Concidentally, I noticed a list of Baseball Spring training Stadomgs yesterday and got to wondering how good a predictor they were. So here is how the teams would stand if they had the same winning percentage in the regular sesaon as in Spring training:

<AL East>

1 Baltimore 88 41 0.679 --
2 Boston 66 66 0.500 23½
3 Toronto 64 67 0.485 25
4 Tampa Bay 60 68 0.469 27½
6 New York 59 71 0.452 29½

<AL Central>

1 Kansas City 101 28 0.781 --
2 Detroit 75 55 0.576 26½
3 Cleveland 67 63 0.515 34½
4 Minnesota 66 63 0.515 35
5 Chicago 65 65 0.500 36½

<AL West>

1 Seattle 86 43 0.667 --
2 Oakland 75 57 0.567 12½
3 Texas 65 65 0.500 21½
4 Hoston 62 67 0.484 24
5 Los Angeles 43 86 0.333 43

No divisiion leaders right, and only two of the current playoff leaders (Detroit, Oakland). Most of the races effectively over.

<NL East>

1 Atlanta 74 56 0.571 --
2 New York 66 62 0.516 8
3 Philadelphia 61 69 0.469 13
4 Miami 58 71 0.448 15½
5 Washington 55 75 0.424 19

<NL Central>

1 St Louis 72 68 0.516 --
2 Chicago 59 71 0.457 8.0
3 Milwaukee 55 75 0.419 12
4 Pittsburgh 55 75 0.419 12
5 Cincinnati 52 79 0.394 15½

<NL West>

1 Colorado 68 64 0.516 --
2 San Francisco 67 63 0.516 --
3 Arizona 63 66 0.485 3½
4 San Diego 58 72 0.444 9
5 Los Angleles 51 79 0.394 12

As for the Lions this year: 6-10, Schwarz gone at the end of the year, and they start all over. "Meet the new Boss..."

As for the Tigers in the post-season--and I'm not conceding they'll even get there--they have some weaknesses. Fielding at several positions is merely adequate. Starters and 7-8-9 inning guys are solid. Middle relief remains a concern.

Now, if you get into a slow-pitch softball game with them, you're probably going to lose. The way you beat the Tigers is to keep the ball in the park and make them play small ball. They don't do it very well. The last two games against the Mets show why. On Saturday, 13 hits and 3 runs. On Sunday, through eight inning 14 hits and four runs--on a pair of two-run homers.

Mike Duggan is a suburbanite who has a good reputation for his work in both governmental and corporate areas. He decided to run for Mayor, and in preparation officially moved into the city for a year to satisfy the residency requirements.

However, when he filed his petitions for the primary ballot he did so two days before his year of residency had passed. Political oppoents took it to court, and Duggan was kicked off the ballot.

Nothing daunted, Duggan mounted a write-in campaign. His opponents sued again, claiming that since he was ineligible for the primary ballot he wasn't eligible to run as a write-in either. That got shot down.

Please don't ask me to explain the Mike Dugeon thing. Please.

On Primary Day, Duggan finished first with nearly half of the vote. Police Chief Benny Napoleon had just over 30%, no one else even approaching 10%.

And here is where they start making hash. Since Duggan's write-in vote couldn't be counted by the computer, they had to be counted by election workers. Proper Protocol required hashmark; you know, five votes indicated by four short vertical lines crossed by a long diagonal line. The election workers used a different method. Scandal! Conspiracy! 18,000 votes tossed out due to the irregularity.

Even this made no essential difference, other than Duggan finishing behind Napoleon instead of ahead of him; Duggan was still miles ahead of the third place finisher. But the City and Country Board of Canvassers refused to certify the election because of the "irregularity", and now the State Board is looking at it, and what will happen if the election gets completely thrown out boggles the mind.

But the thing that got me, was that A's pitcher B. Anderson got a save! Gave up 3 runs in 3 innings.

<Write-in roundup: Mike Duggan beats Mike Dugeon, Mickey Mouse>

It's the Elephant in the Room, but all is quiet so far. The peole have shown they don't care; they just want change.Even Duggan's opponents seem more motivation by his not being part of the inner clique that has rund this city for decades. The worst I've heard so far is "Suburbanite", a term of opprobrium generally applied to Whties.