THE SIDELINES : ABC ‘Cancels’ Youngsters’ Outing

MINNEAPOLIS — Most parks departments are canceling plans to take thousands of youngsters to the Metrodome next week because ABC-TV has insisted that a scheduled afternoon baseball game be played at night so it can be broadcast nationally, Minnesota Twins officials say.

Jack O’Hara, ABC’s director of sports programming, said it was unfortunate that changing the time of next Thursday’s Twins game with Baltimore “inconvenienced some people,” but that ABC had only five games to choose from, “the fewest in memory.”

About 10,500 children were planning to attend the Twins’ largest park and recreation day in 14 years, but most parks departments are canceling because it will not be feasible to take children to a game that starts at 7:05 p.m., and other dates cannot be arranged, Twins officials say.

Eleven-year-old Ted Schultz, one of 80 youngsters from Lake Crystal whose trip to the Dome was canceled, said, “I saved up all my money. I was going to buy a set of little bats. I’m unhappy.” It was to be his only trip this year.