Notes on a Scorecard - July 31, 1991

I can’t decide whether Los Angeles baseball fans are the best or the worst in the country. . . .

They come to Dodger Stadium in droves, but it’s when they arrive, when they leave and what they do there that would have earned them a place in “L.A. Story,” if Steve Martin were into sports. . . .

The Dodgers reached the 2-million mark in home attendance Monday night, the earliest they have since 1983. . . .

They should approach their National League record of 3,608,811, set in 1982, and only the Toronto Blue Jays will draw more people this season. . . .

This will be the seventh time in the past 10 years that the Dodgers have attracted more than 3 million. The last time they failed to draw at least 2 million was 1972. . . .

However, an inordinate number of these fans get to Dodger Stadium in the second inning, toss around beach balls, do the wave, spend some time at the concession and souvenir stands and leave after the seventh inning. . . .

When the New York Mets are in town, the place might as well be known as Shea Stadium West. The 8,000 or so Met fans often make more noise than the 37,000 or so Dodger fans. It takes a “Let’s Go Mets” chant to get the home crowd steamed up. . . .

Cars could be seen leaving the parking lot Friday night in the ninth inning while Montreal’s Mark Gardner was working on a no-hitter, and Sunday afternoon in the ninth while Dennis Martinez was putting the finishing touches on his perfect game. . . .

A few summers ago, Pam King of the old Los Angeles Herald Examiner conducted a survey of fans who were leaving a game early. Most said they wanted to beat the traffic and had long distances to travel on the freeways. Several said they weren’t really missing anything because they could listen to Vin Scully on the radio while driving home. . . .

Among those who admitted that he frequently left Dodger Stadium early was Peter O’Malley. . . .

Graig Nettles holds the major league record for playing in the most games--2,700--without being involved in a no-hitter. . . .

During the 1980s, only 13 no-hitters were pitched in the majors. Thirteen have been pitched already in the 1990s. And that doesn’t count Gardner’s nine-inning gem. . . .

Ernie Banks is on the executive committee of a group that hopes to open a Negro Leagues museum in Kansas City next year. . . .

Add Bobby Darwin to the list of former Angels who played for the Dodgers. . . .

Pitching coach Joe Coleman is being given a lot of credit for the St. Louis Cardinals’ better-than-expected showing. . . .

Those Kevin Mitchell trade rumors seem unfounded. Mitchell, not unlike Jose Canseco, may be a pain off the field, but his achievements with the bat make him worth the trouble. . . .

Part of the San Francisco surge can be attributed to the emergence of young Darren Lewis as a leadoff hitter and the revival of pitcher Kelly Downs as a middle reliever. . . .

Ben McDonald of the Baltimore Orioles is a prime example of a big talent being rushed into the major leagues because of the lack of quality pitchers. . . .

Former King Coach Mike Murphy has resurfaced as an assistant for the Toronto Maple Leafs after spending time in the Vancouver Canucks’ organization. . . .

The site, Cuba, is the most intriguing thing about the Pan American Games, which begin Friday. . . .

Pet peeve: Boxers who insist on touching gloves after every round. . . .

I wish analyst George Foreman would prepare as well for his HBO telecasts as he did for his fight against Evander Holyfield. . . .

Johnny Dawkins, the Philadelphia 76er guard who is coming off knee surgery, has a picture of Bernard King taped to his refrigerator. . . .

Jeff Majerle, a 6-foot-9 forward who is the younger brother of the Phoenix Suns’ Dan, is playing for the Suns’ rookie team in the Rocky Mountain Review in Salt Lake City. . . .

Look for some action in the NBA beginning Thursday when the salary cap goes up. . . .

Patrick Ewing won’t necessarily stay with the New York Knicks after the arbitration decision. If he remains unhappy, they still could trade him. . . .

Ray Felix, who recently died at 60 after suffering a heart attack, shared center duties with the late Jim Krebs on the first Los Angeles Laker team in 1960-61 and was a genuine character. After the Lakers were beaten by the Celtics in the seventh game of the 1962 NBA finals at Boston Garden, Baby Ray told a teammate, “Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em tomorrow.”