Grand Slam-Turned-Single Creates Over-Under Mess

While wondering whether Pete Rose had the over or the under, I was thinking:

Game 5 in the National League championship series on Sunday night will be remembered as one of the best of all time, but what was the score? . . .

Nowhere was that question asked more often, or with more anxiety, than in Las Vegas, where the sports books had posted the over-under for runs scored by the Mets and Braves at 7 1/2. . . .

Immediately after Robin Ventura’s grand slam, or at least what appeared to be a grand slam, NBC flashed the score as 7-3 and the bettors with their money on the over celebrated. Later, after the home run was downgraded and the score was ruled 4-3, the unders celebrated. . . .

“I’ve been in the business for 20 years, and I’ve seen a lot of bizarre things,” Gene Kivi, director of the sports book at Mandalay Bay, said Monday. “But I’ve never seen anything as bizarre as that in a baseball game.” . . .

Vinnie Magliulo, director of the sports book at Caesars Palace, told the “Loose Cannons,” Steve Hartman and Bill Werndl, at XTRA 690 on Monday that a record was set for tape used to piece together winning tickets that had been ripped apart when Ventura’s “single” cleared the right-field wall.

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The Dodgers could have had Ventura with the fifth pick in the 1988 draft but instead took Bill Bene, a pitcher from Cal State Los Angeles who never advanced beyond triple-A. . . .

Despite increasing evidence to the contrary, the Dodgers have made some good decisions. They could have taken my advice and signed Rod Beck as a free agent. . . .

I thought it would be awhile before I saw a stranger finish than the one to the Met-Brave game Sunday night. I was probably right, but the final 1 1/2 innings of the Yankee-Red Sox game was close. . . .

If Scully and Mulder ever return to work on “The X-Files,” they can develop a conspiracy theory to answer the question about why bad calls in the playoffs always favor the Yankees. . . .

Besides the two in this series against the Red Sox, there was the famous one involving Reggie Jackson’s hip in the 1978 World Series against the Dodgers and another involving the phony home run against the Orioles in 1996 caught in the bleachers by 12-year-old truant Jeffrey Maier. . . .

The first story I ever did for The Times in 1981 involved the NFL’s threat to quit scheduling Monday night games in Foxboro, Mass., because of rowdiness in the stands. New England fans haven’t changed, evidenced by their behavior Sunday night at Fenway Park and during the Ryder Cup at Brookline. . . .

The Yankees considered trading Andy Pettitte because he was inconsistent, soft and high-maintenance. Sounds exactly like Ismael Valdes. Maybe the Dodgers should keep him. . . .

In retrospect, I’m not sure we should continue to refer to the 1969 team as the Miracle Mets. Among their pitchers were Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman and Tug McGraw. . . .

Mike Piazza is not Mr. October. . . .

The Mets, however, aren’t concerned about their investment, as long as he continues as Mr. April through September. . . .

Mike Hargrove would still have his job as the Indians’ manager if the man who fired him, John Hart, had gotten him another starting pitcher, such as Chuck Finley, at the trading deadline. . . .

It has been reported that the Angels would have dealt Finley to the Indians if Hart had included young second baseman Enrique Wilson in the package. Actually, Hart did include Wilson. But he wouldn’t part with the player the Angels really wanted, pitcher David Riske. . . .

Everyone knows a story about a guy who started in a company’s mail room and climbed up to the executive offices. Baseball’s version of that was Jeff Parker, a former Angel batboy and clubhouse attendant who became their director of player development. Facing an uncertain future after the resignation of General Manager Bill Bavasi, Parker is leaving to take a job with a another team.

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Those experiencing difficulty with access to Staples Center should listen to one of Bruce Springsteen’s songs: “Backstreets.” . . .

The L.A. Sports Council and Chamber of Commerce hold their annual luncheon to honor the Kings today at the new arena. . . .

Bob and Beverly Lewis, owners of Silver Charm and Charismatic, and jockey Kent Desormeaux will speak at the Sports Newsmakers luncheon today at the Arrowhead Pond. . . .

I knew USC was in trouble when I turned on the Movie Channel on Friday night and saw “Rudy” waking up the echoes. . . .

I was sorry to hear Muhammad Ali say he was joking about his comeback. Even in his condition, I’d rate him no lower than fifth in the heavyweight division.

Randy Harvey can be reached at his e-mail address: randy.harvey@latimes.com.