Time before that would have been 1978 when the Yankees beat the Dodgers
in 6. That was the year Greg Nettles made the great plays and Garvy was in
a slump.

  George

    
    1978...
    
    Another fine year!!!
    
    As I recall... there was this little incident at Fenway....
    
    Something called the "Bucky Dent Home Run"????
    
    Yaz popping up to Nettles at third for the final out...
    
    Ahhhhhh... the memories... sigh...
    
    
    BTW... Daryll??? Who was the president when last the BoSox won????
    
    :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
    

    <<< Note 291.18 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful awound Zebwas!" >>>

   >  "Hey Daryll!!! Who's this?"
    
   >  and then did my best imitation of Bill Buckner
    
   Actually Andy, after playing ball with you for a couple years, 
   it was a site I had grown accustomed to.

   daryll

    
    Oooooooooooo.... low blow....
    
    Anyway... I was at third.... not first... 
    
    and you know I wasn't half bad either... You'll have to find some other
    way to get your digs in! :) :)
    
    I know!! Why don't we talk about the Yankees owner!! :)
    

    Yastrzemski was a bumb!

| <<< Note 291.20 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful awound Zebwas!" >>>



| Something called the "Bucky Dent Home Run"????

	That was, "That  bleep bleep bleep Bucky Dent!!!!!"


Glen

 Bucky "Bleeping" Dent..

    
    
    Baseball.......whats baseball?? I hope the players return and no one
    shows up for games, won't happen but I can hope. I for one won't
    return.
    Question.... If baseball settles the strike soon will you return to the
    ballpark?? (assuming you went before the stike)
    

>    Question.... If baseball settles the strike soon will you return to the
>    ballpark?? (assuming you went before the stike)
 


   Can't afford it if I were to take my kids and feed them.  I will watch
 on the tube, however.




 Jim   

 Craig Nettles

    
    Nope.
    
    
    Let's have a Yankees Fan decide 8^).
    

    Deb:  It was Craig.
    
    And I'll support the AA Bowie Baysox at $5/ticket for any general
    admission seat in the house, the stadia being only 1.5 miles from my
    front porch.

    
    Are you a Yankees fan, ronhoney 8^)?
    
    Why do I remember it with a G?  Must be brain cramp 8^).

           <<< BACK40::BACK40$DKA500:[NOTES$LIBRARY]SOAPBOX.NOTE;1 >>>
                          -< Soapbox.  Just Soapbox. >-
================================================================================
Note 12.2171                  Things to Hate Today                  2171 of 2171
WMOIS::GIROUARD_C                                    10 lines  13-FEB-1995 08:06
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    cramps can be caused by:
    
                             - dehydration
                             - cold muscles
                             - low potassium
                             - tight muscles
                             - etc...
    
    
    Chip

    	'Twas indeed Craig.  I ought to know - I have his baseball card.
    
    ME

    
    I'd like to say in front of everyone I WAS WRONG!
    
    See, I can admit it 8^).
    
    
    
    braincramp for sure.

    Yastrzemski was a Bumb!!

    
>    I'd like to say in front of everyone I WAS WRONG!
 

     ..and who was right? :-)



   
   

 So, this Craig Nettles, is he a ballplayer or something?





 Jim

	He played third base for the Yankees, Padres and another team.
His best years were with the Yanks.

ME

	Nettles went from the Yanks to the Padres, where he ended his career in
'86 I believe. (maybe '87) If he was on another team (California/Baltimore???) 
it would have had to of been before the Yanks.

    RE: .28
    
    mz_deb??
    
    Ummmmmmm..... what was this entry in reply to?
    
    BTW... the name is Graig... with a "G".....
    
    
    From a "real" Yankees fan ;)
    
    
    BTW... BTW.... which makes mz_deb right (as usual)
    

    <<< Note 291.41 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful awound Zebwas!" >>>

    
| BTW... the name is Graig... with a "G".....
 
	But Judge Komar has his baseball card, and it says Craig. Hmmmmm.....
don't tell me the judge is WRONG???    
    

Glen

    
    He may have the card, but I doubt he has it with him...
    
     I have a poster issued with the 1978 Yankees Yearbook here in my
    office, along with the Oct. 1978 issue of Sports Illustrated...
    
     They both have his first name spelled "Graig"
    
     It is pronounced "craig".. ergo all the confusion...

	Andy, confusion in the 'box??? surely you jest....

    If you trace it far enough, all this Graig/Craig stuff prolly goes all
    the way back to ancient Latin.  The names Gaius and Gnaeus, pronounced
    gye-us and nye-us, were abbreviated with a C.  So you see "C. IVLIVS
    CAESAR" and some books will say that was Caius.  Wrong.
    
    Or maybe they just spelled it wrong on Nettles' birth certificate.

    
      Hey, Newtie wants to repeal the Anti-Trust exemption, maybe.
    
      I'm with him.  Why should Baseball be different from the other
     pro sports ?
    
      As to the strike, I hope there is one, and will be sad if these
     two sets of pigs turn reasonable and settle up to play monopoly.
    
      bb

    
    I think Nettles played for the Indians before the Yanks

    
    Hold on...hold on...WAS I RIGHT?!?!?!
    
    Andy, I was responding to George's .19 where he wrote "Greg Nettles". 
    I could have sworn it was Graig, not Greg, and not Craig.  If I *AM*
    right, the Muppetman owes me bigtime 8^).
    
    In fact, I'll insist on a public apology and I'll delete my note with
    much ceremony 8^).

 Public apology?  For what?  I wasn't talking about spelling, I was talking
 about pronunciations! ;-)

    
    Guess what, the '94 season ended without a series and the world still
    revolves around the sun!
    
    The players are a bunch of over-priced prima-donnas that rarely seem to
    earn their keep once they sign a multi-year, multi-million dollar
    contract. They have driven the price of a day at the ball park out of
    reach of many families. Some of the great "stars" have made great role
    models for kids with drugs and other escapades.
    
    Binding arbitration should be fun for one and all. Maybe Bill can send
    Hillary to do that.

| <<< Note 291.50 by LIOS01::BARNES >>>


| The players are a bunch of over-priced prima-donnas 


	Hey, with Canseco, wouldn't that be pre-Madonna???? :-)

    in this morning's glob, mike greenwell says they're doing this for the
    mo vaugns and other young players.  anybody ever stop to think that
    maybe the younger players would be happy to play for less bennies if
    they could at least PLAY instead of steaming off the field?

	"pre-Madonna"

	Ha!  Nice one, Glan.  ;^)

    Players have the right to accept or reject their own contracts.  Nobody
    has the right to hold a gun to the owners heads.
    
    Ballplayers, be content with your own wages and mind your own
    business!!!
    
    -Jack

	Joanne, who's that Glan person you're talking about?

Glan...  Glan Davis.  I thought you knew him.  ;^)

| <<< Note 291.56 by SUBPAC::JJENSEN "Jojo the Fishing Widow" >>>

| Glan...  Glan Davis.  I thought you knew him.  ;^)

	Yeah.... I know him. I know Glenn Davis, too! :-)


Glen

	I'll double check the card.

	Another interesting (to me anyways) thing is that there was an
error card made of Nettles card (Donruss '81?) where the name is 
misspelled.  I don't think I have that though.  I'll have a ruling on
what the name is tomorrow, or later today.

ME

re .42:

Save that card!  It must be worth at least eleventeen zillion bucks!

    I have double checked my cards.
    
    The correct name is "Graig Nettles".  I must have been thinking about
    the error card.
    
    ME

    Ah, I see Hizzoner's robes are back from the cleaners.
    
    Welcome back, O Voice Of Authority.  Gawd knowz we need someone to take
    us in hand (oo er!) around here.
    

    
    {ahem}
    
    I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG.
    
    Thank you, I feel better now 8^).

    Well I (for one) am both chastised & nettled.  But I am the latter only
    at myself.  
    
    |-{:-)
    

    Deb:
    
    I have a 1975 Orioles Yearbook.  On page 27, it shows a collage of
    pictures of the "Enemies Star Players."  The three stars for the Yanks
    include "Craig Nettles".  case closed!

    
    Sorry, Ron.  Seems to me an official Yankees item would be more likely
    to be correct about a Yankee player than an Orioles item.
    
    Graig it is, and where is my �5?

    Mz. Lauer,
    I would have never taken you to be a gambler! I`m surprised!

    
    The extent of my gambling is buying one megabucks ticket when the prize
    goes over $5,000,000 8^).

    Yastrzemski IS A BUMB!

 I humbly admit to my error (way) back on the spelling of Mr. Nettle's
 first name, and apologize on bended knee to Ms Deb, and beg her forgive-
 ness for my grievous error..



 Jim

    .70
    
    > I humbly admit to my error (way) back on the spelling of Mr. Nettle's
    > first name, and apologize...
    
    Will you equally humbly admit to your present error on the spelling of
    Mr. Nettles' surname and apologize therefor?
        ^^^^^^^^

 maybe

    
    	"We (players) have to teach them (owners) they can't
    take advantage of us any longer."
    
    	Cecil Fielder at a congressional hearing.
    	Cecil Fielder who is being paid $36,000,000.00 over 5 years.

    
    
    Poor freakin' baby....
    
    My heart really bleeds for him and his ilk...

| <<< Note 291.73 by HANNAH::MODICA "Journeyman Noter" >>>


| Cecil Fielder who is being paid $36,000,000.00 over 5 years.

	Unless Cecil plays, he ain't gettin paid ANYTHING over 5 years. :-)

	I heard that Newt was talking about getting rid of the anti-trust laws
for owners. Anyone else hear this?


Glen

    
    
    
    How do they do it on such a pittance......

	Well Mike, sometimes you just gotta make the sacrafice if you're having
fun.... :-)

    I think the best thing the owners can do is cut their losses and just
    hold out and hold out until the players come groveling back.  I don't
    believe in class envy and if Cecil Fielder is making $30M in five
    years, good for him.  But he has absolutely no right to butt into the
    business of owners and management!
    
    -Jack

    I thought it was kind of funny that Tom Glavine tried to say that
    Dykstra doesn't understand the "intracacies" of the negotiations
    when Dykstra indicated that perhaps the players ought to get a little
    more serious.
    
    Dykstra may not be a rocket scientist, but I think he does understand
    
    
    "the check is NOT in the mail". :-)
    

	Dykstra is panicing because he is afraid that without the $$$$, he
won't be able to buy any more chewing tabaccee...

....	and that tooth-whitening system he uses after
	the chaw  (ptui,  eeeeeuuuuuuuuwwwwwwwwww)

    YASTRZEMSKI IS A BUMB!!!!!

    Don't hold back.....Tell us how you really feel.
    
    ;^)
    
    Rob M.

    
    
    
    
    Liked Cecil Cooper
    Denny Doyle was a nerd.
    Like Rick Burleson
    Liked Rico
    Dewey had the best arm in the major leagues (accuracy)
    Lynn was a flash in the pan (great fielder though)
    YASTRZEMSKI WAS A bumb
    Rice had an attitude and choked alot...except when we were winning
    7-0.
    Beniquez - Bumb
    Fisk was great!
    
    Tiant - great		 	Moret - Good
    Lee -   very good                   Segui - Ehhh            	
    Cleveland - Bumb                    Drago - Very good
    Wise - Bumb
    
    -Jack

| <<< Note 291.84 by MKOTS3::JMARTIN "You-Had-Forty-Years!!!" >>>

| Liked Cecil Cooper

	Who couldn't like the guy? 

| Dewey had the best arm in the major leagues (accuracy)

	One of the strongest too. That ball could sail anywhere he wanted it!

| Lynn was a flash in the pan (great fielder though)

	Huh?

| Beniquez - Bumb

	GANT! WRONG! Not a winner! :-)

	What? Nothing about Bill Campbell?

    Bill Campbell was great but he came in 1977 so he doesn't count.  I was
    talking about the 75 team!

Dewey!  Dewey!  Dewey!

In my office I have a most excellent photograph of him.
Deep in concentration in the on-deck circle, he was.

Snapped by me from the field boxes with my zoom lens,
if I do say so myself.

| <<< Note 291.87 by SUBPAC::JJENSEN "Jojo the Fishing Widow" >>>


| Deep in concentration in the on-deck circle, he was.

	Gee.... if he concentrated as hard at the plate, he might have had a
better average in the early years.... :-)

  The thing I'll always remember about Dewey was that he was the guy who ended
up with the ball that went through Buckner's wickets. 

  "Knight scores, the Mets win!!!" 

  George

    Game Six...Inning 11...
    
    The pitch..
    
    Morgan hits a drive to deep right back goes Evans back..Back....
    aannnnnnd...WHAT A GRAB!!!  Evans made a grab and saved a homerun on
    that one...THROWS TO FIRST FOR A DOUBLE PLAY....as Dwight Evans robbed
    Joe Morgan...of a home run...leaping in the air...and snagging that
    ball out of the right field grandstands........He is some right
    fielder!

    In my book he is "THE" right fielder.  Of course I'm only 23
    and haven't been watching baseball for all that long.
    He was/is my baseball hero.   Game just wasn't the same since he left.
    
    Rob M.

Heard on the news this morning that the Major League Baseball organization, 
owned apparently by both players and owners, has decided that all the 
little leaguers who use franchise names 'cause the kids want to be like 
their "heroes" will now have to pay a licensing fee to MLB for each 
uniform. $6, I believe. 

Is there no end to their greed?

    
    Re: .92 (Sorry, don't remember your name)
    
    That is amazing!
    I coach T-ball in a small town and an expense like that
    will have a major impact. Admittedly, youngsters in T-ball might not
    know about major league teams, but those in higher levels do and
    they enjoy "being" their favorite "hero".
    
    Ya know, if those in major league baseball were to design a plan
    to destroy the game as we know it, they couldn't do better than
    they're doing right now.
    
    							Hank

 re .92



 When I heard that this morning, my desire to see Major League baseball (which
 I love) decreased another notch or 3.





Jim

    
    
    Amen to that, Hank.
    
    
    Mike

    What's baseball?

Ruth had a pretty good arm in RF.

Jim

 He swings, and its a long drive..

 to deep centerfield

 ...and its GONE..a grand slam Snarf!

  Ruth had a great arm, not a good arm. That's why he was such a good pitcher.

  George

    Game tied six six..Darcy pitching...
    
    Fisk takes high and inside ball one...........
    
    Freddie Lynn..on deck.....
    
    there have been..numerous heroics tonight both sides.......
    
    The one o delivery to Fisk he swings Long Drive LEFT FIELD.....
    IF IT STAYS FAIR IT"S GONE....HOME RUN!!!!!! The Red Sox WIN!!!
    And the series is tied at three games a piece!!!!

    
    <-----
    
    Short lived joy.....

    All set to go sudden death overtime the Bruins and the Blues tied at 3
    3 Sanderson draws with Berenson....puck skips in the St. Louis line
    Carleton goes for it with Ecclestone fore che..back checking OUT
    FRONT...cleared..by Talbot but kept in AUREYS shot..is blocked by
    Talbot...Sandersons drive is wide.  Eccleston the rebound but its kept
    in by the Bruins.  Aurey...to Espo....SANDERSON's Drive again is
    wide...Kept in by Orr.  Orr feeds Sanderson behind the net back to Orr.
    
    HE SCORES...HE SCORES...THE BRUINS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP!
    
    I know...wrong note but it's such bitter sweet memories!

    
    Best arm in baseball in MHO, was Roberto Clemente number 21 of the
    Pittsburgh Pirates.
    
    
    Mark

    What about Robero Clemente numbers 1 through 20? :-)
    
    -b

	<-- you've been bantering with the Richardsons too long.  ;-)
	

    The best all around player of all time was Carl Yastrzemski!

