Yogi Is Perfect, for Yogi

In a column on Yogi Berra, Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post recalled when the catcher was a guest on a radio talk show.

Before the show, the host said, “Yogi, if you don’t mind, I’d like to play ‘free association’ with you on the air. I’ll say a name, and you say the first thing that comes to your mind. OK?

“OK,” Yogi said.

The show started, and the host said, “We’ve got Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees here, and he and I are going to do some free associating. I’m going to say a name, and Yogi’s going to say the first thing that pops into his mind.”

After a slight pause, the host said, “Mickey Mantle.”

And Yogi quickly said, “What about him?”

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: The Lakers have beaten the Boston Celtics in seven of their last nine games, starting with a 117-110 win at Boston Garden a year ago Saturday.

Add Lakers: Mychal Thompson, on Magic Johnson: “That guy has liquid oxygen in his veins. That’s the coldest substance known to man. It’s colder than ice water.”

Trivia Time: What do Dallas Cowboys President Tex Schramm, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, and University of Wisconsin Athletic Director Elroy Hirsch have in common? (Answer below.)

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: University of Miami defensive tackle Derwin Jones told the Boston Globe that the Hurricanes spent much of the time before the Toledo game preparing for the Notre Dame game a week hence.

Jones: “We would be preparing for something Toledo does and then the coaches would say, ‘OK, this is what Notre Dame does,’ and we would practice that for awhile. We were so well prepared, we practically knew what Notre Dame was going to run on certain downs.”

The plot almost blew up in Miami’s face. Toledo, a 3-7-1 team, actually outgained Miami, and the Hurricanes had to struggle for a 24-14 win.

For What It’s Worth: With the New York Mets last season, Jesse Orosco gave up four game-winning homers in the 9th or 10th innings and one game-tying homer in the 9th inning.

Said Peter Jacobson of Newsday: “Few of his teammates were elated to see him come in from the bullpen. When Keith Hernandez went to the mound and goaded Orosco to show he had the stomach for the job, it wasn’t idle talk. A number of teammates thought Orosco was an Alibi Ike.”

Wrote Peter Pascarelli of the Sporting News after the Dodgers eased out publicist Steve Brener: “It was another indication of how far the once-proud franchise has sunk. And it demonstrates anew how far out of touch owner Peter O’Malley has become since he allows this stuff to keep happening.”

Ouch: Said New York Jets Coach Joe Walton when asked how much stock he puts in the picks of Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder, who last year called Walton one of the worst coaches in the league: “The only thing I’d believe is if he told me how to tell if cards are marked.”

Said NBC’s Al McGuire as Notre Dame’s Keith Robinson went to the line with a chance to win the game for the Irish with three seconds left: “Take a deep breath and keep your eye on the front of the rim.”

Robinson missed both, and Notre Dame lost to DePaul in overtime.

Note: In a four-year NBA career with the New York Knicks and Baltimore Bullets, McGuire had a free throw percentage of .551.

Trivia Answer: All three were general managers of the Rams.

Quotebook

Kansas City Royals Manager John Wathan, on why he’s attending today’s Raiders-Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium: “It’s my son’s birthday and I promised I’d take him to see Bo run.”