The Online Source for St. Louis Sports
ISSUE #57
February 13, 1996
Copyright © 1996 St. Louis Sports Online
Reproduction Prohibited Without Permission of Publisher [StLSports@aol.com]
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 #57 includes articles from our News and Notes columnist, KMOX radio's
Randy Karraker; StLSO Blues beat writer Brian Stull; Riverfront Times hockey
writer Randy Hu, Doug Bray, Evan Pedersen, and Scott Simon. Subscriber Perry
Sailor contributes a wonderful statistical comparison of the offensive numbers
put up by Ted Simmons and Lou Brock.
In addition, Blues fans will enjoy reading Karraker's scoop about the possible
sale of the Blues. Also be sure to check out this week's editorials.
St. Louis Sports Online can be reached at StLSports@aol.com and via FAX
(618-457-5691). Subscriptions to StLSO are free, and can be obtained by
sending a polite request to StLSports@aol.com.
St. Louis Sports Online is also available on the World Wide Web at http://itdcomm.com/stlsol/
St. Louis Sports Online FEBRUARY.96.2
CONTENTS
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Blues Banter by BRIAN STULL
2.2 Cardinals News
2.3 Rams Update
2.4 St. Louis University Update by EVAN PEDERSEN
2.5 StLSO Quote of the Week
2.6 StLSO Headline of the Week
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 St. Louis Sports Online 1995 Review and 1996 Calendar: 7 FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
3.2 Bash-ful by RANDY HU
3.3 Ted Simmons and Lou Brock: A Statistical Comparison by PERRY SAILOR
4.0 StLSO Game Recaps
4.1 Blues Summaries by BRIAN STULL
4.2 Men's College Basketball Summaries by DOUG BRAY
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Blues Statistics (through GAME #55)
6.0 StLSO Media Watch
6.1 KMOX Rumblings I by MARK BAUSCH
6.2 Radio Chatter and KMOX Rumblings II by SCOTT SIMON
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
8.0 StLSO Editorials
8.1 Personal Foul :Charlie Tuna on Channel 5
8.2 All-Star Game Fireworks
St. Louis Sports Online FEBRUARY.96.2
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
You may have read or heard whispers that the Kiel Center Partners quietly
have the Blues up for sale. With the recent admission that they're going
to lose $17 million this year, and the hassles the Partners have encountered
with the public backlash to the sorry handling of the team and in refurbishing
the Kiel Opera House, one can understand why. Now the fun part. Rumors emanating
from a pretty good source indicate that Ed Trusheim of the Kiel Partners
has called Mike Shanahan...yes THAT Mike Shanahan, several times over the
past month, trying to get "The Chairman" to buy the team back.
It all apparently started at a function when Trusheim approached Shanahan
and said "How would you like to get back into the hockey business?",
to which Shanahan replied "You guys voted 8-2 to get me OUT of the
hockey business...I don't think so." Then Trusheim allegedly replied,
"No, we don't want to be in the hockey business any more. Why don't
you get the group that you had to buy the baseball team (Shanahan had shown
interest in buying the Cardinals) together, and let's work on this."
Our source indicates that Trusheim has called several times since. The guess
here would be that Shanahan would want the Kiel Center paid off, Mike Keenan's
contract paid off, and guarantees of luxury suite and club seat sales similar
to what the Rams have from the Partners and Civic Progress before he would
buy. If he did, the price certainly couldn't approach the $150 million that
the new Cardinal owners paid for that franchise and the surrounding land.
This story should come to the fore in coming weeks, and should be fun to
watch. By the way, the Wayne Gretzky from the Kings rumor has surfaced again,
with the Kings tanking it of late. Something in that regard could happen
as early as this week.
As spring training starts this week, the Cardinals are right up against
their $35 million payroll maximum, and that's why they haven't been able
to reach agreement with Oakland on a trade for Dennis Eckersley. That deal
is 95% sure to happen, when Oakland realizes that paying Eckersley $1.3
million NOT to pitch for them will make more sense than paying him $2.3
million TO pitch for them. Of course, $3 million of that payroll is going
to Ozzie Smith whether he plays for the Cards or not...and that cash will
come in handy in 1997. One player you may not have heard of that will make
the team is Miguel Mejia, stolen from Baltimore in the rule V draft. The
Orioles were stunned and saddened to lose Mejia, who has tremendous speed
and plays a good outfield. He'll be the Cards twenty-fifth man, be kind
of a "designated runner" and will occasionally pinch hit. The
team that has made the best use of rule V is Toronto, which got Kelly Gruber,
George Bell, Willie Upshaw and Jim Gott...among others, that way. The Cardinals
have been transformed from being one of the least imaginative organizations
in baseball under Dal Maxvill, to being one of the most under Walt Jocketty.
Friday is the day NFL free agents can start changing teams. Rich Brooks
says the Rams have salary cap room to sign three or four starters. The guess
here is that they'll try to sign or trade for a quarterback, and try to
sign a defensive lineman, a linebacker and a cornerback.
The Ambush is off for the All-Star break. In the NPSL All-Star Game Sunday
at Wichita, Mark Moser had two assists and Daryl Doran one as the National
Division lost to the American, 16-15.
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Blues Banter by BRIAN STULL
The NHL's Central Scouting Service recently released its rankings of North
America's top 78 skaters and 10 goalies eligible for the 1996 NHL Entry
draft, which will be held June 22 in St. Louis' Kiel Center.
The top ten defenseman include--
*Chris Phillips, Prince Albert (WHL)
*Remi Royer, St-Hyacinthe (QMJHL)
*Mario Larocque, Hull (QMJHL)
*Johnathan Aitken, Medicine Hat (WHL)
*Jesse Wallin, Red Deer (WHL)
*Mathieu Descoteaux, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
*Chris Allen, Kingston (OHL)
*Richard Jackman, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
*Tom Poti, Cushin HL (USHS)
*Cory Sarich, Saskatoon (WHL)
*Lance Ward, Red Deer (WHL)
Key: WHL: Western Hockey League; QMJHL: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League;
OHL: Ontario Hockey League; USHS: United States High School
.....says here that C&GM Mike Keenan's club will draft a blueliner in
the first round of the June draft...unless that pick is traded for a defenseman
in this spring's playoff drive.
