April 2, 1995
News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER (4.2.95)
The National Football League agreed to move back its "standstill date"
that allows the Rams to file suit first in their move disagreement. The
new date is April 17. One would think that such a move is a blink on the
part of Paul Tagliabue and the owners, and indeed it is. With three anti-trust
lawsuits pending...from former Patriot owners Billy Sullivan, Victor Kiam
and Fran Murray, the last thing the NFL wants is another. Progress was made
last week when Tagliabue visited Los Angeles, and although there's a long
way to go, an agreement seems inevitable. The NFL has called an emergency
owners meeting for April 12 in Dallas, and it seems inconceivable that they
would go to the trouble to re-reject the move. The April 17 standstill is
significant in one other way. The Rams say they've had trouble signing free
agents because players don't know where they are going to be. Ironically,
April 17 is also the last day teams can sign restricted free agents. Would
the league wait to approve the move until late, to punish the Rams by restricting
their free agent options? Naw, not Paul Tagliabue.
As we write, there is still no agreement between major league owners and
players. The Cardinals are one team that would vote for a lockout, because
they believe a negotiated settlement is the only way to solve baseball's
current problems. The Redbirds have made a committment of sorts to all of
their replacement players. Each of them will have a job in the Cardinal
system this year. Club President Mark Lamping went to far as to say he hoped
the replacements got a chance to play some "big league" games,
because of the trouble they went to in the club's behalf. By the way, the
Cards "media guide" for replacement ball is a three page, typewritten
review of each players' history.
The Blues may have had the best week in their history last week. A four
game winning streak, including wins in Dallas and Chicago, put them back
on track for significant playoff success. Not only are they winning, but
they are allowing an average of eighteen shots against in the four victories.
Asked if the Blues have had a defensive stretch like this since he became
the number one goalie, Curtis Joseph said "no, not here". Joseph
has set records for the most shots faced by a goalie ineach of the last
two seasons. The Blues have also benefited from an explosion by Brendan
Shanahan. After a video session in which Mike Keenan told Shanahan what
he wanted, the big left wing responded with a five game stretch in which
he scored six goals and three assists. Shanahan seems to be back to the
player the Blues expect and need.
Tough guy Tony Twist has a torn capsule in his shoulder. He apparently won't
need surgery but is undergoing rigorous rehabilitation. With Twist out perhaps
for the rest of the year, the Blues are in the market for Edmonton tough
guys Shayne Corson or Louis DeBrusk...and would have to give up two prospects
to get such a player.
The Ambush opened their playoff with a win over Detroit in the best of three
first round. By the time you read this, the Ambush will probably have won
the series and moved on to round two. Coach Daryl Doran really has the boys
going.
Blues News (4.2.95)
Following the Blues 4-1 victory over San Jose, Blues Coach/GM MIke Keenan
was asked about the play of Brendan Shanahan. Keenan's response: "We
need him. He has responded well the last two weeks. We're glad he's feeling
good about himself." Later when referring to Shanahan, Keenan said
that "he's playing a more dynamic style now. He missed out by missing
our Vail training camp."
Keenan also said that "The team's getting better...we have 17 games
left. We still need to work on defensive aspects of our game. But in the
last four games, our defense has improved as the players are learning the
system. Part of our system involves defensemen such as Steve Duchesne, Jeff
Norton, and Al MacInnis jumping into the play. These three players are highly
skilled, and, along with Doug Lidster, read the play well."
On the injury front, Keenan said that Blues centerman Guy Carbonneau would
undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in order to remove/repair
bone chips and/or loose cartilage. Carbonneau said that the injury occurred
in January, probably while playing racketball. In the locker room after
the San Jose game (a game in which he was scratched), Carbonneau said he
wasn't in any pain, but that the procedure is so easy that he felt, as a
preventative measure, it was wise for him to undergo the surgery as soon
as possible so that he would be full strength for the playoffs.
Keenan also said that defenseman Steve Duchesne, who took a shot on his
shoulder sometime during the second period of the Sharks game, was day-to-day.
Also after the San Jose game, a game in which he had nine shots on goal,
Brett Hull said that "Yes, the team is playing well, we have our system
working and we're working hard...it's showing in the shots for and in the
shots against", and "Yes, it was weird seeing Janney and Miller
on the opposing team."
But the most interesting part of Hull's comments came when he was asked
about his scoring chances. It was here that Hull made it clear that he was
thrilled that the Blues won the game, but that he was frustrated in that
Flaherty seemed to have his number. It would be very easy to misunderstand
Brett Hull...he takes his role as the Blues sniper so seriously, he feels
like he hasn't done his job if he hasn't buried each and every good scoring
chance that comes his way. This reporter doesn't view this attitude as a
selfish one, but rather that of a finely tuned athlete who sets extraordinarily
high standards for himself.
A reporter who noted San Jose's defensive style of play asked Hull to provide
a reason for the Blues relatively large amount of success vs. the Sharks
this season (3 victories without a defeat). Hull gave a brutally honest
answer--"I honestly can't tell you."
As a longtime viewer of hockey, but as someone who still has difficulty
understanding the nuances of the game (does anyone?)...Hull's answer is
much appreciated. Sometimes the puck bounces your way, sometimes it doesn't.
Perhaps a player with Hull's skills understands that better than most.
Curtis Joseph, in his post-game comments, noted that a Kevin Miller shot
hit the post twice during the game. With a laugh, though, Joseph said that
"I had the angle on him."
Joseph also said that there was very little chit/chat during the game (between
Miller and Janney and their former teammates), and that "everyone came
to play...when you're out there, there's no friends. They wanted the game
very badly."
In his comments, Joseph seemed, to this reporter, more animated than normal.
He did make one point explicitly clear: that "We have made a definite
commitment to defense and it is paying off in wins." He seemed especially
grateful for the team's effort on the defensive side of things.
Finally, Ian Laperriere, when asked about a missed scoring chance during
the San Jose game, said "Man, I can't believe I missed that goal. I
had time to stop the puck...but I tried to one-time it and missed the open
net."
Laperriere, who had been scratched from recent games because of the after-effects
of a concussion, said that he was totally recovered and had no residual
head pain. He also said that this was his first concussion.
Redbirds News (4.2.95)
According to CBS Radio, each of baseball's twenty-eight major league teams
released their full complement of replacement players late Saturday night,
April 1. CBS also reported that Opening Day in the big leagues has been
rescheduled for Wednesday, April 26. StLSO will publish the Cardinals 1995
schedule (along with ticket information) as soon as it is made public.
The guess here is that baseball will simply pick up the previous released
schedule on April 26. In other words, the Cardinals would open at home,
in a 12:35 game vs. the Florida Marlins.
Of course, should baseball's owners decide to vote to lock out the players,
all bets are off...and what little credibility baseball has with its fans
will be further diminished. Cardinals President Mark Lamping has stated
that the Cards will vote to lock out the players. But 21 of the 28 major
league owners must agree with Lamping in order for the lockout to occur...and
it appears that the votes necessary to lock out are not there.
For example, the Chicago Tribune's Jerome Holtzman reported that the owners
do not have the necessary votes to lock out the players, writing that baseball's
owners have been advised by their attorney's not to lock out. It is thought
that baseball's exposure to lawsuits would rise if the lockout took place.
Rams News (4.2.95)
In no particular order, news items related to the Rams include the following:
*In his March 29 Commentary, Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz writes--"By
the time the drifting Los Angeles Rams reach the banks of the Mississippi
in their life raft--next century--most of us will be collecting Social Security."
The article appears under the headline "Newest Delay Isn't Reason to
Get Hopes Up."
*NFL owners will meet in Dallas, on April 12, to discuss the Rams proposed
move to St. Louis. Another vote on the matter appears likely.
*FANS Inc. leader Tom Eagleton told the P-D that the Rams-NFL negotiations
can be distilled down to one word: money. Said Eagleton--"The league
views the deal with the Rams as being a rich deal, and they want a piece
of it...it isn't a question of league rules and other subtleties. I think
[a deal that would result in football in St. Louis in the fall of 1995]
is doable."
*When asked to evaluate the chances that the Rams move to St. Louis would
be resolved, Rams President John Shaw said that "I don't have any anticipation
that it'll be resolved."
*Stan Kroenke, the Columbia MO businessman who is poised to purchase 30%
of the Rams in the event that they move to St. Louis, is apparently playing
a behind-the-scenes role in the proposed Rams move. The Post-Dispatch's
Jim Thomas reports that Kroenke has had recent low-key contacts with NFL
owners. In addition, Thomas writes that Rams President John Shaw also touches
base with Kroenke on a regular basis.
*The Rams are on the lookout for a starting cornerback as a result of Darryl
Henley's recent cocaine dealing conviction. As a result of the conviction,
Henley is expected to do jail time.
Surprise, Surprise by MARK BAUSCH (4.2.95)
How often are sports fans genuinely surprised at what they read in the sports
section of the morning paper? Sure, seeing photographs of Michael Jordan
wearing number 45 (instead of his familiar number 23)--that was a bit of
a surprise.
But was it a surprise when, in his fifth game after returning from his "extended
vacation", Jordan scored 55 in Madison Square Garden, and in the process,
wiped the smirk off of John Starks' face? Not really.
