The Online Source for St. Louis Sports
ISSUE #82
July 27, 1996
Copyright © 1996 St. Louis Sports Online
Reproduction Prohibited Without Permission of Publisher [StLSports@aol.com]
St. Louis Sports Online is an online sports weekly that aims to provide
St. Louisans (and transplanted St. Louisans) with an additional source of
news, information, and humor about St. Louis-area sports events and St.
Louis-area sports teams.
Contributors to #82 include KMOX sportscaster Randy Karraker, Fowl Ball
correspondent Jim Hunstein, StLSO Blues correspondent Brian Stull, Riverfront
Times hockey columnist Randy Hu, WIBV's Dan McLaughlin, WGNU sportscaster
Mike Huss, contributing writer Mike Rainey, and Eric Niederhoffer.
ISSUE #82 contains feature articles (by Brian Stull and Mike Huss) about
Wayne Gretzky's exit from St. Louis, as well as stories that describe the
Rams new Earth City headquarters and summer home in Macomb, Illinois.
Pay particular attention to Jim Hunstein's Letter From Camp. It's outstanding.
Randy Karraker is back with his notes column, and Dan McLaughlin makes his
second appearance on the pages of StLSO with a nice feature on the slumping
Cardinals.
Finally, Eric Niederhoffer returns with a short piece that outlines his
view of NBC's coverage of the Atlanta Summer Olympics.
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St. Louis Sports Online JULY.96.4 CONTENTS
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY
2.2 Blues News by RANDY HU
2.3 Rams Report
2.4 Stampede Update by RANDY HU
2.5 StLSO Quotes of the Week
2.6 StLSO Headlines of the Week
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 ...on Gretzky by BRIAN STULL
3.2 Plenty of Blame To Go Around by MIKE HUSS
3.3 Home Sweet Home by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.4 A Letter From Camp by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.5 Off The Rack by JIM HUNSTEIN
3.6 The McLaughlin Report by DAN McLAUGHLIN
4.0 StLSO Recaps
4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries by JIM HUNSTEIN
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Cardinals Statistics (through 102 GAMES (July 25))
5.2 MLB Standings (as of 7.25.96)
6.0 StLSO Media Views
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
8.0 StLSO Editorial: A Bump In The Road
St. Louis Sports Online JULY.96.4
1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER
The Cardinals would like to alleviate some of the recent stress on their
bullpen by bringing Tom Henke back...and they believe there's about a 50-50
chance of his return. However, Henke has been telling folks that he is very
happy in retirement...and at this point is leaning against returning. If
he does come back...he would almost assuredly have to do so by the end of
next week. It would take about a month to get his arm in pitching shape...and
playoff rosters are frozen on September first. So if you're looking for
a Henke comeback...look for it by August second or third. The Cardinal starters
have been their usual selves...except for Andy Benes falling apart against
Atlanta Monday night. When Danny Jackson comes back, he will be in the bullpen...and
now likely will replace either a position player or Tony Fossas. Jackson
could be back this week. The Redbird outfielders can take much of the blame
for the this week's losing streak. In those games...Ron Gant, Ray Lankford
and Brian Jordan went 4-for-42.
The Rams thought they would have Lawrence Phillips in camp on Tuesday, but
a deal his agent agreed to apparently was turned down by Phillips himself...so
the agent...Mitch Frankel...had to go back to square one with Rams negotiator
Jay Zygmunt. Zygmunt has grown increasingly impatient with the rather inexperienced
representation of Phillips and #1A Eddie Kennison. If those two had Jim
Steiner or Leigh Steinberg type agents, they would most likely be in camp
and learning by now. Although not much has been made of it, Mark Rypien's
Ram career is over barring an injury or a horrible performance by one of
the other quarterbacks. Coach Rich Brooks wanted to have Rypien in camp
by last Friday at the latest...and when Ryp turned down the last offer...he
effectively ended his stay in St. Louis.
The Blues are really stuck at the center position. Peter Zezel, Adam Creighton
and Craig MacTavish are the only veterans they have at the spot, and most
teams have already done their wheeling and dealing. Not only do the Blues
have the big hole in the middle...they don't have anyone to trade for a
top-flight pivot. Don't count on Brett Hull for Jeremy Roenick... the Hawks
have problems of their own at center. The only scenario I see is a deal
with the Rangers...to reunite Hull and Wayne Gretzky...with the Blues getting
back an Alexei Kovalev type. Like last year...even of the Blues win they'll
be boring doing so. And if they don't get a center...they have a real good
chance of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1978.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Listen to KMOX-AM 1120 this weekend as Randy Karraker reports
live from Canton, Ohio, the site of the NFL Hall of Fame. The occasion?
Dan Dierdorf's induction into the football Hall of Fame.
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY
*The Atlanta Braves completed a three game sweep of the Redbirds on Wednesday
night with a 4-1 victory. The Braves won all six games at Busch Stadium
this season and won the season series 9-4. The Cards won 4 of 7 games down
in Atlanta. If the season ended today the Cards and Braves would meet in
the first round of the playoffs with the wild-card team playing the winner
of the N.L. West.
*Before Wednesday's game the Cardinals cut veteran relief pitcher Jeff Parrett
so they could promote Cory Bailey from Louisville. Parrett was 2-2 this
season with an ERA of 4.25 in 33 appearances. GM Walt Jocketty tried to
trade Parrett but there was little, if any, interest in him. This will be
Bailey's third stint with the Cards this season. He was 3-1 with a 4.71
ERA in his previous two stints.
*Manager Tony La Russa thinks his outfield of Ron Gant, Ray Lankford, and
Brian Jordan is the best in baseball. "There are some you can put next
to them," La Russa said. "There's the one in Cleveland but the
guys on the corners (Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez) can't play with our
guys. It's got to be pretty exciting for Cardinals fans to come out and
watch these guys play. They're liable to do anything in any category...
steal a base, hit a late-inning home run, play defense."
*Ozzie Smith is playing like he's 25 again. He has raised his average to
.290 and is playing his trademark great defense. On Tuesday against Atlanta
he made a spectacular diving catch to rob a Brave of a sure base-hit.
