Who Knew 76ers Would Hold Bat Night?

Between the first and second quarters of Wednesday’s Philadelphia-Detroit game, Pat Croce, president of the 76ers, daringly slid down a rope from a catwalk 120 feet above the floor in the First Union Center to the free-throw line nearest the Piston bench.

“He did the last 50 feet upside down, like a bat,” reported Bill Lyon of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Why? “Because I wanted to get the crowd juiced,” Croce said.

The 76ers won in overtime.

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Trivia time: Other than Nolan Ryan, who are the Angel pitchers credited with no-hit games?

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Embarrassing: Steve Davis writing in the Dallas Morning News: “Have you seen the Nike commercial where Dodger pitcher Chan Ho Park practically gives himself a wedgie trying to wrestle off a bat weight in the on-deck circle?

“Last Monday against the Rangers, Indian third baseman Travis Fryman couldn’t shake the weight off his bat before a plate appearance. A few observant Ranger fans noticed Fryman’s struggles and began chanting ‘Chan-Ho-Park.’

“Fryman, obviously agitated, finally managed to free the bat weight after a few determined whacks on the ground.”

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Wonder round: Jim McCabe of the Boston Globe reports that a 57-year-old golfer played three par-fives in a mind-boggling total of nine strokes.

Larry McDonald Sr., playing at Woods Hole in Falmouth, Mass., accomplished his feat in an unconventional manner--birdie-eagle-double eagle.

“It’s a real oddity,” said McDonald, who had a roller-coaster round of 72. “I know I’ll never do it again.”

You can bet on it.

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Simple approach: Rookie Jason Williams of the Sacramento Kings on shooting:

“When the shots are there, I’m gonna shoot ‘em, and when they’re falling, they’re falling, and when they’re not falling I’m probably still going to shoot ‘em.”

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It has his blessing: The San Francisco Giants might use specially trained dogs to retrieve balls hit for home runs into the bay from Pac Bell Park.

This is comedian Don “Father Guido Sarducci” Novello’s idea. “One highlight,” he told USA Today, “will be the seventh-inning fetch.”

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Average foursome: Mario Lemieux has Michael Jordan and John Elway set for his annual charity golf tournament in Pittsburgh next month, and he’s hoping Wayne Gretzky will join them.

“Everybody talks about the Three Amigos,” Lemieux told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’re hoping to have the Four Retirees.”

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Trivia answer: Mike Witt (perfect game), Clyde Wright and Bo Belinsky each pitched a no-hitter, and Mark Langston and Witt combined for one.

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And finally: Actor Dustin Hoffman, 61, has a passion for tennis and has a court in the backyard of his home in Brentwood.

“For me, it’s all about getting on the court with good players,” he told Tennis magazine. “When I hit with Jimmy Connors for 45 minutes, he was breathing rapidly. I love the fact that I can hit with anybody, and it won’t be a waste of their time.”