The Kiel Center locker room continued to reach new levels of silence and
confusion as the recent defeats added up. No one, including head coach Mike
Keenan, had a solid reason for the Blues skid. "I'm not sure, obviously
we fell apart after they scored their power play goal...we never recaptured
out composure," said Keenan after the Chicago loss. The players seemed
equally frustrated. "I honestly don't know," offered Jay Wells.
"I think we need to really honestly look at ourselves in the mirror
and decide if we're giving 100%. Pointing fingers won't work, hard work
will.".......THE CHAMP SPEAKS: Despite holding on to his heavyweight
belt, Tony Twist was not pleased with the results of his bout with Bob Probert.
"It was a non-issue tonight," said Twist. "We lost. I realize
it may be a highlight for some of the fans, but it doesn't mean anything
when you give up five goals in the third period and lose."....HOME
ICE?: During the Dallas game on Tuesday night, the theme from the TV show
of the same name was played twice as well as a rendition of "Deep in
the Heart of Texas", what's next "Sweet Chicago" and "New
York,New York"?..........JUST A HIT: Jeremy Roenick spent the night
in the hospital as a precautionary measure Thursday night after the big
hit from Geoff Courtnall. Said Courtnall, "He had his head down and
I just hit him....a hit like that will knock you out pretty quick."......TRANSLATION:
Just in case you were wondering what Tony Twist said to Bob Probert after
the cheap elbow to the face: "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT". Stayed tuned
for the collection of debt......WITH AN EXTRA MAN: Before the Blues victory
in Dallas, the power play was 8/30.... DON'T GO INTO REAL ESTATE: "We're
selling, they're not buying."- Mike Keenan after Vancouver, discussing
the coaching staff suggesting ways of improving the power play.......SEEING
STARS: Three of the five goals scored this season by Chris Pronger have
come against the Dallas Stars.....WELCOME: Congratulations to Blues captain
Shayne Corson and his wife Kelley on the recent birth of their daughter......NEXT
UP: After Tampa Bay on Tuesday, the Blues return home on Friday, February
16 in a matchup against Detroit.
*Blues February 1996 Schedule and Results
# DATE HOME AWAY result comment
50 Thu Feb 1 VANCOUVER T 2-2 Courtnall: 1G
51 Sat 3 PHILADELPHIA L 7-3 Lindros: 3G
52 Tue 6 DALLAS L 5-2 team listless
53 Thu 8 CHICAGO L 6-1 5 3rd period goals
54 Sat 10 DALLAS W 6-3 Olsson: 2G
55 Sun 11 FLORIDA T 2-2 Olsson: 2A
56 Tue 13 TAMPA BAY 7:30
57 Fri 16 DETROIT 7:30
58 Sun 18 WINNIPEG 6:00
59 Tue 20 OTTAWA 7:30
60 Thu 22 CHICAGO 7:30
61 Sat 24 LOS ANGELES 7:30
62 Thu 29 VANCOUVER 7:30
2.2 Cardinals News
Yesterday (2.12.96) marked an important day in the history of Busch Stadium,
as the process of covering the 2.75 acres of Busch Stadium's playing surface
with "Quick Stand Bermuda Grass" began.
Steve Peeler, Busch Stadium Head Groundskeeper, said the new grass will
offer several benefits to Busch Stadium and the Cardinals.
"This grass is the best-kept secret in turf," said Peeler. It
is more durable and aggressive, which is cost effective. It is a better
playing surface for the ballplayers."
The grass itself is transported from North Carolina in the form of sod rolls
four feet in width.
2.3 Rams Update
Rams personnel (including Coach Rich Brooks) attended the NFL talent watch
in Indianapolis. Running backs are high on the Rams' list, as far as their
number one pick is concerned.
2.4 Billikens Update by EVAN PEDERSEN
The Billikens stormed the Shoemaker Center and gave Bob Huggins' 5th ranked
Bearcats just about all they could handle.....for about 3 minutes. Which
is about the equivalent of winning one round of a 15 round heavyweight fight.
They spent the rest of the game missing shots, turning the ball over, and
taking the ball out of the net after another dunk. The result was an 81-49
drubbing.
"We didn't offer much in the way of opposition," said Spoonhour
afterwards. "There's not a word for it," said Jeff Harris, "We're
not playing anywhere close to our capabilities. We're making the same mistakes
we made on October 15 and 16, the first days of practice."
The Bills started the game and led in the first few minutes despite
Cincinnati's swarming press. At halftime, they found themselves only down
by 8, 35-27. "I think we got too content at halftime," said Carlos
McCauley, "We were content being only eight down, and we played like
it in the second half." As the second half unfolded, Spoonhour was
anything but content as he watched the Bills miss their first 9 shots and
turn the ball over on 3 other possessions as Cincinnati drummed in 12 consecutive
points. Game over.
"I don't feel we've learned very much," Spoonhour said. "We
didn't do things right, and they did. We're in February. We should know
a few things by now."
Does this mean the good ship Billiken will not be cruising to the NCAA tournament
for the 3rd straight year? Probably. At 12-8 overall and 3-6 in the C-USA,
the Bills would need to win the rest of their games and make a strong showing
in the Conference tournament before the selection committee will take a
look at them. "Very frustrating," McCauley said. "I've been
thinking about the last couple of years. I wasn't playing that much then,but
it felt so good to win. I'd gladly trade. I'd rather not play a single minute
to just get that feeling of winning a lot again."