*The Cards welcome the surprising Montreal Expos to town for a four-game
series beginning Thursday night. This is a chance for Cards fans to see
some of the most underrated players in the league. The Expos feature All-Stars
Mark Grudzielanek (.319, 127 hits), Henry Rodriguez (27 HR's), and pitcher
Pedro Martinez. The Expos are surprising many of the so called "experts"
who picked them to finish near the bottom of the N.L. East this season.
They are currently right in the middle of the wild-card hunt with a record
of 53-46.
2.2 Blues News by RANDY HU
*All's quiet on the Blues front as a majority of the St. Louis hockey community
seems to be sharpening its claws in anticipation of a sub-par year. One
thing seems clear: GM Mike Keenan will be asking Coach Mike Keenan to perform
miracles this year...
*Want to hear another spin on the Gretzky fiasco? Between Blues President
Jack Quinn, C&GM Mike Keenan, and even The Great One himself, there's
plenty of blame to go around. The Sporting News' hockey columnist, Larry
Wigge, has unearthed a nugget that points a finger at Keenan.
From Wigge's 7.29.96 Sporting News hockey column: "...Keenan's treatment
of players became a greater concern for The Great One. Late in the first
period of a game March 26 at Pittsburgh, Blues winger Shayne Corson took
an open-ice crosscheck to the face from defenseman J.J. Daigneault near
the blue line and barely made it back to the bench. He went out for the
next shift--not knowing he had a broken jaw--and had to return to the bench,
where Keenan cursed him for wimping out. His teammates sat in stunned silence.
Keenan again railed on Corson during the intermission. After the game, Gretzky
went into Keenan's office and suggested a softer approach could have been
taken. Keenan snapped back, "You may be wearing the 'C', but I'm the
damn coach."
*Blues Assistant Director of Public Relations Rick Braunstein has left the
club to take a similar position with the ex-Winnipeg Jets, the Phoenix Coyotes.
Speaking of the Coyotes, star center Alexei Zhamnov wants out after a contract
dispute. Is he St. Louis bound? His playmaking skills would help the doughnut-like
Blues, who don't have a center.
*STRICTLY RUMOR #1: There is a possibility that Blues president Jack Quinn
could lose his job this summer for his handling of the Wayne Gretzky debacle
and his decision to put Blues TV games on Prime Sports next year. Kiel Partner
leader Jerry Ritter, retired from Anheuser-Busch, is said to be furious
because the brewery now has to bid against other beer giants for the team's
TV marketing rights.
*STRICTLY RUMOR #2: Mark Lamping's stewardship of the Cardinals has turned
around that team's image in St. Louis. Should the Blues current "troubles"
lead to problems at the gate and/or a change in Quinn's job description
with the Blues, would Lamping consider moving a few blocks west and helping
out the Blues? Remember that Anheuser-Busch is said to be the largest "stockholder"
in the group that owns the Blues and the Kiel Center, and that Lamping is
well-liked by A-B's leadership.
*For now, Gretzky will center the Rangers second line between wingers Jarri
Kurri and Luc Robitaille. The Great One will join captain Mark Messier on
NY power plays. With the Knicks, Jets, Giants, Mets, and Islanders headed
for the downside, Gretzky should thrive in the media spotlight of Broadway.
2.3 Rams Report
*Late news: LSU wide receiver Eddie Kennison, the second of the Rams' two
first-round draft choices, has inked a five-year deal and will join the
Rams at their Macomb, IL camp site as soon as possible.
*Interesting article in a recent Chicago Tribune about Steve Walsh. Walsh,
who is expected to be the Rams starting QB this season, was a backup in
Chicago last year. It is hard to read the article without coming away with
the impression that Walsh would have preferred to remain in Chicago, as
a backup to Eric Kramer, rather than move to St. Louis...but apparently
the Bears contract offer was so meager that Walsh felt he had no choice
but to accept the Rams two-year deal.
2.4 Stampede Update by RANDY HU
The St. Louis Stampede clinched their second playoff appearance in as many
years with a resounding 61-42 demolition of the Connecticut Coyotes in front
of a spirited Kiel Center crowd last Friday night.
The Stampede (8-5) were led by a tremendous performace by QB John Kaleo,
who threw for 7 TD passes, including three to WR Darryl Hammond. Stampede
RB Bernard Hall opened the scoring on a 2-yard plunge and continues to add
to his Arena Football League single-season rushing TD record of 29 to date.
The previous record of 21 was held by Barry Wagner of Orlando.
Stampede head coach Dave Ewart, who took over for resigned predecessor Earle
Bruce on May 30, improved his coaching mark to 6-3. Ewart is believed to
be the youngest coach in professional sports at 27 years old.
The Stampede close the regular season next Friday with a home game against
the Florida Bobcats. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 starting at
7:00 PM.
2.5 StLSO Quote of the Week
*Tony La Russa on the 42 minute closed-door post-game meeting following
Monday night's loss to Atlanta, and on whether it was a team meeting or
a meeting called by someone else--"It was my decision to close the
door and leave it closed."
2.6 StLSO Headlines of the Week
*From the 7.26.96 Post-Dispatch: "Offense-Impaired Cardinals Sputter
Again Vs. Montreal" and "Going Home To The Hall" with the
sub-head "Dierdorf Faces His Toughest Block: Handling Emotion At Shrine
Induction"
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 ...on Gretzky by BRIAN STULL
Wayne Gretzky is now a New York Ranger. Yes, the same Wayne Gretzky that
tearfully left Edmonton for Los Angeles and then said goodbye to LA to bring
his family to St.Louis has once again relocated, this time to the Big Apple.
A reported two year deal worth $5 million was all it took to get the Great
One sign up to play along side another best friend, Mark Messier.
Now the Blues are once again in search of a number one center and have nothing
to show for giving up Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, and a
draft choice. However, on the surface it does seem that St.Louis did make
several serious attempts to keep Wayne Gretzky in the Bluenote before the
Great One's penchant for "whipped cream broke the table".
The move makes sense, not cents, for Gretzky--although it certainly should
have been as appealing last season before his decision to come to St.Louis.
