Baylor Has a Series of Successful Moves

Don Baylor of the Oakland Athletics is playing in his third consecutive World Series, all with different teams, and Boston’s Bruce Hurst knows a trend when he sees one.

According to Claire Smith of the Hartford Courant, after the A’s disposed of the Red Sox in four games in the American League championship series, Hurst walked up to Baylor and said, “OK, Don, tell me where you’re going to be next year so I know who’s going to win.”

Add A’s: Said Jose Canseco, when it was suggested that the fastball he hit off Boston’s Roger Clemens was a mistake: “When you’re throwing 98 m.p.h., I don’t think any fastball is a mistake.”

From Oakland comic Mark Pitta, on the difference between the A’s and the Dodgers: “We have a traditional cap day. They have VCR day and Malibu real estate day.”

Visualizing a debate between Tony La Russa and Tom Lasorda, he said: “The hour debate would last five minutes. Then they’d say, ‘Let’s eat.’ ”

Trivia Time: Who got the last hit off Sandy Koufax? (Answer to follow.)

From Sam Wyche, coach of the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals, revealing that he determined that the club would return to basics this year:

“We weren’t going to have any guest speakers, any vitamin supplement programs, any sports psychologists coming in, no rapid eye movement experts coming in to examine us.”

That recalls the words of Bela Karolyi, when asked the key to his success in gymnastics: “You work your tail off. There is no miracle involved. There is no unusual concept. I’m not into psychology. I hate psychologists. Nutritionists. I hate them. I know better than those people what the kids need. There is no mystery. There is nothing against human nature.”

Brave words: Dallas Green, new manager of the Yankees, told The New York Times: “I got certain assurances when I took this job,” revealing that George Steinbrenner assured him he could bring in his own coaches. “If he changes my pitching coach, he may have to change managers real quick.”

Would-you-believe-it Dept.: From Stan Isle of the Sporting News: “Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn has issued an interesting directive to his organization, banning facial hair except for blacks. Al Albert, brother of NBC’s Marv Albert, turned down the job as play-by-play announcer for the expansion NBA team rather than shave his beard.”

Trivia Answer: Dave Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles in the 1966 World Series. Note: When the Mets beat the Orioles in the 1969 World Series, Johnson made the last out.

Add Johnson: As he awaited word on his managerial future from Met General Manager Frank Cashen, he recalled dealing with Cashen when Cashen was the general manager at Baltimore. Cashen had promised Johnson a $1,000 bonus in 1971 if he improved on his batting average of .281 the year before.

Johnson: “My last time up, I got a hit to go to .282, but in the locker room afterward, Frank told me, ‘I was going to give it to you anyway.’ ”

By the same token, will Johnson get a new contract?

Quotebook

Gerald Perry of the Atlanta Braves, on the final days of the season: “Sometimes we’d look up from the dugout and say, ‘Gee, this would be a good day to paint the seats.’ ”