New Place Makes You Appreciate Being Home

Pittsburgh Pirate reliever Scott Sauerbeck, who grew up in Cincinnati and attended a lot of games at Riverfront/Cinergy Field, was underwhelmed by the Reds’ new ballpark.

“It makes me appreciate PNC Park,” Sauerbeck said. “It is an upgrade over Cinergy, but there were some of us in the dugout looking up in the stands and it seems to lack that ‘wow’ factor.”

Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty agreed.

He didn’t exactly heap praise on the Reds’ new Great American Ball Park, saying: “Maybe we could rename it Pretty Good American Ball Park.”

More Perry: “News flash: Just 106 days after Washington State promoted 62-year-old Bill Doba to head football coach, the Cougars hired Dick Bennett, 59, as their basketball coach.

“There’s definitely something in the water in Pullman these days -- but is it the fountain of youth, or just two old geysers?”

Trivia time: Who was the first L.A. Ram to be named the NFL’s most valuable player?

Early rejection: Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “In his opening day loss to the Cubs, new Met Tom Glavine began hearing from the Shea Stadium boo-birds while pitching to his second batter in the first inning, says Chronicle reader Mike Gaynes.

“It was the shortest honeymoon in history not involving someone named Zsa Zsa.”

More Glavine: Shaun Powell in Newsday: “On the day they welcomed their most anticipated newcomer in years, the Mets didn’t get Tom Terrific. More like Tom Horrific.”

Cold cut: Minnesota Twin Manager Ron Gardenhire on third baseman Corey Koskie, who missed Tuesday’s opener at Detroit because of a stiff back: “I think he wanted to make sure it was warm enough, but he’s Canadian, so maybe he was checking to see how cold it would be.”

Betrayed: The White Sox appear to be stronger this season, but Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune is skeptical.

“I’ll believe a World Series when I see one. When the 1959 season was over and we baby Soxers were told by our parents to stop crying because ‘there’ll be another World Series honey’ -- uh, well, Mommy, Daddy, you big fat liars!”

Watch out, Adrien Brody: Tom Babson is saying “Cheers” to Boston College.

The Boston College women’s hockey coach, who played Sam Malone’s lawyer on the hit TV series “Cheers,” has retired after four seasons in which he posted a 33-85-3 record.

The school said it did not know if Babson would be returning to acting.

“It has been a wonderful four years,” Babson said. “To see the progress our program has made over the past four years has been most satisfying.”

Babson has appeared in movies and TV shows that include “CHiPs,” “St. Elsewhere” and “Wonder Woman.”

Trivia answer: Quarterback Roman Gabriel in 1969.

And finally: St. John’s (Minn.) football Coach John Gagliardi, 76, was honored recently in Minneapolis for his 400 wins.

“With such a wonderful gathering as this,” he said, “a guy should have the decency to at least be dead.”