And was it a big surprise when traditional basketball powers such as North
Carolina and UCLA advanced to the Final Four, instead of, say...St. Louis
University, Southern Illinois University, or Weber State? Nahhhh.
And what about Nebraska and Penn State going unbeaten in college football
this year? No real surprise there, either, since even casual observers of
the college gridiron scene, if asked to name two schools most likely to
finish a given season with an unblemished record, would probably list the
'Huskers and the Nittany Lions as likely candidates for such an achievement.
And Mike Tyson returning to the ring? Fighting in Las Vegas...in bouts promoted
by Don King? No surprise there either.
Recently, though, the local sports pages contained, at least to this reader,
what at first glance seemed to be a genuine surprise. The Southern Illinoisan
reported that the SIUC Salukis men's golf team finished 15th (out of 18)
in the Southwest Missouri State Men's Golf Invitational. Other St. Louis-region
teams that competed included Missouri, Southeast Missouri, and the home
SMSU Bears.
What was surprising about the results of the tournament...that SIUC finished
15th? Not.
At first glance, what WAS surprising (to this reader) was that Jackson State
finished first, with a team score of 926. In other words, in the three day
54 hole tournament, the top four scorers for Jackson State men's golf team
averaged just over 77 strokes per 18 hole round, a performance that beat
the socks off of squads from Creighton, UMKC, SEMO, SMSU, Illinois State,
Kansas State, Iowa State, and several other schools.
The Mizzou Tigers, along with North Texas, also finished the 54 holes with
an aggregate score of 926...but Jackson State prevailed in the first extra
hole of play.
Playing word assocation with Jackson State, for most sports fans, probably
goes like this. Jackson State? Football. Jackson State? Walter Payton. Jackson
State? Mississippi. Jackson State? Historically black college.
But Jackson State, golf powerhouse? At least for this reader, what a new
and pleasant thought. Perhaps an enlightened StLSO reader can inform us
of past Jackson State golf exploits...perhaps Jackson State has been excelling
at men's golf for years. If so, mea culpa.
But in these contentious times, it is nearly always a dicey proposition
to talk or write about race. In fact...it is a near certainty that this
very column will be misunderstood and misinterpreted by readers somewhere
on this planet.
While it is possible that Jackson State's golf team is populated with young
men with (mostly) European ancestry, it is more likely that a majority of
Jackson State's golfers are of (mostly) African ancestry.
It is also a virtual certainty that a vast majority of the 75 golfers from
the 17 schools other than Jackson State are white.
So it appears that golf is no longer the sole domain of white suburban kids,
and that Tiger Woods, the acclaimed Stanford freshman (and defending U.S.
Amateur champion) who happens to be African-American, is only the tip of
the iceberg as far as quality black college golfers are concerned.
One is reminded of Jack Nicklaus' comments, who, when asked why blacks didn't
dominate golf the way they seemed to dominate other sports, mumbled some
nonsense about "musculature" differences between whites and blacks.
Hey Jack. Wanna hit a Mulligan?
Top 10 Headlines We'll See Before The Rams
Move To St. Louis by JIM HUNSTEIN (4.2.95)
10. Baseball Strike Over!
9. America's Cup Challenge Set For Carlyle Lake
8. OJ Trial At Halftime
7. No More Tiers: TV Networks Admit They're Filthy Stinking Rich; Recommend
Pro Sports Reduce Playoffs
6. Keenan Sends Apologis, Flowers to Janney
5. Chewing Tobacco; Cure For The Common Cold
4. Blues Lower Ticket Prices
3. Plenty To Go Around: Morganna's Bra Sent To Cooperstown; Smithsonian
Sues For Joint Custody
2. Tag, You're It: City and County Merge, Mayor Tagliabue Rules
1. Late Call: Denkinger Enshrined in St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame
Interactivity
*George writes--
All I can say is THANKS!!!!! StLSO is exactly what I've needed for a long
time. I just received/read your last two issues, and they are exactly what
a displaced St. Louisan like myself has needed. I find I now yell less at
the kids, have more energy, and have improved sexually (my wife thanks you
for the latter).
Looking forward to more!!
April 9, 1995
News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER (4.9.95)
The return of the veteran major leaguers certainly has caused a flurry of
activity in baseball, and the Cardinals have been one of the most active
teams. Nobodysaw a trade to re-acquire Ken Hill coming. In giving up three
marginal prospects to Montreal for last year's National League Cy Young
runnerup, the Cards immediately developed one of the best one-two pitching
punches in the league...with Hill and Danny Jackson. Hill surprised a lot
of people, including this writer, by experiencing the success that he did
in Montreal. Now he has terrific control, and isn't afraid to throw any
of his pitches (fastball, split-finger, slider) in any situation. He may
be a rent-a-player, a free agent after this season, but Hill could be a
priceless rental. The Cards surprised more people by allowing Bernard Gilkey
to become a free agent. The St. Louis native may have already gotten as
much out of his ability as is possible, and the Cards didn't want to pay
a $2.5-3 million dollar arbitration award to a marginal player. As a matter
of fact, the Cards might be better off with a host of others. Former Oriole
Mike Devereaux is a free agent, along with our good friend Vince Coleman
(who'll lead off for the Cards?). Minor leaguers Alan Battle and John Mabry
also could fit into the picture. By the time you read this the Mark Whiten-for-Scott
Cooper deal with Boston will have been made or cancelled. The deal would
be a good one for the Cardinals, because with four lefthanded starters they
need a solid third baseman. If the deal doesn't go through, it'll be interesting
to see where they turn. By the way, the rotation stacks up thusly...Jackson,
Hill, Donovan Osborne, Allen Watson and Rheal Cormier.
The fate of the Rams in 1995 will be determined Wednesday in Dallas. One
source is reporting to me that a deal to move the team to St. Louis is done
in the $40-45 million dollar range, and that the club will get the owners'
votes to move. The Post-Dispatch is reporting otherwise. Nobody will know
until Wednesday.
It was a bit of a surprise that the Blues made only one deal Friday at the
NHL trading deadline, sending Dan Laperriere to Ottawa for a ninth round
pick. With Tony Twist perhaps out for the year with a torn capsule in his
shoulder, one would have thought the Blues would have made strong pitches
for tough guys Stu Grimson or Tie Domi, who both went to Central division
contenders (Detroit and Toronto, respectively). Down the stretch and in
the playoffs, the Blues will have to rely on Basil McRae...who has played
well but is in his mid-thirties. Once the playoffs begin, look for some
of those other tough guys to bait Brendan Shanahan into fights, because
he is really the only other tough Blues player...and is a necessity on the
ice.
The Ambush won their first round playoff series over Detroit, and are playing
Kansas City now. Go 'Bush.
Cardinals April 1995 Busch Stadium Exhibition
Games (4.9.95)
Ken Griffey, Jr. and the Seattle Mariners will play a two game exhibition
series vs. the Cards at Busch Stadium on Monday, April 24, and Tuesday,
April 25. The Monday game is slated to start at 7:05 pm, while the Tuesday
affair commences at 3:05 pm. For both games, the Busch Stadium gates will
be opened two hours prior to the first pitch so that fans may enjoy the
pregame workouts.
All 1995 season ticket holders will receive their seats to these two games
at no extra charge, and all remaining tickets will be available on a first-come,
first-served reserved basis for $2.50 each at the Cardinal ticket office
beginning Sunday, April 9, at 9:00 am.
Tickets can also be purchased (beginning April 9) via the Cards' charge
line (314-421-2400).
In his StLSO interview (ISSUE #6), Cardinals President Mark Lamping spoke
of his desire to see interleague play. A sparkle came to his eye when he
described how great it would be to bring Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas
to St. Louis for regularly scheduled games.
I think that the Mariners' visit to Busch is additional evidence of the
aggressiveness and can-do spirit that no doubt emanates from Lamping. It
isn't hard to picture Lamping thinking of ways to capitalize on the late
April start of the season...and then making good things happen for the baseball
fans of St. Louis by contacting the Seattle organization and making it attractive
for them to visit St. Louis prior to the start of the regular season. Kudos
to Lamping and the Cards.
Cardinals Reacquire Ken Hill (4.9.95)
On April 5, the Cardinals reacquired righthanded starting pitcher Ken Hill
from the Montreal Expos, in exchange for pitchers Bryan Eversgerd and Kirk
Bullinger, and outfielder Darond Stovall. Hill was 16-5 in the strike-shortened
1994 season, with a 3.32 ERA in 23 starts.
"We feel that the addition of Ken Hill will help give us one of the
strongest and most balanced starting rotations in the league," said
Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty. "With Hill and Danny Jackson, we now have
a righty-lefty tandem that is capable of shutting anyone out on a given
day."
In related news, the Cardinals did not offer a contract to Bob Tewksbury,
meaning that he is now a free agent. Cards President Mark Lamping said that
the club has little or no interest in re-signing Tewksbury.
Some facts on the players moving to the Expos' organization:
*Eversgerd was 2-3 with a 4.52 ERA in 40 games with the Redbirds last season.
The 26 year old Hoffman, Ill native had 67.2 innings pitched, all out of
the bullpen. Eversgerd will join fellow Illinois-born lefty Kirk Rueter
on the Expos staff.
