The Online Source for St. Louis Sports
ISSUE #52
January 8, 1996
Copyright © 1996 St. Louis Sports Online
Reproduction Prohibited Without Permission of Publisher [StLSports@aol.com]
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
St. Louis Sports Online is an online sports weekly that aims to provide
St. Louisans (and transplanted St. Louisans) with an additional source of
news, information, and humor about St. Louis-area sports events and St.
Louis-area sports teams.
ISSUE #52 includes articles from our News and Notes columnist, KMOX radio's
Randy Karraker; StLSO Rams beat writer Jim Hunstein; StLSO Blues beat writer
Brian Stull; StLSO St. Louis University correspondent Evan Pedersen; Riverfront
Times hockey columnist Randy Hu; and StLSO's newest regular contributor,
Bret Hern.
Baseball-related highlights of #52 include the 1996 Cardinals schedule as
well as news about the upcoming Cardinal Caravan and Hern's evaluation of
the Cardinals eight-man lineup.
Another excellent article comes from StLSO senior writer Hunstein, who contributes
his summary of the Rams' first season in St. Louis as well as an expanded
notes section. Included in Hunstein's Rams summary is a list of available
free agents at several positions.
Finally, Stull's expanded Blues Banter contains a verbatim transcript of
Mike Keenan's post-game press conference in which Iron Mike refused to take
credit for the entire Blues roster, since Brett Hull and Al MacInnis were
acquired before Keenan was signed as C&GM.
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St. Louis Sports Online JANUARY.96.1
CONTENTS
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Cardinals News
2.2 Blues Banter by BRIAN STULL
2.3 Around the Ol' Ram Horns by JIM HUNSTEIN
2.4 StLSO Quote of the Week
2.5 StLSO Headline of the Week
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 A Mid-Hot Stove League Look At The 1996 Cards Lineup by BRET HERN
3.2 A Few Final Thoughts on The 1995 Rams by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.3 Half Time by RANDY HU
4.0 StLSO Game Recaps
4.1 Blues Summaries by BRIAN STULL
4.2 Bills Summaries by EVAN PEDERSEN
5.0 StLSO Numbers
6.0 StLSO Media Watch
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
St. Louis Sports Online JANUARY.96.1
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY
KARRAKER
With the opening of spring training just over a month away, and the Cardinals
spectacular signings of Ron Gant and Andy Benes behind us, let's take a
look at the Cardinals 1996 prospects.
Before reviewing the lineup, let's point out that the Redbirds will most
likely sign either Mike Gallego or Tony Phillips to compete for the second
base spot, and acquire either former Blue Jay Duane Ward or current Athletic
Dennis Eckersley as the closer. If Eckersley is a Cardinal, Bernard Gilkey
most assuredly will not be. So, let's work with the assumption that Ward
and Gilkey will be on hand. That would leave a lineup of Gant, Ray Lankford
and Brian Jordan in the outfield, with Gary Gaetti, Royce Clayton or Ozzie
Smith, the second baseman and either Gilkey or John Mabry at first, with
Tom Pagnozzi behind the plate. The options would be numerous...and here
are two...
Lankford Phillips or G. Pena
Gilkey or Gallego Gilkey
Jordan Jordan
Gant Gant
Gaetti Lankford
Gilkey or Gallego Gaetti
Pagnozzi Pagnozzi
Clayton or Smith Clayton or Smith
I like the second one better for two reasons. First, Phillips has great
on base ability, and if Pena is playing the Cardinals are doing well. I
also like Lankford down in the lineup, splitting up the righthanded hitters.
John Mabry would be the "sixth man" in LF, RF and 1B if Gilkey
is around, or the 1B if Gilkey isn't. The starting rotation of Andy Benes,
Alan Benes, Danny Jackson, Mike Morgan and Donovan Osborne is capable of
combining for 75-80 wins. Then the bullpen would be the Rick Honeycutt,
Tony Fossas, Jeff Parrett, T.J. Mathews, John Frascatore and a veteran closer.
Available in case of injury would be Brian Barber, Mark Petkovsek, Mike
Busby and Tom Urbani. Depth will pose an interesting situation. Ozzie Smith
may or may not be there. Five players will come from among Danny Schaeffer
or another backup catcher, Smith, Jose Oquendo, David Bell, Mark Sweeney,
Tripp Cromer and Rule V draftee Miguel Mejia, whom the Cardinals love and
would have to send back to Baltimore if he isn't on the big league roster.
Jose Oliva, Allen Battle and Terry Bradshaw would probably have to be superb
in the spring to earn a big league spot. Can this team win 90 games and
compete for post-season play? As I assess it, depending on the closer, yes.
If the closer is a healthy Ward or Eckersley, they should be the odds on
favorites to win the division.
The Blues embark on their toughest stretch of the season, heading to New
Jersey, Philadelphia, Montreal and the Rangers. If the Blues play as they
have in their last two, against Chicago and Pittsburgh, they have a chance
to stay close, if not win. This is an interesting team. They certainly could
use another "foundation" quality player. Mike Keenan as been picking
up peripheral guys that he's had before, but could use one of his old superstars.
Despite that need, if the Blues make the post-season and continue to play
great defense, they have a chance. Geoff Courtnall is a notorious playoff
player, and we presume Shayne Corson is, too. When the games are 2-1 and
3-2 every night, the Blues might have a chance.
The Rams coaching staff returns to work this week...wrapping up the '95
season and preparing for free agency and the draft. Folks in Miami say Don
Shula's departure pushed one of Brian Cox' feet out the door and toward
St. Louis. Depending on the juniors that come out this season, I would like
them to get a big outside linebacker with the thirteenth pick, but by that
time there may not be one left worthy of the thirteenth pick. I wouldn't
be bothered by another defensive end, either. Jimmy Jones didn't make one
big play all year long, and replacing him with Sean Gilbert or trading Gilbert
may not be a bad idea. It's really interesting that a 7-9 team can go for
the "best available athlete", because they're just OK everywhere,
and not terrible anywhere. By the way, I still expect the Rams to sign a
healthy Maurice Hurst, and would rather have him than a cornerback from
the draft.
Happy New Year. We'll see you next week.
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Cardinals News
*The Cardinals acquired righthanded pitcher Todd Stottlemyre from the Oakland
Athletics in exchange for four players: outfielder Allen Battle and minor
league pitchers Carl Dale, Bret Wagner, and Jay Witasick. The Cards penchant
for drafting pitchers in the June free agent draft (Dale, Wagner, and Witasick
were second, first, and second round selections) appears to be paying off,
although in a roundabout way
*The Cardinals have also reached agreement in principle with second baseman
Mike Gallego
*Cardinals 1996 Regular Season Schedule
There are 81 HOME and 81 away games on the 1996 Cardinal Schedule. For ticket
information call (314)-421-3060
HOME OPPONENTS LISTED IN CAPS USING TEAM NICKNAMES; away opponents listed
in lower case and city names are given. For example, on April 1, 3, and
4, the Cards travel to Shea Stadium to play the Metropolitans, and on April
8 and 10 the Cards host the Montreal Expos at Busch Stadium.
APRIL
1,3,4 new york
5,6,7 atlanta
8,10 EXPOS
11,12,13,14 PHILLIES
15,16,17,18 PIRATES
19,20,21 philadelphia
22,23 montreal
24,25 METS
26,27,28 BRAVES
30 chicago
MAY
1 chicago
3,4,5 san diego
7,8,9 GIANTS
10,11,12 DODGERS
13,14,15 florida
17,18,19 colorado
20,21,22 houston
24,25,26 florida
27,28,29 ROCKIES
31 ASTROS
JUNE
1,2 ASTROS
3,4,5 san diego
7,8,9 san francisco
10,11 los angeles
13,14,15,16 METS
18,19 PHILLIES
20,21,22,23 montreal
24,25,26,27 atlanta
28,29,30 PIRATES
JULY
1,2,3 REDS
4,5,6,7 pittsburgh
8-10 ALL STAR BREAK
11,12,13,14 chicago
15,16,17 cincinnati
18,19,20,21 CUBS
22,23,24 BRAVES
25,26,27,28 EXPOS
30,31 philadelphia
AUGUST
1 philadelphia
2,3,4 new york
5,6,7 PADRES
8,9,10,11 GIANTS
13,14,15 DODGERS
16,17,18 MARLINS
20,21,22 colorado
23,24,25,26 houston
27,28,29 MARLINS
30,31 ROCKIES
SEPTEMBER
1 ROCKIES
2,3,4 ASTROS
6,7,8 PADRES
9,10,11 san francisco
12,13,14,15 los angeles
17,18,19 CUBS
20,21,22,23 cincinnati
24,25 pittsburgh
27,28,29 REDS
*1996 Cards Caravan
The St. Louis Cardinals annual Caravan tour is scheduled to begin Monday,
January 15, 1996. The Caravan, which highlights day and evening Q and A
programs with Cardinal players and coaches, team management, and broadcasters,
will visit 18 cities in five states over a two-week period that begins January
15 and runs through January 26.
Among players scheduled to participate in this year's Caravan are Brian
Jordan, Ray Lankford, Bernard Gilkey, Gary Gaetti, Andy and Alan Benes,
Ozzie Smith, Brian Barber, David Bell, Mark Petkovsek, and Tom Pagnozzi.