The Bills have a five game homestand that includes a rematch against Cincinnati
and Marquette and a game with Tulane. But a couple more stumbles like this
one and the NIT might not even come calling.
2.5 StLSO Quote of the Week
As stated on KMOX's airwaves: "I'm sure Tony [La Russa] will break
[spring training] with eleven pitchers," said Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty.
2.6 StLSO Headline of the Week
From the 2.11.96 Post-Dispatch: "Red Blooded". The sub-head: "Pulse
Returning For Cardinals Fans After Offseason Transfusion of Hope"
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 St. Louis Sports Online 1995 Review and 1996 Calendar: 7 FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What is the St. Louis Sports Online 1995 Review and 1996 Calendar?
The StLSO 1995 Review and 1996 Calendar is a 238 page spiral bound book
that summarizes the 1995 St. Louis sports scene as well as provides the
St. Louis sports fan with a convenient desk-top 1996 appointment calendar.
Keep in mind the following fact: StLSO staff writers covered HUNDREDS of
St. Louis area sports events in 1995, including most of the Cards and Blues
home games, occasional Cards road games, and all eight Rams home games.
The articles published within the StLSO 1995 Review and 1996 Calendar are
original material.
2. What are some of the highlights of the StLSO 1995 Review portion of the
book?
A selection of articles from all fifty-one 1995 issues of StLSO are contained
within the review. Included are lengthy Q and A's with Cardinals President
Mark Lamping, former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, new Cardinals manager
Tony La Russa, Cards farmhand Alan Benes, and Atlanta Braves pitching coach
Leo Mazzone. Sprinkled throughout the Cardinals News sections are short
features on Brian Jordan, Tom Henke, Ozzie Smith, Scott Cooper, Mark Petkovsek,
Tripp Cromer, Mark Sweeney, Jeff Parrett, Todd Stottlemyre, and David Bell.
In addition, capsules of nearly every Cardinal minor league prospect are
included in the Review.
Blues-related features include several commentaries and articles concerning
C&GM Mike Keenan and executive Vice-President Ronald Caron, while the
Blues News sections contain short stories on Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan,
Curtis Joseph, and Ian Laperriere.
Q and A's with Kevin Carter, Tom Homco, and Dean Biasucci, along with several
members of the Rams defense, provide an anchor for the NFL coverage, which
also includes weekly Ram updates.
Washington University's ace volleyball coach, Teri Clemens, and Cards/FOX
broadcaster Joe Buck are also subjects of exclusive StLSO Q and A's...the
Buck interview contains nuggets found nowhere else.
But perhaps the most important function of St. Louis Sports Online: 1995
Review is that KMOX radio's Randy Karraker's weekly News and Notes columns,
combined with regular Cards, Blues, and Rams reports, provide concise commentary
concerning the most eventful year in the history of St. Louis sports.
3. Who are the writers of the articles appearing within the St. Louis Sports
Online: 1995 Review?
StLSO's staff of weekly correspondents includes KMOX Radio's Randy Karraker;
senior writer Jim Hunstein; and contributing writers Brian Stull, Brian
Crawford, Mark Bausch, Evan Pedersen, and Eric Niederhoffer. Occasional
1995 StLSO contributors included Joe Buck, Jeff Gordon, Tripp Frohlichstein,
Randy Hu, Ron Jacober, Stan Johnston, Rob Ramage, and Jay Randolph Jr.
Articles from all of these gentlemen appear within the 1995 review.
4. What else appears within the StLSO 1995 Review ?
*The St. Louis Blues, Cardinals, and Rams 1995 Results and Statistics
*The Final 1995 MLB, NHL, and NFL standings
*A list of St. Louis Area Sports-Relevant Phone Numbers (including numbers
for the teams and their venues; area publications, radio, and television
stations; area restaurants and hotels; as well as airlines servicing Lambert
and rent-a-car companies).
5. What are some of the highlights of the StLSO 1996 Calendar portion of
the book?
The calendar is split into three parts--
*a two page year at a glance section
*a 52 page weekly-based appointment calendar (with one week on each 8.5x11"
page)
*a 12 page monthly calendar, which contains the 1996 schedules for the SLU
Bills, the Blues, and the Cardinals (including spring training) as well
as a few timely facts about St. Louis-area sports teams.
6. How much does the St. Louis Sports Online 1995 Review and 1996 Calendar
cost?
$30.00, which includes first-class postage and handling. International orders
add $5.00.
7. The address to order?
Please send e-mail to StLSports@aol.com for ordering information.
3.2 Bash-ful by RANDY HU
Listening to Blues fans in St. Louis lately, it's become vogue to bash certain
players and coach/GM Mike Keenan. Tuning into the call-in radio whinefests
last week, it's amazing how the manic-depressives have turned the airwaves
into Prozac puck patter. Callers scream out new team slogans: "Losers
R Us", "mediocre.com", "The glass is definitely half-empty"
and "$50 for this crap?" Armchair rink experts offer their opinions
on how the Blues need to trade, cut, dump, exile, banish, obtain, acquire,
and/or kill everyone in the league. No player or coach is immune from the
verbal lynching. But, then again, hockey fans tend to be the most vocal
for their sport and their loyalty to the players is fierce.
Each year, a designated scapegoat emerges from the roster when a team struggles.
This yearís poster boy is much maligned defenseman Chris Pronger.
Obtained from Hartford for the eternally popular Brendan Shanahan last summer,
Pronger didn't have a chance from day one. He's living his life in a fishbowl
on the ice and his publicized bouts with drinking still haunt his personal
life. For a 21-year old with millions in the bank, he needs to ignore the
booing at home and play with intensity. Playing at a vital position, there's
nowhere to hide on the ice. He's shown progress recently and his play at
home reflects the Blues performance at the Kiel Center: tentative, mistake
prone, and trying to be too fancy with the puck.