If Wayne wanted one last shot at the Cup, he could've made more of an impact
with the Rangers than the Blues. Instead, Gretzky must now face the thousands
of St.Louis fans that believed him when he said he was bringing his family
to St.Louis and was looking forward to finishing his career here setting
up Brett Hull (by the way, just how many best friends does the Wayner have
in the NHL?).
It will be interesting to see if the 99 jerseys are still in the crowd and
if they rise to their feet to cheer for the Great One. Unlike so many of
the popular ex-Blues (Shanahan, Joseph, Chase) Gretzky wasn't traded, he
chose to leave. And contrary to rumor, Gretzky said at his New York press
conference that he still respects Mike Keenan and that to say he is no longer
a Blue because of Keenan is "probably an untrue statement."
Gretzky pointed out that there were a lot of little things that went on
behind closed doors, and that's where he thought they should stay, which
influenced him to not re-sign with St.Louis.
This does hurt the Blues and not just on the ice. As promised, the cheap
seats have gotten cheaper, but several other sections have seen an increase.
And even though attendance picks up towards the end of the regular season,
Gretzky certainly deserves some credit for the sellouts after his trade
was made.
The problem on the ice is customary for St.Louis: lack of a play-making
center. Sure, Shayne Corson can handle faceoffs as Keenan pointed out. In
fact, Corson might be the best faceoff guy the team has, but it's no coincidence
that Corson registered most of those playoff goals while playing wing and
being set up by, yes, number 99.
Peter Zezel, Adam Creighton, and Craig MacTavish spent the majority of their
ice time on Keenan's third or fourth lines and it's unrealistic to hope
that someone in the minors can step up and move into the number one spot.
If Grant Fuhr can come back and Jon Casey plays steady, goaltending should
be fine. Also, the defense is in good shape with Al MacInnis, Murray Baron,
Igor Kravchuk, and Chris Pronger handling the chores. Look for Jamie Rivers
to get a legitimate shot at the big time--he was told this would be his
season and that's why he wasn't part of the Gretzky deal with LA. Joe Murphy
was a good pick-up and hopefully Geoff Courtnall will be healthy and able
to put together more streaks to ease the load on Hull and Corson. A healthy
Tony Twist should maintain his title and Steven Leach, Brian Noonan, and
Co. will be tough in the corners, so with one or two good moves the Blues
could have a strong squad.
Yes, the Great One has moved on, but so will the Blues and their fans. And
who could ask for a better scenario next May....Rangers vs. Blues, Stanley
Cup Finals. Excuse me, I must still be cup crazy.
3.2 Plenty of Blame To Go Around by MIKE HUSS
On Sunday, Wayne Gretzky gave his permission for the New York Rangers to
bestow a few million dollars for two years. Number 99 expressed his gratitude
to his new organization, family and his agent. He spoke of excitement for
playing with one of his closest friends as well as the opportunity of bringing
a Stanley Cup to some great fans.
Media was giddy and applause resounded as first Gretzky, then Neil Smith,
then later Mark Messier joined in one great big group hug. Could all this
love really be coming from the Big Bad Apple?
While listening to this Press Conference, I had to think of the words of
one Lawrence Peter Berra: "this is Deja Vu all over again". Wasn't
it in late February when we in St. Louis were on the receiving end of this
Press Conference? Hockey tickets became the hot commodity in the Spring,
and everyone wanted to enjoy the ride with Number 99.
How did we get to this point and how did a budding partnership go down in
flames in less than five months? This question was posed to me by my stepson,
who is a huge Gretzky fan. The only difference here is, Danny was a Gretzky
fan before it became fashionable to be one in this town.
Still being relatively new in this Stepdad business, I realized this was
an emotional moment for Danny. So, I tried to explain to him that sports
in the 90's is a complicated business of money, egos, and self centered
concerns. This divorce was the fault of everyone.
Let's start with the Blues. They were absolutely right...that in order to
avoid a tampering charge from the NHL, they had to sign Gretzky after the
season. It was no secret that the powers of the NHL were none too happy
when the greatest player of the 80's and 90's was acquired by the most renegade
franchise in the league. The league was searching for any evidence of tampering
and would have assessed a penalty that would have made Judge Houston smile.
However, after acquiring Gretzky, the Organization reverted to their past
track record--they panicked. Just like signing a Brendan Shanahan to a free
agent contact without concern of losing their Captain--just like a Petr
Nedved late-season acquisition which sent the boys to an early playoff loss,---just
like a late season trade to Vancouver which disrupted the chemistry of a
100 Point Team--the folks at Kiel Center overreacted.
While during the playoffs, Gretzky's play was lackluster and there was a
question about his conditioning. Especially after Game 2 of the Detroit
Series where they got blown out in Motown, the Blues started to get cold
feet. Words along the lines of 'How can we afford to pay this guy Megabucks
if he is not in shape' were heard from the boys from 14th & Clark. This
led to the now famous removal of the contract offer from the table.
Sources have told me that Gretzky and his agent were devastated by this
move. The Great One seemed to genuinely want to end his career with the
Blues. Yet, the removal of the offer simply insulted Number 99 and money
was no longer the object.
This was a blown opportunity by Blues Management. Despite popular opinion
or hope, this crisis was not created by, or the result of, Mike Keenan.
He simply is the Coach and General Manager. When you are talking about the
big money involved, this decision must be made by the Head Honcho .
Jack Quinn, Come on Down!!. Despite dodging criticism for this organization's
sins of the past, this fiasco rests squarely in his lap. Right, wrong or
indifferent, the buck stopped at his desk on such major decisions/acquisitions
and he was the lead negotiator.
Once it was obvious that negotiations had broken down for good, Blues Management
reacted in their typical damage control style: finger pointing and excuses
wielding.
Soon, the Kiel Partners will meet to review the results of the past season
and plan for the future. Quinn and his front office staff will have to answer
to the Gretzky case. Mike Shanahan and Harry Ornest are not around to respond
to the questions from "the Suits" this year.
But as I told Danny, all parties should accept blame--and that includes
Gretzky. At the February news conference the Great One bubbled over the
opportunity to play for the Blues, their fans, and his buddy Brett Hull.