All fans attending the Caravan programs will receive a Fan Card good for
one free admission to any of the Cards 1996 home games, excluding Opening
Night. In addition, tickets for all 1996 Cards home games can be purchased
at each of the Caravan stops, including Jefferson City and Columbia (Jan
15); Ft. Leonard Wood and Springfield MO (Jan 16); Springfield IL and Peoria
(Jan 18); Macomb and Quincy (Jan 19); Centralia and Decatur (Jan 22); Champaign
and Bloomington IL (Jan 23); Mt. Vernon IL and Evansville IN (Jan 24); Paducah
KY and Dyersburg TN (Jan 25); Memphis and Cape Girardeau (Jan 26).
Call the Cardinals office at (314)-421-3060 for additional information.
2.2 Blues Banter by BRIAN STULL
A SUDDEN FAREWELL: It's hard to believe that it hasn't even quite been a
year since Blues' fans were first introduced to Ian Laperriere and perhaps
even harder to believe that he's now wearing a New York Ranger uniform.
What can Stephane Matteau bring to St.Louis that Laperriere didn't offer?
"He brings size, strength, experience in skating," responded Mike
Keenan. "We add more speed to our lineup, we added more depth,"
said the coach/GM of the transaction. That may have some truth to it. Matteau
is a six-year NHL veteran who has the distinction of scoring two overtime
goals in the '94 playoffs. Matteau is also 6'3'', 210 lbs, and is a Keenan
soldier, playing under Iron Mike in Chicago and New York.
"I like to play down deep in the corner," says Matteau."And
I'm pretty good defensively and can mix it offensively too if the chances
come....The playoffs it's up and down hockey, very physical and I like that
part of the game. We (Keenan) have had success in the past together and
hopefully we will this year."
Matteau may prove to be a solid addition to the Blues team, but it's still
disturbing for many that Laperriere is gone. As Ian struggled early with
penalties and lack of point production, his ice time dwindled to only a
couple of shifts per game. The same was said of Matteau in New York, but
Keenan indicated that wouldn't be a problem here because Stephane would
get lots of ice time. That raises this question for Coach/GM Mike Keenan,
"Doesn't any player perform better with more ice time?" Why didn't
Laperriere get the ice time to work out of his early season form. One also
should question the salary issue, as Matteau makes about $300,000 more than
Laperriere and the Blues are reportedly over the imposed salary cap.
Does that mean that another trade is imminent? "It's certainly the
responsibility of the manager to look at every possible option that might
be out there and continue to work until the trading deadline," answered
Keenan when asked if all the pieces of the puzzle were now in place. Then
added a smiling Keenan, "That's not to say we're actively looking."
WORDS OF WISDOM: "Talk is cheap, you have to go out and do it on the
ice," said Brian Noonan
LOOKING BACK: "I must have been stupid not to take them in my career,
but I guess now I need them a little more," joked Brett Hull when asked
about his change in philosophy about empty-netters
MAKING HIMSELF AT HOME: Blues captain Shayne Corson said he's finally feeling
more comfortable, both in his role as captain and on the ice. In his last
12 games, Shayne has 8 goals and 6 assists
MORE IRON MIKE: After the disappointing overtime loss to Toronto, Mike Keenan
had some interesting things to say at the post game conference. What follows
is a portion of what happened:
MEDIA: "It seems a lot of the other coaches play their so-called "tough
guys" a lot more often, as far as putting them on power plays, etc.
Have you considered...
KEENAN: "That's your perception, that's not a truth, a truism not at
all. That's a perception tonight because Domi was on for a goal. That's
not true at all. If you look at the time on ice, I can't cite one example...we
keep the time on ice and I can research it for you and I know from the beginning
of the year, that is not true at all. I don't know if that's your assumption
or someone told you that"
MEDIA: "It is a perception, that's why I was asking for your opinion."
KEENAN: "It's false."
MEDIA: "Why can't you sustain any consistency, is it a fact that the
team just isn't good enough?"
KEENAN: "That's certainly one aspect of it. The other aspect is that
you have to have the mental resilience and also mental toughness for preparation.
I don't know if, I may agree with you, I may not agree with you. I'm not
sure, I don't know if there's very many people in the locker room that would
agree with you. There's some that would--that we don't have a very good
team and see it that way instead of making it part of the solution, they
regress and lament about the fact that maybe we don't have as many superstars
as other clubs and become part of a problem instead of part of a solution."
Later in the conference....
MEDIA: "How frustrating, or is it frustrating that the team is, that
you can't read this team and some people in there might think it's not a
very good team, some might think it does--you put the team together. I guess
you're ultimately responsible, but they have to do it on the ice. How frustrating
is it for you in a personal sense, as this team is all over the map?"
KEENAN: "Well, it's very frustrating. Two of the critical pieces of
the puzzle, I had nothing to do with-- Brett Hull and Al MacInnis. I had
nothing to do with them in terms of them being here. Ultimately, it is my
responsibility but I'm pointing out to you, you said it's my team. It's
not entirely my team."
MEDIA: "Ultimately your team?"
KEENAN: "I just reiterated two cornerstone pieces I had nothing to
do with, so you can take it for that."
MEDIA: "How responsible are they (Hull/MacInnis)?"
KEENAN: "We're at one game below .500 record...the dressing room is
open."
Perhaps the above was said to be used as a motivational tool, but the general
opinion of some players was that they are indeed a good team, but need to
put together consistent play--both in terms of play during games and winning.
*Just when you think you have the roster memorized, Iron Mike does it again.
This time GM/Coach Mike Keenan continued to wheel and deal sending defensemen
Jeff Norton and Donald Dufresne to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defensemen
Igor Kravchuk and Ken Sutton. The announcement was made Thursday after the
Blues victory over Chicago and early in the day it had been announced that
the team had also acquired center Mike Hudson via waivers from Toronto.
Both Kravchuk and Hudson join the ranks of current Blues that have played
under Keenan in past seasons, Kravchuk in Chicago and Hudson in Chicago
and New York. All three players are at least 6'0'' and weigh near 200lbs.,
which Keenan said would be beneficial with the physical play of the division.
The breakdown is as follows:
Player GP GOALS AST TP PM HEIGHT WEIGHT AGE
Jeff Norton 36 4 7 11 26 6'2" 200 30
Igor Kravchuk 26 4 4 8 10 6'1" 200 29
Donald Dufresne 3 0 0 0 4 6'1" 206 28
Ken Sutton 32 0 8 8 39 6'0" 200 26
Mike Hudson 27 2 0 2 29 6'1" 205 28
In his postgame conference following Saturday night's victory over Pittsburgh,
Keenan stated that the salaries involved in the trade were basically "a
wash" as far as the team's budgetary constraints. Other "banter"
from the conference and locker room......
CONVINCING VICTORY?: The Penguins were without superstars Mario Lemieux
and Ron Francis in their lineup Saturday. Would they have made a difference
in the outcome of the Blues 3-2 victory? "It was an important win for
us. Anytime you play a team that was in a position that they were in tonight,
with players like Mario and Ron out, you know the guys who get a chance
to play are going to play hard."said Coach Keenan and the sentiment
from the locker room was the same. "They're still a great team,"
said Brett Hull. "You saw the skill they had, I thought it was a great
game."
EN FUEGO: Adam Creighton's goal against Pittsburgh was his fifth in the
last ten games to go along with three assists. Says Keenan on his play,"I
think he's playing better at center than at the wing...he likes to skate
and the system we're using you play more of a positional part of a line
than when you're playing wing. We let our center men go and that's what
he likes to do."
CLAMPING DOWN: The Blues have only allowed 40 goals in their last 17 games
NO VACATION TIME: Congratulations to Brett Hull who was voted to his sixth
consecutive All-Star appearance, leading the Western Conference in votes
at the forward position. Brett was the MVP of the 1992 All-Star game when
he scored two goals with an assist.
*Blues December 1995 Schedule and Results
# DATE HOME AWAY result comment
26 Sat Dec 2 EDMONTON W 7-3 Hull: 2G
27 Tue 5 CALGARY T 1-1 Johnson: 1G
28 Fri 8 VANCOUVER W 6-3 Hull: 2G
29 Sat 9 LOS ANGELES W 2-1 Hull: 2G
30 Tue 12 DETROIT L 5-2 no contest
31 Thu 14 CALGARY T 3-3 #16 out w/flu
32 Sat 16 SAN JOSE W 3-2 Hull: 2G
33 Tue 19 NY ISLANDERS W 4-1 Corson: 2PPG
34 Fri 22 COLORADO L 2-1 Fuhr strong
35 Sat 23 WINNIPEG L 2-1 Hull: 1G
36 Tue 26 DETROIT L 3-2 Hull: 1G
37 Thu 28 DALLAS W 4-1 Hull: 2G
38 Sat 30 TORONTO L 4-3 Blues blow lead
DECEMBER SUMMARY: 6-5-2; 14 pts
*Blues January 1996 Schedule and Results
# DATE HOME AWAY result comment
39 Thu Jan 4 CHICAGO L 3-2 Hull: 1G
40 Sat 6 PITTSBURGH W 3-2 Hull: 1G
41 Tue 9 NEW JERSEY 7:30
42 Thu 11 PHILADELPHIA 7:30
43 Sat 13 MONTREAL 7:30
44 Sun 14 NY RANGERS 8:00
45 Tue 16 EDMONTON 7:30
46 Wed 24 WINNIPEG 7:30
47 Sat 27 TAMPA BAY 2:00
48 Mon 29 OTTAWA 7:30
49 Wed 31 TORONTO 7:30
2.3 Around the Ol' Ram Horns by JIM HUNSTEIN
*WR Isaac Bruce was easily the man of the year for the Rams, (OK, maybe
second to the guys who drove the trucks here from LA), and not just for
his phenominal numbers. His season mirrored the Rams: Very good numbers
but not quite good enough for the lead. And not good enough for post-season
action. He ended the year with what would have been the greatest receiving
season history were it not for some guy in San Francisco with the same jersey
number. And despite 119 catches for 1,772 yards, he was passed over for
a Pro Bowl berth.
