All-Star Game Announcers Get a Vote of . . .

What did you think of the announcing on the All-Star game Tuesday night? Here’s what a couple of Eastern reporters said:

Stan Isaacs, Newsday--” . . . Add to that some solid commentary by Vin Scully and, in particular, Joe Garagiola and it all came off as a pretty good show.”

Jerry Trecker, Hartford Courant--” . . . the work of Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola was less successful. Scully seemed to talk more than ever; Garagiola contributed little in the way of analysis.”

Take your choice.

Eight Years Ago Today: On July 17, 1979, Lee Mazzilli of the New York Mets tied the score with an eighth-inning homer and walked with the bases loaded in the ninth to give the National League a 7-6 win in the All-Star game at Seattle’s Kingdome. Dave Parker, who batted in a run and threw out two baserunners, including Angel catcher Brian Downing at home with the score tied, 6-6, in the eighth, was named the MVP.

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: According to the New York Times, if Bo Jackson continues at his current pace, he will strike out 221 times this year. He will be followed by Pete Incaviglia with 205 if Incaviglia sticks to his pace. The record is 189, held by Bobby Bonds.

Trivia Time: Donald Evans is going from the Winston-Salem Rams to the Los Angeles Rams. Can you name any NFL players last season who played for teams with the same nicknames as their colleges? (Answer to follow.)

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: Olympic silver medalist Michelle Mitchell tells how she got into diving: “I was a gymnast for 12 years, and I grew up in Arizona, so in the summertime, when the temperature hit 110, we’d head for the pool. Then I topped out in gymnastics, and I was tired of being in a chalky, sweaty cage all day.

“There’s the allure of the sun and being outside and a lot of guys out on the deck watching you dive. It’s an ego thing.”

Lee Trevino, on the changes in golf: “I used to go to the bar when I finished a round. The kids today go back and practice.”

A recent item on Sparky Anderson hitting a grand slam for the 1957 Los Angeles Angels brought back memories to Jim Bendat of Los Angeles, who said he saw the game on his ninth birthday.

Bendat sent along a copy of the scorecard, which listed Tom Lasorda, spelled LaSorda, among the pitchers on the Angel roster. Lasorda, who wore No. 26, was leading the staff at 3-0. He finished the season at 7-10.

From Andrew Brandt, agent for Tyrone Bogues, claiming the 5-foot 3-inch guard will make more from endorsements than the Washington Bullets pay him: “The marketing opportunities are endless. We’ve already heard from shoe companies, and other endorsement possibilities include children’s clothing, growth charts and coloring books.”

Trivia Answer: Dennis Gentry of Baylor, Mike Singletary of Baylor, and Ron Rivera of California, all of the Chicago Bears.

From Douglas Page of Redondo Beach, dated July 11: “Whoa. What’s this? A Morning Briefing without the hilarity of Chi Chi Rodriguez? What happened? Your regular guy on vacation? How will we survive the day without this dosage of mirth we’ve learned to expect?

“I don’t suppose it would do any good to inform you that Chi Chi Rodriguez is not funny. No one named Chi Chi is funny.”

Quotebook

Chi Chi Rodriguez, to a photographer who had taken at least 20 pictures of him: “Hey, who do you work for, the post office?”