He Was Once a Trojan, and Still a Trojan

During USC’s 6-3 baseball victory over U.S. International Feb. 9, USIU’s right fielder got his fair share of abuse from three Trojan fans atop the parking structure beyond the right field wall.

Anthony Moretti, the Dedeaux Field public-address announcer, thought he spied a familiar figure among the hecklers. So he checked with Nancy Mazmanian, USC’s assistant sports information director. Could that be . . . ?

Sure enough, out there having fun, the day after he had left USC for a possible career in pro football, was Todd Marinovich.

Out and back: Lee Trevino, who has had two back operations, said at the recent Royal Caribbean Classic senior golf tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla., that if he had to choose a way to keep in shape, he would be a runner.

But, being Lee Trevino, he wouldn’t do it the conventional way.

Said Trevino: “There’s no way I’m going to go out my front door and take off down the street and run. Now if my wife takes me and drops me five miles from the house and says, ‘Come on home, baby, I’ll be waiting on you,’ I’m going to run home.”

Trivia time: Name the only major leaguer to lead his league in both stolen bases and home runs in the same season (among those with more than 15 in each category).

Up a creek: Sunday, Tom Callahan of the Washington Post lamented professional athletes’ encroaching upon the Olympic movement, especially in basketball.

Callahan closed with: “In a basement somewhere, a canoeist has converted a small coal bin into a stagnant river. He’s crouched on one knee, interminably paddling nowhere. The sloshing is a night sound of the neighborhood, a beguiling mystery to the neighbors. A roller skate wedged beneath his forward foot simulates the rocking of the boat.

“Old mirrors of every shape, rescued from dressers and garage sales, are suspended all around him. In their reflections, his technique can be checked against the home movies he has taken of Romanians and Swedes.

“He can’t win, and he doesn’t even know about merchandising.

“He’s just a hero.”

Golden years: Slater Martin, the legendary NBA guard who played with the Minneapolis Lakers, New York Knicks and St. Louis Hawks from 1949-50 to 1959-60, recently reflected on having reached age 65.

Said Martin: “I’m so old, I can’t buy green bananas anymore.”

Great, minus 10 Ten years ago today, Wayne Gretzky scored five goals, including four in the final period, and had two assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 9-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

It tied an NHL record for most goals in a period.

In regulation, you see: At the height of his hyperventilation, near the end of ABC’s telecast of Ohio State’s double-overtime victory over Indiana Sunday, color commentator Dick Vitale finally pushed play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson’s button.

Said Vitale: “It doesn’t get like this in football.”

Said Jackson: “Oh yes it does.”

Trivia answer: Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies, in 1932. Klein had 20 stolen bases and tied the New York Giants’ Mel Ott with 38 home runs.

Quotebook: Rick Majerus, University of Utah basketball coach, on Louisiana State center Shaquille O’Neal: “He could be the first $100-million player.”