    How about Gary Carter? Certainly one of the best.

| <<< Note 291.109 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Weird Canadian Type Geezer" >>>

| How about Gary Carter? Certainly one of the best.

	At whining?

RE     <<< Note 291.109 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Weird Canadian Type Geezer" >>>

>    How about Gary Carter? Certainly one of the best.

  Gary Carter was one of the best catchers during the 80's but I'd hardly call
him one of the best of all time. 

  If I had to pick an all time best Catcher I'd go with Yoggi Berra, or Johnny
Bench. Oddly enough when Yoggi 1st took over as catcher of the Yankees the
general feeling was that he'd never be able to replace Bill Dickie.

  George

    Gary Carter always gave 110% effort.

     <<< Note 291.112 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Weird Canadian Type Geezer" >>>

>    Gary Carter always gave 110% effort.

Yeah but 110% of what?

| <<< Note 291.112 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Weird Canadian Type Geezer" >>>


| Gary Carter always gave 110% effort.


	To the whining.....

    Ah.... I forgot. Red Sox country.

     <<< Note 291.115 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Weird Canadian Type Geezer" >>>

>    Ah.... I forgot. Red Sox country.

Nope. Cubs fan. 'course that's pretty much the same thing.

	Red Sox country has nothing to do with it. He is just very good at
whining.

    People whined about him, they thought he worked too hard.
    
    I remember when he was MVP in the all star game in '79 I think it was.
    2 homers.

    Now the major league teams want to charge Little League teams for using
    "major league" logos. Now if the Little League teams want to be
    Dodgers, Yankees, etc. it will cost. Estimate is about $6 per player.
    Just another reason to hope these overpaid pukes don't have another
    season. Since we all survived quite nicely without the go-on-forever
    playoffs and the World Series which manages to exclude the rest of the
    world, I think we can manage a whole year without listening to some
    fool say, "I feel insulted. I am worth more than a million a year,
    after all my teammate  (pick any old name here cause it applies to all
    teams/players) is getting 1.2 million. I don't think just because I can
    make more in an afternoon signing baseballs than the average person
    makes in a month, doesn't mean I don't need the money". What we need is
    fans boycott for a year of all sports. Bet that will get those ticket
    prices down. And can anyone believe the health department hasn't 
    investigated those "things" they sell for hotdogs in Fenway?  Gruesome.
    Ought to be considered a form of child abuse to make your kid eat one
    of them "dogs". 

 <------  I believe (though not sure) that the report of the fee for little
 leaguers may have been a false one (potential urban myth).  I seem to recall
 hearing someone on the tv/radio saying that it was cooked up...that said, it
 wouldn't surprise me at all that they would do such a thing..



 Jim

    OK, truth squad, frount & center.  Track this 'un down, wrestle it to
    the ground, make it squeek.  Yes or no, do you exist???
    

    Heard the same bit about fees for logos on local Atlanta station
    Friday night.  I don't think it's a done deal, but the issue was
    brought up.
    
    

    some guy (can't remember his name) was asked what he thought about 
    bringing in substitute players. he said (and i paraphrase) it won't
    be professional baseball without the big name players.
    
    i think he meant "it won't be prima donna ball without the big name
    players." :-)                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    
    Chip

    
     Hey, Jack Martin,,,,
    
     Stop smokin the weed while starrin at yur YAZ poster !!!!!!
    
       

    
    So I read where the players, (Those on strike) are considering
    hiring replacement picketers to walk the lines.
    Seems they fear a "security problem".
    
    Alright! Fess up! Who wrote this comedy anyhow?
    
    

    Hank,
    
    You're kidding, right?  Replacement picketers!!!!?????
    

 Yep, replacement picketers...

    
       YAZ....  the last Triple Crown winner !!!
    
    

    We've been through this already.  Yastrzemski was a bumb Jack...A BUMB!

    Yaz, aren't they the male/female duo who had that album "Upstairs
    At Eric's"? :-)
    
    -b

    
    we've been through this already, the last triple crown winner was 
    Affirmed in 1978. 
    
    NNTTM
    
    Mark

> From New York: Take two tablets three times daily, or something
  like that ... it's THE TOP TEN LIST for Monday, February 20, 1995.
  And now, a man who's available in half sizes ... David Letterman!
 
> From the home office in Sioux City, Iowa ...
 
TOP TEN SIGNS YOU'RE NOT WATCHING A REAL BASEBALL TEAM
 
10. You recognize batter as the kid who sold you a hot dog a
    couple minutes earlier
    
 
 9. Everytime a player slides into second, he busts his hip
 
    
 8. They keep shouting "Do over!"

     
 7. When umpire yells, "Strike 3!" batter looks at him as if the
    dude's speakin' French
 
    
 6. Try as they might, they just can't scratch themselves like
    professionals

     
 5. First base: Siskel.  Second base: Ebert.
 
    
 4. Game stops when some lady in a house near the stadium shouts
    "Dinner time!"

     
 3. Players constantly adjusting each other's cups
 
    
 2. You overheard the coach yelling, "Run, Forrest, run!"

     
 1. They play like the Mets
 
 
Compiled by Sue Trowbridge
 
          ----------------------------------------
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               11:35 p.m. ET/PT (10:35 CT/MT)
               on the CBS Television Network
          ----------------------------------------
 
             On Tuesday's show, Dave welcomes
 
             ... actor GEORGE CLOONEY
             ... 4-year-old patriot KELSI COPIER
             ... singer LORRIE MORGAN
 
Brought to you by Yoyodyne Entertainment where the future begins ...
tomorrow.  Get on the media hype bandwagon and send mail to [email protected]
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The Top Ten List is Copyright (C) 1995 Worldwide Pants, Incorporated.
Used with permission.
 
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% Subject:      TOP TEN LIST - Mon 2/20/95
% To: Multiple recipients of list TOPTEN <[email protected]>

    
    I hope the pro's stay on strike.
    The replacement players are a refreshing change from the typical
    greedhead environment. 
    
    Sure the product will suffer short term, but the millionaires
    on strike are not the only ones capable of playing this "game".
    
    Could end up being a fun season.
    
    
    							Hank
    
    

	As long as the replacement picketers don't beat up the replacement
players.

ME

    	It's funny to see how many season ticket holders are trying to
    	unload their tickets this year.  Does that make the purchasers
    	of these tickets replacement fans?

    ... and will the replacement fans watch the replacement picketers
    beat up the replacement players, while eating turkey-meat hotdogs
    sold to them by replacement vendors?
    
    -b

    Prooly be a few substitute teachers in the stands.

    	Don't forget the replacement umpires (quite likely.)
    
    	If they have replacement ticket window attendants and replacement
    	hawkers, be sure to count your (replacement) change.

    And replacement beer if the Unions that deliver regular beer it to
    the stadiums honor the MLBPA picket lines.  Wonder what replacement beer
    tastes like?
    
    Dan

	Probably like Zima.

ME

    Boy, I hope the owners hold out!!!

    Just tried to get into the RED SOX note file (and the DIGITAL file) but
    it tells me, "Dynamic Memory Exhausted". Now without to much jesting
    what does this mean?
    
    Thanks.

  Well literally it means that the process has run out of heap space to
provide resources for lib$get_vm.

  Practically it means the system is hosed, try again later.

  George

    .143
    Thanks.

	I hear in Atlanta they are going to bring back Billy Beer. They said
they will dig Billy up to help sell the stuff. 

    They are going to exhume Billy in order to sell beer? Wow, Americans
    will go to any length to sell anything.

    
    If per chance, this baseball season actually survives with
    the so-called replacement players, I'd be thrilled. Maybe then
    those poor unfortunate people being taken advantage of to the
    tune of millions a year will realize that the game is far more
    important than they are.
    
    

	It's because we find death fascinating.  ;^)

    Have a six pack of billy and switch on Schindler's list.

    Well how do you like that...I didn`t even know he died (Billy Carter) I
    assume we`re talkin about. WHen did that happen?

| <<< Note 291.150 by MAIL2::CRANE >>>


| Well how do you like that...I didn`t even know he died (Billy Carter) I
| assume we`re talkin about. WHen did that happen?

	When his life left him.

    But he didn't give up the spirit.

| <<< Note 291.152 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Ooo Ah silly me" >>>

| But he didn't give up the spirit.

	Oh.... he was born again?

    No, he kept drinking to the bitter end.

| <<< Note 291.154 by POLAR::RICHARDSON "Ooo Ah silly me" >>>


| No, he kept drinking to the bitter end.
                              ^^^^^^

	Guess he was drinking his own beer....

    jes.

    jes.


	Glenn, are those Jim Sadin's initials?
  

    It would take several thousand lines to determine that, I think....

	Why?

    Go see the gun control note for a hint.

	I stay away from that note. too violent..... no one ever has their
safetys on....

    You gotta wear a condom to note in that topic?

	Jim's parents should have.... DOH! 

 Well, so now we're going to have expansion teams in Phoenix and Tampa Bay..
 The Phoenix team will be the "Diamond Backs" and the Tampa team the "Devil
 Rays"..

 Couldn't they have come up with better names?




Jim

    I'll bet they'll be giving out rattles in Phoenix. It would be neat to
    hear 50,000+ people shaking rattles.

    Those names stink!  But then, I wasn't thrilled with the names
    "Rockies" and "Marlins", either.  In any event, isn't it kind
    of silly for them to be trumpeting new expansion teams when the
    whole show may be over?  Sounds like whistling in a graveyard...
    
    Chris

	But if you are a season ticket holder, it might be neat just to 
hear after a few games. :-)

ME

 They sound like College team names..Heck, even the "Firebirds" (Phoenix
 minor league team) would have been OK..then again, at least they didn't
 use names like "The Phoenix Heat" or "Tampa Magic"...



 

	WOW!!!!! Two more teams for replacement players to go to! So those who
are cut may have a job in the future. Now will they have to protect so many
replacement players on each team so these other ones will get a shot at some �
decent ones? Oh glory days are here again!!!!!!


Glen


maybe they should 1st work on getting a season....at least that was one of the
ONLY intelligent thing Marge Schott has ever said....

  The names could have been worse. At least they didn't pick really stupid
names like the "Dodgers".

  George

 re .170



 True.  I lived in Phoenix for a year in 1980 or so and found that most of the
 people there were Dodger fans..didn't get along with many people there..




Jim

    re: "Dodgers"
    
    Good point... after all, the whole idea is not to dodge the ball,
    either for the batter or for the fielders.
    
    Chris

    what was/is the name of the indoor soccer team in Phoenix?
    
    All I can remember is seeing a bunch of fans with these really cool
    shark fin hats.  Those would be perfect for a Jimmy Buffet concert.
    
    Dumb team names:
    Yeah, like the Cubs is stupid either... Little baby bears.  Fits the
    team history though...

>    re: "Dodgers"
>    
>    Good point... after all, the whole idea is not to dodge the ball,
>    either for the batter or for the fielders.
    
>    Chris


	I believe the original name was the Brooklyn Trolly Dodgers.
	Their talent was dodging trollies, not balls.

	Ken

  I've heard it told that back then Giant fans use to cheer for the trolleys.

  George

    Opening Day is coming...does anyone care?
    
    ME        

unh-unh

 Not really.  I love baseball, but won't watch/listen to replacement baseball.


 What I'm particularly fried about is the Sox will now be on WEEI out of Boston.
 I live in Derry NH and can't get WEEI very well.  They're also on a Manchester
 station, WGIR which I also can't get very well.  



 Jim

re: .176

Nope.

Bob

    Jim, seems a little contradictory to be fired aboiut not getting good
    reception on an event that you will not listen to anyway.  But I guess
    it would be nice to have just in case :-).  
    
    Answer to the question, why would I change now?  No. 
    
    

    
    
     I'll root/follow/support the new Nashua team, thank you very much...
    

 Well, I meant I won't listen to replacement baseball and prolly won't listen
 early in the season, but being a lifelong baseball fan I imagine I'll give
 in at some point and listen, but when I do give in to listen, I won't be
 able to hear very well ;-)




 Jim

    I'll start watching baseball again when bleacher seats at Fenway are 50
    cents like they were in the 70's.
    
    -Jack

>>    I'll start watching baseball again when bleacher seats at Fenway are 50
>>    cents like they were in the 70's.

	don't forget your ear-horn and bifocals.

    Tickets for the Nashua team's games are expected to be $5 for adults,
    $4 for seniors/students.  There will be 30 home games, beginning in
    June.  Season tickets start at $90, which is a fair bargain.  Games
    will begin no earlier than 6:30 and will be finished no later than
    11:00.
    
    I'll be there, probably several times.

    
    <------
    
    let me know when and we'll make some plans to meet... share a hot dog
    or two... maybe a beer.. dive for some foul balls...
    
    
     :) :) :)
    

    
    I like baseball.

	are there stats kept on players who have hit into
	triple plays (for instance)?  odd things like that?

There are stats on *everything*.

	Well, if the court injunction goes through, the players will end their
strike, and the owners will lock them out. Of course there is the proposal from
the owners that were given to the players. I somehow don't think they players
will agree to it, seeing Donald Fehr already stated he hoped there was room for
improvement. That guy really bugs me. But I guess a negotiator for large cash
clients will do that to a person. :-)

	I won't go see a replacement game. I have watched part of one on tv.
Kinda boring. I mean, even more boring than the typical sox game. :-)


Glen

    There are stats on players that hit triple plays and how many times
    they grabbed their cup before doing same.  Gripping stuff, really. 

    
    
    	I'll still go to he same amount of games this year (about 3). I
    don't go to see the game persay, it's a nice day out and the people
    wathcing is the real sport.
    
    ed

	i'd like to be able to look into that triple play thing, because
	i was at a game many years ago where someone hit into one and it
	was a very exciting evening because there was also a game of
	major importance going on (bruins? - can that be?) that was being
	tracked on the screen at Fenway, and i can't for the life of me
	remember who the guy was that hit into the triple play, but i used
	to know.  i can't remember what year it was either.  sheesh.

    Made quite an impression on you, eh?

>>    Made quite an impression on you, eh?

	;>  well yeah, it did.  but i haven't thought about it
	for a couple of years, and now i can't remember his name.
	it's frustrating.  

	I think Gary Gaetti holds the record for starting the most triple
plays. But for what you are looking for Milady, try looking in AWECIM::BB_STATS

	I don't know how to do that kp-7 crap, so you'll have to type it in
yerself!

    As much as I love baseball, I don't love the beast that's called
    Major League Baseball anymore.  Even if the millionaire players
    slink back, I won't be watching or listening.  I suspect that lots
    of others will feel the same way, and it should make a dent in the
    TV ratings (though probably not the attendance).
    
    Won't matter in the long run; TV will still gladly fork over gazillions
    and we'll all pay and pay and pay, whenever we buy any product that
    chooses to throw their ad revenues to the megabuckers on both sides
    of the dispute.  As I've said in here before, nothing would make me
    happier than to see all games strictly pay-per-view, everywhere.  Then
    we'd see what the true market for this game is, and what price the market
    will bear.  As it stands now, we're all paying for this absurd endless
    inflation.
    
    Wonder what they'll do about the Orioles, not that it matters much,
    but just idly curious.  Will they simply forfeit their games, and
    tough toodles to the opposing team owners' lost revenue for the Orioles
    away games?
    
    Chris

	Tv revenues have been down for a while. that's why they didn't pay
nearly as much for baseball in this last package, and had cut back on the
amount of games showed. ESPN used to show baseball on Sunday, Tuesday,
Wednesday & Friday nights. They cut back to Sunday & Wednesday nights. It was a
bummer cuz if I was home, it would be great to view a ballgame....

    replacement...

    SNARF!

