Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 27, 1995

It’s too bad the disheartened Angels didn’t show any of the spirit Tuesday at the Kingdome that UCLA did when it won the NCAA basketball championship there last April despite the injury to Tyus Edney. . . .

You can watch the Seattle Mariners try to clinch a tie for the American League West title today at 4:30 p.m. in the first game of an Angel-Dodger doubleheader on ESPN. . . .

The opener is supposed to be shown in its entirety, but let us hope they switch to the 7:30 start of the Dodger-Colorado game if there is another slaughter in progress at the dome. . . .

Dodger first baseman Eric Karros continues to deliver the kind of clutch hits that brought Kirk Gibson the 1988 National League most-valuable-player award, but Karros’ numbers are far better than Gibson’s were. . . .

Before Tuesday night’s game, Karros had 31 home runs, 104 runs batted in and a .300 batting average. . . .

Gibson finished the ’88 season with 25 home runs, 76 runs batted in and a .290 average. . . .

Of course, Karros will face tougher competition in the balloting than Gibson. . . .

Colorado outfielder Dante Bichette, who gets to play half his games at the Coors Field launching pad, has enormous numbers. . . .

Mike Piazza probably will split some of the Dodger vote with Karros. . . .

Barry Larkin is the heart, soul and all-around star of the Cincinnati Reds. . . .

Atlanta’s Greg Maddux, who has won 18 of 20 decisions, is a candidate to become the first pitcher to win the award since St. Louis’ Bob Gibson in 1968. . . .

In the American League, Cleveland’s Albert Belle is having the best season, but Boston’s Mo Vaughn is much more popular with the writers who vote. Seattle’s Edgar Martinez is about to win another batting title, but still doesn’t get enough recognition. . . .

News item: New York Yankees, seeking wild-card berth, acquire Rick Honeycutt from Oakland for cash. Reaction: In the days before wild cards, Honeycutt was involved in two major Dodger deals. They got him from Texas for Dave Stewart and Ricky Wright in August 1983, and traded him to Oakland for Tim Belcher in August 1987. . . .

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Olympic boxing gold medalists Oscar De La Hoya and Paul Gonzales will present a check to the Inner-City Games/Hollenbeck Youth Center today at 11 a.m. at the center. . . .

I wonder who will win the fashion contest between Macho Camacho, who fights Tony Rodriguez at the Grand Olympic on Thursday, and Jorge Paez, who has a rematch on Saturday with Jose Vida Ramos on Channel 9 from Caesars Tahoe. . . .

Camacho, who didn’t fight enough when he was in his prime, will be making his eighth appearance this year and expects to have two or three more bouts before January. . . .

USC’s offense has been so efficient that it is keeping punter John Stonehouse out of the national rankings. He is averaging 45.9 yards, but has punted only 10 times in three games. Only those who punt an average of at least 3.6 times a game are eligible for the rankings. . . .

Stonehouse, 5 feet 11 and 230 pounds, made perhaps the hardest hit in Tucson Saturday night when he tackled Arizona punt returner Richard Dice. . . .

What kind of home-field advantage will UCLA have Saturday when it plays Fresno State and its red sea of supporters at the Rose Bowl? . . .

Funny, but many of the same people who are appalled that college football coaches run up scores are against the solution to the problem--a postseason tournament. . . .

Florida State’s 46-14 victory over Central Florida lowered the Seminoles’ scoring average from 64 points to 59.5. . . .

One reason Army was able to play Washington so tough Saturday at Seattle is that the Cadets no longer are real small. Their offensive line averages 262 pounds. . . .

Art Brewster, whose wonderful drawings appeared in Trojan football programs since 1946, recently died. . . .

New Coach Tyrone Willingham’s discipline is working at Stanford. . . .

If nothing else, Detroit Lion Coach Wayne Fontes is resilient. . . .

As part of its first midnight madness festivities Oct. 15 at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA will give 10 contestants each 4.8 seconds to go coast-to-coast and make a basket--the same time it took Edney against Missouri in the NCAA tournament. . . .

3Com Park is the worst place to watch a major league baseball game since Candlestick Park.