| |
Q: "How is vintage baseball different from
the modern game?"
Michael Martin- Abcouda, Netherlands |
| |
A: In vintage base ball (originally two words)
the games are a half hour shorter because there was no Velcro in the 19th
century. And there are other modern improvements it does without. Besides
no batting gloves, there are also no helmets, wrist bands, elbow pads,
sunglasses, logo shoes, pajama pants, gold chains or earrings. No arguing
with the umpire, stepping out of the batter's box, calling time out, charging
the pitcher, posing at home plate, curtain calling, chest bumping, high
fiving, pointing to the sky, or kissing jewelry. Just base ball.
|
| |
Q: What
do you think about George Steinbrenner building a new Yankee Stadium?
Peter Gibbons- New
York, New York |
| |
A: Just as
the current bishop shouldn't be allowed to tear down St. Patrick's
cathedral and build a new one across the street, Steinbrenner should
not be allowed to do the same with Yankee Stadium, even if he pays
all the costs (including infrastructure which the City is paying
under the current plan). And instead of acting as cheerleaders for
this trashing of history, former Yankee players should plan to lie
down in front of the bulldozers. And I'd join them, except I'm not
sure the bulldozers would stop in my case.
|
| |
Q: I read
in the NY Times that Bowie Kuhn is chairman of the Thomas More Law
Center, the outfit responsible for the Pennsylvania case pushing
'intelligent design' as a scientific theory that should be taught
in public schools. Which brings two questions to mind: 1) I thought
Bowie Kuhn was dead, didn't you? 2) Any regrets about not knocking
him off when you had the chance?
Mary Keir - Somers,
New York |
| |
A: I know that
Bowie is alive and well, playing tennis in Ponte Vedra, Florida,
with those other fugitives from bankruptcy, the savings and loan
crooks. As for knocking him off, it's better to have him alive for
comic reasons if no other. It's not surprising that Bowie, a Princeton
grad who some have said was educated beyond his intelligence, is
involved with the intelligent design movement. It's a group that
fails to realize that if there is such a thing as intelligent design,
we're nothing more than a lab experiment, one of millions of petrie
dishes floating around the cosmos. And we're now at that point in
our test where there are too many rats for the cage.
|
| |
Q: Mr. Bouton,
I have two questions. 1) What is your opinion about 11-14 year olds
throwing curve balls? 2) How did Moe Drabowski order a pizza from
the bullpen, as described in Ball Four?
Dave Peck- Wheaton,
Illinois
|
| |
A: 1) If kids
want to play in the big leagues one day, they need to throw curves
(and other pitches) as early as possible - just as elite musicians
need to start playing before they are 10 yrs old. Sore arms? If
they're good enough, they'll have hundreds of them over the years
- like most big leaguers have had. But if kids want to will a perfect
arm to science one day, they
shouldn't throw curves. Or climb trees, etc.
2) As I understand it, Moe got an outside line through the stadium
switchboard.
|
| |
Q: How do
you feel about Houston finally making it to the World Series?
Bob Spencer - Jablib,
Wisconsin and Curt Stukenberg - German
Valley, Illinois
|
| |
A: It all reminds
me of Larry Dierker's great song, sung to the tune of Tom Leher's
"It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier," on the back
of the Astros team bus in 1969:
" Now, Harry Walker is the one that manages this crew.
He doesn't like it when we drink and fight and smoke and screw.
But when we win our game each day,
Then what the fuck can Harry say?
It makes a fellow proud to be an Astro!"
|
| |
Q:What are
your thoughts about putting a Major League Baseball franchise in
Mexico City?
Michael Shay, Gillsville,
Georgia |
| |
A: Good idea.
And then Havana. But not with publicly financed stadiums.
|
| |
Q: I was
wondering if you had any on the record comments about Hurricane
Katrina, specifically regarding the use of the Superdome as the
"homeless shelter from hell.
