BY THE WAY: REPLACING BROODING PLAYERS COULD BE FUN

Someone asked me the other day if I would pay to see minor league talent in a major league baseball park.

To answer that question, I felt compelled to relate an experience I had while working in the sports department several seasons ago.

Vince Coleman, who was then playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, was having another one of his bad days. It seems everyone in and around the dugout was aware of this. Everyone except one reporter for The Associated Press, that is.

Whitey Herzog, who was the manager of the Cards at the time Vince was brooding over his status as one of four outfielders, told the Associated Press reporter that he wasn't sure who would start on opening day. The AP reporter asked Whitey if Vince was possibly the fourth guy who would have to take a starting job away from somebody. Maybe, said Herzog.

When the AP guy told Coleman what Whitey said, Vince vented his rage by pushing the reporter down the dugout steps. Perhaps Vince learned this move the first time someone asked to play with his toys.

A horde of reporters plying their trade along the dugout seemed surprised that even Vince would stoop to something so infantile.

The AP guy didn't suffer any physical wounds. But his pride took quite a beating. Even if the reporter went out of his way to maintain an objective point of view, his chances of getting any kind of decent interview with Coleman in the future would be slim.

I guess the whole point of the story is that people who wear major league uniforms don't necessarily demonstrate major league behavior. The most talented players, guys like Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis, don't always unleash the full extent of their abilities during show time.

On the other hand, there are a lot of hungry baseball players with a chance of a lifetime. The chance they thought was taken away from them is suddenly back.

I would pay to see what kind of game these so-called replacement players could put together. There is something to be said for desire. Watch players during batting practice and you can tell which ones love the game and which ones are treating it like a business.

If major league baseball is part of the entertainment industry we could compare what is going on now with a scenario in Hollywood.

A producer wants to get Jack Nicholson for a movie but both parties can't agree on a contract. The producer and director believe the story is strong enough to generate interest once people are exposed to it. However, with a star like Nicholson it could become a hit from opening night. Word of mouth would take care of the rest.

Instead of Nicholson, who threatens to delay filming, we get a less talented but more willing actor. The actor maintains that before Jack Nicholson was a star, someone had to take a chance. So why not do the same with a virtual unknown?

The game of baseball is still strong enough to play to crowds while major league owners and players argue over how the pie will be split.

Perhaps during the interim a few stars will be born. Maybe we might even learn to view the game with an innocence that has been lost for some time.

If opening day does feature replacement players, take a chance just once and see what happens. You might find yourself talking about the bold slide home instead of a reporter's slide down some dugout steps.

~Bill Heitland is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.