*Bruce set several Rams records this season and his 210 yards against Miami
gave him his ninth 100-yard game of the season, another new record. The
yardage and 15 catches were both personal bests. The 15 catches tied a team
record set by Flipper Anderson in 1989. He set the single-game mark for
most yeards with a whopping 336 yards against New Orleans. Bruce's 210 yards
is fifth best in team history.
*RB Jerome Bettis must have been the happiest Ram to see 1995 come to a
close. He finished the season with just 637 hard yards on the ground, not
that there are any easy yards. That's about half of his average of 1,227
yards in his first two years. Let's hope Bruce doesn't suffer such a third-year
slump in 1996.
*Speaking of 1996, here is the roster of opponent for next year. Dates and
times are to be determined. HOME: San Francisco, Atlanta, Carolina, New
Orleans, Washington, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Jacksonville. AWAY: SF, Atlanta,
Carolina, NO, Chicago, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Cleveland
*The schedule-makers are smiling a bit on our dear old Bighorns. In 1995,
they played seven teams (Green Bay, Atlanta, Indy, SF, Philly, Buffalo,
Miami) that made the playoffs. The Bighorns were 2-7 against them, beating
Green Bay, splitting with Atlants, and losing the rest including two to
SF. Next year, we face only three (SF, GB, Pittsburgh) that made it this
year. 1995 opponents ended up with a composite record of 99-93; seven of
the 12 teams (they played their four NFC-West division-mates twice each)
had winning records. Next year's foes had a composite 91-100 this year with
seven of 12 losing records.
*After their 7-9 finish, tied with half the teams in the league, the Rams
will have the 13th overall pick in the '96 draft. Due to some complicated
rating of 1995 schedule difficulties, the Rams have the last pick of all
those 7-9ers. This after they deny Bruce his most rightful (and righteous)
place in the Pro Bowl (despite finding places for four, count 'em four,
Arizona Cardinals).
*LB Roman Phifer led the team with 147 tackles this year. That's second
most in team history behind LB Jim Collins' 185 in 1984. S Toby Wright,
in his first full season as a starter, led the team with six interceptions
for the year. Look for his numbers to improve as the young Ram defensive
backfield gains more experience and confidence.
*QB Mark Rypien had his third consecutive 300-yard passing game against
Miami, racking up 320 yards. (It should benoted that all three games were
essentially blowouts and Ryp was "given" many short patterns.)
In those three games, he was 92 for 147 (62.6%) for a total of 1,039 yards
(average of 346 per game), five touchdowns, and two interceptions. That
computes (somehow) to a QB rating of 89.2. His hat trick (or is it a helmet
trick?) of 300-yarders ties the team record held by Jim Everett, who did
it twice, in 1989 and 1991.
*At 33, is Rypien too old to be a starter? He's younger than Steve Young,
Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and John Elway. (Now that would be quite an induction
class into Canton). He's a former Super Bowl MVP, but so is Bart Starr and
he wouldn't be a top choice. This assume Chris Miller will not be back.
He should retire for his own good (on which, more later) and Ryp has a few
good years left to allow the Rams a chance to draft/sign a promising young
passer next year and allow him to develop under Rypien's tutelage. The Rams
have the option on Rypien's contract so he should be back. He can bring
the kind of stability and been-there, done-that, got-the-ring experiencefor
post-seasn play that many players need to have in the locker room. The Rams
have Dave Barr, but no one mentions his name in discussions for the future.
*A few final numbers on the great collapse of 1995. The Rams lost nine of
their last 12 after the 4-0 start and were outscored 356-210, an average
of 30-18. They lost eight of their last 10 after 5-1, getting outscored
313-171, an average of 31-17. They managed to increase the losing differential
to 16 in the last three losses, all coming in the Dome. The Rams were 4-4
at home overall, but only 1-3 since October 12, and all were at the Dome.
The 2-8 slide (OK, plummet) was tied with Cleveland for the worst in the
NFL. Arizona, NY Jets, Tamp Bay, and expansion Jacksonville were 2-7 in
the same frame. The silver lining? Rams play two (Cardinals, Jaguars) of
them next year.
*The Rams have never sold out an entire home season until moving to St.Louis.
They averaged 62,061 per game at home with a total of 496,486. These numbers
were higher than for all but the first year in LA, when they averaged 62,550
per game. Keep these numbers in mind: Busch Stadium has a capacity (for
football) of slightly less than 60,000 and the Dome can hold about 66,000.
The Big A in Anaheim can hold 69,000 though it seldom, if ever, did.
*The fans actually booed WR Todd Kinchen when he took the field to handle
the kick off after his fumble led to Miami's first touchdown of the game.
And those who weren't paying attention booed when his name was announced.
However, by the end of the game, and after he caught the Rams' first TD
and made some decent returns, he was cheered. Side note on Kinchen: Any
of you have kids and did they get and X-Men action figures? Get a load of
Wolverine and tell me he and Kinchen weren't separated at birth. Both are
dressed in bright blue and gold, huge exposed upper arms, lots of slashing.
*Quick census count in the Dome, permanent residency: Two pigeons. Time
to introduce a perigren falcon to the eco-system.
*Recently featured player K Dean Biasucci is doing his best to quash the
image of the kicker as a one-trick pony. He was involved in tackles on coverage
again, getting up slowly a couple of times. He saved a likely Miami TD in
the first quarter by running return man O.J. McDuffie out of bounds after
a 47-yard return.
*GM Steve Ortmayer says the team will be active in the player market in
the off season. "I think we have a very good foundation," he said.
"But we're going to have to be aggressive. We're not afraid to step
up and swallow some things if we think it will help us to win."
*It would have been nice if the Rams could have put up a message on the
Jumbo-tron message board about good wishes to the new owners of the Cardinals.
That sort of cross-promotion would be a nice way for the sports ownership
community to show mutual support. In light of the above comment by Ortmayer
and the recent signings by the Cards' new owners of slugger Ron Gant and
ace Andy Benes, the Bighorns and Redbirds appear to be of like minds in
terms of getting the help the teams need to not ony be competitive, but
to win.
*The most disappointed fans at the Dolphins game? Those who had promised
to be home by 5:30 for Christmas Eve festivities and had to leave a close
game at the end of the third quarter. They (all right, I admit it, we) hit
the aisles with one secind remaining and Biasucci heading out for a 32-yard
chip shot to make the score 27-22. As we found out, he missed. We were later
vindicated when the Dolphins came back with 14 quick ones to ice the game
and let us get back to the party.
*Rams fans let it be known that they are fed up with the defense getting
flagged for lining up in the neutral zone. DT Sean Gilbert got nailed for
the infraction in the first quarter and the crowd expressed its disapproval.
*The Rams finished with the number eight overall offense in the NFC (11th
in rush, sixth in pass) and number five in defense (seventh in rush, sixth
in pass). The other teams: Best overall offense Detroit, worst overall offense
NY Giants, best overall defense SF, worst overall defense Atlanta.
*They also finished 12th in the NFC in turnovers with a minus-three ratio.
They had 36 giveaways (22 interceptioned, 14 fumbled) and 39 giveaways (23
interceptions, 16 fumbles). The best ratio was plus-11 for Minnesota (40
taken, 29 given), the worst was Green Bay with minus-five (16 taken, 21
given).
*The Rams finished with the third most penalties in the NFC with 117 and
the second most penalty yards with 916. The Lions were the worst offenders
in penalties with 134 for 1,032 yards. The least penalized teams were Chicago
with 71 penalties and Washington flagged for only 563 yards.
* Final Rams v. Opponents stats:
Rams Opponents
First downs 292 301
Rushes-Yds. 393-1431 410-1677
Avg. yds. per rush 3.7 4.1
Passes; att-compl 632-366 534-320
Passing pct. 57.9% 59.9%
Passing yds 3,805 3,441
Avg. yds per catch 10.4 10.8
Possession 31:10 28:50
*Assorted questions:
- If an offensive lineman can't somuch as blink without getting called for
illegal procedure, why can the quarterback stomp his foot, twitch his leg,
abd bark signals like Trigger learning to count to draw the defense offside.
- Why isn't it considered intentional grounding when the QB blatantly throws
the ball five rows deep into the stands when the entire play is on the other
side of the field? How is that different from throwing the ball 10 yards
short as he's getting hit?
- And who thought up that rule that allows the quarterback to take the snap
and throw the ball straight down to kill the clock? Isn't that also intentional
grounding? Did the NFL decide they needed more stops in the action like
the last two minutes of a basketball game where each team has about 20 time
outs?
- Why are there no vendors hawking their wares in the aisles of the Trans
World Dome?
- As has been proven time and time again, the quarterback cannot be hit
if he's released the ball. Penalties, big fines, and a pox on the family
of the player who does so. Why not call the same sort of penalty on the
defensive back who taked a flying leap at a receiver who misses the ball
or drops the pass? And when a guy scored a touchdown, he invariably takes
a pop well after he's broken the plane of the goal line and the zebras have
signaled a TD.