  Ok, here's a trivia question on triple play stats (an easy one actually),
what team has hit into the most triple plays during a game?

  George

	not to change the subject, but i think i remember the guy's
	name - was there a Joe Rudi or am i making that name up?

    re: most triple plays during a game
    
     Boston vs Minnesota

RE:                     <<< Note 291.201 by HELIX::MAIEWSKI >>>

>  Ok, here's a trivia question on triple play stats (an easy one actually),
>what team has hit into the most triple plays during a game?

 


 Red Sox

  My neighbor was there and saw both triple plays. She said that when the
1st one happened, everyone was amazed but after the 2nd one everyone just
nodded and said "Yup, they'er cursed".

  Odd thing was, the Sox won the game.

  I was at the game with the unassisted triple play, what was it last year
or the year before? Jody Reed I think, or was it Valentine? Ok, so I was
soaking up my share of suds, hey I was having fun.

  Anyway even those who could stand up straight didn't know it was a triple
play until it was announced. In fact half the players thought it was a double
play.

  There were no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd. The batter hit a line drive
to short. Reed (or who ever it was) caught the line drive, ran to 2nd to
double off the runner headed toward third then ran across the bag and tagged
the runner coming from 1st.

  The unassisted triple play is the most rare play in the sport. In the
history of baseball it's only happened something like 13 times. Even perfect
no hitters happen more often than an unassisted triple play.

  Oh, and yes, they do keep statistics on triple plays,
  George

    
    
    	I was at that game in Fenway also. I have two unused
    	tickets i'm saving. They may be worth something to
    	a collector some day next century. 
    
    	I guess i'm pretty well set for retirement.
    
    
    			DAC
    
    

	Milady, there is a Joe Rudi. 

>>	Milady, there is a Joe Rudi. 

	thanks, sweet pea.

 Played outfield (LF) for the A's as well.





Jim

| <<< Note 291.208 by PENUTS::DDESMAISONS "no, i'm aluminuming 'um, mum" >>>



| thanks, sweet pea.

	Milady, please tell me that you aren't comparing me to someone from a
Popeye cartoon. :-)

No, the subject of a Tommy James and the Shondells song.

 oh great - you've done it again, gerald.  thanks.  thanks a million.

 I don't think that was TJ and the S's that did "Sweet Pea".




 Jim

    
    "Sweet Pea"?  I thought his name was "Angel Drawers"!
               

| <<< Note 291.214 by POWDML::LAUER "Little Chamber of Fuzzy Faces" >>>


| "Sweet Pea"?  I thought his name was "Angel Drawers"!

	If my nicknames were personalities, I'd give Glenn a run for his/her
money!


Glen

    I have a 19 body length head start.
    
    
    
    YES YES! MAN I'm tired of being right!!!!!

    re .213
    
     Your right its not TJ and S's it was Tommy Roe.
    
    Dennis

    The odd thing about triple plays is that they're usually pretty
    unspectacular to watch, or perhaps undramatic is a better word.
    Typically a triple play takes only a couple seconds to happen,
    and many people don't even realize what they've seen, as mentioned
    in an earlier reply.  When it's over, a typical reaction is "Geez,
    that's it?"  Somehow one expects more.
    
    Unlike double plays which can be quite dramatic and impressive,
    with lots of action, pivots, turns, slides, throws, timing, and
    so on, triple plays are usually "freaks of nature" where someone
    just happens to be standing in the right place at the right time
    to catch a hard liner, step over onto a base, and stick an arm
    out to tag an approaching runner.  Bang, boom, done.
    
    Chris

I was listening to a ballgame once where there was a strikeout-throw
out triple play (2 guys caught stealing on the same play).

ME

  One unassisted triple play was somewhat "dramatic"

  I forget the teams and names but it happened quite some time ago. A couple
days earlier a short stop had pulled a "traditional" unassisted triple play (if
that in itself is not an oxymoron) by catching a line drive, strolling across
2nd and tagging the runner coming from 1st.

  In the game in question, it was the 1st baseman who pulled off the unassisted
triple play. He had just read about the play above in the paper the night
before. With no out and runners on 1st and 2nd snagged the line drive, tagged
the runner from 1st, then rather than throwing down to 2nd he ran the ball
down there himself yelling "I'm running my self into the Hall of Fame".

  I have no idea if he ever made the Hall of Fame and for that matter I can't
even remember his name, but that story popes up every time another unassisted
triple play gets pulled off.

  George

>     Your right its not TJ and S's it was Tommy Roe.

Egads!  Egg in my face!  I knew there was something a shad fishy in my reply!
But it's Tommy this and Tommy that...

	Hey Jim, seeing you're home and all, if you happen to hear that the
strike is over, could you post it? 


Glen

    Injunction was issued.  Ball in owners court.
    
    Dan

Sholdn't that be "ball in owners' diamond?"

    Having been to a number of baseball games, I believe the
    correct phrase would be "ball in owner's hands, talks
    scratched."

    -b

  Actually if the NLRB has gotten the injunction restoring the '94 salary
structure then it's the player's move.

  If they do nothing, then we have scab ball according to '94 salary rules.
Speculation is, however, that the players will now attempt to return to work.
If that happens then it will be the owners move. They are expected to order a
lockout and attempt to play with the scabs anyway. 

  If that happens the union would go to court and insist that the owners honor
their contracts and pay the real players under the '94 salary structure. If the
players won that then the owners would be faced with playing scabs and paying
both scabs and real players or shutting the whole thing down. 

  Most pundits are saying these rulings will go in favor of the players now
that the NLRB has ruled in their favor and gotten the 1st injunction. If that
is true then we will end up with either a settlement or no baseball at all.

  George

    or how about Talks in owners hands, balls scratched?

    I believe (but am not 100% positive) that the players have voted to
    return to work.  Owners have their own balls in their hands, so to
    speak.
    
    Dan

	So baseball has become a game of pocket pool??? 

    
    in more ways than one
    

	eight balls, in the side pocket.... 

    with a baseball team shouldn't it be nine ball? 

very good brian.... i guess with pocket pool, it doesn't matter how many balls 
are in the pockets or if it is even an even #!

    re: .232
    
    Actually it would be 19 balls on the field. Remember the pitcher has an
    extra. :-) (Actually it would be more, because the umpire has a big bag
    full). :-O||||

>	Hey Jim, seeing you're home and all, if you happen to hear that the
>strike is over, could you post it? 


Well, I was out most of the day..I don't know what's going on with the crazy
thing.



Jim

    Squabble is over for the moment.

    Opening Day has been rescheduled for April 26th (Wednesday),  There
    will be a 144 game schedule.
    
    Now, maybe we can get on to the serious business of who is going to win
    the Series. (Who do we declare as last year's champ's though?)
    
    ME

I don't care if they never play another game.  The b.s. of the past year has
completely turned me off on baseball.

Bob

    Yep. What a bunch of crybabies. I have no time for them.

 I can't see where, based on the settlement, there was any point to the crazy
 thing.




Jim

ZZ    Now, maybe we can get on to the serious business of who is going to
ZZ    win the Series. (Who do we declare as last year's champ's though?)
    
    What I honestly hope happens is the public in general simply boycotts
    baseball this year.  What I'm really hoping is the owners do a lockout
    so the ballplayers can finally realize they are there to negotiate
    their own contracts, play baseball, and stay out of the owners business
    of running the team!
    
    -Jack

    I'm boycotting.  This whole thing is ridiculous, IMO.

    Steve:
    
    The Indians stink anyway...
    
    I would have boycotted them as far back as when they had Dwayne
    Kuiper!!!
    
    -Jack

re: .243

Why should Steve care about the Indians?

Bob

    Jack:
    
    But the Reds don't stink.  They were on their way to the world series
    last year, if my guess is right.  I'll still boycott baseball.
    
    
    -steve

	Does Pete Rose think he's great or _what_?  ee yi yi
	Mr. Modesty himself.  ;>

    
    	And the reality of the situation is that we have to go through this
    again. They didn't settle anything. Look for another strike by the end
    ofthis season.
    
    ed

    One can only hope.  

    What did Pete say on 60 minutes?
    
    I'm the greatest hitter to ever play the game?

>>    What did Pete say on 60 minutes?
>>    I'm the greatest hitter to ever play the game?

	I doubt that he's even heard of you, frankly.

	But anyways, he was just going on and on about how many
	records he broke, blah, blah, blah.  True, but gee whiz.

    8^ppPpPpPPPpPPPpPpPPPPPppPPpPPPPppPpPP
    
    
    8^)

| <<< Note 291.243 by MKOTS3::JMARTIN "You-Had-Forty-Years!!!" >>>

| The Indians stink anyway...


	Jack, guess you boycotted all of last season too. The Indians have
developed into a really good team. If the playoffs were to have been held last
year, they had a VERY good chance of getting there, either by wildcard or as
division winners.

	I think this might be another case of you talking out of that mile wide
thang again. :-)


Glen

    wildcard?

 Yes, baseball now has a "wildcard" :-/





 Jim

    The Indians STILL STINK
    
    
    
    And Carl Yastrzemski is still a bumb!!!

	Well Jack, whether or not they shower during the season is beyond my
scope of knowledge. But they are good ball players! 


Glen

    tththiswe - yeah, I know, it's the wrong topic.  But it's not.
    
    Major League Baseball appears on the verge of a settlement.  No
    lockout.  This is to hate because nothing, repeat NOTHING, has been
    solved.  Both sides are still every bit as greedy and intransigent as
    before; they're going back to work under orders.
    
    The game of baseball is too important to be ruined by Major League
    Baseball.  I wish that there would be a lockout and that MLB would cave
    in.  Then maybe we could start fresh with people who care more about
    the game than about the almighty dollar.
    
    No hope of that, though, is there?

	No, there is no hope of that.

	So, why don't we do what "Married With Children"'s Al Bundy
did.  Let's start our own Soapbox Baseball Leasgue (although Al
did it with Nudie Bars). :-)

ME

    re: .257
    
    Agree completely; the only reason both sides are playing reluctant
    kissyface is pure mutual greed.  The owners saw no one buying tickets
    for games using "replacement players", and the players saw that the
    owners were actually going to start the season without them.
    
    Lastly, the media has been boo-hoo-ing the strike with pseudo-
    sentimental nonsense like "How can there be a spring without baseball?"
    Clue: the same way there can be an autumn without baseball, like
    there was last year.
    
    Watch for another strike as the boring season hits August or
    thereabouts.
    
    I'm not going to bother saying that I hope that people won't buy
    tickets, etc., because I know damn well that the shee..., I mean
    people, must already be lined up around the block.  And of course
    the tee-vee penguins are all excited, getting their piece of the
    action again.  Big Business as usual.
    
    Chris

    No...your right....SHEEP!!!
    
    As far as I'm concerned, the owners have a right to be greedy.  The
    players have a right to be greedy when signing their own personal
    contracts....no other time.  Just play ball and shut up!
    
    -Jack 

    What if you're a center fielder and there's a fly ball hit to left
    center, shouldn't you say something?

    
    Well,
    
    	My heart goes out to the so-called replacement ballplayers
    who's dreams were dashed at the last second. From articles I read,
    they were a joy to watch, even though the talent level wasn't there.
    Their enthusiasm was genuine as was their effort.
    They were grateful and appreciative of requests for autographs
    which were free.
    
    I wish they could have played at least a few regular season games.
    Actually, I was really hoping they would become the new major league
    players....permanently.
    
    Oh well, bring on the greed, but I won't be watching!
    
    							Hank
    
    ps. seems that they won't be "honoring" the strike that the
    umpires are engaged in....

    What's the deal with Nashua having a team now?

>    What's the deal with Nashua having a team now?



   Settling the strike should have no impact on the Nashua team.




 Jim

    
    
    The widow of the replacement player said it real well.  The real
    baseball players are the kids who play for the love of the game.
    
    
    Support your local little league,
    
    
    Mike

 Reminds me of something Michelle Shocked once said (I'm sure she is
 not the orginator) "Music is too important to be played by professionals".





 Jim

    ...as Michelle collects $millions from CD sales and concert
    appearances.
    
    Mark.

    .263
    
    The Nashua team is part of a new league, completely unconnected with
    Major League Baseball.  For one brief shining moment, I had hoped that
    this new league might be a new birth of reason, and that baseball of
    the people, by the people, and for the people, might not perish from
    the earth.  But MLB has dashed that hope.

| <<< Note 291.258 by REFINE::KOMAR "Whoooo! Pig Suey" >>>

| Let's start our own Soapbox Baseball Leasgue 

	I'd be willing to start a Soapbox Baseball League..... but I don't
quite know what you want to start their judge sir.

| (although Al did it with Nudie Bars). :-)

	How disgusting.... was then men or women nudie bars??? :-)

>    ...as Michelle collects $millions from CD sales and concert
>    appearances.
    
 

   Yeah.  though I heard the comment before she was "big".



 Jim

	They were sponsered by Nudie Bars.

	We could have the teams based on the areas where we work.  But, 
we have to see who would be willing to play.

ME

	We guts a softball league....

 I'll be playing in my church softball league again this year.  Didn't make too
 many games last year.  We've got enough guys for 3 teams this year.




 Jim

    
    
    	Saw some interviews on the tube last night. Mike Greenwell saying
    that the guys would be signing a few more autographs to make up for the
    strike. Sox brass saying they wuld have a kid's field day at Fenway
    (let the little tykes run out on the field and get some autographs).
    
    These guys are morons, and the bigger morons are the people lining up
    to get tickets as soon as the strike was postponed. No wonder sports
    can charge any amount they want. 
    
    Sports is fun but major league sports is a business and its a business
    that doesn't care about its customers because all the publicity about
    sports is made to promote the facts that:
    
    		You can't live without it.
    
    		It's the best thing on the planet.
    
    	Are the major league players going to honor the umpire's picket
    lines????
    
    ed

	I think it will be good for the major leaguers and owners to do
something for the fans. True, it will only be until people start coming back
regularly, but for the short term, the fan makes out.


Glen

    The owners and players are throwing the fans a bone. Of course, in the
    meantime they're areguing over who gets the bigger piece of prime rib
    (which the fans are paying for.)

    
    <------
    
    Er..... Mark?
    
     Sheeps don't eat bones...  They just line up at the ticket counters
    like good little do-bees....
    

    
    T-ball draft tonite.
    Season opens April 23rd.
    
    I'm also kinda flattered that some parents have requested me
    as coach for their little ones.
    
    						Hank

>    I'm also kinda flattered that some parents have requested me
>    as coach for their little ones.
    
    No one else volunteered, eh Hank?
    
    Mark.

    
    go for it hank!!!
    
    

 We're starting a league for the youngsters at my church.  I'm going to 
 be coaching the 9-12 year age group (girls and boys).




 Jim

	Cograts Hank and Jim!!  Good luck with your teams! 


Glen

    
    Thanks Glen and Raq.
    Good one Mark.....

RE                  <<< Note 291.275 by BIGQ::SILVA "Diablo" >>>

>	I think it will be good for the major leaguers and owners to do
>something for the fans. True, it will only be until people start coming back
>regularly, but for the short term, the fan makes out.

  I agree and I have a suggestion. How about if they entertain us by playing
baseball games?

  I can't think of anything else they have to offer that I'd like to see but
real baseball games with real players is something I'd like to see a lot.

  George

	George and I actually agree on something!  Wow!  This might not happen ever
again! :-)

PLAY BALL!

ME

	George, do you go to many games????? 

  I watch a lot of games on TV. I channel surf between Red Sox games, Braves
games on TBS, and what evers on ESPN. 

  I also go to Fenway a few times a year to see the Sox in person. 

  In addition to that I own 3 DEC Rotisserie teams and I'm a league officer in
one of the leagues. Because of the leagues I buy about 4-5 stat books at the
start of each season and pick up U.S.A. Today Baseball Weekly every week during
the season.

