Cheap Seats
No jeering in the pressbox
In the seventh inning of the Long Beach (Calif.) Riptide’s 3-2 Western Baseball League victory this month over the Salinas Peppers, first base umpire Scott Cusader suddenly called time, marched to the middle of the diamond, pointed toward the press box … and, with a classic heave-ho, ejected 15-year-old Paula Gibbons from the ballpark.
Gibbons is a volunteer worker on the Riptide’s staff, in charge of the sound effects … breaking glass when a foul ball flies over the roof, a lot of “psst psst psst” when the opposing manager is out on the mound talking to his pitcher, a nasty “sit down in your seat” whenever an opposing batter strikes out.
The one that got Cusader’s attention, as well as the 1,469 fans, was when Cobi Cradle was called out at third base on a close play, and the next thing everyone heard was “… Personally, I think we got hosed on that call.”
From there, the Riptides’ volunteer entertainer was outta there.
These are fighting words
When the New York Jets’ top draft pick, Keyshawn Johnson, reported to training camp this month, he was asked if he would render his Southern California college fight song for the entertainment of the older Jets.
As he explained to George Vecsey of the New York Times, he politely declined to provide a version of “Fight on for USC.”
“I’m not here to sing songs,” he said.
“I’m not going to do it. It doesn’t work that way. I wouldn’t ask anybody to run in front of a bus. I don’t sing.”
Trust us. Soon, he’ll be pushing the New York media onto a subway track.
A couple of Kosher hot dogs
There are Jewish promoters and Jewish managers in boxing, but there hasn’t been too many Jewish fighters. Now there are two.
“I want to show people that Jews can fight,” said Tim Puller, 27, who calls himself “The Hebrew Hammer,” and he wants to be the first Jewish heavyweight champ. Puller, who wears a Jewish star necklace, will have a chance to make his mark tonight when he fights undefeated Lou Savarese at Madison Square Garden.
If that doesn’t work, the Jewish contingent has another shot Friday night in Atlantic City, N.J., when Dana Rosenblatt fights Vinny Pazienza for the vacant WBU super middleweight title in a fight that could be billed as “The Italian vs. The Jew.”
From Big Bird to Big Bertha
Tiger Woods’ success after the much publicized story about how his father had him swinging a golf club at age 1 has prompted young parents to provide clubs for their newborns.
One parent became frustrated when the baby kept giving the club back to him. He went so far as to ask a pro what was the problem.
“He knows his caddie gave him the wrong club,” the pro replied.
That’s assuming the course still has caddies.
The last word …
“I don’t understand him (Jimmy Johnson) at all. And that’s saying a lot because at my wedding he was the best man.”
Dallas Cowboys director of scouting Larry Lacewell
, DataTimes