Letters

Although your article on Scotty Bowman was well-written, it
would have been nice to have seen him and Steve Yzerman holding
the Stanley Cup on the cover.
--Jerry Muzar, Norman, Okla.

THE POWER OF POETRY

Kudos to Steve Rushin for his clever stanzas about the 112
players who have manned the hot corner for the New York Mets (The
Ballad of Joe Moock, June 29).
DAVID HARTMAN, Rye Brook, N.Y.

His ballad was funny
And right on the money
And full of inherent meanness,
But I've just got to say,
I'll take more any day
'Cause Steve Rushin is simply a genius.
CRAIG OSTROFF, Bensalem, Pa.

The writer Steve Rushin
I couldn't stand his fussin'
About all the Mets third sackers.
SI as a mag
Has turned into a rag,
And writers like Rushin are hackers.
MARC EIGER, Wantagh, N.Y.

Four decades of Mets
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED lets
Get berated to death.
The five pages of drivel
Put my head on a swivel.
It was more painful than reading Macbeth.
RODNEY WEDIG, Almond, Wis.

I was unamused. Wayne Garrett, Hubie Brooks and Ray Knight were
mainstays at the hot corner. Here's hoping that Steve Rushin
hangs up the title of Poet Laureate of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.
JASON BORELLI, Staten Island, N.Y.

MEMBERS OF THE LOSERS' CLUB

I was disappointed that Jeff Pearlman's story on the 20-loss
club (INSIDE BASEBALL, June 29) made no mention of the feats (or
defeats) of Wilbur Wood, who not only lost 20 games twice in his
career but also compiled an astonishing 24 wins and 20 losses
for the White Sox in 1973.
BILL KUMMER, Chester, Nova Scotia

I was disturbed to read that Brian Kingman would celebrate
another player's injury (Mark Gubicza's) because it preserved
his place in the history books as the last 20-game loser in the
major leagues. Kingman doesn't have to worry about his mark as a
loser. It is forever etched in stone.
BRIAN ELLIOTT, Canton, Mich.

SLAMMIN' SAMMY

It's about time that Sammy Sosa got the recognition that he
deserves (The Education of Sammy Sosa, June 29). Aside from his
monstrous power numbers, it is a pleasure to watch someone who
loves the game and the fans as much as he does.
JOSEPH BUBMAN, Los Angeles

Sammy Sosa is a joy to watch, and I wish more players played the
game with the same passion.
PETER DEYOUNG, Winnetka, Ill.

It's good that Sosa has learned patience and the concept of team
spirit, but the pressure isn't on him yet. Wait until the Cubs
get close to the playoffs. Sosa will start to feel the pressure
of hitting those 60 home runs that everyone expects. He will go
back to his old ways, thinking only about himself. Until Sosa
proves he can keep his numbers up when the pressure is on, he
won't be able to take his team deep into the playoffs.
JOHN WILSON, Yakima, Wash.

I loved the story on Sosa for the mention of Cubs hitting
instructor Jeff Pentland. Coach Pentland had a long, arduous
trip to the bigs, but I know what a great baseball mind he has,
having played for him at UC Riverside and with him on a semipro
team in Kansas. That he can get the results he has from a player
of Sosa's stature is a testament to his ability to teach.
JEFF CARSLEY, Fairfield, Calif.

SCOTTY IS OUR GUY

Thank you for publishing a very insightful article on Scotty
Bowman (That's Scotty! June 29). As an ex-Canuck, I get tired of
hearing about how great Tom Landry, Phil Jackson and Vince
Lombardi were. Bowman has done it with so many teams and over
such a long period of time. His willingness to adapt is what
separates him from many other great coaches.
DEAN KAGAWA, Tampa

The Red Wings and Steve Yzerman deserve more than just a passing
sentence in an article about their coach, Scotty Bowman. The Red
Wings have won the Stanley Cup two consecutive years, and it
would seem that your magazine should give this awesome team the
respect they deserve.
VICKI WELCH, Davison, Mich.

After three Michael Jordan photos in a row, you'd think that the
two-sweep-in-a-row Detroit Red Wings and their illustrious coach
would deserve a cover.
DON LUCE, Los Angeles

COLOR PHOTO: ANDY HAYT [Brian Kingman pitching in game]

STILL THE ONE

I enjoyed remembering my 20-loss season of 1980 with Jeff
Pearlman. It is much easier to look back on that season than it
was experiencing it.
BRIAN KINGMAN, Phoenix