From At-Bats of Zero to All-Star Hero

The Florida Marlins’ Jeff Conine was the batting hero of the All-Star game with the game-winning home run, but the former UCLA player never had an at-bat while playing for the Bruins.

Conine was a pitcher and because colleges use designated hitters, he never batted. Guy Hansen was UCLA’s pitching coach for one season and was so impressed by Conine’s athletic ability that in 1987 he talked the Kansas City Royals into making Conine their 58th draft pick.

Hansen also pitched for UCLA in 1967-69 and set an NCAA record of 11 consecutive strikeouts in a game.

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Add Conine: Jeff and his wife, Cindy, finished third in the 1993 U.S. racquetball doubles tournament.

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Trivia time: Roger Maris, who hit a record 61 home runs in 1961 with the New York Yankees, is in the “National High School Sports Record Book” for what feat?

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Scouting frenzy: Already in Japan the search is on for the “next Nomo.”

The hottest prospect is a 21-year-old with a single name, Ichiro, who plays for the Orix Blue Wave in Kobe and is Japan’s leading hitter.

“Ichiro could definitely play in the majors,” says Francisco Cabrera, a former Atlanta catcher who played for the Blue Wave.

Not everyone would like to see him go.

“If Ichiro goes too, what’s left for the Japanese leagues?” asked the magazine Sunday Mainichi.

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A good scout: Even if Al Unser Jr. doesn’t win in today’s Indy car race in Toronto, he already is a winner. He was named motorsportsman of the year by the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

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Look who’s here: A sting operation to catch ticket scalpers at the All-Star game landed Texas Ranger relief pitcher Ed Vosberg. The left-hander faces a $500 fine for allegedly trying to sell his complimentary tickets.

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In the genes: Sandy Oster was the batboy for the old Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League for eight years when they played at Gilmore Field. Sandy’s son, Bob, was an honorary batboy for the Dodgers in 1969.

And one of the honorary batboys in Saturday’s Dodger game was Robbie Oster, 15, Sandy’s grandson and Bob’s son.

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Age of specialization: On Al Hoffmann’s funny car, contending for the National Hot Rod Assn. championship, different mechanics work on opposite sides of the engine. Which prompted Chris Economaki to wonder if after a losing run, one of the mechanics might say, “My side of the engine ran better than your side.”

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Only an illusion: Among the teams scouting Doc Gooden, who hopes to return to pitching in 1996 after a year’s suspension for drug use, are the Atlanta Braves. But General Manager John Schuerholtz says he’s not interested in the former Met star.

“We may well have had a scout there, but I sure as hell didn’t send him,” Schuerholtz said.

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Lucky choices: Johnny Oates, the Texas Rangers’ manager, ought to consider playing the lottery. Since June 1, Ranger pinch-hitters are hitting .714, or 10 for 14.

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Trivia answer: Most kickoff returns for a touchdown in one game. Four for Shanley High in Fargo, N.D., in 1951.

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Quotebook: Paul Friedman, new public address announcer at Chicago’s Wrigley Field: “One thing I’ve learned is that if you make a mistake, if you say it with a deep enough voice, you can get away with it.”