1997 Molson Baseball League All-Star Game

Fred McGriff and Tony Gwynn, both of San Diego, homered for the McGraw squad. Roberto Alomar, Ed Sprague, and Mark McGwire hit shots for the losing Mack All-Stars.

Series: MCGMAC Game: 1    at   Options: [Grass][Cardset:ML96][Version:3.22]

 MAC  2  0  0    3  0  2    0  0  0     -  7  11   1      Visitor starter: Kevin Brown
MCG  0  2  0    0  4  0    1  0  1     -  8  13   0         Home starter: Hideo Nomo
      W: Mariano Rivera   L: John Franco
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Roberto Alomar        [2b]   #K           #K==2       ///\HR7^^                                     
  Chuck Knoblauch                                                     /S8             [2b.6]///T9   
Alex Rodriguez        [ss]   #G6          {p.3}/S8/W  {p.4}#F8==4                                   
  Rey Ordonez                                                         #G4==6          [ss.6]#G5==8  
Frank Thomas          [dh]   /W//\HR8     #K          #G5                                           
  Larry Walker                                                        {p.7}#K         {p.9}#K       
Mark McGwire          [1b]   ///\HR8^^    /W#DP4      #G5                                           
  Mo Vaughn                                           [1b.6]          /W/S6           #K            
Ken Griffey Jr.       [cf]   #G6==1       #DP4==3     #G5==5                                        
  Marquis Grissom                                     [cf.6]          #F5             #F8==9        
Sammy Sosa            [rf]   {p.2}/S7/S8  {p.4}#K                                                   
  Jim Eisenreich                                      {p.6}/S8//\HR8  [rf.6]/S6                     
Edgar Martinez        [3b]   #F9          /W//\D7                                                   
  Ed Sprague                                          ///\HR8^^       [3b.6]#G6==7                  
Ryan Klesko           [lf]   /S8          #F8                                                       
  Barry Bonds                                         #F8             [lf.6]{p.8}#G4                
Terry Steinbach       [c ]   #K           //D7^/\HR7                                                
  Charles Johnson                                     #K              [c .6]#G5                     
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Kenny Lofton          [cf]   #G1              {p.3}#F7        /G4^//\HR8                                        
  Lance Johnson                                               [cf.6]         {p.7}/S9/W/sb\G4  ///T8#LD5        
Tony Gwynn            [rf]   #F9              #G6             ///\HR8^^                                         
  Jay Buhner                                                  [rf.6]         #F8               {p.9}/IW/IW/\D8  
Jim Thome             [3b]   #K==1            #G3==3          {p.5}/S7//\T9                                     
  Matt Williams                                               [3b.6]         /W/sb             /IW//D8          
Mike Piazza           [c ]   {p.2}/S7/W/\HR8  #K              #K                                                
  Ivan Rodriguez                                              [c .6]         #G4^              #LD5             
Ellis Burks           [lf]   /W#LD6           {p.4}/S7/#S8    ///T9^                                            
  Geronimo Berroa                                             [lf.6]         #F7==7            //D8^            
Raul Mondesi          [dh]   #LD6             #K              #F8==5                                            
  Dante Bichette                                                             {p.8}/E5#DP5                       
Fred McGriff          [1b]   ///\HR8^^        /S8==4                                                            
  Jeff Bagwell                                [1b.6]          {p.6}#K        #DP5                               
Derek Jeter           [ss]   /S7              {p.5}/W//S8\G4                                                    
  Cal Ripken                                  [ss.6]          #F7            //D7                               
Eric Young            [2b]   #F8==2           /S8#G4                                                            
  Craig Biggio                                [2b.6]          #G6==6         #K==8                              
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Player                 ab  r  h rbi 2b 3b hr bb so sb cs  e     Player                 ab  r  h rbi 2b 3b hr bb so sb cs  e
Roberto Alomar          3  1  1   2  0  0  1  0  2  0  0  0     Kenny Lofton            3  1  0   1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
