The Question Isn’t a Bit Trivial When Golfer Makes This Shot

The trivia question in Sunday’s Morning Briefing asked: “In golf, what is an albatross?”

Trivia answer: A double eagle.

Sunday, Frank Johnson, 65, of Fountain Valley, shot an albatross on the Big Rec 18-hole course at Long Beach Recreation Park.

Johnson’s drive on No. 17, a 465-yard par five, went 240 yards. Facing a slight dogleg left, he hit a three-wood that bounced 10 or 20 yards in front of the green, then rolled smoothly into the cup.

Add albatross: Said Johnson: “I hit it to the right and it drew off the bunker at the right of the green. The other four in our group all watched it go in. I can’t even see that far.

“Now if that isn’t luck, I don’t know what is.”

Trivia time: In 1950, the American League leader in stolen bases had 15, the lowest leading total in major league history. Who was he?

Wait two years: Phil Jackman of the Baltimore Sun nominated a remark by Golden State Warrior Coach Don Nelson as “the most naive statement of the summer.”

Discussing the possibility of pro players joining the U.S. Olympic basketball team, Nelson said: “I’d be shocked if the players didn’t line up to play for a gold medal and to represent their country.”

Fitting tribute: It isn’t easy to get into hockey’s Hall of Fame.

That fact was driven home recently when Hall of Fame officials tried to display one of the earliest ice-resurfacing Zamboni machines, built in 1954 and first used at Boston Garden.

After nearly dumping the machine nose-down on the street at the Canadian Exhibition Grounds in Toronto, workers had to remove the side doors of the facility to get it inside. The process took four hours.

Anything you say: John Clayton of the Tacoma Morning News-Tribune reported on the recent arrival of Minnesota Viking defensive tackle Henry Thomas at training camp.

Dressed as a cowboy, in a bandanna, black leather chaps and blue jeans, Thomas strode up to the training camp check-in desk.

“I need to check this,” he said, handing over a .357 magnum.

A nasty taste: In the eighth inning of Cincinnati’s 6-4 victory over San Francisco Sunday, with a 3-and-1 count on the Giants’ Gary Carter, Red reliever Rob Dibble went to his mouth while standing on the mound. Ball four.

Giant Manager Roger Craig, who came out of the dugout to make sure the infraction was called, said: “He did it about five times before they called it. . . . I’m not saying he throws a spitter. The rule is you can’t go to your mouth (on the mound).”

After the call, Dibble purposely stood to the side of the mound and went to his mouth with an exaggerated motion.

Said Dibble: “(Third base umpire) Joe West thinks he’s the best umpire in the league, and he makes a terrible call in a big game. Neither West nor Craig can stop us.”

Trivia answer: Dom DiMaggio of the Boston Red Sox.

Quotebook: Pitcher Walt Terrell, recently signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers, after giving up 10 runs in his first 11 innings: “So much for a clean slate.”