Unfortunately though, for whatever reason, Gretzky simply was not in the
best of shape when he put on the BlueNote. Keenan insisted that he play
a minimum of 30 minutes a game; a reasonable request for the team's Captain
and highest paid player. Unfortunately, he was simply ineffective for the
duration of most games.
Then came the well documented "discussion" between Keenan and
Gretzky about his performance. It was common knowledge that Gretzky has
thin skin about criticism and does prefer a coach who will not rock Wayne's
World. However, Keenan is Keenan: the Boss-- Pure and Simple. Whether the
players like it or not, it is their job to play and it is Keenan's job to
coach. If either party fails to execute, the proper chain of command should
review the performance.
Hence, once the Blues pulled their offer from the Table, Gretzky's ego was
bruised. It became the beginning of the end. Both parties grew cold toward
each other and this happy marriage ended in divorce after four and one-half
months.
Should the Blues have reconsidered their strategy about pulling their demands?
Perhaps. Should Gretzky and his agent served as "Cooler Heads"
with an organization that overreacts? Maybe. Are the Blues now better off
without Gretzky's contract overloading their budget? Time will tell. How
will #99 react when the first member of the Gotham Media criticizes his
performance? We'll know soon.
In any event, those #99 jerseys with the Blue Note are now a collector's
item and Gretzky is now a member of Blues alumni. Danny still has his Gretzky/Blues
Jersey and plans on keeping it. I think he is still a Wayne fan, but now
has learned a lesson about sports in the 1990's.
Loyalty on either side of the table simply doesn't exist.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike Huss hosts "Sportstalk" on WGNU-AM 920 from
8-9 pm each Tuesday and Thursday.
3.3 Home Sweet Home by JIM HUNSTEIN
There's no framed sampler with that venerable phrase embroidered on it hanging
in the Ram's new headquarters, but there should be. This is one of the sweetest
homes in the NFL.
The Rams moved in earlier this year from their temporary digs at Mathews-Dickey
Boys Club in North St. Louis County. The official name is Rams Park Training
Facility, but a more appropriate title would be Heaven on Earth.
Or, more precisely, Earth City. Even after paying about $1.225 million for
a site in Earth City, the industrial park on the north side of I-70 between
I-270 and the Missouri River in St. Louis County, The Rams spared no expense
in building the 160,000-square foot facility. It is easily one of the best
looking of the 100-plus buildings in the park. Of course, most of the buildings
are your basic bulk warehouses, so this is a little like saying you're valedictorian
of summer school.
But this building would be a welcome addition to any office park. In fact
the administrative offices are easily as nice as any Class A office building
anywhere in town. All the elements are there, from the upgraded carpeting
up to the attractive lighting on the 10- to 12-foot ceilings. Thus, the
interior has a feeling of spacious quality. And in between is a state of
the art equipment to keep things running.
Media types are not permitted to roam freely through the joint, so any sightseeing
is done with an escort. That's probably just as well since they wouldn't
appreciate the trails of bread crumbs we would have to leave behind to find
our way out.
As easy as it might be to get lost, it would just as interesting trying
to find your way out because there is so much to see. And everything is
state of the art. The Bighorn officials did their homework in designing
this training facility, using the best components from the various other
training centers from around the country. This includes a complete weight
room, conveniently located next to the physical training and injury rehab
room. Just off the rehab room are two large whirlpools that will also help
in injury recovery. And just down the hall is the players' lounge as well
as a salon and grooming area.
But this facility will not serve to coddle any player. For one thing, there
are three outdoor football fields. And if the weather is less than ideal?
No problem. There is an 80-yard indoor field, the longest indoor practice
field in the NFL. Well, at least until the Bears finish their reported 120-yarder.
The Rams are currently in their training camp in Macomb, Ill., but that
might be temporary. For one thing, the Rams have only signed a series of
three one-year leases with Western Illinois University for the use of their
fields and dorms. But the Earth City facility can handle the 80-man training
camp roster in the new locker room, which is bigger than the one in the
Trans World Dome.
The lockers themselves are very similar, although they're not filled with
the clothes, shoes, and assorted equipment that occupies the in-season lockers.
The locker assigned to RB Lawrence Phillips does have a few things in it.
There's a small Nebraska toy helmet, a "For Sale" sign, and an
alarm clock so he won't sleep through any more meetings.
And there are plenty of room for meetings of all kinds. The 120-seat media
room can handle the biggest press conferences. Several smaller rooms are
designed for team and small group meetings. There are even some small interview
rooms for player-media talks. For those times when it's time to play for
fun instead of work, there is a half-court basketball court and two racquetball
courts.
Just about the only complaint among the staff at the new home is that they
are pretty far from any restaurants. Good things there are kitchens on the
premises.
3.4 A Letter From Camp by JIM HUNSTEIN
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah--
Well, this is no Camp Granada. But as the song goes, camp is very entertaining,
and they say that we'll have fun if it stops raining. Actually, rain isn't
the problem. It's the heat. The other day it reached 95 in the shade, but
there was no shade. It reminds me of that letter that Biff wrote from his
camp in Atlanta, the one where he claims to have met folks from all over
the world. (Do we really believe he kissed that woman from Copenhagen? Or
what exactly did he mean by a great Dane?). Some of these guys from California
say getting off the plane it's like getting hit with a bucket of warm water.
But the food's good.
Our head counselor, Mr. Brooks, is a real task master. The rumor is that
his last job was as a commandant in some kind of duck-oriented rain forest
out west. He learned well. This camp is much more physical than last year,
when it was no walk in the park. Guys are really hitting one another.
Everything is very tightly run here and no one gets away with anything.
Except of course, the guys who have been here a few years. Some of them
don't think they need to hustle back to the huddle they was the kids do.
Take Isaac Bruce, for instance. Please. Just kidding. Don't take him; one
of the guys who is supposed to be here, Ed Kennison, hasn't shown up yet.
He's supposed to be very fast but better show up soon or else he'll miss
a lot of the fun stuff later on. (He claims he can't find his clothes, but
I know he had some pictures taken in full camp outfit. He says it's for
a trading card. I think he just missed the bus. The word from last night's
pow-wow was that he wants to be assured that he can back for four years.
The staff says they want him for five. So he's staying home. Go figure.
