The mystery of the Washington Park fence solved

OK. I just marched it off. But each shoe the Lounge wore on Monday measured roughly a foot - 12 inches that is. Starting from the centerfield sign - which says 390 - the Lounge stepped off 395.5 feet, which took the Lounge to the tip of home plate. The Lounge then walked off both foul lines to the first corner of home. The left field sign says 370, the Lounge walked off 385; rightfield has a number of 330, the Lounge had it at 332.5.

Alright, it probably wasn't the most accurate measurement, but you get the idea. I guess after looking at a lot of other ballparks around the area where home runs are a lot easier to come by, Washington Park is probably the fairest park of them all - you have to be a home run hitter to launch one over the fence at Washington Park.

***

Speaking of Burlingame baseball, the Panthers are on a roll.

They finished up the Friday night before Spring Break with a 3-0 shutout over Capuchino. They then kept up the scoreless streak over vacation. In three games, three different pitchers tossed shutouts. Eric Fregosi, who blanked Cap April 2, threw a two-hitter in the Panthers' 8-0 win over Washington of Fremont on Friday to run his record to 5-0 on the season.

A lot of shutouts can be attributed to great defense, which the Panthers are playing. But a look at the pitcher's numbers are just astonishing. Fregosi has given up six hits in his last two starts, Vic Schramm gave up only six hits against Scotts Valley on April 3 and Anthony Edwards followed that with a four-hit shutout over Cupertino on April 5.

So, in the Panthers last four games, they've outscored their opponents 28-0 while the pitching staff has given up a total of 16 hits.

***

There was a scary moment during the San Mateo-Mills baseball game last Tuesday at the South City Easter Tournament. In the top of the seventh inning, with San Mateo cruising, Bearcat left fielder Kyle Thompson came to the plate and ripped a foul ball off the first-base line, toward the Mills dugout.

Standing just outside the dugout was Mills manager Gary Frohlich, who had a fraction of a second to react. He turned away from the screaming drive and nearly found refuge inside the cage.

But with the ball traveling a million miles an hour, he didn't quite make it. The ball hit Frohlich in the back of neck and knocked him off his feet.

The jovial mood in the stands suddenly turned somber as the San Mateo first base coach was the first to Frohlich's side, followed shortly after by a trainer. San Mateo manager Tony Chavez also ran across the diamond to check on his counterpart.

But Frohlich is a tough guy. He put a bag of ice on the back of his neck and finished the game - from the safety of the Mills dugout.

Frohlich is tough, not stupid.

Let this be a lesson to you kids. When the umps harass you for having gear or too many people out of the dugout in the on-deck circle, it's not them exercising their power. They're just trying to keep you guys safe.

***

The British Open may be the oldest championship in golf, and the U.S. Open is coined "The People's Championship." The PGA Championship is put on by players for players.

You can keep all those. For the Lounge, the be all, end all tournament is "The Masters." The Lounge has been watching the Masters for years - even before it was a real golf fan.

Maybe it was the greener-than-green color of the course. Maybe it was the blooming azaleas. Perhaps it's the way the arches on Hogan's Bridge reflects off the water below it creating an illusion that makes it look like there are huge pipes running through the bridge.

No, I think what makes the Masters riveting is the play. Sunday's final round of the Masters was one for the ages. If you consider yourself a golf fan, or a fan of "events," Sunday was cannot-miss appointment TV.

You had two of the best players in the world - Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson - making incredible shot after incredible shot and culminated in Mickelson's wraparound-the-cup 18-footer to become just the fourth winner to win the Masters with a birdie on the 72nd hole. With the win, Mickelson shed the best-player-who-hadn't-won-a-major moniker.

The Lounge felt like part of the gallery when Mickelson's putt fell, letting out a cheer for a guy who hasn't lived up to the massive expectations heaped on him since winning a tournament as an amateur while still in college.

If that was all there was on Sunday, it was well worth it. But there was plenty more. How about two holes in one - about 10 minutes apart - on 16? Or K.J. Choi's eagle from the fairway when he hit it stiff and then watched it roll into the cup to vault himself into contention.

There was 46-year-old Bernhard Langer, a two-time winner but 11 years removed from his last, making a Sunday charge. Sergio Garcia, a mere 24 years old but already in his fifth season on the tour, shooting a 6-under 66.

It was just incredible watching such high drama, jaw-dropping shots and the fans loving every minute of it.

If the PGA keeps this up, it might make it easier to live through Tiger Woods' slump.

Yeah, I said it.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by e-mail: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102. What do you think of this column? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com