Notes on a Scorecard - March 27, 1990

If starters are going to be eligible for victories after pitching only three innings the first three weeks of the season, then batters should be awarded home runs for balls hit off the outfield fences. . . .

Every New York Yankee fan I know is hoping that his dealings with gambler Howie Spira will mean the beginning of the end of George Steinbrenner’s reign as owner. . . .

The Boss’ Yanks did set a club record last year--their won-loss percentage dipped for the fourth consecutive season. . . .

Thumbs up to Manager Doug Rader for being candid about the Angels’ need to trade a pitcher for an outfielder. However, those rumors of Dave Winfield, 38 and coming off an injury, for Mike Witt aren’t very appetizing. . . .

Thumbs down on Commissioner Fay Vincent for opposing interleague play. He claims it would take something away from the World Series. Funny, but those interconference regular-season games never seem to hurt interest in the NBA Finals or the Super Bowl. . . .

No wonder Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire are dry-washing their hands. Don Mattingly once drove in 145 runs hitting behind Rickey Henderson. . . .

The Angels have done reporters a favor by including three pages of medical terminology in their media guide, but they forgot to put in hangnail. . . .

I’m not a huge Bobby Hebert fan, but he would be an improvement over incumbent Raider quarterbacks Steve Beuerlein and Jay Schroeder. . . .

The two races that interest me most in the NBA standings are between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons for the best record in the league, and between Cleveland and Atlanta for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. If the Cavaliers don’t beat out the Hawks, the Clippers will get a second lottery pick. . . .

Jerry Tarkanian says Shawn Kemp, the Seattle SuperSonics’ rookie center, was denied admission to Nevada Las Vegas because of poor grades in junior college. . . .

Georgia Tech reminds me of Arkansas’ Final Four team of 1978. The Yellow Jackets have Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver. The Razorbacks had Sidney Moncrief, Marvin Delph and Ron Brewer. . . .

Mitch Chortkoff, then with the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, made the mistake of writing that Arkansas had no chance to beat UCLA in the ’78 Regionals at Albuquerque, N.M. After the Razorbacks’ 74-70 victory, Chortkoff received a package, postmarked Fayetteville, Ark., full of horse manure. . . .

A cliche that didn’t fit: After Georgia Tech survived a scare by inspired underdog Minnesota Sunday, Scott said, “We wanted it more than they did.” . . .

By bringing Duke to the Final Four for the fourth time in five years, Mike Krzyzewski has done nothing to hurt his chances of coaching the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. . . .

Is it my imagination or are a lot more college basketball players wearing mouthpieces these days? . . .

Trevor Wilson finished his UCLA career third on the all-time Bruin scoring list, fourth in rebounding and sixth in assists and steals. Not bad, although a distinction should be made between those who played four years and those who played only three when freshmen weren’t eligible. . . .

Wilson has a chance to become the 22nd Bruin to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. However, it wasn’t until the 10th round that two Bruins were selected in the 1981 draft. Student manager Vic Sisson was picked as a gag by New Jersey Net Coach Larry Brown, who had just left UCLA. Kenny Easley was picked by the Chicago Bulls but opted for the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. . . .

Watch out for the Pacific 10 Conference next season. Arizona will welcome Chris Mills into its veteran lineup, and UCLA and vastly improved USC will each have four returning starters. . . .

UCLA doesn’t begin spring football practice until April 5 because exams were conducted last week and this is spring vacation week. It will be interesting to see how transfers Arnold Ale, the linebacker from Notre Dame, and Mike Chalenski, the end from Pittsburgh, fit into an experienced defense. . . .

Sorry to report that the wave has come to boxing. Some fans in the cheap--$50 to $250--grandstand seats at the Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor fight killed time during the undercard by executing my unfavorite maneuver. . . .

Actually, the undercards on most big shows are so rotten that you can’t hold the fans responsible for their actions. . . .

Call Andre Agassi anything but dull. . . .

Prized is at his best on grass, but Hollywood Park could score a coup by matching him and Sunday Silence in the Gold Cup. Prized upset the Kentucky Derby winner on dirt in Inglewood last year.