*Stovall, 22, batted .223 with 15 HR and 69 RBI for St. Petersburg in the
Florida State League. He is a native of St. Louis and a graduate of Althoff
Catholic HS.
*Bullinger, 25, was 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 6 saves for St. Petersburg in
1994.
While Eversgerd will pitch this season in Montreal, it is likely that the
Expos view Stovall as the key to the deal.
Cardinals Acquire Scott Cooper (4.9.95)
Scott Cooper, the two-time All Star third baseman, was acquired by the Cardinals
from the Boston Red Sox, along with pitcher Corey Bailey (a native of Marion,
Ill.) and a player to be named later, in exchange for Mark Whiten and Rheal
Cormier. Jocketty said that Cooper would play third base in St. Louis, and
that Todd Zeile would be moved across the diamond to first base. While Jocketty
lamented the loss of Cormier, who he had projected as a possible started
for the Cardinals, he noted that Cooper's acquisition, and Zeile's move
to first base, should result in greatly improved Cardinal infield defense.
Rams Update (4.9.95)
Jim Thomas writes in the April 7 edition of the Post-Dispatch that the Rams
offer to the NFL is now nearly $40 million, up from the $25 million that
the league rejected (by a vote of 21-3 with six abstentions) at meetings
held on March 27 and 28.
It is believed that the league's owners will vote on the Rams proposed move
to St. Louis sometime this week...although the Post-Dispatch's Bernie Miklasz
continues to believe that no vote will take place.
It has occurred to more than one wise guy that the $75 million or so raised
by PSL's is enough cash to serve as a hefty down payment on an NFL franchise.
And jeepers, imagine if each PSL were sold for triple what was actually
asked (low end:$250.00; high end $4,500.00), with the idea that in addition
to buying a PSL, you were actually buying a part of the team?!
Think about it. Three times $75 million is $225 million...or enough to BUY
AN EXPANSION TEAM! In other words, had anyone realized the seriousness of
the St. Louis-area football fan, the Gateway City could've had a community-owned
football team a la the Green Bay Packers.
Furthermore, I'll bet A-B beer distributor Jerry Clinton wishes he had thought
of the PSL concept. Clinton had everything in place to cop the St. Louis
expansion franchise for himself EXCEPT sufficient dough. Clinton and his
ex-friend Fran Murray persuaded the city and county governments of St. Louis,
as well as the Missouri State Legislature, to put up the necessary bucks
to build the new domed football stadium. Then Clinton managed to get his
signature attached to a substantial portion of the lease to that stadium...a
lease so "golden" that Clinton had hoped to use revenue generated
from the lease to finance his purchase of the St. Louis expansion franchise.
But then the NFL (a) upped the price; and (b) changed the rules...saying
that real money was needed to buy into their club, not just promised money.
And Clinton was suddenly a non-player...and damned mad about the awful turn
of events. The squabbling about the lease doomed the St. Louis effort to
attract an NFL expansion franchise.
Oh well. Now St. Louis will probably get Georgia and her Rams. If not this
year, then next year. Imagine Jerry Rice and Steve Young visiting our town
each season. Those dreary November Sundays are looking a lot better, eh?
Brock & Broglio Recall "The Trade"
While Its Mastermind, Bing Devine, Weighs In On Michael Jordan by BRIAN
CRAWFORD (4.9.95)
CHICAGO--Some noted former Cardinals have been in the news in Chicago lately.
The Chicago Tribune's Jerome Holtzman, the Dean of Chicago baseball writers
recently interviewed Lou Brock and Ernie Broglio about the trade that still
gets Cub fans twitching some 31 years later. And, in a recent column about
Michael Jordan's return to the hard court, Holtzman tracked down former
Redbird General Manager Bing Devine for comment. Coincidentally, Devine
was the man behind the Brock trade in 1964.
Devine, who's currently a scout with the Phillies, candidly remarked that
the greatest basketball player who ever played never had a chance to see
the major leagues. "Nobody thought he'd make it to the big leagues
unless it would be for show," Devine said.
The idea that the White Sox might do something just for show, (and to bring
fans through the turnstiles) comes as no surprise to Chicago fans. A few
years ago, it took a directive from the League Office to stop Jerry Reinsdorf
from having a 70-year-old Minnie Minoso suit up so that he could become
the first player ever to bat in six decades. The Jordan baseball debacle
makes Reinsdorf look like a cynical Bill Veeck.
Nevertheless, Devine told the Tribune that Jordan did better than most seasoned
baseball people thought he would. "Not many people his age could have
done as well...," he said.
By the way, most Cardinal fans didn't miss the significance, probably accidental,
of Jordan's number 45. There's another number 45 in baseball who had a standout
college basketball career and switched to baseball. He was and is a bit
more successful at it than MJ, however.
Brock and Broglio sat down with Holtzman during the Cubs annual convention
here in January. They were the feature act since there weren't any current
players involved this year.
Both men recalled the legendary 1964 trade that most considered a major
Cubs' coup at the time. But Broglio won only seven games for the Cubs over
the next two-and-a-half seasons and never pitched another game after being
traded to the Reds in 1966. As for Brock, well--we all know how that turned
out.
"I don't agree with the people who say it was the worst deal in history,"
Broglio told Holtzman, "Brock made himself. He would have done the
same thing here in Chicago if they had let him play."
Brock claimed he was more surprised at the trade than anyone. Broglio was
an established starter coming off a 21-win season, and he was an anonymous
young outfielder batting a mediocre .251 and worrying every day about being
sent down to the minors. But the trade gave Brock an idea what his stock
was worth--a confidence boost that translated into a .348 average the rest
of the season with the Cardinals, including 33 stolen bases and a pennant.
Brock recalled manager Johnny Keane putting his arm around him the day he
reported the Cardinals, "We traded for you because you can play,"
he told the young outfielder.
Among other tidbits Holtzman coaxed from the two:
*Broglio was damaged goods when the trade was made. He had suffered a minor
arm injury that the Cubs were unaware of before the trade. The injury worsened
after he joined the Cubs and hastened his demise as a quality pitcher.
*Brock recalled with vivid detail the day in 1962 when he became only the
second player in history to hit a home run into the center -field bleachers
at the old Polo Grounds.
*Former Redbird first baseman Bill White said none of the Cardinals at the
time liked the deal. Presumably they changed their minds rather quickly.
April 16, 1995
News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER (4.16.95)
Was Leigh Steinberg right? Was there a master plan to move the Rams out
of Anaheim, and to St. Louis? At Thursday's press conference to re-introduce
herself, team owner Georgia Frontiere was asked, since she said St. Louis
was always in her heart, what she thought when the Cardinals left and when
the town was overlooked for expansion. She revealed that she always wanted
St. Louis to have a team, and first thought about moving the Rams to Missouri
during a St. Louis visit in 1991. She always received the late, lamented
ST. LOUIS magazine to keep up on what was going on. Perhaps ST. LOUIS magazine
going out of business prompted the move. There's another apparent misconception
about Frontiere and Rodeo drive in Beverly Hills. For years it has been
written that all she did was shop. Frontiere claims she never got into the
west coast scene...that she prefers the tranquility of her Sedona, Arizona
home or the midwest. As a matter of fact, she spent Friday househunting
in St. Louis. My projection is that the St. Louis Rams will get Florida
defensive end Kevin Carter with the sixth pick in the draft. They'll probably
have their choice of the top two defensive ends, Carter and Florida State's
Derrick Alexander...and the top three receivers...Colorado's Michael Westbrook,
Ohio State's Joey Galloway and UCLA's JJ Stokes. With the addition of Alexander
Wright and the retention of Jesse Hester, the club seems set at wideout.
But with RDE Fred Stokes now into his thirties, a pass rushing defensive
end would be an excellent choice.
The Cardinals' regulars opened spring training with good pitching, and one
would think a healthy staff will provide that all season. Danny Jackson
is overcoming an operation for thyroid cancer, but should be available for
his first start, in game two. Ken Hill looked terrific in his first appearance,
as did Allen Watson. There may be a slight problem with Todd Zeile having
so little time to adjust to first base...but overall Walt Jocketty has done
an excellent job of building a unit that should contend in the NL Central.
We hope Joe Torre ultimately turns to new 3B Scott Cooper as the third place
hitter. His low strikeout history, and Ray Lankford's high one, would seem
to make a switch in batting positions a natural. As a matter of fact, I
think an order of Pena, Gilkey, Cooper, Zeile, Lankford, Jordan, Pagnozzi
and Smith might be the best fit. Of course, Joe Torre is the manager...and
I just second guess.
The Blues had another tough week, playing poorly in a loss to Dallas, and
a win and a loss against Winnipeg. Coach Mike Keenan, asked when a good
time to get hot is, said "preferably now." Duh. He added that
he hopes the lessons learned against desperate teams are better learned
now than in the playoffs. Its amazing what an effect Al MacInnis has on
the Blues. When he plays, they win, and when he doesn't, they lose. After
a bout with pneumonia, his return is expected Sunday vs. Detroit. By the
way, Keenan has conceded the Western conference regular season title to
the Wings...so the Blues will be at best a third seed from the West. The
two division champions get the top two seeds.
As you read this, the Ambush should be on their way to the NPSL finals against...the
Harrisburg Heat. I understand that Harrisburg is near Three Mile Island,
thus the name the Heat. Congrats to Daryl Doran and the boys. Go 'Bush.
