Notes on a Scorecard - May 2, 1991

I expected Rickey Henderson to steal his 939th base Wednesday. I wasn’t quite so sure that Nolan Ryan would pitch his seventh no-hitter. . . .

Darryl Strawberry picked a good night to strike out five times. Hardly anybody noticed. . . .

The best 3-year-old, Dinard, may not be there this year, but there still is nothing quite like the first Saturday of May in Louisville. . . .

Not even the Breeders’ Cup has dispelled the notion that the Kentucky Derby is the only horse race that excites America. . . .

This seer, who predicted that the Kings would win the Stanley Cup and George Foreman would knock out Evander Holyfield in the first round, is picking Best Pal to win. . . .

Best Pal’s workouts at Churchill Downs indicate that he is the horse for the course. . . . A longshot possibility is Quintana. . . .

The Derby field has been cut from the 49,114 foals who were registered in 1988. . . .

Southern California-based jockeys have won seven of the past nine Derbys. . . .

Best place outside Louisville to watch the race is Hollywood Park, where win-place-show and exacta betting will be offered along with a $25,000 Triple Crown handicapping contest, mint juleps, Dixieland bands and a nine-race live card featuring two $100,000 stakes. . . .

Track officials are expecting a crowd approaching 40,000 and will open the first two levels of the Cary Grant Pavilion. . . .

Fly So Free is attempting to become the first 2-year-old champion since Spectacular Bid in 1979 to win the Derby. . . .

Bill Shoemaker’s ride aboard Ferdinand in 1986 was voted the best of all time in a poll conducted by the New York Racing Assn. . . .

Fastest Derby winner: 1:59 2/5 by Secretariat in 1973. Slowest: 2:15 1/5 by Stone Street in 1908. . . .

Only two of the past 14 winners--Spend A Buck in 1985 and Winning Colors in 1988--have led wire-to-wire. . . .

Fourteen of the 15 jockeys in the first Derby in 1875 were black, including Oliver Lewis, aboard winner Aristides. . . .

Franklin Stubbs started at first base for Milwaukee Tuesday and was replaced by Greg Brock. Now, if the Brewers can trade for Mike Marshall. . . .

The second most amazing statistic posted by Joe DiMaggio in 1941 was that he struck out only 13 times. . . .

Bud Harrelson wasn’t the only Met in a fog Tuesday. . . .

Willie McGee’s stint in the American League hasn’t hurt his ability to hit National League pitching. . . .

There ought to be two Joe Morgans managing in the major leagues. . . .

Tuesday was a dream night for Cincinnati. The Reds won and every other team in the NL West lost. . . .

No matter what George Steinbrenner says on the witness stand during the Howie Spira trial, it is difficult to summon any sympathy for the former Yankee boss. . . .

UCLA will hold its annual spring football appreciation day at Spaulding Field Saturday at 10 a.m. Admission is free and the agenda includes practice, team pictures and an autograph session. . . .

Bruin sophomore Garrett Greedy has been impressive at inside and outside linebacker. . . .

Give me one more night at the Hollywood Legion Stadium with the band playing, “Hooray for Hollywood” as the main eventers walk to the center of the ring for instructions. . . .

If the Mike Tyson negotiations fall through, Evander Holyfield might defend his heavyweight title next against Riddick Bowe. . . .

Tommy Morrison needs plenty of work on the art of self-defense. . . .

Another Soviet heavyweight, Alex Petrokov, will make his pro debut tonight on Top Rank’s card at Atlantic City, N.J. I hope the guy takes a better shot to the stomach than Yuri Vaulin, the Latvian who quit against Morrison. . . .

A prospect to watch is unbeaten super-middleweight Frank Liles of Sherman Oaks. . . .

What is remarkable about the Edmonton Oilers’ bid for another Stanley Cup is that they are doing it without Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Paul Coffey. And their best player, Mark Messier, scored only one goal against the Kings in the Smythe Division finals. . . .

Forum fans lost a favorite when St. Louis Blues’ defenseman Harold Snepsts retired after 17 NHL seasons. . . .

Jimmy Connors looks as if he’s ready for Bjorn Borg. . . .

Can’t fool those New York fans, who didn’t fill Madison Square Garden for the Knicks’ playoff game against Chicago. . . .

Vlade Divac has been accepted by the officials, who are giving him calls instead of picking on him. . . .

Famous last words by NBA experts: Nobody wants to play Houston in the first round.