Dave Zirin- Tacoma Park, MD |
| |
A: A lot of poor
people finally got to go to the Superdome to see where their tax dollars
went. When they weren't fainting or starving or dying, they could
stroll around inside the building and check out their $200 million
"engine for economic development" that was guaranteed back
in 1975 to improve their neighborhood through better housing and schools
and infrastructure (like levees, for example).
|
| |
Q: Do you really think we need a
panel of people, including Bill James, to figure out statistics
and steroids? In Ball Four, you talked about players in the
1960's taking pep pills called greenies. And if you have a panel
that is going to evaluate statistics based on cheating, are you
going to alter Gaylord Perry's numbers?
David Block- Brooklyn, NY |
| |
A: Greenies were
performance enablers (usually to overcome the effects of hangovers),
not enhancers. Gaylord Perry's spitters were in plain view, and the
unwritten rule was that if you could master it and get away with it,
more power to you. In any case, batters could factor spitball pitchers
it into their play. Steroids, on the other hand, are a secret weapon
that force non-users to take health risks in order to compete. Historical
analogies - advantages or disadvantages due to shorter seasons, no
night games, travel, racial barriers, etc. - aren't relevant because,
in each case, players of a particular era played under the same conditions.
What distorts statistics is unfair (and hidden) competition within
the same era. |
| |
Q:What do
you think about current Major League Baseballplayers possibly breaking
historic records (such as Hank Aaron's home run record) with the
assistance of steroids? Should there be an asterisk by their names
in the record books, denoting the help of this performance enhancing
substance?
Brian Goercke- Rocky Point, NY |
| |
A: A blue ribbon
panel (including people like statistician Bill James, baseball historian
John Thorn, steroid experts, a credible current player, ditto on a
baseball executive if that's possible, etc.) should develop a formula
that, in their best judgment, reflects the percentage impact that
steroids has on performance. Accordingly, that percentage should be
subtracted from all
records - pitching and hitting - across the board over a certain period
of time (also determined by the panel). For example, if it's found
that hitters get a 20% boost, the relevant hitting stats (also determined
by the panel) get reduced by 20%. The same would go for pitchers,
which may have a different percentage. Unfair to some, yes, but more
important it would be fair to the fans, and fair to the past and future
players. |
| |
Q:Should there
be more nudity in movies?
Mark Roully- Fredericksburg, VA |
| |
A:Yes
|
| |
Q:What's your
take on the House hearings?
Mike Siskind - West Hempstead, NY |
| |
A:Funny, scary,
sad, and embarrassing. Funny that the congress wants to educate
the public when any college or high school athlete knows more about
steroids than they do. Scary that this is how the congress spends
its time when we have unguarded ports, nuclear reactors, and chemical
plants, among other problems. Sad that the great game of baseball
is in such incompetent hands. Embarrassing that the poorly advised
McGwire comes off as both a steroid user and a dissembler.
|
| |
Q:What about
the "rat" comparison that several in the press have made
between Ball Four and Juiced?
Rich Berman - Oakland, CA |
| |
A:Do you mean
how do I feel about being compared to a convicted criminal and known
jerk with financial problems, who lied about steroids when he was
taking them, who has written about the past without having taken any
notes, and who apparently references Ball Four in his book and misses
the publication date by 10 years? I’m not thrilled about it. |
| |
Q:What do
you think of the new steroid policy?
Mike Siskind - West Hempstead,
NY |
| |
A:It’s a
joke. |
| |
Q:Why not
make steroids legal and available to pro athletes?
Dick Schunk
- Tallmadge, OH |
| |
A:Steroids are
dangerous to a player's health. It’s not fair to give users
an unfair competitive advantage over non-users. More important, players
at the lower levels will copy the big leaguers. |
| |
Q: Didn't
the pervasive use of "greenies" create a climate that
made
steroids possible?
Steven Brown - Wichita, KS |
| |
A:Yes. And Baseball
Commissioner Bowie Kuhn should have demanded a strict policy against
them, instead of trying to deny their existence by calling me a liar
when I wrote about them in Ball Four. History would have been a lot
kinder to him. |
| |
Q:Why are
steroids worse than greenies (amphetamines)?