Bring home St. Louis first pro championship since 1982.
The Professor Lectures a Professor by MARK
BAUSCH (4.16.95)
About ten years ago, Mrs. B. and I embarked on our first overnight trip
to Montreal. Our three day-two night stay in Montreal was punctuated by
what I still remember as a rather unusual departure-day breakfast conversation
with our bed-and-breakfast hostess, a matronly woman in her forties.
Throughout our stay, our hostess had graciously provided us with a bounty
of useful information about the sights and sounds of Montreal. But on the
morning of our departure, she became quite provincial when talking about
the relative value of Canadian and U.S. currency. She pointed out, quite
proudly, that merchants in northern New York would accept Canadian dollars
at face value (on a one-to-one basis with US dollars), despite the fact
that the current exchange rates meant that five Canadian dollars were, at
that time, about equal in value to four US dollars. That I still remember
her well-intentioned remarks indicates that they were, in many ways, one
of the highlights of our trip.
I was reminded of our Montreal excursion the other day while talking with
Blues Executive Vice-President Ronald Caron. Caron, who created a bit of
a stir a few years ago when some of his comments about Vince Coleman, Willie
McGee, and Cardinal management made their way into the Post-Dispatch, was
at the center of a small crowd of listeners in the Kiel Center press box.
Caron was holding court with several media-types, and, for anyone within
earshot, was making his opinions known on several topics...including baseball.
What was the Professor getting into now?
Well, just 24 hours previously, the Cardinals concluded a long-rumored trade
in which St. Louis acquired Scott Cooper, Cory Bailey, and a player-to-be-named
later from the Boston Red Sox, in exchange for Mark Whiten and Rheal Cormier.
And the Professor was not happy that his hometown Cardinals had traded Cormier.
Front and center in Mr. Caron's arguments about Cormier included the facts
that (a) Cormier is a relatively young lefthanded starter; and (b) his won-loss
record (24-23), while not stellar, is in fact one game above 0.500. It was
quite obvious that Cormier was a Caron favorite, and that Caron felt that
trading Cormier was a bit of a gamble.
It was only a gut feeling, but it also seemed to me that Caron's own Canadian
pride formed the basis for at least a portion of his feelings concerning
Cormier, since the New Brunswick-born lefthander (nicknamed "Frenchy")
is, like Caron, a Canadian citizen. As was the case with the Montreal woman
a decade earlier, Caron's feelings about matters relating to his home country
only enhanced my respect for the individual holding them.
But Ronald Caron is first and foremost a hockey man, and listening to Ronald
Caron between periods at a Blues game is an experience that all St. Louis
hockey fans should get a chance to enjoy. Why?
While listening to Caron, his pride in, and love of, the sport of hockey,
the St. Louis Blues, and the Kiel Center...all shine through in a very honest,
genuine, and purposeful way. Yet, when asked to discuss his own role with
the Blues, Caron prefers to talk about the contributions of others. Caron
is a treasure that St. Louis sports fans should savor...while they still
can.
And in at least one distinct way, Ron Caron is very different from his successor
as Blues GM, Mike Keenan. Keenan, in his post-game press conferences, seems
reluctant to compliment his players. For example, after a recent victory
over Toronto, Keenan said that he felt as though the Blues possessed only
three "skill" players, as opposed to last year's Cup-winning Rangers
squad, which had at least five "skill" players. Furthermore, Keenan
said that his young centerman, Ian Laperriere, had only "average"
skills (that night, the hard-checking Laperriere had two goals, including
one empty-netter, won a fight, and stapled several Leaf players to the dasherboards).
But to be fair, the context of Iron Mike's comments had to do with his club's
need to play physical in all three zones. It is hoped that Keenan's players
are sensitive to the context of their coach's comments...and not sensitive
to specific words or phrases that, heard by themselves, might clearly offend
many individuals.
Furthermore, Keenan's comments are clearly meant to spur players such as
Laperriere on to bigger and better things. Keenan is clearly a man who sees
the twelve ounce glass that contains six ounces of water as half empty,
rather than half full. And who can argue with a Stanley Cup-winning coach?
But for this reporter, it is hard to imagine Ron Caron, when speaking to
the media, downgrading the skills of any player currently under contract
to the Blues. At least in public, Mr. Caron ALWAYS seems to look on the
bright side of things. And with his knowledge of just how ragged the Blues
franchise had been in past years, Mr. Caron could always be counted on to
cheerfully offer a sunny opinion that made Blues fans feel as though better
times were just around the corner.
In fact, Caron was often guilty of over-selling the hockey talents of his
latest prospect/acquisition, whether it be Herbie Raglan or Craig Coxe.
Recall, though, that after acquiring Brett Hull, Caron said that Hull had
"the talent to be a 60 goal scorer in this league."
It is comments such as these that have endeared Ronald Caron to the hockey
fans of St. Louis, and indeed, to hockey fans all over North America. Quite
simply, he makes the game fun for all those within the sound of his voice.
In the opinion of many, Caron would make a fine addition to the FOX network's
NHL broadcasting effort.
In addition, it can be argued that the Caron/Jack Quinn/Mike Shanahan troika,
combined with Mr. Hull and perhaps the late Dan Kelly, are five gentlemen
most responsible for the new building at 14th and Clark. For that they should
all be proud. The Kiel Center is tangible evidence that their efforts mattered.
But when Caron was asked about his feelings and contributions to the KielCenter
and the Blues franchise...the man literally blushed and, rather than talking
about himself and his own achievements and accomplishments, spoke of how
he "wished that Dan Kelly and Barclay Plager were alive to see the
Blues new home".
With that in mind, here's a scoop for StLSO readers...a scoop that, to my
knowledge, has not appeared in any form...anywhere else.
While Blues fans have been inundated with stories about young Mike Grier,
the 240 pound blade runner that plays for NCAA champion Boston University,
Mr. Caron informed this reporter of a little-known Blues prospect that has
a chance to hit St. Louis (or, more accurately, hit a Blackhawk) before
Grier, who will return to BU for the 1995-96 season.
Caron claims that Roman Vopat, a youngster who turns nineteen years of age
on April 21, is the next youngster to begin his ascent to St. Louis. Vopat
is a Keenan-sized (i.e. 6-3 and 216 pounds) left winger who was the Blues
seventh round draft choice in the 1994 Entry Draft. He was born in Litvinov,
Czechoslovakia, and recently completed his first season with the Moose Jaw
Warriors in the Western Hockey League. Playing all 72 regular season games
for the Warriors, Vopat scored 23 goals and had 20 assists, while racking
up 141 penalty minutes. Seven of his goals were power play efforts, and
five were game winners.
Caron's verbatim comments about Vopat: "Now that his team [Moose Jaw]
has been eliminated in the playoffs, we have called him up to Peoria. Another
Czech who plays at Peoria, Martin Hamrlik, will meet him at the airport.
I spoke this morning [Wednesday, April 12] with Paul MacLean, the Peoria
coach. Paul said that he wants to see how he [Vopat] looks. Presumably,
if Paul likes what he sees...he may insert him into the Peoria lineup as
they attempt to advance in the IHL playoffs."
Caron then continued--"Vopat is big and knows how to move without the
puck. Young man...do you know what that means? [Reporter's reply: 'Not exactly,
Mr. Caron.'] Well...that's OK. I think Mike [Keenan] will like his style
of play very much."
Mr. Caron, hockey fans in St. Louis have liked your style of play for several
years. Enjoy your upcoming retirement and everything that comes with it.
Minor League Report by BRIAN CRAWFORD (4.16.95)
The future looks bright for the Cardinals if their young hot prospects currently
toiling at the AAA and AA levels live up to their potential. And if a handful
of not-so-young minor leaguers finally earn their shots at the big leagues.
We'll take a look at a few of those players in this report on the St. Louis
minor league organization.
Keep in mind that minor league rosters are still somewhat in a state of
flux, due to the major league strike and the postponed spring training.
Even though the minor leagues' regular seasons began a week ago, some top
players are participating in spring training drills with major leaguers.
Many of the players listed in this minor-league roundup are currently in
St. Petersburg with the big club. Stay tuned.
The organization's 1994 Player of the Year was hard-throwing right-hander
Alan Benes, who was 17-3 with a 2.28 ERA with four different teams last
year. Benes is likely to start the season at AAA Louisville, but could see
action with the big club very soon if he pitches well early. Benes had a
strong, but disappointing season opener against Indianapolis, allowing only
one hit and striking out five through the first five innings. He made a
mistake and gave up a solo home run to Greg Briley in the sixth, however,
and was chased later in the inning after giving up two more runs. The Redbirds
ended up losing 4-3 on another Briley home run in the top of the ninth.
Benes' second start at Louisville was a thing of beauty as he struck out
nine while giving up only three hits in six innings. He also hit a home
run as the Redbirds defeated Iowa 3-0.
The Post-Dispatch reported last week that if Benes pitches well in April,
he could join the Cardinals at the beginning of the regular season April
26. But the Cardinals' director of player personnel, Mike Jorgensen, said
in the April issue of Cardinals Magazine that the original plan for Benes
was to get full year of AAA under his belt this year.
