He’s a Guy Who Can’t Stand Being Trumped

The name of Donald Trump keeps popping up in the New York sports sections, and Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post says, “You know who this is killing? George.

“Yeah, George Steinbrenner. George never had this kind of media competition before. Anytime he was feeling blue, he’d just call up a reporter, toss him a bone about Billy or Reggie and sit back and wait for the back-page banner headline. BOSS HINTS SHAKE-UP!

“But now with Trump outflanking him at every turn, George had to resort to sliming his three best players--Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly and Rickey Henderson--on the day of the All-Star Game, no less, to get any ink.

“Media monkey that he is, Thursday, just to keep himself in the news, George apologized for his diatribe, saying in part, ‘I’m sorry that it came out wrong about Don Mattingly, and you can quote me.’ Hoo-boy, can we ever. In a heart-rending show of contrition, George vowed, ‘If they want me to shut up, fine, I’ll shut up.’ (He’s lying.) George, telephone call for you, Joe Isuzu on Line 2.”

The Clippers, plugging the 1988-89 season, are running an ad which says, “The best draft for any team. Ever!”

If it is, they can start accepting applications for playoff tickets. In 1956, the Boston Celtics drafted Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn, and a dynasty was born. In 1969, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Lew Alcindor and Bobby Dandridge, and a year later they were world champions.

Trivia Time: Who was the first junior college player named to a U.S. Olympic basketball team? (Answer below.)

Wrote Mike Littwin of the Baltimore Sun after Sugar Ray Leonard said he had been peddling T-shirts at the Olympic boxing camp to help finance his son’s college education: “Does he want to send his son to college or buy him one? In either case, when does the telethon begin? How’s this for a pitch: ‘Help send a millionaire’s son to college.’ ”?

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: When Tracy Woodson of the Dodgers was facing Frank DiPino of the Chicago Cubs in the 10th inning Friday, he heard Kirk Gibson shout, “Hit the ball up the middle for a sure base hit.”

Woodson didn’t. He lined one to left, and the Dodgers won the game.

From Tim Kurkjian of the Baltimore Sun: “Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson is getting a lot of credit for his team’s success. It is deserved. The Reds’ Eric Davis is being blasted for not helping his team. But going into Saturday night, Gibson had 17 homers and 49 RBIs, and Davis had 15 homers and 48 RBIs--in 10 fewer games.”

Said heptathlon runner-up Cindy Greiner, after Jackie Joyner-Kersee overcame intense heat at Indianapolis to break her own world record in the Olympic trials: “Jackie--she’s on another planet. I competed with her in Moscow when they locked us in a room and wouldn’t let us warm up, and she set a world record there.

“I competed with her in Houston, when it was 123 degrees on the track and our fingers were blistering in the shotput--and she set a world record there.

“She just refuses to let those things bother her.”

Trivia Answer: Spencer Haywood.

Quotebook

Pitcher Ricky Horton of the Chicago White Sox, on his 5.90 earned-run average: “I’m a finesse pitcher with no finesse.”