St. Louis Sports Online #76 (6.13.96)

`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 #76 contains features and updates about several aspects of the St. Louis sports scene. The usual assortment of quotes, headlines, media news, interactivity, and statistics are also found within StLSO #76. Contributors to #76 include KMOX radio's Randy Karraker, Fowl Ball's Jim Hunstein, Randy Hu, contributing writer Mike Rainey, Chicago correspondent Brian Crawford, and StLSO Vipers correspondent Gary Griffaw. St. Louis Sports Online can be reached at StLSports@aol.com and via FAX (618-457-5691). Subscription information can be obtained 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/ The publisher of St. Louis Sports Online requests that no part of StLSO be reproduced or transmitted (electronically or otherwise) without e-mail permission, which can be gained by sending e-mail to StLSports@aol.comSt. Louis Sports Online JUNE.96.2 CONTENTS 1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts2.1 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY and JIM HUNSTEIN 2.2 Blues News by RANDY HU 2.3 Rams Report 2.4 Stampede Update by RANDY HU 2.5 StLSO Quote of the Week 2.6 StLSO Headline of the Week 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 A Snowball's Chance by RANDY HU 3.2 Cardinal Quote 3.3 The Minor League Lineups 4.0 StLSO Recaps 4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries by JIM HUNSTEIN 5.0 StLSO Numbers 5.1 Cardinals Statistics 5.2 St. Louis Vipers Box Scores contributed by GARY GRIFFAW 6.0 StLSO Media Views by MARK BAUSCH 6.1 Media Opinions Concerning Ken Hill and Andy Benes 6.2 Scott Simon Takes KC Radio Position 7.0 StLSO Interactivity 8.0 StLSO Editorial: Lopsided St. Louis Sports Online JUNE.96.2 1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER Strike two on Lawrence Phillips with his drunk driving arrest in Los Angeles Thursday morning. If personal conduct clauses were a negotiable point in Phillips' contract talks before, the certainly can't be now. I'll be interested to see how the legal community handles this case, especially in Lincoln, Nebraska. Does the judge who placed Phillips on probation for misdemeanor assault put him in jail now? Do his two crimes warrant jail time? And how does the NFL handle this? Under their rules, until a player signs a contract, he isn't "on the clock" and can't have league substance rules enforced. Rich Brooks is generally happy with his team a month from training camp, the Phillips situation notwithstanding. He would like RB Greg Robinson to sign...and get significant playing time. Brooks also isn't as high on his defensive line depth as he was last year...although he may be playing possum. With James Harris and Alberto White available outside, and Brad Ottis (who looked good in minicamp), Jay Williams and draftee Chuck Osborne inside, that line should be OK. Aside from the punting position, the Rams should have solid competition with good players all camp long. The Cardinals finally returned home after playing 20-of-26 on the road, and going 10-10 in those games. Now they have to get Ron Gant back and start making some hay at home for the next five games. After this homestand, the Cards play 19-of-25 away from home...then return to Busch for a stretch of thirty-six home games and thirteen road contests. That run, from mid-July through early September, should make or break the Redbird season. Amazingly, Pat Borders is now a Louisville Redbird. After making an error while playing first base that cost the Cardinals a home game in May, Borders never made it off the bench again. Even though he's hitting well over .300 and has been the number one guy for a pair of champions...it's doubtful Borders will ever return. It would be nice for the Cardinals if they could move Jeff Parrett...a true gentleman...to a contender if he's the one to go when Gant comes back. The ideal situation would be to "trade" him to Baltimore, which has shown interest...for Miguel Mejia...so that Mejia could be sent to the minors. Then, when the Cards get Mike Gallego back, they would be a much more versatile team. It would also seem that Geronimo Pena is being prepared for the big club...but he's still got some health issues to prove to the Cards. All's quiet on the Blues front at the moment...but a couple of players warn me to be at the Kiel Center on draft day...because Mike Keenan will be busy. Keenan has told his players that he's interested in Jeff Beukeboom, the Ranger defenseman. He would be a number five guy here...behind Al MacInnis, Murray Baron, Igor Kravchuk and Chris Pronger. However, he would solve one of the Blues' pressing problems on the Blueline...namely, the need for a big, tough defenseman. On the downside, he would be expensive for his role...and the Rangers would probably file a tampering charge because Jack Quinn mentioned Beukeboom during the season. Keenan has been telling folks that he "swears he's going to trade Brett Hull". As incomprehensible as that seems, (did I use that word when he traded Brendan Shanahan?), Hull has privately been blasting Keenan during the off-season...and apparently the once rosy relationship between player and coach has cooled. These are two emotional people, so anything is possible...but with nobody stopping Keenan from doing what he wants to do...despite the aftereffects...it wouldn't surprise me. The Stampede, having won four in a row, begins a three game road trip in San Jose. Their next home game is July 5. The Vipers also could use some help at the gate. Two sports that are lots of fun, the players are genuine...and tickets are generally a bargain. If you haven't been to a Stampede or Viper game...it's worth a try. EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Karraker is KMOX radio's primary sports reporter, and often hosts evening and post-game "Voice of St. Louis" call-in shows. 