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Sunday, November 17, 2002

By Steve Ziants, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

It's been 35 days since we previously got together for a little Sunday morning baseball talk. You wouldn't think much could've changed in so short a time. Then again, would you want to tell Dusty Baker or Art Howe that nothing much has happened?

Mickey Mouse and a monkey earned World Series rings, a Philadelphia mayor is governor-elect for the first time since World War I, a record 10 teams changed the nameplate on the manager's office, tea bag became a punch line, Pitt's football team is ranked for the first time in 11 years, Pitt dunkmaster Julius Page showed up for the start the season coifed to enter a Shaggy look-a-like contest on Scooby Doo Night in Oakland, an Ohio high school basketball team is starring on pay-per-view, Tommy Maddox is The Man, and J-Lo got engaged again.

OK, all together now ... breathe.

Now, to catch you up on some of the more interesting transactions that didn't all make your morning paper.

Three of the aforementioned 10 managers combined to go 301-194 (that's a .608 winning percentage) and still found themselves moving on -- two of them forced marches -- including Baker's move from the Giants to the Cubs. He is the first manager since Oakland's Dick Williams in 1973 to take his team to the World Series and leave. While it's a story that's been beaten on more than the Cincinnati Bengals, it's worth noting if only to set a bizarre tone for this off-season. Fortunately, in another part of the sports world, Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden coins a word to succinctly describe these goings on: Bumfuzzlin'.

The Red Sox receive the go-ahead for plans to put 300 seats on top of the storied Green Monster. Next: financing to purchase Bunker Hill for site of the New Fenway.

The Yankees sign a working relationship with the Yomiuri Giants that could put Yankees home games on TV 10,000 miles away in Tokyo via the Yankees' YES Network before they can be seen 10 miles away in rival Cablevision neighborhoods of the five boroughs.

A Hollywood exec, calling the Rally Monkey a "great role model" for kids, wants to make a monkey movie. Oh, for the days when dads and firemen and cowboys were at least edged out for the role of role model by living, breathing, hungover, coke-snorting outfielders that ran out two-hoppers to short only every other Tuesday.

The Red Sox hire Revolutionary Guru of Stats Bill James as a part-time consultant. His first move: He wants to change the name of the team to the Bernie Carbo Is God Playaz and move them from the American League East to The Bambino's Chowda League, Geek Division.

The Yankees' Brian Cashman reiterates his Boss' mandate to cut payroll. To that end, still seething at being jumped by the Gang of 29 in the new collective bargaining agreement, the Yankees raise top ticket prices by $10 (to $72), lay off 25 front-office workers, cut the hours of elevator operators at Yankee Stadium and threaten to eliminate dental coverage for 150 employees by Jan. 1. The Guy couldn't make that up.

But in the most improbable switcheroo, Billy Beane backs out of a deal that would have made him general manager of the Red Sox for an unprecedented $2.5 million a year to remain in his $400,000-a-year job as Oakland boy genius. Wow! For a real change, it wasn't about the money.

Of course, not everything has been about change these past 35 days. Just look at the Florida Marlins. Who would have thought they would be the one team, the one franchise, the one rock of stability and consistency The Guy could count on in an ever-shifting off-season?

In a major announcement last month that warmed the hearts of all South Floridians with thoughts of Charlie Hough and Jeff Conine, their new, sharp-as-a-tack management group unveiled a 10th anniversary logo to be worn on team uniforms in the 2003 season -- the franchise's 11th in the league.

Sheriff Buck

New Rangers Manager Buck Showalter seems a little less stiff and obsessive in The Guy's eyes after reading an interview the former "Baseball Tonight" talking head gave to David Casstevens of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Showalter is proud to say that he has seen -- as has most anyone who has been unemployed for two years -- each of the 249 episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show", the aw-shucks 1960s sitcom set in fictional Mayberry. "You have to understand," says Showalter, who lives in Gulf Breeze, Fla., "in the South it comes on five times a day."