  Oh, and I'm almost never without my BoSox cap,
  George

	Welll.... maybe we can hit a game. Maybe we can make it a box night
out... well, for those who are still interested in going to the games.

	Rotisserie, huh? I'm a Strat-o-matic man myself. 



Glen

    
    Had the T-ball draft the other night.
    I got there exactly at 7:00 but others got there quite early.
    We had about 135 children listed on 3 pages.
    As the draft went on I was wondering most coaches were
    choosing children from the page 3, then page 2, but never page 1.
    Finally found out (my oversight really) that the children were
    listed according to age, starting with the youngest.
    
    When it ended I have a team about half and half boys and girls,
    most in the 5-6 year range while most other teams are stocked 
    with boys in the 7-8 year  range.
    
    Bottom line is that a few teams are stocked with 2nd and 3rd year
    children and they want to compete. They complained about playing
    teams where kids don't hit well because it takes so long.
    They didn't seem to care about anything but winning, which
    is ironic as we don't keep score anyhow. 
    I remember last year playing against teams that couldn't hit and
    the games took forever. But it was worth it because once that
    little boy/girl finally got that hit, they were just so happy
    and proud of themselves. It made their day and mine. These coaches
    want to give them a few pitches and then bring out the T, childrens
    feelings be damned.
    
    I really couldn't believe what I was seeing/hearing and I guess
    I'm going to be having my problems when we play these teams.
    
    You see, all I want is for the kids to have fun. I figure if they are
    having fun, then learning the game will come.
    
    						Hank

    
    So... now we have the start of the 1995 season...
    
    MLB umpires are striking and.... Lo and Behold!!! Nobody's honoring
    their picket line!!
    
    
      Bunch of spoiled, bratty hypocrites!!!!
    
      I'll be danged if I'll watch/support them!!!
    
     Hey Dick!!! You got a schedule of the Nashua team??
    

    Not yet, Andy, but I'll publish it when I get one.

	I wonder how they will now be able to play baseball in Baltimore when
they passed that law saying they couldn't when major leaguers were striking.

    	Probably the umpires aren't considered players for the purposes
    	of the Baltimore legislation.

	I thought it had to do with scabs period. If a union strikes, scabs
can't take their place. I know I heard the question asked on tv, but no one
gave an answer.....

    	If they play ball there, I guess that gives an answer too.
    
    	If you can find a specific wording of the legislation, I'd
    	appreciate seeing it posted here.  If I come across it, I'll
    	do the same.  Do you frequent ther baseball conference?  I
    	don't.  If you do, maybe you can ask there.

AL EAST : Yankees
AL CENTRAL : Indians
AL WEST : Mariners
Wildcard : Orioles
Champs : Yankees

NL EAST : Braves
NL CENTRAL : Astros
NL West : Dodgers
Wildcard : REDS
Champs : Braves

World Series Champs : Yankees

ME

    
    
     Front page of the Boston Globe today has a picture of the center field
    scoreboard from yseterday's game...
    
     It states:
    
      "Thanks Fans"
    
    
     It should say:
    
        "Thanks Sheep"

    Right! 
    
    Boycott the Red Sox!

 Snarfball!

    Yesterday was opener for Braves, first time in several years it was
    not a sell-out.
    
    

    
    	Good.  I hope it's like that all over, but fans are such suckers
    	I know it won't happen.
    
    	I was actually hoping that the season would be played with rep-
    	lacement players ... if the big boys with their big salaries
    	don't want to play, let someone in who does.
    
    	There was a guy at Fenway yesterday with a sign that said "Fan
    	on strike" and most of the rest of the crowd couldn't understand
    	why he would think like that.  I could.
    

    
    	Well, the T-ball Athletics have completed their 1st two
    practices. Quite a group of kids. 11 boys, 4 girls.
    Two of the girls are the best players. One catches better
    than I do. The other should be on the Red Sox pitching staff.
    We also have one young boy with the worst case of
    shyness I have ever seen. Won't bat, won't field, won't do anything
    but freeze up. So I told him that whenever he's ready to let me 
    know. Looks like center field for him for a while.
    
    	So, Opening day and parade are Sunday. Should be a lot
    of fun as they all seem to be having a lot of fun so far.
    But damn, am I tired when I get home afterwards.
    
    	

    >> Yesterday was opener for Braves, first time in several years it was
    >> not a sell-out.
    
    None, NONE of the teams had an opening day sellout, for the first
    time ever.  Camera pans across the seating areas revealed lots of
    empty seats in some of the parks.
    
    Chris

    I think they should fire all the current players and pull up from the
    minor leagues.

    Tom, do you agree?

    I think that the owners should do what is best for their business and
    the players should pursue all that they can get in the free market.
    Fans should go if they want too or stay home if they want too. Ticket
    prices should be whatever the market will bare and government and their
    force-backed regulation should stay the hell out.
    
    IMHO of course :)
    
    ...Tom

    
    	Chris are you sure?  I thought I heard that Fenway was 
    	sold out for opening day.....
    

    Now kiss and make up.

    
    re:.308
    
    Figures...
    
     Seems the sheep are a little dumber in Fenway....
    

       
       > kiss and make up
       
       Anagram:   A pink dame suks.
       
       --Mr Topaz

    On Wednesday, they (WBZ) were saying the game was a sellout. 
    Yesterday, they said there were approx. 1000 no-shows (no mention of
    whether these were unsold tickets or fans not showing up.)

    Bill

    Hmmm... I'd heard this on ESPN, most likely (the no-sellout thing).
    
    As for Fenway... wait a minute, I have to put my conspiracy hat on...
    okay... how's this: the owners bought up all the unsold tickets
    themselves to claim a sellout, to make it look like "everything's
    okay now"? :-)  How could there be 1000 no-shows for an opener,
    and presumably a reduced-cost-ticket opener at that (remember that
    they'd lowered all April ticket prices earlier).
    
    Chris

    And if I think that what is best for me is that Tom Ralston be
    castrated, then it should be so.
    
    :-) :-) :-) :-)

    Tom!  RUN AWAY!!

    
    Wot ?  Premature Bobbittry ?  bb
    

    Tom and Nancy, I'm sensing that perhaps you have a few problems to iron
    out first before you tie the knot.

| <<< Note 291.310 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful of yapping zebwas" >>>

| Figures...

| Seems the sheep are a little dumber in Fenway....


	HEY! I was NOT at that game! :-)

    Nancy, Nancy, Nancy what good could I possibly do to you castrated!?!
    
    Sounds painful and It would probably make me bitchy!!!
    
    ...Tom

    Tom, Tom, Tom, remember we're confusing baseball with politics.
    
    :-)

    It seems that I'm confused alot lately. I think I have that illness...
    
    
    BOXBRAIN
    
    Ohhhhhhhhhhh it hurts soooooo baaaAAAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaad!!!!!!!
    
    ...Tom

	The Boston Red Sux and the New York Yankees renew their rivalry for
the 1995 season.

	You can guess who I'm rooting for. :-)

ME

    Boston?  
    
    Chip

 I'm sure I'll spend considerable time on the phone with my brother (fan 
 of the dreaded Yankees) this week.





 Jim

    
    RE: .322
    
    Sorry.... Even though I'm a die-hard Yankee fan, I will not support
    them. I willnot watch any MLB games on TV, nor will I check box scores,
    read articles..etc. 
    
      I know it's like spitting into the wind, but I do have some
    principles...
    

  <<< Note 291.325 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful of yapping zebwas" >>>

>      ... Even though I'm a die-hard Yankee fan,
            
>      ... I know it's like spitting into the wind

        An observed characteristic of Yankee fans ...
        
        &y
        
        
        
    

	Andy, wanna go to a ballgame sometime? :-)

    
    
    Only if you're talking about the Nashua team...
    

    I stumbled upon last night's Red Sox away game with some forgettable
    team, probably the Brewers.  During the game, there were quite a few
    wide-angle shots of various parts of the stadium.  When viewing these
    shots, it was obvious that there weren't many more than 500 people
    attending this ballgame.
    
    But when they came out with the "Official Attendance Figures"
    part way through the game, the number was on the order of 8,000.
    
    What the hey?  What is this "official" figure?  They say "paid
    attendance"... but there were fewer than one thousand people in
    that stadium.  So what's the game?... is this some invented
    figure to avoid embarrassment and/or to cook the books somehow?
    
    In any event, in casual scans of various games on cable during the
    last few weeks, it's obvious that baseball attendance has declined,
    at least outside of Boston.  As for TV, I thought I'd heard McDonough
    or Montgomery say that this was one of the first games telecast this
    season in Milwaukee (or whatever city this was), and that ratings
    were pretty bad.
    
    Is baseball in trouble?  If so, are the owners and players putting
    up a facade of optimism and half-baked good news?
    
    Chris

	baseball...baseball...hmm.  doesn't that involve hitting
	a little round object with a stick or sumpin' like that?
	and then running like hell?  

    
    No, that's golf.  Other than the running like hell stuff.

    
    
    It's a game that you may have seen some of the neighborhood kids
    playing, for FUN m'Lady.

	"FUN"?  what is this "FUN" of which you speak?

    
    
    Well, it doesn't have pictures of dead presidents on it......and you
    can't really see it, you just know when you're having it. :')
    
    
    Mike

Is it anything like radio or sex?

 Part of the problem with the attendance at last night's game may have to do
 with the weather..there was a lengthy rain delay and perhaps the attendance
 figures represented those who had showed up to the game, then hit the trail
 when the rains came.  I'm just guesssing of course, as attendance is down
 all over the place (except perhaps Boston).




Jim

    Paid attendance is the number of tickets purchased, without regard to
    whether the purchasers showed up at the game or not.

    re: .336
    
    Yes, that's a possibility... by the time I'd tuned in, the rain
    was over, and I didn't realize until later that there'd been a
    rain delay, but that could explain it to some extent.  In any
    event, it was strange seeing this cavernous place almost empty.
    Even the stalwarts who were there appeared bored, but maybe that's
    because the home team was getting hammered.  One guy that the camera
    caught was reading a book.
    
    It must be difficult for the players to play before such a small
    crowd, but then again it didn't hurt Vaughn last night (two homers,
    now hitting ten for the season so far).
    
    Chris

 thanks, Dick..

    
    	So paid attendance would include all season tickets as well, for
    	every game of the season?
    

    Re: .331
        
>    No, that's golf.  Other than the running like hell stuff.

    Ah, you've obviously never played golf in Florida, attempting a shot
    near a lake and having a large reptile appear as you're about to hit
    your shot!  

    Re: baseball attendance

    I saw a bit of the Mets-Expos game Sunday night.  It looked like there
    were only a few hundred fans in the stands, but the official attendance
    was 14,000.  Maybe the owners are inflating the numbers to disguise
    attendence problems!

    Bill

    .340
    
    Theoretically, yes.

RE: attendance

	It has been way down.  I think that most of this actually has to be
that the labor situation is still unsettled.  The players and owners didn't 
agree to anything, except to play ball.  The players could still strike 
since the union hasn't reached an agreement with the owners.

	I would be willing to bet (but not much) that attendance would rise
after/if an agreement is reached.  It would take a while, but I think that
is the best solution for the "game".

ME

    Naww...I think the fans are simply doing payback to show their
    disgust...and I hope they don't relent!
    
    Boston fans will continue to be sheep and go to the games.  The people
    that brought us Kennedy and Dukakis!
    
    -Jack

	Attendance has been down 20% I believe. Montreal's has gone up though.
Boston has been pretty consistant, but don't know if they sold out.

    
    >baseball...baseball...hmm.  doesn't that involve hitting
    >a little round object with a stick or sumpin' like that?
    >and then running like hell?
    
    It also involves a lot of GREEEEEN.
    
    ...Tom

    Unless baseball does something about a game lasting four hours with
    three and a half of doing nothing but playing catch there is going to
    only be sandlot and little league.  An agreement will do nothing, I
    heard one team gave away all the tckets free and didn't get a sell-out.
    
    Dennis

	Come on!  The time "problem" has been going on for a long time.
Do you really think that is keeping people away.
	Actually, I thiknk the best way to solve the time problem is to
call skrikes according to the rule book - knees to shoulders.  It seems
like anything higher than the waist is a ball.

ME

    I agree with the balls and strikes.  Yes the time makes a difference. 
    It now takes almost twice as long to play a game with these "Major
    leaguers" as it did back in the sixties.  Four hour games are now
    common when it used to be a record length for nine innings.
    
    Dennis

But time has been an issue for the past few years.  Still, prior to the last
couple years there were record attendences set.

ME

	On a lighter note: I heard on the radio this morning that Bosux 
manager Kevin Kennedy is considering putting Roger Clemens in the bullpen
to fic the troubles there.

ME

	what will putting roger into the bullben fic?

    
    	Maybe they need a bouncer, just in case the relievers start to fight
    	amongst themselves.
    

	Balls and strikes.... they should be what they are no matter how they
are thrown. Last night our pitcher (softball) had an arc, but when it got to
the batter, it had dropped into the strike zone. The umpire came out and told
her that he prefers the ball to come in flat. WHAT DOES IT MATTER???? A strike
is a strike... PERIOD!


Glen

	I agree... Speaking of lobbing it in, does anyone remember Dave
LaRoche and his famous LaLob?

ME

    
    various softball rules have max/min arcs
    

| <<< Note 291.356 by SOLVIT::KRAWIECKI "Be vewy caweful of yapping zebwas" >>>


| various softball rules have max/min arcs

	Yes, my other league I play in it has to be 6' min, 12' max. In this
league most people throw flat pitches, but whether they throw them flat and
high, or flat and low, as long as they are in the strike zone, they count. But
this guy said he just doesn't like arc pitches. By arc I mean it might go about
5' in the air, but at the plate it is on its way down. 

    when I played there was fast (windmill), the semi-fast (straight arm),
    modified semi-fast (screw your arm up a little), and slow...
    
    slow pitch was the only one with a arc...
    
    Chip

    re: .349
    
    >> It now takes almost twice as long to play a game with these "Major
    >> leaguers" as it did back in the sixties.
    
    Well, substantially longer in any event (I don't know about twice
    as long; most games back then took about 2:30).  Much of this is
    actually due to television, which demands at least two full minutes
    between half-innings to get in commercials.  On the rare occasions
    that I've been to a ball game, between innings it's obvious that
    everyone is ready, and yet they're just hanging around waiting for
    some TV guy to signal to the ump that they can start playing again
    (or maybe he's just timing it, either way).
    
    The poor umpire who's confined to a wheelchair now (can't recall
    his name) has come up with some ideas to reduce the length of the
    games, and has proposed them to MLB.  I'd read a few of them last
    night; one of them was to raise the mound a few inches (to get more
    strikes, presumably), and another was to let pitchers stay in the game
    after they bring their fingers to their mouths (completely off the
    wall, IMHO).
    
    Chris

    re: A strike is a strike, period
    
    Agree completely, the ump is a jerk.  In our town kids' league,
    the umps have been atrocious.  Kids are regularly getting called
    out on forehead-level "strikes" or plate-bouncer "strikes", or
    pitches so far outside that the catcher can't even reach them.
    
    As a result, the kids are ticked off, bummed out, and so on; they
    swing at anything, or just stand there and give up, expecting to
    strike out looking anyway.
    
    Chris

Steve Palermo

    
    RE: .360
    
    Understandable... but what's the answer??
    
    Most kids that age have very little control and can't find the plate
    from 5 feet let alone the distance from home to the mound... And the
    subconscious fear of hitting the batter exists too...
    