  Chuck Knoblauch       2  0  2   0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0       Lance Johnson         2  1  2   0  0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0
Alex Rodriguez          3  0  1   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     Tony Gwynn              3  1  1   2  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0
  Rey Ordonez           2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0       Jay Buhner            1  1  0   0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0
Frank Thomas            2  1  0   0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0     Jim Thome               3  1  1   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0
  Larry Walker          2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0       Matt Williams         0  0  0   0  0  0  0  2  0  1  0  0
Mark McGwire            2  1  1   2  0  0  1  1  0  0  0  0     Mike Piazza             3  1  1   0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0
  Mo Vaughn             1  0  0   0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0       Ivan Rodriguez        2  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
Ken Griffey Jr.         3  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     Ellis Burks             2  0  2   1  0  1  0  1  0  0  0  0
  Marquis Grissom       2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0       Geronimo Berroa       2  0  1   1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
Sammy Sosa              2  0  1   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0     Raul Mondesi            3  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0
  Jim Eisenreich        2  1  2   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0       Dante Bichette        1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
Edgar Martinez          1  1  0   0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0     Fred McGriff            2  1  2   2  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0
  Ed Sprague            2  1  1   2  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  1       Jeff Bagwell          2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0
Ryan Klesko             2  0  1   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     Derek Jeter             1  1  1   0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0
  Barry Bonds           2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0       Cal Ripken            2  0  1   0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
Terry Steinbach         2  1  1   1  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0     Eric Young              2  0  1   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
  Charles Johnson       2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0       Craig Biggio          2  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0
---------------------- -- -- --  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --     ---------------------- -- -- --  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Left on base: 7        37  7 11   7  1  1  3  4  9  0  0  1     Left on base: 5        36  8 13   8  2  2  2  5  6  2  0  0

Pitcher                 w  l  s  ip   h  r er hr bb so          Pitcher                 w  l  s  ip   h  r er hr bb so
Kevin Brown             0  0  0  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  1          Hideo Nomo              0  0  0  1.0  1  2  2  1  1  1
Greg Maddux             0  0  0  1.0  3  2  2  1  1  0          Andy Benes              0  0  0  1.0  2  0  0  0  0  2
John Smoltz             0  0  0  1.1  0  0  0  0  0  1          Ismael Valdes           0  0  0  1.0  1  0  0  0  1  1
Tom Glavine             0  0  0  0.2  2  0  0  0  0  1          Paul Assenmacher        0  0  0  0.2  2  3  3  1  1  1
Trevor Hoffman          0  0  0  0.1  2  3  3  1  1  0          Eric Plunk              0  0  0  1.1  0  0  0  0  0  0
Mark Guthrie            0  0  0  0.2  2  1  1  0  0  1          Rod Beck                0  0  0  1.0  3  2  2  1  0  1
Jeff Brantley           0  0  0  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  1          Billy Wagner            0  0  0  1.0  1  0  0  0  1  1
Troy Percival           0  0  0  1.0  1  1  1  0  1  0          Mike Bielecki           0  0  0  1.0  1  0  0  0  0  0
Roberto Hernandez       0  0  0  1.0  2  0  0  0  0  1          Mariano Rivera          1  0  0  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  2
John Franco             0  1  0  0.2  1  1  1  0  2  0          
----------------------  -  -  - ---- -- -- -- -- -- --          ----------------------  -  -  - ---- -- -- -- -- -- --
