Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 9, 1990

Mariano Duncan’s work Monday in Pittsburgh doesn’t mean that the trade sending him and Tim Leary to Cincinnati for Kal Daniels and Lenny Harris in 1989 wasn’t a great one for the Dodgers. . . .

What the Dodgers should do now, though, is try to trade Daniels to the New York Yankees for Steve Sax. . . .

Daniels would make a terrific designated hitter, and Sax would give the Dodgers the leadoff hitter they have lacked since he left. . . .

Maybe it’s because there is no glamorous team in the National League and Oakland is such a prohibitive favorite in the American, but I don’t hear as much talk as usual about the playoffs. . . .

And, imagine, Game 3 of a tied series couldn’t come close to selling out Three Rivers Stadium. . . .

Best CBS camera shot: A tense Bobby Bonds watching a tense Barry Bonds at bat. . . .

Best observation: Commentator Tim McCarver saying that it was useless for Cincinnati Manager Lou Piniella to ask Joe Oliver how Danny Jackson was throwing because catchers always stand up for their pitchers. . . .

A video ought to be made on the Oakland Athletics’ way to play baseball. . . .

When Dave Stewart, Bob Welch, Mike Moore or Dennis Eckersley is pitching, the A’s can put nine people on the field who have All-Star experience. . . .

Those reports that Marcus Allen might be traded by the Raiders are hard to believe. . . .

Buffalo is starting to remind people of the Seattle and Denver teams that used to win games on turnovers. . . .

I’d hate to see the Cleveland Browns try to punt against the Bills. . . With good drafts, the Dallas Cowboys will become playoff contenders in a couple of years. . . .

If the officiating in the NFL was better, there wouldn’t be so many delays for instant-replay reviews. . . .

The San Francisco 49ers continue to do amazing things, like coming from behind to win in the hostile Astrodome. . . .

The San Diego Chargers shouldn’t be surprised by first-round draft pick Junior Seau’s lack of production his rookie year. After all, he started only one season at USC. . . .

Suddenly, USC-Stanford at Palo Alto Saturday is one of the most attractive games of the Pacific 10 season. . . .

Colorado is one for one on fifth-down conversions this year. . . .

But, no, Missouri shouldn’t be awarded the victory. Colorado never would have spiked the ball a second time in the series if the sideline markers had shown it was fourth down instead of third. . . .

Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson won his 363rd game Saturday, giving him 40 more than Bear Bryant. . . .

BYU quarterback Ty Detmer has disappeared from the nation’s TV screens until bowl time. . . .

The nation’s top-ranked prep quarterback is Donnie Davis from Cummings High School in Burlington, N.C., who probably will attend Notre Dame, Houston or Georgia Tech. . . .

Look-alikes: Lou Holtz and Woody Allen. . . .

I thought it was a typo when I read that Bryan Trottier led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a victory. . . .

Who are the Toronto Maple Leafs going to blame for their slow start now that Harold Ballard is gone? . . .

The Gulls of the International Hockey League drew 9,046 for their opener in San Diego Thursday. The North Stars of the NHL drew 5,730 for their opener in Minnesota Friday. . . .

Thumbs up to owner John Mabee for indicating that 2-year-old prospect Best Pal will be supplemented to run in the Breeders’ Cup, which is badly in need of interesting entrants. . . .

Nadav Henefeld, the rookie of the year in the Big East Conference at Connecticut, will play for his new team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, against the Lakers in their charity game Oct. 16 at the Forum. . . .

Former world champions Joe Frazier, Joey Giardello and Fighting Harada, ex-contender Art Aragon and Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist Jim Murray are among those who will be inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame Nov. 18 at the Airport Marriott hotel. . . .

Not long after he won the heavyweight championship from Mike Tyson, Buster Douglas visited Las Vegas. His entourage numbered three people. Now there are 25 along for the ride as he prepares to defend the title against Evander Holyfield. . . .

George Foreman will appear on the USA network again tonight to work the corner of protege Bobby Cook, a middleweight from Houston, in a preliminary bout in Phoenix.