Notes on a Scorecard - Oct. 4, 1993

Not since Kirk Gibson’s home run in the 1988 World Series has Dodger Stadium been alive like it was Sunday during the burial of the San Francisco Giants’ pennant hopes. . . .

Among those enjoying the Mike Piazza show was his father, Vince, who was part of a group that nearly bought the Giants and moved them to Tampa-St. Petersburg. . . .

“I just wish all the dads in the world could feel what I’m feeling,” said Vince after hugging Mike in the clubhouse. . . .

In most any other year, Piazza’s numbers would make him a solid candidate for the National League most valuable player award. As it is, he should be one of the 10 nominees on the ballot. . . .

While participating in a postgame drawing for prizes, Tom Lasorda told the crowd, “To all the Giants’ fans here, I’d like you to know how we felt in 1991.” . . .

Dodger fans, who probably would have greeted with Attila the Hun with polite applause, from the start were far more anti-Giant than usual. . . .

Some of them even did the tomahawk chop. Well, maybe those were Atlanta fans. . . .

“This felt good, real good,” said former Giant Cory Snyder, who was hitting .184 against San Francisco before collecting a two-run homer and a single. “I think I’d been trying too hard.” . . .

The Dodger Stadium season attendance of 3,170,393 was an increase of 697,127 from last season. However, about 400,000 of that difference was the result of the new National League policy that counts all tickets sold instead of actual paid attendance. . . .

A big loser was ESPN, which would have televised its most important event ever if the Giants and Braves had met in a one-game playoff tonight at Candlestick Park. . . .

Bobby Thomson and Willie Mays, wearing a Giants cap, sat together in the first row of box seats behind home plate. . . .

The Dodgers (81-81) and Kevin Gross (13-13) got even for the season. Gross had suffered six consecutive losing seasons. . . .

Two more reasons why Fred Claire should sign Jody Reed to a three-year contract: In the first inning, the best-fielding L.A. Dodger second baseman ever bluffed Dave Martinez into stopping at second after Royce Clayton’s hit-and-run single and then completed a double play despite being upended by Clayton. . . .

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Two-and-three and reeling, USC has a schedule problem the rest of the season. . . .

The Trojans don’t play any more teams named the Cougars. . . .

USC has handled Houston and Washington State easily, but played maybe one quarter of good football against quality opponents North Carolina, Penn State and Arizona. . . .

John Robinson and the experts were half right when they said neither USC nor Arizona would score many points Saturday in Tucson. . . .

I could understand the futility of the Trojans’ offense when it tried to move against a great Wildcat defense without its three best blockers--Tony Boselli, Joel Crisman and Kris Pollack. . . .

But the failure of the defense against a team that had been limited to 16 points by Pacific was inexcusable. . . .

The Trojans showed no spark and, at times, appeared to be intimidated. . . .

In contrast, UCLA, which toyed with San Diego State Thursday, is improving every week and must be considered a factor in the Pacific 10 Conference race. . . .

I wonder who logs more mileage on the sidelines, Notre Dame’s Lou Holtz or San Diego State’s Al Luginbill. . . .

It shouldn’t come as a shock that Lennox Lewis impressed nobody in the Riddick Bowe camp with his seventh-round victory over Frank Bruno. . . .

“He lucked out,” said Bowe, watching on television when Lewis landed the left hook that turned around the fight in the seventh round. . . .

“Lewis eats up jabs and Bruno’s jab can’t compare to Bowe’s,” trainer Eddie Futch said. . . .

Perhaps the only people who were impressed by Lewis in Cardiff, Wales, were the two judges from Las Vegas who had the fight even after six rounds. These guys made the judges who scored the Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez fight even look good. Lewis, awkward and tentative, shouldn’t have been given more than one round. . . .

John Lucas of the San Antonio Spurs is the ideal coach for Dennis Rodman. . . .

The return of Kurt Rambis to the Lakers drew more attention, but the Clippers made a more meaningful addition when they signed Tom Tolbert the same day. . . .

The Dodgers outscored the Rams and the Raiders on Sunday.