The Cards are thick with talented outfielders in the minors, especially
at Louisville, where the Redbirds will field the best outfield in the American
Association. Up from Arkansas is Terry Bradshaw, who was named the most
exciting player in the Texas League last year and one of the league's top
four prospects by Baseball America. Bradshaw batted .280 with 52 RBIs in
114 games for the Travelers. The All-Star led the league in fielding percentage
at .995.
Allen Battle is likely to see major league action with this year. The 27-year-old
needs to show large numbers like last year when he hit .313 with 44 doubles
and 69 RBIs. Battle led all Cardinals' minor leaguers in hitting, runs scored,
hits, doubles and total bases. Finally, keep on eye on Louisville outfielders
John Mabry (.262 in '94 - great arm) and Jeff McNeely, the latter of whom
came over in the Luis Alicea deal from Boston. McNeely had a cup of coffee
with the BoSox in '93 and showed promise, but had a disappointing .231 season
at AAA Pawtucket last year. It's make-it or break-it time for him.
Even though Bernard Gilkey has now been signed for 1995, his main competition
to play left field for the Cards this year looks to be Mabry, Battle and
Bradshaw, along with veteran Darnell Coles. All four took were taking batting
practice in the same group last week at the Cardinals' spring training complex
in St. Petersburg.
Brian Barber, the Cardinals' number one prospect last year, according to
Baseball America, hopes to improve upon his 5-10 combined record last year
at Arkansas and Louisville. Barber will start his season at Louisville this
year. The right-hander got off to a horrible start at Louisville last year
and was sent down to Arkansas in July to get his bearings. He did just that
and earned his way back to Louisville in August, where he finished strong.
Down at Arkansas, pitching will be the story in '95, along with the big
bat of talented 1994 team RBI leader (54), infielder Dmitri Young. Keep
a watch for right-handed pitchers Steve Montgomery and Jeff Alkire. Outfielder
Basil Shabazz, who stole a combined 59 bases at St. Petersburg and Arkansas
last year should start the '95 season with the Travs. Right-hander Kirk
Bullinger would have started the year at Arkansas, but proved to be valuable
to the organization in another way. The 25-year-old, who was 2-0 with a
1.17 ERA and six saves at St. Petersburg last year, was sent to the Expos
as part of the Ken Hill deal.
StLSO Media Views by TRIPP FROHLICHSTEIN
(4.16.95)
Now that the Rams are finally officially on the way to St. Louis, few people
are probably happier than New World Communications, new owners (as of the
week of 4/17) of Channel 2. That's because on August 7, they are sceduled
to swap their ABC affiliation for a Fox affiliation (Channel 30 becomes
the new ABC affiliate in St. Louis). Being a Fox station means Channel 2
will carry the majority of the Rams games.
Channel 30 will get a Rams game if they are on Monday Night Football or
make a wild card contest.
Not only will Channel 2 carry the games but they will be able to charge
a pretty good ad rate for Rams game commercials...certainly more than Channel
30 got this year (given that there was no local team meaning fewer people
here watched the NFL - and fewer people watching means the station can't
charge as much for commercial time).
There could be additional fallout as well. In the late 1970's, Channel 4
started the Sunday night extended length sports program concept in St. Louis
to accommodate the Big Red. The station wanted to provide lengthy Cardinal
highlights (usually four to five minutes) to give fans more of the flavor
of the game. All other NFL games also were featured - many with several
highlights. It would make sense to see Channel 4 bring the program, then
known as Sunday Sports Wrap-Up, back.
Channel 2 would also be wise to extend their Sunday night program to one
hour given they will be the primary Rams' station.
But still with the advantage is the superior Channel 5 effort hosted by
Mike Bush. Over recent years, the hour long Sunday sports program has pulled
in the vast majority of sports viewers and those viewers look at Channel
5's program as almost a habit. It is likely this will continue for quite
some time.
April 23, 1995
News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER (4.23.95)
As we had hoped for in this space last week, the St. Louis Rams selected
Florida defensive end Kevin Carter with the sixth pick in Saturday's first
round of the NFL draft. The 6-4, 275 pounder has great quickness and power...
and when asked whether he was a speed rusher or a power rusher, he said
"both." When asked to compare Carter to a current NFL player...Rams
coach Rich Brooks said Chris Doleman. When Carter was asked...he said former
Redskin Charles Mann or Doleman. That's very good company. The choice of
Carter was the most logical by a St. Louis football team since the Cardinals
took Luis Sharpe way back in 1982. The last five St. Louis Cardinal first
rounders (Leonard Smith as a cornerback, Clyde Duncan, Freddie Joe Nunn,
Anthony Bell and Kelly Stouffer) were horrendous. The Rams didn't stop adding
beef in the second round, taking Outland Trophy winning offensive tackle
Zach Wiegert out of Nebraska and Mississippi State standout OL Jesse James
with the pick acquired from San Francisco for Marquez Pope. The Rams can
start an offensive line that AVERAGES 310 pounds, with 289 pound Wayne Gandy
the little guy.
Don't look for Todd Zeile to start the season as the Cardinal cleanup hitter
and first baseman. A nagging wrist injury has not responded to a cortisone
shot, and he will almost certainly start the year on the disabled list.
Wrist injuries are difficult for hitters to bounce back from (see Andres
Gallaraga, 1992), so Zeile shouldn't be counted on tremendously. The pressure
now is on Brian Jordan, who is the sensible choice to hit fourth between
Ray Lankford and Scott Cooper...but has never lasted a full baseball season.
Perhaps the short spring training has had an effect on the Cards. Each and
every member of the starting eight, except Jordan, has missed time with
an injury. By the way, tickets are still available for both exhibitions,
Monday and Tuesday, against Ken Griffey and the Mariners, and for opening
day against the Phils. (And don't forget KMOX Sports Open Line, after every
night game.)
The Blues had an outstanding week, picking up seven of eight possible points
against Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago and Toronto. Coach Mike Keenan is pleased
with the team's progress...and says they are close to being ready for "game
49", the playoff opener. Keenan also is happy with the play of rookie
center David Roberts...who may be the number one center the Blues have lacked
since the trade of Craig Janney. With a 2-1-1 mark against Detroit, the
Blues would seem to have a shot at the Stanley Cup Finals. They also could
lose in the first round to the Canucks.
The Ambush continue to roll in the NPSL playoffs, taking game one of the
championship series against Harrisburg. (Yes, Harrisburg and professional
do appear in the same sentence here). The Ambush should win the best of
seven series easily.
Blues News (4.23.95)
After the Blues 6-5 victory over Detroit, Mike Keenan compared Brett Hull
to Wayne Gretzky and Sergei Federov, saying that the "great stars are
game-breakers". Keenan also said that he has been satisfied with the
Blues' recent efforts on the special teams.
As for the game itself, Keenan noted that it was played with "playoff
intensity", and that "Dave Roberts played a great game on offense
and defense vs. Federov". Keenan also pointed out that Ian Laperriere
played a regular shift vs. the Wings, and "played well".
After his four goal effort, Brett Hull said that "We knew we should
score some goals...we got the bounces early." When asked whether he
intentionally shot the puck low vs. Mike Vernon, Hull said "No...the
ice was so bad it was hard to control things. I was just trying to get the
puck on net and really made no effort to shoot low."
Hull also said that this was the first game in which he had gone back to
his old Easton aluminum-shafted stick. Apparently he had been using a graphite-shafted
model manufactured by a different company, but decided to switch back to
the Easton just prior to the Detroit game.
Rick Zombo, when asked about the Detroit game and his game-winning goal,
said that "The intensity was there, but the game was higher scoring
than most playoff games. As for the goal, I saw that the Detroit players
on the ice at that time were not their best skaters...so I knew that there
would be the opportunity for me to be the trailer on the play."
Rams Update (4.23.95)
According to research carried out at Barry University and funded by the
NFL and the Super Bowl XXIX Host Committee, the recent Super Bowl in Miami
had a $204.5 million direct economic impact on the south Florida economy.
The report also noted that over 140,000 tourists visited the Miami-Fort
Lauderdale-Palm Beach area during the five days surrounding Super Bowl Sunday.
Researchers also said the total was conservative because it did not include
spending by local football fans.
Imagine a Super Bowl in St. Louis. It could happen.
Headline of the Week (4.23.95)
From the 4.16.95 Post-Dispatch: "Georgia Signs Much More Than the Back
of Checks".
This headline appeared over Bernie Miklasz' commentary about the Rams owner,
Georgia Frontiere. One wonders if Miklasz, the P-D's lead sports columnist,
is fixing to ask Frontiere out for a date (or at least regular invites to
her private suite)...the column is that soft and reads like a tribute to
Ghandi or maybe Mother Teresa.
But remember. In the four months that StLSO has been in existence, at least
a dozen subscribers have e-mailed StLSO and described Miklasz as "fickle".
The Opening Act in the Miklasz/Rams soap opera has just begun.
Talkin' Baseball by JIM HUNSTEIN (4.23.95)
Baseball's high holy day is this Thursday, April 26. It's opening day and
the Cardinals take on the Phillies. Praise be to the power of red-stitched
horsehide! (EDITOR'S NOTE: It's cowhide, Jimbo. Horsehide disappeared from
the baseball scene at about the same time that free autographs vanished.)
