Nothing New Under the Sun for Ex-Padre

The Toronto Blue Jays’ 7-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals Thursday night was aided by an unlikely event.

In the second inning, with the bases loaded and two out, Mookie Wilson struck out on a 3-and-2 pitch in the dirt.

The ball rolled a few feet away. Instead of picking it up and stepping on home plate for the force out that would have ended the inning, Royal catcher Mike Macfarlane threw to first base. His throw was wild, and all three runners scored.

Blue Jay Manager Cito Gaston was asked whether he had ever seen such a thing.

Said Gaston: “I can’t recall. But I’ve probably seen everything. I played in San Diego.”

During the Pre-Roseanne Era, that is.

Trivia time: Which 10 NFL teams have at least one letter of the alphabet in their helmet logos?

No Bruin allowed: UCLA has announced that alcohol will no longer be sold at its home football games.

That leaves USC as the only Pacific 10 school that allows the practice.

UCLA Athletic Director Peter Dalis said that the new policy includes stricter enforcement at the Rose Bowl gates.

Tailgate parties in the parking lot before and after the games are expected to continue.

Another yeasty situation: Franco Harris, the former Pittsburgh Steeler and Seattle Seahawk running back, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next Saturday. He said this week that he will “always be a Steeler.”

Harris left the Steelers in 1984 after a contract dispute that Steeler President Dan Rooney called “really unfortunate, extremely difficult . . . distasteful.”

Said Harris: “As far as (Coach) Chuck (Noll) and the hierarchy (are concerned), I don’t have any bitter feelings, because I’m not that type of guy. But we don’t have a relationship, I guess you could say.”

Culture shock: In a story on the careers of the Oakland A’s pitching staff of the early 1980s, Jim Van Vliet of the McClatchy News Service quoted Matt Keough, now playing in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers, as saying:

“There is still this misconception that only crippled lepers come here to play. That all Japanese pitchers are 5-feet-8 and throw sidearm. . . .

“It’s tough. . . . And every time you pitch, they’re watching and videotaping. They’re trying to pick up your pitches.

“They do that to an extent in America, but (in Japan) they yell, ‘Fastball! Curve!’ And if you knock them down (for it), they’ll get rid of you.”

Trivia answer: Bears, Broncos, Chiefs, Dolphins, 49ers, Giants, Jets, Packers, Raiders and Steelers.

Quotebook: Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts: “Most men who want their sons to be like some athlete are probably too lazy to set the proper example. They want some ballplayer they have read about, but don’t even know, to do it. How ridiculous.”