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts 2.1 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY and JIM HUNSTEIN *Willie McGee left Monday's game against the Dodgers during his first at-bat with severe migraine headaches. He received a CAT scan after the game at a Los Angeles hospital, but the results showed nothing abnormal. McGee feels the headaches are stress related, and thinks a couple of good nights sleep should help him feel better. *Ron Gant was expected back on the recently completed 8-game road trip, but his hamstring was still a little tight. He figures to return during the 4-game series with the Mets this weekend. Gant has missed six weeks of action with the injury. *Ozzie Smith is the only Cardinal to place among the leaders at his position in the All-Star fan voting. Smith is third among N.L. shortstops trailing only Montreal's Mark Grudzielanek and Cincinnati's Barry Larkin. No other Cardinal places among the top eight at his respective position. *Tom Pagnozzi is having an All-Star caliber first-half both at the plate and in the field. Pagnozzi is hitting .302 with 22 RBI's in only 126 at-bats. His inclusion on the All-Star team is unlikely, however, with the Dodgers Mike Piazza and the Mets Todd Hundley having monster seasons. Pagnozzi's only All-Star appearance was in 1992. *Dennis Eckersley was expected to be activated from the disabled list on Thursday. His return could spell the end of veteran reliever Jeff Parrett. A couple of teams, including the Orioles, have expressed interest in Parrett who is 2-2 this season with a 4.15 ERA. *The Cardinals are high on Micah Franklin, the 24-year-old switch hitting outfielder they acquired from the Detroit Tigers along with pitcher Brian Maxcy for Tom Urbani and another minor leaguer. GM Walt Jocketty thinks Franklin, who hit 21 homers at Class AAA Calgary last season, has the potential to be a fourth or fifth outfielder for the Cardinals in the future. *The Cardinals have been shutout this season by two former left-handers they have traded away in recent years. Montreal's Rheal Cormier shut them out 8-0 on April 22. On Sunday Allen Watson pitched the first seven innings of a 9-0 shutout. *Struggling pitcher Tom Urbani, most recently demoted to Louisville, was traded along with infielder Miguel Inzunza this week to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Brian Maxcy and outfielder Micah Franklin. Urbani was 2-2 with an ERA of 3.27 in 7 games at Louisville. Urbani was sent right into the fray that is Tiger baseball and proved why he was in AAA ball. He gave up 5 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in 4 1/3 innings. Franklin was playing with the AAA Toledo Mudhens where he was hitting .246 with 7 homers, 21 RBI, and 3 steals. He did not commit an error in his first 52 games through June 4, which has to be considered good news to the Cardinals. Maxcy was also with a Mudhens where he had a 3-1 record and a 3.97 ERA in middle relief. He pitched 22 2/3 innings in 17 games, giving up 24 hits but only 9 walks. He only has 8 strike outs and no saves. *Prior to Friday's game vs. the Mets, Ron Gant was activated. Cory Bailey was sent to Louisville to make roster space for Gant. 2.2 Blues News by RANDY HU *The NHL's top draft prospects will be introduced to the public on Friday, June 21, at 11:30 AM in Kiener Plaza. Blues goalie Grant Fuhr will be the keynote speaker for the event. Music will be provided by The Rhythm Rockers. *The 1996 NHL entry draft will take place on Saturday, June 22, at the Kiel Center beginning at 11:30 AM. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids, with all proceeds benefiting the Amateur Ice Hockey Association of Missouri. Defensemen are at a premium this draft, so look for the Blues to head in that direction. *A subject of recent trade rumors, Whaler captain Brendan Shanahan said that he "would prefer not to play for him (Keenan) again."2.3 Rams Report Unsigned Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips was arrested for drunk driving in Rosemead, California early on the morning of June 13. Phillips, who allegedly had a blood alcohol content of .16, was stopped at 5:15 a.m. after his gold Mercedes-Benz was seen straddling lanes traveling at nearly 80 miles per hour. Phillips, who will be arraigned within the next several days, is currently serving a year's probation after pleading no contest to trespassing and assault charges in connection with an incident involving his ex-girlfriend. EDITOR'S NOTE: KSD-AM afternoon drive time host Kevin Slaten had an interesting view of Phillips' recent alleged indiscretion. Slaten