Manager Never Could Master Art of Hitting

Jeff Richardson, who is managing the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class-A Augusta (Ga.) team, was a replacement player during the players’ strike two years ago.

According to Paul Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he said his baseball card had an error.

“That part where it says, ‘Hits--Right’ is wrong,” Richardson said. “Mine should read, ‘Hits--Doesn’t.’ ”

Trivia time: Who holds the NBA playoff record for the most fouls in one quarter?

Lock the door: LPGA daredevil Helen Alfredsson recently went flying with the Blue Angels.

She told Golf Digest, “The only thing that bothered me was that during the briefing they kept saying, ‘If you need to leave the aircraft . . . ‘ I kept saying, ‘I don’t have any plans to leave the aircraft.’ ”

Film penalty: Former light-heavyweight boxing champion Billy Conn once had the lead role in a forgettable movie, “The Pittsburgh Kid.”

When people he didn’t like came to his house, he’d make them watch it.

A real upset: Bob Baffert’s Cavonnier lost by a nose in the 44-year-old trainer’s first trip to the Kentucky Derby last year. When he sends Santa Anita Derby runner-up Silver Charm to Kentucky next month, he will have learned from the experience.

Said Baffert recently, “You just have to stay focused on your own horse, keep him happy and sharp, don’t second-guess yourself, and, on Derby Day, try not to throw up.”

Lasting decision: Phil Sheridan in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “A first-round [NFL] draft choice is like a tattoo. Choose the wrong one, and you’re going to regret it for a long, long time.”

Wordsmith: Another Ralph Kinerism from Jayson Stark of the Inquirer:

“Ralph the name-change surgeon pronounces Martina Navratilova’s name as ‘Martina Natravlotina,’ calls Dan Driessen ‘Diane Driessen,’ and mistakes Dann Bilardello for ‘Dann Bordello.’ ”

SuperSonic rip: Peter Vecsey of the New York Post stood by his story that Seattle SuperSonic star Shawn Kemp is having drinking problems, despite adamant denials by Kemp and his teammates, saying:

“If they had defended their basket as vigorously as they’re defending Kemp, they might’ve only been blown out by single digits” Sunday in losing, 113-73, to the Houston Rockets.

Zzzzz: The Vancouver Province on the local under-achieving NHL team: “What’s 30 feet long and sleeps 20? Answer: the Vancouver Canucks’ bench.”

Looking back: On this day in 1962, Bill Russell scored 30 points and grabbed 40 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 110-107 overtime victory over the Lakers in the seventh game of the NBA finals.

Trivia answer: Paul Mokeski of Milwaukee, with six against Philadelphia on May 7, 1986.

And finally: Miami Dolphin Coach Jimmy Johnson on a memorable NFL draft experience: “One guy had a real low test score, so we decided to go back and check the interviews. In one of them, he said he was raised by wolves.”