Unfortunately for Braves, Talk Is Cheap

A quarter-page advertisement now running in the sports section of the Atlanta Journal shows John Schuerholz, the Atlanta Braves’ new executive vice president and general manager, yuppie-clean in his computerized haircut, buttoned-down white shirt, power tie and redundant suspenders.

The ad reads:

“Atlanta’s in for some radical changes.

“Get Big On The Braves!

“Atlanta is happening. Building. Growing. Progressing. And so is Atlanta’s Baseball. Join the Braves for a sun-packed season of hard-hitting Major League action as we heat up the Stadium. We’ve got blistering new talent along with proven fan-favorites, and there’s only one place you’ll find it all. The Braves. Give us a tryout! Visit the Stadium to personally select your seats and season ticket package that’s right for you. And get ready for Hot Fun in the Summertime!”

Trivia time: How many times has an entire World Series been played in the same stadium?

Cultural geography: Former St. Louis Blues star Bob Plager, now coach of the Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League, recently told the Chicago Tribune that bus rides in the IHL are the same now as they were when he was a minor league player.

Said Plager: “The coaches sit up front, the French players are behind them jabbering away in French and the college players behind them, talking about the NCAA tournament. In the back of the bus are the Westerners (Canadians) playing cards, and behind them are the guys from Ontario, beers in their hands, watching the card games.”

Who’s whose?: The major leagues’ recent free agency and arbitration carnival, with its pinata full of seven-figure contracts, served to drive home the point that team identity is a thing of the past. A month into the 1991 season, naming the starting lineups (let alone the rosters) of any three major league teams will be power trivia at its best.

So study hard. You might want to warm up with the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training hodgepodge: Lonnie Maclin, Mike Milchin, Stan Royer, Jamie Moyer, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, Bryn Smith, Joe Fernandez, Jose Fernandez, Jose DeLeon, Jose Oquendo and Felix Jose.

Political hardball: Sen. John Whitmire, a Democrat from Houston, is among a group of state legislators opposed to naming a section of the Texas Highway 288 the “Nolan Ryan Expressway.”

Whitmire noted Ryan’s affiliation with the Texas Republican party, adding: “It could set a bad precedent if we start naming highways and buildings for politically active individuals. A couple of members have expressed concerns about (Ryan’s) political aspirations.”

Father’s Day: When former New England Patriot guard John Hannah is inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, July 27, he will be presented by his father, Herb, a tackle with the New York Giants in 1951 before becoming a farmer in Alabama.

Hall of Fame officials say it will be the first time a player has been introduced by a family member. Like Herb and John, brothers Charley and David Hannah played at the University of Alabama. Charley was a defensive end and a tackle with Tampa Bay from 1977-82 and the Raiders from 1983-85.

John told the Boston Globe: “If it wasn’t for football, all of us Hannahs would still be sharecroppers.”

Trivia answer: Three. In 1921 and 1922, the New York Yankees and Giants played at the Polo Grounds. And in 1944, the St. Louis Browns and Cardinals played at Sportsman’s Park.

Quotebook: Phil Jackman of the Baltimore Evening Sun, in his Friday sports media column: “Look at the rating Notre Dame and Temple got on NBC last weekend (2.0) and you have to conclude even priests and nuns weren’t watching.”