blamed most of the matter on Phillips' agent, saying that the agent should have provided Phillips with a limo. 2.4 Stampede Update by RANDY HU Last Friday night, the St. Louis Stampede hung on by the skin of their hoofs for a 51-48 triumph over the Iowa Barnstormers in view of 5,137 fans at the Kiel Center. The win marked the fourth in succession by the Stampede and improved their record to 4-2. Rookie head coach, Dave Ewart, is now 2-0 since taking over for Earle Bruce, who resigned abruptly on May 30 in what sources say was an apparent conflict with GM Jim Otis. Stampede running back Bernard Hall continues to pound away at the gut of opposing defenses by scoring three more touchdowns against Iowa, giving him 17 rushing TDs in his last four games, and 19 total for the season. Quarterback John Kaleo, who completed 21 of 31 passes for 272 yards and 2 TDs, meshed together a variety of offensive plays in building a 44-20 lead through almost three quarters. But, the Barnstormers came alive (in the spirit of Peter Frampton) to score three consecutive TDs to narrow the deficit to 44-41. Hall scored his final TD on a trademark 1-yard plunge to clinch the victory and Iowa added a late touchdown as time expired for the final margin. The Stampede travel the road to play the San Jose SaberCats this Friday. 2.5 StLSO Quotes of the Week *Reds manager Ray Knight: "You know. [Mrs. Marge Schott's] biggest mistake was that she said what was on her mind." 2.6 StLSO Headlines of the Week *From the 6.10.96 Post-Dispatch: "Cards Are Elementary For Watson, 9-0" 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 A Snowball's Chance by RANDY HU The Colorado Avalanche may have the worst jersey design in hockey, but who cares, they are the Stanley Cup champions and possess the best young talent in the NHL. In their four-game sweep of the Cup finals, they turned the Florida Panthers into mere pussyrats. Game 4 was a classic 1-0 masterpiece as both goaltenders traded spectacular saves. Colorado goalie Patrick Roy was so dominant that he shut out the Panthers over the final 152 minutes of the series, making 88 consecutive saves, and finishing with a minuscule 0.84 goals-against-average. With apologies to Sting, it was as if Roy had built this fortress around his goal. The 'Lanche needed every one of those saves because Panther goalie John Vanbiesbrouck was equally outstanding. Leave it to Beezer to stop 67 shots in succession over a 141 minute timespan between playoff MVP Joe Sakic's second-period goal in Game 3 and Uwe Krupp's series clincher in triple overtime. It was the longest 1-0 game in Stanley Cup finals history. The unheralded Sakic has paid his dues in hockey. From a bus crash that killed four of his junior teammates when he was 16, through eight disappointing seasons with the Quebec Nordiques (in particular his second year when the team won only 12 games), the Eric Lindros rejection, to being cut from Team Canada that won the Canada Cup in 1991. Sakic and company have finally reached hockey's pinnacle, winning their sports equivalent of the Holy Grail. The Avalanche players will split $1.25 million in championship money, while the Panthers receive $825,000 to divide. Quebec fans were understandably irritated as the Avalanche became just the second North American sports team to win a championship in its first season in a new city. The Redskins won the NFL title in 1937 in their first year in Washington after a move from Boston. Marc Crawford, 35, is the third youngest coach to win a Cup. As long as his core nucleus of players are kept intact, Colorado could challenge the Cup for years. When you have the hammer, the rest of the NHL looks like a nail. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman succeeded in his quest to bring a greater focus on American-based teams. For a team to relocate from Canada and win it in the U.S. secretly brings joy to his scheming mind. He realizes that the future success of the NHL is bringing it to the TV-enriched states and marketing it to newly discovered hockey fans with fistfuls of dollars. Though, we can do without the goofy FoxTrax beaming biscuit. Closer to home ice, the Blues face controlled chaos collectively this offseason. Mike Keenan traded away one disgruntled 50-goal scorer last summer, will he trade another one in Brett Hull? It's not an unsolved mystery that Hull and Keenan have a serious ego conflict, but what has kept both of them together so far is an intense desire to win. Hullie has led the team in goal scoring every season since he arrived from Calgary eight years ago and has the individual hardware on his mantle, but no Cup ring on his finger. If Keenan trades Hull, next year's slogan will be "Mission: Highly Improbable". Even Wayne Gretzky has said that if Hull is sent elsewhere, that he (and subsequently season ticket holders) will flee when he becomes a free agent on July 1. Keenan believes that the Great One will play two more years before retirement, so that he can compete in the 1988 Olympics. At this point, the only light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming freight train. The Blues are long on age and underachievers, short on skill and speed. Charlie Huddy, Glenn Anderson, Jay Wells, Greg Gilbert, Basil McRae are out. With few youngsters and a shrinking budget, trades and free agents are Keenan's only avenue. However, it's a down year for unrestricted free agents, as the pickings are slim. Available are Phil Housley, Pat Verbeek, Joe Murphy, Jari Kurri, Kelly Hrudey, Bernie Nicholls, Brent Sutter, Jeff Beukeboom, Denis Savard, Anatoli Semenov, Corey Millen, Ed Olcyzk, Kevin Todd, and Dave Reid among others. Can any Mac machinist shoot a puck? EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Hu is the hockey columnist for The Riverfront Times. 