Fan Speak June11

The price is right

I FIND nothing wrong with the pricing of tickets, food or drink at the new Busch Stadium. If you want a better product, you need to pay for it. Not only are the ticket prices in the top 10 of MLB, so is the Cardinals' payroll.

No name change

THE CAPAHA Field baseball complex should maintain that name. The Capahas baseball team is listed in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the oldest amateur team in the nation. The Capahas have been in existence since 1894 and have earned nationwide recognition. Don't take the historic name away from Cape Girardeau. The name honors the players who have been winners since 1894, players who have made it in the big leagues and competed at the highest level in professional baseball.

Respect the Tigers

IN REGARD to Marty Mishow's comment that Missouri hardly deserved to make the field for NCAA Division I baseball regionals: Four victories later, do you still believe that? This paper always provides optimistic coverage of Southeast Missouri State sports, but remember, we are in Missouri. This is Tiger Country, not the land of the Indian or Redhawk or whatever you want to call them. Missouri finished the 2005 season second in the Big 12 and earned a second-place finish in the 2004 Big 12 tournament and were leading the championship game until Garrett Broshuis [of Advance] was pulled in the seventh inning. Missouri baseball is the real deal, and anyone who denies that while in the same breath putting Southeast on a pedestal has no business publishing their opinion in any newspaper. Give Missouri the respect it deserves, and provide more coverage of Missouri athletics. After all, Mizzou athletics are light-years beyond Southeast's athletic program.

Baseball vs. softball

I WOULD like to know why boys baseball teams are getting all the recognition when every weekend we have girls involved in very competitive fast-pitch softball tournaments.

(Editor's response: I assume you are referring to teams of the high school age levels, such as Legion baseball or 18-and-under softball. Softball coaches are welcome to call in results and scores to the paper. Your query is indicative of a conversation that takes place nationally in sports journalism as well, and here's my theory: American Legion baseball maintains its place as being a traditional staple of summer coverage because it offers regular-season district play between local teams followed by a state and national tournament process with teams competing on an even playing field. That is, instead of fielding select teams with players from throughout a wide area, player pools come from geographic assignments that attempt to balance the competition. Similarly, ABC has televised the Little League World Series but has broadcast none of the many select youth tourmanents. -- Toby Carrig)