Martin Defends His Turf

According to the Sporting News, Billy Martin had Chicago White Sox executive vice president Jack Gould removed from the field while the New York Yankees were taking batting practice before an exhibition game.

“He acted like a madman,” Gould said. “He treated me like a wino or something. He’s mentally ill. He shouldn’t be running a ballclub.”

Martin said the field belongs to his team during practice.

“If it were 10 or 15 years ago,” Martin said, “I’d have dropped him right there. He’s the crazy man, not me.”

Add Yankees: A recent visitor to camp was former outfielder Mickey Rivers. Moss Klein of the Sporting News said that Rivers, now employed in Miami, is going by the name of Miguel Rivera.

Said Billy Martin: “I think he’s trying to avoid some people.”

This is the same Mickey Rivers who once said to Reginald Martinez Jackson: “Your first name’s white, your second is Hispanic, and your third belongs to a black. No wonder you don’t know who you are.”

Add Martin: The “1988 Elias Baseball Analyst,” using its own formula, rates him the best manager in history. It notes that teams in their first year under Martin increase their offense by an average of 93 runs.

Billy Southworth, former St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves manager, is rated second and Sparky Anderson is third. Whitey Herzog, generally recognized as the best today, is rated eighth.

Add Elias: Other items, as extracted by Richard Justice of the Washington Post:

--While Lee Smith was posting 162 saves the past five years for his former club, the Chicago Cubs, his new club, the Boston Red Sox, was getting 160 saves from its entire bullpen:

--Over the past five years, Darryl Strawberry is the only major leaguer to average at least 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases.

--Bo Jackson averaged one strikeout every 2.7 plate appearances last year, the highest rate in history for players with 400 or more at-bats.

Add Smith: He had two perfect innings Sunday against the Texas Rangers, running his spring record to 13 innings in which he has allowed 1 hit, 0 runs and struck out 15. He has walked only 3.

Trivia Time: How did Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, distinguish himself as the coach at the University of Kansas? (Answer below.)

Trivia Answer: He is the only basketball coach in the school’s history with a losing record.

Quotebook

Murray State basketball coach Steve Newton, asked the location of the school: “It’s in western Kentucky. If you’ve been to Monkey Eyebrow, you’ve gone right past Murray.”