What is going on?

NEW ULM -- Maybe it's just me, but does it seem to you that attitudes of a few baseball players have changed?

What brought me to write this column is a couple of incidents this past week involving a New Ulm American Legion baseball team during a doubleheader.

And it bothers me.

Late in the first game a pitcher, who had thrown quite well for the most part, got into control trouble and was taken out of the game by the head coach. The coach came out to pull the pitcher after a great effort -- allowing only one hit -- but instead of waiting for the coach to reach the mound and take the ball from him, this pitcher did something else.

He half-heartedly chucked the ball by the coach's face and did not wait for the next pitcher to reach the mound.

Then, in what now seems like the norm rather than the exepction, he rocketed his glove into the dugout.

The next game, another pitcher on the same team was also taken out. When he got to the dugout area, he took his team hat -- a hat with his town's initials on it, a hat that he did not pay for -- and tossed it on the ground, leaving it lay in the dirt for almost a minute.

Maybe these actions are, like I have said, the norm nowadays rather than the exception. Whether it is or not, those actions still look bad.

Baseball programs are judged not only on wins but the actions of the players on that team. Respect for a program is built up through the years; it doesn't just happen.

But a program losing a little of that respect takes only a few seconds by some knee-jerk reactions.

I hope that these incidents do not happen again. It shows little respect for the coach, the program and the town.

And losing respect for a program is a lot worse than losing a ballgame.

HAVEMEIER TO PLAY FOOTBALL: Loren (Bear) Havemeier of Sleepy Eye will be playing Saturday, 2 p.m. at Maclaster College, for the Outstate in the Minnesota All-Star Football Classic.

PAA WINS TOURNAMENT: Amanda Paa of New Ulm, who finished 21st in the Minnesota High School AA Golf Tournament this year, won the Southern Sectional Qualifying Tournament for the Minnesota AAU.

Paa shot a round of 80 and will advance to the State AAU Tournament June 26 at the Edinburough Golf Course in Brooklyn Park.

She also recently finished first in the Maxfli Junior PGA Championships Southern Section, shooting a 79. That advanced her to the Midwest Section Championships to be held July 11-12 in Brainerd.

Paa is also competing in several other tournaments in the area.

TIME-WARNER DONATES TWINS TICKETS: New Ulm Area Scouts and their families will be at the Dome to watch the Twins battle Detroit on August 22 thanks to a donation of tickets made by Time-Warner Cable Minnesota.

This is the fifth year that Time-Warner has made this donation, with tickets going to New Ulm Boy and Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts to reward scouts for their community service projects.

FAMILIAR FACE AT JOHNSON PARK: Another familiar face popped up Wednesday night when Fridley came to New Ulm to play New Ulm Gold.

Jim Sydow, who played for the New Ulm Brewers and Millers in the early-60's, is the head legion baseball coach at Fridley.

STEINBACH SIGNS BASEBALLS: Following the Kaiserhoff's win over Austin Tuesday night, Terry Steinbach remained in the dugout to sign baseballs for young autograph-seekers. It again showed what a classy person Steinbach is.

Column by Jim Bastian, Journal sports writer