Bush Has Training for the Job

When the New York Mets got Vice President George Bush to throw out the first ball of the season at Shea Stadium, they got a man well qualified for the job.

Bush was a first baseman for Yale in 1947-48. Both years, the Elis went to the final of the College World Series. They lost to California in 1947 and to USC in 1948. The assistant coach for USC was Rod Dedeaux, who will throw out the first ball Friday at Dodger Stadium.

The ’47 Cal team was led by pitcher-outfielder Jackie Jensen, then better known as an All-American halfback. The ’48 Trojans didn’t produce any big names in the major leagues, but they had a batboy who would make a few headlines. His name was George Anderson.

You know him better as Sparky.

Add Mets: The club also has someone throwing out a ball on the second day of the season. It’s an assignment that doesn’t command much respect, so you can guess who got the job. That’s right, Rodney Dangerfield.

Add Bush: He also threw out the first ball at the 1981 All-Star game and at the 1984 Montreal-Houston opener.

In the All-Star game, Gary Carter hit two home runs and won the MVP award as the National League won, 5-4. Last year, Carter helped Montreal win, 4-2, in the Astrodome opener. On Tuesday, of course, he hit the game-winning homer as the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5.

Trivia Time: Name a USC men’s basketball coach who coached a team to an NCAA title. (Answer below.)

Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd, winning pitcher in Boston’s opener, was late to practice the next morning and reportedly was fined $100 by Manager John McNamara.

Boyd told Bob Sudyk of the Hartford Courant he thought it was a bum deal. He said he was preoccupied finding an apartment for himself, his fiancee and his dog Doby.

“I feel like a nomad,” he said. “I am in a downtown hotel. My dog is upset because she don’t like to wet on concrete. I think it’s more important for me to get settled in and be comfortable before my next assignment, than working out.”

Boyd will pitch against the Chicago White Sox Saturday at Fenway Park.

“I’ll be there,” he promised. “Is it a day game or night game. . . . ?”

Trivia Answer: Sam Barry. He was both the basketball and baseball coach, and he coached USC to the NCAA baseball title in 1948.

Note: In 1939-40, Barry’s USC basketball team was favored to win the NCAA after posting a 20-2 record, including a win over Long Island University at Madison Square Garden, ending a 34-game winning streak by Clair Bee’s powerful Blackbirds. That win put USC All-American Ralph Vaughn on the cover of Life magazine. In the NCAA, the Trojans made it to the Final Four but were upset by Kansas in the semifinals, 43-42. Indiana beat Kansas for the title.

Quotebook

Ray Williams of the Boston Celtics, on older brother Gus Williams of the Washington Bullets: “Gus and I are real close. I send him little ads I find in newspapers for amazing ways to grow hair.”