Holtz’s Tongue-in-Cheek Farewell to Ale Falls Flat

Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz is known for his sense of humor, but apparently the gift was lost on linebacker Arnold Ale of Carson.

Ale, 6 feet 2 and 210 pounds, transferred from Notre Dame to UCLA last week. He said that Holtz told him that Notre Dame would not release him to transfer to Irish rival USC.

“Holtz said, ‘Ale, you can transfer, but I won’t let you go to USC. I said, ‘It’s no problem, coach, because I’m not going there.’ ”

Holtz, through Notre Dame Associate Athletic Director Roger Valdiserri, said his comment was made in jest and that he would not stand in the way of any player who wanted to transfer.

Whether he understood the jest or not, Ale had already decided to move to Westwood.

“When I made up my mind to come back, it was to UCLA, not USC,” said Ale, who was homesick at Notre Dame, where he was a part-time starter last season as a freshman. “Out of high school, I was real interested in USC, but as far as transferring, I had no intention of going there.”

Ale will be eligible to play at UCLA next season.

Add colleges: From ESPN analyst Lee Corso, former coach at Indiana: “Nebraska will play in the Orange Bowl for the national championship. The opponent will be Miami, Notre Dame or West Virginia.”

Trivia Time: Tim Kurkjian of the Baltimore Sun asks this one: “Oakland pitchers Mike Moore and Dave Stewart are on a pace to win 20 games this year. Name the last American League team with two 20-game winners in the same season.” (Answer below.)

He Wasn’t a Lemon: It’s small consolation, but at least Dallas Green lasted longer than Bob Lemon in 1982.

Before that season, George Steinbrenner said, “Bob Lemon is going to be our manager all year. You can bet on it. I don’t care if we come in last. I swear on my heart he’ll be the manager all season.”

Fourteen days into the season, Lemon was fired. He was replaced by Gene Michael, who likewise got fired and was replaced by Clyde King, who finished the season. Billy Martin was then named the manager for 1983.

Add Green: Asked if there’s anyone capable of managing the Yankees, he said, “Anybody can manage, but for how long? Bucky will be fired. You could book it.”

The avenger: Since the Boston Red Sox let Carlton Fisk get away to the Chicago White Sox, he has homered against them 26 times in 77 games. When the White Sox scored a 1-0 victory at Fenway Park recently, Red Sox General Manager Haywood Sullivan was out of town.

“As soon as I heard we lost 1-0 on a home run, I didn’t have to ask who hit it,” Sullivan said.

What 1989?: Sparky Anderson finally has figured it out. In the years to come, when they ask him how Detroit did in 1989, he’ll say he doesn’t remember.

“Amnesia,” Anderson said. “I’m going to tell them a ball hit me in the head during spring training, and I didn’t remember a thing after that.”

Trivia answer: The 1983 Chicago White Sox, with Richard Dotson and LaMarr Hoyt.

Quotebook: Pat Williams, general manager of the Orlando Magic, on Miami, home of the Heat: “Crime is down in Miami. They ran out of victims.”