                        0  1  0  8.2 13  8  8  2  5  6                                  1  0  0  9.0 11  7  7  3  4  9

Two outs when the winning run was scored 

Team Articles

SEASON ENDS ON HIGH NOTE The Philadelphia Phillies closed their season on a hopeful note for next year. Despite finishing the season with a sub-par 72-88 record, the Phils managed to avoid the 90-loss mark by going 14-10 in the final month of the season. Manager Al Newman was delighted with his team's performance: "Going into next season, I can definitely say that we will no longer be the doormat of the Harris division." Newman's remarks most certainly seemed directed at the much-hated Washington Senators organization, which is normally the last-place team in the division. The Phils closed their season with a road trip to first-place Houston and a nine-game homestand against St Louis and San Diego. A 4-1 series loss at the Astrodome came as no surprise, given that Houston had defeated the Phils with the same results in every series the two teams had previously played this season. The normally outspoken and angry Newman surprised journalist with his post-series remarks on Houston's performance, noting that the Phillies "couldn't lost to a nicer bunch of guys," and that he hoped that the Astros would "undertake a major ass-kicking of Los Angeles" in the playoffs. He added that "if we can't win the division, I'm happy for Houston to do so. Just as long as those bastards in Frisco, San Diego or Washington don't win it." LF Dante Bichette continued his excellent second-half performance, knocking Houston pitching for seven hits, three of them home runs, and stealing a base. SP Orel Hershiser threw a rare quality start, surrendering no runs while allowing only five hits in seven innings while striking out seven. The defensive stud of the series was undoubtedly CF Jesus Tavarez, who obviously enjoyed his time in the outfield during Chad Curtis' absence due to injury. The final road trip of the season complete, the Phils returned to the increasingly friendlier confines of the Vet, which has appeared less empty due to the team's encouraging home performances as of late. Despite the prospects for an improved team performance against visiting St Louis, the Phils could not shake off the disappointment of losing to Houston. The Cardinals capitalised on sloppy, brainless performances by Phillies pitchers and fielders to salvage a series draw. Possibly the visitors were motivated by the 300-foot banner outside the stadium that said "Philadelphia welcomes the shittiest team in baseball - the St Louis Cardinals." Mr Holman's promotion machine fired into action, handing out replica pieces of dog fecies to all fans to throw at Cardinal pitchers. Despite only playing half of the series, RF Orlando Merced mounted a successful drive to finish his season at the .300 mark when he recorded a 6-7 performance against Cardinal pitching, including a home run. Rookie surprise SP Matt Beech recorded ten Ks in seven innings of work while allowing only three runs. SP Orel Hershiser stunned fans with brilliant fielding during his start, but recorded yet another loss - his 15th of the season. It seems that the last series of every season offers a surprise of some sort, and the final five-game set against the visiting Padres was no exception. The first - and most pleasant - surprise was a series sweep of San Diego, a goal that Newman had set at the beginning of the season. After the series, the manager ruminated on the possibility of achieving similar results against the division's other teams next season: "We got the Astros where we want 'em, we got the Marlins where we want 'em, we got the Senators where we want 'em, (hell, they're all fuckin' Senators), we gotta keep 'em together below us in the division, the same way we got those fuckin' Padres," and added that " I really look forward to crapping all over Red Sox pitching this year." The second surprise of the series - something never seen before in Philadelphia - was CF Chad Curtis' successful attempt to impersonate Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola by heading the ball over the bar - in this case, however, it was a baseball, and the bar was the fence. The result was a charitable Matt Williams home run. Bichette continued his torrid pace, ripping Padre pitching for nine hits and a solo shot while stealing a trio of bases. Another surprising rookie, SP Rocky Coppinger recorded his third win in as many starts by fanning nine. When asked about the Padres' prospects of success when playing in Boston under the Red Sox label next year, GM Ray Luca noted that "the Pod people won't do very