Notes on a Scorecard - April 6, 1994

It happened on opening day at Dodger Stadium:

10 a.m.--”Somebody asked me how I compare Darryl Strawberry to Steve Howe,” Manager Tom Lasorda says. “Well, they both let the owner down. They let their teammates down. They let the fans down. They let their families down.” . . .

10:10--Dodger rookie outfielder Billy Ashley, just recalled from Albuquerque, hits a ball two-thirds the way up the left-field pavilion during batting practice. . . .

10:15--Can this possibly be the 33rd Dodger Stadium opener? The place looks as youthful as it did on April 10, 1962. . . .

10:33--”I’ve been off alcohol for 28 years,” says Don Newcombe, director of community relations and former Dodger pitcher. “But if I have one can of beer, I go back to where I was before. That’s the way it works.” . . .

10:45--Vin Scully and Lasorda shake hands. They need no introductions. Each has been in the Dodger organization for 45 years. . . .

10:50--The Florida Marlins do stretching exercises behind home plate. Obviously, they don’t want to pull any fins. . . .

10:52--The Marlin wearing No. 31, right-handed pitcher Robb Nen, is the son of Dick Nen, who hit a home run in St. Louis that helped the Dodgers win the 1963 pennant. . . .

10:58--”Henry Rodriguez has shown that he has some power,” hitting coach Reggie Smith says of Strawberry’s replacement. “I would like to see him continue to work at being a good situational hitter. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.” . . .

11:05--In the biggest waste of time of the morning, Mike Piazza bunts. . . .

11:10--Dodger coach Joe Ferguson, who is even older than Charlie Hough, imitates the Florida starter by throwing knuckleballs to Jose Offerman. . . .

11:30--First usable statistic: The L.A. Dodgers are 18-18 in season openers and 18-18 in home openers. . . .

12:12 p.m.--Lasorda sends someone out to the dugout to bring Chan Ho Park back into the clubhouse. The rookie pitcher is besieged by reporters. “I want him to relax,” Lasorda says. . . .

12:16--Roger McDowell shaves Rafael Bournigal’s head. . . .

12:50--Park doffs his cap and receives a warm ovation when introduced by new public-address announcer Mike Carlucci. . . .

12:52--The difference from last year’s introductions is that nary a Dodger gets booed. . . .

12:55--Red Cross volunteer Scott Underwood throws out the first pitch. . . .

12:56--Branford Marsalis delivers a smooth, tasteful rendition of the national anthem on his saxophone. . . .

1:14--Gary Sheffield thwarts Orel Hershiser’s no-hit bid with a two-out single in the first inning. . . .

1:19--The new speed on the bases pays off when Delino DeShields gets an infield single in his first Dodger at-bat. . . .

1:25--It doesn’t take the Marlins long to discover that Sheffield will have trouble playing right field. He misplays Brett Butler’s fly ball into a run-scoring triple. . . .

1:26--Piazza gets his first run batted in when third baseman Jerry Browne boots his ground ball. . . .

1:33--The message board advertises a sunglasses giveaway for April 24. Naturally, it’s a night game. . . .

1:34--Jeff Conine, the only major leaguer other than Cal Ripken Jr. to play in all 162 games last season, makes an early bid to remain in the Marlin lineup by hitting the first pitch of the second inning into the left-field pavilion. . . .

1:51--The Marlins are keeping official scorer Larry Kahn busy. It’s only the second inning, but already they have been charged with two errors and two passed balls. . . .

2:26--Hough singles to left to become the ninth player and fifth pitcher to get a hit at age 46. . . .

2:50--Hershiser, who hit .356 last year, is removed for pinch-hitter Dave Hansen with a runner on third base and two out in the sixth inning of a 2-1 game. Hansen strikes out. . . .

2:59--Reliever Jim Gott serves up a gopher ball to Kurt Abbott, and the Marlins lead, 3-2, in the seventh. . . .

3:16--And why did the Marlins pinch-hit for Hough after he pitched five consecutive scoreless innings? Eric Karros singles off Jeremy Hernandez to make it 3-3 in the seventh. . . .

3:40--Pinch-hitter Jeff Treadway, the steady old Atlanta infielder who batted .303 for Cleveland last season, delivers a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead in the eighth. . . .

3:48--Todd Worrell strikes out Abbott as the Dodgers win and creep within a half-game of NL West leader San Francisco.