St. Louis Sports Online #58 (2.20.96)

The Online Source for St. Louis Sports

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 #58 includes the usual News and Notes, Sports Shorts, and Game Recap stories, as well as feature articles from StLSO senior writer Jim Hunstein and Riverfront Times hockey writer Randy Hu. Hunstein's piece on the 1996 Cardinals...and Hu's interview with former Blues chairman Mike Shanahan ...are two of the finer articles we've published. As usual, Doug Bray and Evan Pedersen again write about the local college basketball scene, Blues beat writer Brian Stull summarizes three Blues games, and Scott Simon continues to inform StLSO readers with the latest in sportradio media news. St. Louis Sports Online can be reached at StLSports@aol.com and via FAX (618-457-5691). E-mail 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.96.3 CONTENTS 1.0 StLSO News and Notes 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 Washington University Volleyball Update by JIM HUNSTEIN 2.6 StLSO Quote of the Week 2.7 StLSO Headline of the Week 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 The 1996 Cardinals: Then and Now by JIM HUNSTEIN 3.2 The Lists by JIM HUNSTEIN 3.3 The Other Shanahan by RANDY HU 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 #58) 6.0 StLSO Media Watch 6.1 Mass Terminations at KMOX by SCOTT SIMON 6.2 Big Shoes to Fill at KMOX by MARK BAUSCH 6.3 KMOX Dollars and Sense by SCOTT SIMON 7.0 StLSO Interactivity 8.0 StLSO Editorial St. Louis Sports Online FEBRUARY.96.31.0 StLSO News and NotesWith Geoff Courtnall out because of multiple fractures in his left thumb, the Blues and Mike Keenan are in a low-key yet mad-cap search for some scoring punch. Unfortunately for the Blues, Keenan's big-ticket free agent acquisitions (Shayne Corson, Geoff Courtnall, and Dale Hawerchuk), combined with the Kiel Center Partners' mandate to keep the salary budget under control, have reduced his flexibility as far as trades are concerned. Big-ticket players such as Buffalo's Pat LaFontaine are available...and Keenan is more than interested in a player such as LaFontaine, but his $4+ million dollar yearly salary makes him only an expensive dream for the budget-conscious Blues. Can you picture Mike Keenan, hat in hand, trying to persuade the Kiel Center Partners for some extra salary funds? At spring training the Cardinals braintrust has been excited about two young righthanders: Matt Morris (last year's first round draft choice) and Eric Ludwick. Ludwick, who was acquired in the Bernard Gilkey trade with the Mets, is a 6-5 righthander who struck out 131 batters in 142.1 innings at Binghamton last season. Cards GM Walt Jocketty notes that new pitching coach Dave Duncan is ecstatic about the young arms in the Cards organization. As spring camp opens, no one knows for sure how the Ozzie Smith/Royce Clayton situation is going to play out...although rumors persist that Ozzie may be involved in the new Cardinals ownership group. Would such a role entice Ozzie to end his playing career prior to the end of the '96 season? Only Ozzie knows for sure. By the time you read this, Bryan Cox will have signed a multi-year contract with the Bears. The Rams QB situation continues to lurk below the surface of the Rams business this off-season. The big-name free agent QB out there? Jeff George. Remember this: George is a midwesterner...he likes playing in domes...and may have worn out his welcome in Atlanta. Says here that George in a Rams uniform would be a marked improvement over anything the Rams could put together this spring in their search to upgrade the quarterback position. The Ambush defeated the Kansas City Attack 15-4 Monday afternoon in a match that bodes well for the Ambush in their efforts to defend their NPSL championship. Good luck to Daryl Doran and the boys. 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts 2.1 Blues Banter by BRIAN STULL Geoff Courtnall is to undergo surgery on his broken left thumb on Monday morning. Courtnall, when asked about the slash by Edmonton's Dave (Charlie) Manson, was rather outspoken in his comments. "He better get suspended for a while. I mean, he's a pretty dirty player, he's always using his stick....with the seriousness of this injury it's pretty disappointing.".......BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE: "I just decided in my head to quit hesitating," - Chris Pronger explaining his recent agressive play.......ARE YOU KIDDING?: "Well, tell him to stop letting in soft goals," - Brett Hull after being told Nikolai Khabibulin said his second period goal was soft......FINALLY: Nice to see Murray Baron getting his due as a the Blues most consistent defenseman.....UP NEXT: The Blues face off at home against Ottawa on Tuesday.


