Notes on a Scorecard - May 1, 1990

Luis Polonia isn’t my idea of pennant-contention insurance. . . .

Of course, you have to give up something to get something, and the Angels’ Mike Port remains unwilling to trade a starting pitcher. . . .

Fred Claire’s problem is that he can’t afford to trade anyone important in the aftermath of the injury to Orel Hershiser. . . .

And the Dodger vice president in charge of player personnel is happy that he didn’t trade Ramon Martinez for a center fielder in the off-season. . . .

Not that Claire is bashful about making a deal. Of the players who suited up Monday night against San Francisco, only Mike Scioscia and Fernando Valenzuela were with the Dodgers when Claire replaced Al Campanis on April 8, 1987. . . .

What makes the Oakland Athletics so tough is that they can beat you 1-0 or 10-9. . . .

Last year’s National League division champions, the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, are in last place and next-to-last place, respectively. . . .

On Friday, the Giants broke an eight-game losing streak at Candlestick Park and the Athletics had an eight-game winning streak on the road broken. . . .

The Lakers were fortunate to escape with that four-point victory over Houston Sunday at the Forum. Had the Rockets won, they would have been tough to beat in the best-of-five series. They’re strong rebounders, quick in the backcourt and match up well with the Lakers in all areas except, perhaps, the heart. . . .

Pat Riley said he wasn’t complaining, just observing that Akeem Olajuwon plays a one-man zone defense. Actually, Olajuwon plays a one-man defense, period. His 10 blocked shots Sunday tied a playoff record. . . .

One reason Riley got to 100 playoff victories so fast is that he has surrounded himself with outstanding assistant coaches. In his book, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls Bill Bertka the perfect man for the job. And when Randy Pfund was offered big bucks to become Dick Versace’s assistant at Indiana last season, Riley made sure he stayed with the Lakers by requesting that management give him a raise. . . .

Leave it to Chick Hearn to get the point margin in some way before a station break. Last Friday: “This is the Lakers’ basketball eight-point network.” . . .

Lawrence Tanter’s public address announcement about smoking not being allowed in the Forum always draws a big ovation. And his announcement that Jake O’Donnell is one of the officials always draws a big boo. . . .

Home teams have won 15 of the 16 first-round playoff games, no big surprise considering their superior won-lost records during the regular season. . . .

What the Cleveland Cavaliers are lacking against the Philadelphia 76ers is a guard who can drive the lane. Somebody like Ron Harper. . . .

Rarely has a playoff team looked as uninterested as the New York Knicks did against the Boston Celtics Saturday. . . .

Mike Fratello is the favorite to succeed Don Casey as Clipper coach. . . .

Artesia High basketball star Ed O’Bannon scored more than 700 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test, meaning he won’t be a Proposition 48 case and will be eligible to play as a freshman at USC, UCLA or Arizona State, among others. . . .

George Raveling’s son Mark, a guard, has signed a letter of intent to attend Drake. . . .

Walt Hazzard has applied for the coaching job at Howard University in Washington, D.C. . . .

Look-alikes: Al Unser Jr. and country singer Randy Travis. . . .

The Indianapolis 500 draws the biggest crowd every year for an American sports event. The second biggest? The opening day of 500 qualifying. . . .

Mike Ditka will play himself in the season finale of “L.A. Law,” May 17. The scene involves a disgruntled fan who sues a football team for not making the playoffs. . . .

He’s a terrific young rider, but there was no excuse for Kent Desormeaux to get confused about the finish line and pull up early on a mount that would otherwise have won Saturday at Hollywood Park. Riders are often reminded that mile races finish farther down the track than the other races. . . .

In “The Babe Ruth Story,” William Bendix, as the Babe, signs autographs with his right hand. . . .

What might have been the last USC-UCLA dual track meet ever in the Coliseum drew only 2,452 spectators, but the Penn Relays are still big in Philadelphia, where 39,158 turned out Saturday. . . .

Thomas Hearns has been in some of the best fights of recent years and some of the worst, including his waltz with Michael Olajide Saturday at Atlantic City. . . .

Credit the NFL computer with having an imagination. The Houston Oilers are scheduled to open the season against the Atlanta Falcons and Coach Jerry Glanville Sept. 9 at Atlanta. . . .

Bet you can’t wait to tell your grandchildren that you were at Dodger Stadium the night Greg Maddux of the Chicago Cubs set the major league record for most putouts by a pitcher.