He better get here soon, though; he has to learn how to run through these
woods the right way to catch the pine cones as they fall. That takes a lot
of practice. I know. I keep running into the trees.) Anyway, the people
watching let Bruce know they don't appreciate his casualness, too. Every
time he catches the ball and walks back, they boo. At least it sounds like
they're booing. He thinks he's just calling his name.
One other guy who's not here (strange how much more people care about who's
missing that who's here.) is Mark Rypien. He was a real leader here last
year, many times leading us in plays, songs, and other camp stuff. (He also
made a wicked whistle lanyard out those plastic trips.) He says he might
not come back at all, preferring to stay home, leave camping,and go out
into the real world. I doubt it, though. I think he wants to come back,
and the camp leaders and staff want him back, but no one is sure who is
going to pay for his ticket. The other leaders are pretty good, but the
oldest, Steve Walsh, came here from a Camp Bear last year where he never
sang a note. He sings real well in the shower, but we'll have to wait and
see how he does when the play's the thing. (See, I do too remember that
Shakespeare junk) The other two, Jamie Martin and Tony Banks, have never
acted in a real camp before. They both perform well in the little skits
we do now, but when the curtain goes up, I'd rather have a veteran who won't
get opening night jitters. But you know what? Even if Rip shows up, I think
Steve will be the top dog.
One other guy is not here yet, Larry Phillips. Evidently he has been having
some problems with his Mercedes. (Why didn't I get one of those puppies
when I left Camp Hurricane? Some guys have all the luck. And I never raided
that girls' camp across the lake and give anyone a major league swirly.)
I think Larry is looking for a scholarship or something. One guy in the
cabin last night said that if he gets in trouble agins, he'll probably have
to pay his own way to camp. One other guy said that there's a chance he
night end up at Camp Hard Time, but I doubt it. I hope not. He can really
help us when we take on the other camps.
But for now, they do the best with what they have. Whenever we line up for
a new activity, here's the first guys in line: QB Walsh, WR Bruce, WR JT
(some call him Johnny) Thomas, FB Ernie Conwell (a first year camper who
is just plain huge. We were making s'mores the other night and one guy tested
his marshmallow by poking it with his finger and Ernie put two graham crackers
on it and bit it.), and RB Harold Green (a guy who ran away from another
camp and came here; he's fast, too, so I guess that's why no one chased
him). Remember Greg Robinson from last year? He's doing real well again.
I think he'll be the number two guy behind Harry. Jerry Moore, another first-timer,
was doing pretty well but he's been banged up a little bit lately.
I got a question for you. Does it make any sense that as it gets hotter
(heaven help us they say it will!), we have to put on more clothes? Check
the brochure for me and see if they mention that anywhere. Also check and
see if it says that Macomb (pronounced, by the way, as in the sentence "Since
the veterans shaved my head, I don't need MACOMB anymore") is out in
the middle of corn fields. I swear, this place might not be the end of the
world, but you can see it from here. But I digress. We started out in just
shorts and shirts (the ones with the numbers so they don't have to remember
our names). Now they have us in shorts, shirts, and hats in the mornings.
In the afternoon, once it really warms up, we have to wear everything in
our trunks but the trunk itself. It's not very fun, but no one complains.
Too loudly.
That reminds me. We figured out why they have the camp up here. With all
the speed traps along Highway 67 on the way here from St. Louis, the camp
gets a kickback from all the traffic tickets. That's why they don't charge
for visitors to watch. They already paid!
A couple of guys had to report to the camp nurse. LB Tom Homco had a boo
boo on his knee. OK, the knee he had an operation on was sore, but he's
playing again. But WR Alexander Wright got more of the same thing he did
last year. No, not poison ivy. That was me. He has more of the back spasms
that made him miss a lot of fun activities last year, especially those on
Sundays. He is supposed to be one of the fastest men in any camp anywhere
(except the one in Atlanta this week, of course), but they don't let you
play in the infirmary. He tried to play afterwards, but he's gone for a
while to a doctor back in St. Louis. With him gone, Johnny (some call him
JT) Thomas has been lining up first (after Bruce) a lot. But this guy Jermaine
Ross, who was out all last year, is looking best of all. He has great hands
and really knows how to run. If Kennison doesn't show up soon, Jermaine
might just move into the number 2 position behind Ike.
Speaking of Sundays, forget about getting any tickets to those activities
this fall and winter. All sold out.
A couple of guys have left camp already. One, K Sean Wright, was asked not
to come in the first place since K Chip Lohmiller is here. But OL Corey
Swenson was axed, as in axed to leave. You would not believe the size of
his head - 7 7/8! He could have shaved his head and painted it blue with
gold stripes and no one would have known.
Hey, we just heard about the Wayner leaving the Blues. We didn't get a chance
to hear the press conference but one of the guys is such a hard-core Note
fan that he carries a tape of The Gone One's press conference when he first
joined the Blues. So we snuck into the counselor's cabin to watch the tape
and yelled "Rangers" every time he said "Blues" and
"Messier" whenever he said "Hull". It worked. Had to
be just the same. Anyway, this guy's folks told him that they decided to
drop their two season tickets. Instead of the dough they'd spend there (roughly
$130 per home game for tickets, parking, and refreshments for 40-plus home
games), they going to buy a house worth $50,000 more. Not a bad move. We
got anything to sell to move up?
Well, that's about it for now. We have some hard camp coming up for a while
until next month around this time when certain guys will be asked to leave.
Maybe they're running out of food or something. If you want to come up,
feel free. Just come up Highway 67 north out of St. Louis. It's a two-laner
through some small towns, including Beardstown, the place where those investment
ladies group is from. Jacksonville is about halfway and has all your basic
fast food groups along the road. Beware of the speed zones. From all the
stories we hear, my theory is that they put the camp up here with the stipulation
that they get a kickback from all the traffic tickets along the way. Once
you get to Macomb, the camp is very easy to find; they put big signs on
lampposts and stuff.
As I finish up this letter, I realized that one of the incidental benefits
from having the camp here in a small town surrounded by other even-smaller
towns; they have managed to create a small pocket of fans in the region.
