Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 28, 1991

Dodger fans have something more to be thankful about today. . .

Eric Davis will fill the team’s biggest need--a right-handed power hitter--and the price is reasonable. . .

The grass surface at Dodger Stadium and his friendship with Darryl Strawberry should make Davis more productive in Los Angeles than he was in Cincinnati. . .

However, I am not thrilled with the idea of making Kal Daniels a first baseman instead of making him a former Dodger. . .

Bill Walton is not exactly stunned by the revelations in “Jordan Rules,” the book about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. . . .

“Everything mentioned happens on most teams that have a great player who is an intense competitor,” Walton said before the Bull-Clipper game Tuesday night. “Not all the other players are as committed as the star, and he gets frustrated.”. . .

“So Jordan slugged Will Perdue,” Walton said. “Big deal. I got into a fight in practice almost every day. I must have fought just about every teammate one time or another during my career.” . . .

Many in the capacity crowd of 15,800 at the Sports Arena cheered for both the Bulls and the Clippers. In the second half, though, they booed the Clippers, and left when Jordan was pulled from the game. . . .

Whoever thought that the Lakers would be a candidate to become the most surprising team in the NBA this season?. . . .

Atlanta forward Kevin Willis, who has averaged eight rebounds a game in his NBA career, has had 20 or more rebounds in five of his last six games. . . . Bo Jackson should be thankful that he can still play baseball. . . .

I can understand the Dodgers being unwilling to offer a multiyear contract to Eddie Murray, who will turn 36 next season. . . .

The Chicago White Sox are hoping that Gene Lamont starts his major league managerial career as fast as he did his playing career. As a rookie with the Detroit Tigers in 1970, he hit a home run in his first at-bat. . . .

It may not be long before Ken Norton Jr., son of the former heavyweight champion, faces Jeff Ellis, son of former heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis, on the football field. Norton is a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, Ellis a senior tight end at Ohio State who is expected to be selected in the NFL draft. . . .

USC should be thankful that the football season is over. . . .

A scene for “Lethal Weapon 3” was filmed between periods of the Kings-Toronto game at the Forum Tuesday night, but there was nothing as outlandish as a coach throwing a stick at a referee. . . .

Twelve games sounds about right for Tom Webster’s suspension. . . .

It was apparent that the Quebec Nordiques would have a scoring machine this season, but most people thought it would be Eric Lindros, not Owen Nolan. . . .

Women’s tennis is booming at the box office. Capacity crowds saw the semifinals and finals of the Virginia Slims championships at New York’s Madison Square Garden, and 11,035 turned out for an exhibition match at Baltimore between Martina Navratilova and Jennifer Capriati. . . .

Players to watch this college basketball season: Oklahoma State center Byron Houston, Connecticut point guard Chris Smith and Kansas freshman forward Ben Davis. . . .

Evander Holyfield should be thankful he wasn’t fighting Mike Tyson Saturday night at Atlanta. . . .

“Angelo Dundee is facing quite a challenge when he works with Michael Nunn,” says Ferdie Pacheco about the former middleweight champion who moves up to super-middleweight against Randall Yonker Friday at Las Vegas. “Technically, Nunn is perfect, but he needs fire in his gut.”. . . .

What a historic occasion that was Monday night at Anaheim Stadium when the Goodyear blimp flew over a football game for the 1,000th time. . . .

Iowa Coach Hayden Fry, on reports that he was a candidate for the USC job after the firing of Ted Tollner in 1986: “I was tempted because of the opportunity to win at USC, the Heisman Trophy candidates and all that California speed. But I couldn’t project Hayden Fry in Los Angeles as a steady diet with (Times columnist Jim) Murray and all those other people.”. . . . Jockeys should be thankful that Chris and Judy McCarron have devoted so much of their time, money and effort to the Don MacBeth Memorial Fund. . . . Whatever happened to former NFL defensive end Joe (Turkey) Jones?