Umpire’s Debut Hit a New Low

Marty Springstead, supervisor of American League umpires, said he will never forget his first assignment behind the plate. It was in a 1965 game at Washington.

Frank Howard was playing for the Senators, and on the first pitch to the mountainous slugger, Springstead called a knee-high fastball a strike.

Springstead: “Howard turned around and hollered, ‘Get something straight, buster. I don’t know where you came from or how you got to the major leagues, but they don’t call a strike on me with that pitch. Understand?’ ”

The next pitch was in the same spot, and Springstead yelled, “Two!”

“Two what?” Howard roared.

“Too low,” Springstead said. “Much too low.”

Wait a Minute: Trainer Wayne Lukas told Grahame L. Jones of The Times at Louisville: “We’ve got good horses. We’re supposed to be here. Just like Kentucky’s supposed to be in the NCAA, and Indiana and South Carolina and North Carolina. Those teams are supposed to be there.”

South Carolina hasn’t been in the NCAA since 1974 and never has been in the Final Four.

Alan Greenberg of the Hartford Courant, on the draft: “The Raiders chose 320-pound offensive tackle John Clay, who will accept their offer only if he is denied admission as our 51st state.”

Trivia Time: Who holds the Pacific Coast League record for longest hitting streak? (Answer in column 2.)

70 Years Ago Today: On May 2, 1917, Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds and James (Hippo) Vaughn of the Chicago Cubs pitched a double no-hitter for nine innings, with the Reds winning on two hits in the 10th, 1-0. Jim Thorpe drove in the winning run.

Dept. of Irony: Paul Azinger, making his first appearance in the Masters, was surprised to find shirts, golf balls and spikes waiting for him when he opened his locker.

Azinger: “You finally make enough to buy these things and they wind up giving them to you.”

Spud Webb of the Atlanta Hawks on teammate Dominique Wilkins: “He’s like a picture show. Don’t go out for a soda while he’s on the court, because you’ll probably miss something you may never see again.”

Would-you-believe-it dept.: Dave Magadan, after hitting only four home runs in four minor league seasons, hit two in his first 10 at-bats with the New York Mets this year.

His ratio of homers to at-bats went from 1 in 382 to 1 in 5.

Ted Williams, on when he knew it was time to retire: “I remember one day in September when I was on second base and I looked home, and I said, ‘Boy, that’s a long ways.’ And I knew it was time to go.”

From Tim Flannery of the San Diego Padres: “If I had to leave the game, I’d surf all day and become a professional go-getter. My wife would go to work, and I’d go get ‘er.”

Trivia Answer: Joe DiMaggio of the San Francisco Seals. In 1933, he hit in 61 straight games.

Quotebook

Skip Bayless of the Dallas Times Herald, on whiskey-drinking, cigarette-smoking golfer Roger Maltbie: “He is the oldest 35-year-old in the sports world--35 going on last call.”