- What is the point of a squib kick or, as Biasucci did in the last couple
of games, a mortar kick to about the 35? All those kicks do is to give the
receiving team better field position. Is it to get better coverage by kicking
to the up-men? While they might not be the prime return men, they are certainly
used to handling the ball.
- Who will step forward and make the decision that Chris Miller, for the
sake of his own brainpan, should hang 'em up? He's had a good career, made
some great money, and he'd be walking away from $3 million a year. Very
difficult to do. But what price mental capacity? His concussions can't help
but build upon themselves to make the next one that much more dangerous.
It's not a knee that, if it blows, you walk with a limp forever. You want
to spend the rest of your life thinking with a limp?
* One final note of community involvement: The newest addition to the St.
Louis zoo is T.D., a full grown Dorsett sheep (presumably no relation to
Tony), complete with elaborate curled horns. No word on whether they've
been painted gold. He was at the Miami game. His regular gig will be at
the zoo's elephant house. He comes with impressive credentials, by the way.
At 220 pounds, he was state champion at both Wisconsin and Iowa state fairs.
Pass the mint jelly.
2.4 StLSO Quote of the Week
"That's like saying that, after getting remarried, that your step-children
aren't really your children," said Brett Hull when informed of C&GM
Mike Keenan's comments concerning Keenan's lack of responsibility for Hull
and Al MacInnis, since those two Blues were acquired prior to Keenan's tenure
with the Blues .
2.5 StLSO Headline of the Week
From the 1.9.96 Post-Dispatch: "Henke's No-Go". In the article
that followed (written by Rick Hummel), it was explained that Henke's decision
not to re-sign with the Cards by January 8 means that he cannot sign a contract
with the Cardinals until May 1.
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 A Mid-Hot Stove League Look
At The 1996 Cardinals Lineup by BRET HERN
Tony LaRussa must not think very much of the Cardinals' pitching staff,
since he appears to be planning to play 6 or 7 outfielders, based on the
moves made to date...
If a January evaluation of a normal team is fraught with uncertainty, evaluating
the Cardinals at this point borders on the absurd. So naturally that's what
follows. Here, then, is an analysis of the projected regulars for 1996.
TWENTY QUESTIONS... OR THEREABOUTS
A team rarely finishes 20 games under .500 without a few problems to address,
and the Redbirds of 1995 were no exception. Thanks to some investigative
work by filmmaker Oliver Stone, I was able to unearth some heretofore unseen
interview tapes with former manager Joe Torre. Among the comments:
- "We may be slow, but at least we don't get on base often enough for
that to be a problem."
- "Second basemen are overrated, anyway."
- "Too many pitchers worry about strikeouts. Let your defense blow
the game for you, instead."
-" It's important to have a lot of starting pitchers--if you don't,
you can't keep flipping them in and out of the rotation. Plus, they're always
getting hurt."
- "Do you think Mike Shannon would agree to a 2-year deal to play third?
I'd do it myself, but I may need to play first."
The Cardinals of the '80s won three pennants with speed, defense, and timely
hitting. The 1995 Cardinals went 0 for 3 in those categories, but then,
going "ofer" was a familiar position for the worst hitting team
in baseball last year. In a year that saw the offensive explosion in baseball
continue, the Redbirds hit .247 as a team, slugged .374, and managed a meager
.314 on base percentage, all major league lows. A middle-of-the-pack fielding
average masked a league-leading 83 unearned runs yielded, and their 79 steals
as a team were a far cry from the usual 200+ steals of Whitey Herzog's Cardinals.
The '95 edition of the Redbirds was not only bad, but boring.
Heading into the offseason, the only area of the roster that seemed well-covered
was the starting outfield. Catcher, second base, and third base all qualified
for federal disaster relief funds, and even shortstop, long the domain of
future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, was undermanned. The starting rotation
was deep but mediocre, and the relief corps looked to be minus 1995's stellar
stopper, Tom Henke.
THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY... AND THE ONES THAT DIDN'T
We had a slogan back in college to deal with failure. After every test collectively
blown by my immediate circle of classmates, invariably one of us would be
moved to exclaim, "It's not like we didn't TRY!"
And so it is for Walt Jocketty--the Cardinals may still not be a very good
team, but at least they won't be the same bad team as last year. For some
odd reason, shortstop occupied his thinking early on, as serious discussions
were held with Walt Weiss and Greg Gagne, before a trade was worked to collect
Royce Clayton from the Giants. Turning his sights to the right side of the
infield, Jocketty made serious bids for Craig Biggio of Houston and Mark
Grace of the Cubs.
The Craig Biggio decision to stay in Houston was a double-whammy to the
Redbirds, because not only did Jocketty fail to land the second-baseman
and leadoff star he so desperately needed, the Cardinal's leading competitor
in the Central division was reinforced by his return. The loss of Grace
was easier to take, as it is conceivable that the Redbirds' available talent
at 1B could produce similar results.
Fortunately, a few landed in the boat. Gary Gaetti, apparently turning back
the clock at age 37, signed on to handle third base, and Ron Gant was lured
to the new grass of left field, where he should be a fine successor to the
line of Cardinal left field talent. Alan Benes' older brother, Andy (hey,
if Mike Maddux can learn to live with it...), was also pulled in to bolster
the starting rotation and save the Benes family's remote control from premature
burnout. Willie McGee, still squirming and hitting .300, will provide depth
and a champion's perspective on the proceedings. Most importantly, his return
will permit my grandmother at long last to forgive the club for his departure.
So let's fast forward the calendar to April, and if you strain your ears,
you
can just hear the PA announcer...
"...INTRODUCING YOUR 1996 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!"
Look at that grass! Wonder if Ozzie will do a backflip--and will he climb
up Royce Clayton's back to do it? Ah, here are our seats...
"Leading off and playing centerfield... Ray Lankford!"
Traditionalists get nervous about powerful leadoff hitters--they keep wanting
to push them back into the order and stick an Omar Moreno into the leadoff
slot. These are the nineties, though, and the enlightened Tony LaRussa will
gladly accept 20 solo home runs if Ray promises to improve his already solid
.360 OBP of last year. Tony will be driven to red meat, however, if Ray
can't continue to improve his baserunning--LaRussa will not allow him 60
attempts to get the 40 SB he hopes to see from Lankford in this role. Forget
the 110 strikeouts, and focus on the .513 slugging percentage. Quirk worth
noting: the past five years, Lankford has shown a marked dropoff when batting
in leadoff situations; his career .320 OBP with none on or out is below
the pain threshold for leadoff men. And while Ray did improve dramatically
against lefthanders last year, thanks to the right-handed power core of
Jordan, Gant, and Gaetti, it is probably a safe guess that Ray will see
fewer lefties in 1996. Since Lankford pounded righthanders for 22 of his
25 homers last year, I doubt he'll complain.
"Batting second and playing first base... John Mabry!"
The minority opinion (me) is that John Mabry is a fourth outfielder in a
.300 hitter's clothing. Barring a trade to bring in an established 1B, Mabry
will get the chance to prove me wrong. It may not be hyperbolic to suggest
that Mabry is the key to the Cardinals offensive success in 1996. On second
thought, that is hyperbole. Nonetheless, should Mabry successfully adjust
to life at bat with a base stealer on first while sustaining his rookie
batting average, it would remove my gripes about his strike zone judgement--not
to mention the inflation in RBI opportunities for Jordan, Gant, and Gaetti.
A sign of success for the Redbirds will be if Ozzie and Mabry are both performing
well enough to return Ozzie to this slot, and move Mabry down in the order.
Mark Sweeney may see some time here as well, but he is cursed by batting
left-handed, the same as Mabry. I find it difficult to believe that his
fine minor league production is completely a fluke, but the only lineup
card I get to fill out has "All-Star Ballot" printed across the
top.
Oh, and pay no attention to that man behind the curtain--you know, the former
leftfielder trying out the first baseman's glove. While there is a certain
attraction to the idea of Bernard Gilkey at first base--like, his 15+ homers
and superior on-base average--it seems certain that Bernard will be used
as trade bait to fill other holes. Come in, Dmitri Young, come in...
"Batting third and playing right field... Brian Jordan!"
On the plus side of the ledger, Jordan demonstrated he could remain relatively
healthy for the bulk of a season, and put up numbers that make one glad
he was able to do so. On the down side, he must think a walk is illegal
motion, receiving only 18 unintentional bases on balls in 512 plate appearances.
With Lankford in front, and Gant and Gaetti behind, Jordan needs to drop
out of the Joaquin Andujar School of Pitch Selection so that he can take
advantage of his superior speed more often. Definition of stupid: the eleven
pitchers who plunked Jordan last year. If I'm going to hit a Cardinal, I'm
not picking on ANYONE in the outfield....
Should the injury bug return, Willie McGee and/or John Mabry would be the
likely fill-ins. In fact, a Jordan injury could have an interesting domino
effect on this roster, moving Mabry to right, Gaetti to first, Bell to third,
and Clayton to second.
"Batting clean-up and playing left field... Ron Gant!"
Wouldn't you like to see the Rams get the Cardinals' OF to play some ball
on Sundays this autumn? There's not a more physically impressive outfield
anywhere.
