Yo, Kevin: Don’t Quit Your Day Job

Before Kevin Young won the 400-meter hurdles in August at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, he showed off his rap talents at Track & Field News’ tour banquet.

Heeeere’s Kevin:

“Hey yo, I’m on the stage again; I’m in rage again.

“I did my thing last year; I’m gonna do it again.

“Yo, you better look out close and watch your guard;

“Cuz Kevin Young is kickin’ back in Stuttgart.”

Trivia time: John Pennel, who died Sunday, was the first to clear 17 feet in the pole vault. Who was the first to clear 18 feet?

Listen up, you hear: At the Paul W. (Bear) Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.--located on Bryant Drive, of course--visitors can hear the famous Alabama coach’s voice on videotape. A sampling:

“A lot of players do a better job with great players than I do, but with those players that are in-between, I’m a champion with them.”

“The same things win football games that always did. We just come up with a bunch of new excuses when we lose.”

Good old days: Seventy-four years ago Tuesday, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-1. The Giants had 13 hits and four walks. The Phillies had five hits.

Now for the good part: The game lasted a major league record 51 minutes.

Zap, bam, boom: The weird locker of minor league pitcher Tony Welborn was detailed Tuesday. Now, we have an addition: The locker of Chicago Cub pitcher Randy Myers when he played for Cincinnati.

“Randy had knives, brass knuckles, all kinds of guerrilla warfare gear,” said pitcher Ted Power, who played with Myers at Cincinnati in 1991. “He had grenades, but I don’t think they were real. And he had one of those stun guns. He zapped Lou one day.”

Power was referring to Lou Piniella, the former Cincinnati manager, who now manages Seattle. Surprisingly, Piniella traded Myers.

Get with it: Earlier in the week, USC Coach John Robinson noticed that record-breaking wide receiver Johnnie Morton wasn’t participating in warm-up drills. Robinson asked: “Johnnie, what’s wrong with you?”

Said Morton: “Neck, shoulder, butt, calf. I’ve never been this sore after a game.”

Said Robinson: “It’s a contact sport.”

Job opportunity: From Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune: “I see Norway is looking for a firemaker to light the torch for the Winter Olympics. Well, Vince Coleman isn’t doing much these days.”

Trivia answer: Christos Papanicolaou of Greece on Oct. 24, 1970--18 feet.

Quotebook: Rock Newman, manager of WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe on WBC champion Lennox Lewis: “He is, at best, just an average boxer. Anyone who thinks he is a heavyweight champion must have their head in the sand.”