Inside Pitch

Former Stanford Quarterback John Elway has indicated he will sign a minor league contract with the Yankees rather than play for the Colts, who picked him No. 1 in last week's NFL draft. Most baseball scouts are convinced, however, that Elway's prospects are better on the gridiron than on the diamond. Jack Pastore, the director of scouting for the Phils, says his bird dogs "are not that high on him. At best, he's average, across the board."

Rookie Greg Brock, who has replaced Steve Garvey at first base for L.A., attributes his good start—four homers and 14 RBIs in his first 21 games—to tips from his "personal scout," 37-year-old teammate Rick Monday, who tells Brock what to expect from various pitchers.... The A's will have to decide soon whether to stick with Shortstop Tony Phillips, who has been flashy but erratic in the field (six errors through Sunday) and who was hitting only .175. If Phillips is sent down, Oakland will go with Bill Almon, a mediocre fielder who was hitting .340.... The A's, though, are all smiles about Reliever Tom Burgmeier, who hadn't given up a run in nine appearances covering 13? innings.

San Diego Third Baseman Tim Flannery and Cincinnati Catcher Dann Bilardello got to keep their first major league home-run balls last week. A half inning after Flannery hit his off Chicago's Chuck Rainey, San Diego Centerfielder Ruppert Jones traded a Wrigley Field bleacherite two balls for the one Flannery had hit. Bilardello's homer came off the Mets' Tom Seaver. His wife, Tish, followed the ball's flight into the Riverfront Stadium stands, found the person who caught it and arranged to trade an autographed ball. Said Bilardello, "I hope she didn't have to kiss somebody."

Oriole owner Edward Bennett Williams figures he lost $1 million in 1982 because six home dates were rained out. So he has bought "rain insurance" from Lloyd's of London. "If we'd had that policy last year, we'd probably have collected $500,000," Williams says.

The policy, which probably cost less than $100,000, pays off only after two rainouts. According to the best estimates—Williams won't discuss the specifics of the policy—additional rained-out games that can't be switched to open dates will bring $100,000 each.

"Rain insurance isn't new," says American League President Lee MacPhail. "When my brother was with the Dodgers [ Larry MacPhail owned them from 1938 until 1944], he bought it for an important doubleheader against the Cardinals. He got lucky: It rained enough for him to collect on the policy, but not hard enough to postpone the games. And they won both."

After losing eight of nine games, in large part because of a .228 team batting average, the Mariners sought a cure. Shortly before facing the Red Sox in the King-dome, Seattle's Bill Caudill, Mike Stanton and Richie Zisk burned 15 bats in a pile outside their clubhouse door. "We pulled one bat out of the fire, crushed the ashes and sprinkled them around home plate and on our bench," Caudill says. Forthwith the Mariners became hot hitters, scoring four times in the first and winning 7-6.

White Sox Catcher Carlton Fisk thinks he knows why Pitcher Floyd Bannister lost four of his first five games and had a 5.65 ERA. Fisk says Bannister has been trying to prove he's worth the $4.5 million five-year contract he signed with Chicago this winter as a free agent. "I wish I could get inside his head," Fisk says. "He's squeezing the ball like it's going to get away. When you try too hard, you get all tensed up. You keep milk shook up, and the cream can't come to the top."

During a 10-4 victory over the Phillies that enabled the Braves to tie a club record of 10 consecutive at-home wins, Atlanta Reliever Terry Forster doubled and singled in his first at bats of the year. That raised Forster's career average to a gaudy .415 (27 for 65). Far more surprising was a 385-foot RBI double by Pitcher Rick Camp that helped the Braves beat the Mets 6-3. Camp is one of the worst hitters in big league history—.036 lifetime (3 for 83).

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]