     It would turn into who wins by how many runs have scored due to
    walks...

    re: .361
    
    Thanks for his name... I'm surprised he didn't mention getting rid
    of the DH in the American League, to speed up the games (typically
    the pitchers are easier and faster outs at the plate).
    
    re: .362
    
    You've got some valid points there, and the umps themselves have
    brought these issues up as well.  It's a tough call, pardon the pun.
    We do have a rule in which the half-inning is declared over if the
    team at bat goes through the entire batting order in the inning,
    and it does sometimes happen due to walks.
    
    It's an awkward year, which I'm hoping will indeed last just for
    this year, when the pitchers are learning to find the plate, and
    we're faced with either endless walks or silly strikeouts.  Not much
    hitting going on, and the fielders are bored as well.  And you can't
    bring the pitcher closer to the plate for safety reasons, of course.
    It'll all work out eventually, if the kids hang in there long enough.
    
    Chris

    .363
    
    The DH is one component of the ruination of baseball.  The essence of
    the game is that every player must be really versatile because every
    player palys both on offense and on defense.  With the DH the pitcher,
    who may well be offensive, is never on offense.

    	I think Japan uses the DH too.
    
    	They instituted the DH in the American League because attendance
    	at the AL games was dismal compared to the NL.  They added the
    	DH to increase the number of runs scored.  To the average fan,
    	a 10-9 game is much more exciting than a 1-0 game.
    
    	Now they are talking about inter-league play during the regular
    	season.  I hope that they get rid of the DH as a part of instituting 
    	that.

    I can't stand the DH, either... I probably wasn't clear about
    that in my earlier reply.  Getting rid of the DH might speed
    up the game, but would have several other more beneficial
    effects for me.
    
    I'm an old baseball traditionalist... I can't stand World Series
    games at night, artificial surfaces, boring symmetrical parks,
    domes, electronic scoreboards with huge TV screens, infinite
    expansion, and all the other junk they've done in the last
    twenty-five or so years.
    
    At least they still use wooden bats.  The sound of a hardball
    on a blasphemous aluminum bat is most grating.
    
    Chris

from alt.humor.puns:

The recent lock-out of the umpires were making them all grumpy.
After a tough day of walking the picket lines, one umpire returned home to
find that his young boy wanted to play with him.  As the tired ump was
sitting in his favorite easy chair, the lad kept trying to crawl onto his
lap.  The umpire snapped, yelled at the boy and boy ran away crying.

This proves the old adage:

The Son Never Sits on the Brutish Umpire

    
    We wrapped up our T-ball season last week.
    
    For the last game I had wild hopes for making a couple of plays.
    Had my best catcher, Jennifer, at 1st. She catches *everything*.
    However, an unforgivable managerial oversight proved fatal.
    I failed to consider that Jenn would spend the duration of the game
    conversing with all baserunners, completely oblivious to the game.
    
    Craig, playing 3rd base and only marginally connected with reality
    as we know it, took a short break from making a sandcastle, long enough
    to look up as a ball was hit. Without moving a muscle, he followed
    the ball all the way into his glove. The crowd cheered wildly!
    Craig stared at the ball briefly, threw it on the ground, and
    continued work on his sandcastle.
    
    The outfield had their best day of the year as they found
    not one but two four leaf clovers. Upon seeing the second one,
    I congratulated them all for a job well done.
    
    Dillon spent the season without batting. Everytime it was his turn
    he'd cross his arms, clam up, and would not budge a muscle. His parents
    weren't sure how to take the news that the trophy is a player batting.
    
    Sarah hit 2 line drives off the pitcher (my wife Lynn) and went home
    complaining that the coach ruined her hits. Lynn went home complaining
    about a couple of sore spots shaped like baseballs.
    
    The team buried my glove once.
    
    All of them turned out to be good hitters as we abandoned the T
    after a couple of weeks. Throwing improved but was still an adventure.
    Catching seemed to work fine until the game started. Parents had fun
    until I yelled at em to start cheering more. Then they ended up
    with glazed expressions trying to stay interested in the organized
    chaos taking place on the field. Admittedly it was great to see them
    all getting along so well on the sidelines but hey, not that well.
    
    And when all was said and done...yet another group of youngsters had
    made a place for themselves in my heart. 
    
    All told a great season.
    
    I'll miss em all.
    
    							Hank
                                                                    
    

    
    Well done, Hank.
    
    
    Mike

 That's great, Hank ;-)



 We have one more Saturday of baseball with our church kids.  Saturday we had 
 an hour or so of drills with our kids.  I was working with the first and
 second basemen, teaching them how to handle a ground ball that pulls the
 first baseman off the bag, with the second baseman covering.  It worked great
 in the drills..we ran through it about 10 times.  Comes game time and a ball
 goes to guess where?  Right, a spot that pulls the first baseman off the bag,
 and the first baseman, second baseman and shortstop all go for it :-/



 I love it and will miss it after next Saturday.




 Jim

    Excellent note, Hank!  Brings back memories of a couple of years
    ago.  You won't believe the difference just two years will make;
    a couple of years later (where one of my kids is at now), they're
    actually making plays, and some of them pretty good ones, too.
    
    We just started playoffs (I'm not a coach, just one of the few
    parents on the sidelines who's actually paying attention to the
    game and cheering at the right places), and the first playoff
    was a real cliffhanger that went back and forth, finally ending
    up with our team winning 10-9, ending with a couple of great
    defensive plays by our team to stop a bottom-of-the-last-inning
    potential rally.  Yesssss!
    
    Best of all, we had an *outstanding* umpire (a real sore spot for
    me this season) who only made two incorrect ball-and-strike calls
    and who was really into the game, obviously putting a lot of care
    into his positioning and attention.  He was a high-school kid, and
    better than all of the bozo adult umpires we've seen all season.
    It really made a difference.
    
    In my area, kids' baseball seems to be getting at least as much
    attention these days as the Major League variety.  Some Red Sox
    executive penguin was on TV with McDonough and Monty during last
    night's game, hawking tickets between pitches.  "Even though
    attendance has been wonderful this season in spite of the labor
    action, we still have many fine seats available for the Toronto
    series..."  Yeah, I'll bet they do.  :-)
    
    It's funny to listen to these guys tap-dance around the whole
    fan-anger issue, how many euphemisms per sentence they can come
    up with for the strike, and how they try to talk about the whole
    mess without really talking about it.
    
    Chris

    
    Thanks for the replies Jim and Chris.
    
    Jim, I sure know what you mean. If this were football, the
    pile-ons would be impressive indeed. 
    
    Chris, good point and I noticed just that with my oldest.
    2 years ago, he couldn't do a thing in T-ball. This year,
    his first in the minors, he's actually a pretty darn good
    ballplayer; hits well, throws well, catches well, and most
    amazingly, he seems to know what he's doing out there.
    
    Tomorrow, we have our second annual t-ball/parents game where
    everyone in each family gets to play. Tried it last year
    and everyone loved it.
    
    						Regards
    
    							Hank

    Nashua baseball fans, it's here!  I don't know the game times, but the
    Hawks will start their season Saturday, July 1, at Holman Stadium with
    a series against Niagara Falls.  Barring bad weather or serious injury,
    I plan to be there.
    
    1400 Motors is offering a contest with a chance to win a car at each
    home game.  A fan will be selected from the ticketed attendance, and he
    or she will be given an opportunity to pitch a ball from the mound to
    home plate.  A board will be set up with a 3.25" hole.  If the ball
    goes through the hole, the fan wins a car.  (I don't think 1400 Motors
    is worried about giving away too many cars!)

    Further on Nashua Hawks, from this morning's Typotrash.  They will play
    a 60-game season, beginning this Saturday with a day/night separate-
    admission double-header in Nashua.  Game times are 2 and 7 p.m.
    
    The other teams in the league are from Newark, NY, Niagara Falls, NY,
    and Welland, Ontario, Canada.  The North American Baseball league is
    not affiliated with Major League Baseball but can sell player contracts
    to MLB.  The league bills itself as Class A.
    
    For ticket info, call 883-9000.

 Yow, I gotta go see a game or 3.




 Jim

    re. nashua Hawkes
    
    
    A fine name for a fine team...and thanks fellas :-)
    
    
       Dean

    And you'll be there, Dean?  Hawkeing programs or peanuts, mayhap?

Hey, this is baseball, right?  They should be called the Nashua Hawkers.
Or the Nashua Crotch Scratchers.

 The Nashua spitters

does anyone have a schedule..?

Thanks,

Geoff

There's a minor league team called the Red Barons somewhere around the
Poconos.  Anybody know where, what class, whose farm system?

 I believe they play in Scranton-Wilkesbarre, PA.  I think they are AAA, but
 not sure with what team they are affiliated (Phillies?)




 Jim

Are you correcting the spelling of the city's name, or are you correcting/
verifying the team's hometown?

    The Scranton WB Red Barons are the Philadelphia Phillies AAA team.
    
     The Charlotte Knights are now the Florida Marlins AAA team, anybody
    remember which team they were with before the Marlins (not a trivia
    test, I just want to know).
    
    							Derek.

    I was correcting the spelling of the town's name.
    
    

    .380
    
    Nashua Hawks (Class A) Season Schedule, finally:

    SAT 7/1     2P, 7P          Niagara Falls (NF)      (W, L)
    SUN 7/2     7P              NF                      (W)
    MON 7/10    7P              NF			(W)
    TUE 7/11    7P              NF
    WED 7/12    7P              NF
    SAT 7/15    2P, 7P          Welland
    SUN 7/16    2P, 7P          Welland
    MON 7/17    7P              Welland
    THU 7/27    7P              Newark
    FRI 7/28    7P              Newark
    SAT 7/29    2P, 7P          Newark
    SUN 7/30    7P              Newark

    TUE 8/1     7P              Welland
    WED 8/2     7P              Welland
    THU 8/3     7P              Welland
    THU 8/10    7P              NF
    FRI 8/11    7P              NF
    SAT 8/12    7P              NF
    SUN 8/13    7P              NF
    TUE 8/15    7P              Welland
    WED 8/16    7P              Welland
    THU 8/17    7P              Welland
    THU 8/24    7P              Newark
    FRI 8/25    7P              Newark
    SAT 8/26    7P              Newark
    SUN 8/27    2P, 7P          Newark

Which of those games are home and which are away..?

Geoff

    .388
    
    That's the home schedule.

    
    
    Reading a book about baseball, and it was mentioned in passing that
    before 1931 a fair ball that bounced once and then into the stands was
    considered a home run.
    
     Any baseball historians out there who can verify this? 

 Its true, but I thought it was changed before 1931.

    
From:	US3RMC::"[email protected]" "topten-request" 24-AUG-1995 05:03:12.57
Subj:	TOP TEN LIST - Wed 8/23/95

  From New York: Are you gonna finish that beer, officer? ... it's
  THE TOP TEN LIST for Wednesday, August 23, 1995.  And now, a man
  who will chart your horoscope for 19.99 ... David Letterman!
 
  From the home office in Sioux City, Iowa ...
 
  TOP TEN PROPOSED NEW BASEBALL RULES
 
  [Originally broadcast 6/9/95]
 
10. Clothing optional in dugouts
    
    
 9. Infield chatter must be in the form of a question
    
    
 8. Knock out beer vendor with ball and you automatically win
    the game
    
    
 7. Extra outs for every person on your team named "Mookie",
    "Scooter" or "Pee Wee"
    
    
 6. Games will not start until the players' drugs have kicked in
    
    
 5. No more keeping your eye on the ball
    
    
 4. Goodbye Gatorade, hello Riunite!
    
    
 3. If catcher snags your pop foul, he gets to make out with your
    wife in the stands for awhile
    
    
 2. No team roster may include more than two dismissed Simpson
    jurors
    
    
 1. Reach a base.  Do a shot.
 
        [Music: "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen]
 
 
Compiled by Sue Trowbridge
 
          ----------------------------------------
               LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
               11:35 p.m. ET/PT (10:35 CT/MT)
               on the CBS Television Network
          ----------------------------------------
 
             On Thursday's show, Dave welcomes
 
             ...Senator BOB DOLE
             ...singer PAM TILLIS
             ...actress MARY LOUISE PARKER
 
             [Originally broadcast 2/3/95]
 
The Top Ten List is Copyright (C) 1995 Worldwide Pants, Incorporated.
Used with permission.
 

>  8. Knock out beer vendor with ball and you automatically win
>     the game
    
    
    Now this just isn't fair !! Unless the rule only comes into effect at
    the bottom of the ninth and replacements are available for the after
    match celebrations !!!!

    Pardon me if we've covered this ground already, but the huge
    leads of the first-place teams in most of the divisions would
    seem to indicate that something is wrong with the new three-division
    setup, or at least with the balance in the skill levels of the teams
    that comprise these divisions.  But hey, let's have another expansion!
    
    Chris

    Not that I follow beisbol anymore, but ain't it kinda late in the
    season for the BoSox to be ~15 games out in front?  I mean, by this
    time in all my life, they been either in the cellar or in full
    SwanDiveMode???
    

	Chris, there is the East, the Central, and the West. The teams are
placed into their divisions by where they are located. The only team that
doesn't quite fit is Pittsburgh, who ended up being in the National League
Central. (6 teams from the east)

	When there was only 2 divisions, it was set up east and west. For a lot
of years the East was it. The power house, the winners. Then it turned around
and it became the west. For the American league this year, it would seem that
the 1st place teams are the strongest teams in the league, which make for a
better chance of having real good playoffs. Why is that bad? Why shouldn't the
best teams play each other in the playoffs? And with the exception of
Cleveland, who would have thought that the worst team from last year
(California) would be so far out in front? Or that the middle team (Boston),
could have done what they did? 


Glen

    Go the Braves !!!!

	Martin, where to the Brave Go?

    Reds are still leading their division.  Whip-te-do. 

    .395
    
    They're waiting for the World Series to begin the plunge. Look for a
    big blunder in Game..oh, let's just say six.
    
    (flashback!)

    -1 Buckner's making a comeback?

    
    Cal Ripken tied Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played last
    night.  While being interviewed, he told reporters that he had a big
    day tomorrow (meaning today).  He said he had to get up early and take
    his daughter to her first day of school.  A finer role model, we
    haven't seen in a long, long time.  
    
    
    Mike

    Is he playing tonight?

 No, he's going to stay home to watch the festivities on TV ;-)

            <<< Note 291.403 by GRANPA::MWANNEMACHER "NRA member" >>>

    
>    his daughter to her first day of school.  A finer role model, we
>    haven't seen in a long, long time.  

He's a class act, to be sure, Mike. And a painfully rare one in the sporting 
stratusphere. I hope he reaches 5,000.

Tom    

    He'll probably only reach 80 or so.

    
    
    It will be interesting to see when this stops, Tom.  He is definitely a
    class act, and seems to be quite humble as well.  He seems to be a bit
    embarassed by all the attention.
    
    
    Mike
    

    They are making an awful big deal out of this; I'd be embarrassed by
    all the attention, too. Hopefully they'll stop the game for just a
    couple of minutes tonight, give the man the game ball, and resume play.
    When he retires is when they ought to make the big deal out of it. The
    guy just wants to play.

    
    	Are they playing in Baltimore?
    
    	If so, count on the fans doing whatever they can to stop the
    	game for longer than usual.
    

    
    
    Yup, they're in Baltimore.  The thing about this is that Ripken has
    played 99.9% of the innings of the games in which he has played.  

    
    Last nights game the fans stopped for over 5 mins after the 5th inning
    and gave him a stand Ovation. I also liked the fact that in the 6th
    inning he hit a home run and also had an assist for the final out of
    the game.
    
    Read this morning that they are using special baseballs yesterday and
    today stamped with his signature and the number of games he started.
    Yesterdays balls were stamped 2130 and today will be stamped 2131.
    