"Over the season, Pronger has shown vast improvement," says associate
coach Roger Neilson. "Heís good with the puck, makes good plays
and seldom gets beat. We've been very happy with his play. His game is always
going to be puck carrying, moving the puck and taking guys out."
Problem is that he's thrown as many checks as he's scored goals. For a guy
making $14 million over the next five years, you need more production and
higher visibility out there.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Hu is the hockey columnist for The Riverfront Times.
3.3 Ted Simmons and Lou Brock: A Statistical
Comparison by PERRY SAILOR
EDITOR'S NOTE: I picked up this posting from The Cardinals e-mail list (maintained
by Brian Crawford). I recognized Perry Sailor as a long-time StLSO subscriber...and
asked him if I could re-print his analysis of Ted Simmons and Lou Brock.
He agreed, but asked if he could fix it up some. Mr. Sailor will be given
that opportunity...but the unvarnished posting is so thought-provoking that
it deserves immediate publication.
In a nutshell, who posted better stats...Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock...or first-ballot
reject Ted Simmons?
----------
Okay, someone asked for some evidence for my choice of Ted Simmons over
Lou Brock for best Cardinal of the 70s, so here goes:
Simmons Brock
Batting Average .297 .298
On-Base Percentage .366 .353
Slugging Percentage .455 .389
All-star teams 6 5
Now factor in that Simmons was a catcher, Brock a leftfielder, and think
about the usual relative league-average offense from those two positions.
Now for the statheads, and those of you who are saying, "What about
Lou's steals?" Here are some other stats from the encyclopedia Total
Baseball. These numbers are derived from some rather sophisticated statistical
work, as first outlined in Thorn and Palmer's "The Hidden Game of Baseball."
If anyone's interested in more detail, check out Total Baseball or email
me at perrys@cpd2.usu.edu. The following data are expressed in runs, with
a league-average player, by definition, at zero. Again, these are for the
decade 1970-79:
Simmons Brock
Batting Runs 190 41
Stolen Base Runs -16 56
Fielding Runs -44 -18
So, OK, Brock got his 3000th hit and the SB records in the 70s -- but
Simmons was the better and more valuable player.
I could also make that case for their entire careers:
Simmons Brock
BA .285 .293
OBA .352 .344
Slugging .437 .410
Batting Runs 208 110
Stolen Base Runs -14 97
Fielding Runs -79 32
Brock's steals and defense push him ahead in terms of raw runs, but
again, catchers who produce like Simmons are a lot harder to find, and more
valuable, than leftfielders who produce like Brock, leading the Palmer/Thorn
methods to rank Simmons as more valuable over his career:
All-time ranking of all Simmons Brock
players in history 210th 285th
Simmons has generally been greatly underrated. Here are lifetime BA/OBA/SLG
for 4 catchers. See if you can tell who's who:
BA OBA SLG
A. .267/.345/.476
B. .262/.338/.439
C. .269/.343/.457
D. .285/.352/.437
D is Simmons. A, B, and C are Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, and Carlton
Fisk. They're either in the Hall of Fame or will be. Simmons was dropped
off the ballot for not getting 5% of the vote in his first year of eligibility.
Ted is knocked for his defense, but he was good enough to be 8th all time
in games caught. It's a shame the Hall of Fame voters didn't give him a
better look.
4.0 StLSO Game Recaps
4.1 Blues Summaries by BRIAN STULL
4.1.1 Dallas Stars (GAME #51: 2.6.96)
The St. Louis Blues continued their four-game homestand with a division
matchup against the Dallas Stars last Tuesday night. The Blues did nothing
right against the Stars and suffered a 5-2 loss. Dallas wasted little time
taking the lead with a power play goal at 3:49 of the first period from
Joe Nieuwendyk, who beat Grant Fuhr with a quick shot from the slot. Jason
Marshall added to the Dallas lead at 13:43, reaching in to tip the pass
from Guy Carbonneau into the net.
Near the beginning of the second period, Derian Hatcher hooked down Brett
Hull and then locked horns on the boards with an unhappy Shayne Corson.
Referee Andy Van Hellemond then sent Brent Gilchrist to the penalty box
and the Blues had the power play. Geoff Courtnall nearly had a goal, but
the puck deflected off the post. However, Courtnall came right back with
the power play goal, as J.J. Daigneault fired a shot from the blue line
that Peter Zezel knocked at before Courtnall hit the opening from left of
the goal at 2:51.
At 3:46, the Blues received the first of two penalties for having too many
men on the ice, costly because St.Louis was already shorthanded and Dallas
was given the 2-man advantage for 1:19. Grant Fuhr did his best to deny
the Stars power play, making back to back great saves on Nieuwendyk and
then on other Stars before Greg Adams banged it in at 5:27 for a 3-1 lead.
The second of the St.Louis too men many on the ice penalties came at 18:36
and once again the Dallas power play capitalized. Greg Adams scored his
second goal of the game by camping out at the side of the net for a quick
cross-pass from Jere Lehtinen for the goal.
Tony Twist and Rob Pearson opened the third period on the same line to try
to inject some life into the Blues, however it was Dallas that continued
to attack. Jason Marshall used the backhand to flip in his own rebound and
increase the Stars lead to 5-1.
The final goal of the game came on a St.Louis power play when Dale Hawerchuk
tilted his stick for an airborne deflection of an Al MacInnis slapshot past
Allan Bester to make the score 5-2.
GAMENOTES: Bob Berry and Roger Nielson were behind the bench for the Blues
as Mike Keenan attended the General Manager meetings in Phoenix......It
was the fourth consecutive game that Geoff Courtnall scored a goal......St.Louis
outshot Dallas 32/29.....The Blues next game is 2/8 at home vs. Chicago.