well; just wait til they run into the bunch of Nazis that are the Boston media." HIT LIST: Immediately after the Phils' emphatic 5-4 victory over the Padres in the final game of the season, RP Jeff Shaw was voted the team's Most Valuable Player for the season. Shaw posted an impressive 11-2 record and 2.08 ERA as a reliever and tossed a remarkable 104 innings during the campaign. He narrowly beat out Bichette, last season's MVP, in the voting. Voting for the team LVP (Least Valuable Player) was never in doubt. The undisputed winner in that category was RP Dan "the Gas Can" Plesac, who, it is estimated by sabermetricians, single-handedly cost the team at least ten victories through his self-immolation on the mound. It is rumored that Plesac is now in hiding in the wake of Luca's remarks on his fate: "Yeah, we might not see him around next year..." Philadelphia Inquirer journalists have uncovered "convincing evidence" that Senators owner Gord Fitzgerald was in attendance at an "Alternative Cross-Dressing Night" hosted by Marv Albert. Stay tuned for further details...In the wake of the Cubs owner's criticism of the style of various unnamed team articles, Ray Luca had this to say: "Yeah, Bick, today I took out the fuckin' trash and mowed the fuckin' lawn. Tomorrow I'm gonna whack the Cubs' fuckin' manager. I take your criticism personal. Every time it happens, I promise you that one of your employees is gonna get whacked. Don't matter what it is: your GM, your manager, your mascot - IT'S DEAD." ---Todd Clark 'STROS WIN SECOND IN THREE For the second year in a row (ed note: the Padres actually won last year), the Astros have won a division title, which is an exceptional thrill considering the years of last place finishes we endured upon taking over the squad. For everyone languishing with a poor inherited team, you can't imagine how bad my oroginal Astros were. Not only were they bad, but their "established stars" Glenn Davis, Daryl Strawberry, Robin Yount, and Dave Rhigetti were all severely on the downslide. The team's youth such as Biggio and Caminiti were years away from putting up all star numbers, and the pitching staff was so bad that as I scanned my original roster, my "ace" was Charlie Leibrandt who had to be traded before opening day so I could acquire a closer from the waiver pool (the forgetable Ed Nunez). fortunately the Astros farm system was productive and they stole Jeff Bagwell and over the years this became a competitive team. I can remember 7 years ago, my first year in the league, considering myself lucky if I could take 2 of 8 from the Cubs or the Giants. There is hope. So the Astros are once again in the division series. The last time we were there we breezed through the playoffs in 9 games, but this team is not nearly as strong. That team had the best 1-4 hitters imaginable and the best bullpen perhaps in MBL history. Bagwell nearly knocked in 200 runs and had one 4-4, 4HR, 12 RBI game against the Yankees. This year we win with defense, a more balanced but so as potent attack, and despite the lack of any dominant starter or reliever. The staff ace is Dave Burba, acqired in a draft day trade from John in 1995. The bullpen is porous, and fourth and fifth starters spotty. What about next year as the major league season winds down. It's amazing how your bullpen can be so good one year, lousyy the next two, then awesome again. We've got three closers- Billy Wagner, Armondo Benitez, and Todd Jones and four fine set up men in Dave Veres, Tom Martin, Butch Henry, and Chuck McElroy. Anybody needing a closer should jot me a note. I'm looking for a left fielder. I knew Sandy Alomar would be worth a #1 pick some day. Royce Clayton wouldn't be except that that #1 pick was Phil Plantier (and not Mike Mussina, doh). Ben MacDonald, I'm still rooting for you (Nuke) my man. Anybody want to guess where Kenny Lofton will be playing next year? LA or Arizona? MARK MY WORDS --- Cleveland will resign Lofton and ship Grissom to Milwaukee. Or maybe Baltimore in the unlikely event Brady departs. Brady said in an interview earlier this year that he, Cal, and Mussina were a package, and that if the O's wanted one of them, they would need to sign all 3. Guess what? Cal and Moose are already inked. If anyone has too much free time, try CBS sportsline team trivia at oasisgames.com. ---Rich Polin GLAD IT'S OVER The Blue Jays limped out of the season the same way they started it -- losing 7 of 10. The last two series injuring starting short-stop, back-up shortstop, third string short-stop. If the season had continued, Fryman was going to have to play SS with Filipe Crespo covering 3B! That doesn't mention McCracken being down, with Carr used up, not the