*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    W 3-2  Hull: 1G
57 Fri     16   DETROIT                   W 4-3  4 3rd period Gs
58 Sun     18   WINNIPEG                  W 3-0  Fuhr sharp 
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 Update by JIM HUNSTEIN We all know that the turf is gone from Busch and sod is now being warmed by electricity provided by Union Electric. But that's not all the powers that be have in mind. The other major change on the plant is the removal, yes removal, of 903 bleacher seats. That leaves 3,739 remaining. But don't worry about the Redbird coffers. They won't be losing money; those $5 seats will be replaced with $14 to $100 premium seats. The added revenue could mean as much as $35,555 more per game for the Cardinals. That could add up to nearly $3 million a year. The new seating arrangements include the following: *186 club seats behind home plate. They will run $8,100 per year and can only be bought as season tickets. For nearly a C-note a game, though, you get valet parking, access to a new club lounge with unlimited food and drink (presumably paying for it all) and waitress service throughout the games. *408 dugout-level seats located along the first and third base lines for about $25 a game. *803 field box seats, which will be behind the dugout-level seats. They will go for $14 a game. These will bring the total number of field boxes to 9,214. But in a seemingly unprecedented move among pro sports franchises, the team is going to lower some prices. Specifically for children's tickets. They have been cut to $6 for terrace reserved and $2 for general admission. These moves will bring the Busch Stadium seating capacity to 57,673. That's up 595 from last year. The main reason for the added seats is that the stadium will be used exclusively for baseball; it's no longer a multi-sport facility. 2.3 Rams Update Inside linebacker and running back are the Rams top priorities in the free-agent market as well as the upcoming college draft. Michigan's Tim Biakabutuka is rumored to be high on the Rams list, should he be available at the Rams' first-round position (13th). With Bryan Cox in Dave Wannstedt's clutches in Chicago, the Rams will turn their attention to Tampa Bay's Hardy Nickerson, who is also an unrestricted free agent. The Rams are likely to offer Nickerson a two-year deal. 2.4 St. Louis University Update by EVAN PEDERSEN After the Bills defeated Florida Atlantic, Jeff Harris was the voice of reason. "A win is a win," said Harris. But Harris must have known that the looks on the Billikens faces told a story of frustration, indecision, and doubt. When you've just been drilled in your last two games by a total of 49 points, the confidence begins to wane. Confidence is the defining line between good teams and bad teams at the Division I level. Sure the Michigans, North Carolinas and Kentuckys of the world seem to be overflowing with NBA draft picks, but the teams that win 20 games and make it to the NCAA tournament are always the teams that believe in themselves and their ability to perform, not matter what the talent level. Why do you think there are always so many upsets in the tournament every year. Spoonhour's teams have never been top heavy with athletic ability. What they have had, especially the last two years, is the supreme confidence that they would not lose. There had been stretches earlier this year where the Bills have had that look about them, but not lately. And certainly not vs. Florida Atlantic. Spoonhour tried everything he could early to get off to a good start. Freshman Jamall Walker started in place of Vergil Cobbin to give the Bills a 3 guard look. After several minutes of erratic play, his first substitution was seldom used Paul Nondas, who has shown some scoring spark in the last two games. "The most overrated thing-other than home cooking-is coaching strategy," said Spoonhour, "The guys will decide when they want to play." As the second half began, the Bills strategy was to get the ball inside to Jamal Johnson and Harris, taking advantage of their bigger and stronger inside game. They scored three straight baskets to take a six point lead, but then had three defensive breakdowns to slip back into a tie. Finally, with 11 minutes to play in the game, the Bills scored 10 straight points, punctuated by Johnsons miss and follow up dunk to make the score 50-40. They sputtered their way the rest of the game and won by only 10. When asked if he felt that stretch was the turning point in the game Harris bluntly said, "No, the turning point was when we couldn't take a six-point lead to 12, or a 12-point lead to 17. We just can't hold a lead." The crowd of 16,908 didn't see much to make noise about. In fact, the biggest ovation came for the Baby Blues dance team when, after unsuccessfully attempting their routine twice because of no music, and too short of a time out, they finally got to dance during the last timeout of the game. 2.5 Washington University Volleyball Update by JIM HUNSTEIN Shelley Swan, senior middle blocker for Washington University's women's volleyball team, was named the Asics/Volleyball [Magazine] NCAA Division III player of the year. Teammate junior setter Stephanie Habif was also named first team All American. Senior outside hitter Nikki Gitlin was named second team All-American and freshman middle blosker Jennifer Martz was named third team All-American. Other top honors went to local talent. Home girl Kristin Folkl, outside hitter for Stanford, was named first team NCAA Division I All-American. This is her second year in a row for the honor. She continues in her quest to make the national women's team for the Olympics this summer in Atlanta. She got the call from Coach Terry Liskevych right before Christmas while she was outside her St. Louis home shoveling snow. 2.6 StLSO Quote of the Week On KMOX's airwaves Tuesday night: "I really wanted to play for the Cardinals this year, but they never returned my call," said Andy Van Slyke. 2.7 StLSO Headline of the Week "MOXie Tested: Will Cuts Tone Down 'Sports Voice of America' ", from the 2.19.96 Post-Dispatch. 