Outfield Not a Good Place for Hot Pants

Bret Barberie, Florida Marlin second baseman, recently sat out a game because he inadvertently rubbed hot pepper into his eyes.

Seattle outfielder Brian Turang previously was burned in a more embarrassing place. After Turang made a diving catch in a game against Detroit on a cold afternoon, he leaped to his feet and ran toward the dugout with his hand on his posterior.

“I took one of those plastic hand warmers out with me to stay warm, and then put it in my back pocket,” Turang said. “When I dove, it broke and all those hot chunks were burning me. It was like I was on fire.”

Add Turang: Teammate Ken Griffey Jr. witnessed Turang’s adventure and said, “He jumped into the air and hit a note that made him sound like Michael Jackson.”

Trivia time: Why was it impossible for a horse to win the Triple Crown in 1917 and 1922? Clip and save: After quarterback Browning Nagle was cut by the New York Jets, he said: “I’ll have the last laugh, that goes without saying. That’s what I told (Coach) Pete Carroll. I’m going to make them look like fools. They played me for a fool, and what goes around comes around.”

Snails on hold: Atlanta wide receiver Andre Rison would have earned $90,000 for a three-week trip to France to participate in a pro-am basketball tournament. However, he put the trip on hold to attend a Falcon mini-camp.

He said he did it because he likes June Jones, the new coach. “If it was still (Jerry) Glanville coaching, I’d be into that parlez vous stuff, eating snails, and somebody would be checking my passport right now,” he said.

Off and running: Del Harris, the new Laker coach, is made for California. His given name is Delmar.

Quiet time: From “The Little Team That Could,” a new book by former major leaguer Jeff Burroughs, a coach of Long Beach’s Little League championship team:

“It was long past midnight by the time the 13 little delinquents on our bus finally fell asleep. The relief was tremendous.

“I felt the way America feels when the State of the Union address ends, or when sportscaster Dick Vitale signs off.”

Looking back: On this day in 1947, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Braves, 4-3, in a game that produced 22 hits--all singles. The Pirates had 12 and the Braves 10.

Writers beware: C.W. Nevius in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Baseball players are, by consensus, the rudest, crudest, prickliest interviews in the business. There are several exceptions, but for the most part, the rule for a reporter is simple.

“You are invisible. You may make peeping noises to attract attention, but there is always the chance you will annoy the great man and he will have to curse or shout at you.”

Trivia answer: The Kentucky Derby and Preakness were run on the same day.

Quotebook: Don Sutton, former Dodger pitcher: “I was the most loyal player money could buy.”