    The also gave police escort out of the park for the fan the got the
    home run he hit last night. 
    
    Tom 

    
    	RE: Wannamacher
    
    	Yeah, I saw that in the paper this morning.  He's missed maybe
    	160 innings in the last 13 years ... played 13,110 out of 13,270
    	Baltimore innings or something like that.
    
    
    	And it could be a bad scene if he hits a homerun tonight, or even
    	a foul ball into the crowd.
    

The weekend paper printed an article that included about 100 stories
of all the wierd injuries suffered by other players during this
streak. Some of them sounded kind of suspect (like the guy was just
looking for a couple of days off) but on the whole, fairly believable.
It's amazing that Cal has been able to escape unscathed.

    
    baseball is deceiving...
    
    a recent visit to a local batting cage gave me more respect
    for ripken.  i stepped into the 85 mph cage for amusement,
    just to see if i could make contact.  i was 0 and 7 and then
    smacked a line drive dead center.  the contact was made at
    the narrow end of the bat, and the shock went into my wrist
    and forearm.  my hand swelled up like a melon and i could
    barely hold anything for a week, much less pick up a bat.
    
    
    
    

    
    	Were you wearing batting gloves?
    
    	Wood stings if you don't make solid contact.
    

    
     nope, and the bat was aluminum...
      
    

<<< Note 291.414 

> It's amazing that Cal has been able to escape unscathed.
    
    	Actually, he has had several injuries during the streak --
    	several sprained ankles, and several spikings among others --
    	but he played through the injuries.

    Great Reds/Astros fight last night (not much of a game, but both
    benches were emptied three times in two innings!).  This is better than
    hockey!  8^)

	The only injury he had that jepodized the streak was when he sprained
his knee. He got lucky because there was an exibition game after it had
happened, so he got that one day of rest. He said his range was bad for a
while, but he did hang in there. What a guy! 

	It's kind of funny, he stays in through all the injuries, breaks a 
record, and everyone thinks he is great! (which he is) But if any of us guys 
play injured, we're slapped with the label, "typical guy thing", or "macho", or
"stupid", etc. Is it the money that takes these labels away? :-)



Glen

    Re: .419

    Maybe MLB should hire McNeely's manager as an anti-fight consultant.

    Bill

    .420
    
    The diff is that Ripken is a professional.  He is paid to play, not
    paid to sit in the dugout.  Playing through injury is doing his job.

	The lowpoint of all that was when they hit Bagwell on the wrist. I
mean, the guy has broken the thing 3 times already. What a low Schott by the
Reds.

| <<< Note 291.422 by SMURF::BINDER "Night's candles are burnt out." >>>

| The diff is that Ripken is a professional.  He is paid to play, not
| paid to sit in the dugout.  Playing through injury is doing his job.

	So it IS the money that takes away the labels. I guess this means
Ripken is the only one that has been doing his job these last 14 years in major
league baseball. Yup.... that sounds about right! :-0

    .424
    
    Ripken is not the only one who has been doing his job, as you well
    know.  That he has managed to stay in playing condition is laudable.
    That he is skilled enough that his manager chooses to use him in every
    game is admirable.  Both together are phenomenal.

    
    
  |  The diff is that Ripken is a professional.  He is paid to play, not
  |  paid to sit in the dugout.  Playing through injury is doing his
  |  job.
    
  Yes and some people do their job better than most.  Ripken deserves
  the accolades...
    
         

    
    
    Actually, the closest Ripken came to losing his consecutive game streak
    was when his wife was expecting a child a year or two back.  He said
    that he would be at his wife's side rather than play in a game. 
    Fortunately his wife delivered when there was some kind of break
    (all-star, strike, day off).
    
    
    Mike

That was kind of her.

    
    	It's amazing what a rubber stopper and a shot of ether can do.
    

	Well we know what happened to the pitchers mound that time in
Baltimore. :-)

    	I don't want to take anything away from the accomplishment
    	by Cal Ripken, who is my alltime favorite shortstop playing
    	for my lifelong favorite baseball team, but I would like to
    	point out some things I've been thinking about regarding Lou
    	Gehrig.
    
    	The only thing that ended his streak was death (or more accurately
    	a disease that eventually killed him.)  Had this not occurred, his
    	streak may have reached 2500, 3000, or who-knows-how-much.  In
    	addition, had the baseball seasons 50 years ago been the 162-game
    	seasons we have today, Gehrig's record would be higher by some 250
    	games or so even with the career-ending disease.
    
    	Again, this is not to take away from what Ripken has done (and
    	will most likely continue to do.)  Each day he plays means he
    	breaks the record again.  He will probably continue to play
    	consecutive games until his retirement.

          <<< Note 291.431 by CSC32::J_OPPELT "Wanna see my scar?" >>>

>    	The only thing that ended his streak was death (or more accurately
>    	a disease that eventually killed him.)  Had this not occurred, his
>    	streak may have reached 2500, 3000, or who-knows-how-much. 

	A ESPN radio announcer pointed out that it is likely that Gehrig
	played with this disease for some time (possibly as many as 700
	games). It doesn't detract from Ripken's achievement, but it does
	put Gehrig's in a whole new light.

Jim

    
    They are both "gentelmen"... Something which is a far cry from most of
    those spoiled cry babies and their owners...
    
    I'd take one Cal Ripkin over 20 Dion Sanders...
    

    Not only that but they are gentlemen too.

    {virtual void Gilliganism alert}

    .431
    
    As I recall, (and yes, I >was< there) Gherig took himself out of the
    lineup during a batting slump. It was not the end of his career when
    his streak ended.

    
    	The paper said he took himself out of the line-up because he
    	was weakened by the disease.
    
    	And yes, he did go 0-4 in that last game.
    
    	Was this his LAST game, or was this just the last game of the
    	streak?
    

    
        Captain, this message appears to be garbled.  The Red Sox
     are in the playoffs ?
    
       Uhuru
    

    Where's Bucky Dent when you need him?   8*)

    Reds clinched Friday night...

    World Series Time is approaching. I thought after the strike last year
    that this year the fans would revolt. The attendance was down at the
    start but the interest seems to have picked up, especially now that the 
    playoffs are upon us. Living in Colorado Rockies land (even though my
    heart is with the American League), it is interesting to note that they 
    sold out every game this year. 
    
    I was planning on not caring. But, I find myself caught up. Ninth
    inning in the Rockies vs Braves game last night made me sick!
    
    	Cleveland vs. Atlanta in the world series I think. 
    
    ...Tom

    anyone catch the clip on the losing Mariner's pitcher throwing a little
    boy tantrum after the game. 
    
    what a class act. NOT! he should be suspended for a game or two...

    
    
    Another thing about Ripken.  He received a letter from the parents of
    an 8 year old who was battling Lukemia.  It was coming up on the
    child's birthday and the parents asked Cal to send something.  A card
    was received.  On the day of the birthday, there was a knock on the
    door of the child.  It was Cal Ripken who brought with him stuff for
    the birthday boy and his friends.  The thing that really impressed me
    was that Cal stayed at the party for two hours.  The man is a hero in
    the field of athletics today.  I have a problem with the way we put
    these people on a pedestal, the real heros are the people who go to
    work everyday, take care of and love their families.  One's income
    doesn't qualify one as a hero.  There are a lot of heroes in the world
    today, just look around.
    
    
    Mike

    >anyone catch the clip on the losing Mariner's pitcher throwing a little
    >boy tantrum after the game.
    
     Nonsense. Little boys don't have the stamina to engage in such an
    extended display of poor sportsmanship and lack of class.

    -1 you're obviously right. sorry, my mistake.

    Yastrzemski is STILL a bumb!

    
    	Did he strike too?
    

    
    
    	If anyone hears that the game tonite (I've been told there is
    	one) gets cancelled because of the rain, would they mind posting
    	it here?  I'm supposed to head into Boston tonite, ending up 
    	right next to Fenway so I know traffic and parking will be
    	a nightmare if there's a game.  I need to plan accordingly.
    
    	Thanks!
    
    	JJ
    

    
    	Are you going to see Emo Philips at The Comedy Connection?
    

    	How did the two better teams in tha American League (as determined
    	by won/loss record), the Indians and Red Sox, end up playing each
    	other in the first round?  In any other pro sport with wild cards
    	and all, the team with the best record gets to play the team with
    	the lowest record, etc.
    
    	It worked out that way in the National League.  What happened in
    	the AL?

and *why* did they schedule all the games on the same nights? Do
you realize that if all the teams that are 2-0 win tonight, there
will be no baseball this weekend... does that make sense? (and we
haven't heard that phrase too often, have we?)

    >Why did they schedule all the games on the same nights?
    
    MLB and the Baseball network screwed up, according to the Boston
    Globe.  It won't happen again.

    They apparently (and incredibly) did something called "regionalization",
    in which the games were played pretty much simultaneously (apparently
    to ensure that the World Series would not be played in a blizzard),
    but through the magic of television, you would be able to watch only
    the game that some executive had decided was closest (and therefore
    most important) to you.
    
    Ignoring the fact that some people would like to watch all of the
    games (unlike me, who watched none of them), this played havoc in
    cities such as Columbus, Ohio (if I'm recalling what I'd read), where
    people could reasonably be interested both in Cleveland and Cincinnati
    games, or in Connecticut (Yankees and Red Sox).
    
    I say put the whole sorry mess on Pay Per View, let you watch whatever
    you want (and feel like paying for), and let the rest of us keep our
    money.
    
    Oh, by the way, nice dive, Sox.  Pardon me for repeating the point if
    I've said it before, but what you've been seeing for their last 25
    or so games is their standard-issue late-season stumble, postponed
    by the length of the strike delay at the start of the season.  They
    clearly benefited from the delayed opening.  If the season had started
    on schedule, they surely would have fallen out of contention by the
    end of 162 games.
    
    The difference between this and other seasons is that I had not one
    smidgen of emotional energy invested in this team.  I'm not going
    down that road ever again, and that was going to be true regardless
    of the strike.
    
    Chris

    Oh, by the way, the Red Sox have not won a single post-season game
    since 1986, despite having appeared in a few playoffs since then.
    They've been swept every time.
    
    Vaughn and Canseco went hitless throughout the entire three games
    that it took to dispatch the Sox.  Something like 0-13 and 0-14.
    
    Chris

 I don't think anybody could have beaten the Cleveland Indians, and nobody
 figured the Sox to get to where they did this year.  It was a fun summer
 with the Olde Towne Team, and I suspect that they'll make some moves in 
 the off season.  Duquette is doing a fine job putting the organization
 together, building a future for the team.  Cleveland did the same thing,
 only it took them 41 years to finish it :-)


 Classy sight, fans cheering Mo Vaughn even as he struck out for the last
 time last night..


 Great game in Seattle, where the dreaded Yankees blow a 5-0 lead and 
 lose to the Mariners 11-8.  Sunday night's game should be fun, and 
 hopefully the Seattleans will send the boys from the Bronx running home
 with their tails between their legs and we can all watch Steinbrunner
 go ballistic.



 Jim

 And the dreaded Bronx Bombers get booted ;-)  Great game tonight.
 These last 2 NY/Seattle games are baseball at it's best.





 Jim

    
    	I heard somewhere that the wildcard team was scheduled to play
    	a specific division winner before the season even started, so
    	the records have nothing to do with the playoff match-ups.
    
    	And way to go, Seattle!!
    
    	The Red Sox have lost their last 13 post-season games:
    
    	1986: World Series, Mets won last 2 games
    	1988: A's sweep ALCS 4-0
    	1990: A's sweep ALCS 4-0
    	1995: Indians sweep ALCS 3-0
    

    >	1995: Indians sweep ALCS 3-0
    
     Nonsense. The ALCS, which has yet to be played, is a best of 7.

    
    	Oh yeah.
    
    	Well, whatever you call the thing they just lost.
    
    	Division finals, AL semi-finals, whatever.
    
    	This wildcard thing is still screwing me all up.
    
    
    	What about the other NL series?  Is that over yet?
    

    
    
>    	What about the other NL series?  Is that over yet?
 

  Yes, Cincinatti and Atlanta will be playing in the ALCS.





 Jim   

       re .460:
       
       Which crime is worse?  Getting the league wrong, or misspelling
       Cincinnati?

 Man, I really blew it there, didn't I?



 I just wanted to see who is paying attention.



 Jim

    Bumbs...all of them!

    
    
    Such short memories...
    

    I've been really good at boycotting the games, truely I have.
    (Actually MadMike's turning me on to Winston Cup racing eased the
    Sunday pain).
    
    However, I must confess I got caught up in it again as we eliminated
    the Rockies.  Now Cincinnati, two games down, two to go (please God).
    
    Alas, 500 tix remain unsold for tonight's game, so we may not get to
    see it in Atlanta area :-(

    
      Billerica's Tommy Glavine pitched the Braves to a 1-0 victory in
     Game 6, thus winning the series 4-2, ending the 1995 baseball season.
    
      bb

    re: .466
    
    GOOD!  And I don't care if another MLB game is EVER played.
    
    Bob - a former Cincinnati Reds fan

    
      On a related note, former president Jimmy Carter has called on
     MLB to forgive Pete Rose and induct him into baseball's Hall of Fame.
     In a newspaper editorial, Carter claimed Rose had suffered enough,
     and called for mercy, forgiveness, and redemption for the former
     Cinncinati Red, whose statistics would easily qualify him.
    
      bb

    .468
    After all the goings on with Steve Howe, Daryl Strawberry and Dr.
    Gooden I see no reason the stop Pete Rose from entering the Hall. 

    And Babe Ruth was as pure as the driven snow.

    
    re: .469
    
    yeah, but these clowns ain't ever gonna considered to begin with!!!
    

    .471
    Why not? Doc Gooden has some pretty good numbers and he still has some
    time on his side. Strawberrys numbers are pretty good. I don`t think I
    would use the phase "ain't ever gonna consider".

    
    
    Yep.. I guess you're right.... with this crazy, sheep like society, by
    the time they're eligble, only the non-drug users will NOT be allowed
    in!!!
    

    I don't see what difference that makes, personally. Are the Nobel prize
    winning advances in medicine worth any less because the scientist who
    made them ingest di-lysergic acid for recreation? Are the pieces of
    mail delivered to your house worth any less to you because your mail
    carrier sparked up a bone at cousin Carrie's wedding? Is a base hit
    worth any less when it is hit by a guy with a coke habit?

    Free Pete

    
    	It's the "role model" thing, Doc.
    
    	The HoF doesn't want to start admitting people that they don't
    	see as a positive role model, for whatever reason.
    
    	That is, people who are "obviously" negative influences, those
    	who've been documented by the press to be "bad".  Apparently
    	some if the inductees are less than oerfect, but the public
    	isn't aware of that.
    
    	But I do agree with you.  Accomplishments are accomplishments,
    	and it is the "Baseball Hall of Fame" and not the "Really Good
    	Baseball Players Who Are Also Perfect Human Beings Hall of Fame".
    

    
    	Free Pete??
    
    	Lady Di's already got one, so I'll take it.
    

    
    re: .476
    
    I guess we need an overall definition of the word "fame"...
    
    
    re: .475
    
    
    >Free Pete
    
    
      Nope... that can only be said if Atlanta wins it two more times!!!
    

    Are any of the Black Sox in the HoF?  Is there mention of them in the
    HoF?

>    	Free Pete??
    
>    	Lady Di's already got one, so I'll take it.

	er... hunh?    

	Glavine was also named the series mvp..... he rose to the occasion. Now
he helped get that world series ring for Atlanta. I guess they won't be called
the Buffalo Bills of baseball anymore.... ;-)

    
    	They scored just as many touchdowns as the Bills did last year,
    	didn't they?
    

