Scorecard

Because of the surge in product-liability suits involving helmets (a New England sporting-goods dealer who lost a $120,000 suit involving a hockey helmet says he was told by one attorney that "every lawyer in town was following the case because product liability was the big thing, where all the money is"), liability-insurance premiums for the sporting-goods industry are increasing astronomically.

The sporting-goods people warn that the situation is serious. If the threat of legal damages makes it prohibitively expensive to make and sell helmets, they will stop making them. Perhaps one or two manufacturers will continue to produce premium helmets for pro football and the top colleges, but at a very high cost. It will be a price that boys' leagues, high schools and most colleges will not be able to afford. With no helmets, can there be football?

ASTROBOMB

Last summer in the Astrodome the Houston Astros took part in the making of a TV movie tentatively called The Best Four of Seven (SCORECARD, June 7). Now the film, its title rather extravagantly upgraded to Murder at the World Series, has been shown on TV, and the Astros , who were paid $600 each for their work, got to see themselves in action. Sad to relate, they were not overwhelmed.

The film revolves around a young man snubbed in spring training by the Astros who seeks revenge by attempting to kidnap the wife of a rookie who is called up from the minors at the last minute to pitch in the World Series. Under baseball rules a player must be on the club roster before Sept. 1 to be eligible for the Series, but the filmmakers didn't worry about that. Or that Bruce Boxleitner, the actor playing the rookie, needed special coaching because he wasn't able to throw the ball over home plate from the pitcher's rubber 60 feet away ("I worked with him three days on it," says Coach Mel Wright. "He kept throwing off the wrong foot").

If the Astros were movie critics, their comments could appear as follows:

"Mediocre at best"—Bob Watson, First Base.

"I guess it was fairly well done, but it could have been better"—Leon Roberts, Outfield.

"I thought it was——"—Mike Cosgrove, Pitcher.

Bob Lillis , another Astro coach whose nickname in his playing days was "Flea," directed the players on field during the filming of game sequences ("We called him Cecil B. DeFlea," says Wright). Asked his opinion of Murder at the World Series, Lillis said, "I hope no one saw it. That would be the end of my directing career."