Gant is the first legitimate "danger man" in the lineup since
the days of Jack Clark, and playing on the natural grass at Busch should
help him stay there. Combined, the 1996 starting OF produced 76 HR, 251
RBI, 71 SB, and a .516 slugging percentage last year. Gant will lose a fraction
of his effectiveness at Busch, but not much. He stole 23 bases, slowing
noticeably by season end, but it would appear that the ill effects of the
most expensive motocross ride in history are fading into the past. McGee
and Allen Battle will fill in here, as LaRussa won't endanger the clean-up
bat through overuse. If Gilkey brings in a useful talent for catcher or
second base, I would argue in favor of Gant and whomever vs. Biggio and
Grace.
"Batting fifth and playing third base... Gary Gaetti!"
Remember when this guy was the epitome of evil, playing for those talentless
Twins who stole our rightful World Series crown in 1987? Well, apparently
Gaetti did last year, as he had his best season in a decade. While the odds
of his repeating that success in a new league at the age of 37 are only
slightly better than my chances of winning the lottery, even 80% of the
power production from 1995 would be a vast improvement over Scott Cooper's
dismal homecoming.
Speaking of Scott Cooper, based on the flood of offers he is no doubt receiving
after his stellar campaign, it is possible that he will be back in a reserve
role. This could be a real positive--free of the pressure of having to produce,
he may be able to use this season to get his stroke and confidence back.
And, in the quite likely event that Gaetti is hitting .136 by May, he may
well end up with the job once more. Nah...
Mike Gulan, a reasonable prospect at third, is still a year away, and if
a second baseman is acquired, David Bell might well end up here.
"Batting sixth and playing second base... Royce Bell!"
It was interesting to hear the new owners note the need of a second baseman,
citing the long line of championship caliber keystone sackers in the Redbirds'
illustrious history. Of course, why stop there? The Cardinals also have
a long history of great left fielders on those championship teams, with
Enos Slaughter, Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Lonnie Smith, and Vince Coleman.
Or how about the great first basemen of those teams, Musial again, Bill
White, Orlando Cepeda, Keith Hernandez, and Jack Clark?
But at least they have correctly identified a major problem. It is not at
all clear there is yet a solution. The expectation is that the trade of
Bernard Gilkey will result in a second baseman heading to St. Louis. A shame,
really, since the Redbirds already have a second baseman capable of 15 homers,
30 doubles, 25 steals, and solid on-base credentials. Of course, it would
take Geronimo Pena two or three seasons to log enough off-DL time to accomplish
those feats.
Until such a trade occurs, it would appear the job is David Bell's, with
Royce Clayton possibly stepping in from time-to-time if Ozzie's health is
good. If Bell can keep from getting hurt at 2B (he played mostly 3B in the
minors) long enough to adjust to major league pitching, he'll hit well enough
to keep a job. His minor league performance suggests 10-15 homers, .260-.270
BA, with tolerable .OBP and power. And, at 23, there's plenty of time.
"Batting seventh and playing shortstop... Ozzie Clayton!"
Recalling the penultimate years of Cardinal stalwarts Stan Musial and Lou
Brock, I remain optimistic about Ozzie's chances to put it back together
for one last hurrah. Even in the limited playing time he managed last year,
he was near the top of the charts in range at shortstop, so he can still
pick it. If he can still hit it, he'll get his 2500, and the Cardinals will
get a solid #2 hitter.
Clayton has been something of a puzzle to date; after a strong second season,
he has regressed the past two years at the plate, logging sub-.300 OBP both
years. On the positive side, he's improved his baserunning greatly, going
47/59 as a base stealer the past two campaigns. Moreover, his fielding rightly
deserves the raves it gets from none other than Ozzie Smith himself. Instead
of focusing on his glove, one hopes that Ozzie will somehow mind-meld his
strike zone judgement and excellent situational hitting skills onto Clayton.
Tripp Cromer, last season's regular in Ozzie's absence, is probably looking
at a Tim Jones kind of career, and he and Aaron Holbert will likely battle
for the second middle infield utility slot. Holbert, 23, followed a marginally
successful season at Louisville with an excellent run in the AFL before
breaking his leg (arm? thumb?), and emerged as a legitimate candidate for
the roster.
"Batting eighth and playing catcher... Tom Pagnozzi!"
If you're Tom Pagnozzi, the best thing that can be said for 1995 is that
it appears not to have cost him his job. Following his best season in 1994,
injuries and ineffectiveness limited him to 62 games of a .215 average,
an abysmal .254 OBP, and punchless .315 slugging average. He's 33, but about
42 in catcher-years. Defensively, he is still above-average, and should
the remainder of the Cardinals' lineup produce, that will be sufficient.
Unfortunately, no one is exactly pushing him out the door. Danny Sheaffer's
major contribution to the team is that he doesn't cost a lot of money, the
'90s MLB equivalent of the Blue Light Special. And don't look to the farm
for any help; there is none.
Don't expect LaRussa to be patient with this position. Gilkey may be held
out of deals until the spring, in case LaRussa needs to trade Bernard for
some catching talent.
CONCLUSIONS
1) This lineup doesn't get on base often enough to be of championship caliber.
Lankford and Gant will probably top .360 OBP, but Pagnozzi, Clayton, and
while adjusting, Bell and Gaetti, are likely to be below .300. The '80s
teams had speed, sure, but they also had Ozzie, Tommy and Jack on base all
the time.
2) It DOES have a reasonable amount of power--Busch is no longer the cavernous
home run killer it was in the Whitey Ball heyday, and 4 of the regulars
should wind up with 20+ homers, and two others should be in double digits.
With a little luck, the Cardinals could approach 150 HR in 1996.
3) It also promises a bit more speed, with the insertion of Clayton and
Gant into the mix. More importantly, under LaRussa they will run more efficiently.
4) The infield is STILL a potential mess, as the abbreviation for infield
really applies here: IF Gaetti really has found the fountain of youth, IF
Ozzie can play 100 ballgames, IF Royce Clayton can play a utility role effectively,
IF David Bell can play a major league 2B without getting killed, IF John
Mabry is for real... Too many questions for a contending team.
The IF that matters is what they receive for Gilkey to help resolve the
infield situation--even if it's Bernard himself at first base.
Even at peak production from all involved, when you compare the 1996 Cardinal
everyday lineup to the remainder of the Central Division, it is perhaps
only the third or fourth-best in the division. The Reds (yes, even without
Gant), the Astros (yes, even without... oh, damn, they kept Biggio) are
probably superior, and if the Cubs can figure out what to do with their
57 outfielders, they might be even more offensive than the Cardinals, and
I think we can all agree on the notion of Cubs being offensive...
It's an improvement.
3.2 A Few Final Thoughts on The 1995
Rams by JIM HUNSTEIN
The season has been over for a while and we've had a chance to reflect on
the Rams inaugural season in St. Louis. And the essense is this: They spoiled
us early and set our expectations to soaring with their 5-1 start. And then
they collapsed, some say playing more like the 4-12 team of 1994.
But the truth is they did a lot better than anyone here expected them to
do. If we all knew that they would improve over last year by 75 percent
in wins, start the year beating one of the teams that would eventually play
for the NFC title, and have playoff hopes, no matter how faint, heading
into the last game of the season, we would have happy as pigs in mud. And
all this with a coach just plucked from the college ranks.
Yes, there is room for improvement. There always is, even for teams that
win it all. That's why we're here.
The most prominent need is at the most prominent position; quaterbeack.
No one seems to include Chris Miller in discussions about 1996. Whether
he returns or not is mostly up to him. He has to decide whether his brain
can take any more hits. Of course, the more it gets hit, the less able it
is to make such a judgement. Sort of a catch 22. So the Rams will have to
make that decision by either letting him go or convincing him to quit. (The
first could take care of the second; not many teams would be that interested
in a concussion-prone passer.)
So then is Mark Rypien the man? He lost his three starts at the end of the
year but also threw for more than 300 yards in each. He's getting up in
years, and each year removes him further from his Super Bowl MVP season
with the Redskins in 1991. But he can provide the leadership and been-there
attitude to help the team develop a new quarterback if the Rams opt to draft
one.
On the other hand, there are a number of highly qualified starters out there
in the free agent pool. Jeff George of the Falcons, Neil O'Donnell of the
Steelers, Jim Harbaugh of the Colts, and Jeff Hostetler of the Raiders to
name the top three, any of whom could step in and guide this team. That
might be the best option since there are no grade A passers available coming
out of the college ranks this year.
The area of greatest disappointment has to be the running game. Jerome Bettis
started off on the wrong foot with his holdout during preseason. And he
never got back on the right foot, gaining about half as many yards as his
season average. Granted, he didn't have too many holes to run through, but
the power back has to be expected to make a few of his own.
The most successful running scheme is featured almost every week on TV.
Watch Dallas and you'll see how a power fullback blocks for a scatback.
Shift Bettis to the fullback role and get a real scatback who is fast enough
get through a hole and, if and when it closes, is fact enough to be able
to get outside for positive yardage. Greg Robinson and Brent Moss showed
promise in their few opportunities to run the ball and they need more.
In fact, ask any running back and they'll say they do better with 20 or
more carries per game. Rams backs didn't get that many in three games. Decide
on a premiere back (even if it's premiere du jour) and give him the ball
25 times. The top free agents: Chris Warren of the Seahawks, Rodney Hampton
of the Giants, and Kimble Anders of the Chiefs.
And that brings up the offensive line. They also disappointed. Most of the
time, they provided adequate pass protection, but when they didn't, Miller
didn't know whether he was afoot or horseback. And they just flat didn't
run block. No one seemed able to blast off the line to control the line
of scrimmage enough to allow a back to get past it. Top free agents: OG
Keith Sims of the Dolphins, OT Leon Searcy of the Steelers, C Kevin Glover
of the Lions, OT Bob Whitfield of the Falcons, OT Jumbo Elliott of the Giants.
