It Would Give Reggie a Chance to See How Billy Martin Felt

Bill Tanton of the Baltimore Sun writes that Reggie Jackson could be the manager of the New York Yankees next year:

“Don’t laugh. In New York, there are those who swear owner George Steinbrenner is leaning that way.

“To me, that sounds ridiculous. Reggie Jackson is one of those larger-than-life characters who has enough trouble managing himself, much less managing 25 ballplayers.

“It’s also ridiculous for another reason. the Yankees have a good manager in Buck Showalter.”

Trivia time: Who holds the UCLA record for most yards gained passing in a football game?

Come again?USC, in its media guide, has requested that the school not be referred to as Southern Cal.

Reader Bob Brigham points out that in a school booklet advertising signature USC apparel are T-shirts and sweat shirts with the “Southern Cal” logo.

Opportunity?Tommy Maddox’s NFL career has been disappointing. Now the former UCLA quarterback is reunited with the coach who drafted him in the first round in 1992--Dan Reeves, then the coach of the Denver Broncos, who is now coaching the New York Giants.

“I have not changed my mind on thinking he can be a starter,” Reeves told Neil Best of Newsday.

Showtime: Luke Jensen, who lost a first-round U.S. Open match to Thomas Muster on Wednesday, said there should be more Las Vegas glitz in the game.

“We would have lights, lasers and blimps flying in and helicopters and the whole thing,” Jensen said when asked how he would run tennis.

Grass hoppers: Gentlemen, start your lawn mowers! On Sept. 30 a lawn mower race will be held at Prado Park in Chino.

In case it has slipped your mind, the history of lawn mower racing dates back more than 30 years in the United States and England.

Baseball injury of the week: Randy Veres, Florida Marlin relief pitcher, bruised his hand smashing a hotel wall to get the folks in the next room to quiet down.

Forty hype: Stanford running back Anthony Bookman claims a 4.2-second time in the 40-yard dash, prompting Jake Curtis of the San Francisco Chronicle to write, “No one believes him, so he just says he runs in the 4.3s.”

That’s not believable, either.

Looking back: On this day in 1965, Ernie Banks hit his 400th home run as the Chicago Cubs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, at Wrigley Field. Curt Simmons gave up the homer in the third inning.

Trivia answer: Maddox, with 409 yards against USC in 1990.

Quotebook: Dan Majerle of the Phoenix Suns on voting to accept the NBA players’ union’s negotiated settlement with the league: “I want to play this year, and Madison Majerle, my little baby, wants me to play this year, so I voted yes. Baby’s got to eat.”