Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 28, 1993

Exactly how productive a freshman year is Mike Piazza having? . . .

The Dodger catcher is about to accomplish something that even such National League rookies of the year as Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams and Johnny Bench couldn’t--bat .300-plus, hit 30-plus home runs, and drive in 100-plus runs. . . .

Before this year, Wally Berger was the only National League rookie to have reached all three plateaus, when he batted .310 with 38 homers and 119 RBIs for the Boston Braves in 1930. . . .

Piazza and company have to be hoping that the San Francisco Giants will stay in the West Division race long enough for the Dodgers to eliminate them during the final series of the year and return the favors of 1991 and ’82. . . .

George Brett, who is leading the Kansas City Royals in RBIs and is second in home runs, cannot be accused of prolonging his career to the detriment of his team. . . .

To bee or not to bee: In a recent game against the Texas Rangers, Bo Jackson of the Chicago White Sox retreated to the dugout to avoid a bee, returned to the batter’s box, and hit a home run. . . .

The Philadelphia Phillies won’t last long in postseason play if they field the way they did against the Atlanta Braves. . . .

The Los Angeles Angels’ expansion-team record of 70 victories, set in 1961, would appear to be safe. The Colorado Rockies need to win all five of their remaining games against the Giants and Braves to break it. . . .

Doubleheaders no longer are scheduled but, because of rainout makeups, only Seattle, Toronto, and Atlanta haven’t played a twin bill this season. . . .

The Portland, Me., franchise that will begin operations in the double-A Eastern League next year will be known as the Sea Dogs. . . .

The Lakers are delighted about how seriously Elden Campbell has taken his off-season conditioning program and hope that he will begin to play up to his potential. . . .

Jim Buss, son of Jerry, is quickly gaining respect as a thoroughbred trainer. His Davey Be Good ran the fastest six furlongs of the Pomona meet, 1:09 4/5, on Sunday. . . .

The resistance of some jockeys to wearing safety vests reminds me of the days when baseball players thought batting helmets were too cumbersome. . . .

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Remember the head butt Doug Gilmour delivered during the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff series against the Kings? That didn’t cost him anything, but he was fined $500 and suspended for one exhibition after butting a Washington Capital in an exhibition the other night. . . .

The L.A. Sports Council and Chamber of Commerce will honor the Kings at a luncheon Monday at the Hotel Intercontinental downtown. . . .

The Eighth Greatest: That’s how the Hockey News yearbook rates Wayne Gretzky--the eighth-best player in the NHL. . . .

Dave Currey, Chapman University athletic director, is talking to Craig Fertig, former Oregon State head coach and USC assistant, about coaching the Panthers when they resume football next year after a 60-year hiatus. . . .

John (Student Body Right) Robinson can give quarterback recruits a pretty good sales pitch--he has coached the USC passers who have had the two highest yardage days in school history, Rob Johnson and Paul McDonald. . . .

Is Howard Schnellenberger turning Louisville into a football factory? . . .

Name game: South Carolina defensive end David Turnipseed. . . .

Minnesota became the fifth NFL team this season to win a game without a touchdown when the Vikings out-kicked the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, 15-13. . . .

Look-alikes: Wade Wilson and Ryan O’Neal. . . .

Steve Young’s eight interceptions in four games are one more than he threw all last season. . . .

A USC helmet signed by Heisman Trophy winners Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charlie White and Marcus Allen brought $3,200 at auction at the Orange County Sports Assn. Golf Classic awards banquet. . . .

Up for bid at Pat McCormick’s charity tournament today at Tustin Ranch Golf Club will be a 1936 Olympic Games program autographed by Jesse Owens and one of the shots Parry O’Brien used to set a world record. . . .

The Michael Carbajal-Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez rematch, originally scheduled on the Dec. 30 card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas that was scrubbed, might wind up at the Alamodome in San Antonio. . . .

How nice of the World Boxing Council to reward Mickey Vann for his expert judging of the Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez fight by appointing him referee of the Lennox Lewis-Frank Bruno fight Friday in Wales.