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Highs and lows

By CARYN BAIRD, BRUCE LOWITT, KEITH , ANTHONY PEREZ and MIKE STEPHENSON

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 4, 2001

Highs

MARK McGWIRE: Baseball's modern-day Babe Ruth could have started a bidding war that might have gotten him $25-million a year or more. "But I just love the game and I love where I'm at. That's what it comes down to," the Cardinals slugger said after signing a two-year extension worth $15-million a year. "If somebody's going to complain about making $15-million, there's something wrong with him."

FRANK THOMAS' AGENTS: Former Cubs pitcher Scott Sanderson and Mike Moye, who represent Thomas, resigned after the White Sox slugger skipped six workouts because he was unhappy with some clauses in his contract, which pays him nearly $10-million this season. "From the beginning of our involvement with Frank this off-season, we have consistently advised him to honor his contract, perform to the best of his abilities on the field and address any issues he might have with the White Sox privately," his agents said in a statement. At least somebody understands the value of a contract.

SPRING TRAINING: If you live up north, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Dunedin and the rest aren't mere datelines. They are the assurance that no matter how much snow is on the sidewalk, spring is on the way and baseball with it. The names of the cities may not be as mystical as they once were, but they're still pretty close to Oz, Utopia, Shangri-La, Ciabola ...

Lows

THE XFL: When your TV rating is worse than anything ALF ever produced, you've got problems. At the rate of this free fall, by April more people will be watching Saved by the Bell reruns than XFL games.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE: The rapid spread of the highly contagious livestock virus resulted in a virtual shutdown in Ireland of weekend sports. Foot-and-mouth affects only cloven-hoofed animals. Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield, on the other hand, seem to have contracted foot-in-mouth disease.

USF BASKETBALL: Twice last week on national TV the Bulls had a chance to prove their high preseason expectations weren't, well, high. At stake: a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the CUSA tournament, national recognition for a possible berth in the NCAA Tournament, validation for a season-best home crowd that USF basketball is worth supporting. The outcomes were like a USF trip to the free-throw line. Miss 1. Miss 2. Hello, NIT ... maybe.

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