Turk Turk Wendell is tired of hearing the whispers, the comparisons floating down from the cheap seats like a gauzy wind during a slow-moving game. Turk, the whispers say, is really just The Bird of the 1990s. He is just the modern-day version of Mark "The Bird'' Fidrych. Nothing more and nothing less. But Turk begs to differ. And the facts back him up - sure he likes to get down and manicure the mound, gently moving around the dirt just like The Bird used to do. But Turk has other talents, other Mojo tendencies that keep him busy out on the ballfield. One of the most alarming things, if you aren't expecting it, is to stare into his mouth during a game he is pitching. See, the Turk likes to gnaw on four sticks of black licorice while on the mound. Then, if he has survived the inning, he likes to sprint toward the dugout - always, always, always hopping over the foul lines - and brush his teeth. After some detailed attention to his molars, he likes to pop another four pieces of licorice in his mouth and retake the mound. Of course, he has learned to distinguish between so-called good batches of licorice and so-called bad batches of licorice - the bad batches are the ones he is chewing on when he is throwing lousy. Turk's Mojo solution? He throws away the licorice for the day - and then starts his licorice habit all over again for his next start. ©1999 Middlefork Press << BACK TO EXCERPTS