COMPETITION:

Under-pirate division (Jayson Stark, ESPN)

Meanwhile in Bradenton, the Pirates also have played a couple of exhibitions against college teams this spring. In one of them, they were held to four hits and one run in a four-inning stint by Duquesne walk-on freshman Bob Hartle -- a guy who had actually been cut from the team last fall.

Hartle, whose fastball peaked at 75 mph, told the Beaver County Times' John Perrotto: "I'd like to tell you I fooled them, but I don't think they were really used to my speed."

Well, after that spectacle, pitcher Salomon Torres was determined that he wasn't going to get embarrassed in a charity game against Manatee Community College. So he used his whole repertoire in two shutout innings.

"Guys were getting on me for throwing those college kids too many curveballs," Torres said. "Hey, I'm trying to make the club. I'd throw curveballs for my little 18-month-old daughter if she stepped into the batter's box:"

Roger Angell tells the story of visiting Bob Gibson and watching him thrash his young daughter in checkers. Mr. Angell asked him if he always won. Mr. Gibson said yes. Mr. Angell asked why not let her win one. "She'll win when she can beat me." Posted by Orrin Judd at March 25, 2003 12:00 PM