It might not be a bad idea if they had these camps in different small towns
all over Missouri and Illinois to create an ever-spreading base of fans.
Of course, it's not like these people will ever get a ticket on a Sunday.
But they'll buy stuff. And lots of it.
So I'd better wrap this up. I'll write more later. Jim
3.5 Off The Rack by JIM HUNSTEIN
The dumping of St. Louis by Wayne Gretzky has not only left any number of
Blues fans upset, it has a lot of local shop owners miffed. They had loaded
up on Blues jerseys (Oh, excuse me, sweaters. These things are no more sweaters
than baseball covers are horsehide, yet they get to still be called by the
old name.) Look for those #99 Bluenote jerseys to be in the discount rack
like another can of beans, to quote the Piano Man his own self.
They'll be right next to all those Jerome Bettis #36 Rams jerseys. Bettis
was traded in mid-draft and the red mark-down tags were being prepared by
the end of the second round. Those can be had for a song at Sports Authority
and just a short ditty at Famous.
Ironically, the #56 Shane Conlan jerseys are still full price. His sold
better than Bettis's when he team first moved here mostly because he was
a grizzled veteran mike (that's football talk for middle linebacker). That,
and he wasn't a whining hold-out from training camp. Isaac Bruce #80 shirts
are huge this year. The #93 Kevin Carter model is big, but not nearly as
big. New in stores this year; Todd Kinchen's #81. If and when they ever
sign Lawrence Phillips, his #21 could be The Item.
The baseball Cardinals are also well-represented in the athletic apparel
world. Ozzie, of course, leads the way, as it should be. You can hardly
swing a dead cat in Sports Authority without hitting a #1 jersey. He is
represented in every configuration of Cardinal red and white shirt you can
think of. And more than a few that no one in their right mind would think
of. Ron Gant's #5 has been on the shelves all year, along with Ray Lankford's
#16. But just starting to appear is Brian Jordan's #3. About time. Interesting
that no pitchers' jerseys are available.
But the most interesting item is one not available at any sporting goods
store. In fact, there may be only a handful of places to get one. If it's
even still on the market. By all rights, it shouldn't be, of course. In
light of recent developments, it hardly rings true. It was last seen at
one of those kiosks in West County Shopping Center. It's a framed poster
featuring none other than our former favorite, Wayne Gretzky, sporting his
royal blue #99 jersey with one of those inspirational sayings on a topic
supposedly personified by the featured role model. The topic, in a single
word, is the headline of the poster. The Wayner's motivational topic, that
he allegedly embodies?
Commitment.
Line forms to the rear.
3.6 The McLaughlin Report by DAN McLAUGHLIN
As the Cardinals wrap up their 11-game homestand in which, through Friday,
the Birds are 2 and 7, relief is not in sight--relief pitching, that is.
The Cardinals bullpen has struggled as their ERA is climbing over 4.00.
In addition, a general feeling of uneasiness exists during the late innings
of games in which the Cardinals are ahead.
GM Walt Jocketty realizes the bullpen's failures as of late...and that realization
led to the release of veteran reliever Jeff Parrett. Parrett, 34, had a
2-2 record and a 4.25 ERA in 33 appearances.
Cory Bailey was called up from Louisville to replace Parrett. Bailey, a
25 year-old righthander, was 3-1 with a 4.71 ERA in two previous stints
with the Cardinals in 1996.
"It was a tough decision," said Jocketty. "It was something
we had been talking about for a while. We wanted to get Cory Bailey back
on the club because he gives us the ability to use him in a lot of different
roles and we were pretty limited in the way we were able to use Parrett."
Jocketty wanted to get something for the right-handed Parrett, but was unsuccessful.
"I tried for the last couple of weeks to trade Jeff and was unable
to do so, so we just made a tough decision to release him."
The Cards are about a couple of weeks away from regaining the services of
left-hander Danny Jackson. Jackson, who had offseason ankle surgery, pitched
two innings for Louisville this past Monday on a rehab assignment, allowing
four hits and two homers.
"We've got Jackson, who's pitching in rehab," said Jocketty. "I'm
still looking to try and trade [for] somebody who will help us in the bullpen."
But the main questions in the Cardinals relief corps involve the closer
role. With Dennis Eckersley struggling (particularly against lefthanded
batters) and openly admitting he doesn't have the control that used to have,
the words "Tom" and "Henke" are continually being used
in the same sentence around Busch Stadium.
"We've talked to Tom," said Jocketty. "I've been in contact
with him all year and I think it's still something he's trying to decide
whether he wants to [return]. We're getting to a point where we have to
make a decision pretty soon. But the door is always open to him and we would
love to have him back."
So as the 1996 season moves into August, the bullpen remains a major concern
here in St. Louis. As the trading deadline approaches, names will pop out--Mercker,
Brantley, and others will be available. The Cardinals will be able to wheel
and deal because of the pitching talent down on the farm.
One thing is clear: Jocketty and the Redbirds will make moves to stop the
bleeding in the bullpen--this club will not stay complacent.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dan McLaughlin is WIBV's primary sports reporter. If there's
a live sporting event going on in or around St. Louis, you can find Dan
and his rosy red cheeks somewhere in the background, microphone in hand.
Give Mr. McLaughlin a call at 'IBV and ask him to do some play-by-play for
you...or at least a Harry Caray imitation.
4.0 StLSO Game Recaps
4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Updates by JIM HUNSTEIN
4.1.1 Cardinals vs. Cubs (July 18-21)
IN THE ARCHIVES: The Cards managed a 2-2 split with the Cubs in their 4-game
series at Busch this past weekend. But it took a 10th inning homer in G4
by Tom Pagnozzi to pull it out and save the team.
ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: 6-5 Cubs (2 Cubbie runs in the 9th); G2: 9-1 Cards
(5-run 5th) G3: 3-0 Cubs (another 2-run 9th) G4: 6-5 Cards
COMING OUT: Cards were 54-44, in first place, 3 games ahead of the Astros
who have won 3 in a row. The NLC is no longer the week sister; that record
would be good for first in the West and second in the East.