Adam Jacobs - Madison, WI |
| |
A:Players took
greenies to overcome the effects of hangovers. They were performance
enablers, not performance enhancers. But both are dangerous and should
be banned for that reason. |
| |
Q:Do you think
the old record holders were pure?
Scott Walkowski - Western Springs,
IL |
| |
A:Yes, I do. Especially
the hitters, who didn’t have the advantage of the smaller ballparks. |
| |
Q:Now that
baseball is coming back to Washington, DC, do you think the teams
will stay at the Shoreham Hotel and if so, will the players go up
on the roof at 2 a.m., looking in windows like you guys used to? |
| |
A:Given baseball's
penchant for marketing every aspect of the game, I expect to see
it as a part of a travel package: experience the Ultimate Baseball
Fantasy. Spend a night with your favorite team on the roof of the
Shoreham Hotel - only $5,000. Bring your own beer. Includes binoculars. |
| |
Q:The other
night as I was watching Boston pitcher Tim Wakefield, I was struck
with a revelation! I, a baseball neophyte, with only schoolboy experience
in the game, have realized exactly how to hit a knuckleballer. Consistently.
And here is how it would work: A knuckleball floats in at about
75 miles an hour. Professional players are used to pitches in the
90 mile an hour range. This gives batters 16 percent more time to
decide when to swing. (15/90 ) Add to that the following caveat:
DON'T SWING FOR THE FENCES and !! This gives the batter another
split second to adjust his swing to the vagaries of the elusive
knuckler. The batter should just PLAN on going to the opposite field
every time. Period. Yes, the ball could dip or dive in that last
extra split second, but, if you add up the extra time a hitter would
have to adjust his swing on every pitch, the odds are just so much
better that positive contact would be made. So I have two questions:
What do you think of my theory? And should I apply for the position
of Knuckleball Hitting Coach with a major league baseball team?
| Ken Palmer -
Kunkletown, PA |
|
| |
A:Ken, you have
it exactly right.
That's how I would get beat, even when my knuckler was working. The
other way - which also works and suits most hitter's mentality - is
to hope that the knuckler you're swinging at won't jump that particular
time. As a coach you would get laughed off the field because you don't
chew tobacco. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:What are
the odds on the military draft coming back if George W. Bush wins
reelection?
| Bob Griffin,
Anchorage, Alaska |
|
| |
A:I doubt there
will be a draft - that would mean we'd all have to share the burden
(except for the children of politicians) and wars would require public
support. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:Are you ever
going to answer any more questions on your website? This A-Rod question
has been up here for a long time.
| Kevin Webb, Sacramento,
CA |
|
| |
A: I'd like to.
Unfortunately, yours is the most interesting question anyone has submitted
in a long time. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:Is it good
or bad for baseball that Alex Rodriguez is playing for the Yankees?
| Tom Lanier -
Paterson, New Jersey |
|
| |
A: Forget baseball,
it's not good for kids. It teaches them to be quitters and front-runners.
Rodriguez was paid a lot of money to try and lift the Texas Rangers
out of last place. But he got tired of playing on a losing team and
wanted to switch to the Red Sox or Yankees. Why? So he can get a World
Series ring. Not earn a ring mind you, but get one. It's like kids
choosing up sides and all trying to get on the best team. But this
is a major league ballplayer. He doesn't want a challenge, he wants
a trophy. Sad. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:How
do you feel about the Pete Rose issue now that he has admitted to
betting on baseball?
| Dave Chestnut
- Petersburg, IN and Dan Klock - Lynnwood, WA |
|
| |
A: Rose should
be permanently banned from baseball but made eligible for election
to the Hall of Fame. His fate should be in the hands of a jury (the
sportswriters) rather than a judge (the Baseball Commissioner) for
justice to be done. If Rose is elected it will be seen as the will
of the people, and if he's rejected he won't be able to play the martyr.
