Artists And Writers Girding
It will be once more into the breach of all that is good and holy on Saturday as the Artists and Writers tangle at East Hampton's Herrick Park in their annual softball confrontation, which, some will recall, the Writers won 6-5 last year on a bobble by the Artist's third baseman, Ed Hollander, in the bottom of the ninth.
Although The Star promised last week that the lineups would appear in this issue, the fact is they will not be penciled in by the managers, Leif Hope for the Artists and Ken Auletta for the Writers, until just before gametime at 3 p.m. Eartha Kitt is a definite, however, said Mr. Hope, to sing the National Anthem.
Be that as it may, the Writers' lineup is pretty much as it was last year, with Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee, George Plimpton, Mike Lupica, Auletta, Richard Reeves, Walter Isaacson, Bruce Weber, Mark Green, and Mort Zuckerman leading the way.
Not To Worry
On Tuesday, Mr. Auletta quashed a rumor that a youth movement was afoot which would eliminate two of The Game's fixtures - Mr. Plimpton, the jack of many trades, and Mr. Bradlee, the former editor of The Washington Post.
"We've got 150 years between us, you know," Mr. Plimpton told The Star.
Mr. Auletta confirmed Tuesday that Mr. Plimpton and Mr. Bradlee were indeed on the roster, and shrugged off the "purge" rumor that Mr. Hope was rumored to have nurtured.
As for the Artists, Mr. Hope said he had lined up Cindy Crawford, Chevy Chase, Alec Baldwin, Betsy McCaughey Ross ("the art of the possible"), Gerry Cooney, Roy Scheider, Lori Singer, David Belafonte, and Gerry O'Connell in addition to the usual suspects, who include Dennis Lawrence, Eric Ernst, Billy Hofmann, Stu Sleppin, Hollander, and Jeff Meizlik.
No Marty Lyons
"No, Marty Lyons isn't playing this year," Mr. Hope said, in answer to a question. Mr. Lyons, a former New York Jets linebacker, caused gasps last year with a Ruthian clout high over the 20-foot tennis court fence in left field that enabled the Artists to knot the score at 5 in the top of the ninth. "The Writers screamed so much about him that I yielded. The fact that they won the game, I guess, didn't matter."
He would stick with Mr. Cooney, the former heavyweight boxing champion, however. Last year, Mr. Hope billed Mr. Cooney as "a practitioner of the manly art of self- defense."
"Ah, yes, another noted artist," Mr. Auletta said, tongue in cheek. "Andy Lack [the president of NBC News] is still recuperating from their collision at first base last year."
"Easy To Get Them Mad"
"It's so easy to get the writers mad," said Mr. Hope. "Ever notice how their eyes get redder and redder as the game goes on?"
"Of one thing you can be sure," said Mr. Auletta. "Leif will cheat. He knows he can't win fair and square."
The Artists have won three of the last four games, though the modern-day series stands at 17-11 in the Writers' favor.
The Game's beneficiaries, as they have been in the recent past, are the Retreat, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, the East Hampton Day Care Center, and East End Hospice.
Tickets will cost $8 at the gate. The sponsors include Esquire magazine, Coca-Cola, Tag Heuer, London Jewelers, Moet & Chandon, Sun Rescue, and Brooklyn Beer. The Game is presented by the Laundry restaurant of East Hampton. The rain date is Aug. 23, again at 3 p.m.