    >Glavine was also named the series mvp.....
    
    Wasn't he one of the player's reps, during the strike, and a very
    visible one too? 

    -1  Yes, Tom Glavine took a lot of heat from the fans at the
    beginning of the season; constant booing etc. whenever he came
    onto the field.
    
    David Justice also spoke out and said in his opinion the Atlanta
    fans weren't being as supportive of the team as the folks in
    Cleveland had been.  He woke up to a headline "Justice Rips Fans".
    So I guess the final game couldn't have worked out better for the
    two guys even if someone had written it as a movie script :-)
    
    They are both very nice guys; Glavine had been doing quite a few
    commercials for a local electronic outlet, all those commercials
    dried up when he became the player's rep.
    
    

    Did Ted Turner meow like a kitty when they opened the champagne?

    Knowing Barbarella, they undoubtedly had a non-champagne sparkler.

    
    Dave Johnson is the new Manager of the O's (Orioles).  Good to see the
    former 2nd baseman back.
    
    
    Mike

    Ted most likely popped a bottle of JD as was his wont during the
    halcyon days of his America's Cup campaign.  

    The champagne was real.  The coverage of the club house fun
    continued for quite some time, covered by local TV stations.  Quite
    a number of players (and coaches) had a decidedly _RO_faced look
    by the time the festivities were winding down.
    
    In interviews held before the parade started yesterday a few of the
    players (including Maddux) admitted that they still were a tad
    hung-over ;-}
    
    Turner is also honoring a promise he made to Tom Glavine, i.e. if
    the Braves won a World Series before the new stadium was completed,
    he would see that a *real* putting green was put in the clubhouse
    for Tommy ;-)  Turner has already told the groundskeepers to start
    planning/working on it.
    
    Most of the Braves are fanatical about golfing; Smoltz finished part
    of his basement with artificial turf so he can putt around when it's
    raining.....
    
    

    Yabbut, did Ted meow like a kitty again?

    
    	Mrs. Turner is still a babe.
    
    	And what does Ted Turner have to do with The Braves?  Does he
    	own the team?
    

    Mrs. Turner has large breasts (ala Corning)

    Yes, Ted owns the team.
    
    A little blurb I read someplace that Schiefield (SP) Dr. Goodens cousin
    was shot in a robbery attemt this morning in Fla.   

| <<< Note 291.492 by WMOIS::GIROUARD_C >>>

| Mrs. Turner has large breasts (ala Corning)

	Mrs Turner is microwavable?

    -1 if she isn't she should be!

    >The champagne was real. 
    
     They had french champagne? I'd be surprised. I'd be surprised if it
    weren't domestic. 
    
     That's one thing that gave me reason to smile when contrasting the
    Celtics vs Lakers NBA championship celebrations. When the Celts won, it
    was moet. When the Lakers won, it was Cook's.

    If Terrible Ted was involved, it would be the real deal.  He is not
    known to skimp on his party favors.  I would have enjoyed crewing for
    him.  

     Yeah, he's not a skimper, but his wyfe is known to be politically
    korrekt, and hence they might be on the non-french wine bandwagon as a
    result of Chirac's nuke testing program.

    Jane doesn't mess with Ted's toys I think.  

| <<< Note 291.500 by CONSLT::MCBRIDE "Reformatted to fit your screen" >>>

| Jane doesn't mess with Ted's toys I think.

	Then why does he smile so much?

    Because WCW & the Braves pay most of his bills...so I'd be smiling
    also.

    gee, i always thought Hanoi Jane was a politically embarrassing rather
    that korrect

	FEBRUARY... the crippling baseball strike dragged on into its seventh
brutal month, forcing many desperate players to sell some of their Ferraris as
they waited for emergency Red Cross shipments of gold chains.  

	The baseball owners and players graciously agreed to resume 
making millions again.  Fans vowed to boycott the games, but the lure of 
being able to eat $4.50 hot dogs while watching unshaven men spit proved 
too strong to resist.

	Let's see...... they voted to expand during the strike. After the
season was over, they voted to have inter-league play. So the Yanks could play
the Mets, and the Sox could play the Braves. 

	When are the owners and players gonna get together and come up with a
contract deal that will prevent them from having to go on yet another strike? 



Glen

I like the inter-league play idea.  I think they should scrap the designated 
hitter too - would get rid of a lot of high priced players and make pitchers 
who can actually bat even more valuable to their team.

	But they can't do any of that if they don't have an agreement..... and
you can forget about the dh going away. The players will never agree to it. 


Glen

    
    Situation:
    
    Player has a 55-game hitting streak going.
    
    The next game, he comes to bat four times and walks or is intentionally
    walked every time he comes to bat.
    
    Question:
    
     What is the official baseball ruling on this...
    

    .508
    Walks don`t count so his hitting streak is at an end because walks
    aren`t figured into his batting average.     

    re: .508
    
    Andy, my unofficial memory says that walks don't count as official
    at-bats, so he still has a 55-game hitting streak going.
    
    Bob

I think though that the streak means that he hits safely in every consecutive
game in which he goes to bat.

 Walks do not count as official at bats.




 Jim

    If they (walks) are not official at bats then are walks part of his on
    base persentage?

    Rule 10.24
               A consecutive hitting streak shall not be termintated if the
    plate appearances result in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive
    interferene or a sacrifice bunt. A sac fly shall terminate the streak.

    10.22 (f)  On-base pct, divide the total of hits, all BB's and HBP by
              the total of AB all BB's, HBP and sac flies.

    
    re: .514
    
    Thanks!!
    

It's settled then. I love it when it all comes together. And it didn't 
even require a religious or political discussion. Which just goes to show
that when the facts are presented, reality is realized.

    I`m a little perplexed...how can the not be official at bats but walks
    add to your base %. Am I missing something here or what?

    So then, not counting balks and pitches that end up as foulballs, in
    one official at-bat, what's the maximum number of pitches that can
    cross the plate?
    
    -- Jim

    
    	I'd have to say 6.
    
    	3-2 count, the next pitch is either a ball or a strike, or is hit.
    
    	If you want to split hairs [and don't read on if you're still try-
    	ing to come up with a higher number]:
    
    
    
    	You could actually have an unlimited number of time-outs called by
    	the umpire[s] during an at-bat, all called too late for the pitch-
    	er to avoid throwing a pitch ... so the number of pitches then be-
    	comes unlimited.
    

    <-- no limit you can have as many foul balls as they have baseballs...
    
    
    Slim
    

    
    	He said "without counting foul balls".
    

    <-- oops, sorry, should have read closer...
    
    
    Slim
    

    >So then, not counting balks and pitches that end up as foulballs, in
    >one official at-bat, what's the maximum number of pitches that can
    >cross the plate?
 
3?, figuring pitches that are balls, don't cross the plate.

    
    	RE: -1
    
    
    
    	A low pitch will cross the plate, just not at the right height
    	to be considered a strike.
    

I stand corrected. Therefore, I agree with 6. 

    
      I've seen this happen : count is 3&2, runner out attempting a
     steal.  Same batter comes up next inning, no count, same at bat.
     Except it can't happen now, because no runners.
    
      bb

    
    	Well, the slate is wiped clean when the runner is thrown out,
    	so it's technically a new at-bat.
    

	So when Paul Molitor lost his hitting streak a few years back because
he did not get a hit, just a walk, it should not have ended?

    Note 291.529 by BIGQ::SILVA 
            So when Paul Molitor lost his hitting streak a few years back
    because he did not get a hit, just a walk, it should not have ended?
    
    ALL is plate appearances for that game would have to be BB's in order
    for the streak to stay intact. 

    
    
    Walks do count as at bats.
    
    

    No they don't...thEy count as "plateappearances"
    

    
    
>    Walks do count as at bats.
 

 Sawiiiiiiiiiiing and a miss ;-)   
    

    Re: .527, 528
    
    11 pitches.
    
    You're on the right track.  5 pitches in one inning when a runner gets
    tagged for the 3rd out, plus 6 more in the following inning when the
    batter returns to the plate to continue his "official" at bat.
    
    -- Jim

re: .534

I think we already covered that and decided that the next inning was 
considered a new at bat.

But, what do I know.   :)

    
    Turkeyfoot's Legacy (Part One)


    The origins of my interest in baseball cannot be fully
    understood.  There seemed to be some mystical chemistry
    between nurture and nature that created a love for baseball
    that I feel but cannot quite fully communicate.  Other
    people seem to struggle with this problem as well.  When 
    confronted with inevitable comparisons to basketball and football, 
    they find it hard to make a credible case why baseball 
    is superior.  Actually it is not worth making the case since
    it's obvious to those of us who love the sport that some sad
    twist of fate distorted the psyche of many young children
    to turn them into fans of gimpy legged circus freaks and
    steroid sweating sociopaths.

    For me, the contribution of nature came from my mother's family.
    I did not know him very well, but I have heard more than once
    that my grandfather Bill "almost played for the Washington Senators".
    He played semi-pro ball until he suffered an ankle injury which
    ended his career.  Many families have folks that "almost played"
    for some professional team.  Credence to Bill's story comes from
    the certain fact that his brother Frank did indeed play for about 
    six or eight years in the major leagues.  I remember checking on this in
    a bookstore where I looked up Frank Brower in the Baseball
    Encyclopedia (a registry of the record of every person ever to
    play in the majors.)  Frank had a pretty good record, and if
    memory serves me correct, he played for both Cleveland and Washington.
    The Encyclopedia tends to validate the weakpoints of both brothers
    claiming that Frank's nickname was "Turkeyfoot".  
     
    I inherited my grandfather's gait, his love for baseball, but
    none of the talents of throwing, fielding, or hitting.  The
    meager skills I did achieve came strictly from the nurture side, from 
    long hot summer days in a sand-lot in a Chicago suburb called 
    Arlington Heights.  My very earliest recollection of the existence
    of the sport had to do with curiosity as to why my sister and father
    were fixated on something on television.  It was 1959 and the
    "Go Go" (no kidding) White Sox were getting stomped by the
    Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.  The American League
    MVP for that year was a man named Nellie Fox.  Nellie played
    second base, had permanent nicotine tributaries etched on his
    weak chin, and could lay a bunt down third base that would
    bring Chicago to a halt waiting to see if it would roll
    foul or fair.     

    Arlington Heights was a perfect place to learn baseball.  It
    was a densely populated suburb making it very easy to quickly
    put together a team of kids.  More importantly it had Mid-West
    sensibilities which dovetailed perfectly with the temperament
    required to master the game.  It's interesting that for all
    of the love of the game in New England, few New Englanders
    achieved real stature in the majors.  It seemed that the South
    and the Mid-West provided more fertile ground.  
  
    I remember being about five years old and getting trying to
    create an infield with a few friends of mine.  My sister 
    had told me that baseball had four bases so in deference 
    to her authority I marked the vertices of the infield with
    jackets, caps, and gloves and posted myself a little right
    of fourth base.  Within a few months our infields took on
    a more standard shape and we got down to the basics of 
    learning how to hit.  

    My father spent little time teaching me baseball.  Some
    of this had to do with the fact that he was preoccupied
    with other matters, a lot of it had to do with the fact
    that he had been a football player and never really 
    understood the game.  In this respect he was different
    from most other fathers I knew.  To his credit my father
    had the sense to keep me out of the organized leagues
    in Arlington Heights which seemed to have more than their 
    fair share of parents with boundary problems.  I used
    to watch these games in amazement as grown men would stomp
    out of the bleachers and halt a game in protest of a call
    they deemed unfair to their son.   At the time though I
    was discouraged at only being allowed to play games in
    the sand-lots.   

    In fairness to myself I can't say I was a bad player.
    I got my fair share of hits and coveted a twenty-nine inch,
    fat handled Louisville Slugger with a faded signature of
    Rocky Colavito.  What I remember most was the camaraderie of my
    friends.  We all would get impatient with one another, but
    never to the point where one would quit.  The forerunner
    of contemporary adult support groups must have had their origins 
    on baseball fields where children would urge a discouraged younger 
    brother to keep trying.  When one of us got beaned in the
    head and started crying, others would huddle around while
    someone in mock astonishment would say "I think the ball
    is dented."  This tired old joke would never fail to bring
    the bruised teammate to his feet with at least a half smile.

    Because baseball is an exceedingly slow game, there is plenty
    of time to talk and reflect.  We were not very analytical
    about what made one player better than another and we
    instinctively concluded that persona had to be a critical factor.  
    Bragging or swearing was not tolerated.  Neither were girls.
    Baseball was a deadly serious male matter, only to be 
    interrupted by some major war.  We also spent countless hours
    collecting bottles to cash in for our baseball cards.  Yankees 
    and White Sox players were highly prized.  It seems I got
    about five duplicates of a Red Sox utility player named Gary
    Geiger.  Most kids idolized Mantle and Maris.  I tried to
    be enthusiastic about the Yankees but could never quite 
    relate to them.  Perhaps it was because they were too perfect
    or because they always edged out the White Sox.  I preferred
    to fashion myself after Nellie Fox and decided to learn second 
    base.     

    When my father announced that we were moving east to Scituate
    Massachusetts, I was crushed.  I gathered up my clippings of
    Nellie and the White Sox and braced myself for living amongst
    braggarts who followed a team that chronically came in ninth or
    tenth place.      

 
    

	Sox cut Alicea yesterday. I liked him, too. He might have been an
average player, but he always gave it everything he had. A class act.

   (Second part of my baseball story.  It seems appropriate
   considering the season.)

   ------------------------------------------------------ 


   When our family moved to Scituate from Illinois in
   1963, the baseball season was in it's dog days and
   the Yankees, in typical form, were way out in front
   of the White Sox.  I was trying to adjust to an 
   environment that seemed so peculiar, so at odds with
   the temperament and values that I had learned in the
   Mid-West.  

   I watched the standings in the paper and
   was irritated to see so much Red Sox centric nonsense.
   The morons who edited the sports page loved to boldface
   the name of BOSTON in the standings, in ninth place,
   at least twenty four games behind the Yanks.  
   All other teams were in lower case.  It wasn't
   clear to me the motivations of the boldface type. 
   Were these people actually proud of highlighting
   such a hapless team? Or was BOSTON uppercased 
   for people who had difficulty locating their team?  
   It shouldn't have been hard.  

   As long as I had been following the American League
   it seemed as if BOSTON had relegated to a permanent
   home in the cellar or near cellar.  People seemed to
   get excited over the most modest accomplishments.  
   There was a player named Dick Stuart who seemed to
   have a good season and actually place high in the 
   RBI standings.  He was a god awful first baseman,
   who richly earned the sobriquet of "Dr. StrangeGlove".

   My first trip to Fenway Park was with my rageaholic
   grandfather.  He was a strange man who like my father
   was clueless about baseball.  I finally got to
   see THE GARY GEIGER whose five cards I could never trade.
   I was patient as my grandfather explained what I
   had just seen on the field was called a double-play.  
   I didn't fully understand the disfunctionality of my 
   grandfather but I knew enough not to reveal my superior
   understanding of the game to someone so volatile.
   There seemed to be more pigeons at Fenway then
   people in the stands.  This seemed to be reflective
   of BOSTON in the early sixties.  An old, decaying,
   and queer city, out of touch with the times. 

   As a hedge against my own insecurities of living in
   a new town I talked incessantly about the superior
   qualities of the White Sox.  My newly acquired friends
   in Scituate were unimpressed, not just about the 
   White Sox, but about baseball itself.  

   "Pussy sport", my friend Will would say. 

   I found the feline association just another odd
   manner of speech that seemed to be so prevalent
   to New England.  Not coincidentally did I learn
   the facts of life less than two weeks after the
   moving van arrived.

