Workouts Were Good but It Didn’t Work Out

The biggest romance of the year has suddenly crashed. Wrote Kevin Cowherd of the Baltimore Sun: “Mark Gastineau and Brigitte Nielsen, those two hulking lovebirds, have just called it splitsville.”

Cowherd said the actress’ publicist put out a release indicating that the two called it quits because their career demands made a “stable and long-lasting relationship” impossible.

Cowherd suspects other reasons.

He said: “Brigitte and Mark had absolutely nothing in common unless you count the fact that neither was raised by wolves.”

National League Manager Whitey Herzog, on why the All-Star dinner was held at the Cincinnati zoo: “So Schottzie could go.”

Schottzie is the St. Bernard belonging to Reds owner Marge Schott.

Add Schottzie: Kansas City shortstop Kurt Stillwell, a favorite of Schott’s when he played at Cincinnati, said it goes back to the way he treated Schottzie.

“I liked her dog,” he told USA Today. “The other guys would throw balls at the dog.”

Add All-Stars: Terry Steinbach isn’t the first obscure Oakland catcher to make a big splash at Riverfront Stadium.

In the first game of the 1972 World Series in Cincinnati, Gene Tenace hit home runs in his first two at-bats. Taking up the slack for the injured Reggie Jackson, Tenace hit four home runs in the Series and was named most valuable player.

Trivia Time: Gene Tenace uses his middle name as his first. What’s his real first name? (Answer to follow.)

San Francisco Giants first baseman Will Clark, who played host to his 11-year-old brother, Scott, at the All-Star game, told USA Today: “I keep hearing his swing is just like mine. So I asked my mother if she specialized in breeding left-handed hitters.”

Bombs Away: On this date in 1946, Cleveland’s Lou Boudreau hit four doubles and a home run in the first game of a doubleheader against Boston, but Ted Williams connected for three home runs and drove in eight runs for an 11-10 Red Sox victory.

On this date in 1967, Houston’s Eddie Mathews hit his 500th home run against San Francisco. Exactly a year later, Atlanta’s Henry Aaron hit his 500th home run, also against San Francisco.

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: Since May 27, when the New York Yankees held a 1 1/2-game lead in the American League East, their record is 18-22, while Baltimore’s is 19-22.

Art Fowler, former Yankee pitching coach, once said: “How can I make Doyle Alexander a winner? He’s a great person, he makes $1.8 million. I love him. But he can’t pitch.”

Says Alexander today: “In 1976, I helped New York win a pennant. After New York released me in 1983, I helped New York lose a division and helped Toronto win. After I was traded away from Toronto, I helped Toronto lose a division in 1987 and helped Detroit win. Somewhere along the line somebody’s going to learn something, I guess.”

Trivia Answer: Fury. Actually, his original full name was Fiore Gino Tennaci.

Quotebook

Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner, on the press: “The papers would screw up a two-car funeral.”