3.2 Cardinal Quote *Tony La Russa after the June 13 Cardinals 2-1 loss to the Mets: --on Andy Benes and his effort that night: "We can't get him off the hook...he keeps going out and competing. I think he's strong between the ears."3.3 The Minor League Lineups 3.3.1 Louisville Redbirds (28-32) C: Mike Difelice and Scott Hemond 1B: Dmitri Young 2B: Aaron Holbert SS: Tripp Cromer 3B: Mike Gulan OF: Terry Bradshaw, Rod Correia, Tony Diggs, Dann Howitt, and Chris Wimmer Starting pitchers: Brian Barber, Dave Eiland, and John Frascatore Closer:Richard Batchelor 3.3.2 Arkansas Travelers (27-36) C: Elieser Marrero 1B: Brian Wolfe and Joel Wolfe 2B: Jeff Berblinger SS: Keith Johns 3B: Dee Dalton OF: Chris Fick, Scarborough Green, and Joe McEwing Starting pitchers: Manuel Aybar, Kris Detmers, Matt Morris, and Brady Raggio Closer: Matt Golden 3.3.3 St. Petersburg Cardinals (33-32) C: Keith McDonald 1B: Chris Richard 2B: Domingo Polanco SS: Luis Ordaz 3B: Mike Matvey OF: Juan Munoz, Yudith Orozio, and Steve Santucci Starting pitchers: Yates Hall, Rick Heiserman, Dan Pontes, Blake Stein, and Mike Windham Closer: Curtis King 3.3.4 Peoria Chiefs (34-28) C: Greg Almond and Travis McClendon 1B: Isaias Nunez 2B: Andy Hall SS: Jason Woolf 3B: Chris Haas OF: Ossie Garcia, Jose Jiminez, Kerry Robinson, and Jason Lariviere Starting pitchers: Corey Avrard, Jose Jimenez, Cliff Politte, and Britt Reames Closer: Travis Welch 4.0 StLSO Game Recaps 4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries by JIM HUNSTEIN 4.1.1 Cardinals at San Francisco (June 7 - 9) IN THE ARCHIVES: The Cardinals came into San Francisco with a chance to take over sole possession of first place with a win in G1, but dropped out of the tie with the losses in G2 and G3. ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: Cards 9, Giants 4; G2: Giants 4, Cards 1; G3: Giants 9, Cards 0 GOING IN: Cards were 28-30 and tied for first with the 29-31 Astros, 3 games ahead of Chicago. COMING OUT:Cards were 29-32, in second place, 2 games behind the Astros. AT THE PLATE: Action aplenty in G1, but not much thereafter. For the first time in recent memory, the Cards had two homers in one game as dueling leadoff men Mark Sweeney and Brian Jordan went long in G1, their third and fifth respectively. Jordan was atop the order in G1 and G3 with Sweeney taking a turn in G2. He earned that with a 3-for-4 G1. John Mabry also had 3 hits plus a walk and Luis Alicea was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Then in G2, only Danny Sheaffer had more than one hit as he was 2-for-3. But Ray Lankford cranked his 12th homer for the lone Cardinal run. Tom Pagnozzi and David Bell each had two hits in G3 where the story was stranded runners; 15 runners were abandoned, including 4 by Jordan, 3 by Alan Benes, and 2 each by Royce Clayton and Sheaffer. ON THE BASEPATHS: Sweeney capped off his personal highlight film that was G1 with a steal of second, his first swipe of the year. Willie McGee swiped his second in G2. Ozzie Smith was caught stealing and Alicea was picked off in G1. ON THE MOUND: Andy Benes may not be able to use his no-run-support excuse much longer. But then, if he pitches the way he did in G1, he won't have to. It wasn't his best performance, but it got him his third win against seven losses. He lasted 7 2/3 innings and gave up 4 earned runs on 8 hits (one homer by Mark Carreon in the 2nd inning) and 3 walks with only 3 strike outs. Todd Stottlemyre went the distance and fanned 8 in G2 but took the loss to move his record to 5-4. In his 8 innings, he gave up 4 runs on only 5 hits but 6 walks. Alan Benes was roughed up in G3 to the tune of 6 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks in 5 2/3 innings. But only 2 of those runs were earned, thanks to yet another throwing error by Alicea, his 14th of the year. Alan Benes now has an identical record to Stottlemyre but a much higher ERA, 5.17 to 3.50. FROM THE BULLPEN: No problems in G1 and G2 but the wheels came off in G3. Jeff Parrett gave up 1 run on 2 hits in only 1/3 of an inning. The big blow (although by then the score was already 7-0) was an 8th-inning, 2-run dinger by Matt Williams off Tony Fossas. IN THE HOUSE: G1: 13,009; G2: 20,401; G3: ON THE CLOCK: G1: 3:17; G2: 2:24; G3: UP NEXT: A pair with the Dodgers down in LA 4.1.2 Cardinals at Los Angeles (June 10 - 11) IN THE ARCHIVES: The bats came alive (finally) in G2 at Dodger Stadium. They were held to 3 hits in G1 but had 13 in G2. All but 2 of the hits in the series were singles. But that was enough for a split with Los Angeles. ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: Dodgers 2, Cards 1; G2: Cards 6, Dodgers 3. GOING IN: Cards were 29-32, in second place, 2 games behind the Astros and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Pirates. COMING OUT: Cards are 30-33, still in second place, still 2 games behind the Astros but only 1/2 game ahead of the Pirates. Yes, the Pirates, who have won 5 in a row. Redbirds are only 1 game ahead of the Cubs, whose win streak is at 4. NL Central is coming alive. AT THE PLATE: Gary Gaetti likes the Southland. He was only 6-for-9, all singles, with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. His 4-for-5 in G2 tied his personal best for hits in a game. He was the only player to get a hit in both games. But then, the Cards only had 3 hits in G1. Brian Jordan was 0-for-4 with two strike outs at leadoff in G1, but he was 2-for-5 with 2 RBI in the number six slot in G2. Mark Sweeney was back at leadoff in G2 but was also 0-for-4. John Mabry was not only 1-for-9 in the series, he grounded into 3 double plays OFF THE BENCH: Willie McGee pinch-hit for Sweeney in the 6th. With an 0-2 count, though, he had to leave the game in mid-AB with a severe headache. So David Bell pinch-hit for McGee and ripped the first pitch for the Redbirds third (and last) hit of the game. Miguel Mejia pinch-ran for Gaetti in the 9th inning of G1 and stole second (his third) but was stranded as Ozzie Smith (2-for-5 off the bench), pinch-hitting for the pitcher, grounded out. ON THE BASEPATHS: Besides Mejia, only Ray Lankford had a steal, his 12th. ON THE MOUND: Timing is everything when it comes to starting pitching. Mike Morgan deserved a better fate than his first loss of the year in G1. He threw 7 strong innings giving up only 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk while striking out 3. He also laid down two perfect sacrifice bunts to try to help his teammates score. To no avail. Donovan Osborne also had a very good outing and put up comparable numbers but got the W, his fifth of the year. He lasted 7 2/3 innings yielding 1 run n 9 hits and no walks with 3 Ks. And he didn't have to sacrifice, although he had a 2-RBI single. FROM THE BULLPEN: Rick Honeycutt got the save (his second) in G2 with a 6-pitch 1/3 of an inning. He also saved it for TJ Mathews, who continues to struggle in the closer role. He gave up 2 runs (only 1 earned) on 3 hits in one inning and permitted the tying run to come to the plate after entering with a 6-1 mop-up lead. The unearned run scored on the fielding error by Honeycutt. Honeycutt and Mark Petkovsek were perfect in one inning of relief in G1. IN THE FIELD: Two errors in the series. Clayton's fielding error (took his eye off the ball) was the team's 60th in 62 games. One great play was a pitchout when Pagnozzi threw out the stealing Raul Mondesi. The batter, Mike Blowers, threw his bat at the ball and then Alicea made a nice tag as Modesi slid hard. Jordan also played a ball off the base of the outfield wall that almost went over his head. It held the runner to a double instead of at least a triple. Sweeney showed a remarkably strong arm from left as he threw a perfect strike to Pagnozzi to nail the third out in the 5th inning of G2. The Cards at the time had a 4-1 lead and they came back with 2 more in the 6th. CATCH-ALL: Willie McGee figures his severe migraine headaches that caused him to leave G1 might be being caused by pressure. He was signed to the fourth outfielder and not to play nearly every game. He has the seventh most ABs on the team while batting a nifty .310. CAT scans showed nothing. Ron Gant is still hampered by the hamstring; the pain comes and goes as he is trying to come back as soon as possible. He's been out 5 weeks. Dennis Eckersley is ready to come off the DL and is reportedly due to pitch in the Mets series. OVERALL: The Cards finish the 8-game road trip even at 4-4, which is how some say winning teams should play on the road. Now if only they could play .667 at home. Very disturbing stat: Cards are 1-10 in road day games. (Quick check; 14 more this season.) IN THE HOUSE: G1: 54,043 (impressive turnout on a Monday night, but that was Korean-born Chan Ho Park starting); G2: 29,096 ON THE CLOCK: G1: 2:55; G2: 3:06 (how's that for consistency?) ON DECK: 6-game homestand; 4 with the Mets and 2 with the Phillies 5.0 StLSO Numbers 5.1 Cardinals Leaders (through 6.12.96; 63 GAMES) 5.1.1 Batting *Average Mabry--.332 McGee--.310 Pagnozzi--.302 Sweeney--.291 Lankford--.284 Sheaffer--.278 Gaetti--.272 Clayton--.264 Smith--.259 Jordan--.257 Alicea--.249 Gant--.228 Bell--.211 *Doubles 15: Alicea 13: Mabry 12: Lankford 11: Pagnozzi 10: Clayton, McGee, *Triples 3: Lankford 3: Clayton *Home Runs 12: Lankford 6: Gant 5: Gaetti, Jordan 4: Alicea, Mabry, and Pagnozzi *RBIs 39: Lankford 28: Mabry 26: Gant 25: Jordan 23: Alicea 22: Pagnozzi 21: Alicea and McGee 17: Gaetti 16: Clayton 5.1.2 Pitching *Wins 5: Alan Benes, Osborne, and Stottlemyre 4: Petkovsek *ERA 2.48: Mathews 3.60: Stottlemyre 3.74: Fossas 3.79: Honeycutt 3.84: Osborne 4.11: Morgan 4.15: Parrett 4.55: Petkovsek 4.66: Eckersley 4.88: Bailey 5.03: Andy Benes 5.17: Alan Benes *Home Runs Allowed 10: Benes, Benes, and Stottlemyre *Games Started 13: Benes, Benes, and Stottlemyre 5.2 St. Louis Vipers Box Scores contributed by GARY GRIFFAW 5.2.1 Vipers vs. Philadelphia (6.8.96)

