This Bo Gets Rave Reviews

If Bo Jackson turns out to be just another running back in the NFL, a lot of experts will have a lot of explaining to do. Greg Garber of the Hartford Courant passes along these quotes:

Tom Boisture, New York Giant director of personnel: “Bo Jackson is bigger, stronger and faster than Eric Dickerson. And he has better hands. Yes, I’d say he can play.”

Bobby Beathard, Washington Redskin general manager: “He’s the best prospect in 10 years. Better than O.J.”

Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49er head coach: “He has a guaranteed Hall of Fame career.”

Bucko Kilroy, New England Patriot vice president: “He is probably the greatest talent ever to come out of college.”

Doesn’t he have any weaknesses?

“Just one,” Kilroy said. “The curveball.”

Tom Haller, former general manager of the San Francisco Giants, is now the field manager of double-A Birmingham in the Chicago White Sox chain.

Writes Steve Fainaru of the Hartford Courant: “On opening day, Haller fined himself $25 because he forgot to put names on the lineup card. The fans in Birmingham are having a great time anyway. In one of the more novel baseball promotions, the club held a North Pole Night, in which fans got in free if they brought a picture of a penguin; (or) were an Admiral Byrd look-alike (how would you know?). Attendance: 262, which included one fan who brought a photo of a walrus and another who brought a picture of a pelican.”

Trivia Time: How many times has American League batting leader Reggie Jackson batted .300 in his career? (Answer below.).

Pete Rose, explaining a bad outing by Cincinnati pitcher Tom Browning, said: “The problem was he was up with the ball. If I knew the reason for that, I’d be a millionaire. . . . “

Rose stopped himself and blushed. You could see him saying to himself, “You dummy, you are a millionaire.”

25 Years Ago Today: On April 28, 1961, Warren Spahn pitched a no-hitter as the Milwaukee Braves beat the San Francisco Giants, 1-0. The 40-year-old Spahn wound up the year with a 21-13 record, leading the league in wins. His 3.02 earned-run average also led the league.

Would-you-believe-it dept.: As a rookie two years ago, Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins did not hit a home run. Last year, when he led the league in at-bats, he hit four homers. Today, after only 19 games, the 5-8, 185-pound outfielder leads the major leagues with seven.

Moses Malone told Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News that the sky’s the limit for Washington Bullet rookie Manute Bol.

“I remember when Akeem Olajuwon went to college down in Houston,” Malone said. “He was scared of the contact, didn’t know what to do. I worked with him, told him not to be afraid. After a while, Akeem didn’t need me.

“Manute could be the same way.”

Said Boston’s Wade Boggs when asked about the possibility of hitting .400: “It’s possible only if you barely qualify for the batting title. But it’s not possible for someone who plays every day,, who gets around 600 at-bats.”

Could be, but Rod Carew, with 616 at-bats, batted .388 in 1977. Eight more hits would have put him over .400.

Trivia Answer: Once. In 1980 with the New York Yankees he hit exactly .300. His lifetime average is .264.

Quotebook

Bill Walton of the Boston Celtics, asked what his biggest problem was on entering the NBA: “Deciding what to do with my free time.”