Either way the story will be over. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: With
Andy Pettitte signing with the Astros, and the Yankees needing a knuckleballer
to counter Tim Wakefield, any chance that Mr. Steinbrenner will be
contacting you to pitch for the Yankees in 2004?
| Paul Kazanecki
- Dumont, New Jersey |
|
| |
A: I have asked
Mr. Steinbrenner to stop pestering me about pitching for the Yankees
in 2004. |
| |
|
| |
Q: With
the looming scandal involving THG and other steroids, what do you
think should be done to rid the sport of drugs?
| Rory
Duane - Matawan, New Jersey |
|
|
| |
A: Baseball needs
a Pete Rose-type penalty for anyone caught using steroids - a lifetime
ban. Steroids damage the integrity of the game by creating unfair
competition among teammates and opponents, and by distorting records
which are the foundation of the game. And, unlike gambling, steroids
also damage players' bodies. No doubt steroids have adversely affected
the outcome of games, which is more than Pete Rose was accused of
doing. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: With
the future of baseball in Pittsfield in doubt again, would you consider
working with Mayor Hathaway in implementing your previous plan for
renovating historic Wahconah Park?
| Craig
Pina - Brockton, Massachusetts |
|
|
| |
A: Implementing
a 30-year plan is not so much a matter of working with Mayor Hathaway
(or possibly Mayor Ruberto), as it is about working with the forces
in town that opposed our plan in the first place - "the powers that
be," led by the Berkshire Eagle, who can't be voted out of office
after two years. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Would
you ever consider running for political office? Have you ever smoked
weed?
| Daniel
Diaz - Bronx, New York |
|
|
| |
A: I'd
have to be smoking it now to even consider running. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: The
Yankees were defeated by a humble knuckleballer, Tim Wakefield, in
game 1 of the ALCS. Do you feel any enhanced pride?
| Dan
Conrad - College Park, Maryland |
|
|
| |
A: I
feel enhanced pride plus an intense need to grip a baseball with my
fingertips. Knuckleballers always root for fellow members of the club. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What
are your thoughts about the idea of an openly gay man playing major
league baseball?
| Patrick
Brassell - Chula Vista, CA |
|
| |
A: It will happen
one day, but not as soon as it should. Unlike racial integration,
homosexuality is one social issue in which baseball is behind the
rest of society. The first openly gay player will need to be as talented
on the field, and as mentally tough off it, as Jackie Robinson. It
will most likely be an established star who comes out toward the end
of his career. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q 1:
While watching the news recently I was shocked to see a ballplayer
take a swing at a sausage mascot with his baseball bat. Is this, in
fact, a kosher play? What if the sausage has to go on the dl for 15
days in the middle of the season? Then what?
| David Rothman
- Needham, MA |
Q 2: I'm
really happy that someone from the Pittsburgh Pirates, like Randall
Simon, took a bat to one of the people dressed up like a sausage
that race at the Brewer games. Not only was it high time that someone
whacked a sausage racer, but it's also wonderful to see headlines
like this in the news again: Simon Booked for Hitting Racing Sausage.
How funny is that?
| John Seals-
Minneapolis, MN |
|
| |
A: "I don't
know " and "very". |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
Would you run for political office?
| Richard McHugh,
Wappingers Falls, New York |
|
| |
A: Only
if I want to get divorced or shot. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
Have you completely forgotten about your website?
| John Kubasek,
Wappingers Falls, New York |
|
| |
A: For
the past year and a half I've been writing a new book - FOUL BALL:
My Life and Hard Times Trying to save an Old Ballpark. Now that the
book is at the printers and due in stores in June, I plan to pay more
attention to my site. Thanks for the reminder. It's nice to know someone
is paying attention. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Most
baseball owners seem to agree that the winning league in the All-star
game should have home field advantage in the World Series. But if
the All-star game is an "exhibition" with the emphasis on showcasing
almost everyone, how can you now turn it into a "must" game with "consequences?
| Allen
Kirby - Olathe, Kansas |
|
| |
A:Believe
it or not, I like the owner's idea. A new All-star game rule could
mandate that each pitcher face at least one batter and each position
player bat at least once. This would not only guarantee that everyone
gets into the game, which doesn't happen often enough, but it would
also test the manager's ability to juggle a lineup. The new rule would
generate fan interest and give announcers something to talk about
during the game. Should a manager save his best players for the later
innings in case of a tie? etc. Of course, the other rule has to be:
no ties. Pitchers who appear early in the game must stay in uniform
in case they're needed for extra innings. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What
is your opinion on the possible reinstatement of Pete Rose?
