It's The Maine Attraction

"Ever since I heard about that," says Fuson, a pitcher who started in the Indian organization in 1977, "I've decided to adopt the moose as my own personal mascot. I drink nothing but Moosehead beer and watch Bullwinkle cartoons all the time. I find many similarities between the moose and myself. [Fuson goes into his Rod Serling routine.] We offer this for your consideration. A moose in a world not his own, up to his neck in water, floundering desperately, waiting to be rescued. The signpost up ahead: CLEVELAND." (Fuson was rescued last week, after a fashion. The Pawtucket [ R.I.] Red Sox, Boston's Triple A club, claimed him on waivers.)

As friendly as the people have been, many of the newly arrived players have had trouble finding reasonably priced housing during the tourist season. "I'm lucky," says Wilson. "I have a cozy little cabin down near the beach. Of course, if it was inland, it would be, what's the word? Oh, yes. Condemned."

THE WEATHER

Now that the weather is beautiful, OOB is even more desirable. But the Guides did pay their dues earlier this season. "To paraphrase Mark Twain," says pitcher Jeff Barkley, " 'The coldest winter I ever spent was one summer in Old Orchard Beach.' "

The other night, June 18 to be exact, the visiting Richmond Braves built a bonfire in the bullpen to ward off the chills. Now you know what is meant by "warming up in the bullpen."

The next night, the Braves again built a fire, this time to ward off mosquitoes.

THE MOSQUITOES

To comply with an environmental law, the Guides had to build a drainage ditch next to the ball park, which has made the mosquitoes happy and the fielders miserable. "You should see my ankles," says Rhomberg. No, you shouldn't.

According to Down East legend, the first mosquito swoops down to lick off the insect repellent, and a second one comes in for the bite. Actually, they're not all that bad if you use one of the local Maine after-shaves, Cutter or Muskol. "Off!, though, ain't nothing but a cocktail for these guys," says Richmond pitcher Larry Bradford, who was busy at the time making smoke signals in the bullpen.

THE FANS