Baseball Quiz: 1) Who was the first to hit 40 home runs in each
league? 2) Who was the last A.L. player to hit 4 home runs in a
game? Answers below.
Casey Martin
I had to wait a few days before commenting so I could collect a
few thoughts from others first.and then figure out where I
stand.
I think most of us would be in agreement that Casey, because of
the severity of his disability, should be allowed to ride a cart
during PGA Tour events (if he can qualify, these days). But, at
the same time, I understand why the tour felt it had to defend its
position. And now, having digested the commentary of those in
the sport of golf and outside, I am convinced there will be big
problems down the road because of last week”s Supreme Court
ruling.
To refresh your memory, Justice Stevens, writing the majority
opinion (7-2…with Scalia and Thomas dissenting), said that in
the sport of golf, the walking requirement is “at best peripheral”
to PGA Tour events. And this from a man who is said to be an
“avid” golfer. The majority also claimed that golfers are
“customers,” which brings them under the jurisdiction of the
1990 “Americans with Disabilities Act.” [The ADA, in turn,
requires “reasonable modifications” for disabled people unless
such changes would fundamentally alter the place or event.]
The Supreme Court then ruled that “fatigue” is not a factor in the
sport of golf and that the anti-cart rule was not necessary to
preserve the “essential” character of the game.
Justice Scalia, a great American, has received more heat than
normal in this instance for his opinion. Here is some of what he
said.
“The professional golfers on the Tour are no more ”enjoying”…
the entertainment that the Tour provides, or the facilities of the
golf courses on which it is held, than professional baseball
players ”enjoy” the baseball games in which they play or the
facilities of Yankee Stadium. To be sure, professional
ballplayers participate in the games, and use the ballfields, but no
one in his right mind would think that they are customers of the
American League.”
Scalia also writes: “Nowhere is it writ that PGA Tour golf must
be classic ”essential” golf. Why cannot the PGA Tour, if it
wishes, promote a new game, with distinctive rules (much as the
American League promotes a game of baseball in which the
pitcher”s turn at the plate can be taken by a ”designated hitter”)?”
Bingo. Enter the Washington Post”s longtime political reporter
(and avid baseball fan) David Broder, who wrote this Sunday,
“Now it is just a matter of time before some smart lawyer seizes
on the Martin ruling to force the National League to adopt the
disastrous DH rule. The plaintiff will be some popular slugger
who has reached his 40th birthday. His hand-eye coordination in
the batter”s box is still superb. He knows the opposing pitchers”
every trick. But his legs will no longer let him field his position,
so he wants to DH. And, his lawyer will contend, the National
League rule against the DH discriminates against our aged
slugger by denying him access to the public accommodation of
half the ballparks in the land.”
And back to Scalia, the Justice received a lot of flack for this part
of his dissenting opinion.
“One can envision the parents of a Little League player with
attention deficit disorder trying to convince a judge that their
son”s disability makes it at least 25% more difficult to hit a
pitched ball.”
Oh, he”s so insensitive, cried many. But, c”mon, you know how
our society works these days. More from Scalia.
“The court guarantees that future cases of this sort will have to
be decided on the basis of individualized factual findings, which
means that future cases of this sort will be numerous, and a rich
source of lucrative litigation.”
Sportswriter John Feinstein writes, the Supreme Court seems to
be saying “that, say, a wheelchair-bound three-point shooter
would have the right under the ADA to play in the NBA if
someone wanted to use him. The NBA might argue that it was a
stunt – desperate teams have tried some odd things over the years
to bring in the fans – who”s to say?” [Remember Bill Veeck?]
On Saturday, CBS did a terrific job covering the topic with the
announcing crew on hand for the Memorial tournament (won by
Tiger). All were in agreement, including Lanny Wadkins, Gary
McCord, and David Feherty, that walking is an integral part of
the game and fatigue is a factor (if you know your golf history,
just think Ken Venturi), yet, while they also agreed that Casey
Martin should be welcomed on the tour and it wasn”t wrong to
make an exception for him, the PGA Tour had to defend their
rights, and those of the other players. Yes, it”s been a publicity
nightmare, but by making an immediate exception for Martin
back in 1997 when the issue first arose, they felt strongly they
would have been opening a can of worms.
The announcers, and folks like Feinstein, know what will
happen, sooner than later, because of this ruling. This isn”t about
Casey Martin. It”s about all the lowlifes (my word) who will
now take advantage of the USGA, specifically, and ask for all
sorts of exemptions while attempting to qualify for events like
the U.S. Open. There is no doubt that golf will quickly find itself
back in court. “My back hurts, I have a foot injury, I have
migraines.” As Feinstein put it, there is also no doubt that
someone among the existing tour membership will show up
demanding a cart. “That”s when it will start to get scary,” he
wrote.
This whole issue also goes to the heart of another matter; those
out there who don”t play golf, or never follow it, yet love to
crack that golf is not a sport. What pisses me off is that because
of this case, you have commentators, who normally converse on
issues of state, suddenly telling all of us what is and isn”t a sport.
Of course, you know where I stand. And I”ve been searching my
memory all weekend and, to the best of my recollection, the only
pro athlete from another sport who really made a serious attempt
at joining the PGA Tour was former quarterback John Brodie
(who did end up playing some senior golf, with extremely
limited success).
If golf was so easy, why haven”t great athletes been able to
transfer their success on other fields of play to golf? There you
have Michael Jordan, who sucked as a baseball player, having
the ability to pay for the best golf instruction in the world and
play everyday (as he does), yet he still sucks at golf as well! I
have the same beef with those who don”t think auto racing is a
sport.but that”s a topic for another day.