| Chris Drew -
Cincinnati, Ohio / Bill Santos-Harmon - Villa Hills, Kentucky |
|
| |
A: Rose
should be eligible for the Hall of Fame. But if he bet on baseball,
he should not be allowed to manage or coach. To determine Rose's guilt
or innocence, Commissioner Bud Selig should allow Rose's lawyers,
under court supervision, to challenge the so-called evidence gathered
by baseball investigator John Dowd. If the Commissioner declines to
do this it will indicate that baseball does not have proof beyond
a reasonable doubt that Rose bet on baseball, and he should be accorded
full reinstatement. Traditionally, in America, people are not presumed
to be guilty on the word of John Dowd. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What
do you think of baseball's rule against hitters wearing "body
armor" ?
| Bob Parmele
- Clifton Springs, New York |
|
| |
A: I'm
against body armor for hitters, but not for pitchers. I have frequently
thought it would be a good idea to have a "line-drive shield"
that pops up between the mound and home plate. The shield could be
triggered by the pitcher's voice hollering "Aaaaargh!" just
as the ball leaves his hand. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Do
you think President Bush is making the right decision in taking up
a war with Iraq?
| Danny Diaz -
Bronx, New York |
|
| |
A: No.
For the simple reason that we lack the cross-cultural expertise
- wide fluency in middle eastern languages would be a minimum -
to manage the aftermath of such a war. Of course if we had that
expertise, we might not have to fight in the first place. Our weapons
scientists are way ahead of our social scientists. We are cowboys
with lasers. Monkeys at the controls of a rocket ship.
(Note: This Q and A was posted on October 14, 2002.
That was before we invaded Iraq.) |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: C'mon,
did Jason Giambi really NEED that $121 million contract when the A's
were offering him $90 million? That's approximately $89.5 million
dollars more than the people selling hotdogs and pouring beer at the
game will see in a lifetime.
| James May - Sacramento,
California |
|
| |
A: James,
what planet are you living on? We don't pay people according to their
need. Nor do we pay them according to their worth. In America you're
paid what someone else is willing to pay you. Why should ballplayers
be different? At least theirs is an arm's length transaction, not
a sweetheart deal with a board of directors they appointed. |
| |
• • •
|
| |
Q: Do
you think that Bud Selig's purchase of the Seattle Pilots in 1970
was really the first step in a 35 year plan to destroy baseball?
| Rich Minahan
- Huntington Beach, California |
|
| |
A: It
never crossed my mind - until now. |
| |
• • •
|
| |
Q: What
changes would you make to the current game of baseball?
| Jeff
D'Alessio - Brevard County, Florida |
|
| |
A: I'd
turn off the television set in centerfield and disconnect the sound
system -so fans can hear the crack of the bat during batting practice
and talk to each other during the games. It's baseball, not a rock
concert. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What
is your opinion on the prevalence of steroids in baseball today and
what should the league office and players union do about it?
| Alex
Podlogar - Boiling Springs, NC |
|
| |
A: Steroids
are very dangerous and should be banned at all levels. The Players
Association should take the lead on this matter, since it is the health
of their members which is at stake. The negative effects of steroid
use outweigh the invasion of privacy issues raised by the testing
of players. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: I
am getting married this summer. Any chance of you coming out to play
a round of golf and talk me out of it? Also, what is your opinion
of Wiffleball? I am 30 and still play every chance I get. I throw
70% knuckleballs.
| Scott
Dykeman - Easton, MA |
|
| |
A: I'm
a better Whiffleball player than a golfer. If your fiance learns how
to play Wiffleball, maybe you won't need to be talked out of anything
- unless, of course, she can hit the knuckler. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Hey
Jim! Will you be in Florida for any spring training related activities?
