He Got Point Across With His Bare Hand

Having Johnny Bench behind the plate was like having another coach on the field, and he always knew how to get his point across.

So says George Diaz of the Cincinnati Post, who recalled a game in 1969 when the Reds sent Jerry Arrigo to the mound against the Dodgers. Arrigo liked his fastball. Bench didn’t.

Said Bench: “He was pitching against hitters I knew he couldn’t possibly throw it by. I called for a curve and he shook it off. I called a curve one more time and he shook it off. He finally threw a fastball outside.”

Bench caught the ball. Bare-handed. The point was made.

Big swingers: Who would you take in a long-driving contest in golf among Ernie Banks, Michael Jordan, Jim McMahon and Rick Sutcliffe? The winner, at a charity tournament in Chicago, was McMahon at 306 yards.

Trivia time: What did Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Tommy Thompson and Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Fred Arbanas have in common? (Answer below.)

For the record: Correcting a trivia item that asked which World Series matched the batting champions of both leagues, Jerry Dunlap of Santa Monica, among others, submitted the 1909 Series. That one matched Ty Cobb of Detroit and Honus Wagner of Pittsburgh.

Kinerism of the week: When Bobby and Barry Bonds were about to become the all-time father-son home run champions, New York Mets announcer Ralph Kiner said: “They will surpass the father-son tandem of Buddy Bell and Yogi Berra.”

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: New Orleans Saints General Manager Jim Finks, asked how he got his start, told Ray Sons of the Chicago Sun-Times he got a break in Calgary when he was a 30-year-old assistant coach and emergency quarterback for the Stampeders.

“The general manager got fired because he slugged a player,” Finks said. “They told me to run things until they could find somebody else.”

He’s been in the front office since.

Select company: New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, on Steve Sax: “I wish I had 24 Steve Saxes. I rate him with Goose Gossage, Reggie Jackson and Catfish Hunter.”

Six years ago today: On Aug. 7, 1983, Hal Sutton overcame three straight bogeys to hold off charging Jack Nicklaus by one stroke and win the PGA championship at Riviera Country Club.

Bird gossip: Said Toronto Blue Jays’ pitcher Mike Flanagan when it was rumored he would be traded back to his old team, the Baltimore Orioles: “I guess I could be had if the price was right--a bar of soap, a couple dozen balls. But I just don’t know anybody there anymore. Well, maybe a couple ushers.”

Trivia answer: Each was blind in one eye.

Add Arbanas: During one game, when an official asked him what he would do if he lost his good eye, he said: “I’d be an official just like you.”

Quotebook: Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox, told that Sports Illustrated was planning to do a story on him: “You sure they got the right Ozzie?”