Notes on a Scorecard - July 25, 1990

On nights when Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez defends his World Boxing Council light-flyweight championship, you can forget the adage, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” . . .

Lim Jung Keun, who weighed in at 107 1/2 pounds, fell hard late in the fourth round Monday night at the Forum. The courageous Korean challenger got up but was saved from further punishment when the referee stopped the fight in the next round. The Gonzalez knockout meter: 22 in 28 professional bouts, after 19 in 23 amateur bouts. . . .

The unbeaten Gonzalez bears a facial resemblance to Herve Villechaize from “Fantasy Island” and isn’t terribly much bigger, but you would not want to meet up with him in a dark alley or a well-lighted ring. . . .

He is the latest in a long line of bombers from Mexico to seek fame and fortune north of the border. When featherweight Ricardo (Pajarito) Moreno sold out the Hollywood Legion Stadium in the late 1950s, fans unable to buy tickets smashed windows and climbed into the building. Later, bantamweight Ruben Olivares turned ‘em away at the Forum, and so did welterweight Pipino Cuevas at the Sports Arena and the Olympic Auditorium. . . .

They’re not knocking down doors or breaking windows yet for Gonzalez, but the crowd of 7,187 was good for a locally televised card, and it was almost like old times at the Forum when George Parnassus was promoter. Three national anthems were sung, a fight broke out at ringside, and the Mexican hero got a victory ride up the aisle on the shoulders of his countrymen. . . .

One of the biggest fights of 1991 could be Gonzalez vs. Michael Carbajal, who has become a network star since losing a controversial decision in the 1988 Olympic Games. . . .

The Lakers’ new look next season will include the familiar face of Bill Sharman. . . .

Sharman, who has served the franchise as coach, general manager and president, will return as a special consultant after a two-year absence. . . .

“He may do some scouting, but his focus will be on our team,” General Manager Jerry West said. “More than anything else, we want him to give us another look at ourselves. He’ll provide us with some expert opinion.” . . .

Mike Marshall is about to be traded by the New York Mets to Baltimore or Boston. . . .

If Nolan Ryan wins his 300th game tonight, he will be the second former Met to have done it against the New York Yankees. Tom Seaver was with the Chicago White Sox when he accomplished the feat at Yankee Stadium in 1985. . . .

The biggest mistake Angel owner Gene Autry ever made was allowing the Houston Astros to sign Ryan as a free agent on Nov. 19, 1979, after victory No. 167. . . .

The San Diego Padres haven’t been the same since catcher Benito Santiago was injured. . . . Steve Wynn of the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas is courting George Foreman and Julio Cesar Chavez. . . .

News item: Jay Lawrence, who covers the Raiders for the Orange County Register and soon will move to Denver to cover the Broncos for the Rocky Mountain News, is treated like an out-of-town reporter and barred from Raider practice sessions in Oxnard. Reaction: Out-of-what-town? . . .

It turns out that a TV movie on three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond is being developed for ABC by producer Larry Lyttle. . . .

Thumbs up to the Nevada Las Vegas basketball players who have asked an attorney to try to overturn the NCAA ruling making them ineligible to defend their national title. . . .

Reaction to the chart showing how few NBA and NFL draftees have graduated is hot and heavy. UCLA is proud of its “Final Score” program. More than 100 former student-athletes have returned to school and earned their degrees since 1984. And USC reports that 15 of the 17 seniors on the football team are on schedule to graduate on time. . . .

Before he was put on waivers by the British Columbia Lions, an out-of-shape Mark Gastineau was being called Gasp-ineau. . . .

How about a match race between Leroy Burrell and Ben Johnson? . . .

Trainer George (Mother) Menefee, one of the most popular members of the Rams’ organization, will be honored at halftime of the Ram-Charger exhibition game on Aug. 18 at Anaheim Stadium. . . .

The Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce and the L.A. Sports Council are trying to put together a four-team college basketball tournament for 1991 or ’92 at the Sports Arena or the Forum. . . .

What Goodwill? First there was the Alonzo Mourning-Jose Ortiz altercation in the United States-Puerto Rico basketball game, and now word filters down from Seattle that Ted Turner and Jane Fonda engaged in a shouting match at the Goodwill Games.