It will be interesting to see how quickly the fans embrace the game after
all the ugliness of the strike. The owners and the league are going to have
to try their best to induce us to return. The Cards have a whole bevy of
gala festivities planned for the evening. As you might expect, they couldn't
do everything they thought of. For any number of reasons, a few ideas had
to be thrown out. Here are...
Top 10 Rejected Opening Day Festivities
10. Georgia and Ozzie in a tandem back flip.
9. Food fight between left and right bleachers.
8. Random fan selection for Umpire For The Day.
7. Seance to contact the spirit of Rogers Hornsby.
6. Scottish highland games with a celebrity caber toss.
5. Vince Coleman Memorial Tarp Race.
4. Roseanne sings the national anthem.
3. Rev. Larry Rice throws out the first drunk.
2. NFL owner effigy burning (canceled, not rejected).
1. Up With People teens versus American Gladiators.
BRIAN CRAWFORD's Review of "Stranger to
the Game, The Autobiography of Bob Gibson" by Bob Gibson with Lonnie
Wheeler, Viking Books (4.23.95)
I want to admit to you at the very beginning of this review that Bob Gibson
was one of my childhood heroes. I continue to admire him today. You need
to know that.
Another thing you need to know is that I have pretty low expectations when
sports figures write biographies. My expectations for Gibson's recent biography,
"Stranger to the Game", were a little higher, only because I had
the opportunity to meet and talk with Gibson in 1993, when he was writing
this book with author Lonnie Wheeler.
I met Gibson at a Randy Hundley Fantasy Baseball Camp in the Spring of 1993.
He was the coach of the Cardinals squad and his locker was right next to
mine. He talked a lot about the book he was writing and some of the stories
it would contain. All the fantasy campers would gather around Gibby's locker
while he held court with amazing stories of the '67 and '68 World Series.
Some of the stories we'd all heard; some have never been widely told (for
good reason).
I was excited when I saw this book come out over the extended off-season.
It turns out the timing was perfect. This is a "purpose" book,
kind of like a purpose pitch.
It's a bitch-a-thon from start to finish. Gibson rails about racism, his
inability to get a job in baseball, the negative ways the game has changed
since he played, but most importantly, he writes on and on about how terribly
he has been misunderstood through the years.
It's peppered throughout with quotes from friends and former teammates about
how Gibson should be working in the game of baseball. The book is definitely
a pitch for a job that worked--soon after the book was published, Joe Torre
hired Gibson as an "attitude coach" for the third time.
Gibson thinks there were a couple of reasons he was unable to land a job
with the Cardinals, even though he tried off-and-on for almost 20 years.
First, he forgot to mention Augie Busch during his totally unrehearsed,
extemporaneous acceptance speech when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame
in 1981. Although he apologized immediately to Mr. Busch, he believes that
the old man held a grudge.
The second reason was probably Dal Maxvill, although Gibson gives the former
teammate and coaching colleague the benefit of the doubt. But Maxvill and
Gibson definitely had their problems, and Gibson relates their confrontations
bluntly and without pulling any punches. The two had a major dispute while
coaching together at Atlanta in 1983 and they haven't worked together since.
There's a lot of great baseball stories in this book, and some world-class
cussing to add color to the tales. If you followed the Cardinals during
the 60s, it will take you back to those wonderful times with vivid detail.
Even if you didn't follow the Cardinals then, but are a fan now, the book
is a must read. It will give you a historical perspective on both the greatness
of the Cardinal franchise, as well as on the cruelty of the game and of
society itself in its struggle to deal with racism.
Race is a heavy underlying theme in this book. Some might think Gibson's
too sensitive, or paranoid. Whether he is or isn't doesn't really matter--the
issues he brings up are real and he should be applauded for having the courage
to openly express himself on the issue. A great portion of the book is devoted
to discussion of the Cardinals teams of the 60s being the first to fully
embrace what we call "diversity" today.
How does this book stack up to other sports biographies? Remember that I
don't expect much from these books. But Gibson exceeded those expectations.
As far as reminiscences about past glories, it's great, but then, Gibson
was at the center of some of the greatest baseball in modern history. It
should have good stories.
"Stranger to the Game" goes several steps further than it needs
to, by bringing a unique perspective to race relations in America from the
1950s to the 1990s. Gibson should be as proud of this as anything he accomplished
in baseball.
Game Summary: Blues vs. Detroit (4.23.95)
The Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 6-5 in an exhilarating hockey game
that saw Brett Hull score four goals in a single game for the first time
in his NHL career.
Detroit opened the scoring at 1:07 of the first period. The goal came on
the power play, and was quite literally a text-book scoring effort in that
all five Wings touched the puck in a sequence that resulted in Ray Sheppard
scoring his 25th goal of the season. The Wings' Keith Primeau won the faceoff
back to the right pointman (Paul Coffey), who moved the puck in one motion
to the left pointman (Slava Fetisov), who quickly passed the puck to Viktor
Kozlov, who was positioned to the right of the goal manned by Curtis Joseph.
In one motion, Kozlov passed the puck to Sheppard, who had an open net facing
him while standing at the left goalpost. Sheppard didn't misfire, and the
Wings led 1-0.
The Blues Brett Hull responded with a natural hat trick. His goals came
at 4:49, 9:05, and 15:26 of the first period. The first goal came while
the Blues were shorthanded, as Hull capitalized on a Wings misplay near
the Blues blueline andskated in all along on Mike Vernon, beating him "through
the 5-hole".
Hull's second goal was unassisted, and came while the Blues were on the
power play. A Red Wing left the puck near the center of the ice, a few feet
inside the Blues blue line. Hull picked up the puck, waited a second or
two while skating to his right, and beat Vernon with a low shot just inside
the near post.
Hull's third goal came while the Blues were on the power play, and came
as the result of a nice play by Steve Duchesne, who got the puck to Hull
in the deep slot. Hull's low blast eluded Vernon, making the score 3-1.
Coincidentally, it was Blues/Pepsi Cap Day, and literally thousands of white
baseball caps were thrown onto the ice. It was quite a sight to see.
The period ended with the Blues up 3-1. For the period, the Blues outshot
Detroit 11-10.
The second period began with Jon Casey in goal for St. Louis, Joseph having
suffered a slight hamstring pull early in the first period. Sheppard made
the score 3-2 when he beat Casey from close in on the right wing side. The
goal came as the result of an Al MacInnis boot near the blue line.
But MacInnis made amends when his slapshot from the point beat Vernon between
the pads, making the score 4-2 St. Louis. But Detroit tied the game at 4
when Bob Errey and Fetisov scored goals at 11:15 and 13:13, respectively.
Fetisov's goal came on the power play, and appeared to come on a shot that
was heading wide of the net until it deflected past Casey off of Blues defenseman
Murray Baron.
But at 14:14, Hull's slap shot from the slot again beat Vernon through the
5-hole, and the Blues led 5-4 going into the third period.
At 4:31 of the third period, Primeau tied the game at 5 when, while being
checked by Glenn Anderson, his backhand effort slipped by Casey. The goal
appeared to be a "bad one", in that it appeared to this observer
that Casey could have come out of his net a bit.
But a most unlikely hero came to the fore for St. Louis. Rick Zombo scored
his first goal of the season at 5:14 of the period. Zombo was the trailer
on a play that was slow to develop as Basil McRae and Guy Carbonneau skated
into the Wings zone. McRae was the puck-carrier, and he waited for Zombo
to fill the zone. Zombo's shot beat Vernon high to the glove side, making
the score 6-5.
There was no further scoring in the game, in part due to Jon Casey's stick
save (of Sergei Federov's backhand attempt) at the goalmouth with about
a minute left in the game.
For the game, Detroit outshot St. Louis 33-23. Scratches for the Blues included
Doug Lidster, Todd Elik, Tony Twist, Patrice Tardif, and Bill Houlder. Also
of note: the Blues Steve Duchesne was +3 for the game, while Brendan Shanahan
and Murray Baron were both -3. The Grim Reaper, Stu Grimson, was -2 for
Detroit.
The Blues record is now 23-12-3; good enough for second place overall in
the Western Division.
April 30, 1995
News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER (4.30.96)
Early in the season, the Cardinals are showing the same disturbing trends
that made them such a bad team last year. A lack of ability to catch the
ball, and poor starting pitching, have contributed to twenty runs allowed
in the first three games. On opening night, some questioned whether new
second baseman Manny Lee would EVER make a play before he got hurt. Lee
failed to succeed on three ground balls to his right, then mercifully sprained
an ankle before being replaced by Jose Oquendo. Scott Cooper made a costly
error in Friday night's game, and John Mabry has shown a nasty disability
to adapt quickly to first. Although Ken Hill and Danny Jackson weren't rocked
in their first starts, they were hit relatively hard. Allen Watson, who
blew that 11-0 lead last summer in Houston, relinquished a 7-2 edge Friday
in New York. As early as it is, the Cards can't afford to fall very far
behind with a 144 game schedule. 1B Todd Zeile should be back by mid-May...he
has a tendon irritation in his left hand. 2B Geronimo Pena should play any
day. Pena is a source of irritation to the Cards' staff. One member said
"he won't play with any pain. You don't expect him to play injured...but
you have to play with pain."
