It's not Fernandomania, but it's worth watching

Sporting News, The, May 8, 1995 by Bob Nightengale

You've got to be kidding.

If the owners chose to pursue the matter, they'd have a hell of a collusion case of their own.

Around the bases

Hmm, you think Marlins General Manager David Dombrowski kicks himself each morning, reminded he still has closer Bryan Harvey? The Marlins, who selected Harvey in the expansion draft, already have shelled out $6.75 million for Harvey the last two years, and just when they were about to trade him again, Harvey injures his elbow again. Instead of being able to trade Harvey for two top prospects, or even one prospect, the Marlins now are stuck with him and his $4.5-million salary. Maybe the Angels' decision to leave him unprotected in the expansion draft doesn't look so bad now. ... Players have been instructed by the union not to comment on the umpires' lockout, unless, of course, they have negative things to say about the replacement umps. ... The saddest story in baseball may be the metamorphosis in Kansas City. This used to be one of the premier baseball cities in the country, rivaled only by St. Louis. Now, it has gotten so bad they couldn't even give away their allotted 5,000 free general admission tickets to their games against the Yankees, drawing 15,026 last Friday, and 14,321 on Saturday. ... Remember Todd Van Poppel, who was supposed to be the next Nolan Ryan? He now is a mop-up man in the A's bullpen. Van Poppel, 23, continues to struggle throwing anything other than his fastball for strikes. He would probably benefit from some time in the minor leagues, but his agent Scott Boras, insisted on a major league contract when Van Poppel signed with the A's in July 1990. They have thus run out of options on him. ... Who would ever have thought the season would open with the Cubs winning their first four games, and the White Sox losing their first four? ... ... Yes, that was Donald Harris who was released last week by the Rangers, the same Donald Harris who was taken ahead of Frank Thomas in the 1988 draft. ... It could be that kind of year again for the Giants. Starter Mark Portugal was pumping away on an exercise cycle last season when a stabilizing pin fell out and the seat fell seven notches. Portugal suffered a back spasm. ... You know the baseball season has begun in earliest when Barry Bonds is being walked seven times in the first four games. ... The Tigers opened the season for the first time since 1977 without second baseman Lou Whitaker in the lineup. He began on the disabled list ... Peter Ueberroth is having second thoughts about buying the Angels for $130 million, particularly because they are valued at only $88 million by Financial World. ... Indians catcher Sandy Alomar has been placed on the D.L. for the seventh time since May 1991. ...Derek Bell has been moved to the Astros' cleanup spot, pushing Jeff Bagwell to the No. 3 slot. Good idea. Bell has a career .322 average when batting cleanup and .260 in any other lineup spot. ... Come on, couldn't the union at least have waited past Opening Day to announce that it may boycott the All-Star Game?