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BETWEEN THE LINES
BUC FEVER
In an effort to pass the one million mark in attendance, the
Pirates began discounting tickets on Aug. 1 for weekday games,
cutting general admission prices from $2.50 to $1 and selling a
terrace-level ticket for $1 after the purchase of one at the usual
$6 rate.
In their first five games under the new policy, the Pirates
averaged only 8,086. Worse, they lost four of five.
. . . OF BOSTON FANS
AND DRIVERS
The last few years Red Sox reliever Bob Stanley has taken the
brunt of fan frustrations. On Aug. 4 -- two days after he and Tim
Lollar combined to turn a 2-1 lead into a 9-2 deficit in 20 pitches
-- Stanley discovered just how angry he makes some New Englanders. He
was driving to the ballpark on Boston's Massachusetts Avenue when a
driver in the next car recognized him. The driver pulled up alongside
his auto and began berating Stanley for his pitching. Stanley
accelerated, but the driver caught up to him. He was so absorbed in
taunting Stanley that he failed to see a car in front of him and
bumped into it. Stanley drove on to the park in peace.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
-- ''I'm 43, and I'm still married to a 4-year-old.'' -- Anita
Piniella, after her husband, Lou, called home to wish her a happy
birthday after he was ejected in Cleveland Aug. 2 for a dirt-kicking,
hat-throwing demonstration.
-- ''It was the bushest thing I've ever seen in baseball. That's
American League stuff.'' -- National League umpire Dave Pallone in
ejecting Cubs manager Gene Michael for spinning the ump's cap in an
argument. Pallone didn't explain precisely what he meant.
THE PRIDES OF THE
WAYWARD BUSES
When Atlanta pitcher Zane Smith couldn't make his scheduled Aug. 5
start in San Diego, 29-year-old Cliff Speck and 28-year-old Ed Olwine
-- who between them had 18 full minor league seasons and 17 major
league appearances -- combined to beat the Padres 3-2 for the first
victory and save of their respective careers.
AND YOU WONDER WHERE
SPECK AND OLWINE
CAME FROM . . .
The American League's 4.28 earned run average could be the highest
since the league ERA was 4.58 in 1950. With the designated hitter and
the vast difference in its ballparks, the American League is
averaging a combined run a game more than the NL -- 9.4 to 8.4 -- and
the league ERA is 4.28 to 3.70.
MISCELLANEOUS
-- The Royals haven't had a complete-game victory since Charlie
Leibrandt beat Minnesota on June 6.
-- On Aug. 6 in Pittsburgh, Expo fireballer Floyd Youmans tied
high school teammate Dwight Gooden with his 11th victory, throwing 90
of his 126 pitches at 90 mph or faster. In Youmans's first 12
appearances (including 11 starts) his record was 4-5, 5.91, in his
last 12 (all starts), 7-2, 2.35, and in those 12 starts the
opposition was 7 for 72 (.090) with runners in scoring position.
-- The last time Nolan Ryan or Tom Seaver won as many as 17 games
was 1977.
-- There are seven pitchers on active AL rosters who won 17 or
more games last season. In a 13-day period ending Aug. 4 three of
them -- Joaquin Andujar, Mike Moore and Bret Saberhagen -- pitched in
relief, and a fourth, Ron Guidry, started for the Albany-Colonie
Yankees. Dave Stieb, last year's league ERA leader, also saw duty in
relief.
-- In 70 games as a leadoff hitter Tim Raines is batting .323 with
47 runs, 17 doubles, 4 triples, 7 homers, 28 RBIs and 35 stolen
bases. In 27 games batting third, Raines is hitting .355 with 16
runs, 6 doubles, 6 triples, 1 homer, 17 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
-- For years Montreal's Jay Tibbs was told that he didn't pitch
inside enough. When he hit Jim Morrison with a pitch in Pittsburgh
Aug. 4, it was a career first -- in his 456th major league inning.
-- The Orioles Storm Davis is 10-0 against the Rangers, while the
White Sox' Floyd Bannister has lost 11 straight to the Red Sox.
-- In 1985, Jose DeLeon was 2-19 for the Pirates. In 1986 for the
White Sox, he beat Roger Clemens twice in six days.