3.0 StLSO Features3.1 The 1996 Cardinals: Then and Now by JIM HUNSTEIN I was browsing around a used book store adn discovered an old friend. It was a book that got me through a cold winter in anticipation of an exciting spring and very successful summer. No...it wasn't a self-help book, nor an inspiring biography of a rags-to-riches hero. It was the 1991 Rotisserie League Baseball Official Rulebook and Draft Day Guide. It is subtitled as "the only book you need to win at Rotisserie League!" Of course, back then, it was one of the few. Now you can hardly swing a dead cat in a book store without knocking over a stack of guide books. But this was the one that worked for me then. I had just come off the second year in our fantasy league, one in which my beloved Parrot Heads jumped from last place in the inaugural season of 1989 to first place in 1990. I was preparing to defend my title and I studied this book just about every day through February and March up until our draft in early April right after Opening Day. When I saw this book in the 99-cent bin, I grabbed it. It was fun to read through some of the entries and see if six years had turned the writers into geniuses or idiots. (A little of both.) But I also wanted to see what to see what they had to say about the new ration of Redbirds. (For those keenly interested, I was able to repeat as the king of our Bob League. Yes, that's the name of the league.) And to aid in the comparison, I also consulted a current fantasy league guide, one which I use for scouting nowadays. (The Parrot Heads are once again the defending Bob League champs, having stayed in first from wire to wire in 1995.) This one is The Sporting News Fantasy Baseball 1996 Owners Manual. What I will do here is compare the 1991 predictions with the 1996 predictions. I won't cite stats unless they are pertinent to the discussion. But I will include the dollar values assigned to the players both then and now. These are the relative values for the players based on calculations at least at complicated as quarterback ratings or average daily interest rates on used cars. A players has to have played a certain amount ot qualify for any fantasy value, so some may have $0. Nothing personal. Many of the players now on the roster weren't in the majors in 1991 or, in the case of Brian Jordan, not in baseball at all. Those guys are designates as NYOTS; Not Yet On The Scene. And I will only be comparing the most prominent players, not the entire 40-man roster. For one thing, I don't have it in front of me and I'll be happy to remember the guys listed. It should be noted that most of the player profiles contained in the 1991 book are written for the entertainment of the writer and may or may not actually contain hard, cold scouting tips. But they can also be brutally honest. Also, the 1996 book provides "projected roles" for each player, which we have conveniently plagarized and included herein. They are labeled appropriately enough "PR". I have also liberally sprinkled in a few comments sepaated from the quotes by {} brackets. STARTING PITCHERS: Andy Benes: *1991; $4 How would you like to have a staff with the three best starters on the 1988 US Olympic team: Benes, Jim Abbott, and Ben McDonald? As far as Benes is concerned...he has a chance to win the Cy Young some day. *1996: $10. Big and strong, Benes should have a better record than 76-77 after six full major league seasons. Some of that can be blamed on bad Padre teams. {And an ERA that has steadily climbed treed coon.} PR: A starter somewhere, but not Seattle. Alan Benes: *1991; NYOTS. *1996: The younger brother of Andy Benes, Alan (who is 6'5") is projected to be every bit as good. {"Good" being a relative term.} He can be overpowering and has good control. PR: Ultimately a No. 1 or No. 2 starter. Mike Morgan: *1991: $5. Now entering his 11th year and he has yet to have a winning year. The Athletics, Yankees, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Orioles gave up on him and the Didgers will soon. So should you. *1996: $2 Although he is 42 games under .500 for his career, he is a solid third or fourth starter capable of starting 27-30 games a year. He does have a propensity for injury. Morgan generally keeps the ball in the ball park and if he stays with the Cards, he will be a more effective pitcher on grass {mainly because he will think he's out there so much longer than he really is} because he keeps the ball low. PR: This probably will be Morgan's last year as a starter. Danny Jackson: *1991 $8 A lifetime .500 pitcher with one good season out of six and a tender arm. So why do we love this guy? *1996: $0 Jackson is ready to rebound from a disasterous 1995 season which was short-circuited by an ankle injury. [Editors note: said injury will keep him sidelined for a month or so into the season.] Whenever he has had a bad year, he generally has bounced back. In 1987 he was 9-18; in 1988 23-8. {See the aformentioned one good year.} PR: As a No. 2 or No. 3 starter, a healthy Jackson could get 30-35 starts and win 12-15 games. Donovan Osborne: *1991: NYOTS. *1996: $6 Last year was a frustrating one for Osborne, who needed 15 starts to win his first game. {Shades of Anthony Young.} But at least he proved that his arm problems - which forced him to miss the 1994 season - were a thing of the past. PR: For the first time in his career, Osborne should make 30-35 starts. Todd Stottlemyre: *1991: $4 He seems older than Mel Stottlemyre Jr., but he isn't. {Under Mel, Jr., they say "He'll never be as good as Todd is, but he'll always bee much younger than Mel, Sr.} *1996: $7 Eight years into his major league career, Stottlemyre may have reached the upper ecelon of big-league starters. He nearly doubled his previous high in strikeouts (116-205) and could have won 18 games had the Oakland bullpen not blown four leads he left them with. {Bet he'll be meeting Eckersley at the airport with a big ol' bunch of flowers if the Cards trade for him.} PR: Starter somewhere. RELIEF PITCHERS Gregg Olson {not to be confused with washed-up catcher One-G Greg Olson} *1991: $36 What can you say about the man's curve ball? That he's the best with a hammer since the fat guy on "This Old House"? That he throws a bender that ain't never returned to sender? That he'll do it for another decade or so? All of this, and more. *1996: $3 {no, that's not a typo} Until a sore elbow struck in late 1993, Olson rang up 160 saves for the Orioles. The Royals bought him from the Indians last Jusy and he pitched well (3.26 ERA, three wins, three saves). In his last outing, though, Olson reinjurd his elbow and his future is cloudy. {Of course, guys with bum elbows are welcomed, if not created, in St. Louis, where Olson willbe wecomed with open-sling arms.} PR: If healthy, setup man or closer somewhere. John Frascatore: *1991: NYOTS. *1996: $0. After several years of debate, it finally has been decided that Frascatore will be a reliever and not a starter {nor a pasta}. The prevailing logic is that his two-pitch repertoire (fastball and slider) is best used in the bullpen. That pitch combination, along with his competitiveness, might make him a big-league closer some day. PR: A setup man for now. TJ Mathews: *1991: NYOTS. *1996: $2 Nearly out of nowhere {you might say from "no where" to "now here".}, he established himself as the premier setup man last year. His unusual delivery {C-section?} and sharp slider made him tough on right-handed hitters. He is strong enough to pitch two or three days in succession {assuming the Cards can ever win two or three in row} or two innings at a time. PR: He'll start the year a a setup man but could evolve into a closer by the end of the year. CATCHERS Tom Pagnozzi: *1991 $3 The Cardinals are intent on making Todd Zeile a third baseman {remember that?}, which leaves the job to Pagnozzi. A look at his minor league stats reveal that he has hit when given the chance. He went to Rincon High School in Tuscon. Geez, if they're going to name a high school after a Cardinals pitcher who never lived up to expectations, they should have called it Fulgham High. *1996: $1. Pagnozzi suffered a disabling knee injury for the third season in a row in 1995 and had his worst season in six years. {Maybe since being given the job.