They Also Invented Pyramid of Success

It turns out baseball may not have been founded in the fields of 19th-century Cooperstown, N.Y. The game’s origins may have been prefigured in an ancient Egyptian sporting ritual named seker-hemat, “batting the ball.”

At least, so says Peter Piccione, professor of Egyptian history at the College of Charleston.

According to Piccione, “batting the ball” was performed by the kings of Egypt during the festivals of certain goddesses and presumably before the statues of certain deities. They played ball to defeat cosmic chaos and to whack at and destroy an evil eye.

The earliest mention of the game occurs in the Old Kingdom (ca. 2400 BC). Later hieroglyphs depict King Thutmose III playing the game before a statue of the goddess Hathor. He holds a ball in his right hand; in his left is something resembling a bat.

Says Piccione: “We as a nation can recognize modern baseball’s larger cosmic connections. In a way, the ancient Egyptians are still alive in us, and we are their cultural heirs through our baseball games.”

They seem to be seams: More than hieroglyphs make Piccione believe the seed for baseball was planted earlier than 1839. Archeologists have discovered three-inch stitched leather balls that Piccione says have an “uncanny” resemblance to modern baseballs.

“Based on scenes and texts on the wall of temples, kings batted these balls to awaiting priests, and all enjoyed a good time,” says Piccione. “While it’s unclear if the king ran bases ... it is a distinct possibility.”

Trivia time: Who was the first winner of the Los Angeles Open?

Unqualified criticism: Dan LeBatard in the Miami Herald, commenting on the “qualifications” of Dennis Erickson as the 49ers’ new coach:

“He has had problems disciplining his teams and himself everywhere he has been. He was 13-11 in his last two college seasons. He was 31-33 in four NFL seasons. He has coached in exactly as many NFL playoff games as your grandmother.”

Any questions? At the Kansas City Royals’ annual forecast luncheon, former outfielder Brian McRae asked Manager Tony Pena, “Are you going to pitch to [Barry] Bonds?”

According to the Kansas City Star, Pena playfully pretended not to hear the question, then quickly waved four fingers.

He should know: New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner said shortstop Derek Jeter is doing too much partying. Yankee pitcher David Wells, no stranger to the high life, told Associated Press: “Derek is not a party guy. He’s not out there every night. Trust me.”

Fixer-upper: Dwight Perry in the Seattle Times: “The Spokane school bus that the Rogers High School wrestling team rode in the early 1960s won’t ever be mistaken for the Madden Cruiser.

“The bus was without windows, there were holes in the floorboards and only compound low in the gear box,” Coach Ken Pelo recalled in an interview with the Spokesman-Review.

Trivia answer: Harry Cooper at the L.A. Country Club in 1926.

And finally: Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated hopes Annika Sorenstam doesn’t wear shorts when she plays against the men in the Colonial in May because it would set a bad precedent: “None of us want to see Craig Stadler’s thighs.”

-- Mal Florence