Fans Favor Realignment, With Some Reservations

Baseball fans support realignment by a 2-to-1 margin, even though many have reservations about losing a century of tradition that distinguished the American and National leagues, a nationwide Associated Press poll shows.

Fifty-four percent of those polled favored the plan that would switch as many as 15 major league teams between the A.L. and N.L., with 27 percent opposed to reshuffling the leagues geographically.

Yet, 48 percent said ending the traditional distinction between N.L. and A.L. teams makes them like the plan less. And just 12 percent said blurring the A.L./N.L. distinction is one of the reasons they favor the plan, which owners will consider when they meet next week.

Owners say geographic realignment would eliminate most games in which teams play out of their time zones, which creates late-night broadcasts on the East Coast and early-evening telecasts on the West Coast. But most fans said they don’t care when they see games on television.

Twenty percent said the TV factor makes them more supportive of realignment, 22 percent said it makes them less supportive and 57 percent said it makes no difference.

The poll of 686 adults, who said they were baseball fans or somewhat of a fan, was taken by telephone from Aug. 22-31 by ICR of Media, Pa.

Fisk tributes upcoming

Four years after he was released by the Chicago White Sox, Carlton Fisk is going back to the ballpark.

The former Red Sox and White Sox catcher is being honored by both of his former teams this week.

Monday, Boston inducted him into the team’s Hall of Fame. Sunday, the White Sox will retire the No. 72 he wore there.

“Both teams are recognizing a lifetime of dedication to the game,” Fisk said. “(But) I didn’t just wait around the last four years for this. I really didn’t need to have people give me a lifetime achievement award.” The 1972 A.L. Rookie of the Year, Fisk played with the Red Sox until 1980, then the White Sox until 1993.

Fisk, 49, hit 376 career home runs - a record 351 as a catcher - and caught more games (2,226) than anyone else. He, Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra are the only catchers to hit at least 300 home runs, score 1,000 runs and drive in 1,000 runs.

Twins deny Charlotte report

The Minnesota Twins say they do not have a standing offer from a banking company to move the team to Charlotte, N.C., after next season.

Team owner Carl Pohlad denies that such an offer was in the works.

“I wish that were true,” Pohlad told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Sunday. “If I have a standing offer, I don’t know about it.”