} If healthy - a big question these days - he should catch 120 games and .250 with 45-50 RBI. PR: Because of his excellent throwing arm, still a No. 1 catcher. Pat Borders: *1991 $10 The dinger output surprised us, we have to admit. Guy goes from 241 to 346 AB and his homers jump from 3 to 15. That's more than he ever hit in a minor league season. Late bloomer or career year? {The latter.} *1996: $1. A huge disappointment after coming to Houston from KC in an August trade, Borders only hit .144 with no RBI in 35 AB for th Astros. In addition, his defense seemed to have sagged significantly. PR: It would be hard to envision him in a starting role anywhere, but he might hook on as a reserve. INFIELD 1B John Mabry: *1991: NYOTS. {Barely on the scene now.} *1996: $5 A late-season power surge suggests that Mabry could put up the kind of numbers a regular first baseman should. He appears capable of hitting 15 homers and driving in 70 runs. Though he has little speed, he should be able to hit .280. PR: Because he hits lefthanders well, he could play everyday. Otherwise, he is a strong platoon players against righthanders. 2B Geronimo Pena: *1991 $0 (Listed in a special secion "New Kids on the Block") The "Help wanted" sign in Busch Stadium in 1991 will be a major factor. Pena showed his raw speed with 80 SB at the A level in 1987. He was also listed as a long shot for 1991. *1996: $4. After being on the DL seven times with injuries as a Cardinal, Pena's future as a regular player in uncertain. Yes, he still has power and some speed, but he probably will never be the player he was once forecast to be. PR: He still could be a regular second baseman for some team. But Pena is very injury-prone. {Which is like saying the Arch is very silver-prone.} 2B Mike Gallego: *1991: $1 Played as many games as Walt Weiss did last year, but that's where the statistical comparison ends. More valuable in their games than in ours, but that's the way the Rotissecookie crumbles. *1996: $1 No longer an everyday player, he should catch on with some team as a back-up infielder. He possesses little power or speed {but then neither does Pena on the bench hurt.} and he figures to bat fewer than 150 times unless he is pressed into fulltime duty. {Gee, what are the odds.} SS Ozzie Smith: *1991: $15 He may be the Was-ard of Oz {their words, not ours} now, but he is still a first-rate offensive shortstop. If you happened to catch one of his talk shows on cable last year {remember that?}, you'll know he's not about to retire to go head-to-head with Johnny or Arsenio. {Who?} *1996: $1 This is surely Smith's lst year as a regular player. He is still solid defensively, but he has lost his basestealing speed and no longer can be counted on for more than 10 steals a season. PR: {Besides his middle name} Smith will try to play 100 games and bat 400 times. {The key wager for the Cards: Who will have more ABs? Pena or Smith?} SS Royce Clayton: *1991: NYOTS *1996: $13 Clayton's batting average [.244] was disappointing, but he hit well in the clutch. He has developed into a consistent basestealer and the Giants believe he has the potential to hit near .300 with 10-15 homers. {Presumably, so do the Cards.} PR: Starting shortstop. 3B Gary Gaetti: *1991 $17 Rotisserie Jeopardy. Answer: 34, 31, 28, 19, 16. Question: What are Gaetti's homer totals for the past five years? This is not what stockbrokers would call an encouraging trend line. If you want to bet that he's going to rekindle the fire in his belly and restore the belt to his bat, be our guest. *1996: $16 Supposedly washed up three years ago, Gaetti has put together three strong seasons for the Royals and last year was a monster. Manager Bob Boone couldn't afford to keep him out of the line-up and that might have contributed to a deep slump in the last two weeks. At 37, he probably will get more days off this season. PR: If the Royals can resign him, he figures as their cleanup hitter. OUTFIELD Ray Lankford: *1991: $15. The reason the Cardinals let Willie McGee go. Or maybe Bernard Gilkey was the reason. [Lankford was projected on the 1991 Rookie All Star team and an NL best prospect for 1993.] *1996: $25 Lankford has all the attributes you'd want in a player: power, speed, and the ability to drive in runs. But he sometimes goes into strikeout binges {you read it here first!} that takes him into the .260s. If more disciplined, Lankford will hit 25 homers, drive in 85 runs, and steal 30 bases. He could hit as high as .280. PR: A more-than-adequate center fielder, he can bat first, third, fourth, or fifth in any line-up. Brian Jordan: *1991: NYOTS; NFL *1996: $21 An emerging superstar for the Cardinals, Jordan has power and speed and can hit for average. He potentially is a 30-homer, 30-steals guy who is capable of hitting .295 to .315. The sky's the limit for him {meaning the only thing he can't do is fly the charter.} PR: He'll play either right field or center field and bat third or fourth. Ron Gant: *1991: $36. Last spring, Gant showed up in spring training looking like Mr. Olympia. {That's when it started.} The Braves immediately expressed their concern that he might not be able to bet around on pitches with those muscles in the way. One of us went north with that news and, armed with the fact that he had hit ,177 the year before while trying a new position, we virtually ignored him in our draft. What fools we mortals be! This is a prime example of "too much knowledge is a dangerous thing." *1996: $30 After missing all of 1994 with a broken leg, Gant came back in a big way last year for the Reds, making bid for MVP honors until his production fell off late in he season. Whether he'll be with the Reds is hard to say {no it isn't}, but the odds are he'll make another run at a 30-30 season. PR: Starting leftfielder somewhere. Willie McGee: *1991: $25. A late-season trade gave Willie a chance to join teammates Dave Henderson, Willie Randolph, Dave Stewart, and Bob Welch among active players with four World Series appearances. *1996: $4 The two-time NL batting champ joined the Red Sox in June as a free agent and started with a bang. He was strong offensively, made all the catches, and ran reasonably well. Then he hit a wall and seemed to fall off in all three areas. He doesn't figure to return to Boston. {Darn the luck.} PR: A utility outfielder in his 15th major league season. 