staff being depleted enough to start Marty Janzen, and Bryan Rekar. While playing this season was actually more enjoyable (maybe expectations were lower earlier) than the previous season, I have to admit that I am glad the season's finished. Frankly, I am at a loss to explain exactly why the team performed so-o-o-o-o poorly. Of the offense, Geronimo Berroa was the only _regular_ who batted near statistical expectation. Did I expect DeShields and Hunter to contribute -- no. I did expect Olerud, Fryman, Carter, A. Gonzales to be nowhere near the Mendoza line and even less that they *all* bat like Bob Euker on a good year. The pitching staff was even more perplexing. Outside of Mike Timlin (who didn't get many closer opportunities) and Paul Spoljaric the rest of the staff was underachieving (at best). True, I didn't expect much out of the starters beyond Al Leiter, and Pat Hentgen. Hentgen's woes have been documented. Al Leiter's performance relative to his MLB statistics have nearly convinced me that the rest of my division's managers are correct -- lefties get KILLED in the MBL. Jimmy Key had been fooling the league in the first half but it caught up, with a vengeance, in the second half. Paul Spoljaric got through the best but did get shelled a couple of times. Oh well, there's always next year. (Being a Tigers' and red Wings fan I am almost as used to saying this as a Cubs fan.) Real life baseball stuff: (1) Well, the Cardinals did manage to keep McGwire. The deal was actually "reasonable" compared with the lunacy that otherwise constitutes fiscal responsibility in MLB. Unfortunately, even with Mark's concessions, the ownership cannot handle the total cost (so they say) without having to pass the increase directly on to the fans. While their not a absolute dollar par with Atlanta, Baltimore, and Toronto, they are pushing the limits of the local market. (2) Radical realignment -- I'm for it. Why? The current alignments just didn't make any sense even with the recent twizzling. [Remember when Atlanta was in the NL west?] Without a major realignment, the addition of Arizona & Tampa was just going make the situation that bad again. (3) Alex (8 year old son) has come to me about practicing to be a pitcher over the winter, all on his own. Further, he wants to do so with the knowledge that he'll not be in a self-pitching league for another year beyond. As the ONLY left hander thrower and hitter on his team, I'm sure his coaches are going to be pleased with this development. Looks like I'm going to have break out my uncle's now 45 year old catcher's mitt or get a new one. Jays Chatter: Joe Carter's agent has stormed out of negotiations with the Blue Jays, looks like Joe may not be back...Jim Abbott did retire and accepted the open pitching coach job in Syracuse with a invite to spring training try-out to be the Blue Jay pitching coach as the position has not been filled this entire season...Al Kaline removed himself from the hitting coach job and into the announcer's booth...Delino DeShields did manage to swipe > 60 bases despite batting in the 0.190s and having a OBP < 0.230s for most of the season. ---Joe Samocha

PIAZZA WRITES HOME Hi Mom, The hotel clerk gave me your message. He said you sounded concerned. He said you were reading those tabloids again and saw the article about me switching games and playing Tomb Raider for a living. Although I think the main character is a babe, I am going to stick with baseball for a while. I do thank you for calling me first and not letting great grandma know first. I think news like this would have done her in. If you would have read the article, you would have seen that I didn't want to quit baseball. I just think the game needs a little improvement. Those poor relief pitchers hang around all game waiting to get in the game. I think they should put some bitches down there for entertainment. What are they supposed to do for seven innings? I also think we should get rid of all those people watching. It is pretty embarrassing squatting down all the time and the umpire tells you in the 5th inning that your butt crack has been hanging out the whole time. Also, this year has been a disaster. The commissioner hasn't made a trip to every professional ball players house and given a personal 4 hour "state of the game" speech. I mean, what else does he have to do? And that damn guy from the AP. I bumped him in the hall and he dropped all those papers that he keeps all those numbers on. He wanted me to help him pick them up. Why should I do that? I'm a ball player, not a paper pickeruper. The team bothering me a little bit too. They are buying different size underwear for everyone. Before, it really didn't matter if