AT THE PLATE: The biggest hit of the series has to be Pagnozzi's dinger
to win G4 on an 0-2 count. (His 7th to tie his career best.) Pags had a
great series, collecting 6 hits (2 in each of his 3 games). His two in G3
comprised 40% of the team's hits in that game. Only two other home runs
in the series; Ron Gant hit #16 in G4 into Homer's Landing (not the bullpen
area, into the picnic tables) and Danny Sheaffer hit #2 in G2. That was
a marathon game and not just because of the score. There were two 1 1/2-hour
rain delays. That didn't stop the team from collecting 13 hits. Ozzie Smith
and Ray Lankford, batting 1 and 2 in the order respectively, were each 3-for-4
with 2 runs scored. Smith repeated that effort in G4 with 1 run scored giving
him a combined 6-for-8 in the series.
OFF THE BENCH: Smith also pinch-hit twice with a sacrifice and a walk. Stop
the presses! The essence of futility has passed! Miguel Mejia finally collected
his first hit of the season, a pinch-hit single in G2. He is now batting
a lofty .063 (1-for 16). Hey, anything is lofty compared to three goose
eggs. Those were the only two pinch-hit appearances that produced base runners.
Otherwise, the bench struck out five times and grounded out once.
ON THE BASEPATHS: Ray Lankford stole one in G1 to tie Royce Clayton for
the team lead with 20. So Clayton swiped a pair in G3 to regain the solo
lead. Brian Jordan stole #13 in G4.
ON THE MOUND: Rookie Alan Benes became the fist Cardinal pitcher to break
into double digits with his 10th win. It came in G2 as he lasted 5 innings
(including coming back from one 1 1/2-hour rain delay) and struck out 8.
The other three starters deserved better fates; the team should have 2 more
10-game winners. Todd Stottlemyre (still 9-6) pitched G1 and went 8 innings
and gave up only 3 earned runs while fanning 7, but the bullpen allowed
2 runs. Mike Morgan (now 3-4) also went 8 in G3 and only allowed 1 run,
but again the pen allowed 2 and he was saddled with the loss. The team provided
zero run support as they were 5-hit. Donovan Osborne (still 9-5) lasted
6 innings and gave up 3 runs.
FROM THE BULLPEN: Ouch. Not a good time to be a Redbird reliever. The pen
was a combined 10 innings and gave up 6 earned runs (5.40 ERA for the series)
on 11 hits and 3 walks. Closer (lame duck? as Tom Henke has been seen hanging
around the ol' ball yard) Dennis Eckersley proved very human...giving up
2 runs in 1 2/3 innings over G3 and G4. One run was a 9th inning game-tying
homer by Brain McRae in G4. Mark Petkovsek managed to give up 2 runs in
2/3 inning without yielding a hit. (After two quick outs, he walked two
and then Tony Fossas and TJ Mathews gave up hits to score them.) Petkovsek
got the win in G4 after giving up 2 hits in the top of the 10th. In other
words, the relief corps is no longer as automatic as they were earlier in
the season. About the only thing automatic is that Eck will give up his
requisite hit; just hope it stays in the park.
IN THE FIELD: Only one error in the series (by Sweeney in G1) but then Alicea
has been relegated to a pinch-hitting role.
OVERALL: The Cards scored 7 runs total in the first innings of the series.
Unfortunately, they gave up 5 runs in the 9th. That's a sure way to give
up a split.
IN THE HOUSE: G1: 38, 983; G2: 45,436; G3: 50,418; G4: 42,257 (seem like
low numbers for a Cubs-Cards series, the last weekend set at Busch for the
year)
ON THE CLOCK: G1: 3:11; G2: 2:31 (not including two 1 1/2-hour rain delays);
G3: 3:01; G4: 3:25 (10 innings)
UP NEXT: 3-game series (playoff preview?) with the Braves
4.1.2 Cardinals vs. Braves (July 22-24)
IN THE ARCHIVES: The Cards were once again swept by the Braves, the second
time this year. The good news is it can't happen again; the two teams don't
play again this season, unless by some happenstance it happens in October.
The bad news is that it did this time and without the Redbirds having to
face their real pitchers. They didn't lose to Maddux, Glavine, and Avery.
It was Smoltz (OK, so he's great this year), Wade, and Woodall. Yikes.
ON THE SCOREBOARD: G!: 8-6 Braves (Cards blew a 5-0 lead); G2: 3-2 Braves
(Cards were 5-hit); G3: 4-1 Braves
GOING IN: Cards were 54-44, in first place, 2 ahead of the Astros
COMING OUT (and not a minute too soon): Cards were 54-47, still in first,
but only 1 game up on the 'Stros.
AT THE PLATE: Not much good news when one game's a 2-hitter and one's a
fiver. Gary Gaetti (5-for-11) was the only Redbird with a hit in each game
including his 11th home run in G1. Ron Gant had the only other homer in
the series, his 17th in G1. All told, the Cards managed only 18 hits in
the series. The killer came in G1 when Brian "Mr. 11-for-14 With Bases
Loaded" Jordan came up with the sacks jammed and no outs in the 1st
inning of G1. He grounded into a double play so only one run scored. The
Cards wouldn't sniff second again.
ON THE BASEPATHS: Redbirds were arunnin', and would have done more if they
could have gotten on base. They stole 3 (Ozzie Smith with #s 4 and 5, Gant
with #7) in G1 and 1 in G2 (Jordan's #14). Like they say, you can't steal
first.
OFF THE BENCH: It took a wild pitch on strike three for the Cards to get
a pinch hitter on base (Ray Lankford in the 9th of G1). Otherwise, the pine-riders
were a miserable 0-for-6. The Braves' PHers, on the other hand, were 3-for-4
with 2 homers, a single, and a walk. Hope someone in a white uniform was
watching how it was done.
ON THE MOUND: Andy Benes was once again robbed, even though he gave up 5
runs in 6 innings in G1. The team had a 6-5 lead when he was pulled and
the bullpen failed again. So AnBenes remains 8-8. The relievers never got
a chance in G2 as Todd Stottlemyre went the distance in G2 in a losing cause.
The L drops his record to 9-7. Alan Benes started G3 strong (a monstrous
upper-deck homer to Javy Lopez in the 3rd notwithstanding) in a bid to win
his fourth decision in a row. But he gave up 3 more runs in the next 3 innings,
including a dinger to Ryan Klesko, and his record fell to 10-6.