3.2 The Lists by JIM HUNSTEIN 3.2.1 Top 10 Signs Mike Keenan Has Gone Nuts 10. Took up voodoo and has been seen with lots of pins and a little Shanahan doll 9. Forgot the second coat of wax on Chuck Knight's Yugo 8. Bought a round of beers for his pals in the press box 7. Has vowed not to change the oil in his hair until the team wins four in a row 6. Traded the Dog Museum to North Carolina for a handful of magic beans 5. Took away Grant Fuhr's Deal-A-Meal program 4. Wants to be called Mandingo 3. Waltzed right into the Shop 'n' Save and stripped the C from Cap'n Crunch 2. Tried to trade himself 1. Actually smiled once 3.2.2 Top 10 Reasons For So Many Overtime Blues Games 10. Give Pronger more time to prove himself 9. Show Gretzky they got some legs 8. Figure sudden death games might croak off the Towel Guy 7. The only revenge for lousy airline food is to make the crew late 6. Playing motivational tapes of Ernie "Let's Play Two" Banks 5. Merely an attention-getting devise to try to make people forget about how exciting the Cards are going to be 4. Bribed by channel 11 because the games are their only ratings winners 3. Love to play for that man Mike. Not! 2. Thought it was overtime pay, not play 1. More fun to play in overtime because no penalties are called3.3 The Other Shanahan by RANDY HU When Mike Shanahan took over as chairman of the Blues in 1986, he quickly became one of the most beloved sports figures in all of St. Louis. His enthusiasm for sports and his devotion to hockey fans were unparalleled. Though forced to resign by the Kiel Center Partners last summer, Shanahan refuses to burn any bridges, though I sense he is somewhat bitter. Due to changes in corporate thinking, Shanahan never fit in with the ego-laden, closed-door Kiel Boys club. Always accessible to Blues fans, he helped elevate hockey mania in St. Louis to the fever pitch of today. Similar to Mark Lamping of the Cardinals, Shanahan truly believes in listening and talking with the fan on the street. "You could have the greatest product on the field, but if no one wants to buy it, what good is it?" Shanahan asked. "We essentially let the fans design our product. From signing Brett Hull, Scott Stevens, Brendan Shanahan, to Curtis Joseph, the fans were into our decision making. The Stanley Cup was the objective, but our job was to entertain the fans also. Thereís been a philosophy change, but that's their privilege. I just approached it differently." As CEO of Engineered Support Systems in Olivette, he maintains a hectic schedule. In a candid interview, Shanahan speaks out on his life after hockey. Hu: How have you been doing, both on a personal and professional basis? Shanahan: Personally, it's sorted out quite good. Mary Ann and I, plus our family, have had more time to do the things that we've wanted to do for years, but weren't able to because of the commitment to hockey and other civic things. Likewise, business has never been better. Things are happening in a very rapid pace in our industry for the better. Hu: Do you miss being around hockey and the players? Shanahan: I've always enjoyed the game and the relationships with the players weíve had. Unfortunately, there aren't many players remaining that I know. I run into Hull, (Al) MacInnis, (Murray) Baron, Basil McRae and some of the others from time to time. They're all fine young men and I wish them all the best. Hu: Have you been down to the Kiel Center for a game this season? Shanahan: I haven't attended a game all year because I've been busy doing other things. Hu: What do you think of the way the Blues have been run since you left? Shanahan: I probably shouldní't make any comment on the way they (Kiel Partners) are operating the team. I don't want to start World War III. I wish them all the best. They have their way of doing things and I had mine. Hu: Why has Mike Keenan's team struggled this year? Shanahan: It's hard to say. In any situation where there is a high turnover of personnel, thereís always a settling in period. You'd hope that could happen in hockey before the playoffs, otherwise you'd be in trouble. Hu: How about them Blues fans? Shanahan: I still see a number of them around town and enjoy the rapport that developed over my nine years. They've were always very, very good to me. I miss seeing them on a regular basis, but I still see many of them. Looking back, we'll always treasure the relationship with the fans and our family. Hu: Do you think Brett Hull will retire a St. Louis Blue? Shanahan: I hope so. Looking back during my involvement with the team, one of the major milestones was Brett coming to St. Louis and making major contributions by exciting the fans, scoring goals and being a personality here in town that the fans could relate to. He's a very important part of the Blues tradition, and in the team's 29-year history, he has to stand out as one of the best players ever to wear the Bluenote. I think it would be great if he could finish his career here. I happen to be very fond of him. Hu: What about the speculation that Wayne Gretzky will be traded to St. Louis? Shanahan: I don't know what he would bring to the team that we didn't already have last year and traded away. Ií'm a little confused as to how that would work. I don't know if it would make sense to the Blues or Gretzky. Hu: You grew up a big baseball fan. Did you offer to buy the Cardinals when they were up for sale? Shanahan: I didn't initiate any discussions, but they did approach me with a proposal. Hu: Would you be interested in getting back into sports management? Shanahan: Not really. I never had a burning desire in the first place. I was asked to do it more as a civic gesture to help keep and build the Blues here. It was a team effort by many people in the Blues organization. Some are still there, some aren't. I think we built something that was special. That pretty much did it for me. I'm enjoying my life and business now. With friends, family, and grandchildren, I really don't need it. Hu: What are some of your favorite memories? Shanahan: Getting to know Dan Kelly, one of the greatest announcers in hockey, ranks up there. Plus, the great players, the special relationships with people in the organization, again, the fans and different games that were a lot of fun. It hit us at the right time for our family. It was a lot of fun and now, it's over. EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Hu is the hockey writer for The Riverfront Times and 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 Tampa Bay (GAME #56: 2.13.96) The St.Louis Blues wrapped up their road trip with a solid 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The victory improved the Blues record to .500 and 5-2-4 in their last eleven road games. Brett Hull notched his 32nd goal of the year at 1:19 in the first period, stealing the puck from John Cullen and moving in to beat Daren Puppa from the side of the right circle. Brian Noonan added a goal just over two minutes later, banging in his own rebound on a set up from Stephane Matteau and Igor Kravchuk. Chris Pronger made a nice diving stick-check to break up an effort by Peter Klima and then it was Rob Pearson scoring his first goal of the season as Tampa Bay coughed up the puck in front of their net at 6:58. Pearson's goal made the score 3-0 in favor of the Blues. Later in the first, Jay Wells and Rudy Poeschek dropped the gloves for an even battle...until the end when Poeschek landed a couple of rights. Tampa Bay made the score 3-1 at 11:40 with a power play goal from Jason Wiemer. Wiemer was alone in front and was able to beat Grant Fuhr after the Blues goalie gave up a rebound. Tampa Bay tallied a second power play goal at 1:55 in the second period. Brian Bradley fired a quick, low shot from the point past Fuhr's glove and the score was 3-2. Both teams were stopped offensively by great goaltending during the remainder of the game, Puppa stopped 36/39 shots and Fuhr handled 18/20. GAMENOTES: Rob Pearson's goal was his 100th NHL point.....St.Louis earned 5 out of 6 possible points on the three game roadtrip....the Blues return home to play Detroit on 2/16. 