Love and Divorce, Tennis Style

Tennis pros Robert Seguso of the United States and Carling Bassett of Canada are engaged, and Bud Collins of the Boston Globe wished them better luck than some of the pairings of the past.

Collins reeled off a number of failed love matches, the latest being Chris Evert and John Lloyd.

Recalling the breakup of Clark Graebner and the former Carole Caldwell, Collins said: “You suspected all wasn’t well with the Graebners when he, as player-coach of Cleveland in the days of World Team Tennis, traded her to Pittsburgh for a blonde named Laura du Pont.”

Keeping-the-streets-safe Dept.: When the Pittsburgh Pirates were here to play the Dodgers, Jim Morrison got a ticket for jaywalking. Said The Sporting News: “Morrison noted that the officer estimated his speed at 1 m.p.h.”

From Newsday’s Joe Gergen, who followed New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor in the pro-am of the Westchester golf tournament: “Taylor’s tee shot on the first hole strayed far to the right and landed smack up against the fence surrounding the tennis courts. ‘Where do I drop it?’ he asked the gallery that gathered around him. ‘Anywhere you want to,’ replied one man in the gallery.”

Add Taylor: On the first day of practice, after blasting the media for concentrating on the negative aspects of his new book, he said: “But guys, I’m not going to let you destroy me.

“I’m going to be a Giant, I’m going to stay a Giant. I’m a Giant diehard. I’m a Giant fan. I’m a Giant player. When I die, probably my last words are going to be, ‘Go Giants.’ ”

Who’s writing his stuff, Tom Lasorda?

Trivia Time: Among active major league pitchers, name five who are older than 41-year-old Catfish Hunter, who last week was inducted into the Hall of Fame. (Answer below.)

80 Years Ago Today: On Aug. 2, 1907, Walter Johnson made his major league debut with the Washington Senators, losing to the Detroit Tigers, 3-2. Ty Cobb got the first hit off Johnson, a bunt. Exactly 20 years later on Walter Johnson Day in Washington, Detroit won again, 7-6.

Note: In 1907, the 20-year-old Cobb won the first of his 12 batting titles with a .350 average. In 1927, with the Philadelphia Athletics, the 40-year-old Cobb hit .357.

This will come as news to anybody who has been exposed to the cliches of Chuck Knox, but Brian Bosworth says the Seattle Seahawks coach is the same type of person he is.

“I think we’re made from the same mold,” Bosworth said after meeting Knox. “I think in his younger days, he probably had some earrings and a goofy haircut.”

From the Boston Globe: “Iberian Peninsula match-up: Before the year is out, with any luck, we might get to see Minnesota pitcher Mark Portugal pitch to Milwaukee’s Alex Madrid. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for Minnesota’s Allan Anderson to pitch to Cleveland’s Andy Allanson.”

From Darryl Dawkins of the New Jersey Nets, vowing to end the injury jinx that has plagued him the last three seasons: “It’s almost like I’m on a mission. I’ll be Agent 014. I have to be twice as bad as Agent 007.”

Trivia Answer: Phil Niekro, 48; Tommy John, 44, and Steve Carlton, Don Sutton and Joe Niekro, all 42.

Quotebook

Dave Collins of the Cincinnati Reds, agreeing that the baseballs are juiced up: “My 10-hop singles are getting through the infield on eight hops.”