Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 5, 1995

Now that Dodger fans have stopped booing Brett Butler, it is time for them to start cheering him. . . .

If all his teammates shared Butler’s intelligence, instincts, and enthusiasm for the game, the Dodgers would be doing what they should be--running away with the National League West title. . . .

L.A. will finish its season with 12 games against division rivals and the Angels with 13. . . .

Chuck Finley says pitching is everything, but Angel batters haven’t been tearing up the league lately, either. . . .

Ramon Martinez doesn’t get a lot of attention except when he pitches a no-hitter, but his 14 victories are only one less than National League co-leaders Greg Maddux and Pete Schourek. . . .

Boston Red Sox Manager Kevin Kennedy is going to have to choose between Roger Clemens and Tim Wakefield as his No. 1 starter during the postseason. My guess is Clemens. . . .

Cleveland closer Jose Mesa is no longer invincible. . . .

Look-a-likes: Damion Easley and Tiger Woods. . . .

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Joe Montana was OK in his NBC studio debut. . . .

Nobody should be afraid anymore that the Buffalo Bills will reach the Super Bowl. . . .

Injury most likely to hurt a team: Rod Woodson’s. . . .

Injury least likely to hurt a team: Heath Shuler’s. . . .

Cole Ford, who kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Oakland Raiders against San Diego, was better known for his booming kickoffs at USC. . . .

Welcome to the NFL: Dennis Erickson’s University of Miami teams won their last four opening games by a combined score of 134-17. In his Seattle debut, the Seahawks lost to Kansas City, 34-10. . . .

San Jose State Coach John Ralston is the only active member of the College Football Hall of Fame. . . .

At 68, Ralston is a few months younger than Joe Paterno. . . .

The Spartans have played Loyola and Pepperdine, but Saturday’s game at the Coliseum will be their first ever against USC. . . .

Before Terry Donahue on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl, the last local coach or manager I’d seen wearing shorts was Bobby Bragan of the old Hollywood Stars. All the Stars wore them during afternoon games one summer at Gilmore Field. . . .

UCLA’s most impressive statistic on opening night against Miami was its zero turnovers. . . .

Air Oregon: Tony Graziani threw 49 passes against Utah, only 12 fewer than Danny O’Neil did against Penn State in the Rose Bowl game. . . .

The Ducks will test the UCLA pass defense on Sept. 16 at Pasadena in the first meeting between the two schools in three years. . . .

Miami wide receivers beat the Bruin secondary a couple of times on long plays, but quarterback Ryan Collins couldn’t get the ball to them. . . .

Biggest Pacific 10 Conference disappointment Saturday was California, which a lot of people thought would be a sleeper. Instead, the Bears slept through a 33-9 loss to San Diego State. . . .

Final score: Florida State 70, Duke 26. Time of possession: Florida State 30:31, Duke 29:19. . . .

After Illinois’ drubbing by Michigan, Illini linebacker Simeon Rice can forget about becoming the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. . . .

One of Earl Campbell’s Texas records was broken when true freshman Ricky Williams from San Diego rushed for 95 yards in 10 carries against Hawaii. As a true freshman 21 years ago, Campbell’s high was 85 yards. . . .

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Headline writers, beware: Mark Philippoussis should be a factor in men’s tennis for years to come. At 18, the Australian gave Pete Sampras all he wanted in the U.S. Open. . . .

Pat Riley will be tested for class when he tries to turn the Miami Heat into a contender. . . .

Frank Bruno winning a share of the heavyweight title on his fourth attempt was a nice story, but it doesn’t really compare with that of Jersey Joe Walcott. . . .

Bruno, 31, was beaten by Tim Witherspoon, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis before he decisioned lackluster Oliver McCall Saturday in London for the World Boxing Council version of the title. . . .

Walcott was beaten twice each by champions Joe Louis and Ezzard Charles before knocking out Charles in the seventh round at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field in 1951 for the undisputed title at 37. . . .

The crowd for the Raider-San Diego game at Oakland Sunday was 50,323. The crowd for the Raider-San Diego game at Los Angeles last Sept. 25 was 55,385.