4.1.2 Detroit (GAME #57: 2.16.96) A sellout crowd at the Kiel Center welcomed the St.Louis Blues back home as they hosted the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night. The fans weren't disappointed as the Blues battled back for an exciting 4-3 victory. Sergei Federov scored the first goal of the game at 5:07 of the first period and despite three power plays and eighteen shots, that was the only goal Detroit was able to sneak past Grant Fuhr in the period. The Blues tightened their defense in the second period, not allowing a Detroit shot until after the 9:00 mark. Meanwhile, Mike Vernon came up with some big saves to keep the RedWings on top. The third period opened with Brett Hull getting a breakaway pass from Geoff Courtnall and Hull raced in on Vernon, faked and buried the puck into open net with a forehand tap-in to tie the game 1-1 at :35. Detroit regained the lead at 2:59 as Steve Yzerman backhanded a second rebound over Fuhr for a power play goal. Then it was Vyacheslav Kozlov who knocked the puck in off Fuhr's right skate on a quick shot while the Blues were trying to change. However, at 11:14 Igor Kravchuk scored his first goal in a St.Louis uniform, blasting the pass from Mike Hudson past Vernon to make it 3-2. Courtnall tied the game at 14:40, going to his backhand to flip the pass from Hull under Vernon for the goal. Tempers flared moments later as Tim Taylor tried to go after Craig Johnson, but the players were seperated and action resumed. With just :55 left in regulation, Kravchuk fired wide, but Stephane Matteau was just behind the left post and wrapped in the puck for the game winning goal. The Kiel Center partisans were on their feet the final :17 of the game and after the buzzer, Shayne Corson and Dino Ciccarellin briefly mixed it up at center ice. GAMENOTES: Both teams had 32 shots on goal.....the win stopped a four game home losing streak for the Blues.....next game for St.Louis is Sunday against Winnipeg at the Kiel Center. 4.1.3 Winnipeg (GAME 58: 2.18.96) The St. Louis Blues continued their winning ways, downing the Winnipeg Jets 3-0 on Sunday evening. It was the second consecutive home win for the Blues and was the second shutout recorded by Grant Fuhr this season. Geoff Courtnall opened the scoring early in the first period, taking the pass from Shayne Corson in the corner and sliding the puck under Nikolai Khabibulin at 2:46. The Blues continued strong offensive pressure, garnering nine shots in the first nine minutes of play. Grant Fuhr robbed Eddie Olcyzk with a sliding save while on his back to keep the lead and then it was Khabibulin's turn for the great save, stopping Courtnall late in the period. Dave Manson showed his toughness by slugging Tony Twist right before going to the bench so Twist couldn't reciprocate. A hard hit by Dallas Drake on Christer Olsson to open the second period continued the bad blood, but Brett Hull responded by stealing the puck and then getting the breakaway pass to beat Khabibulin with the power play goal at :47 and the lead was 2-0. Later in the period, Chris Pronger battled Mike Stapleton, which resulted in Jim McKenzie being ejected for being the third man in. During the scrum, Manson rushed Brian Noonan and Stephane Matteau wound up grabbing McKenzie. The resulting penalties gave the Blues a 5 on 3 advantage, but they were unable to score. During that power play, Manson showed once again his toughness, landing the two-handed slash on Courtnall, which sent Courtnall out of the game. Despite several chances at the invitation of Twist, Manson wouldn't mix it up. The third period was a continuation of strong Blues play and great goaltending on both ends. At 19:06, Winnipeg went with the extra attacker and got burned as Chris Pronger got the puck at the top of the Blues zone and sent the shot down for the empty netter. For the game, the Blues outshot the Jets 34-21, despite having only two shots on goal in the game's third period. 4.2 Men's College Basketball Summaries by DOUG BRAY 4.2.1 St. Louis University The Billikens used a 35 point second half to bea the Owls of Florida Atlantic 65-55 on Monday night. SLU's Jamal Johnson threw in 28 points for the Bills during the 10 point victory over the Owls. Jeff Harris added 16 points for the Bills, and Phillip Huyler was the top scorer for Florida Atlantic with 16 points. 16, 908 fans were on hand at the Kiel Center, in St. Louis to see the Billikens play their first home game in more than 2 weeks. 15, 308 fans were on hand at the Kiel Center on Wednesday night to see the Billikens loose by 26 points to Tulane. The 77-51 loss was the worst for the Bill's, at home, since they lost to Cincinnati by 29 points late in the 1991-92 season. The Billikens made only 7 of their first 35 shot from the floor, and shot only 25 percent for the entire game. It was the second time SLU failed to shoot as well as 26 percent from the field this season. Jeff Harris , who scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, was one of only a few bright spots for the Bill's. Tulane pulled out to a 35 to 20 halftime lead and didn't look back, and at one point the Green Wave had a 20 point lead. Tulane's Patrick Lewis led all scorers with 23 points. At the end of the week the Billikens overall record stands at 13-9, with a 3-7 record in Conference USA. They will play Cincinnati on Monday night at 7:05 at the Kiel Center, and Marquette will be in St. Louis on Sunday to play SLU at 6:05. The game against Marquette will be broadcast on ESPN2. 4.2.2 University of Illinois Update Illini guard Kiwane Garris scored 25 points as Illinois beat Northwestern 93-62 on Wednesday night. Garris was 8 of 13 from the field, and he was 5 of 7 from three point range. Illini guard Richard Keene didn't score the second time this season, but other players decided to step up, and the team combined to hit 12 of 25 attemps from three point range. Northwestern shot only 37 percent for the game, and was outrebounded 42-27. Jerry Hester was the second leading scorer for the Illini, with 17 points, and Sophmore guard Bryant Notree added 14 points. The University of Illinois played most of the game without their most consistent scorer, Jerry Hester, but still managed to beat Ohio State 76-67 on Saturday Afternoon. Hester, who has scored in double figures in nine of 11 Big Ten games for the Illini, sprained his left ankle with just under six minutes left in the first half and did not return. Illinois was only up by three points at halftime, with a 33-30 lead. Free throw shooting made the difference in the second half. As a team Illinois made 88 percent of their second half free throws. In the final five minutes Illini guard Kiwane Garris hit all six free throws that he attempted, while backup Freshman guard Matt Heldman hit his final four free throw attempts to lift the the Fightn' Illini to the eleven point margin of victory. Garris finished as the top scorer in the game with 23 points. Heldman scored 14 and guard Richard Keene scored 10 points. Freshman Forward Jermanie Tate led Ohio State with 18 points. The Illini improved their overall record to 16 and 8 with the two victories. They also improved their Big Ten mark to 5-7 with the two conference victories over Northwestern and Ohio State. Games This Week: Illinois will play Purdue at home on Tuesday night. The game will be televised on ESPN. The Illini will be in Champaign again on Saturday to take on Iowa at 1:15. 