Notes on a Scorecard - July 6, 1992

On the night Pedro Astacio brought excitement back to Dodger Stadium, nobody was prouder than Jerry Royster. . . .

Astacio became the first player managed by Royster in the minors to appear in a major league game, and the former Dodger infielder had flown to Los Angeles from Texas for the occasion. . . .

“I don’t think I’ll be this nervous the night I manage my first game in the majors,” Royster said in the press box Friday night while Astacio pitched a three-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies. “I spent an hour with Pedro in his hotel room today. He was more relaxed than I was.” . . .

Astacio pitched for Royster, who manages San Antonio of the Texas League, at Kissimmee of the Gulf Coast League in 1989 and at Vero Beach of the Florida State League, the first half of 1991. . . .

“I love it,” Royster said as he watched the 22-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic strike out 10 Phillies. “This is what managing young players is all about. This is my thrill. Look at his fastball. It has the same action as a sinkerball. He’s going to win a lot of major league games before he’s through.” . . .

Actually, Astacio has not won a lot of minor league games recently. He was 4-11 with a 4.78 earned-run average the second half of last season at San Antonio and is 4-6 with a 5.86 ERA at Albuquerque this season. The word was that he had the arm of a good prospect, but not the stability. . . .

“I think he’ll be much better in the majors than in the minors because he’s so high-strung and he feeds off the excitement of a big crowd,” Royster said about the kid who celebrated strikeouts by leaping off the mound, raised his fist after the final out and then doffed his cap to the fans behind the Dodger dugout. . . .

By popular demand, Astacio will stick around to pitch the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Montreal Expos, but Royster was back on the job in the Texas League on Saturday night after leaving the managing to coach Darrell Evans Friday. . . .

On Saturday, Dodger pitcher and practical jokester Roger McDowell officially welcomed Astacio to the National League. McDowell gave Astacio a horn and told him to blow it when the Dodgers took the field against the Phillies. Astacio blew--and got a face full of powder from the loaded instrument. . . .

Royster--who played with the Dodgers, Atlanta, San Diego, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees during a 16-year major league career that ended in 1988--says San Antonio outfielder Billy Ashley recently hit the longest home run he has ever seen. . . .

“Ashley cleared a 75-foot-high scoreboard at the 410-foot mark in center field at El Paso,” Royster said about the 6-foot-7, 220-pound outfielder who recently returned to San Antonio after a brief stay at Albuquerque. “He struggled in the (Pacific Coast League), and I’m glad they sent him back to us. But it won’t be too long before he’s hitting ‘em out in the majors.” . . .

The Dodgers and Angels are in position to accomplish a first. They never have finished in last place in the same season. The Dodgers haven’t finished last since arriving in Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958. . . .

Whatever happened to Ramon Martinez’ strikeout pitch? . . .

Thumbs-up to Mark Tamar, the Diamond Vision producer whose videos brighten some otherwise dismal days and nights at Dodger Stadium. . . .

Disappearing species: Pitchers who wait on the mound until their reliever arrives from the bullpen. . . .

At Wimbledon Sunday, Andre Agassi’s substance triumphed over his image. . . .

Agassi has the fastest hands since Floyd Patterson. . . .

Last Thursday at Hollywood Park, horses trained by Barbara Caganich and ridden by Hector Torres paid $94.80 to win the second race and the identical price to win the ninth. . . .

Two races after Glen Kate, owned by Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky, won the Sequoia Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park Friday night, trainer Jim Buss, son of Jerry, saddled his first winner. . . .

News item: Alexander Gomelski, coach of the Soviets who won the gold medal in basketball in the 1988 Olympic Games, says that team would win “three or four” games out of 10 in a series against the ’92 U.S. team. Reaction: Sure, and the Soviets invented baseball.