Even the 1986 Cubs Had Their Moments

As the Chicago Cubs get ready for another National League season, Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune recalls some of the most memorable quotes of last year. A sampling:

--Coach Don Zimmer, after falling off a training table and hitting his head during spring training: “The doctor asked me the day of the week, and I said, ‘Friday.’ Then he asked me who was the President of the United States. I said, ‘Hell, I didn’t know that before I hit my head.’ ”

--Manager Jim Frey, ranting and raving at the players and media on a flight to Montreal: “It’s not right! It’s just not right! We’re all going to die! Why don’t you guys just get a gun and shoot me! You guys are killing me!”

--General Manager Dallas Green, in June: “It’s too early to panic. Everybody is writing us off, and we haven’t played the Mets yet.”

--Gene Michael, the new manager: “Right now, Davey Lopes is our best player. He hits for power, steals bases, gets on base and plays three or four positions.”

The next week, Lopes was traded to Houston.

Trivia Time: Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the third athlete who attended UCLA to win the Sullivan Award. Name the other two. (Answer below.)

Said Larry Bird when asked to compare the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks: “Don’t compare a team that has won 16 championships to a team that has won none.”

True, the Hawks haven’t won in Atlanta, but when they were based in St. Louis, they won the title in 1957-58. The team, featuring a front line of Bob Pettit, Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan, beat the Celtics in seven games.

Add Celtics: The last time they played the Cleveland Cavaliers, they were leading, 102-99, with four seconds left when Cleveland’s Ron Harper went to the line for two shots.

Cleveland Coach Lenny Wilkens told Harper to make the first one and miss the second.

“Shoot one with a real high arc,” Wilkens said. “That will get us a long rebound.”

Harper, only a 66% free thrower, made the first one.

Of the second one, Terry Pluto of the Akron Beacon Journal wrote: “Harper uncorked something that went so high that it was nothing more than a blip on the radar screen at Logan Airport.”

Swish. Celtics win.

For What It’s Worth: Ernie Zampese, the Rams’ new offensive coordinator, was a backup tailback to Jon Arnett at USC. In 1956, when Trojan seniors were restricted to five games as a sanction for recruiting violations, Zampese took over at tailback after Arnett played the first five games.

USC won the last two games against UCLA and Notre Dame, the first time they had beaten both schools in the same season in 18 years.

In the Notre Dame game, USC led only 21-20 late in the third quarter after Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung returned a kickoff 95 yards for an Irish touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Zampese ran 38 yards for a touchdown and USC won, 28-20. Zampese carried 20 times for 125 yards, a 6.3 average.

Trivia Time: Rafer Johnson in 1960 and Bill Walton in 1973.

Quotebook

Baltimore Manager Cal Ripken Sr., on his biggest task this season: “We have some players who need to be driven, and I’ll tell you one thing, I can drive.”