4.1.2 Chicago Blackhawks (GAME #52: 2.8.96)
A crowd of 20,179 jammed into the Kiel Center to watch the St.Louis Blues
battle the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. And through the first two
periods a battle is what they saw as both teams had one goal. Then Chicago
erupted for five unanswered goals in the third for a 6-1 victory.
The game opened with Grant Fuhr and Ed Belfour each making great saves,
Fuhr denying Eric Weinrich on a 2-on-1 and then Belfour stopping Shayne
Corson on a power play attempt in front.
At 7:21 the matchup everyone had hoped for happened as Tony Twist and Bob
Probert tangled for the first time this season. Twist, perhaps surprised
that Probert actually wanted to go, lost his balance at the start but quickly
regained his footing and landed some heavy overhand rights, causing Probert
to lose his balance and go down. Probert had to leave the ice for the locker
room due to a gash on his hand (from Twist's skate) that wouldn't stop bleeding.
Moments later in the undercard, Stephane Matteau and Jim Cummins tied up
along the boards in an even battle. At 11:56, Tony Amonte took advantage
of a disabled Al MacInnis, who's body had got in the way of a hard shot,
and worked in on Fuhr. A sliding save stopped the first shot, but Amonte
put in his own rebound for a 1-0 Chicago lead.
Early in the second period, Twist and Probert met again. This time Probert
didn't want any action and Twist released his grasp. Later that shift, as
Twist went to keep the puck in the Chicago zone, Probert flew in and nailed
Twist with an elbow to the face. An enraged Twist hollered at Probert, but
kept his cool as not to jepardize the St.Louis power play.
The Blues did take advantage of the double-minor for highsticking on Probert
to tie the game at 1-1 as Brett Hull worked in to the side of the net before
sliding a pass over to the incoming Shayne Corson for the goal at 5:52.
Just about two minutes later, both Twist and Probert were back on the ice
and exchanged words before the faceoff, but no action resulted.
Grant Fuhr continued his marvelous work in the net, turning away a flurry
of Chicago power play attempts and then with less than five minutes in the
period, Jeremy Roenick got away with a hard slash on Geoff Courtnall which
escaped referee Bill McCreary.
The Blackhawks went on the power play early in the third period and Gary
Suter fired a shot which deflected off the skate of Peter Zezel to break
the tie at 3:34. Then midway through the period, Jeremy Roenick took an
Amonte pass off and over Fuhr for a goal and a 3-1 lead.
The Chicago assault continued to run through the Blues defense as Chris
Chelios missed on a breakaway, but Amonte flew in for the pass from Roenick
for the goal at 12:18 and fans began to exit their seats. Insult to injury
was added as Bob Probert garnered a goal after being set up by Joe Murphy
to Brent Sutter at 14:01.
Jeremy Roenick notched the final goal of the game just over a minute later,
but paid the price as Geoff Courtnall delivered a clean, hard check which
knocked Roenick unconscious for several minutes. Play finally resumed but
St.Louis was unable to generate any offense despite outshooting Chicago
11/8 in the period.
GAMENOTES: The loss was the third consecutive at home for St. Louis.....Chicago
was outshot 32/21......The Blues were 1/4 during 7:53 of power play, Chicago
was 1/3 for 5:32....The Blues next game is Saturday afternoon in Dallas.
4.1.3 at Dallas (GAME #54: 2.10.96)
The St.Louis Blues snapped a four game winless streak by defeating the Stars
in Dallas on Saturday afternoon. The Blues got things rolling early, when
an odd man rush set up Geoff Courtnall's shorthanded goal.
The score stayed 1-0 until the second period. After Murray Baron pounded
Jason Marshall with three heavy rights-- the third scoring the knockout,
Rob Pearson set up Chris Pronger for the backhand shot over Darcy Wakaluk
for the goal at 10:06. Just under two minutes later, Mike Modano was sentenced
with a misconduct penalty to go along with an unsportsmanlike minor after
going after Pronger. This set up another Blues tally, as Christer Olsson
recorded his first NHL goal with a blast from the point to make the score
3-0.
Early in the third it was Olsson again scoring, but then the Stars came
back with three goals of their own, including a shot from Joe Nieuwendyk
that just trickled under Grant Fuhr. A one-timer from Brett Hull made the
score 5-3 and then Courtnall struck again, working the perfect give and
go with Hull for the final goal at 16:31.
4.1.4 at Florida Panthers (GAME #55: 2.11.96)
The St.Louis Blues continued their southern roadtrip, swinging east for
their first encounter of the season against the Florida Panthers. The matchup
proved to be a good one as the two teams skated to a 2-2 tie.
Spectacular goaltending sparked both teams. Mark Fitzpatrick came up big
early to stop Rob Pearson on a power play set up from Mike Hudson and then
Grant Fuhr returned the favor stoping Belanger twice.
A power play at 7:43 led to the first Florida goal as Ed Jovanovski fired
from the point thru traffic and the puck deflected of the skate of Jay Wells
past Fuhr for the goal. The Blues answered with a power play goal of their
own to open the second period as Christer Olsson stopped a clearing pass
and sent the puck over to an open Al MacInnis. MacInnis walked in from the
top of the right circle and blasted the shot past Fitzpatrick at 1:21.
The offensive struggle continued as great defense and goaltending held up
until Stu Barnes found himself alone at the post as a Florida power play
was just ending. The Blues penalty killers had been stuck on the ice the
entire power play and couldn't react fast enough to Barnes and the Panthers
led 2-1.
At 18:05, it was the power play combination of Olsson and MacInnis teaming
up once again, this time MacInnis floated a shot to the net that Geoff Courtnall
twisted away from, while screening Fitzpatrick. That tied the game at 2-2.
Both teams hada power play in the overtime, but neither was able to score...so
the Blues earned a single point in a hard-fought tie.