| Anne Moreau,
aka Baseball Annie - Tampa, FL |
|
| |
A: My
wife does not think I need to go to Florida for spring training since
I am no longer playing professional baseball, and especially not for
"related activities." |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: I
am writing a book about television in the 1970's and will be including
BALL FOUR, the sitcom. (I remember seeing all four episodes). What
I want to know is, was the character of Bill Westlake, the rookie,
supposed to be gay? Or was it perhaps going to come out on a later
episode?
| Stephen Tropiano
- Los Angeles, California |
|
| |
A: Where
were you when we were looking for writers? |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Who
would be the more annoying life insurance salesman - Joe Pepitone
or Barry Bonds?
| Richard Marcovitz
- Toronto, Canada |
|
| |
A:
Barry Bonds. Joe would at least be amusing. "Hey, let's go some
place quiet like Hooters so we can talk about insurance - I'll explain
why whole life is better than half a life." |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
I drafted you in a Baseball Internet Game. How would you like me to
use you? I'd like to give you the Closer job. Would that be okay?
(Think about it-- it'll drive Maglie and Eddie O'Brien nuts...)
| Norm Bellemore
- Saunderstown, RI |
|
| |
A:I
don't mind being the closer, Norm, as long as I get into games when
it counts - which as you know was against the policy of Maglie and
O'Brien. Can you prevent them from knowing what you're doing? Maybe
you can give me Fred Talbot's uniform number. On the other hand, I
would love to drive them nuts. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Do
you think New York City really needs to replace Yankee and Shea
stadiums?
| Butch Monaco
- Youngsville, NC |
|
| |
A:
Taxpayer dollars should not go for new stadiums in New York City or
anywhere else. If stadiums make good business sense let the businessmen
build them. In this case, the traditional threat of the teams moving
to other markets is ludicrous - there are no better markets they could
move to. Cities who risk losing their teams should consider confiscation
of the team name and colors under eminent domain, as happened in Cleveland
with the football Browns. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
Some people don't consider soccer a true sport. Do you? And what
is your opinion of Brazilian women?
| Nelson C. Clark
- Porto Alegre, Brazil |
|
| |
A:
A true sport is where athletes get broken legs and limp gamely off
the field. A phony baloney sport is where athletes skin their knees
and fall down, waving their arms as if they've been stabbed, and flop
around like fish on a boat deck. Meanwhile, I have a very high opinion
of Brazilian women. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
Would you consider being Commissioner of Baseball? And if so what
steps would you take to improve the state of the game.
| Shawn Mason - Jacksonville,
North Carolina |
|
| |
A:I'd
love to be Commissioner but by the time the owners realize they need
me I'll be dead. If I were Commissioner today I would do the following:
1) Renew the existing contract with the Players Association.
2) Move the Expos to Washington, DC and the Marlins to Havana, Cuba.
3) Institute revenue sharing along the lines of the National Football
League.
4) Encourage teams to sign their best young players to long term contracts.
5) Require unhappy owners to sell to one of the many groups waiting
in line.
6) Have an accountants explain to owners how budgets work.
7) Threaten owners who whine about money with $1 million fines - payable
to charities for the homeless. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
Dear Jim, what does it take to make it to the big leagues? I really
wanna play for the Seattle Mariners someday as their starting Firstbabemen.
ANy advice?
| Ben Bryan - Huber Heights,
Ohio |
|
| |
A:Dear
Ben. Your spelling and punctuation suggest you could become a great
ballplayer. Over the years I've known many great Firstbabemen. Also
Secondbabemen and Thirdbabemen. Work hard and stay healthy. And have
Plan B ready just in case. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:What
are your thoughts about Bud Selig's announcement to drop two Major
League teams?
| Dave Chestnut - Petersburg,
Indiana |
|
| |
A: It's
just dumb. It alienates fans in two states and sends the wrong message
about the health and future of the sport. Why are the owners doing
it? Possibilities: 1) The abandoned cities now become locations that
remaining teams can threaten to move to if their current cities refuse
to build them new stadiums. 2) It can be used as a bargaining chip
in contract negotiations with the Players Association which doesn't
want contraction. 3) It demonstrates baseball owner consistency in
an uncertain world. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:What
do you think of the rise in bowling scores and perfect games due to
changes in technology in balls, pins and lanes? Isn't it like livening
the baseballs to produce more home runs?
| Stan Phillips
- Hillsdale, New York |
|
| |
A:
It's also like the pole vault controversy
where wood poles were replaced by fiber glass, allowing a vaulter
to "slingshot" himself over the bar. And the new swim suits
with the scale-like fabric that helps speed swimmers along the way.