4.2.3 University of Missouri Update Oklahoma hit only 12 of 34 free throws, and Missouri won its first Big Eight conference game away from the Hearnes Center 63-59 over the Sooners on Tuesday night. The Tigers came back from a 33-29 halftime defecit, by the Sooners 34-26 in the second half. Jason Sutherland hit 3 of 6 three pointers and led Mizzou in scoring with 15 points. Sophomore guard Kendrick Moore scored ten points for the Tigers, and 7'0" center Simion Haley added eleven. The Tigers made 25 of 45 shots (.556) from the field. Sunday night, the Tigers suffered another dissapointing road loss to Maryland. The final score was 91-72 in favor of the Terrapins. Maryland dominated Missouri in every facet of the game. They shot 60.3 percent from the field, outrebounded Mizzou 29-26 ,and caused the Tigers to make 24 turnovers. The Terps pulled out to a 44-32 halftime lead and didn't look back. They outscored Mizzou 47-40 in the second half, and won easily by 19 points. Sophomore forward Kelly Thames was the leading scorer for Missouri with 19 points. Center Simion Haley and Forward Derek Grimm each added ten points. Maryland's Johnny Rhodes led all scorers with 21 points. Gamenotes: Mizzou's leading scorer, Jason Sutherland, twisted his right knee and played only 17 minutes in Sunday's loss against Maryland. Mizzou is 13-0 at home, and 3-9 on the road this season. This Week: After beating Oklahom State and loosing to Maryland, Missouri's record is now 16-9 overall. They are 6-4 in the Big Eight Conference. This week they will play Kansas State, in Manhattan, on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm. They will return to the Hearnes Center on Saturday to play Iowa State at 3:00 pm. 5.0 StLSO Numbers Blues stats and the balance of the Cardinals spring training roster (i.e. all of the position players) will be listed in ISSUE #59. 6.0 StLSO Media Views6.1 Mass Terminations at KMOX by SCOTT SIMON Market leader KMOX Thursday announced the layoff of eight people, effective immediately, and the union for the station's talent may file a grievance. Most notable are sports anchor Randy Karraker and executive sports producer John Cooper. Both have been with KMOX since the mid-1980's. Also being let go is producer/board operator Frank Pawloski, who has been with the station for over 20 years, morning news editor Kevin Killeen, and four off-air personnel. The layoffs come during a time when the St. Louis Chapter of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is trying to negotiate a new contract for its [KMOX] rank-and-file members. Also, sports director Jack Buck, noted for his work on St. Louis Cardinals baseball, will remain at the station, but take an undisclosed pay cut. Attempts to reach executive director Jackie Dietrich were unsuccessful, but sources at the station tell me tonight she is considering filing an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board. A memo by KMOX general manager Rod Zimmerman told the staff the station must streamline, to meet new challenges in today's world of radio business. KMOX, which always has the most listeners of any station in St. Louis, was part of the CBS group that was recently acquired by Group W. 6.2 Big Shoes to Fill at KMOX by MARK BAUSCH ----- I like Randy Karraker. The guy's knowledgeable, friendly, and has lent his efforts and expertise to St. Louis Sports Online for the past 14 months. For that StLSO readers are grateful. As far as I was concerned, the worst thing about KSD picking up the Rams radio rights (instead of KMOX) was that Karraker wouldn't play a role in the coverage of the team. I mean, the guy seems to know as much about football as Pro Football Weekly's guru, Joel Buchsbaum. Buchsbaum, who is often heard on KMOX's airwaves, has never met an NFL stat he didn't like. He even knows how the NFL's arcane quarterback rating system works. But so does Karraker. Those are two rare human beings, sports fans. So rare that...hey! Come to think of it...I've heard Karraker's verbal impersonation of a native (and nasally) New Yorker...and it's not too bad, actually. Has anyone ever seen Karraker and Buchsbaum together in the same room? Might the bombastic Buchsbaum and the knowledgable Karraker be one and the same? Or is Buchsbaum simply Karraker's evil twin? Only time will tell. Stay tuned to StLSO for additional details. ------ Friday night's Blues game vs. the Red Wings was significant for several reasons. For one, the Blues, after being outshot 18-7 in the first period, scored four third period goals and came back to win the game 4-3. The loss was Detroit's first of the year in a game that they had led after two periods. That the Blues played the forechecking style loved by C&GM Mike Keenan in the four-goal third period was also significant in that playoff hockey tends to favor clubs employing that style of play. And the game was also significant in that the Kiel Center crowd was as lively as it had been all season. There was very little booing of Chris Pronger...and the 21 year-old defenseman seems to have added a bit of rough stuff to his usually sharp passing game. But StLSO readers should also know that the Red Wings game was the last sporting event covered by Randy Karraker, while in the full-time employ of KMOX radio. As described in Scott Simon's account, Karraker, along with several other KMOX staffers (including producer extraordinaire John Cooper) were fired in a Westinghouse-ordered downsizing of "The Voice of St. Louis". Karraker, a 12+ year KMOX employee, was informed of his dismissal at 5:30 pm on Thursday. According to Karraker, other stations inquired about his services within hours of his termination. Indeed, KSD listeners expecting to tune in to "Hard Ball with Kevin Slaten" at 4 pm on Friday were no doubt surprised to hear Karraker's voice as that day's drive-time host. After informing his audience that Slaten was taking a personal day, Karraker was joined by KSD's Steve Schlanger as well as P-D sportswriter Jeff Gordon. "I was comfortable after the first hour," said Karraker. "It was a lot of fun. We tried to do the sports news of the day at the top of the show...and for the three hours, I'd guess we took about ten calls per hour." "There were several KMOX callers," continued Karraker. "It was nice. They wished me well, and more than one said 'I hope to hear more of you'. I was extremely gratified. After getting fired...all the positive calls...it was a great feeling." In response to a question concerning the possibility of mentioning KMOX's call letters and/or phone numbers, instead