Notes on a Scorecard - June 20, 1995

The New York Yankees are hoping that Darryl Strawberry will be the Straw that stirs the drink. . . .

They should be satisfied if he isn’t the Straw that drinks the drink. . . .

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Waiting for Al Davis to make a decision on the Raiders’ future is like waiting for Greg Norman to make a birdie putt on the last day of the U.S. Open. . . .

The Raiders’ first exhibition game at home--wherever that may be--will be Aug. 11 or 12 against the St. Louis Rams. Incidentally, the Oakland Athletics will be on the road both dates. . . .

Now that Corey Pavin has won a major, how about another one this year? . . .

The PGA tournament Aug. 10-13 will be played at one of his favorite courses, Riviera Country Club, where he has won the last two L.A. Opens. . . .

In 1947-48, Ben Hogan won two L.A. Opens and then the U.S. Open at Riviera, which became known as Hogan’s Alley in honor of the straight-shooting Texan. . . .

Along with the prestige, Pavin collected $350,000 for his U.S. Open victory. . . .

Pavin’s successor as the best active player never to have won a major is Davis Love III. . . .

Really, it’s unfair to label Norman, who finished ahead of 154 of the 155 other golfers in the U.S. Open, as a choker. . . .

Best nickname on the PGA tour has been pinned on slow-playing Glen (All) Day. . . .

One pro football event remaining in Orange County is Irrelevant Week, which kicks off Sunday at the Balboa Bay Club. This year’s honoree, the last player picked in the NFL draft, is Boston College defensive back Mike Reed. He was taken with the 249th pick by the Carolina Panthers. . . .

Don’t look for Coach M.L. Carr to turn around the Boston Celtics. . . .

Bob Huggins made the right decision when he accepted a 10-year contract, estimated at $7 million, from the University of Cincinnati rather than enter the NBA rat race. . . .

Brian Winters was named coach of the Vancouver Grizzles three days after the 20th anniversary of the trade that sent him and Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith and draft pick Junior Bridgeman from the Lakers to the Milwaukee Bucks for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley. . . . Owner Abe Pollin of the Washington Bullets is thinking about changing the team nickname because it connotes violence. Washington’s homicide rate is eight times the national average. . . .

The Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic ought to be congratulated for not talking trash during the NBA finals. . . . Best wishes for a speedy recovery to XTRA sports-talk host Chet Forte after his triple bypass surgery. . . .

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The silver and bronze medalists from the 1992 Olympic Games men’s volleyball competition, Holland and the United States, will play July 27 at Pepperdine. . . .

Maybe it’s because nobody ever threatens to break it, but the modern record for highest batting average--.424 by Rogers Hornsby of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1924--is rarely mentioned. . . .

Any team with an opening in the broadcasting booth next season should snap up Joe Torre, who might have been the best analyst in baseball when he worked Angel games. . . .

Cal State Fullerton’s NCAA baseball champions and UCLA’s NCAA softball champions will be saluted during pregame ceremonies tonight at Anaheim Stadium. . . .

Didn’t you think Todd Zeile would have been worth more than Mike Morgan in the trading market? . . .

Sizzling Wayne Lukas will have contenders in eight stakes races with purses of at least $100,000 back east between June 24 and July 2. . . .

Jockey Gary Stevens’ father, Ron, trains the best 2-year-old prospect in the Pacific Northwest, Ask Pete. . . *

Shinnecock Hills was tough to beat on either coast over the weekend. On Friday night, after the second round of the U.S. Open, 3-year-old colt Shinnecock Hills won the seventh race at Hollywood Park. . . .

Much of the credit for the terrific production values on HBO’s boxing telecasts belongs to director Marc Payton. . . .

I would love to hear the World Boxing Council’s explanation of why Peter McNeeley, the foil for Mike Tyson on Aug. 19, is ranked 10th and Michael Moorer only 12th. . . .

Sugar Ray Leonard, 39, says he would return to the ring only against Marvelous Marvin Hagler, 43. Please continue to say no, Marvin. . . .

Michael Johnson makes Carl Lewis seem modest. . . .

Theme of the Roy Jones-Vinny Pazienza fight Saturday night at Atlantic City: “The Devil and Mr. Jones.”