A Real Life Man Without a Country

When the Dodgers’ Chan Ho Park became the first Korean-born pitcher to win a major league game Saturday, it was reported that the feat was as significant as wrestler Jung Mo Yang becoming the country’s first gold medalist in the 1976 Olympic Games.

However, it’s debatable whether that distinction belongs to Sohn Kee Chung, who won the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Korea was, at the time, occupied by Japanese forces, according to David Wallechinsky’s “Book of the Olympics.”

Sohn, a fervent nationalist, made it a point to explain that Korea was a separate nation and a victim of Japanese imperialism. The official medal count credits Japan for Sohn’s achievement.

Trivia time: Who holds the 18-hole record at the Masters tournament?

Going quietly: Andy Van Slyke, whose major league career is apparently over at age 35, has accepted an analyst job with ESPN.

“That way, if I mess up, only two million people will see me instead of 10 million ,” he said. “Hopefully, if I get fired, nobody will notice.”

Rodman file: Tom Cushman of the San Diego Union-Tribune offers this bit of trivia on the lifestyle of the Chicago Bulls’ Dennis Rodman:

“His hair is trimmed and colored biweekly at Heidi’s Salon in suburban Northbrook Court. Including a manicure, average cost of a Rodman visit is $135, plus tip.”

Decadent franchise? Ed Moore of the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press on the off-the-field problems of the Dallas Cowboys: “If the [Dallas Cowboys] are America’s Team, then America is striptease on acid. Jerry Jones and Rome’s debauched Caligula share estates.”

Classless act: Sam Smith in the Chicago Tribune: “The league’s best trash-talker is still wacky [Utah] Jazz owner Larry Miller, who shouted at former Jazz [now Grizzlies] player Eric Murdock, ‘You can’t even start for an expansion team.’

“Murdock responded with an obscene gesture.”

Recount in order: Wayman Tisdale was named the best Big Eight basketball player ever in a 7-5 media vote by the Salina, Kan. newspaper.

Said former Kansas star Danny Manning: “There’s only one newspaper in Salina. How do they get a 7-5 vote?”

How about a radio? Baltimore Oriole Manager Davey Johnson says that he likes scouting clubs via television, something he did regularly while managing the New York Mets, but not with the Cincinnati Reds because of owner Marge Schott’s Scrooge-like policies.

“We didn’t have a TV, much less a satellite,” Johnson recalled.

Waste of time? Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News wonders why Madison Square Garden still hosts the National Invitation Tournament: “They run a tournament to figure out the 65th best college basketball team in the country.”

Trivia time: Nick Price, with a 63 in 1986.