In Baseball, Loyalty Is Double-Edged

Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Press responded to the chorus of “whatever happened to loyalty?” that followed baseball’s recent round of lucrative free-agent signings--notably former Pittsburgh first baseman Sid Bream’s move to the Atlanta Braves.

Smizik posed a quiz:

“Other than being former Pirates, what do the players--some of the best and some of the most popular in the team’s history--listed in the following paragraph have in common?

“Bert Blyleven, Ken Brett, Smoky Burgess, John Candelaria, Wilber Cooper, Mike Easler, Dock Ellis, ElRoy Face, Bob Friend, Phil Garner, Dave Giusti, Frank Gustine, Dick Groat, Harvey Haddix, Don Hoak, Ralph Kiner, Bill Madlock, Jim Morrison, Al Oliver, Tony Pena, Johnny Ray, Rick Reuschel, Jerry Reuss, Rick Rhoden, Bill Robinson, Don Robinson, Manny Sanguillen, Dick Stuart, Kent Tekulve, Arky Vaughan, Lloyd Waner, Richie Zisk.

“They all have been traded away by the Pirates.”

Add Pirates: Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press asked Pirate center fielder Andy Van Slyke about Carmelo Martinez, Bream’s backup.

Said Van Slyke: “I hope Martinez can lose 20 pounds before spring training. He and Oprah are on the same diet.”

Trivia time: Who was the first National Hockey League goalie to wear a mask?

WAC’d out: Sport magazine has this thing about the Holiday Bowl, college football’s version of pinball with unlimited play. In its October issue, Sport called the Holiday the best annual bowl.

In its January 1991 issue, Sport ranks “The 10 Best College Bowl Games of the Last 10 Years,” calling Miami’s 31-30 victory over Nebraska in the 1984 Orange Bowl No. 1.

But the Holiday Bowl hogs the rankings, occupying Nos. 2, 6 and 8.

Add Holiday Bowl: The magazine raves over:

No. 2--Brigham Young’s 46-45 victory over Southern Methodist in 1980. Jim McMahon threw a 41-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds left.

No. 6--Penn State’s 50-39 victory over BYU in 1989. The Nittany Lions, ahead 41-39, blunted Ty Detmer’s comeback heroics by running back an intercepted two-point conversion attempt, then stripping Detmer of the ball and running it 53 yards for a touchdown.

No. 8--BYU’s 24-17 victory over Michigan in 1984. Robbie Bosco was injured in the first half but gamely threw a touchdown pass with 1:23 to play in a victory that gave the Cougars the national championship.

Trivia answer: Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens, in 1959.

Quotebook: Buffalo Bills’ backup quarterback Frank Reich, who has thrown only 28 passes this season but will start in place of injured Jim Kelly against Miami Sunday, when asked whether he will be prepared for the Bills’ chance to clinch the AFC East: “I think so because . . . because I have to.”