of KSD's, Karraker smiled. "Hey. The phone numbers are right there in front of you. I made no mistakes....it was 'The Big 550...KSD-AM'." It wouldn't have been surprising had Karraker slipped up and said "KMOX". After all, in 12+ years of service at the station, he estimates that he has covered 1,800 sporting events in and around St. Louis. And during those 12+ years, Karraker has built a number of friendships...friendships that resulted in his message machine overloading in the 24 hour period after his dismissal from KMOX. "I couldn't put a message on my answering machine Thursday night or Friday," Karraker said. "Everybody was calling and wishing me well...Rich Gould, Joe Buck, Steve Schlanger, Joe Michelleti, Doug McElwein, Bernie Miklasz, Jon Sloane, Randy Hu, Brian McKenna...there were others Between 7 pm (Thursday) and 2 am (Friday) there were 100 calls for me to return." So what does the future hold for Randy Karraker? "If it gets warm next week I'm playing golf. I won't do anything next week...it'll be a couple of weeks [before anything gets decided]." And when asked about a possible future at KSD? "If I get the deal I want, I would like to spend a lot of time at Busch Stadium this summer." 6.3 KMOX Dollars and Sense by SCOTT SIMON When it is added up, the layoff last week by KMOX radio affected many people, such as Randy Karraker and John Cooper in sports, Darryl Lloyd and Kevin Killeen in news, and several off-air personnel. But the addition represents an approximate 8 to 9 percent increase in KMOX's projected pre-tax profit for calendar year 1996. That's the survey of St. Louis broadcasters and financial analysts who took the weekend to review this unusual move for the "Voice of St. Louis." Estimated revenue of $18 million dollars in 1995 for KMOX produced a profit of $6 million according to the non-survey made by observers. The layoffs represented a savings to the station of about $525,000, which includes salary, benefits, and other associated costs related to the employment of those individuals. Not included are the cuts of several per diem talents in the past two months, such as Gordon Curry, Tripp Frohlichstein, Dave Finkelstein, Harriet Woods, and Vince Schoemehl. When news reporter Margie Manning left last summer to join the St. Louis Business Journal, her position was eliminated by attrition. It won't stop here. Although negotiations have been temporarily stopped in negotiations between the American Federation and Television and Radio Artists and the station, when they resume, the station will ask for takebacks. If, and when, a settlement is reached, KMOX will be a lean, mean, profitable machine for Group W, the new owner of CBS and KMOX. Were the cuts a bad move? Analysts at Edward Jones and A.G. Edwards recommend a conservative buy of Group W stock and carefully monitor it through the year. They say that chances are good there will be a moderate return on investment. More profitability could spur Group W to reinvest those profits into KMOX in ways we can't see right now. Many critics say it won't happen -- they're the same critics who said that KMOX would never make the layoffs we witnessed last week. EDITOR'S NOTE: Look for Scott Simon to be a featured subject of an upcoming St. Louis Business Journal piece authored by Rick Desloge. 7.0 StLSO Interactivity *Jack Buechner writes from the District of Columbia-- After leaving Congress and relocating to Washington DC, the biggest adjustments were getting used to all the pollen and getting no St.Louis sports ("game played too late for scores to appear").... Thank You, Thank You..... But just as a true St. Louisan asks, "Where did you go to High School?", I would like to ask, "How about some top ten or playoff coverage?" EDITOR'S NOTE: We're working on it. FYI: I went to Pontiac Catholic HS (in Pontiac, Michigan)...and Castle HS (in Newburgh, Indiana). Helpful?! *BJ Moss writes from Irving, Texas-- I'm a transplanted Missourian, trapped deep in the heart of Texas. I miss the greatest city in the world and visit it whenever, I can, which is not often enough! I am an avid St Louis sports enthusiast, with a more than normal fanaticism for the Cards. I would love to be added to your mail subscription list. EDITOR'S NOTE: Done. *David Campbell writes-- Just to let you know you are missed! This week's issue has not shown up yet (Wednesday evening) on the on line service. Hope you will be back on line soon. EDITOR'S NOTE: We hope to return to our Monday evening publishing schedule in early March. *Arthur Eisen writes from St. Louis-- I was listening to KFNS this afternoon and heard your entertaining conversation with Jay Randolph. I would be delighted to receive a subscription to St. Louis Sports Online. EDITOR'S NOTE: Jay Jr. can make even a bogey putt sound entertaining. *Tim Murnin writes-- For those of us not in St. Louis to hear the details, what's happening with the Kiel Opera House? The last two issues of StLSOnline have had vague references to some sort of scandal but no details. Please let us know what's up! EDITOR'S NOTE: At the risk of writing something inaccurate, here's what I know. The City of St. Louis made a contribution (in the form of several million dollars as well as other niceties) to the Kiel Center Partners in return for the Partners' taking responsbility for the bulk of the financing of the Kiel Center. Part of the deal, though (ACCORDING TO THE CITY), was that the Partners were supposed to make substantial contributions to the renovation of the Kiel Opera House. As of February, 1996, the renovation of the Opera House, which was underway several months ago, has been halted. also from Tim Murnin-- I have to say that I think your criticism of Charlie Tuna (ISSUE #57) is somewhat unfair. I'm not his biggest fan, but I do appreciate the fact that he speaks his mind and isn't afraid to take a contrary opinion at times. I actually agree with him that most athletes haven't changed their behavior because of the AIDS epidemic. I used to be involved with professional sports, and I'm sure a number of athletes haven't changed at all. Whether he has changed his personal behavior is of absolutely no concern to me, and I can't imagine why it would concern anyone who he's not sleeping with. EDITOR'S NOTE: As you have said, who athletes and media types are sleeping with is therir own business and of no concern to anyone but themselves. But in this day and age, to look into the camera and boastfully cackle "I haven't changed my [sexual] habits, either"...seems to be taking the Charles Barkley 'I ain't no role model' attitude a bit too far. 8.0 StLSO Editorial The StLSO subscription list has grown substantially since the Cardinals hired Tony La Russa as manager and began adding big-name ballplayers to their roster. StLSO staffers will be traveling to St. Petersburg to cover the Redbirds in early and mid-March. The sale of the team is nearly finalized...Busch Stadium's renovation is underway...and all of the healthy pitchers and position players reported to spring training today for the first full day of workouts. Spring is near. The summer of 1996 should be a productive one in St. Louis.