New Twist to Old Art of Scoring

Bill White, the National League’s new president, was reminiscing recently about his radio days in the New York Yankees’ broadcast booth with Phil Rizzuto, the play-by-play man and former Yankee.

“I had to leave the booth for a couple innings,” White said. “When I got back, he handed me his scorecard so I could pick up the plays. In a couple of spots he had a WW. I asked him what that stood for? ‘Wasn’t watching,’ he answered.”

Check and double check: As spring football practice begins again at Southern Methodist University after two years of hard probation by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn., nothing is being overlooked.

According to Coach Forrest Gregg, 68 players reported this week for the two-week drills. Twenty-five more signed scholarships in February but won’t arrive until August.

“A club team from England wanted to come over and work out with us,” Gregg said. “We’re so short-handed, we thought it was a great idea. Then we called the NCAA and they told us it would cost us a game.”

He talks a good game: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike Morgan, whose 34-68 record is the worst among active American League pitchers with 20 or more decisions is keeping a positive outlook.

“I have a great arm,” he said. “Tons of players would love to have my arm. But I haven’t put it to use in the right area. . . . I’m still capable of pitching 225 to 240 innings and winning some games. I deserve a shot.

“I may be 29, but I have the body of a 23-year-old. My arm is better than the young guys’. My arm is 18. . . . I know that, for a period of about 10 starts, I can be the best pitcher in this league.”

The Dodgers will be glad to hear all that, since they are contemplating a trade for him.

Best-laid plans: According to Patrick Flannery, Hector Camacho’s adviser, making the 140-pound limit for his World Boxing Organization junior welterweight title fight against Boom Boom Mancini last Monday night was an ordeal for Camacho.

The 2:30 a.m. weigh-in the morning of the fight was a ploy by the Camacho camp to get its man eating again as soon as possible and into bed, rather than having him wait until 8:30.

“The late-night weigh-in was to our advantage, but Hector blew the advantage by staying up all night,” Flannery said.

“He ate at 3 a.m., played some arcade games and then ate breakfast again at 9 in the morning. He said he was restless.”

A tiring Camacho held off Mancini in the last half of the fight, earning a split decision.

Quotebook

Tree Rollins, the 33-year-old center of the Cleveland Cavaliers, after rejecting a shot by Miami Heat rookie Todd Mitchell: “Young fellow, didn’t you have cable (TV) when you were growing up? I used to do this stuff all the time.”