Letters

Dan Duquette runs Mo Vaughn off the Red Sox and then says
players constantly change teams today because "that's the way it
is."
--JEFF WATKINS, Mount Pleasant, S.C.

LAMENTING MO'S LOSS

The Red Sox lose Mo Vaughn, a player who can hit, field and lead
them into battle, yet I could eventually forgive the Red Sox for
that (Guardian Angel, April 19). Boston loses a man who relished
the chance to be a role model and help the less fortunate. For
this I shall never forgive the Red Sox. Shame on you, Dan
Duquette and John Harrington. This is not the legacy that Mrs.
Yawkey had in mind for her beloved Red Sox.
MARTIN BLACKMAN, Boston

Your article about Vaughn's fresh start with the Angels
reaffirmed two things: One, Vaughn is an amazing baseball player
and an extraordinary human being. Two, Duquette is an idiot, and
the Red Sox probably won't win a playoff series or a World
Series with him in charge.
BILL TINSLEY, Howell, Mich.

Not since Carl Yastrzemski has a player brought pride to the
Boston fans and community the way Mo Vaughn did.
RICK HILL, Lunenburg, Mass.

While I commend Vaughn for his charity work, I think he's
another of this era's spoiled pro athletes. Instead of being
thankful that he plays in an era when salaries are astronomical,
he complains that the Red Sox showed him less respect than the
Angels did. I wish the Red Sox would disrespect me by offering
me a cool million to play--or maybe just free bleacher seats.
SCOTT SOLVERSON, Fairfax, Va.

In the summer of 1985, I played on a tournament team with Mo and
some of his friends. During that time I met Mo's parents, Leroy
and Shirley. I cannot say enough about how well they treated me
and the rest of the team. It is no surprise to find that Mo,
even with his fame and fortune, remembers to care about children
in the community.
JOE DESANTIS, Buffalo Grove, Ill.

HANDICAPPING THE DRAFT

Paul Zimmerman has won our 1999 NFL Mock Draft award (Dr. Z's
Forecast, April 19). Dr. Z bested ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., Pro
Football Weekly's Joel Buchsbaum, Draft Insider's Frank Coyle
and 15 other experts to win our annual prize. Congratulations.
SHAWN GRIFFIN, Managing Editor
The Sports Weekly Journal
Racine, Wis.

I was intrigued by the cover photo of your April 19 issue. Was
it your intention to predict where Tim Couch was going by having
Big Dawg place his paw on Couch's shoulder? Now the question is,
Which one of those on the cover will be jinxed--Couch, Akili
Smith or Big Dawg?
KEVIN HENSELER, Crofton, Neb.

I keep looking at it and looking at it, and I swear to God that
has to be the ugliest SI cover I have ever seen.
R.C. PRICE, Mesa, Ariz.

EARLY END OF THE CENTURY

I hate to break this to the Red Sox, but if their Sept. 27 home
game is the "Final Game of the Century," then they'll be missing
a lot more than this year's postseason (SCORECARD, April 19).
According to my calendar, the next century starts on Jan. 1,
2001. The question is: When the Sox no-show for an entire
season, will Boston fans notice the difference?
TIM CALLAWAY, Henderson, Nev.

OUR HOMETOWN HEROES

When Jim Courier lifted the U.S. Davis Cup team to the
quarterfinals by pulling out a clutch victory over Greg Rusedski
of Great Britain, I was sure you would write a story about it
(SCORECARD, April 12). After all, it was outstanding tennis with
plenty of drama. Instead you focused on the sad state of men's
tennis and the absence of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi from the
U.S. team. Courier, Todd Martin and Alex O'Brien played their
hearts out against the British players. They deserved better
treatment.
NORI REINERT, Davis, Calif.

COLOR PHOTO: ANDY HAYT

A Real Intangible

After reading your NFL draft preview article about Tim Couch and
Akili Smith (A Bone to Pick, April 19), I came away with the
feeling that the two quarterbacks are about dead-even after
taking all of the categories--arm, mobility, personality,
handling pressure, smarts--that you examined. Perhaps you should
have looked at one other category. Akili Smith's alma mater,
Lincoln High in San Diego, has produced two Super Bowl MVPs:
Marcus Allen (left), who won it in 1984 as an Oakland Raider,
and Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos, who was the MVP in
1998. Tim Couch's Leslie County High? Zero. When you factor in
this category, the edge definitely goes to Smith.
CRAIG MATSUNAGA, Littleton, Colo.