Philadelphia Bulldogs 0 2 3 2 - 7
St. Louis Vipers      3 2 3 1 - 9

First Quarter
5:19 Vipers - Wilson (LaScala, Skoryna)
5:41 Vipers - LaScala (unassisted)
11:38 Vipers - Anchikoski (Beaudin)

Second Quarter
1:55 Philadelphia - Cooke (Hollis, Brown) PPG
3:44 Vipers - LaScala (Sekera, Plager)
10:38 Vipers - Skoryna (Dupas, Praznik)
11:01 Philadelphia - Woods (Weaver)

Third Quarter
0:36 Philadelphia - Cooke (Brown, Hollis)
2:22 Philadelphia - Weaver (Woods)
5:01 Vipers - Wilson (Plager, Cirone)
6:38 Philadelphia - Cooke (MacInnis, Brown) PPG
6:42 Vipers - LaScala (unassisted) SHG
8:19 Vipers - Cirone (Wilson, Skoryna)

Fourth Quarter
3:00 Vipers - Cirone (Skoryna, LaScala)
6:05 Philadelphia - Hollis (MacInnis, Cooke)
10:35 Philadelphia - Hollis (Brown, MacInnis)


Shots
Philadelphia 5 12  8 9 - 34
St. Louis   12 15 12 8 - 48

Goaltenders
Philadelphia - Richards
St. Louis - Roy

5.2.2 Vipers vs. Philadelphia (6.9.96)

Philadelphia Bulldogs 3 2 0 3 - 8
St. Louis Vipers      2 5 1 3 - 11

First Quarter
1:48 Philadelphia - Clancey (Maxwell/Macinnis)
3:31 Philadelphia - Hollis (Macinnis) PPG
7:22 Vipers - Parent (Unassisted)
7:56 Philadelphia - Richards (Shanahan)
10:03 Vipers - Plager (LaScala/Cirone) PPG

Second Quarter
1:18 Philadelphia - Brown (Cooke/Macinnis)
1:54 Vipers - Parent (Anchikoski/Skoryna)
3:06 Vipers - Wilson (Anchikoski/Plager)
5:25 Vipers - Plager (Dupas)
6:53 Vipers - Morris (Plager)
9:38 Philadelphia - Martin (Clancey/Smith)
9:54 Vipers - Skoryna (Parent)

Third Quarter
Philadelphia - Richards replaces Berthiaume
8:04 Vipers - Plager (LaScala)

Fourth Quarter
2:35 Vipers - LaScala (Plager/Parent)
6:41 Philadelphia - Maxwell (Macinnis/Martin)
6:57 Philadelphia - Cooke (Macinnis/Brown)
8:43 Vipers - Skoryna (Rogles)
10:02 Vipers - Parent (Praznik/Morris)
11:26 Philadelphia - Weaver (Richards) PPG


