http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=857&e=7&u=/nm/20020906/od_uk_nm/oukoe_life_baseball
> Oddly Enough - UK Reuters
> Homer Simpson inspires baseball team
> Thu Sep 5,10:25 PM ET
>
> ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Reuters) - Homer Simpson's worst fears are
> coming true, sort of -- As you may recall, Simpson went on a hunger
> strike last year when it was revealed on the cartoon series that his
> beloved baseball team, the Springfield Isotopes, were moving to
> Albuquerque to become the Albuquerque Isotopes.
>
> Now it's happening for real. The new team that will take the field in
> Albuquerque next year will be called the Isotopes in homage to Homer.
>
> The Isotopes, however, will not be coming from Homer's hometown, the
> fictional Springfield, but from the real city of Calgary. The team
> called the Calgary Cannons is a Triple-A, Pacific Coast League
> affiliate of the Florida Marlins and will move to New Mexico next
> year.
>
> "In bringing baseball back to Albuquerque, we wanted to bring
> something that was fun, that was playful" Cannons president Ken Young
> said on Wednesday.
>
> Albuquerque had a Triple-A team called the Dukes, which left the city
> for Portland about three years ago.
>
> A newly renovated stadium that features a drive-in section where fans
> can watch the game from their cars will open in April with the new
> season. The stadium is a few miles from the Sandia National Lab, which
> the state's Environment Department said is home to a notorious nuclear
> waste site.
>
> Although a local newspaper poll showed strong support for the Isotopes
> name, the mayor of Albuquerque was not amused.
>
> "This isn't a second-rate city that should be taking our name from a
> cartoon show," Mayor Marin Chavez told reporters upon hearing the name
> for the new local team.
>
> Writers for the long-running Fox series reacted with glee.
>
> "I'd like to know how much money we make off it," said Al Jean, a
> writer and executive producer for "The Simpsons."
>
> "And I hope we also get a Duff beer concession for the new team," he
> said, referring to Homer's favourite fictive refreshment.
>
> "I hope they play better than Homer does," Jean added.
--
Gerald Oskoboiny <
[email protected]>
http://impressive.net/people/gerald/