If you’ve seen one Popovich, you haven’t seen them all

By Ron Kantowski

Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 | 3:29 p.m.

NOW

In what can only be described as a discovery that, for personal disappointment, ranks with Geraldo opening Al Capone's vault only to find debris inside instead of say, the head of Johnny Torrio, I learned today the World Famous Popovich is not Paul Popovich, the former Dodgers and Cubs utility infielder, but Gregory Popovich, the son of Russian circus performers.

The stars of the Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre, which appears around 3 p.m. most days at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, are cats and dogs and other critters rescued from shelters, which is pretty cool.

Paul Popovich never rescued any critters with the Cubs, unless you count Jose Cardenal, who was always losing fly balls in the late afternoon sun at Wrigley Field.

THEN

While researching this blog, I came across a story titled "Tidewater Bacteria -- the Utiliity Infielders of Marine Biology."

That must have been before the Tidewater Tides changed their name to Norfolk and traded the bacteria for a culture of Pawtucket pond scum.