The defensive line didn't have much better luck against the run. The "jet"
defense was designed to stop the run by letting the line charge in and rely
on the linebackers to back them up (hence the name). D'Marco Farr was a
certified star this year leading the team in sacks. Not bad for a walk-on.
Kevin Carter played well for a rookie. Both should improve. But they still
need to be able to stop the run better. They did better against a big fullback
than they did against a halfback like Marshall Faulk. Top free agents: Eric
Swann of the Cardinals, Shawn Lee of the Chargers, Russell Maryland of the
Cowboys, Robert Porcher of the Lions, Leslie O'Neal of the Chargers.
But if the line can't stop the run, then the linebackers have to. And they
did, but not quite well enough. Shane Conlan was hampered by a chronic knee
injury and will probably not be back. He only played on running plays and
didn't cover as well as in years past. Roman Phifer and Carlos Jenkins played
well on runs and passes. But the Rams need the big inside backer to control
the middle of the field. Bryan Cox could be a good fit and popular as well
seeing as how he is from East St. Louis. That could also help him keep his
temper under control. Other top free agents: Cornelius Bennett of the Bills,
Quentin Coryatt of the Colts.
The defensive backfield was another bright spot for the Rams. It's a young
group but one that played better than many of the more tenured veterans
on the team. CB Anthony Parker looked horrible at times and was even benched
once. But he figured out his problems and settled into productive play.
S Toby Wright finished the season with six interceptions, tied with seven
other players for fourth most in the league. He and Keith Lyle were two
of the hardest hitting safeties in the game. But injuries hurt on the corners
after Mike Scurlock and Torin Dorn went down. Top free agents: CB Aeneas
Williams of the Cardinals, S Darren Woodson of the Cowboys, CB Eric Davis
of the 49ers, CB Phillippi Sparks of the Giants, CB Dale Carter of the Chiefs.
The other area where the team shone brightly was at wide receiver. Isaac
Bruce had one of the best seasons in NFL history for a receiver. He was
second in yards with 1,781, fourth in catches with 119, and tied for fifth
in TDs with 13. But there was a pretty big drop off from there. Alexander
Wright and Jesse Hester provided able second choices but never really proved
to be enough of a threat to take pressure off Bruce, which makes his numbers
even more impressive. Lovell Pinkney never provided much of anything despite
having all the tools.
The tight ends were almost afterthoughts in the offensive plans. They need
to be much more invovled if the team wants to improve. The tight end shoould
proide an important safety valve for the quarterback when he gets in trouble
and needs to dump off. But they can't do that if they have to stay backto
help block the rushers
Special teams were Jekyll and Hyde depending on what they were doing with
the ball. When kicking, they were good. Sean Landeta once again led the
conference with a 44.3-yard average. But he also had the most kicks, which
is never an enviable stat. Dean Biasucci gave the kicking game a sense of
securtiy after a very rocky start by Steve McLaughlin who didn't last the
season. Kickoff coverage never gave up the big return, which is commendable.
But the kick receiving team didn't score the big score either and Todd Kinchen
coughed up several costly fumbles.
The most fun of all, apart from Bruce running under a bomb, was the trick
plays. They didn't always work perfectly, but they added some zip. And the
more the team tried, the more successful the team was. Or maybe it was vice
versa. Unfortunately, the guy who called most of those plays, special teams
coach Wayne Sevier, has resigned. He will be missed.
Which brings up the coaching. Rich Brooks actually did a pretty good job
for his first year in the pros with a 4-12 team that just became the darlings
of a new town. Then he went 5-1 followed by 2-8. No pressure, right? Well,
it didn't look like it to watch Brooks. He handled it all better than a
lot of veteran coaches. And he has the full confidence of Georgia Frontiere,
which almost any coach, veteran or otherwise, would love to have. Just ask
Don Shula.
3.3 Half Time by RANDY HU
In my view, the December 30 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs was
the most difficult and crucial loss of the season to date. This game had
all of the atmosphere of a playoff game: Saturday night, a packed Kiel Center,
divisional rival, and the holiday season. There are just a few meaningful
regular season games, but this was a true must win.
On paper, this game should've been a layup for the Blues. On the ice, it
was a different story. The Leafs were coming off another road loss the night
before in Denver and didn't arrive into St. Louis until early Saturday morning.
The first time they touched the ice that day was the pregame skate. But,
just a minute into the game, Torontoís gritty center Doug Gilmour
scored and I knew the Blues were not mentally prepared for the game. A loss
was inevitable. Blame it on post-holiday depression. Snatching defeat from
the jaws of victory.
Though the Blues took a 3-2 lead going into the third period, the resilient
Leafs battled back to tie and subsequently won it in OT on a clutch goal
by winger Mats Sundin. This make-or-break game was necessary to win due
to the brutal January schedule in which the Blues will be hard pressed to
scrape up many points. No excuses needed, except for coach/GM Mike Keenan's
interview.
Keenan still won't accept responsibility as the losses mount, but it's his
muckers and grinding troops who look totally lost and inept out there. At
the postgame press conference, he fired cheap shots at Al MacInnis and Brett
Hull...saying that he inherited them, not by his design. (EDITOR'S NOTE:
See Blues Banter earlier in this issue.) Yeah right, and fans come out to
see Stephane Matteau, Igor Kravchuk, Ken Sutton, Mike Hudson, and Christer
Olsson (who are these guys?). If it weren't for Hull scoring goals and putting
butts in the seats, this franchise would be playing in front of rowdy country
music fans in Nashville.
"Keenan blames everyone but himself," shot back Hull. "He
changes his tune constantly, telling us how we are improving and developing
consistency to how brutal we are in his between period lectures." Hull
was visibly upset, but thought better than to explode in front of his teammates
and the media. Why watch talk shows and soap operas when we've got a family
feud right here in town?
With such a disappointing loss to digest, you'd think the players would
be heading home with their tails between their legs. Think again, tequila
breath. At a nearby nightspot, a portion of the team was whooping it up,
celebrating like they had just won the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals.
Captain Shayne Corson, Brian Noonan, Chris Pronger, Dallas Eakins, Matteau,
and the since demoted Roman Vopat were there just an hour after the game
imbibing in revelry. Where's the sense of urgency?
If the Blues don't make it pass the first round of the playoffs, this team
is toast. Keenan has sacrificed youth and jeopardized the future for quick
fixes. Despite a constant corporate season ticket base, today's bandwagon
jumping sports fan will turn to baseball, football, or some other sport.
Keenan should but won't look in the mirror for the results of this average
hockey team. I guess it's someone else's fault the revolving door continues
to spin out of control, spitting out former Blackhawks and Rangers. Hey
Mike, this is hockey, not Watergate or Whitewater. Tell us the truth or
give us a long range plan, if one exists. Even his quotes are starting to
become increasingly familiar: "I inherited Brett Hull and Al MacInnis,
they're not my players, the salary cap mandate limits my maneuverability,
negative media reports affect the players", and blah, blah, blah, blah-blah.
St. Louis sports fans can be forgiving. Admit it Iron Mike: the exiling
of Curtis Joseph, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Duchesne, Jeff Norton, Ian Laperriere,
etc. for "Keenan-type players" were bad moves. We may never know
the real reason why Shanahan was traded for a player making comparable salary.
Don't season ticket holders, fans, and the media deserve to know? We can
readily accept it when people admit their mistakes. I'm assuming the reason
why Adam Creighton, Matteau, Noonan, Pronger, and the rest of the Keenan
castoffs can't score or make bodily contact is bad luck. Too many players
today have either heart or talent or neither. For every Mark Messier, Scott
Stevens, or Chris Chelios, there are dozens of others whose play is nondescript.
If it weren't for expansion, some of these guys would be toiling on checking
lines in the frozen tundra of Winnipeg.
As I've pointed out in the past, today's players are more interested in
the 15th and 30th of every month, not the day-to-day grind of the regular
season. After the Toronto loss, it again proves a gross misconception: Blues
fans react more after a loss than players do. Subsequent back-to-back wins
against a surprisingly lethargic Chicago squad and a Mario Lemieux-less
Pittsburgh team will ease our appetites for the time being, but which Blues
team shows up on any given night? Contenders or pretenders?
Keenan is supposed to be the master motivator and control freak. According
to one Blues staffer, he even barked orders at the team Christmas party
and keeps tight reins on his players on roadtrips. Well Ironhead, the halfway
mark of the season is here. It's time to stop pointing fingers and motivate
your millionaires.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Hu is The Riverfront Times' hockey columnist, and is
also the St. Louis correspondent for columnist Stan Fischler of the Hockey
News. You can also hear him Wednesday mornings on all-sports KFNS (590 AM)
4.0 StLSO Game Recaps
4.1 Blues Summaries by BRIAN STULL
4.1.1 at Detroit Red Wings (GAME #36; 12.26.95)
The St.Louis Blues spent the day after Christmas wrapping up a three game
roadtrip, losing to the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. The Blues opened the game
with a great save from Grant Fuhr to stop Dino Ciccarelli and Brett Hull
nearly scored on a centering effort from Shayne Corson.
