If Patience Is Indeed a Virtue, Lasorda Is a Proverbial Winner

Todd Benzinger, who played for the Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds, explained to Art Spander of the San Francisco Examiner the difference between Tom Lasorda and Lou Piniella, now with Seattle, as managers.

“(Lasorda) is talented at seeing the positive side. You lose 10 in a row, Tommy tells jokes, tells you you’re going to win. Lou is a sore loser. He stays in a funk. He has zero patience.

“I don’t think he’s the type of guy who can manage a team that loses 90 games (Seattle lost 98 games in 1992).”

Trivia time: Who was the first UCLA player to be named the outstanding player of the Final Four?

Dollar sign: Reggie White, an All-Pro defensive end, is shopping his services around the NFL as a free agent.

“If I had to pick a team on my own, I would choose San Francisco,” he said. “But it’s not up to me. I’ve got to go where God wants me to go.”

Translation: to the club that offers him the most lucrative contract.

No more Mr. Nice Guy: Pat Riley, coach of the New York Knicks, said in an interview with Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle that he learned aggressive tactics from the Boston Celtics.

“When I was coaching the Lakers, before we got the idea, the Celtics would beat us and we’d pat them on the back and say, ‘Great game, great series.’ That’s BS. You can’t win worrying about whether people like you. You just can’t.”

With water hazards?A question to “The Good Doctor” of Inside Sports: “What’s the weirdest rumor you’ve heard about the PGA Tour?”

Answer: “Pete Dye is designing a bowling alley.”

Duck walk: Jack Ferreira, Anaheim Mighty Ducks’ general manager, describing one of his first days on the job at Disney headquarters in Burbank: “One time I was told to go down the hall, past the picture of Cinderella and turn left. Another time I was told to go upstairs and turn right when I saw Peter Pan.”

Trashing golf: Eliot Berry wrote in Tennis magazine that “golf fails where tennis shines,” adding:

“Golf requires less movement at the moment of truth than bowling and attains about the same nervous aerobic level as a match of championship pool.

“By contrast, tennis takes your heart for a run. Win or lose, tennis shakes your spirit and your mind. I find golf a crushing bore to watch.”

Bedtime story: “Baseball Quotations” includes this one by Bob Veale, former Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher: “(Manager) Chuck Tanner used to have a bed check for me every night. No problem, my bed was always there.”

Trade-off: Randy Cross, former offensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers, commenting on Ronnie Lott’s reputation as a hitter:

“He doesn’t care about his own body, so why should he care about yours.”

Safety dog: From Lee Trevino’s book, “SuperMex”: “Why, we had so little to eat that when Mom would throw a bone to the dog, he’d have to call for a fair catch.”

Trivia answer: Walt Hazzard in 1964.

Quotebook: Philadelphia Phillie outfielder Lenny Dykstra: “I’m in the best shape of my life and that includes my brain.”