you dressed at the wrong locker. The underwear fit. I also think this team is falling apart. Who is left from the original team? Raffe is it. Who are these new guys? Sheffield, Palmer, Petkovsek. I'll show them. I just won't go on any road trips with them. I'll just play at home. It'll be their loss if I never see them. I know I could do a little more to help things but I don't have time. Pimping takes a lot of time. No one else has anything to do. I'm tired of those other players telling me how much time it takes to further their education, raise their children. I say lock them in the basement until their wedding day. I spend 5 minutes a day reading the paper. That's enough. You are the first person who called me on the article. It makes me mad that no one cares what I think. Maybe they just think I am nuts. Even if I wanted to change games, I wouldn't. Baseball is all I know. Are there other games where you get to swing a bat. I think it is so innovative swinging a big wooden bat. I think they ought to apply the bat thing to chess. Imaging the possibilities. On a more personal side, is dad still having problems getting it up? Have you had your teeth reglued yet? Something else, do you really like Gilligan's Island or do you just want to do the Skipper? I am really nuts for that show. I just can't believe they see a boat every show and can't get off that island. Something else I really feel bad about. Did you read about the UFO sightings in the panhandle of Florida? I should have said something. We were playing a little Indian ball on an off day. One of our minor leaguers, I think his name is Keagle or something like that, was pitching to me. I hit one of his two seam fast balls into the next county. The seams caught of fire. The glow it let off was really pretty. I can't describe it. I have never seen anything like it. Well, I was in the hotel that night, thinking about how much work I had to do in my rose garden and was watching the news. EVERYBODY was reporting UFO sightings. They said there were two rows lights. I should have called someone and told them but I didn't bother. People have been sitting on the beach and in fields just staring into the sky waiting for the next one to appear. I can't believe these people. I guess the sun down here has fried their heads. I'll see you when I get home. Love, Mikey ---Bob Biermann CONSTANZA MISSING It has been offically announced from the Yankee offices that super scout George Constanza has not reported to the team in close to a month. "This is really distrubing to me," replied Yankee owner Chip Sotolar in a televised news conference. " George has been an inmportant part of the Yankees. He has given so much of himself to the organization. We will not rule out foul play." Constanza joined the Yankees about two years ago and had worked himself into the director of scouting position he currently holds. George has been hailed for bringing the likes of Ellis Burks, Otis Nixon and Alan Benes to the Bronx. Some of his other deals, Mike Mussina and Tony Clark, has drawn some heat from fans and media but only time will tell on those deals. Constanza has been taking alot heat for his most recent acquisition from Japan , pitcher Hideki Irabu. George put in seven days a week , working on the deal and still found time to perform his other duties with the club. Constanza in a recent interview said, " I take pride in my position with the Yankees. I will devote as much time as possible to making the club the winner it once was. As director of scouting, I know it will take much more than reading the box scores everyday. Scouts may have taken that approach in the past , but that won't fly with me! Teams that have scouts that do that have never been able to win anything. Unless you count having a top draft pick every year as winning!" Originally it was thought that the disappearance of Constanza was related to the time and long hours that he has put in. " People just don't realize how much time it takes to do a job like his, " said owner Sotolar. "George was devoted to the Yankees. Its tough for outsiders to understand the time and preparing its takes to do his job. He has been very stressed lately." But a new develpoment has happened in the case. It seems that Constanza was on an assignment in Florida. There were reports that he was going to check on a pitcher that could throw "like no one on this Earth". George was very excited about this new possibility and immediatley flew to Florida and rented a car to drive to the Emerald Coast. George was last seen on a stretch of Highway 98 near Gulf Breeze one night. He had pulled over for gas and Super Big Gulp and asked the clerk for directions. The clerk remembers seeing