And, lastly, I have to mention CBS”s Jim Nantz, who heretofore I
viewed as Mr. Wishy-Washy. On Saturday, Nantz addressed the
issue of the shots that golf has taken these past few days and he
reminded all of us that the sport of golf has donated far more
money to charity than all the other major sports combined.
Actually, while he didn”t mention specifics, one needs to just
look at the St. Jude and Eisenhower medical centers, two of our
nation”s leading research institutions, as prime examples of the
huge impact golf has had outside the ropes.
So Casey, we all wish it hadn”t come to this, and we understand
why you fought it out. Hopefully, you can attempt to make it
back on tour as a regular and stick it out another few years. But,
as Scalia wrote, it”s incredibly silly that the Supreme Court even
felt compelled to take this case. Now watch what happens.
Country Music
Sales are absolutely plummeting, down some 23% in 2000 alone.
And country radio audiences in some places like Birmingham are
down about 75%! Record companies Atlantic and Virgin have
shut down their country labels. So why is this happening?
Experts blame the blurring of the lines between country and pop.
And, hard as it is for me to write this, sexy acts like Shania
Twain and Faith Hill have moved in on the traditionalists. It
turns out the real fans want a return to country”s roots. [But
there has to be compromise…I mean, we”re talking Shania!]
Actually, what I find pretty amazing is that Business Week
reports just 5 songwriters are putting out most of the new
material. Time to get out a Randy Travis record.
Imogene Coca
If you”ve just seen one or two of her tapes from “Your Show of
Shows,” you know that Imogene Coca, who passed away this
weekend at the age of 92, was perhaps the funniest comedienne
in television history. [Yes, I know Carol Burnett is right up
there, but Ms. Burnett learned at the foot of the master.] As
Robert McFadden put it in the New York Times, “(Coca”s)
eyebrow could rise to moronic bewilderment or descend to gold
digger torch time.”
Imogene Coca”s story was a true rags to riches one, as she grew
up traveling the country with her vaudeville parents. Then in
1949, she hit it big with partner Sid Caesar as “Your Show of
Shows” became by far the most popular television show on
Saturday nights from 1949-54. Coca was soon earning $10,000 a
week, and would later sign a $1 million contract with CBS for
her own show (which, unfortunately, lasted but one season).
Hank Ketcham
I can”t say I was a great “Dennis the Menace” fan. Hell,
Ketcham, who passed away at the age of 81, stopped drawing the
Sunday panels in the 1980s and weekday strips in 1994. His
assistants handled everything else since then. [See, the editor
will forever be devoted to the memory of Charles Schulz. Schulz
insisted on doing the whole strip up to his last days, at which
point he had an agreement that no one could carry on with
“Peanuts.”]
Nonetheless, Ketcham did have a 50-year run with Dennis, a
strip that was inspired by his own 4-year-old son. Alas, the real-
life son has had a rough time of it, having had major problems
growing up (Ketcham didn”t help matters any) and then suffering
post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in Vietnam.
Father and son didn”t communicate for decades, including at the
end.
Hugh Hefner
Well, after that downer, how about Hef?! But wait, maybe it”s a
downer for him as well. According to Richard Johnson and the
New York Post, Hefner is very upset at a report in Philadelphia
Magazine, which says that the robed one doesn”t have sex with
his girlfriends anymore, know what I”m sayin”? Playmate Sandy
said,…[Now before we go on, what follows was in a New York
tabloid. Any children reading this must quickly switch to
another site. Try Bloomberg]. “Instead, he liked the girls to
pleasure each other.” Hefner vehemently denies this. Hugh, it”s
alright. You”re 98 years old and all good things must come to an
end.
Personal Trainers
Not for nothing, but in this week”s Sports Illustrated there are
stories on the resurgent careers of golf”s Justin Leonard and
baseball”s Ryan Klesko. There is one common element to their
stories, and that is they owe a lot of their newfound success to
their girlfriends, both of whom are also personal trainers. A
lesson for us all.
Fred Couples
Actually, this was kind of a down week for the celeb crowd.
Couples”s first wife, Deborah, died last week, the victim of a
probable suicide. The only reason why I bring this up is
because any golf fan of the 1980s will never forget Freddie”s first
win and a rather sexy and excited Deborah leaping into his arms
on the 18th green. Later, the couple had a very public, messy
divorce, with Freddie claiming that Deborah was spending
$300,000 a year on polo.
Steve Rushin
Writing of his summer plans, the Sports Illustrated writer
included the following:
“I will wait for the NBA Finals to conclude this summer in some
oppressively hot city. As celebrating citizens light up the night
with gunfire and blazing cars, I will watch the 10 o”clock news
and be glad that I don”t live there.”
Top 3 songs for the week of 6/6/70: #1 “Everything Is
Beautiful” (Ray Stevens.I shouldn”t admit this, but I like this
song) #2 “Which Way You Goin” Billy?” (The Poppy Family)
#3 “Love On A Two-Way Street” (The Moments)
Baseball Quiz Answers: 1) 40 HR in each league: Darrel Evans
(Atlanta, 41 1973 and Detroit, 40…at age 38…1985) Of course
McGwire and Griffey Jr. have also accomplished the feat.
2) Last A.L. to hit 4: Rocky Colavito, 6/10/59 for Cleveland
against Baltimore. Mark Whitten is the last major leaguer to hit
4, accomplishing the feat in 1993 with St. Louis, a game in
which he also drove in 12.
*Last Friday, I forgot to mention that Red Ruffing, the former
Red Sox and Yankees pitcher, also hit 36 career homers, just two
behind record holder Wes Ferrell who clubbed 38.
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday.
