Finding Good in a Bad Year

It’s been a season of turmoil for Darryl Strawberry, but the outfielder still has managed to hit 21 home runs and, amazingly, he leads the New York Mets in games played.

By way of explanation, Ira Berkow of the New York Times recalled a bit of philosophy by Pete Rose.

Said Rose: “I remember when I was being served papers for my divorce, and I went out and got 7 hits in 12 times at bat. People said, ‘How can you concentrate on hitting?’ I said, ‘It’s easier going through a divorce hitting .330 than hitting .230.’ ”

Add Rose: He’s on record as predicting that Mark McGwire will fail to break Roger Maris’ record of 61 homers. In fact, he doesn’t think McGwire will hit 50, even though the Oakland slugger already has 34.

“I can’t see a rookie hitting 50 home runs,” he said. “I have confidence that baseball will make adjustments. But maybe he’s the kind of player you can’t make adjustments on. Hey, I hope he hits 61. It’s not my record.”

Trivia Time: When the Minnesota Twins retired Rod Carew’s No. 29 Sunday, he became only the third person to have his number retired by two teams. Who are the other two? (Answer below.)

Add Carew: Last year, the Angels retired his number after they had declined to re-sign him for 1986.

“I think the Rod Carew Day in California was more of a save-the-face bit,” Carew said Sunday. “The Angels knew they had made a mistake and were just trying to cover up. The Twins didn’t have to do this.”

17 Years Ago Today: On July 20, 1970, Bill Singer of the Dodgers pitched a no-hitter to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0. The crowd at Dodger Stadium was 12,454.

Vic Janowicz, who played baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and football for the Washington Redskins in 1954, told the New York Times: “It wasn’t tough playing two sports at once. Let Bo Jackson do what he wants to do.”

How about injuries?

“Ever hear of Jim Brown or Otto Graham getting hurt?” he said. “If Bo wants to play both sports, does he have to play 162 baseball games and 20 football games?”

Said Dave DeBusschere, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox and played forward for the Detroit Pistons: “I think ultimately Jackson is going to choose football because of Uncle Charlie.”

Uncle Charlie is baseball talk for the curveball.

For What It’s Worth: That two-shot penalty on Craig Stadler in the British Open cost him $9,433. Add that to the $37,333 he lost in the San Diego Open for a rules violation and the total is $46,766.

From Gene Mauch: “That ball is live, more live than I’ve ever seen. I mean that ball jumps. Balls hit with a half-swing are going all the way to the warning track. The ball is hot, that’s all.”

If you think you’ve read that before, you’re right. Mauch said it in 1979. He was then the manager of the Minnesota Twins.

Trivia Answer: Henry Aaron, No. 44, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers; Casey Stengel, No. 37, New York Yankees and New York Mets.

Note: A common guess is Frank Robinson, but his No. 20 was retired only by Baltimore. Cincinnati has retired only two numbers--Johnny Bench, No. 5, and Manager Fred Hutchinson, No. 1.

Quotebook

Detroit shortstop Alan Trammell, on making the last out of the game Sunday against Seattle when he tried to steal third on his own and was thrown out: “I don’t think I’ll read the papers tomorrow.”