Rice Put on a Show for--and Against--Prospective Bosses

A week before they drafted Glen Rice, the Miami Heat flew in the Michigan sharpshooter for a private audition before club executives.

Wrote Eddie Sefko of the Houston Chronicle: “Rice made so many consecutive shots that the coaches moved him out of bounds. And he still made more than he missed.

“Sensing he was on a roll, Rice challenged Heat General Manager Billy Cunningham, a Hall of Famer, to a game of H-O-R-S-E.

“Cunningham accepted and missed his first jump shot. Rice then hit five consecutive three-pointers, Cunningham missed them all and Rice was a HORSE-to-zero winner.

“On the sideline, Heat rookie Rony Seikaly was taking all this in.

“ ‘You want some?’ Rice asked the 6-11 center. Seikaly turned and left the gym.”

Add draft: Headline in the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch after the draft: “Pooh, Who?”

Translation: The paper was less than thrilled with the selection of UCLA guard Pooh Richardson by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wrote Eric Kinkopf: “Some scouts rated Richardson the top true point guard in the draft. (Understand, placing the adjective ‘true’ in front of the words ‘point guard’ often translates into, ‘He can’t shoot.’)”

Trivia time: In the 1957 U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament, won by Betsy Rawls, what woman, a favorite of the gallery, was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard after being the apparent winner?

Foul poll: To determine whether the home run by Baltimore’s Mike Devereaux against the Angels was fair or foul Saturday night, Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post conducted his own private poll.

--”Carl (The Truth) Williams said it was fair.

--”Walter (The Truth) Berry said it was foul.

--”Mayor Marion Barry said: ‘What’s your name? Who’s your supervisor? Don’t you ever talk to me like that again.’

--”Donald Trump offered to buy the foul pole and name it after himself: Ump de Trump.”

Add Kornheiser: “Pete Rose was unavailable for comment,” he said. “But John Dowd’s informants said Rose was in Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, caught Devereaux’s ball, autographed it, sold it for $1,000, and quickly wired the money to his bookie.”

Screen test: Pittsburgh catcher Junior Ortiz told the Pittsburgh Press that he’s a better catcher at Dodger Stadium because of the ground level box seats behind home plate.

“You don’t want to have a passed ball there,” said Ortiz, “because when you run back to the screen you are looking people right in the eye and they’re saying, ‘Ortiz, you are the worst.’ ”

Beat goes on: Said Kansas City Manager John Wathan after Oakland’s Jose Canseco homered and stole a base in his first game of the season: “He’s already in the 1-1 club, and he’s played only one game.”

Trivia answer: Jackie Pung of Hawaii. On her scorecard, she incorrectly gave herself a five instead of a six on one hole. Even with the six she would have been the winner, but the “incorrect scorecard” rule still held.

Quotebook: Bob Hertzel of the Pittsburgh Press, proposing an ideal marriage: “If Dickie Thon married Wellington Mara’s daughter, Minnie, she’d be Minnie Mara Thon.”