Notes on a Scorecard - Aug. 10, 1994

The blame should be spread around for the bullpen woes that have plagued the Dodgers much of the season and kept their most exciting team in years down at about the .500 level. . . .

Fred Claire hasn’t put together a formidable relief staff. . . .

Tom Lasorda hasn’t handled the personnel well. . . .

Todd Worrell hasn’t handled adversity well. . . .

If Claire hadn’t made a couple of trades, he could have one of the best bullpens in the National League, featuring setup man Pedro Martinez and closer John Wetteland. . . .

Second baseman Delino DeShields’ disappointing year has made the Martinez deal with Montreal appear worse than it actually was or will turn out to be. . . .

However, Claire’s biggest mistake was including Wetteland in the trade that sent Tim Belcher to Cincinnati for Eric Davis and Kip Gross on Nov. 27, 1991. Wetteland had not allowed an earned run in nine innings of relief at the end of the previous season. . . .

The Reds repeated the Dodgers’ mistake two weeks later, sending Wetteland to the Expos for Dave Martinez, Willie Greene and Scott Ruskin on Dec. 11, 1991. . . .

Lasorda often has either overworked or underworked the talent available in his bullpen. . . .

Calling upon Worrell to try to protect a 6-3 lead over Colorado in the ninth inning on Monday after he had appeared in the two previous games was debatable, but leaving him in after he had served up beach balls to the first three batters wasn’t. . . .

Worrell complained earlier about the uncertainty of his role, decided not to talk to sportswriters anymore, and then lashed out at them after Monday’s debacle. . . .

The way he has performed this year and for the amount of money he is making, he ought to be big enough to take his share of the blame. . . .

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Re-signing Orel Hershiser would be a luxury, but re-signing Brett Butler is a necessity for the Dodgers. . . .

The Expos, who have also used Manager Felipe Alou’s nephew, Mel Rojas, as a closer, might be willing to trade Wetteland. If I’m Claire, I’m more interested in Wetteland, 28, than Randy Myers, 31, or John Franco, 33. . . .

At last glance, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the Class A California League were averaging 5,763 fans per home game and outdrawing 18 of the 28 Class AAA teams. . . .

The Detroit Tigers have the highest average attendance on the road in the American League, but the lowest at home. . . .

San Diego Padre first baseman Eddie Williams attended San Diego Hoover High, the alma mater of Ted Williams. . . .

Look-a-likes: Rodney Peete and Denzel Washington. . . .

Martina Navratilova’s last appearance in a Southern California tennis tournament makes the Virginia Slims of Los Angeles something special. . . .

It came as no surprise that Oregon football Coach Rich Brooks stepped down as athletic director. It’s impossible for the same person to do justice to both jobs. . . .

Three of the top 10 finishers in the Buick Open were from UCLA. Corey Pavin was second, Steve Pate tied for third, and Duffy Waldorf tied for eighth. . . .

Former Bruins Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes have won 50 of their last 61 tournaments on the Miller Lite Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, but will be trying for their first Seal Beach victory this weekend. . . .

Ten of the world’s best female billiards players, among them Ewa Mataya and Vivian Villareal, will compete in the Gordon’s 9-Ball Championship Friday and Saturday at the Gotham Hall Billiards Club on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. . . .

For the record: Michael Jordan wears No. 45 for the Birmingham Barons. . . .

Playing spots are still open for the third annual Bobby Hatfield celebrity golf tournament, a benefit for the Lupus Foundation, Aug. 22 at Los Coyotes Country Club. . . .

Trainer Angel Cordero told Andy Beyer of the Washington Post: “The preparation for getting a horse to one race is like preparing for a wedding. You can go two months of training getting a horse ready for a race that lasts a minute and nine seconds.” . . .

Meldrick Taylor has gone back to the Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs, where he trained for his first bout against Julio Cesar Chavez four years ago, to prepare for the rematch Sept. 17 in Las Vegas. . . .

A Lennox Lewis-Riddick Bowe heavyweight title bout has been proposed for December or March. . . .

The weather should be delightful in Tulsa this weekend for the PGA Championship. . . .

Let’s hear a big G-R-E-E-D spell-out for the major league owners and players.