Billy and Earl Show Back Again

With Earl Weaver and Billy Martin once again exchanging barbs from opposite dugouts, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post recalled a time when the Baltimore Orioles hired a midget to sweep off the bases between innings.

When Martin first caught the act, he said: “I don’t think it’s fair for the Orioles to make Earl Weaver manage and sweep the bases, too.”

Martin also never missed a chance to take a shot at the city of Baltimore.

“It’s such a lousy town,” he once said, “Francis Scott Key went out in a boat to write the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’ ”

Said Australia’s Peter Thomson after winning the seniors golf tournament in Dallas last weekend: “I win here every 29 years.”

Thomson, a five-time British Open winner, was appearing in Dallas for the first time since 1956 when he won the Texas International Open.

In that one, he won a playoff from Gene Littler and Cary Middlecoff after shooting a 63 in the final round. Eight shots behind in 15th was Sam Snead, with Ben Hogan another shot behind.

Thomson won $13,478, a big payoff in those days. His prize last Sunday was $26,000.

The win was Thomson’s fifth on the seniors tour this year, causing Don January to say: “I’m going to have to talk to the government about his visa.”

Nolan Ryan needs only 26 strikeouts to become the first man to reach 4,000. If you’re not impressed, look at it this way. To reach 4,000, you’d have to average 200 strikeouts a year for 20 years.

Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean, a four-time National League strikeout champion, never had 200 in a season. Neither did all-time southpaw winner Warren Spahn, likewise a four-time strikeout champion.

For What It’s Worth: Vince Coleman of the St. Louis Cardinals, the top base-stealer in baseball, is a former punter at Florida A&M.;

In 1980, he averaged 41.3 yards per punt. Against Miami that year, he averaged 49.9 yards on 10 punts, including one of 77 yards.

Add Coleman: Lou Brock, asked if he thought Coleman will break his records, told the New York Times: “Will his motivation change? I don’t know, but right now he has a passion for the moment, he’s arrogant and he has no fear. But more important, at a young age, Vince Coleman has a pretty good idea of what he’s doing.”

If the USFL folds, Buffalo has the NFL rights to Houston Gambler quarterback Jim Kelly, but don’t expect to see him in a Bills uniform.

Says Kelly’s agent, Greg Lustig: “Jim doesn’t want to throw into a 35 mile-an-hour wind for a team with no talent.”

Quotebook

Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner, asked during a losing streak if he thought of changing managers: “No. If anything, I thought about changing owners.”