Notes on a Scorecard - March 31, 1993

If the transfer of the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds to the National League East and the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals to the West had been approved, the Dodgers might be legitimate candidates to go from worst to first in their division. . . .

Reports out of Vero Beach indicate that they are no threat to repeat as 99-game losers. . . .

Jody Reed, Tim Wallach and even Jose Offerman are putting the “field” back into the infield. Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis appear fit enough to start games and Todd Worrell to close them. Mike Piazza is looking like the catcher of the present and Orel Hershiser like the pitcher of old. . . .

The trouble is that the Braves, Reds and Houston Astros probably are the three best teams in the league. . . .

Do you suppose the Angels and San Diego Padres could have picked a better year to play an exhibition game at Anaheim Stadium? . . .

The Padres’ fire sale continued Tuesday when they traded Darrin Jackson to the Toronto Blue Jays for lesser, lower-salaried players. . . .

Charlie Hough, who will start the Florida Marlins’ opening game against the Dodgers on Monday at Joe Robbie Stadium, might be involved in enough decisions to lose 20 this season. . . .

First baseman Mo Vaughn appears ready to start filling the expectations of the Boston Red Sox. . . .

First baseman-outfielder David McCarty from Stanford, the Minnesota Twins’ No. 1 pick and third overall in the 1991 draft, has been among the most impressive young players in Florida this spring. The 23-year-old power hitter was sent back to the minors, but should return soon. . . .

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Best bargain in town this weekend is the UCLA-USC baseball series. Tickets at Dedeaux Field on the USC campus, where the teams play Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1, are $5. Admission for the 1 p.m. game Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium at Sawtelle is $4. . . .

Scott Fields is making the conversion from safety to tailback comfortably during the Trojans’ spring football practice that resumes Wednesday after a two-week break. . . .

UCLA opens its 15 days of drills Tuesday. . . .

NFL offensive linemen are still unsung, but, with the advent of free agency, some of them no longer are underpaid. . . .

No wonder tackle Anthony Munoz is considering playing again next season after announcing his retirement from the Cincinnati Bengals. . . .

It doesn’t make sense that the NCAA Division 1 women stage their Final Four the same weekend as the men. . .

Jalen Rose of Michigan gets more publicity, but his old high school teammate Voshon Lenard is beginning to make a name for himself at Minnesota. . . .

Cal State Long Beach guard Lucious Harris will participate in the three-point shooting contest Sunday at New Orleans on ESPN. . . .

You know how well the Boston Celtics, winners of eight in a row, are doing when center Joe Kleine replaces the injured Robert Parish and gets 20 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings. . . .

Remember the Broad Street Bullies, a.k.a. Philadelphia Flyers? Now the New York Knicks are being called the Broadway Bullies. . . .

Alex Garcia, the San Fernando heavyweight who knocked out West Turner in the first round last week, has a $1.5-million offer to fight Larry Holmes in Japan. . . .

However, Garcia probably will decline it, continue to accept low-risk assignments, rise to No. 1 in the rankings and then challenge either Riddick Bowe or Lennox Lewis. . . .

Joe Hipp, who broke Tommy Morrison’s jaw and was ahead on points when he was knocked out in the ninth round, will make his first appearance after knee surgery Saturday on ESPN against Kevin Ford at the Aladdin in Las Vegas. . . .

More than $1 million will be raised for the fight against multiple sclerosis during Jimmy Heuga’s Mazda Ski Express April 7-11 in Colorado. . . .

An exhibition hockey game ought to be arranged next season between the Las Vegas Thunder and the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . .

King Coach Barry Melrose will have to make a decision soon about goaltenders Kelly Hrudey, Robb Stauber and Rick Knickle. Most coaches like to depend on one goalie, not three, during the Stanley Cup playoffs. . . .

Georgetown’s victory over Alabama Birmingham in the semifinals reminded me of the heyday of the National Invitation Tournament--at least the score, 45-41,

did.