Some younger baseball writers did scratch and claw and burrow for stories, they did chatter in press boxes, they did look for human-interest angles. I confess, I was one of them. Gross was a hard worker, but an irritating clubhouse presence, always kneeling at a player's feet, whispering his questions, hoping for a whispered answer only he would hear. Young, indeed, deserves the credit or the blame for thinking up the asterisk. The script, written by Hank Steinberg, mocks Phil Rizzuto, has him babbling about birthdays and lasagna during dramatic moments on the field.
Writers never ask other writers that.
Players, coaches, managers, bristling about a tough question, often ask it, in a mean, belittling way. The world of sports extends beyond the ballparks, outside the arenas. Each week, Stan Hochman will take a look at sports reflected in the popular culture, through books, magazines, theater, movies, television and art. If you experience any problems with the Daily News Web site, please let us know. Include the date and time of the problem and a brief description.