Winfield May Turn Out to Do the Suing

When Howard Cosell, the columnist, covers a game in Yankee Stadium, you won’t find him in the press box. According to Tom Verducci of Newsday, you will see him in George Steinbrenner’s private box.

In light of that, Verducci says, “There is reason to believe that it was Steinbrenner who planted a story through Cosell in the New York Daily News that the Yankees were prepared to sue Dave Winfield and the David M. Winfield Foundation for ‘misappropriation and misuse of funds.’

“Cosell also wrote that the Winfield Foundation is ‘currently being investigated by the N.Y. County district attorney.’ But, Colleen Roche, spokeswoman for the Manhattan (New York County) district attorney, said, ‘There is no investigation at all.’

“Cosell also wrote that the state attorney general’s office ‘will begin shortly’ with its own investigation. Nancy Connell, a spokeswoman for that office, said it is not investigating the foundation and has no intention of doing so.

“By the way, the Winfield Foundation is located in Fort Lee, N.J. That’s out of the jurisdiction of the Manhattan or New York state district attorney.”

Said Winfield: “I think I will talk to my attorney.”

Ouch: Said the Associated Press in an advisory on an upcoming feature on Oklahoma Coach Billy Tubbs: “KANSAS CITY, Mo.--See Billy Tubbs run. See him run his Oklahoma basketball team. See him run up the score. See him run his mouth.”

Trivia Time: When the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants opened the season 30 years ago in their West Coast debuts, where was the game played? (Answer below.)

Trivia Trap: If someone wants to bet you a Big Eight team never has won an NCAA basketball title, don’t fall for it.

When Kansas won in 1951-52, it was the Big Seven. When Oklahoma A&M;, now Oklahoma State, won in 1944-45 and 1945-46, it represented the Missouri Valley Conference. Note: When Oklahoma went to the final in 1946-47, it was the Big Six.

Kansas faces the same kind of odds that Jim Valvano’s North Carolina State Wolfpack and Rollie Massimino’s Villanova Wildcats, both 10-game losers, overcame to win NCAA titles.

Kansas Coach Larry Brown was asked what he attributed their wins to.

“Italian coaches,” he said.

Kansas City’s George Brett is hoping today’s opener against Toronto at Royals Stadium doesn’t go into extra innings. Reason: He has tickets to the NCAA final at Kemper Arena.

Who’s he picking?

“I’m going to root for the Jayhawks and if they don’t win, I’m going to root for Oklahoma,” he said. “If they don’t win, then I’m at the wrong game.”

Trivia Answer: Seals Stadium in San Francisco. Ruben Gomez and the Giants beat Don Drysdale and the Dodgers, 8-0.

Quotebook

Don Baylor of the Oakland A’s, asked what he thought of Tom Kelly, his manager last year at Minnesota: “One of the weirdest people I’ve ever met in baseball.”