Shots
Philadelphia 13 11 8 18 - 50
St. Louis     9 10 12 8 - 39

Goaltenders
Philadelphia - Berthiaume, Richards
St. Louis - Rogles


5.2.3 Vipers at Orlando Jackals (6.11.96)

St. Louis Vipers 0 2 1 2 - 5
Orlando Jackals  2 2 1 2 - 7

First Quarter
Orlando - Lawrence
Orlando - Proulx

Second Quarter
Vipers - Plager
Orlando - Lawrence
Vipers - Skoryna
Orlando - Reeves

Third Quarter
Vipers - Plager
Orlando - Shank

Fourth Quarter
Orlando - Kerr
Vipers - Cirone
Vipers - Anchikoski
Orlando - Larin


Shots
Orlando 51
St. Louis 47

Goaltenders
Orlando - Reimer
St. Louis - Rogles

6.0 StLSO Media Views by MARK BAUSCH 6.1 Media Opinions Concerning Ken Hill and Andy Benes Interesting to read USA Today's Baseball Weekly this week...their staff have put together a list of what they believe to be the five best (and five worst) off-season moves. The five best: No. 1, Tony Phillips, signed by White Sox No. 2, Roberto Alomar, signed by Orioles No. 3, Fred McGriff, re-signed by Braves No. 4, Dwight Gooden, signed by Yankees No. 5, Ken Hill, signed by Rangers The five worst: No. 1, Red Sox's offensive strategy No. 2, Andy Benes, signed by the Cardinals No. 3, Tony Phillips, let go by Angels No. 4, Non-expanded, expanded strike zone No. 5, Rockies' failure to sign starters Of course, the Cardinals are involved in No. 5 on the best list (the Ken Hill signing) and No. 2 on the worst list (the Andy Benes signing). Ken Hill's inability to win in St. Louis last year was one of the more troubling aspects of Joe Torre's final season with the Cards. There was talk of Hill's unhappiness with catcher Tom Pagnozzi's defensive play, talk of Hill's unhappiness with his contract status (the Cards signed him to a one-year deal after the previous year's work stoppage nullified the $20 million multi-year deal that Hill had signed with the Florida Marline), and a real feeling on the part of some Cardinals insiders that Hill had a lousy attitude. In his KFNS mid-afternoon radio show, Al Hrabosky took yet another shot at Hill recently by stating that "Hill really didn't want to play in St. Louis last year." The 1996 skinny on Hill? His forkball, which vanished in '95, has returned. NL batters will likely get a good look at that forkball in the upcoming All-Star game. But Hill's re-emergence reminds Cardinal fans that a major part of Walt Jocketty's 1995 plan to restructure the Cards starting rotation was a failure. David Bell is the visible part of the Cards' mid-season trade with the Indians...that resulted in Hill seeing post-season action with the Tribe. Now Hill is a leading AL Cy Young candidate. Ouch. The Andy Benes situation is equally troubling. In 14 starts, Benes is 3-8, and has allowed 12 home runs. Benes, who signed a two-year $8 million deal during the recent off-season, has pitched in bad luck. But the fact remains: Benes' 1996 ERA hovers near the five mark. And in 1995, his ERAs with San Diego and Seattle were 4.17 and 5.86, respectively. Benes, a native of Evansville IN, is pleasant to a fault, and appears to be one of the more coachable players on the roster. No doubt that Walt Jocketty felt the Benes would flourish under the tutelage of Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. A quick note. Don Wade is a sportswriter based in Evansville who often travels to Cincinnati and St. Louis to cover MLB. He has followed the career of Andy Benes for several years. Wade was present during Benes' most recent start, a 2-1 loss to the Mets. When asked about Benes and whether anything is different this season (as compared to previous years), Wade's response was interesting. "Andy Benes is one of the BEST people in baseball. He is very accommodating...almost too accommodating." Wade said. "But are things different for Benes? Earlier this year, he told me--'I'm working on my change-up'." "The thing is, he's been telling me that for the past three or four years." 6.2 Scott Simon Takes KC Radio Position The editorial staff at St. Louis Sports Online is always happy (and even a bit proud) to announce when one of our staff writers accepts a paying position in the media. Scott Simon, StLSO's informative and at-times controversial media writer, informs us that he will soon begin working in Kansas City at Bonneville-owned KMBZ-AM and KCMO-AM. "I'll be doing what I do best --- radio reporting," said the well-traveled Simon. We at StLSO wish Scott a great deal of success in his new endeavor...and hope that he keeps in touch with his St. Louis-area media sources (and clues us in occasionally, too!). We're not sure, though, that the KC-area is ready for "Simon Says". 