FROM THE BULLPEN: Horrible. The speed of the captain is the speed of the
crew, and Cap'n Eck is floundering. And as He suffered, so too do the rest.
Jeff Parrett and TJ Mathews gave up the 3 runs to lose G1. Mathews (1-3)
got the loss but Parrett got the boot. He was given his unconditional release.
Eckersley showed up in the 9th of G3 in a mop-up role. Yes, he gave up his
usual hit.
IN THE FIELD: Just about the only bright spot. Gant made a great catch on
a sinking liner (should it therefore be a Titanic catch?) in G2. Replays
showed why using 2 hands is a good idea; he actually made the grab with
his bare hand. In G3, Royce Clayton showed great presence of mind on a double
play attempt. He took the throw and drifted across the bag. Then he noticed
the ump hadn't signaled the out. So Clayton went back to touch the base
and get the sure out.
CATCHALL: That Cards once again came out of the gates strong, scoring 5
runs in the first innings. (3 in G1, 1 in G2, 1 in G3). Unfortunately...
OVERALL: At 54-47, the Cards are 14 games better than they were last year
after 101 games. Cory Bailey was called up from Louisville to replace Parrett.
IN THE HOUSE: G1: 36,215; G2: 35,520; G3: 35,411 (good consistency)
ON THE CLOCK: G1: 3:11; G2: 2:22; G3: 2:22
ON DECK: 4 at home against the Expos, the most likely challenger for the
NL wild card playoff spot. They have lost 2 in a row and 4 of their last
10.
IN THE HOLE: After the first day off since the All Star game, 3 games in
Philly.
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Cardinals Statistics (through 102 GAMES (July 25th))
5.1.1 Batting
AB HIT 2B 3B HR SLG RUN RBI BB SO OBP SB CS E AVG Mabry,John 351 110 19 2 9 .456 44 50 26 57 .361 1 1 5 .313 McGee,Willie 210 64 10 1 3 .405 37 30 12 41 .342 3 1 2 .305 Jordan,Brian 317 96 24 0 13 .502 58 72 17 59 .338 14 3 2 .303 Pagnozzi,Tom 238 70 14 0 8 .454 30 38 11 49 .325 3 1 6 .294 Clayton,Royce 317 92 14 3 3 .382 44 22 24 64 .340 22 11 10 .290 Smith,Ozzie 127 36 5 1 0 .339 17 8 14 3 .355 6 3 5 .283 Lankford,Ray 352 99 22 5 18 .526 70 61 46 82 .364 20 3 0 .281 Sheaffer,Danny 142 39 8 2 2 .401 9 17 7 19 .309 2 3 4 .275 Gaetti,Gary 303 79 17 0 11 .426 43 45 21 53 .309 1 2 8 .261 Sweeney,Mark 131 34 8 0 3 .389 22 17 23 23 .370 1 0 3 .260 Gant,Ron 226 56 9 2 17 .531 42 49 48 50 .380 7 2 3 .248 Alicea,Luis 267 63 16 0 4 .341 33 29 33 55 .320 5 2 20 .236 Gallego,Mike 46 8 0 0 0 .174 5 1 2 9 .208 0 0 0 .174 Mejia,Miguel 16 1 0 0 0 .062 6 0 0 9 .062 3 2 1 .062 TOTAL 3481 937 182 16 92 .410 491 461 308 706 .329 89 38 87 .269
W L IP HIT RUN ER BB SO ERA SA BS HR G ST C Mathews,TJ 1 3 53.0 36 21 17 22 48 2.89 3 3 5 40 0 0 Fossas,Tony 0 4 29.2 30 15 10 13 23 3.03 2 4 6 41 0 0 Osborne,Donovan 9 5 122.2 113 53 44 26 76 3.23 0 0 14 18 18 2 Honeycutt,Rick 2 0 31.1 28 12 12 7 24 3.45 2 1 2 40 0 0 Eckersley,D 0 5 36.1 39 18 15 4 32 3.72 16 2 5 36 0 0 Stottlemyre,T 9 7 144.1 130 65 62 59 124 3.87 0 0 21 21 21 4 Morgan,Mike 3 4 83.0 81 39 37 34 38 4.01 0 0 10 13 13 0 Parrett,Jeff 2 2 42.1 40 20 20 20 42 4.25 0 2 2 33 0 0 Benes,Andy 8 8 140.1 141 74 67 38 90 4.30 1 0 19 22 21 2 Petkovsek,Mark 6 2 52.0 53 26 25 22 22 4.33 0 3 8 25 4 0 Bailey,Cory 3 1 30.0 35 17 15 15 27 4.50 0 0 1 28 0 0 Benes,Alan 10 6 122.0 120 82 69 53 87 5.09 0 0 18 21 21 2
American League National League
Eastern Divisions
Team Won Lost GB PCT Team Won Lost GB PCT
New York 60 40 - .600 Atlanta 63 38 - .624
Baltimore 50 50 10.0 .500 Montreal 54 46 8.5 .540
Toronto 46 56 15.0 .451 Florida 48 53 15.0 .475
Boston 45 55 15.0 .450 New York 47 54 16.0 .465
Detroit 32 70 29.0 .314 Philadelphia 41 61 22.5 .402
Central Divisions
Team Won Lost GB PCT Team Won Lost GB PCT
Cleveland 62 40 - .608 CARDINALS 54 48 - .529
Chicago 55 47 7.0 .539 Houston 54 49 0.5 .524
Milwaukee 50 51 11.5 .495 Cincinnati 48 49 3.5 .495
Minnesota 49 52 12.5 .485 Chicago 48 53 5.5 .475
Kansas City 47 56 15.5 .456 Pittsburgh 46 54 7.0 .460
Western Divisions
Team Won Lost GB PCT Team Won Lost GB PCT
Texas 58 44 - .569 Colorado 53 48 - .525
Seattle 54 46 3.0 .540 San Diego 54 49 - .524
Oakland 53 50 5.5 .515 Los Angeles 54 49 - .524
California 49 53 9.0 .480 San Francisco 44 57 9.0 .436