Notes on a Scorecard - May 2, 1995

How forgiving are Dodger fans? The turnout of 137,851 over the weekend was the largest for an opening three-game series at Dodger Stadium since 1991, and the second-largest since 1986. . . .

Among the paying customers Saturday night were several members of UCLA’s national championship basketball team. . . .

The Bruins were introduced during pregame ceremonies, but one of those absurd NCAA edicts prevented them from accepting complimentary tickets or riding to the game together on a bus. . . .

The team had celebrated at Disneyland free of charge and was transported to a couple of public appearances before some genius in Overland Park, Kan., decided that enough was enough. . . .

That meant the players also had to pay for a tour of Universal Studios. . . .

Jo Lasorda’s 45th wedding anniversary gift to Dodger Manager Tom was a 1955 Brooklyn World Series championship ring. . . .

“I pitched in only four games that year, but I was on the roster for about half the season,” Lasorda said. “I never got a ring. Neither did Vin Scully.” . . .

Somehow, Jo Lasorda was able to track down the person who had designed the rings and he still had the mold. Rings were made for both Lasorda and Scully. . . .

Things are upside down in Chicago, where the Cubs are 4-1 and the White Sox 1-4. . . .

Sorry, all you Florida fans living in San Diego, but the Marlins won’t play any games at Jack Murphy Stadium this season. . . .

*

Wayne Gretzky, who has a year left on his contract, says he doesn’t want to be traded by the Kings. And I’ll be surprised if he retires. He deserves a farewell tour next season. . . . James Toney flashed some of his old form Sunday when he stopped Anthony Hembrick, and much of the credit should be given his new trainer, Eddie Mustafa. The former light-heavyweight champion is the kind of taskmaster Toney needs. . . .

For the first time in its 62-year history, the USC-UCLA track and field meet will be contested on the Trojan campus Saturday. . . .

The USC men have a 38-23 series lead, but UCLA has won the last 16. . . .

The Bruin men and women will be favored in the competition that will begin with field events at noon and running events at 1 p.m. at Cromwell Field, where extra bleachers have been installed. . . .

Space limitations will force Trojan hammer thrower Balazs Kiss, who recently set an NCAA record, to perform in his specialty at West L.A. College at 10 a.m. . . .

Arthur Bartner’s 25th anniversary as USC band director was celebrated with a black-tie gala Saturday night at the Coliseum. . . .

I guess the way to beat the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs is to limit Michael Jordan to 32 points. . . .

What made Orlando’s loss to Boston all the more shocking Sunday was that the Magic shot a respectable 73% from the free-throw line, but missed 19 of 23 shots in the fourth quarter. . . .

A.C. Green’s streak of 733 consecutive games played is third on the all-time NBA list behind Randy Smith’s 904 and John (Red) Kerr’s 844. . . .

Boston Garden’s history wouldn’t be nearly so glorious if the Celtics hadn’t traded Ed Macauley and the draft rights to Cliff Hagan to the St. Louis Hawks for the draft rights to Bill Russell on April 29, 1956. . . .

Tickets are on sale at Pepperdine for the women’s NCAA tennis tournament May 12-21 at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on the Malibu campus. Defending champion Georgia is ranked No. 1. . . .

Right or wrong, Wayne Lukas’ decision to run Serena’s Song in the Kentucky Derby adds pizazz to a race that lost plenty of it when Larry The Legend was injured. . . .

Most trainers don’t want the No. 1 post position in the Derby, but the highest number of winners, 12, have broken from the rail. . . .

At least half a dozen jockeys in Louisville this week will be quoted as saying, “I wouldn’t trade places with anybody else.” . . .

The only gray in Saturday’s race will be Ski Captain, a Kentucky-bred son of Storm Bird who has done all his racing in Japan. . . .

The way Cal Ripken Jr. is hitting, don’t expect the Baltimore Orioles to remove him from the lineup.