Hershiser in Dodger Blue Strikes Him as Streak King

As far as historians are concerned, Teemu Selanne’s three goals in the first period for the Ducks on Monday night were overkill. He needed only one to increase his goal-scoring streak to 11 games.

Former King Charlie Simmer set the NHL’s modern record during the 1979-80 season at 13, a streak the team’s general manager, Dave Taylor, remembers well.

“Who do you think was setting him up for all those goals?” Taylor asks.

Marcel Dionne?

Discussion of the subject Tuesday among longtime Southern California sports experts, selected by me based on who answered phones when I called, led to memories of other individual streaks, ranked as follows:

1. Orel Hershiser’s 59 consecutive scoreless innings in 1988, more remarkable because they occurred during a divisional race.

2. Don Drysdale’s six straight shutouts in 1968, including 58 2/3 straight scoreless innings.

3. Steve Garvey’s National League-record 1,207 consecutive games, all but the last 100 played for the Dodgers.

4. Parry O’Brien’s 117 successive shotput victories, beginning when he was at USC in 1952.

5. Chick Hearn’s 2,966 straight Laker broadcasts, including Tuesday night’s in Dallas.

6. Simmer’s 13-game streak.

7. Lisa Fernandez’s 65 straight scoreless innings for UCLA’s softball team in 1992, part of her 42-game winning streak over two seasons.

8. Marcus Allen’s five consecutive 200-yard rushing games for USC in 1981, an NCAA record he shares with Barry Sanders.

9. Jockey Chris McCarron’s seven straight victories at Hollywood Park in 1983.

10. Johnny Dickshot’s 33-game hitting streak to open the 1943 Pacific Coast League season for the Hollywood Stars. Dickshot died last week at 85.

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Steve Lavin, who three years ago had an annual salary of $16,000 as a restricted-earnings coach at UCLA, has become a nonprofit corporation. . . .

For tax purposes, he wants the paychecks from his new five-year, $2.375-million deal made out to Steve Lavin Enterprises Inc. . . .

Somehow, it doesn’t have the same ring as Wizard of Westwood. . . .

Lavin Inc. reports that Baron Davis is as good as advertised, saying he’s as precocious in basketball as Tiger Woods is in golf. . . .

The Lakers list Elden Campbell at 7 feet, one inch taller than last season. . . .

“I got some sleep,” Campbell says of his off-season growth spurt, unusual for a man of 29. . . .

He’s kidding. Campbell has been a seven-footer for years but didn’t want to be identified as one. . . .

Don’t ask. . . .

After searching long and hard, Seattle Coach George Karl found a bright side for the SuperSonics in the trade that would have brought Mitch Richmond to the Lakers. . . .

“Expectations for us would go down,” Karl said. “If they didn’t win [the Western Conference title] with Mitch--wow!”. . . .

Now that Disney officials have settled with Jeffrey Katzenberg, isn’t it time for them to sign Paul Kariya? . . .

Selanne would appreciate it. . . .

Although he scores more when Kariya is not with the team, Selanne can’t wait to turn the C--for captain--on his sweater back over to Kariya. . . .

It’s no coincidence Selanne’s streak began about the same time center Steve Rucchin returned from an injury. . . .

Phoenix Coyote goalie Nikolai Khabibulin’s refusal to play for the Russian Olympic team may create an opening for the Ducks’ Mikhail Shtalenkov. . . .

The Angels have initiated contact with Darryl Kile’s agent. . . .

The free-agent pitcher, who wants $28 million over four years to remain with Houston, is from Garden Grove. . . .

With at least $2.4 billion in television contracts for the next four seasons, the NBA is going to have difficulty justifying a lockout next summer over the collective bargaining agreement. . . .

USC Coach Henry Bibby was commiserating last week with former USC coach George Raveling that college basketball is looking more like pro basketball each season. . . .

“I thought you liked pro basketball,” a reporter said to Bibby, who played for nine seasons in the NBA. . . .

“I like the salaries in pro basketball,” Bibby said. . . .

I can see it now: Henry Bibby Inc.

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While wondering whatever happened to baseball’s traditions, I was thinking: Dodgers are supposed to win rookie-of-the-year awards, Braves are supposed to win the Cy Young, the Yankees are supposed to be broken up, not the Marlins.