Morganna Sizes Up Her Career

Morganna Roberts, the exotic dancer who is known as the Kissing Bandit for stealing kisses on ballfields, says it all started in 1970 when she was a Louisville teen-ager.

“My girlfriend and I went to a game in Cincinnati,” she told Bob Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel. “Pete Rose was playing center field, and my girlfriend dared me to go out and kiss him. In fact, she dirty-double-dared me. Where I’m from, you don’t turn down a dirty-double-dare--at least not when you’re a teen-ager.”

So, Rose became the first of her 18 victims.

How did he react?

“He used terrible language, and I was kind of hurt,” Morganna said.

“The next night, however, he tracked me down at the local nightspot where I was appearing and apologized with a bunch of roses.”

Add Morganna: The only player she has victimized twice is George Brett. She said Brett later sent her a picture of himself in a brawl and wrote on it, “I’m still trying to protect your virtue.”

Trivia Time: When Lee Trevino won his first U.S. Open in 1968, why did he have a bandage on his arm? (Answer below.)

When Providence University won the NIT in 1962-63, the basketball tournament’s most valuable player was guard Ray Flynn, who averaged 28 points a game. The following year, he tried out for the Boston Celtics but failed to make it.

Today, Flynn is the mayor of Boston.

At Tuesday’s celebration of the Celtics’ title in Boston, team President Red Auerbach, who in 1962-63 was the team’s coach, told the crowd: “If I hadn’t cut Mayor Ray Flynn, he might still be with us. And K. C. Jones would be the mayor.”

Note: The center on the Providence team was John Thompson, who did make it with the Celtics. Thompson, now the coach at Georgetown, was a backup to Bill Russell.

16 Years Ago Today: On June 12, 1970, Dock Ellis of Pittsburgh pitched a no-hitter in beating San Diego, 2-0.

Ellis, now the coordinator of an anti-drug program in Los Angeles, confessed two years ago that he was under the influence of LSD when he pitched the no-hitter.

PGA Commissioner Deane Beman tried to qualify for the U.S. Open and failed. This came as a disappointment to William J. Williams, president of the U.S. Golf Assn., who wanted to see USGA Executive Director Frank Hannigan put to the test.

Hannigan is the man who makes up the pairings for the U.S. Open.

Said Williams: “We would have seen if Frank had the guts to pair Beman with Seve Ballesteros and Mac O’Grady.”

From race driver Richard Petty, saying he’s too busy ever to be bored: “In fact, I don’t even have time to talk about it.

Trivia Answer: To hide a tattoo.

Quotebook

Golfer Lee Trevino: “I come from such a poor family, my sister was made in Japan.”