   Football seemed to be held in equal or higher regard.
   I never liked the sport until moving to Scituate.  It
   seemed a strange game that was unnatural, requiring
   lots of uncomfortable equipment.  I also didn't like
   the season it was played.  Fall was a time for going
   back to school, stealing away those lovely summer 
   days lazing around in the sand-lots.  

   To gain acceptance I had to learn this sport.  That
   became obvious to me on the first day of school in
   the fifth grade.  During recess two captains were chosen
   to pick a team leaving me and Micheal Coffee unpicked
   standing on the sidelines as substitutes.  

   "Get used to it.", said Micheal in resignation.  

   It was obvious why Micheal wasn't chosen.  He had
   a weight problem and a pasty complexion and a puppy-dog
   demeanor.  Not the stuff of Green Bay.  I wasn't chosen
   because I was a stranger and that omission stuck in
   my craw.

   In Arlington Heights when there was a new male 
   classmate, it was everybody's job to make him feel
   at home.  When picking teams, as a point of honor
   and courtesy the two captains would argue as to who
   got to choose the new classmate first.  Of course as time
   progressed and his talents were revealed he would get
   picked in accordance to his true skills, but that first
   day in school would be one that would he would enjoy
   being everybody's top choice.

   I finally got into the game as a defensive substitute 
   and as luck would have it a wayward pass came my way.
   The writing was on the wall here and I knew if I had
   dropped the ball I would be relegated to purgatory.
   I intercepted it and ran a few yards and no longer
   had to sit on the sidelines.  Still football seemed
   so brain dead.  You catch the ball, or run with the
   ball, or tackle the guy with the ball.  QED.  There
   was no mystique to the sport.  Who knew about the 
   NFL two or ten years ago?  Who cared?  Besides 
   Boston was so pathetic it didn't have an NFL team.
   It had a silly AFC team called the Patriots who
   would bump into one another in the backfield and who
   would make plays in the dirt during a huddle. 

   As spring approached I looked forward to the chance
   to play ball and to enhance my skills.  To its 
   credit Scituate seemed to have a more balanced
   perspective on athletics.  Hardly any parents ever
   went to baseball games and none would think of 
   interfering with a childhood game.  My father let
   me play with the Indians, my first real team.  My
   first time at bat during the first batting practice
   was somewhat awkward for me.  The sand-lots were not 
   so intense and everyone accepted everyone's weaknesses.  
   In a real team things were more focused and I first 
   felt the strange sensation of time stopping, of 
   twenty or thirty people all watching to see what 
   I could do.  

   They had to wait for quite a while.  One of the
   coaches kept lobbing balls by me and I kept missing.
   At about the tenth futile swing, the left fielder,
   a red headed fellow named Carl DiManno registered
   his disgust by lying prone on the field using his
   glove as a makeshift pillow.

   The coach seeing this said, "Come on out there,
   start acting like professionals."

   Carl's response was immediate.  "Tell him to hit 
   like one."

   For the next three years, I unequivocally hated 
   Carl.             

   The Indians were an average team.  I hit about
   .250 that year and lucked out with one home run.
   I played second base but was insecure with the
   position.  I met another friend call Phil Lussier.
   Phil loved the game as much as I did, was a worse
   ball player, but did not take his failures seriously.
   I enjoyed his ability to laugh at his mistakes often
   heaping verbal abuse to his baseball glove.  Phil was
   a devout fan of the Red Sox, a point of contention
   that I thought not even worth arguing.   

   The next year was in a more advanced league.  I
   had left the more intimate confines of elementary
   school for junior high where there seemed to
   be even a higher degree of contempt for
   strangers.  Given that the sixth grade was a
   melding of kids from four elementary schools
   in different parts of the town, it made
   for interesting times.  The team this season
   was the Yankees.  It was a lot better than
   the Indians, having two excellent pitchers
   and some talented strong hitters.

   After the first practice the coach spotted me 
   to play short-stop.  I also seemed to impress
   them on my hitting.  Spring training went well
   and I had a lot more confidence.

   During the first game I struck out two times
   and walked.  I advanced around the bases on
   a sacrifice and stole home successfully.  I
   didn't think much about my strike outs, having
   gone hitless before.  However after about two
   or three games of not making contact with the
   ball I started to feel the pinch of self-doubt.
   The season was one of the most painful things
   I ever lived through.  Pitchers blew me away
   with ease and I started second guessing everything
   I was doing at the plate.  The slump affected my
   confidence in the field and I ended up in right
   field batting eighth or ninth (our pitchers were
   also excellent hitters.)  

   In basketball one can hide one's mediocrity by
   being a "team player" and passing off.  In football,
   barring doing something profoundly stupid, such as
   picking up the ball and running in the wrong direction,
   it is hard to be undeniably pegged as being 
   the least talented player.  In baseball, lack of
   talent is painfully obvious, and is put on 
   unceremonious display in a regular and cruel fashion.
   We won our league championship, which prolonged the
   humility through seven games with the entire town
   watching.  I went through the season without getting 
   a single hit and violently cursed Nellie Fox, 
   my glove, and the game.  

    (Third part of my baseball story.)

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    When I entered seventh grade, for the first time that I could 
    remember baseball was not an important focus of my life. 
    It had dashed years of dreams in a most humiliating fashion
    and I wanted to divorce myself from the sport.  I remember my
    first seventh grade class and realizing that I was sharing
    it with Mike Holland who had pitched and hit well for the
    Yankees.  I cringed at the thought of having to see him every
    day, knowing that he knew that I had gone hitless.  I
    think Mike instinctively knew that this was something that
    I was ashamed of and he did well to keep this ugly secret
    to himself.  Only after we had become good friends did he
    reveal to others the ugly details of my miserable season.  
    He did it in a good natured way which, in fact, helped me to
    laugh at myself and not to take the game so seriously.

    Girls were becoming a bigger part of my life.  I also
    gravitated towards learning about the space program.  The
    astronauts seemed to exhibit many of the qualities that
    I projected about ball-players and permitted me to fantasize.
    The absence of a seventh grade astronaut league was a big
    help as was the fact that athletics was becoming a 
    varsity or nothing affair.  Few, if any, of my friends were
    good enough to make the junior high baseball or basketball team
    so we played informal games amongst ourselves.  When I 
    played baseball, I insisted on playing catcher.  I thought
    that the position might demystify hitting and give me an
    edge on understanding what was required to make good contact.
    I also liked the scrappy engaging nature of the position.
    When catching you were always in the game, always thinking
    about the hitter, trying to see weaknesses and communicate
    them to the pitcher.  I liked the idea that one of the key 
    aspects of being a catcher was being tough and being willing 
    to take a hit as a runner blindsided you as an incoming relay 
    reached your glove.  All that took was a little courage, not some
    intangible skill that one had no control over.   

    By eighth grade, time and distance and the perpetual drum-beat of Red Sox 
    stories in the local papers had distanced me from the
    White Sox.  Scanning the box scores, fewer and fewer ballplayers
    I remembered were playing for the White Sox.  The new names
    had no identity and seemed meaningless to me.  Nellie Fox had 
    decided to retire, no doubt irrevocably tarnished by our 
    personal association.  Still in the spring of 1967 I enjoyed 
    tormenting Phil Lussier about his loyalty to the Red Sox, 
    especially after he got excited about a no-hitter pitched by 
    rookie Billy Rohr.  The Red Sox had barely squeaked out a ninth 
    place finish in 1966 so I dismissed their May standings as a fluke 
    that wouldn't stand the test of a full season.  It wasn't 
    until late July and the Red Sox went on a ten game winning streak 
    that it really sunk in they were for real.  It was close to July 
    4th and they were a very hot team less than a half a game out of first.  

    This caught my imagination and interest like nothing before
    ever had.  I knew baseball history and I knew what it took to
    be a contending club.  It took years for a team to work its
    way up in the standings.  There was no precedent for what the
    Red Sox were doing.  It hadn't been done anytime in the century.
    Suddenly I was caught up in race with a passion.  I
    quickly learned the ballclub like the back of my hand.  What
    made the season even more interesting was the fact that it was
    a four or five team race, also unprecedented.  Even the White Sox were
    contenders.  My estrangement to my ex-team was complete when their
    manager Eddie Stanky called called Yastrzemski "an all-star
    from the shoulders down".  Actually that was a pretty accurate
    statement however loss of objectivity was one of the early symptoms of 
    pennant fever and I held Stanky in contempt.

    Miraculously my father got tickets for a late August game night
    game against Chicago and I'll never forget the experience.  This
    was my first real visit to Fenway Park and Boston as I still
    know it now.  The race had instilled a wonderful sense of civic 
    renewal and excitement that was palpable.  The crowd was electric,
    bristling with cat-calls, shouting, and profanity.  Stanky made
    a brief appearance to the mound during the game and I thought
    the thunderous boos would topple the Prudential Center.  Boston
    lost the game and dropped out of first place.  Detroit took the
    spot for a couple of days before Minnesota ousted them.  

    People who have lived in New England all of their lives know of the 
    "old" Boston and the "new" Boston and there is lots of
    debate as to which was better.  A lot of people preferred
    the old city which was sleepy, quirky, and very provincial.
    Some reflect on the "old" Red Sox teams fondly because of
    the ease of getting tickets and finding a comfortable quiet
    seat, alone but for the pigeons.  I can appreciate the 
    arguments for the "old" Boston but I could never buy into
    the "old" Red Sox.  Many post 1967 teams were as lousy as
    the ones fielded in the '50s, but the magic of 1967 was
    potent and still endures.  Since that year, Fenway games have
    always had that electricity that I felt during that Chicago
    game and they continue to draw two million people a year.
        
    With two days to go until the end of the season, four teams
    were still in contention.  Chicago got eliminated on Saturday
    courtesy of the Kansas City Athletics.  The Red Sox had to
    beat the Twins twice.  If they lost either game the Twins would
    have won the pennant.  Even if the Red Sox won both games Detroit
    would have to split both of two double headers.  Incredibly
    the Red Sox came through on the arm of a guy named Jim Lonborg.
    He pitched a wonderful Sunday game which ended with all of Fenway
    running on to the field.  Lonborg got hoisted by the crowd and
    was carried for forty five minutes.  Everyone listened by radio
    late into the night to hear Detroit lose the pennant in the last
    out of the season.

    Lonborg pitched brilliantly during the World Series, but because
    of the rotation he was called on to pitch the seventh game with
    two days rest.  He got clobbered and St. Louis went home as 
    World Champions.  Lonborg never quite got over that season.  He
    went on to play for the Philidelphia Phillies and started a
    couple of playoff games, however after retiring to baseball he
    came back to live in Scituate.    
      
    To truly appreciate how baseball can grab you have to experience
    living with a team day in and day out and relish the suspense of
    a pennant race.  The difference between football/basketball and 
    baseball is the difference between "Friday the 13th (Part 3)" and
    a Hitchcock thriller.  One is based on action, the other is based
    on suspense.  It's like the difference between sex and romance.
    Baseball seduces you quietly, leaving you time to ponder and savor 
    all of the possibilities.  

    1967 was a magical year for me.  It was the first time I danced
    closely to a girl friend with fully developed breasts.  It was
    a year that the Beatles metamorphasized into a studio group and
    laced the hot summer air with melodies from "Sergeant Pepper".
    It was a year where I became known as a boy astronaut and had
    fifteen minutes of fame in the Boston papers and on television.  First
    and foremost though, it was the time when I fully understood my
    deep love for baseball.          

    

    The homeplate umpire at the Montreal/Cincinnatti game collapsed before
    the first pitch was thrown.  Heart attack is suspected.  This was about
    an hour ago and I'm not sure what the outcome was.  According to the
    news, he is well respected and well known around the league - sorry I
    can't remember the name - John Mcsomething, I think.

 John McSherry..and he's dead.  they've shown the replay of his collapse
 at least 3 times so far this afternoon.




 Jim

	He was waiving in the umpires from the field. Imagine being in that
pain, but are trying to wave in the umps. 

	They said he was 51, but has been in the league for 25 years. He also
weighed over 300 lbs. I guess if you have to go, doing something you love is a
better way to go. But I wish it never happened.


Glen

 He looked to me to be waving towards the dugouts, or at least has his back
 to the plate when he was calling for help, then collapsed.



 Jim

    Apparently he'll be unable to keep his appointment today with a heart
    specialist.

Mr. McSherry regrets
He's unable to lunch today.

	I saw it this morning from several angles. Between ESPN and the Today
show, they got every angle of his collapse. All that was left out was the music.


Glen

    sometimes u guys are really sick.!

    
    	I saw it once last night, from 1 angle.
    
    	That was enough for me.
    

 'twas not a pleasant thing to watch, that's for sure.





 Jim

    
    Enough, yes, if not too much 8^/.
    
    And to top it off, they interviewed a friend of his, who was umping 1st
    base or some such yesterday, on the Today show this morning, and Bryant 
    asked him something really thoughtful like "He weighed x pounds, didn't
    he care he was putting strain on his heart by being so fat?"
    
    What a nice thing to say to someone whose friend just died.
    

    
    
    Just consider the source, mz_deb...
    
    nuff said...
    

    
   | 'twas not a pleasant thing to watch, that's for sure.
    
    still better than watching the red sox defense yesterday.
    

    
    
    Awwwwwww.... poor.. poor babies dem Red Sox....
    
    I feel sooooooooo bad for them...
    
    
    Andy (NY Yankees fan)
    

	Andy, that explains your bursts of anger from time to time. :--0

    
    	"Bursts of anger??"  Actually, it explains his 15-year stint of
    	being pissed off.
    

    
    
    'scuse me???
    
    
    Hmmmmm...
    
     Could someone remind me, please, how many world championships the
    Boston Red Sox have????
    
    Someone??  Anyone???
    
    
    Pissed off?? hardly...
    
     Semantically speaking, I'm a fan, not a fanatic (I know.. I know..
    don't bother)
    

    
    	I think they've won 4 or 5 Seriesssss.
    
    	And if I remember correctly, they won just as many in the
    	80's/90's as the Yankees did.
    

	A ceiling, floor or window fan?

    
    you have to admit the yankees are pretty darn pathetic.
    if it makes you feel good that they are better than the
    red sox then you have a serious problem of self esteem.
    not unusual for new yorkers.
    
    
      

    
    re: .557
    
    
    BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!
    
    
    Wrong!!!!! Try again...
    
    
    Free clue... I would stick with guesses that are much closer to zero...
    
    
    nnttm...
    

    
    	I think I remember hearing that penis size is inversely prop-
    	ortional to the number of World Seriesssss that your favorite
    	baseball team has won.
    

    
    re: .559
    
    >you have to admit the yankees are pretty darn pathetic.
    
    In which way do you mean?
    
    They were in the play-offs last year, if I recall...
    
    >you have a serious problem of self esteem.
    
    Nope... guess again...
    
    >not unusual for new yorkers.
    
    Pay attention, boy... either that, or take Comprehension 101. 
    
    Another free clue... Ummm.. you don't have to live in and/or be a New
    Yorker to be a "fan"???
    
    

    According to Slab's theory, my penis is infinitely large.

    Must be traveling at the speed of light or something.

    
    | Another free clue... Ummm.. you don't have to live in and/or be a
    | New Yorker to be a "fan"???
    
    ...but you do have to be a sucker for the national press they get.
    
    they are a bunch of wanabee chumps, living off of the triumphs of
    fifty years ago.
     

    
>    they are a bunch of wanabee chumps, living off of the triumphs of
>    fifty years ago.

     why would they wanna be chumps?
     

    
    
    >they are a bunch of wanabee chumps, living off of the triumphs of
    >fifty years ago.
    
    
    
    And the Red Sux are..????

    
    	... a team with absolutely no superiority complex to try and
    	sustain.