Notes on a Scorecard - June 15, 1993

This would be the ideal time for the Dodgers to trade Darryl Strawberry. . . .

The question is, what team would want a potential troublemaker who is coming off back surgery and has a five-year, $20.5-million contract that doesn’t expire until the end of the 1995 season? . . .

What a delightful turn of events that the main topic of discussion at the water cooler Monday was basketball--not Michael Jordan’s gambling, Charles Barkley’s relationship with Madonna or the role-model status of Michael and Sir Charles. . . .

Basketball. Sixty-three minutes of it Sunday. One of the greatest games ever played. A 129-121 victory by the Phoenix Suns over the Chicago Bulls in triple overtime that injected some life into what had been a tame NBA finals. . . .

This was an endurance contest, more so than the overtime games of the Stanley Cup finals. The Kings and the Montreal Canadiens played longer than the Bulls and Suns once, but nobody on those teams approached the 62 minutes logged by Kevin Johnson or the 50-plus by five other players. . . .

Maybe Paul Westphal and Phil Jackson, like Jacques Demers and Barry Melrose, should have made wholesale line changes to give their weary starters some rest. Five in, five out. . . .

It was painful to watch Barkley perform with a bum elbow and Scottie Pippen with cramps in his leg. . . .

Oddity: The Bulls committed only three more personal fouls than the Suns, but shot 22 fewer free throws. . . .

NBC’s Hannah Storm is liable to give sideline reporting a good name. . . .

Watching Shawn Bradley being interviewed by Bob Costas the other day, it was apparent that Bradley has bulked up from his Brigham Young days. . . .

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Everyone keeps waiting for the San Francisco Giants to collapse, but what happens when Will Clark starts to hit? . . .

From Buck Rodgers, Angel manager and former catcher: “It’s important for a catcher to know the psychological makeup of his pitcher. If I signaled curveball on a 3-and-2 pitch, Dean Chance wouldn’t get it over the plate. But if I signaled fastball and he shook me off, he’d throw the curve for a strike. He loved taking the responsibility.” . . .

The Houston Astros, former 98-pound weaklings, are second in the National League in home runs. . . .

Philadelphia Phillie second baseman Mickey Morandini chokes up on the bat perhaps more than anyone since Matty Alou. . . .

The day after the Marty McSorley stick incident in Montreal, Expo Manager Felipe Alou posted a memo from the league office warning players not to alter their bats illegally. . . .

Baltimore pitcher Mike Mussina is 27-7 during the last 1 1/3 seasons. . . .

The teams with the two lowest attendance figures in the National League are the 1969 expansion franchises, Montreal and San Diego. The 1993 expansion franchises, Colorado and Florida, rank 1-3. . . .

Seattle Mariner second baseman Rich Amaral, who is leading American League rookies in batting, is the oldest rookie in the majors at 31. An All-Pacific 10 Conference selection at UCLA in 1983, he has played for seven minor league teams. . . .

Matchups for the Little League playoffs in Palos Verdes are the Dodgers vs. Dodgers and Dodgers vs. Dodgers. All four teams won their divisions. . . .

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Big winners of the Coliseum renovation are Raider season-ticket holders, who won’t have to pay for exhibition games this season because none will be played there. . . .

You should be glad to know that the renovation includes construction of five much-needed restroom buildings. . . .

No. 1 draft pick Drew Bledsoe, the quarterback from Washington State, was impressive at the recent New England Patriots’ mini-camp. . . .

Thumbs up to Hollywood Park for recognizing some of the hardest-working people at the track by presenting a groom-of-the-day award. Trainer Wayne Lukas believes a groom can have more to do with a race horse’s success than any other individual. . . .

Pity free-lance journalist Stu Black, who taped Sunday’s NBA game and made sure to set the clock so there would be plenty of time for overtime. But, it turned out, not enough time. The tape stopped midway through the third overtime.