To Rivers, Reggie Was a .165 Thinker

If outfielder Mickey Rivers, who was waived by the Texas Rangers Thursday, isn’t claimed this season, baseball will lose one of its most quotable subjects.

Perhaps Rivers’ most famous retort came after he was informed that Reggie Jackson had an IQ of 165.

“Out of what, 1,000?” Rivers said.

The point-shaving scandal at Tulane University hasn’t been a laughing matter for the 150-year-old institution. According to USA Today, however, the student body quickly came up with a riddle.

“What’s green and white and shaves twice a year?”

The answer, of course, is the Tulane basketball team, three of whose players have been indicted for shaving points in games against Southern Mississippi and Memphis State.

But the riddle apparently needs updating to three times . The players allegedly shaved points in the Virginia Tech game, too.

Good news, bad news: Bill Morse, who guided Fort Hays State to its second straight NAIA basketball title two weeks ago, was named the 1984-85 Coach of the Year Friday.

Unfortunately, it was also announced that the NAIA has placed the Fort Hays State men’s athletic program on probation for the 1985-86 season because a basketball player illegally received the use of a car owned by an unnamed university supporter.

Cleveland Indians reliever Ernie Camacho, explaining the headaches he sometimes suffers while pitching, said: “I never blink when I’m on the mound, and that creates pressure on my temples.”

When perplexed writers questioned him further, he added: “I blink all the time off the mound, and I don’t have headaches then.”

St. John’s basketball Coach Lou Carnesecca occasionally relaxes by skeet shooting. However, his success in knocking down the clay birds isn’t anything to write home about.

“I maybe hit 2 out of 20,” he says.

Center Bill Wennington hints that Carnesecca’s marksmanship, on display during a recent trip to the Air Force Academy, improves with a larger target.

“I think he shot down a 747,” Wennington said.

Pete Rose needs 95 hits to break Ty Cobb’s record of 4,191. In addition, as player-manager he is faced with the formidable task of turning the Cincinnati Reds into a winner. Some critics suggest Rose is only hanging on for the record.

Rose told Steve Marcus of Newsday that he is giving both items top priority.

“Who says I can’t do more than one thing at a time?” Rose said. “I’ve won every award there is to win, except the Cy Young, and I’ve always done it as a winner. I’ve played in more winning games (1,870) than anybody in the history of baseball. And we play more games than in any other sport. So based on that, I’ve got to be the biggest winner in the history of sports.”

Ouch!: Normally regarded as a clutch hitter, Baltimore Orioles outfielder John Lowenstein had a rough season in 1984.

Lowenstein went to the plate in two-out situations with a total of 101 runners on base. Only two scored.

Maybe it was lucky that rookie pitcher Rob Murphy was cut by the Cincinnati Reds, since he describes himself as “a flake, a true left-hander and an Irishman to boot. I believe in four-leaf clovers, black cats, black underwear. . . . I have to wear black underwear. Always.”

Quotebook

Mickey Rivers, asked before last season about his goals for the year: “To hit .300, score 100 runs and stay injury-prone.”