Walton’s Ties to Two Legends Puts Him in League of His Own

Bill Walton was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, and columnist Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe saluted the former UCLA and NBA star:

“Walton is the one and only Hall of Famer with links to both John Wooden and Red Auerbach. Walton served both hoop legends. Can anybody in football say they played for Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi?”

It would be difficult, because Rockne died in a plane crash in 1931 and Lombardi became an NFL head coach with the Green Bay Packers in 1959.

Trivia time: Who was the first Angel to throw a no-hit, no-run game?

Marlins are marlins: The Tampa Tribune criticized a local television station after the station failed to show highlights of the Florida Marlins’ opening game.

The next night the station ran Marlin highlights--a marlin being landed by a fisherman.

Priorities: The New York Daily News recently ran a huge photo of Met outfielder Vince Coleman losing a fly ball in the sun because he wasn’t wearing sunglasses.

On the same page was another large photo, also of Coleman, surrounded by bikini-clad women and dancing in a nightclub later that night. Coleman was wearing sunglasses.

Oddity: Goalie Glenn Healy of the New York Islanders commenting on his position to Steve Jacobson of Newsday:

“There are oddballs at the position, but I’ve met a lot of oddballs playing other positions. I’ve met oddball writers. They’re just not stupid enough to play goal.”

Earful: Seattle Mariner television announcer Chip Caray when asked whether he will sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch as does his grandfather, Chicago Cub announcer Harry:

“No. One Caray who can’t sing is enough.”

Net rebuke: Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writing in Tennis magazine on Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Pete Sampras not playing in a Davis Cup match in Australia:

“By not going to Australia, they at least showed they have one thing in common: They are absolute champions at looking out for themselves. Rock stars seem to have a better value system than our tennis Mouseketeers.”

Be patient: Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics, who has announced his retirement--Larry Bird preceded him--on the future of the team:

“The fans of Boston have to be realistic. Some of the players they’ve lost the past couple of years just don’t fall out of trees.”

Scale champion: John Brodie, the former San Francisco 49er quarterback who now plays golf on the Senior PGA Tour, on Billy Casper’s fluctuating weight:

“Billy Casper has won titles at more weight levels than Sugar Ray Leonard.”

Trivia answer: Bo Belinsky on May 5, 1962, against Baltimore.

Quotebook: Philadelphia Phillie Manager Jim Fregosi on pitcher Mitch (Wild Thing) Williams: “Mitch doesn’t have ulcers. He’s a carrier.”