Why don't they just give everybody a championship medal and be done
with it? |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What
is your reaction, now that the government has done exactly what you
stated they should not do? Do you think that we all should just shut
up and go along with it; should dissent be postponed until we "Win
the war against terrorism"?
| Merilee Reed - Seattle, Washington
|
|
| |
A:I
believe the Al Qaeda terrorists are the new Nazi's and need to be
defeated. As for bin Laden, he seems to have convicted himself with
his own words. War may be the only short term solution here. The
long term solution is education.
Dissent should never be postponed even at the risk
of censure. It was the dissent of a few that began the end of the
Vietnam war - and it turned out that the dissenters were smarter
than the folks running the country. It looks like the war against
terror will be a long one. The government will need to hear from
everybody - and like minded citizens will need to hear from eachother
- so don't shut up. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: Do
you think that the game of baseball would be better with salary cap
restrictions and less free agency?
| Nick Marti
- Miami, Florida |
|
| |
A:The
game would be better with long term contracts and no-trade clauses. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
What kind of action do you think is appropriate for the United States
to take against Osama bin Laden or whoever is responsible for the
attacks in New York and Washington?
| Adam Worniak
- Glen Ellyn, Illinois
|
|
| |
A:
We need to gather the same kind of evidence that would be required
to indict and try a suspect in our own country. If an international
grand jury finds that there is sufficient evidence, a warrant should
be issued for an arrest, and action can then be taken to apprehend.
Whatever is done should be carefully planned to avoid the killing
of innocent people. Anything less will lack credibility among the
nations whose help we need to combat terrorism, and will insure that
the terror continues. Bombing terrorist
hideouts is counter productive - threatening innocent people with
death, and guilty people with paradise is a losing strategy. Besides,
the enemy is already behind our lines, well hidden, eating our food,
and training at our schools.
The long term solution involves education, cross-cultural
understanding, and closing the gap between the haves and have-nots. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q:
Jim, why is it called "question of the
week," when it is not changed every week? Is it kind of like
the "daily special" at Joe's in Tijuana that has been the
same for 25 years?
| Dan Thornton, Crawford NE
|
|
| |
A:
You got me there. And it's even worse in that Joe's, at least, offers
other items on the menu, whereas I have only the one question. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What's
your opinion of baseball's talk of "contraction" by dropping
the Montreal Expos and/or Tampa Bay Devil Rays from the major leagues?
| Kenneth Heard - Jonesboro,
Arkansas |
|
| |
A: This
is owner talk, with three good outcomes for them no matter what happens.
If contraction succeeds the owners will have two cities they can threaten
to move back to when extorting public funds for new stadiums elsewhere.
If it fails it's a useful bargaining chip in the upcoming labor negotiations
with the Players Association, which doesn't want contraction. Win
or lose, it reinforces the myth that teams are going bankrupt and
players should therefore accept a salary cap. If the Expos and Devil
Rays were playing like the Twins and Phillies are right now, and vice
versa, you can bet the Twins and Phillies would be the owners' "contraction"
candidates. |
| |
• • • |
| |
Q: What
do think of the enormous salaries in baseball today? Has the pendulum
swung too far in the players' favor?
| Ben Eicher, Rapid City SD |
|
| |
A: Back
in the 1960's, we begged the owners to raise the minimum salary from
$7,000 to $10,000, but the owners refused. That's when we hired Marvin
Miller, the great union leader who in 1975 engineered free-agency
for ballplayers. So here's how I look at it: for a hundred years the
owners screwed the players; for twenty-five years the players have
screwed the
owners - they've got seventy-five years to go. |
| |
• • • |
