On Long Distance, Talk Is Not Cheap

Keith Smith of Loyola Marymount, drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks after the club picked Scott Skiles No. 1, was quoted as saying, “If I’m healthy and me and Scott Skiles have to go head-to-head for a job, it’s mine.”

According to the Denver Post, when Skiles got wind of the quote, he put in a call to Smith, with the conversation going something like this:

Skiles: Is Keith Smith there? (Pause.) Keith Smith?

Smith: Yeah.

Skiles: You healthy?

Smith: Yeah.

Skiles: Good (click).

Detroit Pistons’ General Manager Jack McCloskey, on Soviet center Arvidas Sabonis who was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers: “No one’s worth starting World War III over, but he might be worth breaking off diplomatic relations. He’s a young Bill Walton.”

Trivia Time: Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates, changing his uniform number from 7 to 24, said a teammate of his dad’s wore the number. Who was it? (Answer below.)

Add Forgettable Quotes: Murray Chass of the New York Times wrote Saturday: “Glenn Davis, Kevin Bass and Mike Scott must have been shocked when they received noisy ovations at the All-Star game in Houston. Members of the Astros, they never had played before so many people at the Astrodome. Given the fans’ lack of support for the Astros, they will probably never play there before so many again.”

That night, the Astros drew a sellout crowd of 44,502.

11 Years Ago Today: On July 21, 1975, Joe Torre of the New York Mets grounded into four consecutive double plays, a National League record. All four times that Torre came to bat, he wiped out Felix Millan, who went 4 for 4.

The hottest hitter in baseball? How about Bo Jackson? The Heisman Trophy winner went 2 for 3 Sunday as the Memphis Chicks beat the Knoxville Blue Jays, 6-1. That extended his hitting streak to eight games, during which he’s batted .440 with three homers, three triples and 12 runs batted in.

Jackson, whose average at one stage plummeted to .065, is now hitting .214.

Martina Navratilova, talking about her records, said she’s proudest of the 74-match winning streak of two years ago, breaking Chris Evert Lloyd’s mark of 55.

“I feel like that’s a record that will never be touched, like Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak,” she said.

Sugar Ray Leonard not only wants a match with Marvelous Marvin Hagler, he also wants to make it in Hollywood.

“I wanted to be the next James Bond but they didn’t think I’d be quite suitable,” he said. “I don’t need the money. It’s just something I’d like to say on my resume: ‘World boxing champion and part-time movie star.’ ”

William Perry has been working exclusively on defense in the Chicago Bears’ camp, and Coach Mike Ditka was asked when The Fridge would be ready to go on offense.

Promised Ditka: “He’ll be ready by the second game of the season.”

The second game is with the Philadelphia Eagles, coached by ex-Bear assistant coach Buddy Ryan.

Trivia Answer: Willie Mays.

Quotebook

John McGrath of the Denver Post, on the Goodwill Games : “The Moscow fiasco has become the biggest bomb of the Cold War, winning fewer viewers than a Tab Hunter film festival.”