Notes on a Scorecard - July 24, 1991

Tommy John advises the Dodgers to keep the faith in Orel Hershiser. . . .

“They have to show confidence in him, be patient and allow him to stay in the rotation,” John said. “If they expect him to pitch like the old Orel eventually, they have to let the present-day Orel pitch. They can’t throw in the towel now.” . . .

John qualifies as an expert. In 1974, Dr. Frank Jobe performed revolutionary surgery on John’s left elbow that was similar to his operation on Hershiser’s right shoulder last year. John missed the 1975 season but won 164 games in the next 14 years. . . .

After one game of John’s comeback, the Dodgers were ready to give up on him. . . .

“My first start was against Atlanta,” John recalled Tuesday from his home in Creskill, N.J. “I was rocked. Then before my next start against Houston, (then-Dodger manager) Walter Alston says to me, ‘Young fella, we’re going to have to make a decision on whether you can pitch or not.’ I couldn’t believe it. I said, ‘What?’ My second game back and already they’re thinking of letting me go.” . . .

John got into trouble in the first inning that night against Houston but struck out Bob Watson and pitched seven innings of shutout ball before being lifted. He had convinced his manager he could pitch again. He went 10-10 with a 3.09 earned-run average for a team that finished in second place, 10 games behind Cincinnati. . . .

“Halfway through that season, I felt as good physically as ever,” John said. “But a bunch of it is mental. You have to be tough inside. Every time you have a bad outing, somebody is going to say, ‘He’s done.’ ” . . .

John says that what makes it even more difficult for Hershiser is the Dodgers’ involvement in a pennant race. . . .

“It would be better for him if the team was in fifth place and struggling and every game wasn’t so important,” John said. “There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on him. But Orel is a gamer.” . . .

Among the reasons for Atlanta’s success is that Ron Gant has proven he is a legitimate home run hitter. . . .

Outdated crossword puzzler in The Times Tuesday--38 across, three letters: “Darling of the Mets.” . . .

One day soon, it will get hot in Southern California and feel like baseball season. . . .

When another Oakland Athletic, Mike Moore, is placed on the disabled list, you get the feeling that this isn’t the A’s year. . . .

For the record: Ivan Calderon of the Montreal Expos represented the National League, not the American, in the All-Star game. . . .

Pat Haden, Class of 1975, has been named to the USC board of trustees. . . .

USC basketball Coach George Raveling will testify Thursday before a Congressional subcommittee about graduation rates of student-athletes. . . .

Was 130-pound Gwen Adair really the referee the State Athletic Commission should have assigned to work the bout between 250-pound James (Bonecrusher) Smith and 238-pound Kimmuel Odom Monday night at the Forum? . . .

When publicist John Beyrooty counts the number of title fights staged at the Forum this year, I trust he will not include the Smith-Odom match for something known as the International Boxing Council heavyweight junior championship. . . .

If they win as expected Tuesday at the Country Club in Reseda, brothers Rafael and Gabriel Ruelas will appear on the same HBO card with brothers Terry and Orlin Norris on Aug. 17 in San Diego. . . .

You can score the Jeff Fenech-Azumah Nelson fight for yourself when the replay is shown on Showtime tonight at 10. The unpopular decision was a draw. I had Fenech winning seven of the last eight rounds and gave him a four-point edge. . . .

Mark Jeffrey of Woodland Hills and Sean Brawley of Pacific Palisades have won eight prequalifying matches for the Volvo/Los Angeles tennis tournament that begins Monday at UCLA. Now, they have to win three regular qualifying matches this weekend--or a total of 11--to reach the main draw. . . .

According to Us magazine, Linda Hamilton, the co-star of “Terminator 2,” is an avid sports fan who named her son Dalton after New Orleans Saint running back Dalton Hilliard. . . .

Track and field official Gerald Reedy sends along this look-alike: Ian Baker-Finch and Bill Toomey. . . .

It went virtually unnoticed, but Jim Spivey clocked a sizzling 3:52.74 mile on a hot and humid day in the New York Games Saturday. . . .

Sunkist and the Sports Arena are paying for a new track to be built for the indoor meet next February. . . .

About the only thing that lasted longer than your average major league baseball game this summer was the Patrick Ewing arbitration hearing Monday.