Notes on a Scorecard - Jan. 13, 1993

The Colorado Rockies’ opening game against the Montreal Expos on April 9 in Denver will draw the biggest baseball crowd since 1959, when 92,706 saw the Chicago White Sox beat the Dodgers, 1-0, in Game 5 of the World Series at the Coliseum. . . .

All 76,000 tickets at Mile High Stadium have been sold, and there is a possibility that extra seats will be installed. . . .

Despite the 1992 disaster, Dodger ticket manager Walter Nash reports that season-ticket renewals are down only 3% and sales are expected to reach the traditional cutoff mark of 27,000. . . .

The bad news about Dodger relief pitcher Todd Worrell is that he has tendinitis in his right shoulder. The good news is that he was able to work four consecutive games for the St. Louis Cardinals once last year and two consecutive games six times. . . .

The mere presence of veterans Kevin Elster and Lance Parrish might keep shortstop Jose Offerman and catchers Mike Piazza and Carlos Hernandez on their toes during spring training at Vero Beach, Fla. . . .

Fred Claire is interested in signing another left-handed reliever to join Steve Wilson and Wally Ritchie in the Dodger camp. . . .

Jody Reed has a degree in criminology from Florida State. . . .

I will miss the sound and fury of Dutch Rennert calling strikes. . . .

In an era when many umpires make a secret of their decisions, Rennert, who announced his retirement from the National League on Monday, never left any doubt. . . .

Look-alikes: Tim Wallach and actor Luke Perry. . . .

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Baseball America has selected UCLA junior first baseman Ryan McGuire--not to be confused with former USC first baseman Mark McGwire--as a preseason All-American. USC shortstop Gabe Alvarez was named the outstanding freshman. . . .

What happens when the UCLA women’s basketball team is supposed to play Oregon in Westwood on the same night that the Bruins’ star forward is being honored in Dallas as the top volleyball player in the nation? The basketball game is moved up a night. . . .

Thus, Natalie Williams, who is averaging 25 points and 13 rebounds, will be able to play tonight at Pauley Pavilion and then hop a plane to accept the Honda Award Thursday at the NCAA convention. . . .

Another busy Bruin is cornerback Carlton Gray, who flew from Honolulu and Hula Bowl practice to Dallas to pick up his “Today’s Top Six Winners” award for academic and athletic excellence tonight. . . .

Of the 162 players recruited by John Robinson during his first term as USC coach in 1976-82, 53 were drafted by NFL teams. . . .

For the third consecutive year, the Trojan basketball team is 8-3. . . .

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The SEC not only had the best bowl record, it led the NCAA in football attendance for the fifth consecutive year with an average of 63,737 a game. . . .

Costa Mesa super-bantamweight Rudy Zavala might have been too impressive for his own good when he knocked out Jerome Coffee in the fifth round on the ESPN card at the Palladium. Tracy Patterson was supposed to defend his World Boxing Council title next against Zavala, but now the fight is off. . . .

Wayne Lukas, whose stable has lacked star quality recently, is excited about Irish import Brief Truce, a fast-closing third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile. . . .

I saw a high school basketball game Monday night in Long Beach, Bellflower St. John Bosco vs. St. Anthony, that was officiated better than most NBA or college games. . . .

Laker General Manager Jerry West and representatives of seven other NBA teams watched Cal State Long Beach’s victory over New Mexico State Saturday night and kept their attention focused on 49er guard Lucious Harris. . . .

Among the crazy things about this Laker season is that they have the same record at home as on the road, 9-7. . . .

Whatever happened to shooters who used the backboard? . . .

Thumbs up to NHL President Gil Stein for adding Wayne Gretzky to the Campbell Conference team for the All-Star game on Feb. 6 in Montreal. What makes it fair is that Gretzky is an extra player who won’t be taking the place of someone else who deserves to be there. . . .

Of the 28 players named to the All-NFL team by the Pro Football Writers Assn., 18 are from the NFC. . . .

Eleven former UCLA players are still alive in the Super Bowl tournament--five Dallas Cowboys, three Buffalo Bills, two San Francisco 49ers and a Miami Dolphin. . . .

If Mike Ditka was Mr. Chicago Bear, what did that make George Halas?