Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 24, 1992

Al Davis shouldn’t be worried about looking bad for trading All-Pro tackle Jim Lachey to the Washington Redskins for Jay Schroeder in 1988. . . .

The Raider owner should be more interested about how good he is going to look for picking USC sophomore quarterback Todd Marinovich on the first round of the 1991 draft. . . .

The choice is clear--Marinovich, the exciting prospect, over Schroeder, the shaky veteran, at quarterback Sunday night, Sept. 6, in Denver when the Raiders open the NFL regular season against the Broncos. . . .

Such a selection would give both the team and the fans a lift. The Raiders are in need of some magic at the box office, as well as on the field. They have lost seven consecutive games--the last three regular-season games last year, the AFC wild-card playoff at Kansas City and three exhibition games this year--and ticket sales aren’t exactly sizzling. . . .

The actual crowd at the Coliseum Saturday for the exhibition against the Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins appeared to be much smaller than the announced crowd of 40,805. . . .

Really, the biggest loser in trades involving Lachey was the San Diego Chargers. They dealt Lachey to the Raiders for tackle John Clay and a couple of draft choices. Clay’s career in San Diego lasted only two games because of an injury. . . .

Maybe all Eric Dickerson needed was the Raiders’ first-string offensive line in front of him. Suddenly, he didn’t look as though he has lost a step. . . .

The Rams’ success during the exhibition season shouldn’t delude them into thinking they can win during the regular season without making a trade for a running back. . . .

A rumored deal has wide receiver Flipper Anderson going to the Chicago Bears for Neal Anderson, but the Rams would be better off if they could give something less to the Kansas City Chiefs for Barry Word. . . .

Steven Domingos, who kicked three field goals for the Rams against Green Bay on Saturday night, has the perfect name for somebody who wants to work on Sundays. . . .

A quarterback is wearing No. 99 this season--Don McPherson of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in memory of his former Philadelphia Eagle teammate Jerome Brown. . . .

Darryl Strawberry hopes to return to the lineup Sept. 7 in Atlanta, but the true test for his back won’t come until the last week of the season when the Dodgers play on artificial turf at Cincinnati and Houston. . . .

The best play Saturday night at Dodger Stadium was made by shortstop Tom Selleck during the celebrity game. He ranged far to his left and made a diving stop of the ball. However, in the custom of the home team, he threw wildly to first base. . . .

Tim Salmon, the Angel outfielder who hit his first major league home run Sunday at Yankee Stadium, is an older brother of USC starting safety Mike Salmon. . . .

It’s not original, but Dodger infielder Lenny Harris is wearing a T-shirt saying, “Lenny ‘Hit Man’ Harris.”. . .

The Cincinnati Reds are the only team in the major leagues that has more saves than Dennis Eckersley. . . .

Johnny Vander Meer’s record two consecutive no-hitters looks safe for another year. Vander Meer was a 24-year-old Cincinnati left-hander in his second major league season when he accomplished the feat in 1938. Vander Meer led the National League in strikeouts three times, had the most walks twice and finished his 13-year career with a 119-121 record. . . .

Actor Tony Danza, who used to be a main event-caliber middleweight, is managing four professional fighters. The best of them is Victor (The Battleship) Petehkin, a light-heavyweight from Russia who is 15-0 with 11 knockouts. . . .

Joel Meyers, who did excellent work on the rowing events at the Olympic Games for NBC, will be studio host of the USA Network’s U.S. Open tennis telecasts. . . .

USC kicker Cole Ford on his secret ambition: “It would be awesome to kick the winning field goal and then ride Traveler around the track.”. . .

One of the nicest stories at Del Mar is the return to the track of former jockey Bill Harmetz, who is exercising horses for his friend Bill Shoemaker. . . .

Tom Lasorda’s daily refrain: “Everything’s great but the standings.”