Japanese Reporters Get to Root of Adding a Little Teeth to Swing

Dan Gladden, a former major leaguer who now plays for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, told Dan Barreiro of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis of his problems with the Japanese media:

“They’re really rude and follow you around everywhere. And some of the questions are bizarre. They ask what kind of teeth you have, as if that has something to do with being a good hitter.

“And if your ears are a certain size they think you can run fast.”

Trivia time: Who holds the record for the highest free-throw percentage in a seven-game NBA finals series?

No obstacle: Matt Williams, balding San Francisco Giant third baseman, whose 22 home runs have him on pace to challenge Roger Maris’ record of 61 in a season, on being told that the stress of chasing Babe Ruth’s record in 1961 caused Maris’ hair to fall out:

“I won’t have that problem.”

Legendary: Red Rock, a Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame bull, died last Wednesday in Red Bluff, Calif., at age 18. “He’s probably the most famous person in Northern California,” said John Gowney, the bull’s owner.

A lost skill?Since Vince Coleman stole 109 bases for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987, only one player, Rickey Henderson of Oakland, the all-time steals leader, has as many as 90 in a season.

Chuck Carr of the Florida Marlins was the leading base stealer in the National League in 1993 with 57--the lowest total for an N.L. leader since Cincinnati’s Bobby Tolan had 57 in 1970.

Higher education: Kansas Chancellor Gene Budig said he is starting to learn about one of the more awkward duties of his new job as president of the American League.

“I signed my first baseball the other day. It’s really kind of hard to do,” he said. “George Brett told me there is a technique, and he’s going to give me a crash course.”

Grave consequences: Beth Daniel on the prospect of making the LPGA Hall of Fame: “I feel like at times if I don’t make the Hall of Fame, my family is going to bury me and the LPGA is going to come along and chisel into my tombstone, ‘But she didn’t make the Hall of Fame.’ ”

Global coverage: What do Bophuthatswana, Guinea Bisau, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Sao Tome, St. Kitts., Turkmenistan, Essex and the Republic of Palau have in common?

They’re among the 117 foreign language markets getting the NBA finals on TV.

Looking back: On this day in 1935 James J. Braddock scored a unanimous 15-round decision over Max Baer to win the heavyweight championship in New York.

Trivia answer: Bill Sharman of Boston in 1957, 95.9%.

Quotebook: Vernon Maxwell of the Houston Rockets on his controversial image: “Yeah, I’m comfortable with the notoriety except when I’m going to jail.”