Constanza and giving him the directions. The clerk then said about a half hour later wierd things began to happen. " All of a sudden it was like daylight out there," said the shaken clerk. " There was something out there ....in the sky. Man ,the gas pumps started spinning like crazy, the lights in the store were flashing on and off. I was scared shitless. Its like man, I don't get paid enough for this shit. The only thing I could think to do was to hide behind the Slurpee machine.. then it was gone." There were many others that had reported a sighting down that stretch of Highway 98 that night. Many people driving that stretch had reported seeing something low in the sky that night with very bright lights. The Yankees have requested help from the Federal government on this case. The FBI is said to have assigned two agents to help solve the case. The agents, special agent Fox Mulder and special agent Dana Scully, met with the Yankees owner behind closed doors to discuss everything surronding the case. After the meeting Yankees owner Sotolar was quoted as saying " I thought it could have been those fuckin Dodgers who kidnapped George, but agent Mulder has a different theory. I like to blame the Dodgers for everything that happens. Just like the other day, I tried to get the Yankees updated stats and the leagues fuckin computer went down. I'm sure the Dodgers had something to do with that... those bastards." When asked what he tought about the two special agents the FBI assigned to the case," The one , Mulder , he is kinda spooky. His ideas are pretty far out there , but I will listen to them. I'm sure the truth is out there omewhere. Now that other one , Scully, man I could whack off thinking about her. Wow!" ---Chip Sotolar SOX NAME STAFF The Red Sox, formerly known as the Padres, held a press conference earlier this month to announce their new field staff for the 1998 Molson Baseball League season. As expected, manager Tom Herr's contract was terminated, as were the contracts of Herr's staff. "The physical move to Massachusetts also marks a shift in the mental direction of the franchise," said GM Whitey Herzog. "Fielding a winner is as important as ever, but we need a fresh approach." In a separate news conference, the Red Sox announced that George Scott has agreed to become the new manager. Scott also named his coaches: Bob Stanley (bullpen), Luis Tiant (pitching), Jim Rice (bench), and Fred Lynn (hitting). Scott, when noting his base coaches will not be signed until more exhaustive research has been done, observed, "There aren't many speedsters in the history of this town." Herr, who worked with Herzog in Chicago and San Diego, made no immediate comment about his plans other than to say he wants to return to his hometown of Lancaster, PA, and help coach the high school baseball team. The highlight of Herr's managerial career was in 1990 when his Chicago Cubs overcame a 3-2 deficit to defeat the defending champion Padres in the World Series. Departure from the West coast also meant the loss of longtime Padre and devoted father Matt Williams. Williams officially became a Mariner when the season was abruptly ended. Williams will likely serve as a protector for MVP-candidate Ken Griffey, Jr., in what should be a potent 1998 M's lineup. March 1998 will mark the return of professional baseball to Boston; the Red Sox existed a single season in 1978 posting a 67-95 record under the stewarship of Ed Faver. "I think we'll be able to post a better percentage than that," quipped Scott. The Sox are looking forward to an exciting new season. While stopping short of naming them as contenders, Scott did say the youth of the team could yield unpredictable results. "I am inheriting a good nucleus of young players who, if they continue to develop, could make things interesting for the Astros. A pennant in 1998 is a little too rosy, however." Sox Yarns: GM Herzog continues to seek to acquire either a third- or secondbaseman for the 1998 season. "With Valentin's flexibilty, it allows me to explore the best available players at both positions," Herzog said. The Sox have depth at a number of positions, especially at catcher and in the pen. ... Sox owner Jack Buchanan admitted his reluctance to adopt the DH. "Until they outlaw it altogether, I will try to match the policy of the parent organization." The DH has only existed in the MBL for two seasons. With the switch from San Diego to Boston, the Harris Division will have at least two DH teams next season (Washington). Florida, the former Giants, is yet to announce its policy. ... Congrats to the owner of the St Louis Cardinals on his engagement. Now THAT bachelor party will not be one to miss! ---Jack Buchanan