Ainge Gets Point Across to McHale

Danny Ainge was among the speakers at an Easter Seals salute to Boston Celtics teammate Kevin McHale.

Ainge: “They gave me sort of a list of dos and don’ts so I’d know the right things to say. The first thing they wanted me to talk about was how Kevin’s always willing to assist a good cause.

“Well, my point total is a good cause, and Kevin’s yet to give me an assist in my seven years with the Celtics.”

Rodney Peete is playing baseball, but they still put him on the cover of the USC spring football prospectus with the caption, “Heisman Trophy Candidate.”

Peete’s candidacy isn’t getting much help from Pat Haden, however. The former Trojan quarterback told USA Today: “UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman will be the Heisman winner and No. 1 NFL pick in 1989. He would have been No. 1 this year.”

From retired superstar Julius Erving, on why he’d rather play golf than basketball with his three boys and a girl: “When we play basketball, all I get to do is rebound because all my kids want to do is shoot.”

Trivia Time: What do Billy Packer of CBS Sports, Curtis Strange of the PGA Tour and Tyrone (Muggsy) Bogues of the Washington Bullets have in common? (Answer below.)

Quarterback Todd Blackledge, traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Pittsburgh Steelers, is the son of Ron Blackledge, offensive line coach of the Steelers.

Todd told the Sporting News that he will now be living at home. “It’ll be cheap and I’ll eat well,” he said.

Said Linda Blackledge, mother of Todd: “I don’t know how cheap it’s going to be. We haven’t talked about that yet.”

Hmmmm.

Would-you-believe-it dept.: While his players were riding a bus to Shea Stadium for their last game with the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals Manager Whitey Herzog was riding the subway and chatting with the fans.

“Took me 20 to 25 minutes,” said Herzog. “Our team bus took near an hour.”

Add Herzog: Agreeing with those who claim too much emphasis is put on longevity in Hall of Fame voting, he said: “You can talk all you want about Pete Rose and his 4,000 hits and everything, but which player would you have taken in his prime, Rose or Roger Maris? I’d have taken Maris.”

For What It’s Worth: In his first 10 games, Bo Jackson of the Kansas City Royals struck out 15 times. At that pace, he would strike out 242 times. The record is 189, set by Bobby Bonds in 1970.

Ben Johnson won the honors, but Carl Lewis was the one who cashed in last summer in Europe.

According to the French sports magazine L’Equipe, Lewis commanded $35,000 a meet from promoters. Johnson was getting $10,000 to $15,000. Other payoffs:

Edwin Moses, $25,000; Said Aouita, $20,000-$25,000; Steve Cram, $10,000-$12,000; Patrik Sjoberg, $8,000-$10,000; Sergei Bubka, $7,000-$8,000.

Evelyn Ashford led the women at $5,000.

Trivia Answer: All three went to Wake Forest.

Quotebook

Golfer Lee Trevino: “My wife doesn’t care what I do when I’m away--as long as I don’t enjoy myself.”