While Brett Hull is certainly the Blues most prolific player, there seems
no doubt that Al MacInnis is their most valuable. The team is twelve games
over .500 overall, but two games UNDER when he's out. MacInnis has what
is described as a shoulder strain suffered earlier this week in Dallas.
He is expected back for the playoffs, if for no other reason than to play
defense. Coach/GM Mike Keenan finally lost his cool after Thursday night's
loss to Edmonton. The Blues scored what appeared to be the winning goal
with thirty seconds left, but AFTER the goal, the officials called a penalty
on Brendan Shanahan and disallowed the tally. After the game, Keenan stormed
the officials room, and railed on them during his postgame press conference.
That's the Keenan we hoped for when he got hired by the Blues. One other
bluenote. Longtime Public Relations director Susie Mathieu announced her
resignation effective May 15. With Mathieu's departure, one member of the
Blues office/support staff remains since Keenan's arrival. Coincidence?
Ummm....no.
The Rams had a quiet post-draft week. Team President John Shaw came to town,
checking out potential practice sites and negotiating a radio contract.
The Rams are getting high marks for their fourth round selection of Texas
WR Lovell Pinkney. He's 6-4, 245, and runs a 4.4 40 yard dash. If Pinkney
can avoid the off field personal troubles that plagued him in college, he
can be a great one. Some observers say he's the steal of the draft. When
Rams personnel chief John Becker was faced with the prospect of looking
at a kicker...he admitted "I don't really know kickers" and sent
special teams coach Wayne Sevier to scout third round pick Steve McLaughlin.
Think George Boone did that when Steve Little and John Lee were chosen?
Finally, congratulations to the NPSL champion Ambush. They completed a sweep
of Harrisburg Tuesday to win it all. The Ambush started fast and didn't
slow down in bringing St. Louis its first pro sports championship since
the 1982 Cardinals. With the Ambush season over, next week St. Louis' Arena
Football League team, the Stampede, starts regular season play. We'll keep
you updated.
Blues News (4.30.95)
Mike Keenan's analysis of Sunday's Blues-Blackhawk game seemed right on
to this observer. When asked about the game, Keenan said "We played
sporadically well in the first period, Chicago was best in the second period,
and I thought we won the third and overtime periods."
Keenan was quite direct in saying that the game's length (3.5 hours) resulted
in "a disjointed effort by both teams." But once again, Keenan
was pleased with his club's effort, especially in light of the fact that
this was his club's fifth game in just over seven days.
Interestingly, when asked about the wisdom of Brendan Shanahan's fightingefforts
that resulted in his being kicked out of the game, Keenan said that he would
have to see the tape and "think about it awhile". But Keenan did
note that the loss of gritty players like Shanahan and Laperriere hurt the
Blues.
Dates for Round #1 of Blues playoff games: May 7, 9, 11, 13 or 14, and (if
necessary) 15, 17, and 19. The Blues will have home-ice advantage for the
first round, playing on Kiel ice on May 7, 9, and (if necessary) 15, and
19...unless they face a Pacific Division opponent. In that case, the Blues
will have a couple of other options regarding their home dates. Only in
the NHL.
Finally, after losing the first game of their best-of-five playoff series
vs. Fort Wayne, the Peoria Rivermen came back to win three straight games
to advance to the next round of the IHL playoffs. Center/left wing Roman
Vopat, no stranger to StLSO Blues News readers, was inserted into the Rivermen
lineup for games 2, 3, and 4, and responded with an assist and an overall
plus-minus of +4. Rivermen coach Paul MacLean told Jeff Gordon, the godfather
of StLSO, that "he [Vopat] was well-coached in junior hockey as far
as his defensive play. He just has to be more assertive offensively and
use his size to his advantage".
Cardinals News (4.30.95)
Prior to the April 24 exhibition game vs. the Seattle Mariners, the Cards
announced that Todd Zeile was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive
to Sunday, April 23, due to an inflamed tendon in his left hand. Tim Hulett
was also placed on the same list, with the same retroactive date, due to
an irritation of his right rotator cuff. The Cardinals also announced that
John Mabry was being recalled from Louisville, and that pitchers Brian Barber
and John Frascatore were being optioned to Louisville.
Ozzie Smith started at shortstop for the Cards on Opening Night, thus becoming
the first Cardinal over forty years of age to play shortstop since a fellow
named Bobby Wallace (age 44) played there for the 1918 Redbirds. At the
start of the '95 season, Ozzie was in need of 135 hits to reach the 2,500
career mark.
Look for Scott Cooper to have a hot month of April "at the dish",
as Mike Shannon would say. Cooper has a .331 lifetime batting average in
the month of April, and hit .342 in April of '94.
Jose Oquendo is starting his tenth season as a Cardinal.
John Mabry was the first rookie to start Opening Night at 1B for the Cardinals
since Keith Hernandez.
In arbitration news, four Cards players have filed for salary arbitration.
Scott Cooper is asking for $1.9 million (the Cards are offering $1.15 million),
Ray Lankford is seeking $3.2 million (the Cards are offering $2.4 million),
Ken Hill is seeking $5 million ($3.75 is the club's offer), and Todd Zeile
is asking for $4.2 million (while St. Louis is offering $3.2 million). Recall
that the clubs can strike a deal right up to the date that the arbitrator
makes his or her ruling. Expect that all but Zeile will be settled more
or less down the middle.
Billikens News (4.30.95)
The long-awaiting conference that St. Louis University joins in the upcoming
academic year now has a name: Conference USA. The USA is supposed to stand
for "Universities of Student-Athletes". Uh huh. And OJ Simpson
was practicing chip shots in his postage stamp-sized front yard at about
the time that Nicole Brown Simpson was murdered.
In any event, the C-USA is split into three divisions: Red (South Florida,
Tulane, Alabama-Birmingham, and Southern Mississippi), White (Louisville,
Memphis, Houston, and NC-Charlotte) and Blue (Cincinnati, De Paul, Marquette,
and St. Louis).
As far as basketball is concerned, each team will play 14 conference games
per season--home and home vs. three division opponents, and single games
vs. the other eight conference members. ESPN has inked a six-year pact with
C-USA, and plans to telecast a C-USA basketball game on Thursday evenings.
There is no question that SLU's schedule will be upgraded as a result of
their new conference affiliation. Now...can Charlie Spoonhour's 95-96 Bills
squad compete against the Louisvilles of the college basketball world? It
will be exciting to find out, won't it?
Quote of the Week (4.30.95)
After being high-sticked by Edmonton defenseman Igor Kravchuk (and suffering
a broken nose as a result), Brett Hull said "I'm no longer pretty".
RON FEDORCHAK'S Review of "Lords of the Realm,
The Real History of Baseball"
No one who reads this book will ever question the Players Association's
distrust of the Major League Owners. This 632 page paperback covers the
economic history of Major League Baseball from John Montgomery Ward's declaration
that baseball "stands for dollars and cents" (in 1890) through
last summer's work stoppage.
The story begins with the formation of the American League. National League
players jumped shipped quickly in response to their league's $2500 salary
cap. Yes, a salary cap in 1901. This worked only till 1903 when the Leagues
made peace and thus threw the players back. Helyar gives us several examples
of how the reserve clause grew in strength and how players who tested it
found themselves unemployed.
Helyar pushes on through the first half of the century and introduces us
to Marvin Miller, the hero of the book. Miller struggles to consolidate
the resolve of the players and finally succeeds in establishing some arbitration
rules for grievances. Miller soon would make larger gains and would forge
a strong union.
On the owners side, Helyar introduces us to the true power structure of
baseball. Particular interest is paid to Dodgers owner, Walter O'Malley
who is the de facto Lord's Lord. Our own August Busch, Jr. is portrayed
as a new breed of owner. However, as time goes on, AB Jr. becomes the galvanizer
of the Union. Helyar notes that Mr. Busch, in response to the first players
strike, provided several choice tidbits of the bulletin board variety that
served only to further united the players.
O'Malley controlled baseball because, following his flight from Brooklyn
to Chavez Ravine, he had the most money. O'Malley also laid the ground work
for the first pay-per-view program. It never flew but it shows the depth
of his greed. Other owners who are highlighted are Ted Turner, Charlie Finley,
George Steinbrenner and Bud Selig.
Helyar spends several chapters on the incompetence of the Commissioner's
Office through Bowie Kuhn, Peter Ueberroth, Bart Giamatti and Fay Vincent.
Kuhn's failure to back the owners during labor disputes dictated the current
owners refusal to hire a new commissioner. Giamatti's handling of the Pete
Rose gambling scandal and Vincent's handling of Steinbrenner are the few
success stories of the office. Ueberroth appears to have improved the business
practices of the owners...improvements which eventually resulted in collusion
rulings in favor of the players.
Others involved in the labor history of baseball who are in the book are
the super writers, agents and labor judges. These people are covered in
detail which I found to be the only real slow part of the book.
The book concludes with the history behind the eight work stoppages and
the resulting chaos. Donald Fehr, who does not shine like Miller, works
in the Master's shadow. The Lords constantly fear the power Miller has but
never break him or the Union.
If you enjoy the politics and history, you'll enjoy this book. The deals
and the personalities are curious and bizarre. A lot of baseball fans have
asked the question of how baseball got to where it is today. Helyar does
an outstanding job of laying down the facts that retraces the path.
