Only Donovan Luxury Now Down to Six-Pack

Art Donovan has lost 40 pounds, but you still can’t miss him. The former Baltimore Colts defensive tackle weighs 300.

Donovan, 64, owner of the Valley Country Club in Baltimore, told Ken Murray of the Baltimore Evening Sun: “I only eat once a day. I really have cut down on eating. And I cut down from maybe a case of beer a night to maybe a six-pack. But they’re 32-ounce cans. I don’t get drunk. I just enjoy drinking beer. It’s the only luxury I have left in life now.”

He empathizes with William Perry of the Chicago Bears.

“I know how it is,” Donovan said. “I had to be 275 every time we weighed in. I mean, it was tough. It was really a battle. I wouldn’t eat all week long just to make the weigh-in on Friday. If I let myself go, I could sit down and eat 40 hot dogs without batting an eye, or drink a case and a half of beer.”

Add Donovan: Asked if he thought the Colts, now in Indianapolis, can be a Super Bowl contender with Eric Dickerson, he said: “No, they don’t have a quarterback. Who do they got, Hogeboom or Higeboom? He don’t play. They got Trudeau. I thought he was a prime minister from Canada. And he’s not a good passer. He can’t even throw the ball when he’s got time. And how can Hogeboom make the team? He never plays. He played behind the guy that’s cockeyed in Dallas, Danny White. The other guy they got at the Cowboys, Pelluer . . . there’s a lot of garbage quarterbacks in the league and you can quote me.”

More Donovan: Asked how the training camps today compare to the ones Weeb Ewbank ran, he said: “I wouldn’t have any idea. I’m not around them. The only thing I know is they got an ice cream bar now. That must go over real good. Could you see Big Daddy Lipscomb or Gino Marchetti or Jim Parker eating ice cream cones? Weeb would’ve wet his pants.”

Trivia Time: Jim Delsing, father of former UCLA golfer Jay Delsing, a contender in the Canadian Open, was a pinch-runner for what famous player in 1951? (Answer below.)

Brook Jacoby of the Cleveland Indians, watching 2-year-old Brook Jr. hitting off a batting tee, noticed that the boy was holding the bat far behind him.

Said father: “Here, let me show you how to hold it.”

Said son: “No, I’ll show you how to hold it.”

Jacoby is hitting .245.

For What It’s Worth: On the cover of the 1988 Brigham Young football press book are pictures of the five players who were named to all-academic teams in 1987.

In Thursday night’s opener, BYU lost to Wyoming, 24-14.

Pedro Guerrero, who wore No. 28 with the Dodgers, was issued No. 43 when he reported to St. Louis.

He’s now wearing No. 28 after Cardinal reliever Dan Quisenberry surrendered the number.

Of No. 43, Guerrero said, “It was too heavy.”

60 Years Ago Today: On Sept. 4, 1928, the Boston Braves started a string that would have them play nine straight doubleheaders, a major league record. There was no players’ union then, of course. The Braves finished seventh in the National League with a 50-103 record.

Trivia Answer: He ran for Eddie Gaedel after the midget drew a walk for the St. Louis Browns against the Detroit Tigers.

Quotebook

Bob Ferry, general manager of the Washington Bullets, on how players have changed: “We never had pulled groins when I played--and we had groins, too.”