4.2 Men's College Basketball Summaries by DOUG BRAY
4.2.1 St. Louis University
On 2.7.96, the Bills lost to Cincinnati 81-49. SLU shot only 35% from the
floor and after trailing 35-27 at halftime, missed their first nine shots
of the second half. A lowlight for SLU was a three possession sequence in
which they failed to move the ball past halfcourt.
The Bearcats opened the second half with 12 consecutive points and pulled
away for the 32 point victory.
Jeff Harris had 13 for SLU, while Jamal Johnson contributed 11. Danny Forston
led Cincinnati with 17 points.
The loss drops the Bills record to 12-8 overall (3-6 in C-USA).
4.2.2 Missouri Tigers
Norm Stewart's Tigers played two games at the Hearnes Center this week.
On 2.7.96, Mizzou defeated Nebraska 99-98. The Tigers held on for the victory
despite blowing a 20 point first-half lead.
The game was tight down to the wire, and Nebraska's Tom Wald hit a 3-pointer
to give NU a 98-97 lead with 12 seconds remmaining in the game. Mizzou's
Kendrick Moore then took the ensuing inbounds pass and was fouled with 7
seconds remaining. Moore hit both free throws, and with plenty of time remaining,
NU's Wald drove to the basket, shot over Jason Sutherland, and clanked the
shot off the front of the rim. The tip-in by Venson Hamilton was unsuccessful...and
Mizzou won it's 12th in a row at home this season.
The usual 13,300 were on hand at Hearnes.
GAMENOTES: Mizzou was 40-47 from the free throw line. Missouri's Jason Sutherland
scored 28 points and was perfect in 14 attempts from the charity stripe.
Other high scorers for the Tigers included Kelly Thames with 16 points,
and Derek Grill and Julian Winfield, each of whom had a dozen.
But Mizzou's biggest win this season came when they defeated third-ranked
Kansas 77-73 on 2.10.96. The Tigers trailed 38-36 at halftime, but came
back in the second half in one of the most competitive games in recent memory
at Hearnes.
With three seconds to go and Mizzou ahead 75-73, Mizzou center Simeon Haley
grabbed a rebound and was fouled. The lanky Haley hit both free throws,
sealing the victory for MIzzou.
GAMENOTES: Jason Sutherland was the high scorer for the Tigers with 18 points.
Julian Winfield and Kelly Thames chipped in 16 and 14 points, respectively.
4.2.3 Illinois
Illinois lost to Big Ten frontrunner Penn State 61-58 on 2.8.96. The tenth-ranked
Nittany Lions were led by Matt Gaudio's 21 points (18 in the second half)
as PSU overcame a 26-20 halftime deficit.
The game was close throughout the second half. But with 1:40 left, Gaudio
hit a bank shot to give PSU a four point lead (57-53). After Jerry Hester
cut the lead to two, the Lions' Dan Earl rebuilt his squad's four point
lead when he hit two free throws with 18.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
Illini Guard Kiwan Garris cut the lead to one when he connected from behind
the three-point line. In short order, though, Gaudio was fouled and hit
two free throws. Garris' final three point attempt, which would have tied
the game, was unsuccessful.
GAMENOTES: Kiwane Garris was the leading scorer for Illinios with 20 points.
Jerry Hester contributed 16 points. The loss leaves Illinois with a record
of 14-8 (3-7 in the Big Ten).
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Blues Statistics (through GAME #55)
PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG
BRETT HULL 47 31 32 63 2 28 11 5 6 0 223 13.9
AL MACINNIS 55 11 32 43 6- 62 6 1 1 1 197 5.6
DALE HAWERCHUK 54 12 27 39 3 22 5 0 1 0 120 10.0
SHAYNE CORSON 55 15 19 34 7 134 11 0 0 1 98 15.3
GEOFF COURTNALL 55 18 13 31 4- 83 5 1 0 0 180 10.0
BRIAN NOONAN 55 9 16 25 1 69 3 1 4 0 96 9.4
CHRIS PRONGER 51 5 15 20 1 77 2 1 1 0 98 5.1
STEPHANE MATTEAU 51 8 9 17 10- 50 4 0 0 1 71 11.3
PETER ZEZEL 36 5 9 14 0 8 1 0 0 0 56 8.9
IGOR KRAVCHUK 42 4 10 14 11- 14 3 0 0 0 110 3.6
CRAIG JOHNSON 44 8 5 13 2- 22 1 0 0 0 69 11.6
ADAM CREIGHTON 39 6 7 13 3- 49 2 0 2 0 60 10.0
MIKE HUDSON 43 4 7 11 2- 41 0 0 0 0 49 8.2
MURRAY BARON 55 1 7 8 6- 130 0 0 0 0 57 1.8
KEN SUTTON 33 0 8 8 11- 41 0 0 0 0 39 0.0
DAVE ROBERTS 22 1 6 7 6- 12 1 0 1 0 30 3.3
ROMAN VOPAT 25 2 3 5 8- 48 1 0 1 0 33 6.1
J.J. DAIGNEAULT 43 1 4 5 6- 30 0 0 0 0 48 2.1
TONY TWIST 33 3 1 4 0 54 0 0 1 0 6 50.0
CHRISTER OLSSON 7 2 2 4 2- 0 2 0 0 0 8 25.0
PATRICE TARDIF 17 2 0 2 2- 12 0 0 1 0 17 11.8
ROB PEARSON 7 0 2 2 1- 18 0 0 0 0 14 0.0
PAUL BROTEN 17 0 1 1 1- 4 0 0 0 0 11 0.0
DALLAS EAKINS 15 0 1 1 3- 32 0 0 0 0 6 0.0
GRANT FUHR 55 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
GREG GILBERT 14 0 1 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 8 0.0
JAY WELLS 52 0 1 1 7- 56 0 0 0 0 18 0.0
FRED KNIPSCHEER 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0.0
BASIL MCRAE 11 0 0 0 1- 20 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
BRUCE RACINE 9 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
JAMIE RIVERS 3 0 0 0 1- 2 0 0 0 0 5 0.0
KEVIN SAWYER 6 0 0 0 2- 23 0 0 0 0 1 0.0
ALEX VASILEVSKLI 1 0 0 0 1- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
Goalie GP M GAA W L T ShO G S Pct.
