CBA News & Information Archives
December 1996
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1997 VESTAL VIRGINS ROSTER PUBLISHED
The Official Team Roster for the 1997 Vestal Virgins has been published.
There are eight rookies on this year's team, although the manager and coaching staff remain in tact. Rookies to watch include internet murder victim and catcher Sharon Lopatka, the dancer/actress pitcherAdah Menken and the lesbian writer shortstopVita Sackville-West.
1997 DHARMA BEATS ROSTER PUBLISHED
The Official Team Roster for the 1997 Dharma Beats has been published.
The Beats have three rookie players, all women, and a rookie field manager, an ex-Beat player himself,
the fine poet, Robert Kelly. Many veterans are returning including outfielder Lawrence Ferlinghetti who has played for the Beats since they started playing cosmic baseball in 1983. Several former Beat players have been reactivated including Jan Kerouac, Herbert Huncke, and Lucien Carr
In addition to the Official Team Roster, CBA has published a plate containing Official Dharma Beat Player Statistics for the years 1983-1996.
ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT CONTINUES UNTIL DECEMBER 30
The online exhibition of historical CBA documents continues through December 30, 1996. This exhibit was produced in connection with CBA's 15th anniversary celebration last October.
CBA KILLS THE DESIGNATED HITTER RULE
Effective with the 1997 Season CBA will no longer use the Designated Hitter in its games. This rule change is a result of the Membership Referendum conducted last season.
Over 200 members voted during the referendum. Over half the voters (58%) indicated that they were not in favor of using the designated hitter during CBA games. CBA's Rules Committee based their final decision on the results of the Membership Referendum. A variety of arguments for and against the rule were submitted with members' votes and CBA is compiling these comments for online publication early next year.
There was some discussion about removing the DH on Overleague teams and continuing using the DH on Underleague teams. However, the Rules Committee has removed the rule completely from the books so that no cosmic team will be authorized to carry a designated hitter on the roster. Cosmic teams will determine the status of "pure" designated hitters on their rosters as soon as practical. Teams have until March 15, 1997 (the beginning of the playing season) to make final roster adjustments.
Contrary to some rumours, this is not a temporary rule change. Unless another referendum is
authorized on the subject, pitchers will now be standing at the plate in addition to throwing at the plate.
Final Referendum Results
For the Designated Hitter- 88 votes
Against the Designated Hitter- 125 votes
In addition to the 213 member votes we received 71 non-member comments. 49 non-member comments were against the DH; 12 non-member comments were for the DH and 10 did not indicate a preference.
PRANKTOWN BUSRIDERS WIN COSMIC UNIVERSAL SERIES
PRESIDENTS LOSE SEVENTH GAME
The Pranktown Busriders won the 1996 Cosmic Universal Series becoming the first cosmic rookie team since the 1984 Heartland Capitalists to make the claim. It took seven exciting games for the Busriders to defeat the Washington Presidents. This was the Presidents' first trip to the Series. After a see-saw six games that displayed excellent pitching from both teams, the seventh and decisive game was a batting brawl. Busrider designated hitter Paul Foster was the Series Most Cosmic Player (MCP). He led all players in series homeruns (4), runs batted in (11) and batting average (.464). Busrider pitcher Jane Burton won the first and last games and compiled an unbelievable series earned run average of 0.00!
It was a wild and wooly seventh game and the Busriders jumped out of the gate in the top
of the first inning by scoring four runs including a three-run blast by the Series MCP Paul
Foster and a solo job by Paula Sundsten, also-known-as "Gretchen Fetchin the Slime
Queen." The Presidents fought back and took the lead in the sixth but the Pranksters
really had the will to win and came up with another run in the eighth and then slammed the
door with a four run ninth to secure the game and the Series. To view game details and composite series statistics visit the 1996 Cosmic Universal Series Games Plate.
DHARMA BEATS DRAFT THREE ROOKIES
The reshaping of the Dharma Beats continues as the team drafts three rookies. Rookie outfielder Elise Cowen, Beat muse and poet joins the team after playing in the Barnard College League. Cowen dated Allen Ginsberg in the 1950s and is a major figure in Joyce Johnson's Minor Characters Beat Generation memoir. Rookie infielder Diana Hansen played in the New York Model's League, compiling some impressive batting and fielding records in addition to leading the NYML in stolen bases last year. Hansen was Mrs. Neal Cassady the Third. Neal married her, perhaps bigamously, fathered her son (nee Neal, but renamed Curtis) and then left her to return to Mrs. Neal Cassady the Second (Carolyn). Another rookie infielder, Natalie Jackson, has no prior organized baseball experience but she was spotted by Beat scouts playing pick-up games in and around the San Francisco Bay area. Jackson was another intimate friend of Neal Cassady. Like Elise Cowen, Natalie represents some of the angst and despair that permeated the Beat Generation. Both commited suicide by jumping from a building.
COWEN--HANSEN--JACKSON
COSMIC UNIVERSAL SERIES
The best of the Underleague (Pranktown Busriders) against the best of the Overleague (Washington Presidents) continue the fight for the best of all in the 1996 Cosmic Universal Series. For information about each game played check out the 1996 Cosmic Universal Series Games Plate.
NOVEMBER COSMIC DATA
New Memberships Issued: 36
Membership Resignations: 3
CBA Website Hits: 7,577
Most Popular Plate: 1997 Paradise Pisces Roster, 641 hits
New Plates Published: 1997 Paradise Pisces Official Team Roster
1997 Alphatown Ionians Official Team Roster
1996 Cosmic Universal Series Games Plate
DECEMBER EVENTS
- Cosmic Universal Series Continues, December 1-4
- 1997 Dharma Beats Roster Published, December 15
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CBA News & Information
URL http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/http://www.cosmicbaseball.com/1296news.html
Updated: December 27, 1996
Archived: January 1, 1997
Copyright © 1996, 1997 by the Cosmic Baseball Association
E-mail:editor@cosmicbaseball.com
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