Cardinals phenom J.D. Drew, standing on third base during a recent Cardinals-Orioles exhibition game at Ft. Lauderdale, FL, dutifully listens as iron-man Cal Ripken takes a moment to explain something to the youngster. Where in the world are those network TV innovations...you know, the microphones in the bases?

What do you suppose Ripken, a sure-fire first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, is saying to young Drew? The finer points of hitting? The nicer restaurants in south Florida?

Perhaps the wily Ripken was hoping to pull the hidden ball trick on young Drew.

We'll never know for sure, but Drew seems like the sure thing in 1999.