BRUCE RACINE 9 196 2.14 0 2 0 0 7 86 .919
GRANT FUHR 55 3143 2.86 22 21 10 1 150 1582 .905
STL TOTALS 55 3350 2.85 22 23 10 1 159 1674 .905
6.0 StLSO Media Watch
6.1 KMOX Rumblings I by MARK BAUSCH
Those familiar with the ongoing contract negotiations between Westinghouse
and KMOX (including occasional StLSO contributor Scott Simon) tell St. Louis
Sports Online that the overall situation at St. Louis' premiere radio station
is "grim"..and that some layoffs may be in the offing.
Even occasional KMOX listeners notice the lack of preparedness of many of
KMOX's newest staffers. Indeed, StLSO hears that a substantial portion of
the station's important on-air functions are often in the hands of employees
earning $6.00/hour.
Now, before the e-mail piles up regarding general criticism of those at
the bottom end of this country's pay scale, please remind yourself that
the StLSO writing staff is well-versed in the low pay-scale world of news
and journalism. In other words, low pay doesn't necessarily equal low quality
(we hope!). But KMOX?! The Voice of St. Louis?
It took decades to build KMOX's reputation. It will only take a few months
of additional haphazard programming to eradicate that reputation.
I'm afraid that the clock is already ticking on that one. KMOX's quality
is already dropping...and this listener is at a loss to explain the utter
stupidity of KMOX's top management. Arguments along the lines that "people
prefer FM"...or "people prefer TV"...or "the Cardinals
haven't won the pennant in years"...or "things are different now"...or
"Bob Hyland's dead now" cover up the fact that those in charge
of KMOX have, through their (in)action, dismantled what may have been the
pre-eminent full-service radio station in the United States.
Sure...times have changed. But the best in any endeavor not only respond
quickly to changing times...they sometimes catalyze those very changes.
Maybe Westinghouse and KMOX GM Rod Zimmerman can turn things around.
If our e-mail is any barometer, StLSO readers from around the US hope they
can.
6.2 Radio Chatter and KMOX Rumblings II by SCOTT SIMON
Jacor Broadcasting of Cincinnati has purchased the Noble Broadcasting Group
of San Diego, acquiring its 12 stations for $152 million, which includes
KATZ-AM, and KMJM/KNJZ-FM in St. Louis.
What does this fact have to do with sports...and with St. Louis sports in
particular?
The merger could be an indication of more acquisitions by Jacor in St. Louis,
and nationwide, based on the profile of stations they own and operate, and
recent changes in federal telecommunication laws.
Jacor secured a $300 million loan for station acquisitions, and is a strong
group owner of news and information stations, such as KOA-AM in Denver,
and WLW-AM in Cincinnati. It has $148 million remaining for that purpose
after the Noble acquisition.
St. Louis' number one station in audience and advertising revenue is "News/Talk
1120" KMOX-AM, owned since its inception by CBS, and recently acquired
by Group W.
Sources tell me that last Friday's visit to KMOX by new CBS radio executives
revealed that while they are pleased with the operation and presence of
the station, they are concerned about its profit margin, compared to other
stations in the new CBS group. KMOX general manager Rod Zimmerman has cut
back several part-time on air personalities in recent weeks to increase
profits.
Westinghouse executives are open to selling companies to pay for the debt
service of acquiring CBS for $5.4 billion last year. They spun off their
highly profitable nuclear and defense companies in the last six months in
response to their CBS purchase.
Under the new telecommunication laws recently passed by Congress, Jacor
could buy KMOX and co-owned KLOU-FM, adding them to their trifecta of Noble
stations, giving them two AM
No one at CBS or Jacor/Noble is talking about such a possibility, but three
media analysts at A.G. Edwards and Edward Jones brokerage groups headquartered
in St. Louis compare it to what is happening in soft-drink and beer retailing.
"Soda and beer companies introduce new brands to steal shelf space
at the store from the competition," said a senior analyst at Edward
Jones. "The new direction in broadcasting is buy and merge, stealing
audience space from smaller competitors."
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
*Matt writes-
My great-uncle is the great Frankie Frisch. I would love to be on your mailing
list.
*Ronnie May writes from Oklahoma--
Would you please put me on your online mailing list. I live in Mcalester,
Oklahoma and really like the Cardinals.
*Paul and Kelly write from California-
Just wanted to say thank you for the 1995 review and calender. It's great!
My wife and I have already been through most of it, re-living and re-debating
all the highlights and lowlights from the past year. And the calender is
first rate.
*Greg Derrick writes--
Just ran across [St. Louis Sports Online]. Great product! I've followed
St. Louis sports my whole life and especially like the Blues (since 1968)
and the Cardinals (since about '64). Also like anything on Mizzou basketball.
There's no hope for the Blues until/unless they get rid of Keenan. The guy's
a nut. Getting rid of Shanahan and Joseph was appalling. Good mileage so
far from Grant Fuhr but he obviously can't carry the load by himself, and
I'd expect him to run out of gas as the season wears on. Best wishes and
thanks.
8.0 StLSO Editorials
8.1 Personal Foul: Charlie Tuna on Channel 5
The HIV-AIDS epidemic has been in the news again recently.
For one thing, Magic Johnson returned to the NBA, nearly five years after
announcing that he had contracted the HIV.
Also in the news--an HIV treament protocol that includes a combination of
AZT and protease inhibitors appears to show some promise as far as eradicating
the virus within the body of an infected person.
And recently-released statistics indicate that the "growth" of
the disease within the United States population appears to have stalled.
