Reds’ Johnson Says He’s Had a Bellyful of Replacements

Manager Davey Johnson of the Cincinnati Reds is fed up and can’t take it anymore. Replacement baseball, which he called a travesty, is getting to him.

Evaluating the skill of the replacement players, Johnson said, “I would call it Class A league--independent Class A.”

Johnson hasn’t actively managed the Reds since the first five games of spring training. Asked when he is going to become involved again, Johnson said, “When my stomach settles down.”

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Trivia time: Who are the four active coaches who have won more than one NCAA basketball championship?

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Seeing double: From a fan at America West Arena when the Detroit Pistons and tubby Oliver Miller made their only appearance in Phoenix this season: “Hey, Miller, you’re the worst two players on that team.”

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Woof, woof: Center Dikembe Mutumbo of the Denver Nuggets: “We are the bad dogs. We don’t bite anybody during the season, but if we get into the playoffs, we will bite somebody.”

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So what: Kevin Kernan in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “UCLA wide receiver J.J. Stokes (Point Loma High) may slide in the draft. Stokes ran just a 4.7 (seconds) in the 40-yard dash this past week in a special workout.”

All of which has nothing to do with his abilities as a receiver, which are considerable.

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Success story: Danny Ainge of the Phoenix Suns, a 14-year NBA veteran, on his reputation as a player you love to hate:

“I take it as a compliment,” he told Bob Rubin of the Miami Herald. “I don’t want fans of other teams to like me. I don’t want guys playing against me to like me.”

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Not his fault: Lino Rivera, Pittsburgh Pirate replacement pitcher, knows what it means to be the ace of a staff.

He had an 8-4 record for Gerosse in the Italian League last summer. The team was 10-44.

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Price isn’t right: There’s a casino at the Pan Am headquarters hotel in Mar del Plata, Argentina, although it’s not often frequented by athletes or reporters for a good reason. The minimum bet is $20.

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Makes sense: John Calipari, University of Massachusetts basketball coach, on rumors that he is headed to the Boston Celtics:

“Why should I want to coach any place I have a chance to lose 60 games?”

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Magic number: Michel Goulet was honored by the Quebec Nordiques when his jersey was retired last Thursday. There was an odd twist to the timing of the ceremony.

Not only did it occur on March 16, but Goulet played 16 seasons, wearing No. 16, and he has scored 16 hat tricks in his career.

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Trivia answer: Bob Knight, Indiana, three; Denny Crum, Louisville; Mike Krzyzewski, Duke, and Dean Smith, North Carolina, two each.

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Quotebook: Dino Radja of the Boston Celtics on Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA: “I’ll like being able to see him play. But I won’t want to watch him kicking our butts.”