... why sportswriters and other journalists (present company excepted) rolled over on using the dumb sponsor names in print.

King, shouldn't you get $5 every time you call it "Monster (tm) Park" instead of the Giants' home field, or Candlestick II, or the House that Barry Built, or anything else?

I mean, to use a phrase I don't actually use very often, fuck them. AP style should be to write around this kind of stupid, free ad.

I love the people who are outraged about selling corporate naming rights to a stadium that is now named after a corporation. If I owned a gum company, I would outbid anyone for these rights. Under these circumstances, the free publicity this would generate would far outstrip what you paid.

Nobody would watch Bobby Knight? If I was Disney, I'd give up Pixar before ESPN. These guys are brilliant. People will watch Knight for the same reason they go to figure 8 track races. Once you've hired Rush Limbaugh to comment on sports, your dignity is gone anyway.

I think Griffey threw himself in to the Kingdome fence too many times to be an effective leadoff hitter now. I'm thinking he doesn't score on that Edgar Martinez double today. Of course he played for a Mariners team that hit Rickey Henderson leadoff when he was 42.

Dear Mr Salon,

This editorial is a coroboration of your brief interview with Mr Baker in regards to 'staring off in space without a thought!!!! yes, that is how he will manage, you WILL SEE (i.e. clueless, useless and general space cadet)..

I am a life long Chicago Cub's fan (please no pity)....I have suffered for nearly 60yrs of second rate baseball ..but Dusty takes the cake...he was overrated in Frisco, he was a complete failure as a manager here for 4 years..I mean , CLUELESS, to the point they had to PUSH him out of the dugout to actually argue calls , just to , at least, show his team he is INTERESTED???

THIS GUY DID NOTHING TO TRY TO MFG RUNS, RUN BASES, HIT AND RUN ETC....he did not hold extra practices to go over bunting, bunt defense, outfield play, etc...just ask your friends in Chicago...

Remember his son nearly getting pancaked at home plate in either a world series or playoff game until the runner rounding third actually picked the kid up down the 3rd base line ...hellooooo Dusty...is anyone home ???

what a goof...I cannot believe general managers actually see some value in him ( Dusty makes sure he is always facing the person he is speaking to..if he turned sideways you could ACTUALLY see right through his skull..

I must say he coordiates his arm and wrist bands well with his uniform and twirls that toothpick in his mouth pretty good...that is the problem..he can only think or twirl , so maybe he needs to give up the toothpick?..ya think? no pun

Regards,

Paul Levine

Lincolnwood, Illinois

...about how "we all learn how to write in the second grade, and most of us go on to other things," I wish someone had had the nerve to retort, "Like bouncing a ball?"

The Cincinnati Red Stockings eventually became the Boston Red Sox, right?

The Chicago White Stockings eventually became the Chicago Cubs. Honest!

I stand corrected. On the original name but not on my dates. The Red Stockings was the original name for the Reds, Red Legs came later. But the team was started in 1869. Here is a link...

http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/cin/history/timeline1.jsp

And did anyone REALLY expect Bob Knight to fish, play golf and not do anything self-serving in his retirement? Twenty-three days ago, he quit on his team during the season. They should have thrown chairs at him.

King, your measure for basepath speed is miscalculated. Stolen bases don't tell much of the story. What is important? Simple. It's when a guy is on second - can he score on a routine base hit?

Does he have the 'go' to beat the throw?

Griffey doesn't, Hopper and Freel will give it their best go.

The offense shouldn't be a concern for the Reds. They will score plenty of runs. Will Harang twirl 25 wins? Can Bronson Arroyo add another 17?

Pitching is the bottom line. The Reds won't win a pennant until the wall is moved back or we land the best sinkerballer in the game.

about Bob Knight, just because someone is a coach does not mean they know anything about the game. I mean when's the last time he won a championship? 1976 wasn't it? The game has changed a ton since then, and clearly has passed him by. Plus he's unpleasant and mean.

Also, to Salon, just get the ignore function working already, then you won't have to worry about deleting letters. We'll do it on our own...

Because he'll need the best glove he can get on the field all the time. Why? Because Baker is old school and thinks any and all of his pitchers can get out of any jam. He's a great tactical manager, but consistantly leaves pitchers--especially his starters, in to face one or two hitters too many. Look for tired arms on Arroyo and Harrang in early August, possible shut downs, and both could top 250 innings. Freel's an animal in the field and has the speed someone mentioned Baker loves. He's a "gamer" and old-schoolers prefer dudes diving and slamming into walls and 'getting dirty' as opposed to getting on base consistantly. With a lineup that'll lead the league in whiffs, it's hard to see how it matters who'll be left stranded on first.

is reading this, please, for the love of god and all that is holy, it's not too late, keep this cretin off the air...

Sorry, but his dates are wrong. 1869, first professional baseball team. This team was disbanded and sold, to a Boston concern either the following year, or a year later, and then another Cincinnati Reds team was formed in it's place.

The first incarnation of the team were called the Red Legs, beyond that they did change the name to Stockings, and just Reds at various points in the teams history.