I read the majority of the text while my wife was in labor and I was completely
engrossed. I can't believe I'm a father and that the baseball season has
begun. Don't wait for another strike before you read John Helyar's "Lords
of the Realm." PLAY BALL!
Facts, Opinions, and Questions by MARK
BAUSCH (4.30.95)
Fact: In his first Busch at-bat of 1994, Cards second baseman Geronimo Pena
suffered a hamstring injury while running out a ground rule double vs. the
Seattle Mariners
Opinion: In addition to possessing mediocre fielding skills, Pena is injury
prone and will never reach his much-heralded All-Star potential
Question: When will Cardinal management put an end to the "Pena Experiment"?
Fact: After a recent game in which Brendan Shanahan was ejected for pummeling
Blackhawk defenseman Gerald Diduck, reporters sought Mike Keenan's opinion
of Shanahan's "exploits". Keenan thought a moment before answering,
and then said "I'll have to wait awhile before deciding" whether
Shanahan's actions helped or hurt the team
Opinion: Keenan is also ambivalent about Shanny's overall on-ice performance
this season, and wonders whether the Blues power forward is worth $3 million
per year
Question: If Shanahan does not turn in a stellar playoff performance, would
Keenan consider trading Shanahan this summer?
Fact: Out of the twelve new players on the Cardinal Opening Day roster,
five spent their entire major league career in the American League
Opinion: Cards GM Walt Jocketty, a veteran baseball man with ten years experience
as Director of Baseball Operations with the American League's Oakland A's,
is quite naturally most familiar with players from the Junior Circuit
Question: How long does Joe Torre have before Jocketty heads back to the
AL for the Cards next manager?
Fact: According to Broadcasting and Cable Magazine, the 1995 cable TV rights
for New York Yankees games are worth $43.2 million. The only other cable
rights in excess of $10 million are those for New York Mets games ($12 million
for 1995). Somewhat similar (but smaller) disparities exist as far as local
broadcast TV rights are concerned (between the New York clubs and the rest
of baseball)
Opinion: Each and every baseball game requires home and visiting teams...some
form of revenue sharing as far as TV dollars are concerned seems reasonable
and inevitable
Question: Since small- and medium-market franchises outnumber their large-market
brethren, why don't the former utilize their numerical strength and gang
up on the big boys?
Fact: At about 2:55 pm on Friday, April 28th, a female caller (who said
she was a season ticket holder) explained to KMOX's Charles Jaco that a
ballplayer whom she would "rather not name" told her 11 year old
son to "get out of my face", when, while standing in the first
row of seats prior to the (Opening Night) game, the youngster requested
that the Cardinal in question sign his baseball. The woman, whose voice
(in the opinion of this listener) had the ring of truth to it, said that
her son "became afraid" after the player's comment. After some
prodding, she provided Jaco the name of the offending Cardinal: St. Louisan
Scott Cooper
Then, later that same day (prior to the Met game at Shea), Cooper was a
guest on "Buck at Bat", and told Joe Buck that "Yes, we're
signing more autographs, and doing more for the fans"
Opinion: As far as pre-game autographs are concerned, ballplayers are in
a no-win situation. Pre-game autograph policies amenable to players and
fans alike should be proposed, publicized, and enforced. But Lordy...any
player that says anything even remotely like what this woman claims Cooper
told her son...ought to have his head examined
Question: Do baseball players understand just how tenuous their fan support
really is? Do they care?
Fact: Cardinal broadcaster Joe Buck turned 26 on Thursday, April 27
Opinion: As good as Buck sounds doing baseball games, he is even better
when handling play-by-play duties for FOX's NFL broadcasts
Question: Does ESPN have first dibs on young Joe's firstborn male offspring?
Fact: In front of over 12,000 fans at the Kiel Center, the St. Louis Stampede
played an exhibition game on Friday, April 28, and defeated the Iowa Barnstormers
by a score of 55-21
Opinion: If the Cardinals start the season slowly, Busch weekday crowds
will not be much larger than Kiel Center Stampede crowds
Question: Should the Cards start slowly, will Walt Jocketty and Mark Lamping
hold Joe Torre responsible?
Fact: The Rams PSL program removed $70 million from the pockets of St. Louis
sports fans
Opinion: The St. Louis sports fan may be tapped out
Question: What effect will this have on Redbird attendance?
Fact: KFNS personality Kevin Slaten recently said that "St. Louis is
not a baseball town. St. Louis is a front-runner's town"
Opinion: On any given day, about 25% of what Slaten says is reasonable and/or
worth listening to. Now...figuring out which 25% that is can be problematic
Question: Is Slaten right about St. Louis?
Game Summary: Cards Opening Night vs. the Phillies
(4.30.95)
A rather meager but boisterous Opening Night crowd of 32,573 watched the
Cardinals defeat the Phillies 7-6.
The Opening Night festivities began when Fredbird parachuted into deep center
field. As the game began one of the Cards beat writers noted that this was
the largest continent of press for the smallest crowd in Redbird history.
The regular season opened in St. Louis when Lenny Dykstra hit Ken Hill's
first pitch on a line to Cardinal left fielder Bernard Gilkey. The inning's
third hitter, Gregg Jefferies, walked and stole second but was stranded
when the cleanup hitter, Dave Hollins, flied out to medium-deep center field.
The season's first Cardinal batter, Bernard Gilkey, hit a hard one-hopper
down the first-base line, but Phillie first basemen Hollins scooped it up
and made the putout unassisted.
The first hit of the season at Busch Stadium occurred in the Phillies second
when Darren Daulton hit a two-hopper up the middle Cards second sacker Manny
Lee, in the lineup because of Geronimo Pena's hamstring problem, was playing
Daulton to pull and despite fielding the ball, was unable to make the play.
Scott Cooper's first regular season at-bat as a Cardinal came to an unfortunate
end as he struck out on an off-speed pitch that was in the dirt.
The Phillies scored the first two runs of their season in the top of the
third when Mickey Morandini hit a two run double down the first-base line,
scoring Curt Schilling, who had reached on a single, and Lenny Dykstra,
who walked. Morandini then scored when Gregg Jefferies hit a hard one-hopper
up the middle that handcuffed Manny Lee, who then pulled up lame. Two more
runs scored, when, on a one-one pitch, Dave Hollins hit a high fastball
over the left field wall, making the score 5-0.
The Cardinals mounted a threat of their own in the bottom half of the third
when Lee led off with a single and was sacrificed to second base by Kenny
Hill. Ozzie Smith then eeked out an infield single that was just out of
reach of the pitcher and fielded by shortstop Kevin Stocker, whose throw
to Hollins was in the dirt. Ray Lankford's walk loaded the bases, bringing
up Scott Cooper in a bases loaded two out situation. Cooper worked the count
to three and two before singling to left center, driving in two runs. On
the play, Gregg Jefferies made a nice play to hold Cooper to a single. Brian
Jordan then came up with runners at first and third and singled over the
shortstop's head, driving in the third run of the inning. John Mabry stranded
two when his liner to rather deep left center was flagged down by Gregg
Jefferies, who made his second nice play of the inning.
The Phillies put two men on in the top of the fourth but were unable to
score. Hill looked to be laboring and was pinch-hit for in the bottom of
the inning.
Hill, after throwing 86 pitches (55 for strikes) was replaced by Vicente
Palacios, who benefited from Scott Cooper's diving play to his left on Darren
Daulton's one-hopper.
Tony Longmire led off the Phillies sixth with a long home run into the left-center
field bleachers. The homer was the first of his career.
But in the bottom of the sixth, after Toby Borland relieved Schilling, Brian
Jordan hit a one-one pitch deep over the left center field fence....the
homer came after Scott Cooper had singled. The two runs that scored made
the score 6-5 in favor of Philadelphia. The next batter, Tom Pagnozzi, hit
a ball up the middle that Kevin Stocker stopped with a diving effort...his
throw was true and resulted in the inning's second out. Jose Oquendo kept
the inning going with a soft single to left-center. Danny Sheaffer, batting
for Palacios, and Bernard Gilkey both prolonged the inning when they drew
walks. At this point, Manager Jim Fregosi replaced Borland with Gene Harris,
who faced Ozzie Smith. But Smith grounded weakly to Harris, who, after booting
the ball, recovered in time to throw out Smith at first.
In the top of the seventh, the Cards turned a nice 4-6-3 double play. Ozzie
Smith is still one of the best at turning the double play.
There was no further scoring until the ninth inning, when, after Gilkey
singled, new Phillie reliever Norm Charlton walked Ozzie Smith and Ray Lankford
on a total of eight pitches, bringing up Cooper. With the count two balls
and one strike, Cooper hit a ground ball that found a hole between Hollins
and second baseman Mickey Morandini. Gilkey and Smith both scored, and the
Cards defeated the Phils 7-6.
The announced crowd of 32,573 was the smallest Busch Stadium Opening Day
(or Night) crowd in recent memory, and was made more significant when word
leaked out that downtown St. Louis hotel lobbies and restaurants were flooded
with free tickets on the day of the game. It seems that the fans have spoken
in that many stayed away from Busch. Will they return?
go back to St. Louis Sports Online 1996 home page