The tandem of Corson and Hull did get the Blues on the board at 6:19 as
a centering pass from Corson deflected off the skate of Nicklas Lidstrom
past Chris Osgood for the goal. Later in the period, with Chris Pronger
in the penalty box, Al MacInnis was able to clear the puck to center ice,
where Hull picked it up and worked in on Osgood. Once again breaking his
traditional manner, Hull faked and then scooted the puck under Osgood for
a 2-0 lead at 13:41. The St.Louis defense had a great first period, holding
the high-flying attack of Detroit to only three shots, while the Blues had
eight.
Tempers began to flare at the end of the first period, but no blows were
exchanged until early in the second when Murray Baron tangled with Darren
McCarty. Baron was able to get in some early blows and left a cut above
the bridge of McCarty's nose. However, McCarty used his size advantage to
finish the battle strong.
After surviving early power play attempts, the Blues short-handed unit fell
victim to Detroit at 8:21. The faceoff in the St.Louis zone went to Paul
Coffey who sent the puck to the right point, where Lidstrom fired the shot
off Fuhr to make the score 2-1.
Detroit threatened again, but just like in the first, Fuhr put the stops
on a Ciccarelli breakaway and St.Louis stayed on top. Emotions continued
to rise, including a brief meeting Keith Primeau had with Jay Wells. Tony
Twist then reminded McCarty that he was on the ice with a hard check on
the boards, but McCarty declined the invitation.
The Red Wings tied the game at 19:02 with a power play goal from Larionov
who was all alone in the right circle to beat Fuhr. Detroit had sixteen
shots on goal, compared to four for St.Louis, and the game moved into the
third deadlocked at two.
Tim Taylor and Jeff Norton visited the penalty box to open the third after
dropping the gloves, which almost led to a Chris Pronger goal. Pronger,
who shot from the point, charged in to get his own rebound, but missed again
and knocked over the net. Kozlov had a good chance for Detroit, but Fuhr
was up to the challenge.
Then Dino Ciccarelli proved the third time's the charm as he beat Fuhr on
the rebound from a Paul Coffey shot at 12:48 to put the Red Wings on top
3-2. Ciccarelli later mixed it up with Shayne Corson and the Blues had a
brief 4 on 3 advantage as Bob Errey was whistled for interference after
crashing into Grant Fuhr.
With :48 left, Murray Baron wrestled down Keith Primeau to the ice and then
everyone got involved with seconds left in the Detroit zone. Fuhr had been
pulled for an extra attacker and then Corson and Konstantinov started battling
as time ran out with the other players piling up after the horn.
GAMENOTES: Prior to the loss, the Blues had earned 35 points in 35 games.....The
Blues were outshot 28/20.....Brett Hull wore the "A" on his sweater
along with Al MacInnis.....The Blues return home to face Dallas on Thursday
night.
4.1.2 Dallas Stars (GAME #37; 12.28.95)
After a disappointing roadtrip, the St.Louis Blues returned home and vented
their frustration by beating the Dallas Stars 4-1. Besides snapping their
recent skid, the game was also the first the Blues played with newcomer
Stephane Matteau, who had been acquired earlier in the day from the New
York Rangers in exchange for Ian Laperriere.
The Blues opened with good pressure on Dallas, but Andy Moog was strong
in goal, stopping Shayne Corson on an early power play. Later in the period,
it was Moog again, this time stopping Roman Vopat twice, then MacInnis and
Corson with about six minutes left in the first.
Grant Fuhr was equally tough on the opposite end of the ice, making several
big saves including a shorthanded attempt from Darian Hatcher. With just
three seconds left, Hatcher hit the post and the clearing pass was intercepted
by Mike Modano who flipped the puck past Fuhr from the bottom left circle
for a 1-0 Dallas lead.
The Blues came out charging in the second period, Chris Pronger scored from
the top at 4:41 to tie the game at 1-1. But before the 20,083 fans could
celebrate, the gloves were dropped as Corson and Hatcher began to tangle.
As Pronger moved in to seperate the two, Moog raised his stick and went
after Pronger--who responded by popping Moog in the mask a couple of times.
That sent Hatcher into a rage after Pronger and Brett Hull wound up dropping
his gloves to hold on to Hatcher. After referee Don Koharski sorted the
mess out, Pronger and Corson each received roughing minors, as did Darian
Hatcher and Richard Matvichuk. In addition, Moog was sentenced with a highsticking
minor giving St.Louis the man advantage.
The Blues were unable to capitalize, despite good chances from Dale Hawerchuk
and Brett Hull-who hit the right post. Later it was Adam Creighton continuing
his scoring streak, who broke in and faked before beating Moog at 9:26.
Grant Fuhr then made a big pad save with 1:50 left before Brett Hull got
a pass from Corson behind the net and flipped a backhander from the near
post into the far corner to give the Blues a 3-1 lead at 18:36.
Stephane Matteau was stopped twice to open the third period and Geoff Courtnall
came close as well. The scoring was closed out at 19:07 when Hull grabbed
the puck along the boards and scored the emptynetter from center ice.
GAMENOTES: The Blues outshot the Stars 32/27.....All of the Blues were either
even or plus in their game ratings.......Both teams received eleven penalties
for 22:00......The Blues next game is Saturday against Toronto.
4.1.3 Toronto Maple Leafs (GAME #38; 12.30.95)
A crowd of 20,087 packed the Kiel Center to watch the St.Louis Blues host
the Toronto MapleLeafs on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the crowd went
home stunned as the Blues lost 4-3 at :06 into overtime.
Doug Gilmour opened the scoring in the first period, deflecting a pass from
Mats Sundin in the corner past Grant Fuhr to give Toronto a 1-0 lead at
1:33. Adam Creighton responded at 7:12 for the Blues, skating across in
front to beat Felix Potvin with a backhander.
Sergio Momesso tried to put Toronto back out in front, but a sweep save
from Fuhr kept the game tied at one. At 10:29, anticipation raced through
the crowd as Tony Twist and Tie Domi were lined up against each other for
a faceoff. Then to everyone's dismay, referee Bill McCreary sent Twist off
the ice. Toronto coach Pat Burns had noticed a tear in Twist's sweater and
complained that it was an altered jersey. A new sweater couldn't be produced
before the twenty second timeout Mike Keenan had called for expired and
play continued without Twist.
Grant Fuhr turned the tides on Gilmour to open the second period, stopping
Gilmour with a sliding save. But at 9:45, Dave Andreychuk was good on the
one-timer from Larry Murphy and Toronto lead 2-1. Mike Keenan then sent
in Bruce Racine to replace Grant Fuhr in the nets for St.Louis.
Dale Hawerchuk tied the game at 11:49 with his fifth goal of the season.
Hawerchuk was able to get the puck behind the net and use a second effort
to backhand the shot over Potvin inot the top right corner. Later, it was
Shayne Corson scoring a power play goal for the Blues. The play was set
up because Chris Pronger pinched in to tie up the front of the net and Brett
Hull came over to kick the puck out to the open Corson who flipped it in
for a 3-2 lead at 14:27.
At 15:32, Jeff Norton picked up a slashing minor and Mike Keenan sent Fuhr
back into the game for the Blues. The Maple Leafs tied the game at 7:41
of the third period when Paul DiPietro snuck around the back of the net
for the pass to tuck inside the corner past Fuhr. Both teams were unable
to strike again until :06 of the overtime when Gilmour won the faceoff and
Sundin broke in alone and put the slapper past Fuhr to win the game 4-3.
GAMENOTES: The Blues were 2/4 on the power play, Toronto 1/6......Fuhr stopped
27/31, Racine 3/3, and Potvin 19/22......The Blues fall to 16-17-5 on the
season.
4.1.4 at Chicago Blackhawks (GAME #39; 1.4.97)
The St.Louis Blues went on the road to battle the Chicago Blackhawks on
Thursday night and when they returned home they were one better in the win
column. The 3-1 victory for the Blues improved their record to 17-17-5 on
the season.
Al MacInnis opened the scoring for St.Louis at 6:32. After a slapshot from
Adam Creighton was stopped by Jeff Hackett, MacInnis grabbed the rebound,
faked to the right before using his backhand to lift the puck into the net.
Moments later, Grant Fuhr made a great save on Brent Sutter to keep the
score 1-0.
The lead remained the same until 10:59 when Peter Zezel won a faceoff in
the Chicago end and the puck skidded in front of the net. Brett Hull beat
the defense to the puck and shot, deflecting the puck off Keith Carney past
Hackett for the goal.
A relatively quiet second period did have some good chances for the Blues,
including a short-handed attempt from Hull and strong saves by Hackett on
Geoff Courtnall, another shot from Hull, and Creighton.
The third period began with excitement as Brett Hull was hooked down by
Chris Chelios while trying to get the shot off at 3:20. Referee Mark Faucette
immediately skated to center ice and awarded Hull the penalty shot. Hull
started towards the net and Hackett left the crease to cut down on the angle.
Instead of faking, Hull sent a wrist shot over the blocker-side of Hackett
that missed by inches as it went wide and high over the net.
Just over a minute later, Chicago got on the board as Eric Daze threw the
puck in front, but it went of Fuhr's skate and into the net to make the
score 2-1 at 4:37. St.Louis came right back with another goal of their own
at 6:21. This time it was Brett Hull and Craig Johnson teaming up as Hull
worked in on Chelios and then slid a perfect pass across the slot to the
open Johnson for the goal.
Both Grant Fuhr and Jeff Hackett made some strong saves down the stretch,
but neither side was able to tally another goal and the game ended with
the Blues on top 3-1.
