Notes on a Scorecard - April 25, 1990

Jerry Buss should be able to afford the $25,000-fine levied against the Lakers for not playing Magic Johnson and James Worthy Sunday night at Portland. The receipts from a pair of Jack Nicholson-row season tickets--less $3,700--will pay the bill. . . .

In the final game of the 1989 baseball season, the Toronto Blue Jays, who already had clinched the American League East championship, rested six regulars and their normal starting pitcher against the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto lost before a capacity crowd of 49,469 at home, 7-5. The league took no action. . . .

Laker Coach Pat Riley’s responsibilities are to his team and its fans, not to the Portland Trail Blazer fans. . . .

Reports of the demise of thoroughbred racing at Hollywood Park have been greatly exaggerated. . . .

There has been an unprecedented demand for stall space, nearly $1 million was spent to beautify the plant, and the summer meeting, which opens this afternoon, should be the most interesting in years. . . .

On the agenda is the prospect of a Sunday Silence-Prized rematch in the Gold Cup, the debut of Bill Shoemaker as a trainer, and the first full local campaign for Kent Desormeaux, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey. . . .

Shoe wasted little time at the entry box, but the race in which 3-year-old filly Star Child from England was supposed to run on opening day didn’t fill. . . .

Named to ride three horses today is apprentice W.T. Mahorney Jr., whose father Bill won 25 stakes at Hollywood Park in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. . . .

Trainer Ron McAnally merely switched from one Kentucky Derby winner to another when he was forced to change jockeys for Silver Ending in this year’s Run for the Roses--from Gary Stevens, who was aboard Winning Colors in 1988, to Chris McCarron, who rode Alysheba in 1987. . . .

In one corner Monday night at the Forum was World Boxing Council super-bantamweight champion Daniel (the Lion Hearted) Zaragoza. In the other was challenger Paul Banke, wearing the lettering “All Heart” on his trunks. Both fighters then showed plenty of ticker, the bloodied Banke rallying in the ninth round to stop the even more bloodied Zaragoza. . . .

Southpaws often put audiences to sleep. Maybe the secret is to match two of them, like Banke and Zaragoza. . . .

How ferocious was the fight? Well, they exchanged punches before the bell that began the fourth round. . . .

It isn’t easy to put together lively cards regularly these days, but John Jackson, the Forum’s director of boxing, and matchmaker Tony Curtis are doing it. . . .

Here’s a heavyweight bout Jackson and Curtis ought to arrange: Bill Laimbeer vs. Charles Barkley. . . .

Agents for Baylor linebacker James Francis and North Carolina State defensive end Ray Agnew reportedly listened to the same contract offer from the Chicago Bears that the agent for USC safety Mark Carrier accepted. . . .

Some NFL team should hand a gold-plated invitation to rookie camp to wide receiver John Jackson, who wasn’t drafted after setting a USC record for receptions. He gets the job done although he isn’t big or particularly fast. But then, who would want another Steve Largent?

The Raiders, who aren’t bulging with quarterback talent, should at least take a look at 12th-round draft choice Major Harris. The Canadian league wants him, but isn’t paying much anymore. . . .

This will be the biggest weekend of the spring in the UCLA-USC rivalry. The Bruins and Trojans will compete in track Saturday, in baseball Friday through Sunday and in crew Saturday. And both men’s and women’s teams are entered in the Pacific 10 Conference tennis tournament at Ojai, the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. tournament at Cal State Northridge and the Pac-10 golf tournament in Phoenix. . . .

Roman Gabriel, Billy Kilmer, Dick Bass, Tommy Mason, Deacon Jones, Tom Mack and Jack Snow will be among those honoring their former coach at the “Long Beach Welcomes George Allen” dinner May 23 at the Spruce Goose. . . .

Martin Keino, the distance-running son of Kip, has signed a letter of intent with the University of Arizona. . . .

Red Holzman says that Bob Davies, the Hall of Fame guard who led the Rochester Royals to pro basketball titles in 1946 and 1947 and died Sunday, was decades ahead of his time and could have played in the modern-day NBA. . . .

Bad knees and all, Tommy Lasorda will walk in the March of Dimes’ Walk America Saturday at Griffith Park.