A World Series in Tempe? Idea Is Not Off Base

Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News suggests that the World Series should be played at a rotating neutral site, just like the NFL’s Super Bowl.

“That’s right, bid it out years in advance,” he wrote. “Miami, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Tempe, Ariz.; San Diego, Los Angeles. Let me stop right there. The first six cities I mentioned all hosted Super Bowls. They would kill to host a baseball Super Series.

“Please don’t laugh at any of this. There already is a movement in baseball’s back channels toward making this happen someday.”

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Trivia time: The Cleveland Browns will be the second NFL team to move to Baltimore. Which was the first?

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Gutty little bulldog: Corey Pavin, the 1995 U.S. Open champion and former UCLA golfer, told Golf Digest that he’s called “Bulldog” by spectators.

“It’s better than ‘gutty little Bruin.’ That I can do without,” he said.

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Coincidence? Dwight Gooden is wearing No. 11 this spring with the New York Yankees. He previously wore 64 and 16 during his career with the Mets. His date of birth is 11-16-64.

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Baseball warrior: Baltimore Oriole Manager Davey Johnson predicted that when relief pitcher Randy Myers arrived in camp, he would be wearing camouflage gear and carrying a couple of grenades.

Myers proved him wrong, arriving in camouflage gear and carrying a high-voltage stun gun.

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Court crisis: Remember Suzie McConnell-Serio, the coach of the Oakland Catholic girls’ basketball team in Pittsburgh who had to leave a playoff game in the second half to give birth to her third child?

Before the game, she warned referees that she may have to stand during the game during contractions. In Pennsylvania high school basketball, coaches can be assessed a technical if they stand during play.

It’s presumed she was granted that privilege.

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ZZZZZ: The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times is running an item in its sports section each Sunday informing Tampa Bay Devil Ray fans of the countdown to opening day in 1998.

That’s when the Devil Rays will play their first major league baseball game. As of today, that game is only 765 days away.

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Vicious: Gary Shelton in the St. Petersburg Times: “I say Art Modell should follow Paul Brown’s lead and rename the team after himself. How does the ‘Baltimore Money-Grubbing Pond Scum’ sound?”

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Looking back: On this day in 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored an NBA-record 100 points against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pa. Chamberlain made 36 of 63 shots from the field and was 28 of 32 from the free-throw line.

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Trivia answer: The Dallas Texans moved to Baltimore in 1953, with a new nickname, the Colts.

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Quotebook: Cincinnati Red General Manager Jim Bowden taking a wide view of spring training: “The big focus, right now, is on center field, left field, third base, the starting rotation, the bullpen, the catchers, the bench and the new manager.”