Baseball Could Use Its Own Superhero

Under the headline, “Don’t Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes: “For generations, baseball has compared its industry to the movies. Similar ticket prices, family entertainment, larger-than-life heroes who become nationally famous. What is more American than the big leagues and Hollywood?

“Against that backdrop, perhaps baseball should pay attention to two statistics from last weekend. ‘Spider-Man’ grossed $115 million, a three-day record ...

“Meanwhile, baseball attendance, which was down 3.5% early last season, is now down 5% versus the comparable numbers of games for last season. It’s bad and getting worse.”

Trivia time: Who holds the Laker record for field goals attempted in a playoff game?

Chicken partners: Barry Bonds has been signed by KFC to team with Seinfeld’s George Constanza (Jason Alexander) to reintroduce the company’s Popcorn Chicken. The two men have taped a 30-second commercial that will start airing May 20.

“It was a lot of fun,” Bonds told Associated Press. “He’s an actor, talented, funny and makes it look easy. I’m a baseball player. He did it in one take; I did it in 15.”

Yeah, but can Jason hit a curveball?

Not particular: Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel marvels at the ability of Montreal’s Vladimir Guerrero to hit pitches barely off the ground.

“Guerrero is the standard bearer for a disappearing breed in the major leagues: the bad-ball hitter.”

The last round, really: The bad news for Tony Muser was that he learned that he had been fired as the Kansas City Royals’ manager not from a member of the organization but from a beat writer who found him in a bar.

The good news for Muser: The bar extended closing time by an hour.

Bad track record: If the Chicago Bulls are in a position to draft Yao Ming, they should pass, says Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune.

“Given this city’s horrific history for securing future talent, it would be just their luck to select the 7-foot-5 center from China in the first round of the NBA auction, only to discover that he wants to be a jockey.”

Carried away: After a bidder paid $59,000 for a longhorn steer at a recent cattle auction on Red McCombs’ Texas ranch, the Minnesota Viking owner crowed to the New York Times, “This is the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Stanley Cup all in one.”

Looking back: On this day in 1991, the Detroit Pistons set an NBA playoff record with only four turnovers against the Boston Celtics.

Trivia answer: Elgin Baylor, 46, against Boston on April 14, 1962. He made 22.

And finally: Associated Press reports that John Daly has always had a Ruthian swing. Now, he worries about looking like the Bambino.

After an allergic reaction to diet pills last week, Daly said Wednesday he will cut back on his appetite for his mother’s cooking--especially her chocolate gravy and biscuits.

“If I could zap my fingers, I’d love to weigh 195 or 200, but I don’t see that happening,” Daly said.

Mal Florence