Tollner’s Top Pick Is Peete

Ted Tollner, former USC football coach, is back in the Southland as quarterback coach of the San Diego Chargers.

So guess who he would like to see the Chargers draft with the No. 8 pick?

Rodney Peete.

“I’d like to have Rodney because the guy is a winner,” said Tollner, who recruited and coached Peete for the Trojans. “I just know the guy’s going to be a player in this league.”

Some are not sure. There have been indications from scouting combines that Peete is too short at 6-feet-1 and that his arm is not strong enough. Tollner doesn’t buy it. If new Charger Coach Dan Henning asks his opinion about the draft, Tollner will gladly offer it in support of Peete.

“I’ve heard those things--that he’s too small and so forth--from other people, but I don’t agree with them,” he said. “Rodney Peete finds a way to win.”

Add Tollner: He has strong family ties in the area. Son Bruce, a law student, lives in Rancho Santa Marguerita. Daughter Tammy is in the advertising business in Point Loma. Eldest daughter Linda, a mother of three and a singer, lives in North Hollywood.

“I’m a rock-and-roll mama,” she said.

Bruce and Tammy are both USC graduates.

“I managed to get them both through school before they got rid of me,” Tollner joked.

Gary Carter’s days as the New York Mets’ everyday catcher may be numbered. Manager Davey Johnson has already fired a warning shot across Carter’s bow.

Carter, who will turn 35 the first week of the season, is in the last year of his contract. Last season, Carter’s home runs and runs batted in totals dropped to 11 and 46, respectively.

Johnson said Carter needs to start quickly--or else he’ll sit down.

“I’m going to have to be aware if (Carter) is not up to par this year,” Johnson said. “I have to look for a guy who can back up more, especially if Gary doesn’t get off to a good start.”

At 45, Tommy John is a lot older than Carter, but he’s still playing, at least for a while. John has accepted the New York Yankees’ offer of a spring-training tryout, which consists of $250,000, a free trip to Florida and a high uniform number.

“If I make the team, maybe they’ll give me No. 3 or 4,” John joked.

John will turn 46 in May and the confidence level in his own family isn’t extremely high.

“We got a six-week reprieve,” John’s wife, Sally, told Newsday. “We’ll put the house on the market in April.”

David Checketts has been general manager of the Utah Jazz for five years, but when he took the job, he wanted a new team name, something more befitting Salt Lake City’s image.

“I wanted to change it,” Checketts said. “I mean, why did New Orleans have the Saints and Utah have the Jazz? But (former owner) Sam Battistone said, ‘You can do anything else, but not that.’ ”

The Jazz is truly a team that has arrived in Salt Lake, Checketts said.

“The seventh game against the Lakers last year (which Utah lost) was the most exciting thing to happen here since Brigham Young arrived,” he said.

Today’s question: What team drafted Dominique Wilkins and then sold his rights to Atlanta for $1 million, then drafted Danny Schayes and sold him to Denver for $350,000? Answer: The Utah Jazz.

Today’s question II: Who are Bob Milacki, Pete Harnish, Jose Bautista, Jeff Ballard and Dave Schmidt. Answer: The top five starting pitchers of the Baltimore Orioles.

Today’s question III: Who are Brian Holton, Mike Morgan, Jose Mesa, Oswald Peraza and Mike Smith? Answer: The Orioles’ next five.

The Tyson-Givens soap opera is apparently nearing its final chapter.

All right, stop with the applause.

Tuesday morning, heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and Don King, boarded a jet bound for Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, where Tyson’s divorce with Robin Givens was finalized.

Let’s just be thankful he wasn’t able to drive there.

Quotebook

Bill White, on why he sought the position of National League president: “If you ever worked 18 years with (New York Yankee broadcaster Phil) Rizzuto you’d know my motivation. How would you like to work 18 years with a guy who still doesn’t know your first name.”