Notes on a Scorecard - May 29, 1991

The Dodgers could not have picked a better spot than tonight for Orel Hershiser’s return to the National League--a home game against a weak-hitting team. . . .

Attendance for a Wednesday against Houston, not usually box office magic, won’t be hurt, either. . . .

The Astros are lucky. If not for the promotion of Hershiser, they would have had to face Ramon Martinez. . . .

Caps from Hershiser’s old teams--Bakersfield, Albuquerque and San Antonio--are on display in his Dodger Stadium locker. . . .

Brett Butler has been everything the Dodgers thought he would be. . . .

Butler’s on-base percentage with San Francisco last year was .391. This year, Giant leadoff batters have an on-base percentage of .296. . . .

Nine major league managers are former catchers--Jim Essian, Buck Rodgers, Jim Leyland, Joe Torre, Johnny Oates, Jeff Torborg, John McNamara, Tom Trebelhorn and Stump Merrill. Only Tom Lasorda and Roger Craig are former pitchers. . . .

University of Minnesota outfielder Ryan Lefebvre, son of Seattle Mariner Manager Jim Lefebvre, made the all-tournament team in the NCAA regionals at Dedeaux Field. . . .

Big West Conference co-champion Cal State Fullerton has a legitimate gripe about not being invited to the NCAA baseball tournament. Both Big West co-champion Fresno State and third-place finisher Cal State Long Beach have advanced to the College World Series. . . .

How popular is college baseball in Hawaii? Every Rainbow tournament game was televised live from Los Angeles to the Islands. . . .

Pat Kelly, the New York Yankees’ latest third baseman, resembles Steve Sax at the plate. . . .

The Lakers would have lost Tuesday night even if James Worthy hadn’t been injured. . . .

Portland won the game on the offensive boards, where Worthy wouldn’t have helped the Lakers that much. . . .

The Atlanta Braves are guaranteed a winning month for the first time since May of 1987. . . .

With all the mediocre pitching in the major leagues, you would think somebody would threaten to hit .400 or break Roger Maris’ home run record. . . .

San Bernardino County boasts two of the top-five drawing Class-A teams in baseball, High Desert and San Bernardino of the California League. . . .

Of the new major league managers, Hal McRae of Kansas City should make the biggest difference. . . .

It’s a delight to watch and listen to Dutch Rennert call balls and strikes. . . .

Best player in the American League could be Texas Ranger outfielder Ruben Sierra. . . .

Tom Lasorda will be the auctioneer at the Superstar Sports Auction Sunday at Hollywood Park, a benefit for the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. . . .

The parallels in the careers of Mario Lemieux and Michael Jordan include the fact that both were drafted in 1984. . . .

A sleeper in the NBA draft could be Richard Dumas, a forward from Oklahoma State who played in Europe last season. . . .

Chuck Daly’s last championship team probably will be the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. . . .

In Excess was the fourth Southern California-based horse to win the Metropolitan Mile, one of New York’s most important races, since 1985. . . .

On Memorial Day, All Flags Flying finished last in the seventh race at Hollywood Park. . . .

Prized, a close third-place finisher, came out of the Hollywood Turf Handicap so well that he is expected to run in the Californian June 9 and the Hollywood Gold Cup June 29 on the dirt, where he upset Sunday Silence two summers ago. . . .

Palm Springs has been the site of sparring sessions for champions such as Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Larry Holmes, but the Terry Norris-Donald Curry and Meldrick Taylor-Luis Garcia bouts Saturday night at the Radisson Hotel will be the first world title fights held there. . . .

Norris has let everyone know that he is the World Boxing Council super welterweight champion by shaving the word “Champ” into the back of his head. . . .

Taylor, the World Boxing Assn. welterweight champion, might be tempted to step up in weight and challenge Norris if both win, as expected. . . .

Tony Tucker, who carried a lot of excess baggage when he fought in January at the Forum, has trimmed down for his bout against Orlin Norris on the Virgil Hill-Thomas Hearns card Monday at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. . . .

Ah, my favorite tennis tournament, the French Open, where a five-set match is considered swift if it is played in less than four hours.