Astro Pitcher Gets Off Scott Free in Eyes of Hershiser, Dodgers

Javier Sotomayor high jumped eight feet Saturday. A week before, Greg LeMond came from 50 seconds back during the last stage to win the Tour de France. Nolan Ryan, 42, leads the major leagues in strikeouts. Fairly amazing stuff, eh, Mike Downey?

So Mike Scott has won 17 games this year--that means he’s cheating?

If the umpires aren’t finding anything (maybe they should be investigated), then leave it alone. And why should we assume that Orel Hershiser is “Mr. Integrity?” He was “willing” to say so publicly” because he was the best in the league last year.

How can anyone improve so considerably “overnight?” Well, let’s look at:

(a) The Baltimore Orioles, after winning 54 games last year;

(b) Jose Uribe, after a name change;

(c) Leonard Thompson, after not winning a tournament for 12 years. He shouldn’t be able to beat out the likes of Payne Stewart and Hal Sutton, should he?

So what’s the big deal about Scott becoming a winning pitcher? Maybe he is maturing. Maybe he got tired of losing. Maybe he just worked long and hard to improve his pitching.

CHUCK SEEGER

Pomona