Sunday's FanSpeak

A minor-league welcome

I WAS happy to see that Sikeston is exploring the possibility of landing a minor league baseball team. I am sure that many of the fans in the area would enjoy the team. Since I live in the St. Louis area, I have had the opportunity to go the Gateway Grizzlies games. I found it an enjoyable experience. The fans are much more friendly than at Busch Stadium. The atmosphere is more relaxed. Prices are much less so a family can attend without blowing a paycheck.

I am sure fans in Southeast Missouri would enjoy attending a baseball game without making the trip to St. Louis with its expenses.

Cover more Legion

SO HOW about better coverage on Cape's American Legion team? Sounds good to me. These are some of the most talented young baseball players in the city. Summer time is all about baseball and I, for one, would love to hear about some the baseball going on around the city. These boys have dedicated their entire summer to the game and get very little coverage in the paper. Give them more front-page coverage and I think action photos would go good with the front-page coverage. Give these boys the coverage they deserve.

Selig's choice was OK

I THINK Bud Selig made a good decision calling the end of the All-Star Game. Each team had the best players in their league and one could normally expect a close game to be the result. The teams were participating in the activities and game for at least four or five hours. A tie game is no disgrace to either team. A win one way or the other usually results from a break or luck of the day. I think they should limit the game to nine innings, or perhaps go with one extra inning and then stop the game.

Jackson will be tough

JACKSON FOOTBALL is about to be a lot better than anybody's giving it credit for. I know everybody thinks this team is going to collapse just because we lost a big running back in Mario Whitney, but I'll warn you all now that we're for real this year and we're going to be tough to beat.

Be wary of the coach

NOW THAT the boys' Little League season is at its end, parents take note. In the 11- 12-year-old division, there was one team where the coach would continually cheat. The mere mention of this team would invoke bad feelings from parents of other teams. The intent of this is to let parents know that, in the future, you need to report this coach to the president of the league, either in writing or over the phone. Second, you need to make sure next year that you specifically request on your son's application that he does not get this coach. I feel sorry for the boys on his team and for the boys on opposing teams who lost due to an adult who is not coaching for the right reasons.

Why not Cape?

SO SIKESTON could get minor league baseball and Cape won't? What's wrong with that picture? It seems to me that a baseball team would be a business and added commerce, and I thought we had a Chamber of Commerce and other individuals on the payroll to attract businesses. Somebody seems to have dropped the ball on this.

He's no Dick Vermeil

THEY'RE KEEPING Mike Martz with the Rams for another five years? Bring back Dick Vermeil, please.

OK, you try it

PEOPLE WHO are always whining and complaining about Southeast football need to go suit up and try to play the game themselves. Let's see how you do.