Pink bats were all the rage in the Major League Baseball over the weekend. Randy Johnson - that used to be ace - suffered three pink bat hits in the first inning alone Sunday. The Brewers Bill Hill hit a walk off home run with one. Jim Thome blasted another monster shot with one pink swing.

It was all to raise awareness - and cash - for breast cancer research. And Major League Baseball players, usually correctly thought of as the most close-minded Neanderthal athletes in all sports, were largely cool with the pink.

With a few notable exceptions.

“I love my mother, but I will never swing a pink bat and she understands,” Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen said.

Yes, Mrs. Rolen can be awfully proud of that stance. I swing for no pink! Somebody needs to tell Rolen that nobody was asking him to reenact a scene between Vito and Johnny Cakes on The Sopranos. It’s just a color, dude.

But this does bring up the PGA Tour’s great chance. It’s time for a pink shaft breast cancer awareness tournament. Preferably a big one. Maybe Tim Finchem can work it into his new fangled NASCAR playoffs in 2007.

Besides pimping a good cause and guaranteeing extra SportsCenter highlights, the pink would be an interesting character revealer. You know Phil Mickelson would be comfortable using the pink. Tiger Woods undoubtably too (as long as it was Nike logo pink).

But what about noted tour curmudgeon Vijay Singh?

Bubba Watson, who actually has swung a big hot pink driver, has talked about how some fans make fun of him for it. Of course, Bubba did it, just because he loves pink.

It’s on Finchem now to raise the bar. You have to be able to be as creative as that wild and crazy forward thinker Bud Selig.

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