Here’s a Taxing Thought: Borg Says He’d Love to Live in Sweden

Boris Becker took off for his Monte Carlo condo Monday, bypassing his hometown in West Germany. Interestingly, on the same day, all-time Wimbledon winner Bjorn Borg announced he would be leaving Monte Carlo to return to Sweden.

Appearing with 18-year-old girlfriend Jannike Bjorling at a news conference in Stockholm, Borg said, “My heart beats for Sweden. Me and Jannike are looking for a place here. I’ve always wanted to live in Sweden, even though some people may have doubted this.”

Bjorling, a former beauty queen, is expecting their first child in the fall.

Borg, 29, moved to Monte Carlo in the mid-1970s to avoid Sweden’s heavy taxes. He says he now is willing to take the consequences. Apparently he can afford it. His estimated worth is $60 million.

Trivia Time: Name the only pitcher who has started for both the American League and National League in the All-Star game. (Answer below.)

Nancy Lopez, the LPGA’s leading money winner her first two years on the tour, hasn’t finished higher than fourth during the past five years but is challenging again after a $30,000 win Sunday in the Hall of Fame tournament.

Crediting husband Ray Knight for her resurgence, she told Bob Galt of the Dallas Times Herald: “I had confidence in my game before this year started, but my husband believed in me a lot more than I did. Ray feels I’m the best golfer out here, and he wanted me to feel the same way. When I was off, I just wanted to be a mommy and a wife and to do the wash and things like that. His encouragement made me work harder, practice more.”

Note: Knight also had a big Sunday and finally finds himself batting his weight. The 190-pound third baseman for the New York Mets, batting only .182 before Sunday’s doubleheader at Atlanta, went 5 for 8 to raise his average to .206.

39 Years Ago Today: On July 9, 1946, Ted Williams hit two home runs to lead the American League to a 12-0 win over the National League in the most one-sided of all All-Star games before a hometown crowd at Fenway Park. Williams went 4 for 4, scoring four runs and batting in five.

Would-you-believe-it dept.: Darryl Strawberry, hampered by injuries this year, suddenly finds himself being out-homered by an old Crenshaw High teammate.

Third baseman Chris Brown of the San Francisco Giants hit a pair of homers Saturday to raise his total to eight. Strawberry has seven.

Kansas City’s George Brett went 19 for 37 in the last homestand, raising his average from .316 to .344.

Only once during the 10 games did he take the collar, going 0 for 4 Saturday against Baltimore’s Scott McGregor.

McGregor, more than most, knows what it takes to get Brett out. He and George were teammates at El Segundo High.

The Sporting News revealed that Harriet Irsay has filed for divorce from Indianapolis Colts owner Robert Irsay, charging extreme and repeated mental cruelty.

Her attorney, Bernie Rinella, told the Indianapolis Star: “Robert Irsay left without a word. It was just like Baltimore. No note or anything. He was gone.”

Trivia Answer: Vida Blue. He started for the American League in 1971 and the National League in 1978.

Quotebook

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, whose fastball once was clocked at over 100 m.p.h., asked how fast he throws at age 66: “I can still throw it in the 70s. And I can throw it in the 80s if I don’t want to comb my hair for a week.”