A QUESTION FOR: Tim McCarver
Q: What's the most boring part of baseball? A: When the pitcher gets on base and they stop the game to bring him a jacket -- so the guy's arm won't get cold. That's boring. What does he need a jacket for? His arm's not going to get cold. Another boring part is the small talk a first baseman will make with a base runner. They'll ask: "How ya hittin' 'em? How's the family?" And they could care less. It's the "Have a nice day" syndrome. I hated it, and  [ Hall of Fame pitcher ]  Bob Gibson really hated it. One time, against the Expos, Bob got on and  [ first baseman ]  Ron Fairly told him, "Hey, you're throwing well." Fairly came up to bat a couple innings later and Gibson hit him square in the ribs. I think more players ought to retaliate like that.  SUNDAY, JULY 23, 1995