But despite these positive developments, AIDS is still among the leading
causes of death among young people in the United States. In other words,
HIV and AIDS are not to be trifled with.
With that in mind, let's go to last Sunday's sports wrap-up show on KSDK-TV
(Channel 5). The show, hosted by sports anchor Mike Bush, goes by the name
"Sports Plus".
An integral part of the Sports Plus show is the "In The Pit" segment.
While "In The Pit", St. Louis-area sportsmedia personalities conduct
short roundtable discussions on the issues of the day.
Last Sunday, one of the topics discussed by moderator Frank Cusumano and
panelists Charlie "Tuna" Edwards (an area radio personality) and
Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon included Magic Johnson's return to the
NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.
At the conclusion of their discussion, Cusumano wondered out loud about
the sexual attitudes and behavior exhibited by today's professional athletes.
Gordon chipped in with comments about today's athlete having to learn to
say no to a platter of opportunities that most males only fantasize about.
Cusumano then asked Tuna whether or not Johnson's disease, and the whole
AIDS issue, had changed the sexually-related behavior of today's athletes.
Tuna's response? "I think they changed their behavior for about three
days. Then they went back to the same old thing."
Tuna, while laughing, then closed the discussion of this topic. "Hey,
[the threat of AIDS] hasn't changed my behavior either," he said.
Outrageous comments on sports-related talk shows are the norm. We've all
heard them...and most outrageous sports comments are harmless. Because let's
face it...sports talk, like most of sports, is like cotton candy.
But HIV and AIDS are different. And I suspect Charlie Tuna knows that, too.
His flippant comments regarding AIDS should result in his immediate banishment
from Channel 5's airwaves...or at least a lengthy suspension
StLSO readers--your comments?
8.2 All-Star Game Fireworks
Our oldest daughter was born at exactly 8:01 pm, July 15, 1986, an arrival
that coincided with the early innings of that year's All-Star game. So it's
not hard for this baseball fan to remember that All-Star games, at least
in the mid 1980's, were contested in mid-July.
A glance at the 1996 baseball schedule reveals that this season's All-Star
game is scheduled to be played one week earlier (July 9) than the 1986 contest.
And a check of the record books reveals that the July 9 date is more in
line with the July 8-10 dates of the mid-summer classic games of the 1950's
and 1960's.
The one-week earlier date of the All-Star game (along with an April 1 Opening
Day/Night for most teams) is most likely due to the extra tier of playoffs
tacked onto the end of the regular season. In other words, if things don't
get underway at such an early date, a seven-game World Series might extend
into November!
In addition, if this year's All-Star game was played on July 15, most big-league
teams would have played 90-92 games prior to what is commonly referred to
as the mid-point in baseball's regular season...a total substantially greater
than the 81 games that defines exactly 50% of a 162 game schedule.
So moving the All-Star game a week earlier in the season makes good sense.
Kudos to baseball's braintrust for what appears to be a sound decision.
But has baseball gone far enough?
Baseball fans, when not sickened by the sport's continuing labor problems
and its infatuation with everything financial, eventually return to the
game's simple truths: its symmetry, natural beauty, and snug fit with North
America's summertimes.
Furthermore, the warm-weather Memorial, Independence, and Labor Day holidays
provide convenient reference points for baseball fans in the United States.
Think about it for a minute. Baseball seasons can be broken into four holiday-bracketed
segments: (a) Opening Day to Memorial Day; (b) Memorial Day to Independence
Day; (c) Independence Day to Labor Day; and (d) the post-Labor Day home
stretch that leads to the playoffs and World Series. Such a delineation
would seem even more plausible if baseball's All-Star game was played on
July 4.
A July 4 All-Star game. Sound farfetched? This year, most baseball teams
will have played 80-82 games through the months of April, May, and June.
An early July break would truly be at the halfway point of the season.
But does it make sense to play the All-Star game on Independence Day?
Despite football's seemingly insurmountable advantage (at least as far as
TV ratings are concerned) and basketball's newfound reputation as the planet's
most popular sport, baseball is truly America's Pastime.
The fact that day-of-game tickets can still be had for a few bucks is reason
enough to justify baseball's claim that it remains America's most popular
family spectator sport.
And imagine if baseball's All-Star game were played during a Super Bowl-style
time slot (i.e. a late-afternoon starting time) on July 4...preceded on
July 3rd by the host city's outdoor celebration of the intertwined history
of baseball and the United States.
The game itself could be followed by a major league fireworks presentation
in full view of the All-Star game's participants, in-person spectators,
as well as a national TV audience.
An Independence Day All-Star game makes such good sense...doesn't it seem
obvious that baseball would showcase its stars on America's Day?
Let's see. Objections anyone?
You say that the 28 major league teams look forward to the attendance bonanza
that they realize on July 4...and that the 14 teams that host July 4 games
don't want to lose those revenues?
At least as far as the Cardinals are concerned...that dog don't hunt. Specifically,
in 1994 the Cards played at home on July 3, 4, and 5. The attendance on
those dates (35,093; 24,627; and 26,840) was right in line with that season's
average home attendance figures (31,636 in 59 home dates).
1994's rather uninspiring attendance numbers on the July 4th holiday continued
in 1995, as the Cardinals once again played at Busch on July 3, 4, and 5...drawing
paid crowds of 25,644, 21,744, and 20,196 on those dates. For the 1995 season,
the Busch Stadium attendance numbers were 1,748,709 for 71 dates (an average
of 24,629).
So the 1995 July 4 holiday was no bonanza for the host Cards or the visiting
Expos, either.
So you say that baseball shouldn't interfere with the traditional celebration
of our nation's birthday? Not. Baseball is a part of America. All-Star related
events, carried out in a tasteful manner, would only heighten most Americans'
sense of history on that day.
It is our opinion that a July 4 All-Star game would be a good start if baseball
wants to fortify its position as America's Pastime...
Any comments from StLSO readers?