Happy Wednesday,
Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson here. Just a quick note to alert you to a change in the formatting of my weekly newsletter. I'm shifting away from the weekly Tuesday online chats, so re-running the greatest hits from that chat in this newsletter is no longer an option. I still hope to answer any questions readers have for me. I'll do that here in this newsletter in mailbag style as they come in, and will also have more freedom and flexibility to bounce around to other topics and ideas. This week's question will be answered below. Thanks, and please don't be shy about sending in any questions or comments you want to see tackled. Have a great rest of your week!聽
Got a question? Email me here (bfrederickson@post-dispatch.com) or find me on X (formerly known as Twitter) at and hashtag your question with #BF5.
People are also reading…
The crowd at Cardinals' games is becoming an early-season conversation. We're not talking tickets sold and announced attendance. We're talking rears in seats, . Season ticket sales are not in bad shape, per the team, but when Sonny Gray makes his Cardinals debut in front of many empties, people are going to talk. Right now it's just an observation. If school gets out and there are this many folks choosing other forms of entertainment, it becomes a bigger story fast. Fair?聽
Speaking of crowds, congratulations to Battlehawks' loyalists for cramming a professional spring football record 40,317 into the Battle Dome for Saturday night's thrilling win. But you can't help but be a little concerned about attendance elsewhere. "The (B-hawks) crowd 'almost equaled' the combined total of all four UFL opening week contests 鈥 which was 45,153," reported the Sports Business Journal. The UFL product looks good on TV and its partners are helping provide a big-game feel, but when you see so many empty seats everywhere but STL, it's gotta be a concern about longevity and also TV ratings. If you tune in to see a game and few are there, aren't you more likely to tune out? One problem was the league announced its schedule way later than it should have. That has to be improved moving forward. As always, enjoy pro spring football while it lasts, because history tells us twists and turns are to be expected, like the merger between the XFL and the USFL before this UFL emerged. If it worked everywhere as well as it does here in STL, it would be a different story. It doesn't, though, we've learned.
Robby Avila, come on down. Soon after Josh Schertz was introduced as SLU's new men's basketball coach, his former Indiana State players started hitting the transfer portal. I expect multiple Sycamores to be transplanted to Midtown in the near future. Avila is among the in-the-portal transfers who has requested that programs don't contact him. Why would he do that? Because he knows where he's going. Expect news on that in the near future. Here's my column on Schertz's connection to late Hall of Famer Rick Majerus.
Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz already secured a verbal commitment from class of 2025 top-10 quarterback Matt Zollers out of Pennsylvania. Georgia wanted him. Penn State, too. What if Drinkwitz in the same class adds a top-five defensive lineman out of the Metro East, too? I don't pretend to be a recruiting expert, but I can tell you with confidence that the Tigers are in good shape with Edwardsville's Iose Epenesa, the younger brother of Iowa standout turned Buffalo Bills pass-rusher A.J. Epenesa. Assumptions he's going to follow in his brother's Iowa footsteps are perhaps a bit premature. Drinkwitz is making real progress here.
Quick Blues thought: Does make anyone else think the Blues are interested in bringing him back as their next head coach if he's cleared by the league in the wake of the Kyle Beach sexual assault scandal? Interim coach Drew Bannister has not had his interim title removed. Unfortunately, I don't think the Blues will just admit their mistake and bring back fired coach Craig Berube. Quenneville coached the Blues from 1996 to 2004. To me the podcast appearance felt like a trial balloon. Good on the hosts for asking tough questions.
Four rapid-fire women's basketball thoughts as a historically successful season for the sport winds down. Anyone involved in the sport who threw shade at Caitlin Clark and her accomplishments is probably just jealous, and that includes Diana Taurasi, who made a fool out of herself during Iowa's run to the NCAA championship loss. An undefeated season is incredible, and South Carolina just overpowered Clark's Hawkeyes. Congratulations. SLU women's hoops coach Rebecca Tillett is really impressive and has a knack for getting her team to play its best basketball at the most important time. SLU has to keep her around for the long haul. I realize and understand some Mizzou fans are upset Robin Pingeton is back for another season, but it made little sense for an interim AD to fire her and then hire her replacement. That's the job for the new AD after that hire is made. Hopefully Mizzou has its AD answer by the end of the month if not soon into May. That would be too late to make a women's basketball coaching change. Pingeton has one more win-or-lose-her-job year.聽On the AD search front, the search firm has provided a pool of interested candidates. Interviews with the search committee are up next.
Got a question or comment for me? Let me know and I'll answer it here.
This week's spotlight goes to ... Lance, via email.
While reading your column, my mind wandered back to 1957 when the Cards did in fact have their own version of Bob Miller. Old stories had him play/coach 17 years in the majors for 10 teams. Sad to say, Bob was killed in a car wreck near San Diego in 1993. As a 鈥渂onus baby鈥 he had to stay with The Cards all his 1st year, so some of his old school (Jennings and Beaumont) friends got to see him in St.Louis. Several of us were there when he pitched in his 1st game. (Do not remember if it was a start or not). But were talking to him when he was told to warm up ... we thought he was going to pass out!
BF: Good history lesson, Lance! Right-handed Bob Miller of Beaumont High debuted for the Cardinals in 1957 at the ripe age of 18. He didn鈥檛 start a game for them until 1959, so he must have pitched out of the bullpen in the game you referenced. Only three of his games that first season came at home. First was June 26 against the Phillies. Second was September 28 against the Cubs. Third was the next day, also against the Cubs. He went on to have a 17-season career that spanned 10 different team and included being a part of three World Series championships.