Spinks Has a Big Question

Michael Spinks will earn a guaranteed $13.5 million for his heavyweight championship fight with Mike Tyson June 27, yet Spinks has some unusual ideas about the fight game--and the money.

“I could be happy without the fighting and the money,” Spinks told the Wall Street Journal. “After I won the Olympics, I thought it was over, and went home to St. Louis and took a regular job. I liked it, too, except that (Manager) Butch (Lewis) kept bugging me to get back into the ring.

“Fighting another man is like having all 32 of your teeth pulled. Anybody who tells you he enjoys it is crazy. It’s hard for me--was and is . But it’s what I’ve decided to do now.”

And what about Tyson’s amazing record?

“Tyson’s a very dangerous young man--very aggressive. Not many guys have lasted with him. Maybe those other guys were just overpowered. Maybe they were lacking in something. Do I have what they lacked? That’s the big question in my mind.”

Add Spinks: How will he fight Tyson?

“You want to mislead your opponent--make him think you’re going to do one thing, and then do another. Who says you can only fight one way? Maybe I’ll fight him two, three ways.

“(Gerry) Cooney didn’t like it when I ran from him in the first couple of rounds. He didn’t like it when I stopped and punched the last couple, either.”

There seems to be a nice little rivalry brewing between outfielder Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals and pitcher Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox.

The other night, Wilson reached base on an infield single with one out in the ninth inning. Clemens had retired 24 successive batters to that point. Wilson stole second base uncontested. Then with two outs and George Brett batting, Clemens turned to second base and accused Wilson of stealing signs from the catcher and relaying them to Brett. The two exchanged angry words but nothing more.

Wilson later admitted that he had been signaling the location of catcher Rick Cerone’s target to Brett, but not the type of pitch. That, he said, was unnecessary. “Any idiot knows what he’s going to throw: Fastball,” Wilson said.

“Everyone can read him. We just can’t hit the SOB.”

Wilson, not so incidentally, has batted .206 in 34 at-bats against Clemens.

Trivia Time: Who was the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in an NFL season? (Answer below.)

Indiana basketball Coach Bob Knight on how one prize got away: “I made a big mistake (in 1975) rooming (Larry) Bird with Jim Wisman. Bird had no clothes, and Wisman’s closet was full. Wisman was real smart and could speak well. Bird was not, and couldn’t, at age 18. Larry was a small-town kid, and I think our campus so intimidated him that he picked up and left.”

St. Louis Cardinals Manager Whitey Herzog offered to take his wife, Mary, out to dinner for Mother’s Day. She declined the invitation, opting for fishing instead.

“Now I know why I married her,” said Whitey.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris, on the change in the strike zone: “You mean the one they’re not enforcing?”

Trivia Answer: Beattie Feathers of the Chicago Bears gained 1,004 yards in 1934.

Quotebook

Chicago White Sox pitcher Dave LaPoint, 28, to teammate Jerry Reuss, 38, on the occasion of Reuss’ 200th victory: “That’s something you can tell your grandchildren about . . . tomorrow.”