Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 8, 1991

He should be elected to the Hall of Fame, but probably won’t be. . . .

He once got into trouble with the law. His character was doubted. But he paid his debt to society. And the important thing is that his baseball credentials are among the best of anyone who ever played the game. . . .

Shame on the voters who keep ignoring Ferguson Jenkins, who won at least 20 games for six consecutive years while pitching in a hitters’ paradise known as Wrigley Field. . . .

Dodger ticket manager Walter Nash reports that mail orders are considerably ahead of last year. That’s what signing Darryl Strawberry and Brett Butler will do for you. . . .

Joe Gibbs is 12-3 in the playoffs, a good reason Washington has a chance to upset San Francisco in Candlestick Park Saturday. . . .

In fact, the 49ers probably have a tougher first-game assignment than New York. . . .

The Bears-Giants game never will be confused with the Holiday Bowl. . . .

New Orleans demonstrated why .500 teams shouldn’t qualify for the playoffs. . . .

Unless they get the home-field advantage throughout the Super Bowl tournament, domed teams are doomed. . . .

Collision of the weekend: the Fridge and Ironhead. . . .

At least you can’t accuse New England owner Victor Kiam of age discrimination. He replaced Rod Rust, 62, with Dick MacPherson, 60. . . .

The more I hear Bill Walsh, the better I like him. . . .

Imaginative Bobby Bowden would make a wonderful NFL coach, but it looks as though he never will leave Florida State. . . .

In that highlight film that shows George Allen being carried off the field at the Coliseum on the shoulders of his Ram players, a youthful Los Angeles assistant can be seen in the foreground. It’s Howard Schnellenberger. . . .

The Magic Johnson-less Lakers’ victory over Golden State was another example of teammates overachieving when a superstar is missing. But it can’t keep happening. Ask the Warren Moon-less Houston Oilers. . . .

The Lakers would be tougher in the second game of those back-to-backers on the road if Terry Teagle regained his shooting touch and enabled the starters to rest more. . . .

I can understand the Portland Trail Blazers at 29-5 and even the Boston Celtics at 26-5, but the Milwaukee Bucks at 24-8? . . .

That Wilt Chamberlain jersey the Philadelphia 76ers finally will retire March 18 is lucky No. 13. . . .

Veteran NBA observer Merv Harris of the San Francisco Examiner disagrees with the opinion that offensive rebounding is an overrated stat. He says the 1967 Philly team might have been the best ever because of its strength in that department. . . .

Tough travel is pretty much over for the Detroit Pistons, who must play only five more games in the West the rest of the season. . . .

Armon Gilliam for Mike Gminski is the latest in a number of lopsided NBA trades. Wide edge to Philadelphia over Charlotte, which threw in Dave Hoppen for good measure. . . .

The NBA Players Assn. is instituting a program to help rookies deal with the media and other pressures of their first year. . . .

Somebody should teach Virgil Hill, the unbeaten World Boxing Assn. light-heavyweight champion, how to punch to the body. . . .

I’m glad the Kings didn’t panic and make a big trade during their recent skid, which was greased by injuries. . . .

Brett Hull is ahead of his 72-goal scoring pace of last season, proving to us skeptics that he’s no fluke. . . .

USC women’s golf coach Cathy Bright was named LPGA coach of the year. . . .

Remember when the Tournament of Champions was front-page news? . . .

Reign Road, who won’t be able to run in the Triple Crown series because of a broken cannon bone in his left front leg, could have been a contender. He looked as though he could go a distance when he staged a furious stretch drive and finished a close third in the Hollywood Juvenile. . . .

MVP of the Santa Anita meeting so far is new track superintendent Steve Wood. . . .

Look for Laffit Pincay’s career to be revived now that he’s represented by agent Bob Meldahl. . . .

Georgia Tech guard Kenny Anderson must have thought he was playing U.S. International when he scored 10 points in a span of 43 seconds against Wake Forest. . . .

Excuse the yawn, but I’ve been watching too much postseason football.