Notes on a Scorecard - July 24, 1990

My idea of an endless summer is when both local baseball teams are playing .500 ball. . . .

Orel Hershiser has only three fewer victories than Mark Langston this season. . . .

Unsung hero for the Pittsburgh Pirates is Jose Lind, their good-field, good-hit second baseman. . . .

Reports of George Brett’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. . . .

Thank heavens for ESPN on nights like Wednesday when we get to watch Nolan Ryan try for his 300th victory. . . .

Easy Goer should have no complaints about his retirement digs in Kentucky. He’s staying in Secretariat’s old stall. . . .

Most gut-wrenching moment on TV over the weekend was the tape of Doug Sanders missing a short putt that would have given him the British Open championship in 1970. . . .

Baseball commentator’s cliche: “That was a nice piece of hitting.” . . .

The George Steinbrenner saga grew stale long ago, and I wish Fay Vincent would make a decision already. . . .

Hockey in July may not be your thing, but the U.S.-Soviet Union game in the Goodwill Games should make interesting viewing Monday. The Americans beat the Soviets, 3-1, at Oakland Saturday and lost, 5-3, Sunday at Portland, Ore. . . .

Please, TBS, give us more Goodwill Games coverage of that most exciting of the so-called minor sports, team handball. . . .

Rich Vogler, the five-time United States Auto Club midget champion who died from injuries suffered in a crash Saturday night, was one of the fiercest competitors in the history of the wheel. He didn’t consider his week complete unless he raced in three or four events and won at least a couple of them. . . .

How do you say “three-peat” in French? . . .

Highlights of the Hollywood Park meeting: The Gold Cup duel won by Criminal Type over Sunday Silence, big crowds for the four Friday night cards and the hiring of Michael Wrona as public address announcer. Lowlights: Small fields for many feature races and the spill that sidelined Chris McCarron. . . .

Promoter Don Chargin was going to use light-heavyweight Leon Calvin, who was shot to death early Sunday morning, in a preliminary bout Aug. 19 in Sacramento. “I’d heard good things about him,” Chargin said about Leon Spinks’ 19-year-old son. “He was a legitimate prospect, not just a curiosity item.” . . .

Receiving $5,339 each for finishing in a five-way tie for 63rd in the British Open were David Canipe, Peter Baker, Roger Chapman, Martin Poxon and Jack Nicklaus. . . .

Headline on the Oregon State basketball prospectus the summer after Gary Payton’s departure: “There’s Still Something to Talk About.” . . .

Michigan has accepted the invitation of its former coach, Bill Frieder, to participate in the Arizona State tournament Dec. 28-29 at Tempe. . . .

Look-alikes: Kirk Gibson and John Newcombe. . . .

Who says Terry Donahue’s UCLA offense has been too conservative? According to a survey conducted by UC Davis sports information specialist Jim Doan, UCLA had the second-best pass efficiency rating in the 1980s among NCAA Division I-A schools. Brigham Young was first and Miami third. . . .

In 1941, Bruno Banducci played for Stanford in the Indians’ 21-13 victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl. In 1966, son Russ played for UCLA in the Bruins’ 14-12 shocker over Michigan State in the Rose Bowl. Saturday night, grandson Eric, who is UCLA bound, will play for the South in the Shrine North-South game at the Rose Bowl. . . .

John Jackson, the former USC wide receiver-outfielder, batted .306 for the San Francisco Giants’ Everett, Wash., team in the Northwest League before reporting to the Phoenix Cardinals’ rookie camp. The Giants were so impressed that they offered him a spot on their Phoenix roster in the Pacific Coast League on his days off. Jackson said no thanks, that he wants to concentrate on football right now. . . .

New graduate assistant football coach at USC is Ken Zampese, son of Ram assistant Ernie Zampese. . . .

Quarterback Troy Taylor, who passed for lots of yards with weak Cal teams, could be the surprise of the New York Jets’ training camp. . . .

The Indianapolis Colts are badly mistaken if they believe the signing of Stanley Morgan, 37, is going to make up for the loss of Andre Rison, 23, at wide receiver. . . .

The Rams’ preseason optimism is warranted, but they better come to terms with Kevin Greene pretty soon or they’ll have no pass rush at all. . . .

When Brian Bosworth’s agent says his client is “the next Brando,” he must mean Tim Brando.