7.0 StLSO Interactivity *Melissa Harsey writes from Nevada-- I would like to receive a subscription to St. Louis Sports Online...as a newcomer to Las Vegas from St. Louis, the dailies here do not offer all of the sports information that I need...and I would appreciate the opportunity to further my St. Louis Sports knowledge. *Patrick Eades writes from Georgia-- I would love to receive St. Louis Sports Online. I have been out of the St. Louis area for 25 years and try to catch games and such on KMOX in the evenings (when it is clear). Your publication would be a great addition! *Matthew Paul Honnold writes from Illinois-- Unfortunately, I am writing you to cancel my e-mail "subscription" to your fine STL sports newspaper. For the 3 (sic) years in which I've been receiving it, I have thoroughly enjoyed the articles, features and statistics. I wish you continued successes with your publication; I won't totally abandon you...I'll still check it out on the WWW. *Greg Derrick writes from Illinois-- Thanks again for the outstanding coverage of St. Louis sports. The material on the Blues, especially, has been appreciated. One issue I wish someone would address concerns radio coverage of the Blues. Those of us in the hinterlands can't hear the Blues very much after the Cardinals start playing -- and this is typically the time of year that's most important to a hockey team. St. Louis needs another sports voice people can hear from a distance, or the Blues need to work harder expanding their radio network. *Paul Guyot writes from California-- Just finished the latest StLSO. Again, you guys are right up there with the best national sports publications. A couple of comments... 1) Randy Hu's writing on the Cards and Blues this week was the first time I've seen him show any kind of intelligence. 2) I really enjoyed Scott Simon's piece on StL vs. KC media. I would like to point out though, that Watson's win at Muirfield Village was without question the most popular victory since the Bear's '86 Masters. Maybe Daly's win in '91 went over with the blue-collar, golf every couple of months type of guy, but everyone associated with the PGA (and Senior) tour has said Watson's was the best. Just about every person I've talk to at golf courses here in LA and in StL have said the same. Watson is one of the greats of the game. If he can make a run at the U.S. Open this week, it'll be great for the game of golf and for any true fan of golf. *Doug Feldmann writes from Indiana-- Brian Jordan might be the most overrated player in the league. He has one of the the weakest rightfield arms in the NL, doesn't get to balls in the gaps he should, and I don't think EVER has gotten a two-out hit with runners in scoring position. Why not move Gant to right upon his return, and let Sweeney stay in left, who has proven to be a consistent hitter? I don't know how Jordan has fooled people in St. Louis for so long, but he just doesn't cut it. EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Feldmann hasn't seen (or doesn't remember) Ron Gant play the outfield this season.8.0 StLSO Editorial: LopsidedAfter 64 games, the 1996 Cardinals have posted a record of 30 wins and 34 losses. How could a team with a $40 million 1996 payroll...a team that most observers felt was much improved over last year's club, be three games under .500 in mid-June? First things first. The team IS improved over last year. 64 games into the 1995 season, the Cardinals had won only 26 games. So there. When somebody asks what $10 million dollars buys these days (the 1995 payroll was ca. #40 million)...tell'em four games out of 64. But why do the Redbirds continue to languish? In the words of WGNU talk-show host Mike Huss, the early-season Cardinals have been "lopsided"--two shortstops, three catchers, two similar short-relief lefties...and spotty defense all-around... Then, with Ron Gant injured (appearing in only 33 of 64 games), the team has been without its most reliable clean-up hitter. But nowhere has the uneven nature of the Cardinals line-up been more apparent than the lead-off spot in the batting order. Through Game #64, Tony La Russa had employed seven different players in the lead-off position. Second baseman Luis Alicea (he of the .339 on-base percentage) has led the way, batting leadoff 17 times. Alicea looks like a lead-off man...he's a switch hitting middle infielder...and has a bit of the pop that La Russa says he likes at the head of his lineup. But that OBP... LF-1B Mark Sweeney has hit leadoff 13 times, second on the team. No doubt La Russa puts Sweeney at the top of the lineup because of Sweeney's OBP (a team-leading .407). SS Royce Clayton and RF Brian Jordan have both led off 11 times. Clayton's OBP isn't all that great (.325), while Jordan's is even worse (.296). OF Willie McGee has been pressed into lead-off service a total of eight times. McGee, never known for taking many walks, has put together a .355 OBP...and has looked OK at the top of the lineup. SS Ozzie Smith has been the lead-off man three times, while current Louisville Redbird Aaron Holbert's stint as the lead-off man was as short as his stay in St. Louis: 1 game. Holbert's numbers at Louisville this year (.232 batting average and six extra-base hits in 44 games) don't suggest that he'll return anytime soon. So here it is, Game #65, and the Cardinals announced that Ron Gant has been activated. Who does La Russa write in his lineup card at the top of the page? That's right. Mr. Gant. By the way, Gant led off the game vs. Illinois product Jason Isringhausen with a second-pitch tape-measure blast over the center-field fence. Go figure.

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