Duffy Was Often in Hot Water

He ran a big-time program at Michigan State, but possibly no coach in history took himself less seriously than Hugh (Duffy) Daugherty, who died Friday in Santa Barbara. Some selected quotes:

--”When I get home, my wife always has my robe, slippers and hot water waiting for me. She hates for me to wash the dishes in cold water.”

--Asked to describe “need” in the awarding of scholarships: “Well, we don’t take a boy unless we need him.”

--Asked before a season who he was happiest to see returning from the previous season: “Me.”

--On Santa Anita: “The only place where the windows clean people.”

Wrong number: If you read elsewhere Friday that the No. 88 worn by Baltimore infielder Rene Gonzales is believed to be the highest in major league history, forget it. Willie Crawford wore No. 99 at Oakland in 1977.

Trivia Time: What major league pitcher wore No. 96 and why? (Answer below.)

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press said that Pirate catcher Junior Ortiz was having so much trouble catching balls earlier in the season that he was sent to an eye specialist. The specialist couldn’t find anything wrong with Ortiz’s eyes, but his contact lenses were another story.

“He hadn’t cleaned them in six months,” said Pirate General Manager Syd Thrift: “He couldn’t see a thing.”

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, on today’s game against Michigan State: “I saw the score of their game with Notre Dame and I’ll be honest with you--I was shocked. I saw Michigan State play against Southern Cal and I felt they just had an excellent football team. They are gonna be mad as hornets when we get up there. The only thing is, they are big hornets. They ain’t those little honeybee kind.”

Just Asking: How come Jim Brown hasn’t joined one of those scab teams? This is the perfect chance for the 51-year-old running back to get his record back from Walter Payton.

Yes, Scab Ball statistics will count as official NFL statistics.

Jim Hardy can only hope one of the scab quarterbacks throws nine interceptions in a game. Hardy still holds the record of eight, set with the Chicago Cardinals in 1950.

For What It’s Worth: Rod Hill, one of the Raider strikebreakers, is a defensive back from Kentucky State who was drafted No. 1 by the Dallas Cowboys in 1982. He flopped as a cornerback and was released the following year.

Said Baltimore coach Frank Robinson in the clubhouse after the game in which Toronto hit 10 home runs: “OK, all the outfielders into the training room for a neck rub.”

79 Years Ago Today: Ed Reulbach of the Chicago Cubs became the only pitcher to throw two shutouts in a doubleheader. He beat the Dodgers, 5-0 and 3-0, in nine-inning games.

Six years ago today, Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros became the first pitcher to throw five no-hitters, beating the Dodgers, 5-0, at the Astrodome.

Trivia Answer: Bill Voiselle of the Boston Braves in 1947-49. He was from the town of Ninety Six, S.C.--thus the No. 96.

Quotebook

Doug Vance, University of Kansas sports information director, after the team bus hit the wing of a parked plane at the Montgomery, Ala., airport: “Looks like we’ll be going to the single wing.”