No flap here

Cooperstown asked one thing of Tim Raines when he retired at the end of the season -- his batting helmet. Raines, who began his career in 1979, was the last player under a grandfather clause allowed to wear a flapless helmet.

World Series leftovers

Angels sensation Francisco Rodriguez's 28 strikeouts in 18 2/3 postseason innings broke the franchise record held by, coincidentally, former Pirates World Series hero Bruce Kison, who had 15 in 1982. ... Think The Rally Monkey is too innocent and pure to get a guy in trouble? Not so, says Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler. "The last two weeks of the season, we were trying to come back and clinch a playoff spot and I said, 'You folks back home, get your monkeys out and start shaking them." Uh, now a word from our sponsors. ... Within 24 hours of Rodriguez's return to his native Venezuela, Pepsi had signed him to a three-year endorsement deal. ... For the record: The combined ERA of the starting pitchers was 7.82, the highest in Series history. ... Mike Scioscia is the 16th Angels manager in 42 years, but will be the first to be the opening day manager for four consecutive years when the 2003 season begins

Fore-warning

Just because the off-season is here doesn't mean the seemingly endless stream of dumb-and-dumber injuries takes a vacation. Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal had to have surgery on his right knee last month -- the same knee that ended his season in 2001 -- after he caught a spike while getting out of a golf cart. He is expected to be ready for spring training.

This 'n' that

A little embarrassing? A major-league all-star team barnstorming through Japan this week had lost its first three games against a team of Japanese League stars until a Barry Bonds grand slam keyed a 6-5 win Thursday. ... Hideki Matsui, this off-season's Import of the Year, was 3 for 19 with no homers in the first five games for Japan. ... Ray Poitevint, who has been scouting Asia for 42 years, told Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant that Matsui's swing reminds him of a young Fred Lynn. ... Coincidence? The Yankees, a leading suitor for Matsui, had not allowed their players to make these annual November junkets to Japan -- until this year. ... Has any new manager had a shorter honeymoon than Art Howe? The headline in the New York Post the day after the Mets hired Howe read: LOU-SERS, AND HOWE, a reference to the club being unable to secure negotiating rights to Lou Piniella. ... The managerial revolving door has spun so wildly, consider: Pirates Manager Lloyd McClendon's two seasons puts him eighth on the big-league seniority list. ... Before opening the first regular season at Great American Ballpark against the Pirates March 31, the Reds will play exhibition games against the Indians March 28-29. ... Mike Schmidt, on his first days as commissioner of the fledgling United States Professional Softball League: "I'm not doing a lot of commissioning yet." Maybe that will come after he and Jethro get done with their ciphering and guzintas. ...

Randy Johnson's Cy Young victory had to be bittersweet for the cash-strapped Diamondbacks. It triggered a salary bump for The Unit in 2003 from $12 million to $15 million. ... The Western Pennsylvania delegation in the A's dugout will not be reduced by Howe's departure for New York. Terry Francona (New Brighton) will be Ken Macha's bench coach. ... Believe it or not, the Dodgers will have competition in order to re-sign left-handed specialist Jesse Orosco, who turns 46 in April. The Padres are interested. ... Owners are expected to discuss this week the plan to play 20 Expos "home" games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Makes no sense? Think again. A sold-out 20,000-seat Hiram Bithorn Stadium would seem to trump 10,000 fans in cavernous Stade Olympique. ... In a strange twist to the Billy Beane-Was-GM-of-the-Red Sox-for-12-Hours story, there were a few minutes in there where as new GM of the Red Sox he was negotiating with Oakland for his compensation.

Shot and a jeer

Shot: So you thought hell would freeze over before Bonds hit in October? Take heart. You weren't far off. Temperatures for October in Southern California were among the coolest in history and 4.5 degrees below normal

Jeer: To Pedro Martinez, who after finishing second to Barry Zito in AL Cy Young voting, ranted: "I was a victim in 1999. Today, it's pretty much the same act from whoever did it."