They Should Have Shot the Candlestick Maker

Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle called it “the ninth blunder of the world.” That’s Candlestick Park, where San Francisco and St. Louis renew hostilities tonight. What others have said:

Roger Maris: “Candlestick Park was built on the water. It should have been built under it.”

Columnist Jim Murray: “Only a place that calls an earthquake a fire could call Candlestick a ballpark.”

Pitcher Bob Knepper: “You should get caught doing something bad, like throwing bombs at archdukes, for them to put you there.”

Outfielder Jim Wohlford: “The only difference between Candlestick and San Quentin is that at Candlestick they let you go home at night.”

Announcer Hank Greenwald: “There’s a good crowd tonight. I was going to say people are strung out all over the place, but people might take that literally.”

Bumper sticker: “Beat me. Whip me. Make me watch the Giants.”

Add Candlestick: Here’s what Chili Davis said at the end of the 1986 season: “As far as I’m concerned, they should pack up this team and get the hell out of this place. If I had this team, I’d be an Al Davis--pack it in and go somewhere else. I’d pack it up and take a hike. Adios. Pack it up. See ya later.”

Trivia Time: Detroit and Minnesota are making their third appearances in the American League Championship Series. What did their first playoff teams have in common? (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: Wednesday night’s loss ended a nine-game winning streak for Sparky Anderson in championship series. In a best-of-five series, his 1984 Tigers swept Kansas City, and his Cincinnati teams of 1976 and 1975 swept Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively. His last previous loss was to Tom Seaver and the New York Mets, 7-2, in the fifth and deciding game of the 1973 National League playoffs.

From Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds: “The high point of the season was the support of the fans. We drew close to 2.2 million.”

And the low point?

“The media beating on me.”

David Richards, the 300-pound tackle who transferred from Southern Methodist to UCLA, told Shaun Powell of the Dallas Times Herald that he likes the school but not the city.

Wrote Powell: “He found out Hollywood and all its weirdness is not for him.”

Richards told Powell this one: “My girlfriend and I were walking in Westwood, going to see a movie, and there was this man walking down the street. He looked real out of it. He was looking real funny, and I figured something must be wrong with this guy. So then he jumps over the bushes in front of us, his eyes real big and he says, ‘Beam me up, Scotty, beam me up.’ I swear, no joke.”

Add Richards: “When you get on the freeways, everyone’s a bleep,” he said. “They roll down their windows and throw their manners out. That was until they had those highway shootings. Then everyone was real nice. They’d even let you over into the lane.

“I don’t like L.A.”

Trivia Answer: Both teams were managed by Billy Martin, and both were losers. The 1969 Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles, and the 1972 Tigers lost to the Oakland A’s, 3 games to 2.

Quotebook

Joe Garagiola, on his broadcasting career in New York: “When I covered the Yankees in the ‘60s, they had players like Horace Clarke, Ross Moschitto, Jake Gibbs and Dooley Womack. It was like the first team missed the bus.”