GAMENOTES: The Blues had 25 shots on goal, Chicago 37.......No majors were
sentenced for either team.....The Blues return home to face Pittsburgh on
Saturday.
4.1.5 Pittsburgh Penguins (GAME #40; 1.6.95)
With a road victory under their belt, the St.Louis Blues returned home Saturday
night to face the Pittsburgh Penguins before a crowd of 20,193 at the Kiel
Center. The eight largest crowd in Blues' history wasn't disappointed, as
St.Louis defeated the Penguins 3-2.
The Blues jumped on top after the opening faceoff as Shayne Corson moved
to the front of the net for the screen and Adam Creighton blasted the shot
past Ken Wregget for a 1-0 lead at 0:36. St.Louis nearly scored again as
newcomer Mike Hudson broke in on the net for a feed from Chris Pronger.
The Penguins evened the score at 4:41 of the second period when Petr Nedved
sent a high wrist shot from the right circle which went off Grant Fuhr for
the goal. Brett Hull came right back but hit the post on his attempt.
Fuhr then made a sprawling save off a faceoff to keep the game tied and
then Geoff Courtnall hit the post as the action went back and forth--including
a shorthanded series were Fuhr made several saves and Hull missed on a break.
Finally at 14:19, Tomas Sandstrom sent a pass from the left circle to an
open Bryan Smolinski at the corner of the net for the tap in and the 2-1
lead. The Blues needed just over three minutes to tie the game back up as
Brett Hull broke in from the right to bury an Al MacInnis pass past Wregget
for the goal.
Dale Hawerchuk scored the game winner at 1:40 of the third period, stealing
the puck at his own blue line for the break and fake to beat Wregget. Grant
Fuhr then shutout the Pittsburgh attack, stopping Jaromir Jagr and sliding
with Murray Baron to break up a 2 on 1 attempt. Pittsburgh pulled their
goaltender in favor of the extra attacker at 18:49, but it was to no avail.
GAMENOTES: The Blues killed off 8/9 power plays, but were 0/6 with the man
advantage.....Pittsburgh outshot St.Louis 38/33......Pittsburgh played with
out Mario Lemieux and Ron Francis......The Blues begin a four game roadtrip
1/8 in New Jersey.
4.2 Bills Summary by EVAN PEDERSEN
4.2.1 Louisville Cardinals by EVAN PEDERSEN
Saint Louis University played its inagural Conference USA game against the
big bad boys from Louisville and came away with a loss. And while SLU made
the game close, only losing 67-63, they weren't satisfied with just playing
Louisville to 4 points.
It's a funny thing what a couple of years of winning will do for a team
and a university's attitude. The winning has bred an attitude of low toleration
for losing. It's the kind of attitude found at basketball meccas like Duke
or North Carolina. Even though Carlos McCauley and Jeff Harris are the only
significant contributors left from SLU's back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances,
they're passing that attitude on to the newcomers.
"We've got a lot of players who come from winning programs, so we expect
to win." said Harris after the game. Harris played his usual strong
game, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Against Louisville, SLU
needed to translate that attitude into execution, but found that a little
harder to do.
The Billikens started the game strongly and jumped out to a 21-11 lead.
It looked like the Spoonball of old: stingy, in-your-face defense forcing
turnovers which led to a barrage of 3 pointers. Vergil Cobbin hit two of
his 4 three pointers on his way to 14 points for the game. But the Cardinals
responded, going on a 12 point run and finishing the half leading by 5 points.
Jamal Johnson went from goat to hero to non-factor. In the first half he
donated 5 turnovers to the Louisville cause and seemed lost on offense.
Midway through the second half he took over the game. First, a two hand
monster slam on a Cardinal defender for a three point play. Then a fake
on Louisville's star center Samaki Walker, a drive and another power slam.
A spinning baseline layup. An impossible angle jumpshot. An emphatic rejection
of a Walker shot. But when Louisville switched to a zone defense, Johnson
disappeared again. He finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds.
With 7 minutes to play SLU led 52-50, and the next three possesions would
spell the reason they lost the game. First time down, Johnson drove strong
to the hoop and laid the ball off the glass. It bounced up, around, hung
for a tantalizing moment, and rolled off. Next time down, McCauley found
Corey Frazier wide open in the corner. He launched an uncontested 3 pointer
which rattled in, out, in, and back out. Third possession, Harris went to
the line for a one and one and missed the front end. Three golden chances
to extend their lead, and no points to show. If SLU would have scored on
ay one of those possessions, they would have either won, or been shooting
for overtime at the end of the game. Consequently, Louisville went on a
12-3 run to put the game out of reach.
"I think Louisville is very good," said Spoonhour, "but I
expected to win the game, I did. Losing is not a big issue. But if we do
things right, could we have won it? Yeah."
This was a great chance for a young team to grab its own identity. A loss
is useful only from the standpoint of figuring out what to do to properly
close out a game against a quality opponent. Moral victories no longer sit
well with players who play for Saint Louis University.
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Blues Statistics
Complete Blues Statistics will be found in ISSUE #53.
5.2 Rams Statistics
1995 Final Rams Statistics will be found in ISSUE #53.
6.0 StLSO Media Watch
A new radio talk show made its debut Sunday night on KSD-AM (550 on your
AM dial). It's called Sports Matters and it will air every Sunday from 6-9.
The host is Steve Schlanger with featured co-host none other than StLSO
godfather Jeff Gordon of the P-D. The show features sports stories of the
week in the first hour, the unusual aspects of sports in the second, and
interviews with national sports figures in the third.
The inagural show featured none other than StLSO senior writer Jim Hunstein,
along with the editor of Game Night Revue, Mr. Jeff Collins (who sounds
as if he's auditioning for a role in future Martin Scorsese movies).
Part of the time was spent discussing the big events of the year with discussions
of the Blues, Rams and Cardinals. Then Gordon provided fodder for cross
talk with a review of the more bizarre stories of 1995, including more mascot
stories than anyone needs to know.
After the guests left, John Rawlings, publisher of The Sporting News came
in to discuss/defend his publication's annual ranking of the top 100 most
powerful people in sports. An indepth analysis of that list will be addressed
in next week's StLSO.
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
*JOHN JACKSON, a staffer with the Portland Trailblazers, writes--
As much as we would like to believe that corporate America has no business
in professional football, or professional sports for that matter, money
is what drives this "business". For their advertising and promotion
dollar, corporations want the public to see their name and logo --- whether
on a sign or paired with a promotion.
Those promotions, giveaways, and music "hoopla" are quickly becoming
the norm in professional arenas and stadiums. Sure there is a certain percentage
of fans who will come and watch a game without all the hoopla. However,
there are many more fans who, while they watch the game, want to be entertained
in a variety of ways. As far as the music is concerned, it's like any other
job. The sound operator will "learn" what to play, and when to
play it. It takes awhile to become proficient.
Because we just opened a new facility here in Portland (Rose Garden), I
can sympathize with the struggles of the Trans World Dome personnel . .
.as well as your fans. Mr. Hunstein, give them, and yourself a little time
to adjust to the new facility.
*TOM CRESPI writes from St. Louis--
Just a note that (referring to Randy Karraker's, other's and my own) frustration
with Bettis may be (?) explainable by a heretofore non-disclosed-to-full-extent
injury (foot?). A few days before one of the last games of the year, a friend
who works at one of St. Louis' premier auto dealers saw Bettis in the showroom
and Jerome was noticeably limping...While I despise such poor performance
earning the millions he did, and think he should have done better on one
leg for that kind of money, if you're a running back and don't have a strong
foundation to push or cut from you're toast. He was this year. Could he
be a different back next season with healing and a better front line?
*SUSAN ROCHETTE-CRAWLEY writes--
Where will coach Keenan be at the end of the season?
*J. ERIC ANGELL writes--
I just want to pose a question to the person who wrote the article a few
weeks ago regarding Pete Rose and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Q: DO YOU BELIEVE O.J. SIMPSON SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE FOOTBALL HALL OF
FAME?
Thank you for passing this on to the writer, and I look forward to his response.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Several points need to be made.
First, O.J. Simpson was elected to the football Hall of Fame several years
ago.
Second, Simpson was found not guilty of murder charges.
Third, evidence presented in the trial indicated several quite obvious character
flaws present within Mr. Simpson. Barry Scheck notwithstanding, this observer
found the DNA evidence to be totally believable, and consistent with a scenario
that called for Mr. Simpson's presence at the scene of the crime. That the
seemingly incompetent LA police successfully conspired to plant ALL the
blood evidence is, in my opinion, preposterous.
But a jury of his peers found Mr. Simpson not guilty.
And Mr. Simpson's wife beating, suspected drug use, and any other possible
transgressions had nothing to do with his football career.
In fact, even if he had been CONVICTED of murdering two people, his crime(s)
would most likely have had nothing to do with his football career.
So, in my view, Simpson should still be honored as a member of football's
Hall of Fame.
Is murder (or wife-beating, for that matter) a more serious crime than betting
on sports? Darn right it is.
To reiterate: a sport's Hall of Fame is for excellence in that sport. It
isn't a character test. But betting on the outcome of a sporting event,
while competing in that event, cannot be tolerated.
Betting takes the sport out of sport.
*Screenname CRASSY writes--
I have really appreciated the updates from St. Louis Sports. I am probably
going to drop America Online, and I am not sure what I will get as a replacement.
I thought you might want to take me off your mailing list, so you will not
get the message about that no longer being a valid address. I will send
you an email when I get another service.