Notes on a Scorecard - July 8, 1992

Why the Dodgers and Angels are where they are:

--The Dodgers are giving their opponents five outs an inning. . . .

--The Angels are giving their opponents four outs an inning. . . .

--I agreed with most of Fred Claire’s moves. . . .

--The Angels’ big three of Chuck Finley, Jim Abbott and Mark Langston is 14-26. . . .

--When Abbott pitches, the rest of the Angels play like Costello. . . .

--The Dodgers selected pitcher Bill Bene on the first round of the 1988 amateur draft instead of third baseman Robin Ventura. . . .

--Outfielder Dante Bichette and pitcher Mike Fetters are playing for Milwaukee instead of California. . . .

--Chemistry is not part of the Dodgers’ makeup. . . .

--The Angels have a lower team batting average than in 1961, when they were an expansion team in the American League. . . .

--The Dodgers re-signed Kal Daniels and Juan Samuel and didn’t sign free agent third baseman Steve Buechele. . . .

--Bryan Harvey has been on the disabled list twice. . . .

--Darryl Strawberry has been on the disabled list once. . . .

--Eric Davis is aching. . . .

--The Angels have missed the mind, heart and soul of Manager Buck Rodgers since the bus crash May 21. . . .

--Ramon Martinez and Mike Scioscia have lost something on their fastball. . . .

--Gary Gaetti has gone from a good-field, good-hit third baseman to a no-field, no-hit third baseman. . . .

--Jackie Autry knows baseball like Harold Katz knows basketball. . . .

--The Angels got Von Hayes and Hubie Brooks. . . .

--The Angels lost Wally Joyner and Dave Winfield. . . .

--The Dodgers don’t scare anyone with the long ball or the stolen base. . . .

--Atlanta and Cincinnati are still in the National League West. . . .

--The best-looking hitter in the Angel organization, Tim Salmon, is playing for Edmonton of the Pacific Coast League. . . .

--Kip Gross has only three fewer victories than Kevin Gross. . . .

--The Angels can’t win at home. . . .

--The Dodgers can’t win one-run games. . . .

--None of the Dodgers’ first-round draft choices since 1982 are with the team. . . .

--Eric Karros is the only former UCLA Bruin, USC Trojan, Pepperdine Wave or Cal State Fullerton Titan on the Dodgers or Angels. . . .

The rule that does not credit batters who hit into double plays with runs batted in should be changed. After all, they are putting the ball into play and getting a run home. . . .

The numbers of jerseys retired by the Dodgers ought to be displayed on the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium. Many probably are not aware that Nos. 1 (Pee Wee Reese), 4 (Duke Snider), 19 (Jim Gilliam), 24 (Walter Alston), 32 (Sandy Koufax), 39 (Roy Campanella), 42 (Jackie Robinson) and 53 (Don Drysdale) have been retired. . . .

Brien Taylor, the pitcher who was drafted first by the New York Yankees last season, is making $175,000 in salary in the minor leagues and $250,000 from his baseball card contract. . . .

Matty and Felipe Alou, manager of the Montreal Expos, are the only brothers to finish 1-2 in a major league batting race. Matty hit .342 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Felipe .327 for the Atlanta Braves in 1966. The other Alou, Jesus, batted .259 for the San Francisco Giants. . . .

Johnny Podres, who was in the Philadelphia Phillies’ dugout Friday at Dodger Stadium when Pedro Astacio pitched a three-hitter in his first major league game, was Astacio’s pitching coach at Kissimmee of the Gulf Coast League in 1989. . . .

It isn’t getting much hype, but the baseball competition in the Olympic Games--featuring Cuba, the United States and Japan--could be among the best at Barcelona. . . .

Jorge Paez, the clown prince of boxing who fights Roger Bonine Monday night at the Forum in a 10-rounder, won the last 15-round world championship bout. On Aug. 4, 1988, Paez knocked down Calvin Grove three times in the 15th round in Mexicali and won a unanimous decision for the International Boxing Federation featherweight title. Since then, all title fights have been scheduled for 12. . . .

Coach Bill Walsh’s return has meant increased football ticket sales for Stanford, which opens the season Aug. 26 against Texas A&M; in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic at Anaheim Stadium. . . .

The Orange County Sports Assn. has contacted Bob Knight about having Indiana appear in the 1993 Freedom Bowl basketball tournament at what will be the 19,200-seat Anaheim Arena. . . .

If geography is so important to baseball, how come the Dodgers never play the Angels, the Chicago White Sox never play the Cubs, the New York Yankees never play the Mets, and the San Francisco Giants never play the Oakland Athletics?