Notes on a Scorecard - July 29, 1993

I used to think the Boston Celtics were the luckiest basketball team on earth. . . .

Sure, they were good, too. I mean, they had a little bit of talent--Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, John Havlicek and Sam and K.C. Jones, and then Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson. . . .

But it seemed as though every bounce of the ball or controversial call went in the Celtics’ favor, particularly during those NBA championship series when they beat the Lakers. . . .

Year after year, there would be Red Auerbach smoking his victory cigar during the final moments of the climactic game. Must have been the shamrocks. . . .

Then the Celtics’ good fortune ran out. . . .

Because of a trade, they had the second choice overall in the 1986 draft after winning the NBA championship. They took forward Len Bias from Maryland. Talk about the rich getting richer. Bias would score and rebound with the best of them for 12 or 15 seasons. Except he died of a drug overdose before he ever played a professional game. . . .

In 1987, they selected the much less-heralded Reggie Lewis, a swingman from Northeastern in Boston, with the 22nd pick on the first round. During the 1991-92 season, he averaged 20.8 points a game and made the Eastern Conference All-Star team. On Tuesday, he collapsed after an apparent cardiac arrest and died. . . .

I never thought it would come to this, but I feel sorry for the Boston Celtics. . . .

*

Who will be voted the American League comeback player of the year, Fernando Valenzuela or Bo Jackson? . . .

The National League’s only 15-game winner, John Burkett of the San Francisco Giants, has pitched one complete game. . . .

Burkett’s bid for a perfect game was ended by the Dodgers in the sixth inning Tuesday night at Candlestick Park, but he has bowled four perfect games. . . .

Baseball players such as Kevin Mitchell and Matt Williams don’t do the game much good when they say it is boring to watch. . . .

I’m sure it would disappoint Jody Reed and his Dodger teammates, but Andres Galarraga, who is on the disabled list for the second time this season, might not finish with enough plate appearances to qualify for the National League batting title. . . .

Gary Sheffield, error prone at third base, might be switched to the outfield by the Florida Marlins. . . .

General Manager Joe McIlvaine says Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen are the only untouchables on the New York Mets. Then again, who would want to touch many of the others? . . .

This time, the Mets should pay attention to the writers, fans and radio talk show spielers and dump Vince Coleman. . . .

Dodger leadoff batter Brett Butler, who can hit foul balls all day a la Richie Ashburn, must see more pitches than anybody else in the league. . . .

Leave it to the Atlanta Braves to spot a left-hander named Terrell Wade at a tryout camp, sign him and then delight in his progress as he strikes out 172 batters in 121 innings for Greenville, S.C., of the double-A Southern League. . . .

*

A couple of 23-year-olds who were born a month apart, Juan Gonzalez of the Texas Rangers and Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners, figure to have some battles for the American League home run championship before they are through. . . .

Now that San Fernando heavyweight Alex Garcia has been knocked out and held to a draw by two little-known opponents, do you think Garcia’s connections regret having turned down several big-money offers? . . .

Name game: Among the standouts at the recent Nike basketball camp in Indianapolis was a point guard from Ayden, N.C., named Alico Dunk. . . .

Construction is completed on the new wing at Anaheim Stadium that will house the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame. The Jack Lindquist gala last week raised $30,000 for the hall, which is scheduled to open by October. . . .

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue and staff will conduct a football clinic for youngsters ages 8-13 on Aug. 7 at Spaulding Field. It is free of charge, but everyone must be preregistered. . . .

Donahue will begin his 18th season on the job Aug. 14 when the Bruins start workouts for the Sept. 4 opener against California at the Rose Bowl. . . .

First media guide in the mail is from Stanford. A smiling Bill Walsh is featured on the cover. On Saturday, he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with Chuck Noll, Walter Payton, Larry Little and Dan Fouts. . . .

It is nice that Arthur Ashe will be remembered at a benefit reception Saturday night before next week’s Volvo Tennis/Los Angeles tournament, but I still think the UCLA tennis stadium should be renamed in his honor.