He Made Nickname for Himself

The story is that Tom Lasorda pinned the nickname Bulldog on Orel Hershiser to make him appear tougher, but the Dodger pitcher told Hal Bock of the Associated Press, “I think he did that for himself more than he did for me. He’s over there in the dugout yelling, ‘C’mon, Bulldog.’ I think it makes him think I’m tough and can work myself out of jams.”

Asked Bock: “What jams?”

Add Hershiser: He can pitch, he can hit and he can run the bases. Is there anything he can’t do?

“Yeah,” Rick Dempsey said, “he can’t manage. Sometimes, when he’s not pitching, he tries to manage from the bench.”

More Hershiser: Says Mike Marshall: “I didn’t think anyone could dominate a sport the way Wayne Gretzky can. But right now, Orel Hershiser is dominating the game of baseball.”

Add Lasorda: He tells this one: “My mother-in-law goes into the hospital the other day. We’re playing the Mets in the seventh game, they’re putting all these tests on her.

“She asks the doctor, ‘What’s the score?’ The doctor doesn’t know what she’s talking about and she says, ‘What’s the Dodger score?’ The doctor can’t believe it.”

Her name is Sue Miller. She’s 93.

More Lasorda: Mike Scioscia told the New York Times: “He’s the most competitive person I’ve met in my life, whether he’s pitching horseshoes or shooting baskets or pitching baseballs. If someone hits his curveball in batting practice, forget it. He takes it as a personal affront.”

Trivia Time: What happened the last time John Tudor of the Dodgers faced Don Baylor of the Oakland Athletics? (Answer below.)

Is Mickey Hatcher of the Dodgers really as flaky as they say? When he was with the Minnesota Twins, Roy Smalley said, “He’s the first guy to make it to the majors on one brain cell.”

For What It’s Worth: Of the last 17 teams that took 2-0 leads in the World Series, 9 have wound up losers. Among them were the 1978 Dodgers, who dropped 4 straight to the New York Yankees after winning the first 2 at Dodger Stadium. In 1981, the Yankees won the first 2 from the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium, then lost 4 straight.

11 Years Ago Today: On Oct. 18, 1977, Reggie Jackson hit 3 consecutive home runs as the New York Yankees defeated the Dodgers, 8-4, to wrap up the World Series in 6 games. All 3 homers came on first pitches, served up by Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough.

Said Dodger Steve Garvey later: “I must admit, when Reggie hit his third home run and I was sure nobody was looking, I applauded in my glove.”

Earl Ferrell of the Phoenix Cardinals, on fellow running back Stump Mitchell: “Stump Mitchell has a big heart. He’s the type of person I want my kid to grow up to be like--but a little taller.”

Stump is 5-9.

Trivia Answer: In the fifth inning of Game 6 of the 1987 World Series, Baylor, playing for the Minnesota Twins, hit a 2-run homer off Tudor, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Quotebook

Oakland’s Jose Canseco on Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser: “My first impression is he’s a hell of a hitter. I’m going to hire him as my personal hitting coach.”