Between The Lines

A GOOD RAP

To make their new teammate Bruce Hurst feel at home, San Diego pitchers Mark Grant and Greg Booker recorded a rap song entitled He Be Dealin 'at a mall in Houston and played it for him on April 8, as he walked into the Astrodome's visiting clubhouse. Here are some lyrics:

Sixty thousand dollars is one day 'spay, that's why he lives in Rancho Santa Fe...
In Boston his best friend was The Rocket, he carries a picture of him in a locket...
His very first outing was his worst of the year, when he went into the clubhouse he almost had a beer.

Two nights later, against Atlanta, Hurst struck out 13 en route to the first one-hitter of his career. He also picked up his first major league hit, a single to left.

PRESIDENTIAL TIMBER

On April 5, Minnesota rightfielder Randy Bush hit his first home run of the season—and his first since President George Bush took office. For the record: Catcher Gary Carter had 102 homers during the Carter Administration; outfielder Dan Ford, 35 during the Ford Administration; in fielder-outfielder Deron Johnson, 98 during the Johnson Administration; infielder John E. Kennedy, 1 during the Kennedy Administration; catcher Art Wilson, 20 during the Wilson Administration; and third baseman Elmer Cleveland, 4 during Cleveland's first presidency. Braves manager and onetime catcher Russ Nixon hit 18 dingers during the Eisenhower-Nixon years, but they don't count.

THE POWERS THAT BE
The first players in each league to hit two homers in a game were Oakland shortstop Walt Weiss and Montreal catcher Mike Fitzgerald. Weiss had only three homers in '88; Fitzgerald had five.

TRAVELIN' MAN

Pitcher Dave LaPoint, now with his eighth team, the Yankees, has had for teammates 27% of the 624 players on this year's Opening Day rosters, according to columnist Marty Noble of New York Newsday. The only team that doesn't include one of LaPoint's ex-teammates is the Orioles, but they have two players he has been traded for—pitcher Mark Thurmond and catcher Bob Melvin.

MISCELLANEOUS